baby… and they…'
She couldn't go on. The horror of what she had just gone through suddenly struck her full force. She collapsed against him and began to sob.
'We'll leave here, Douglas. I won't fight you any longer. We'll leave… We'll leave.'
Chapter Twelve
The Simpson kitchen was crowded with Claybornes. Trudy Simpson was making a fresh pot of coffee for her honored guests. She was thrilled to have the men at her table and wanted to prepare a feast to show her appreciation. The brothers had come to Sweet Creek to help Isabel, and that made them exceptional.
The men spoke in whispers to one another so that Parker wouldn't be disturbed. He was sleeping peacefully up against Cole's shoulder.
The doctor joined them a few minutes later. He dropped a large packet of yellowed papers tied together with a pink ribbon on the table in front of Douglas.
'I took these away from Isabel. It's after one in the morning, and I found her poring over them when she should be sleeping. Why don't you go through them for her? One of the papers has to be the deed to that useless land, and when you find it, I think we ought to burn it, for all the good it's done.'
'How is she feeling, Doctor?' Trudy asked.
'She's tuckered out, but otherwise just as fit as can be. You needn't be worrying about our girl.'
'It's a miracle this little boy made it,' she remarked. She put a platter of ham on the table and turned back to the counter to fetch the biscuits. 'Why, he's no bigger than a minute. I don't believe I've ever seen a baby so tiny.'
The doctor squeezed a chair in between Adam and Harrison and sat down. 'He's not as small as I expected him to be, but he's got to stay put until he has more weight on him. Do you understand what I'm saying, Douglas? Isabel and her boy have got to stay here. Now, since you brought them to us, I'm wanting to know what you're planning to do when trouble comes calling.'
'Meaning Boyle and his gunslingers?' Harrison asked.
Douglas had already told his brothers everything he knew about Boyle, and by the time he'd finished giving the details, they were all anxious to meet the man who had single-handedly terrorized an entire town. Cole was the most curious. He was also the most determined to end the tyrant's reign.
'I'll make certain the fight doesn't come into town,' Douglas said.
'How are you going to do that?' Dr. Simpson wanted to know.
'Mrs. Simpson, will you please stop staring at me?' Cole asked. 'You're making me nervous.'
Trudy laughed. 'I can't help it. You look just like I expected Marshal Ryan to look. You've got the same color of hair and eyes, and you're as big as he's supposed to be.'
'But you've never seen Ryan, have you, ma'am?' he asked, his exasperation apparent.
'It doesn't make any difference. The minister gave us a fine description of the lawman, and almost every Sunday during his preaching time he's told us another story of Ryan's courage.'
'Shouldn't he be preaching parables or something from the Bible? Why would he talk about Ryan?' Adam asked.
'To give us hope,' Trudy answered. Her eyes got misty with emotion. 'Everyone needs to have hope. And when Cole came strutting into my kitchen, I just naturally assumed he was Ryan. That's why I grabbed hold of him and kissed him.'
'Ma'am, I don't strut. I walk. And I don't much like being compared to Daniel Ryan,' Cole said.
'Why not? The man's a legend, for heaven's sake. Why, the stories we've heard about him, the tales of glory-'
'Begging your pardon, ma'am, but I don't think it's a good idea to tell Cole any of those stories now. He doesn't like the marshal. Fact is, he doesn't like him at all,' Adam said.
Trudy's hand flew to her throat. 'Oh, no, that can't be. Everyone likes him.'
Douglas wasn't paying any attention to the conversation. He stared at the bundle of papers Parker Grant had left his wife. He didn't want to go through them, because every time he thought about her late husband, he became angry. Parker had subjected Isabel to hardships no woman should have to endure.
He shoved the packet across the table to his brother Adam. 'You go through them. Pull out the important documents.'
Adam immediately pushed the packet in front of Harrison. 'You're the attorney. You go through them.'
'Why does this have to be done now?' Harrison asked.
'Isabel wants to find the registration for the Arabians. She's got a mind to do something with the papers, but she won't confide in me. She can be stubborn, and you know how women can get a bug up their-'
'Doctor, watch your language please,' Trudy reminded him.
'I was only going to say women get a bug up their sleeve, Trudy.'
She snorted with disbelief. Her husband quickly changed the subject to avert an argument. 'What did you do with those Arabians?' he asked.
'Travis had something in mind. We left it up to him,' Adam explained. 'Those sure are fine horses,' he added with a nod.
Harrison was hunched over the table, reading documents. Douglas was explaining the change the doctor would have to make in his routine until Boyle was taken care of.
'You're going to have to stay here until this is resolved,' he said.
'And just what will happen if anyone gets sick in the meantime? I have to go where I'm needed,' the doctor argued.
'Then two of my brothers are going to go with you. Cole, you stay in town with Adam and make certain no one gets near this house.'
'That's going to mean killing some of Boyle's men,' Cole said.
'Then that's what you'll do.'
'Who is Patrick O'Donnell?' Harrison asked.
The question caught the doctor's full attention. 'Why in heaven's name would you be asking me about crazy Paddy Irish? Did you know him?'
'No, sir, I didn't know him, but his will is here, and his name is on this deed. I was wondering-'
Simpson wouldn't let Harrison continue. 'Well now, son, I've got to tell you the story, just like I told Douglas, about Paddy Irish having the last laugh.'
Douglas motioned for Harrison to hand him the will and the deed so he could read them while the physician retold the bizarre story about the crazy old Irishman.
The brothers were fascinated by the tale. Douglas was fascinated by the documents he held in his hands. He was rereading the description of the property Parker Grant had inherited from Patrick O'Donnell but still couldn't accept what he was seeing until he'd read the deed a third time.
Simpson had just finished his stpry when Douglas began to laugh. He tried to explain why he was so amused, but every time he began to speak, he was overcome with laughter again.
'Son, you're making me think you're as crazy as old Paddy Irish. What's got you so tickled?'
Douglas handed him the papers. Moments later, Dr. Simpson was also overcome with laughter.
'Good Lord above, there's justice in this sorry world after all,' he said as he wiped the tears away from his eyes.
'What's gotten into you two?' Trudy asked.
Cole stood up and began to pace around the kitchen with Parker. The baby had been awakened by all the commotion. 'Lower your voices,' he snapped. 'Parker doesn't like it.'
Adam got up and took the baby away from his brother. 'You've had him long enough. It's my turn.'
'Paddy wasn't crazy, Trudy. Fact is, he was a very clever man.'
'And so was Parker Grant,' Douglas acknowledged.
He leaned back in his chair and shook his head. 'Paddy filed a claim on a piece of land years before Boyle
