from her house rather than getting involved in Humby's tricks. She wants him to be okay. Did Wilson say they were coming to offer help or because they needed help? She feels again how frightened she was bringing Billy back to the ranch with his wounds and how it felt to be desperate for someone to help.
'Laura! Come quickly.' She shouts. Laura will know what to do.
Logan tries to brush her away as he struggles down from the saddle insisting that it is only a scratch and is already taken care of, but his eyes look a little unfocussed and he wobbles a little as she helps him to the porch.
'What happened?' She asks quietly. 'Who did this?'
Logan shakes his head. He doesn't seem to want to say.
'Was it him?' she asks, pointing at Wilson. 'Did he do this to you?'
Logan shakes his head.
Laura takes a cursory glance at his arm. 'He's been well bandaged already. You don't need my help. I'll fetch him something to drink.
'What happened with Humby?' he asks.
It's her turn to shake her head. She doesn't want to tell that tale just yet. It wasn't very pleasant to live through and she doesn't want to go over it again.
'I thought he took you to town?' Wilson asks. He has been standing a little way off, watching the distance as usual, but he has been listening.
'I came back,' she says. Please don't ask for more detail than that. Don't make me relive it.
'Just like that. You came back.' Wilson says quietly, still watching the road and the hill tops. 'Isn't that Mannion's horse over there?' He still isn't making eye contact.
He isn't going to leave it alone is he? Does she tell them that she escaped? That she duped McLaren? Maybe she should lie and say that he let her go, that he sent her home.
'I'm thinking Miss Nixon,' Wilson goes on, 'that you're a very clever and resourceful woman and you've picked your moment and slipped away and that Mr. Humby isn't going to be right pleased about that. And when he finds out you ain't there he's going to come right out here looking for you.' He turns to look at her. 'Am I right?'
She nods, only slightly and involuntarily but it is enough.
'He won't come alone. You shouldn't stay here. Do you have someplace you could go for a couple of days while we try to talk some sense into him?'
That baffles her. Wilson is Humby's man, his servant. He does as he's asked, watches the man's back. What does he mean about talking sense in Humby? Why isn't he just tying her up and waiting for his boss to arrive?
'I'm on your side Miss Nixon. I know you don't believe me right now, but I am looking out for you. Now is there someplace you can go? You don't have to tell me where it is if that's what's troubling you.'
She shakes her head. A tear escapes, unbidden, and rolls down her cheek.
'This is my home.'
Wilson thinks for a moment. Logan thanks Laura for the cup of cold water that she has brought out for him.
'Who else is here?' Wilson asks eventually.
'Nobody.' Laura says quickly.
'Nobody?'
'All the ranch hands had left by the time I got back from town. The house is deserted apart from us,' Emily says.
Logan and Laura exchange a look and Emily sees that Logan knows about Billy. Nobody wants to mention him to Wilson. Wilson is a deputy.
'There aren't enough of us to defend a place this big.' Wilson says, looking at the house and taking in how many windows and doors it has.
'Defend it? This is a home, not a fortress. You come in here dragging a wounded man and start talking as though you're expecting a pitched gun battle. Do you mind telling me what's going on?'
'It's in my nature to be cautious and to expect the worst Miss. I hope I'm wrong and that nobody comes, but my experience of Mr. Humby suggests he doesn't much like people saying 'No' to him.'
'Why not just saddle up the horses.' Logan says, looking a little recovered. 'At the first sign of trouble we can ride off. It's not ideal, and we'll be chased, but it beats running away from nothing.'
'Horses? Aren't you forgetting something?' Laura gestures into the house.
'Oh, yes. I see. We'll need to hitch up a wagon for the ladies too.'
'A wagon for the ladies? Miss Nixon can ride a horse better than you Tanner.' Wilson looks puzzled.
'The trap is still in town. Everyone would need to ride a horse.' Emily says, ignoring him.
'That's probably better, we can travel rougher ground that way. Come on.' Logan struggles to his feet, 'we'll need to pack food and water and blankets.'
Laura and Emily watch him standing as though they expect him to fall over like a drunkard.
'I'm fine. I just needed some water to drink. We should get to work. Leave him.' He points at Wilson, 'Leave him doing what he does best and keeping a lookout. We'll get packed. It'll be okay, he's overreacting, nothing will happen, but if we're packing up it'll give us something to take our minds off the possibility that he might be right.'
They head inside the house, leaving Wilson patrolling outside.
'What's going on?' Laura hisses. 'He's a deputy. What's he doing here? He's acting as though he's protecting us rather than spying on us. I don't like it.'
'It sort of took me my surprise too.' Logan says. 'But he did save my life back there so I feel kind of obliged to take him at his word.'
'Yes, what did happen back there. Who shot you?' Emily says.
Logan shakes his head again as though he doesn't want to tell the story.
'It doesn't matter now.' He says.
'But you expect us to trust that the man who was my shadow is now my protector? How do I know that he isn't waiting for his friends to attack the house so that he can join in? I've only got your word for that. Come to think of it, how do I know that you're not one of them either? After all, you rode in here with Humby and--'
Logan stops her by grabbing her round the waist with his good arm and planting a kiss firmly on her lips. She struggles with surprise and indignation. How dare he? Who does he think he is? He's Logan, the man you've been wanting to kiss like this since you met him. She submits to the kiss and savors the feel and the smell and the taste of him.
He lets her go.
She can feel herself grinning stupidly and makes an effort to stop.
'I don't think anyone is going to attack us here.' He says, almost as though the kiss hadn't happened, 'But I don't know enough about the strange ways of Walkers Creek to be certain. Wilson out there seems to have a sixth sense for these things and I'd be inclined to take his misgivings seriously. We should get packed up as though we intend to camp out in the hills for a week. Blankets, water, some food, whatever you've got. And guns, we'll need guns too.'
'We're going to have to tell him about Billy.' Emily says.
'More to the point, you're going to have to tell Billy about him. He's not going to like it that there's a deputy in the house.' Laura says.
'Billy might be safer if we leave him behind.' Logan says. Laura looks horrified. 'If we're running away, the chances are they'll ignore the house and follow us. They may never find him. I can't imagine it'll do his healing much good trying to ride a horse.'
'Who's going to look after him? I can't run away and leave him here.'
'Okay I guess you could stay behind too and Miss Nixon and Wilson and I would--'He starts shaking his head. 'No that's not going to work. Three of us won't be enough to act as a decoy.'
'What do you mean?'
'I mean you're going to have to go and talk to Billy.'
She finds herself watching the preparations with an odd detachment. That kiss sticks in her mind. She can still taste him on her lips and each time she does it brings it back to her. Does he feel the same way about her? He seems so detached and busy as he moves quickly about the house gathering up the things they will need. He has
