“And prettier. Go ahead, say it.”
“Well, Felicia, when you’re her age you may very well be prettier than she is, but right now I’d have to say yes, she’s prettier.”
“I knew it!” she said again. “I’m gonna eat over here!”
She picked up her plate and stalked away from the fire, staying within its circle of light.
As Felicia walked away, Rebecca decided to join Decker.
“I came over to apologize,” she said, hunkering down opposite him.
“About what?”
“About this evening, the argument we had.”
“You’re within your rights to argue.”
“Maybe, but I also want to apologize for my attitude since we’ve met. I’ve judged you very badly and treated you badly, and you’re only trying to help.”
“That’s all right,” he said, “There’s no need to apologize. You’ve gone through a lot.”
“Yes, I have, but that’s no excuse. Anyway, I just wanted to get that said.”
She fell silent and began to concentrate on her meal.
“What did you do to Felicia?” she asked.
“Why?”
“She’s glaring at you.”
He looked over his shoulder, then back at Rebecca.
“Look again.”
Rebecca frowned.
“She’s glaring at
Rebecca looked over, and Felicia averted her eyes.
“She’s in love with you, you know,” Rebecca said.
“She’s looking for a story, looking to ride my coattails.”
“No, she’s in love with you,” Rebecca insisted, “and she’s probably afraid that I’ll steal you away.”
“She did ask me if I’d sleep with you—providing you made the offer, that is.”
“And?”
“I said yes—just to teach her a lesson.”
Rebecca looked down at the fire and said, “Of course.” Decker thought he detected the hint of a smile—the first since they’d met.
“She’s got nothing to worry about,” he added.
“No.”
“She’s just a kid, anyway.”
“No,” Rebecca said, “she’s a young woman. Maybe I should go over and talk to her. Would you mind?”
“No, not at all. Is that the schoolteacher in you coming out?”
Now she did smile and said, “Old habits are hard to break.”
She put her plate down, got up, and walked over to where Felicia was sitting.
Now Felicia and Rebecca were sitting together and it was Decker who was left alone.
Maybe he’d go over and eat with John Henry.
Later Felicia and Rebecca came back to the fire, laughing and talking, and proceeded to clean up. Decker was gratified to see both of them in a better mood than they had been in for some time.
He really didn’t need the extra headache of having two grumpy women along.
“Should we set up a watch?” Rebecca asked.
“All right. Who wants the first one?”
“I’ll take it,” Felicia said, “and then I’ll wake Rebecca.”
“And I’ll wake Decker.”
“We’ll take two-hour watches,” Decker said, reclining on the ground with his head on his saddle. “Good night, ladies.”
He tipped his hat over his eyes and proceeded to sleep as lightly as he had the previous nights.
Chapter XXVII
When Brent Foxx’s head moved, Brian rushed over to the doctor and shook him awake.
“What?”
“He’s moving!”
“That’s because he’s alive,” the doctor said testily. He stood up, stretched, and then walked over to the man lying on the table. He put his hand on his head, then checked his eyes and held his wrist.
“No fever. I got the bullet out clean.”
“Is he awake?”
“Not really. He’ll probably sleep the rest of the night, and that’s what you should do, too, especially if you plan to leave in the morning.”
“That’ll depend on my brother, Doc.”
“I suppose so.”
“Do you have any rope?”
“Rope? Why would you want—oh,” Petrie said, realizing what the rope was for. “Look, there’s really no need for that.”
“I am not in any shape to be argued with, Doc. Either I tie you up or I knock you out. The choice is yours.”
Petrie nodded and said, “I’ll get the rope.”
After he had tied and gagged the doctor and left him in a corner of the examining room, Brian went over and looked down at his brother as he lay on the table.
To Brian’s eye his brother looked pale and some-how smaller and younger. This was the first time either one of them had ever been shot, and Brian didn’t mind admitting that he had been very frightened—but damn it, it was Brent’s own fault, so why did he feel such guilt over it?
He put his hand on his brother’s forehead and was gratified to find that it still felt cool. The doctor had done a good job, and he thought that he’d leave the man some money when they left.
If Brent didn’t kill him.
He’d had no intention of falling asleep, and as he came awake with a start he looked around the room in a semipanic before he realized where he was.
He stood up and rubbed his face, then checked on the doctor, who was still asleep.
“It’s about time you woke up,” Brent said from the table.
“You’re awake.”
“A lot longer than you. How about coming over here and helping me sit up?”
Brian went over and gently eased his brother into a sitting position.
“How do you feel?”
“Fine. Just get me on my horse and we’ll be on our way.”
“I don’t know, Brent. Maybe we should stay here a day or two.”
“Brian, we really don’t know if there’s a posse on our tail or not. If you want me to stay here I will, but you go on ahead.”
“Oh, no. We either stay together or we go together.”
“In that case, we’d better get going. Let’s settle up with the doctor and move.”
