Aunt Hortense turned her wrath on Ray and ordered him to put the gun away and leave them alone.
Ray smirked. “You’d have a better chance of finding water in the desert than you will seeing me put my gun away. I don’t like the way the two of you are whispering. Move away from her and go sit on one of those chairs.” He motioned with his gun to the two chairs in front of the window.
When Aunt Hortense didn’t move, Ray took a step closer, and she finally gave in and moved but not before calling him a lowlife ruffian.
Chapter 14
Blake leaped from his horse as it was still moving, ran up the porch steps, and into the house. He headed toward his bedroom, thinking that would be where he’d find Eliza. Blake stopped for only a moment when he saw Ray standing in the parlor, holding a gun on a distraught Constance. He ignored his aunt’s demands that he speak with her and rushed into his room.
He stopped in his tracks when he saw a pale Eliza lying on the bed covered to her neck with a clean white sheet. Her breathing was slow and shallow, and Blake knew he was going to lose her.
Blake dropped to his knees next to the bed, taking Eliza’s hand in his, and began speaking as he did his best to hold back his tears.
“Please, Eliza, don’t leave me. I never knew how lonely this ranch was until you came here. I don’t know what to do if you aren’t here with me. Please, Eliza. You have filled my life with sunshine. Don’t leave my world in darkness without you. I love you, Eliza. Please fight and live, for me, for you, for us.”
Blake opened his eyes when he felt Eliza’s hand move. “I’m here, Blake. Sarah said I’m going to be all right. She said I have a through and through wound whatever that means. She stopped the bleeding and bandaged me until Doc can get here and put in a few stitches. I’m going to stay right here with you.”
Blake kissed her hand and said, “It means the bullet went through, and Doc won’t need to perform surgery to find it. Yes, you’re going to be all right. What happened?”
“Constance shot at me and then turned to shoot Sarah. I grabbed her arm, and we fought. The gun went off, and I don’t remember anything else until I woke up here in bed with Sarah smiling at me,” Eliza explained.
“Why would she shoot you?”
“She wants you. She listened outside the bedroom door last night and heard us talk about our marriage of convenience. She told me that you would be leaving with her and your aunt. She made me angry, and I lied, telling her she missed part of the conversation, and we are indeed together. Her face turned red, and she pulled a little gun and shot the porch right in front of me. Sarah heard the shot and came out, and you know the rest.”
Blake shook his head, “I thank God she didn’t hurt you worse. I’m sorry this happened. I never should have agreed to let them stay here.”
“You didn’t have a choice. Your aunt was ill. I wouldn’t expect you to do anything less. I heard you talking to me when you first came into the room. Could you repeat it?” Eliza asked.
Confusion crossed Blake’s face, and he thought of what he had said. “I was asking you not to leave and to fight and live.”
“I know,” Eliza said. “You said more at the end.”
Blake thought back, nodded, and smiled. “I asked you to live for us.”
“What else?”
“I said I love you, Eliza.”
Eliza smiled at him and asked, “Did you mean it?”
“Of course, I did. I felt it but didn’t realize it fully until I thought I was going to lose you,” Blake said, kissing her hand again.
“I love you, too,” Eliza whispered.
Sarah stepped into the bedroom, “Blake, Doc and the sheriff are here.”
Blake stood and said, “I’ll be right out, please stay with Eliza while the Doc examines her.”
Sarah nodded, and Blake passed the doctor as he headed toward the parlor, already hearing his aunt’s shrill voice arguing with the Sheriff and Ray.
“You absolutely will not arrest Constance and take her to your filth infested jail. You house intoxicated, despicable criminals there,” Aunt Hortense said as she stood directly in front of the Sheriff.
Ray interjected, “She shot Missus Eliza. She belongs in jail.”
The Sheriff held up his hands and demanded, “Quiet. Let me speak. I’m sorry, but Constance shot Eliza. I need to take her with me until we sort this out. I’ll send my deputy to ask the preacher and his wife to come to the jail. They should be able to help make Constance’s stay easier. Right now, the jail is empty. She won’t have to share the area with anyone you might consider unacceptable.”
Aunt Hortense began to complain, but Blake stepped in and did his best to silence her. “Aunt Hortense, you can’t argue with the Sheriff. Let him do what he must do, and I’m sure he’ll allow you to visit Constance. She could have killed Eliza. You haven’t even asked how she is.”
Aunt Hortense waved her hand in dismissal. “If she were dead, you’d be angry, and that housekeeper of yours would be crying. The doctor wouldn’t need to be here. She will recover from her little scrape with Constance, but Constance will have to suffer the indignity of incarceration.”
Blake drew in a deep breath and reined in his anger. “I think it would be a good thing if you were closer to Constance. Please pack your things and hers and get a room at the hotel in town. Eliza needs a peaceful place to recover, and this is her home. She can’t recover here with your attitude and behavior.”
“You’re truly sending me away during this difficult time? Your father and grandfather
