When he was finished with her, he’d just leave her in the room and head for California. He had the money and the time. Maybe he’d buy himself a business and become a law-abiding citizen, as long as his money lasted.
It was taking Elise too long to come around. He leaned over her and shook her, but he got no response, so he swore loudly and paced the room.
Elise’s first sensation was a throbbing head. She woke the moment T.J. had thrown her onto the bed. She knew what he had in mind, so she pretended to be unconscious. Luckily, she had landed facing the wall because it was hard to keep her eyelids from moving. She heard him pace the floor, cursing all the while. How long could she pretend?
T.J. started to shake her, and she prayed he wouldn’t turn her to face him because she’d never be able to fake unconsciousness then. She felt so nervousness with fright she didn’t think she could keep her eyelids from shaking.
He shook her again and swore at her.
She saw his shadow on the wall, indicating he was poised to smack her awake, when a knock on the door halted his progress.
He swore again, walked to the door, and yelled, “Who is it?” gruffly.
“Sheriff Conn—open this door immediately, or I’ll kick it in,” came the answer.
Elise could no longer see T.J.’s shadow. She swallowed hard. T.J. had a gun, and she knew he’d use it rather than get caught.
Sure enough, T.J. fired several shots into the wooden door. He had a six-shooter, and after his last bullet, the door came crashing in. So much happened so quickly that all she remembered was Harlan picking her up and running with her.
She rested her head on his shoulder. Despite all the commotion, it felt wonderful and safe.
When she felt cool air on her body, she knew they were outside of the hotel.
Harlan stood her up, but he held her securely. “Are you all right?”
All Elise could manage was a nod.
“Did he hurt you?”
Elise pointed at her temple, where T.J. had punched her.
“That dirty, rotten... he did that to carry you into the hotel quietly. If I didn’t have to take care of you right now, I’d go up there and break every bone in his lily-livered body.”
Pedro walked up to them. “The sheriff has him. It’s a good thing he warned us all to stand away from the door. He must have known the man would try to shoot us through the door.”
Harlan said, “Here—hold Elise. I’m going up there and knock the daylights out of him.”
“No,” Elise cried, “I want to stay with you.”
He looked down at her, “But...”
“I feel safe, don’t let go of me.”
Elise rested her head on his chest. “Let the sheriff handle him.” Her head throbbed, but she still felt secure in Harlan’s strong arms, and she didn’t want to leave him.
She heard a commotion along with a lot of swearing as the sheriff led T.J. out of the hotel. Sheriff Conn walked T.J. right up to Harlan and Elise. “Here,” he said, “I think this money I found in his pocket belongs to you.”
Elise watched Harlan take the thick wad of money and put it in his pocket.
“Wait,” T.J. yelled, “some of that money is from my cattle drive.”
“Yeah, well those cattle weren’t yours to sell. I’m taking you to jail, and then you’ll tell me where the poor owner of that ranch in Hunter’s Grove is.” Sheriff Conn pushed T.J. down the street to the jailhouse at gunpoint.
“Is Elise all right?” Clay asked.
“I think so,” Harlan said. “I’ll check her over better when we get home. She’ll ride with me.”
Harlan handed Elise to Clay while he mounted his horse. He picked her up by her waist and sat her in front of him. “If you feel sick or dizzy, just lean back and rest on me.”
When they got Elise home, Martha ripped her from his arms, and said she was going to prepare her for bed, and then, when she was done, he could come up to check on her.
As soon as Martha walked in with Elise, Millie ran to her and hugged her. “I was so worried.”
“I’m going to get her cleaned up and ready for bed. You skedaddle into your bed and try to sleep. It’s late,” Martha said.
When Harlan walked into the bedroom, she was covered to her chin. She smiled at him because he looked so worried. “I’m fine.”
“Let me examine your head.” He felt her head, eying it carefully. “He didn’t break the skin, but you have a nice goose egg.”
“And a headache,” she murmured.
Clay peeked in. “You all right, Elise?”
“I’m fine, Clay. Don’t worry.”
Martha said, “I think everyone needs to leave so she can get some sleep.”
Harlan shook his head. “I believe that’s the worst thing she can do until Pedro returns with Doc Grant. If she has a concussion, sleeping isn’t a good idea.”
“I think you’re right,” Martha said. “I do recall hearing that somewhere. I’ll go down and put the kettle on.”
After a thorough examination by the doctor, Elise was allowed to sleep, but she woke up several times in the night, not in shock over her kidnapping, but remembering how safe it had felt in Harlan’s arms.
Harlan lay in bed, trying to relax enough to sleep. The night had been so action- and emotion-filled, he felt wound up tighter than a clock as he tossed and turned. Harlan thought about how the night could have ended, and his heart pounded like a drum against the quilt. T.J. had meant to make Elise his, but thankfully, she stayed
