Chapter Twenty-Eight

The room exploded with activity. Jebidiah, Gilliam and Pete all began to exclaim their happiness over the fact that Wyatt was still alive and finally awake. The doctor, alerted by the sudden noise, came into the room and gave him a good once over, checking Wyatt's vitals and ensuring he was indeed awake, aware, alive and probably going to stay that way.

Through all of that, Zachariah simply stood beside that doorway and watched. His sharp gaze never once left Wyatt and Wyatt found himself unable to focus on anything other than maintaining that contact with the other man.

As the room began to settle down and Zachariah continued to simply stare at Wyatt, Wyatt saw Gill nudge Jeb. "We should go find Craig..." He shot a pointed look toward both Wyatt and Zachariah and Jeb nodded.

"Yeah we should."

Pete smiled. "I'll take me a good long nap," he said with a wink before turning his head toward the wall.

With the room cleared out, save for Pete who was now faking snores, Zachariah slowly made his way toward Wyatt's bed. 'You okay?' Wyatt asked, concerned by the paleness of his skin and the trepidation in his eyes.

"Just a bit shocked is all," Zachariah admitted. "I thought you were gonna die."

Wyatt smiled and reached for Zachariah who quickly sat down beside him and took his hand. "I'm sorry," Zachariah whispered, clinging to Wyatt's hand. "I'm sorry they got you."

Wyatt shook his head. 'It's not your fault,' he assured the other man. 'Is Eleanor okay? Did she make it out?'

Zachariah nodded. "She's here. She spends most of her time in her room but she's made it clear you're her hero."

Zachariah laid his free hand on Wyatt's cheek. "Thank you for protecting her, Wyatt."

Zachariah's gray eyes beamed as Wyatt smiled up at him. 'Kiss me, Zachariah. I dreamed about kissing you again.'

Zachariah's lips curved in a smile as he slowly leaned in and brushed his mouth against Wyatt's. The kiss was gentle and full of quiet tenderness.

Zachariah was the one to break the contact of their mouths as he rested their brows together. Wyatt closed his eyes and simply breathed his man in. Wyatt had come close to dying. He'd been closer to death than he'd been to living. Only thoughts of Zachariah had been powerful enough to bring him back from the brink.

Peace filled Wyatt's soul as he and Zachariah remained locked together, breathing the same air. Zachariah's thumb caressed Wyatt's hand and Wyatt knew he was loved.

They stayed that way for countless minutes, both completely content in the silent presence of the other. Slowly, loath fully, Zachariah pulled away "I'll be back as soon as I can, Wyatt. You focus on getting better and getting home and I'll come back to you when everything is taken care of."

Wyatt's eyes narrowed and his grip on Zachariah's hand tightened. 'Where are you going?' he demanded, though he had a feeling he knew the answer.

Averting his gaze, Zachariah cleared his throat. "Clint got away. I intend to find him and kill him. He'll not come after those I care about again."

Wyatt felt panic well up within him. 'You can't go after him alone! Wait for me. Give me a few days and I'll be able to get up and help you. It's not safe to go alone....'

Wyatt snapped his mouth shut when he realized he was rambling. He was ranting far too quickly and whenever he began to do that, he ended up being told to slow down.

But Zachariah seemed to have understood every word. "Wyatt, I have to end this with Clint and I need to do it alone. It's my mess, my problem, and I don't want anyone else hurt because of it. I'll be just fine. I'm used to handling things alone. I'll come back to you."

'You don't know that.'

A nod tilted Zachariah's head. "Yeah, I do. Now, dammit, I never thought I'd find hope for a happy future but you've given that to me." His gaze softened. "Let me take care of this and then I'll never leave your side again."

'This isn't fair,' Wyatt grumbled, determined to hold onto his temper. 'You know I can't get out of bed so I can't follow you and you're using that to sneak off.'

Zachariah chuckled. "I'm not sneaking, Wyatt. I'm telling you what I'm doing so I'm not hiding anything."

'Go to hell, Zachariah,' Wyatt replied, pushing a stray lock of black hair from the man's face. 'You know I'll go crazy knowing you're out there alone. What if something happens to you?'

Zachariah shook his head. "I need you to take care of Eleanor. She's locked herself away, Wyatt, and doesn't know anyone else here. She likes you, she trusts you and I trust you. Take care of my sister."

Wyatt felt defeat settle into his gut. He wanted to argue and insist on Zachariah not going out alone but he knew it was pointless, and, honestly, he was feeling far too weak and tired to argue any further.

Zachariah was a stubborn man who had his mind made up—and he needed Wyatt to tend to Eleanor so his mind wouldn't be troubled about her while he was out doing what he felt had to be done.

"I'll come back to you, Wyatt. I swear it."

Wyatt nodded slowly. 'You better.'

A smile curved the scars on Zachariah's cheeks. "I will."

"Jeb and Gill ain't gonna like you heading off alone," Pete's voice came from the other bed, though his head was still turned away from them.

"I think Jeb will be glad to have me gone," Zachariah countered.

"Not now that he's accepted you into the coop. He'll be a big mama hen to you just like he is the rest of us."

Zachariah gazed down at Wyatt who could feel sleep attempting to claim him. "I have to go," he insisted. "And I have to do it alone."

Wyatt nodded, though it killed his soul to do so. 'I'll tell them all where you went—and why.'

Zachariah stood slowly, keeping his fingers entwined with Wyatt's. "I'll come home to you," he vowed.

Wyatt forced a smile he didn't feel inside. 'I'll be waiting.'

***

Zachariah tossed his loaded saddlebags over his horse and gritted his teeth. Sheer determination to save those he loved from any other threat from Clint was all that made it possible for Zachariah to think about climbing into the saddle.

Always in the past, the knowledge of having a job to do, a bounty to hunt, had filled Zachariah with a strange thrill.

Not any longer.

Zachariah wanted nothing more than to stay at Wyatt's side. He wanted to help the man return to full strength and then settle down together. He wanted a tiny cabin with those tender touches from Wyatt every single day.

But that couldn't happen until Clint was dead.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Jebidiah's angry voice drew Zachariah's head around just as he settled himself into the saddle. "I'm going after Clint, Jeb. Wyatt and I done talked about it."

"And you didn't think you needed to talk to me?"

Zachariah shook his head. "No," he replied honestly.

Jeb stared hard up at him, squinting in the sunset. "Do you want help? Gill and I could ride along. It was our people that son of a bitch attacked."

"But it's me Clint has a problem with and it's me who needs to take care of things. You and Gill have your hands full. You have to take care of Pete and get him back to his wife. You need to see to Wyatt and make sure he recovers. And, I have a favor to ask...."

"Your sister will come home with us and have a place there for as long as she needs," Jeb quickly interjected. "Don't you even worry about that."

Zachariah tipped his head gratefully. He and Jebidiah had gotten off on the wrong foot, that was for sure, but the man seemed to be a good man. He was protected and a bit hard on the surface—but some men simply had to be that way in order to survive in the world.

"Take care of yourself, Zachariah," Jeb urged. "Wyatt is gonna want you home safe and sound."

Zachariah nodded. "And I'm eager to give him what he wants."

Without another word spoken, Zachariah pulled his hat down low, turned his horse toward the horizon and rode off, leaving his heart behind him.