Chapter Twenty-Six

"I still can't believe he asked you to marry him," Thomas said a week later as he cleaned the stalls in the barn and Elizabeth milked the cow. Her belly was making it harder and harder to bend and accomplish even simple tasks like this.

"He was just being nice," Elizabeth replied, wishing that the cold air would warm up a bit. Her hands were nearly frozen to the cows udders. December was even colder than November had been and Jacob had told her that January would be worse yet.

"Your husband ain't even been dead a year yet, what made him think you'd be ready to move on?"

Elizabeth shrugged as the muscles in her arms ached. Pregnancy was making her lazy, "My guess is that he was being a typical man and trying to take care of me."

"Typical man?" Thomas demanded, leaning on the rake and wiping his brow with his shirt sleeve.

"Yeah. All men think that us women need you to do everything for us. That's one of the things I loved the most about Brody. He knew I didn't need him to pull out my chair or help lift me onto a horse, or have him make me a bed of grass. He knew I could do it all on my own."

Thomas shook his head and went back to cleaning the stall, "You really gonna raise that baby on your own without a husband?"

Elizabeth laid her hand on her stomach and nodded, "Yes. I won't remarry just to give my son or daughter a father. I already talked to Victoria, you know the tailor in town? She said that once the baby is born I can start working for her. I'm hoping to save up enough money to get a place for me and the baby to live on our own."

"I think even Brody would have put his foot down about you living on your own, Liz." Thomas warned. "He would want somebody to be there to help look after things."

"Are you asking if you can live with me and the baby?"

Thomas blushed red and rubbed the back of his neck, "Well.. Uh.. Just as a friend. I don't see you that way."

"What way?" Elizabeth asked, enjoying his awkwardness.

"Well uh.. As a woman.. You know...."

"Just what every woman wants to hear," Elizabeth muttered dryly. Thomas leaned the rake against the wall and threw his hands up, "You know what I mean, dammit!" he exclaimed. "You're like my sister. I just think it would be good for you to have a man around just so other men don't think they can take advantage."

Elizabeth laughed lightly and nodded, "You're right, it probably would be a good thing." she agreed. The baby kicked hard and she winced and grabbed her side.

"Are you okay?" Thomas asked, coming to her side in the blink of an eye.

"Yeah, this baby has mine and Brody's temper combined. That much is clear."

Thomas let out a low whistle, "Let's hope you're wrong or else we're all in for it."

***

Grant was still fuming. Months had passed since that stupid whore had run away from him. He only hoped she had gotten lost and died a horribly slow death from starvation. He had been nothing but patient with her and had she appreciated it? No, she had not. She had taken off into the night and left him with an itch he'd never get to scratch.

He had wanted to know what it would feel like to have her long, slender body writhing and moving beneath his own and now he never would. He had heard from his friend with the railroad that soon they'd be coming for the land at the ranch. Braxton had yet to send him the papers and Grant knew that another trip to Texas would soon be in order.

Apparently Braxton had thought he could do whatever he wanted and not keep his word. Grant would teach him what happens when a man backed out on a promise to Grant Foster.

He took a long drink of his scotch and went back to looking through the railroad papers on his desk.

***

Brody could see his breath and hear his heartbeat as he stood outside Grant's fancy home. Grant had no neighbors. No one to hear screams or the sound of gunshots. Brody knew Grant was home. He could see a light burning in an upstairs window.

He was finally here. His wife had been gone for six months. Six long months since she had breathed her last breath and finally the last man responsible was going to pay. Brody walked silently up the cobblestone path and paused outside the green front door. He closed his eyes and saw Elizabeth's face.

She was wearing that blue dress and her face was pale and scared and tear stained. Brody felt the pain in his body from the bullets that had ripped through him. He kept screaming at her to run but still she tried to stay and save him.

"I love you too much to leave you!" she cried out.

Brody shook his head to clear the vision from his mind. It seemed that every time he closed his eyes anymore he saw her. Sometimes she was angry at the man he had become. Sometimes she just loved him with both her body and her words... And then sometimes it was memories of their last seconds together.

The visions were always different but they always had the same effect on his broken soul. He punched the stone pillar of the porch, enjoying the pain that he felt since it took his mind off the pain inside.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door. He heard quick footsteps approaching. Female footsteps, he realized. Probably a maid. The door opened and a short, older lady with thin gray hair, pulled back into a tight bun shook her head.

"It's too late for visitors," she scolded harshly.

Brody nodded and removed his hat, before running his hands through his long, tangled hair, "I'm sorry, ma'am. I need to speak with Mr. Foster."

"Mr. Foster has retired to his office," she replied as she tried to shut the door.

Brody knew he probably looked scary with his wild hair, his unshaven face and his trail worn clothes but he wasn't about to let this woman turn him away.

He put his hand on the door and held it open as he smiled. He didn't realize or care that the smile looked crazed and maniacal, "I suggest, ma'am, that you get somewhere safe. Your boss is about to die."

Brody didn't give her a chance to reply. Instead he pushed her out of the way and strode toward the stairs. He took them three at a time. He had decided not to give Grant a chance to speak. Just the thought of hearing his smooth voice, that had worked so hard to fool Elizabeth, made his blood run cold.

He walked to the office door. He could see the candlelight flickering under the door and he could hear papers shuffling. Brody clenched his fists and then pulled his revolver. He took a deep breath and kicked the door with all his might, sending it flying off its hinges.

"What?.... Brody?!" Grant jumped to his feet.

"This is for my wife," Brody aimed the revolver, firing a single shot through Grant's forehead before the man could say another word. Grant fell back in his chair and slumped down, as blood ran down his lifeless face.

Brody turned and walked back down the stairs, through the entry room and past the maid who was standing there in shock. He was in a daze as he walked to where he'd left his horse at the tree line. He jumped in the saddle and rode hard for hours with no particular destination in mind.

Dawns light had him pulling up on the reigns and sliding from the horse. He collapsed to his knees on the ground and sobbed into his hands as a deep emptiness settled deep into his soul.

Vengeance was done. He'd been left with a hole and nothing to fill it. The thing he'd been living for the last six months was now complete. There was no one left to kill. What was there to live for now? He pulled the marriage paper from his pocket and opened it carefully, laying it on the ground in front of him and running his hand over Elizabeth's delicate signature.

He closed his hand around her cross on his neck as his tears fell on the piece of paper, "I'm sorry, Elizabeth. I know you didn't want me to become this kind of man but what choice did I have? They had to pay for what they did to you... For what they took from me."

Brody pulled his revolver from its holster and stared down at the cold piece of metal and wood. So much for strong. He was weak and all he wanted was to die. He had lost his wife and then he had sacrificed his soul for the sake of vengeance.

Brody raised the gun to his temple as he gripped the cross in his other hand. He closed his eyes, took a deep final breath and just before he pulled the hammer back his horse let out a loud breath and nudged him in the arm. Brody fell sideways and threw out his arms to catch himself and keep from falling face first onto the frozen ground.

Pain shot through his shoulder and he let out a yell and threw his gun several feet away. "No, I'm alive..." Brody wasn't dead and he knew deep in his heart that Elizabeth wouldn't want him to be.

The horse nudged him again and he rose to his feet and reached into the saddlebag for a handful of oats and as the horse munched them from his hand Brody wondered where he was going to go from here.

He had the ranch now and a lot of money in the bank in Bakerstown. An image of Jacob and his sisters flashed through his mind. He hadn't seen any of them in close to ten long years. His little sisters would be nearly thirteen now and not so little anymore. Would Jacob allow him to come back? Would Jacob be interested in leaving Virginia and coming to Texas to help him run the ranch?

He'd never know unless he went home and asked. All he knew was that he needed his family right now. Brody picked up the marriage paper and folded it gently before putting it back in his vest pocket. He grabbed his gun off the forest floor and holstered it and then he swung himself up into the saddle and started west. If he rode hard he could make it in two days at the most.