Chapter Thirty-one

The seasons came and went, changing from summer to fall to winter and now spring was arriving. Craig loved spring. It was his favorite time of year. The time when everything came back to life after hunkering down for the winter—not that winter here was like some of the winters he'd seen before. Eastern New Mexico was a good place to spend the winter if you liked being warm.

Craig finally felt like he had his shit together and life was good. He had a home he shared with a man he loved. They had twenty head of cattle to tend to during the day and a nice soft bed to fall into together at night.

Craig smiled as he thought about all the nights they'd shared in that bed.

He felt Ezekiel's thick arms close around his waist and he leaned himself back against him. "You keep looking so damn lustful out here around the bull, he might start getting ideas."

Laughter flew from Craig's mouth. "Are you jealous?"

Ezekiel's lips brushed his ear causing Craig's entire body to tremble. "Hell yeah, I am. Have you seen the size of that bull?"

Craig chuckled as he spun in Ezekiel's arms and kissed the man's full lips. "I want to go to town tonight."

Ezekiel growled, stooped down and nipped at his neck. "I'd rather stay home."

Craig slipped from Ezekiel's arms, desperate to put distance between them before he ended up letting Ezekiel take him right there and then. "It's been a while since we've had a night out. I want to go to town. Gamble a bit, let loose a little."

Craig still enjoyed those vices he'd always been weak for but he was smarter about them now. He knew that he couldn't be trusted to be go 'let loose' in town by himself. He only ever went with Ezekiel because the other man could keep him in check.

Ezekiel let out a sigh. "Alright then. You want to see if Wyatt and Zachariah want to come with us?"

Craig shrugged. "Sure." Then he grinned. "You want Wyatt to stomp your ass at poker again?"

Ezekiel chuckled as he scratched at his jaw. "That little bastard is good."

"Maybe you're just not all that good."

"Is that a challenge?" Ezekiel growled, reaching for him.

Craig moved out of his reach. He winked and saw Ezekiel's eyes narrow. "It might be, old man. You gonna teach me a lesson?"

Ezekiel's dark eyes were so full of hunger, Craig nearly broke down and leapt into his arms. "Oh, I'm gonna teach you a lesson alright," Ezekiel warned. "First at the poker table and then a whole other kind of lesson in our bed tonight."

Craig winked even as his body trembled at the thought. "Promises. Promises."

***

They stepped out of the saloon in the early morning hours and Ezekiel was grumbling. "He did it again. I can't believe that little jackass did it again."

Zachariah chuckled. "You can't beat Wyatt at poker. You should have learned that by now."

Craig, his blood nice and warm from the liquor, grinned. "Wyatt here is a regular card shark, aren't you Wyatt?"

'I don't know about that. But I always beat your man.'

"Haha," Ezekiel grumbled, having finally learned the art of reading Wyatt's lips. "It's time to be getting home. I'm ready for bed."

Craig met Ezekiel's eyes and saw the challenge in them. He remembered the warning Ezekiel had given him earlier. Craig winked. "Let's get you home and tucked in then."

The four made their way toward their waiting horses but stopped when Maria was suddenly in their path. Craig frowned at the pale and drawn expression on the face of Gill's mother. "What's wrong?" he asked quickly.

She pointed down the road toward her house at the edge of town. "I need you to come with me, Craig. There's an emergency."

Concern filled him. "Is it Jeb? Gill? Preston? Did something happen at the ranch? Are Pete and Jane okay? It's not Willie, is it....." His ranting questions were cut off when Ezekiel's hand squeezed his shoulder.

"What's the problem, Maria?" he asked.

Maria cast a glance up at Ezekiel before her eyes returned to Craig's. "It's her. Susannah. She's back and insisting she needs to speak with you."

Wyatt stepped forward. 'Tell her to disappear,' he snapped.

Craig couldn't seem to say anything. The buzz he'd been feeling was gone instantly and he was faced with stark sobriety at the idea of Susannah being back.

Why was she back? The woman had been nothing but a distant memory for months. He'd sometimes thought about and wondered about the babe in her belly but he hadn't ever thought, or wanted, to see her again.

Ezekiel seemed to notice that Craig couldn't find words. "Why is she here, Maria?" he asked.

Craig took Ezekiel's hand in his, holding tight to his anchor. He needed to keep Ezekiel close. Whatever was about to happen, Craig knew he had to keep Ezekiel near him.

"Just come on now, Craig. She needs to speak with you," Maria urged.

Wyatt tapped Craig's shoulder and he turned to face his friend. 'Want me to come?'

Craig slowly shook his head. "It's okay. Ezekiel is here.... Just go warn everyone that she's back."

It was clear Wyatt wasn't happy to leave Craig but he nodded and walked away with Zachariah following behind him. Craig kept Ezekiel's hand tight in his as they followed Maria to her home.

Stepping inside, Craig was struck by the silence. Maria led them to a back bedroom and it took Craig a few moments of simply staring and blinking to realize that the woman who lay upon the bed was indeed Susannah.

Her stomach was swollen and large under the thin nightdress she was wearing. Her golden hair was dull and dirty and laying limp over her shoulders. Her skin had lost its healthy glow and was now pale, gray and dark around her eyes. A rueful smile curved her colorless lips when her eyes fell on Craig.

"Surprise," she whispered, her voice tight and strained.

Before Craig could respond, her face twisted and she let out a cry as she gripped the sheets and writhed upon the bed. "What's wrong with her?!" Craig demanded.

Maria rushed to the woman and began to wipe at her brow with a damp cloth. "She's dying, Craig."

Craig felt Ezekiel's hand tighten nearly painfully around his own. "Dying?" Craig whispered. "Why is she dying? What about the babe?"

Slowly, Susannah relaxed against the bed and she let out a strained sigh. "I tried, Craig. I was good to him, I swear I was. I wanted to give the babe a good life..... He wasn't what I thought he was. He hurt me... a lot."

Craig didn't want to feel sympathy for her. She had made her own bed. She had lied and cheated and used him, nearly destroying his life.

But the woman lying on the bed in front of him was different from the woman she had been. And Craig did feel sympathy—bucket loads of it.

"Where is he?" Craig found himself asking.

Fear filled her blue eyes. "Probably looking for me. I ran away from him and this was the only place I could think to come.... It was the only place I knew anyone who might help me."

"Help you?" Ezekiel all but snarled. "Why in the hell would Craig help you after what you did?"

"Did you hear her say I'm dying?" Susannah demanded, her eyes narrowed as she met Ezekiel's eyes. "I'm not here to attempt to steal him away from you again."

Craig swallowed hard and tried to focus. "Why did you want me here? What do you want? I know you must want something."

Susannah opened her mouth to speak but instead of words, another scream tore from her mouth as her back came up off the bed and she clutched desperately at the sheets.

Craig damn near took off running out the door. Hellfire!

Her breathing was labored and Craig was sure she'd lost even more color when she finally stilled. "She doesn't have much time," Maria warned. "Susannah, you best get to your point before you run out of time."

Susannah nodded and met Craig's gaze once again. "I am dying. But Maria is fairly certain she can save my child. I never married that man, Craig. My child will need a father...."

Craig felt Ezekiel tense. His mind spun. A father.... Why? Why was this happening now? Craig had thought he'd left this behind him.

"What does that have to do with Craig?" Ezekiel asked quietly. "You've already admitted he's not the father of that child."

"You're right. He's not. But I want him to be. I'm dying. My child will need someone good and decent to raise him or her. Please, Craig. You are one of the best people I have ever met. I have no right to ask it of you, I know I don't. But please.... Marry me before I die and claim the babe as your own."

"Marry you?" Craig shook his head. "I can't.. I can't do that. I can't do any of this... I... shit... it's too much..."

Susannah's voice seemed to be growing weaker by the second. "I know. I wish I could think of another way. I wish you could have more time to think about it but there's not.... You are the one who told me to start thinking of someone other than myself. You are the one who told me the babe deserved a good life. You can give them that life. Please......?"

Tears slipped from her eyes and slid down her colorless cheeks.

Craig stood there unsure of what to say or what to do. Susannah was dying. Maria would not have said she was if it wasn't the truth. That babe would need someone. And only through marriage could he ensure that no one else could come lay claim to the child—it would keep the boy or girl safe from the man hunting Susannah.

Craig had never been known as a thinker. He tended to act first and think later. Now there was no time to think at all. Was he going to do this? Was he going to marry Susannah, the woman who had torn his life apart, the woman who was currently laying upon a bed dying, in order to give her child a better life?

Before Craig could even fully comprehend what he was about to say, the word left his lips. "Okay."