Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ezekiel struggled to find words to say. His mouth worked up and down several times but no sound escaped. He simply stared at Craig, feeling his heart break all over again.

The man looked terrible. He looked tired, beat down and completely broken. Craig no longer resembled the man Ezekiel had fallen in love with. His boyish smile and that mischievous spark in his green eyes had gone out.

The last month had definitely taken its toll on the man and Ezekiel's heart ached. He should have been there. He should have been at Craig's side offering what help and support he could have.

Damn, he was an ass.

But he was here now and all he wanted was to get out of this damn chair and take Craig into his arms and assure him that he'd never turn his back on him again.

The cabin fell completely silent. Even Little Willie, who had been babbling on and on as he struggled to get down from his mother's arms, fell silent and still.

"Why are you here?" Craig demanded, his voice quiet and strained.

Ezekiel growled as he struggled to turn the chair enough to face Craig. "You," he replied, meeting and holding Craig's gaze.

Gill let out a sigh and stepped to the chair. He began to untie the ropes holding Ezekiel but Jeb stopped him. "What are you doing?"

"Letting the man go."

"But you're the one who knocked him out and told me was dangerous to begin with," Jeb reminded him.

Gill shook his head. "I'm changing my mind. And if I'm wrong then I'll just kill him later."

Gill bent down and undid the ropes around Ezekiel's wrist. "Don't make me regret this," he grumbled. "I understand a child getting lost in something he doesn't understand and I understand a man wanting to change, but if you hurt my family I'll see that you pay for it. Understood?"

Ezekiel stood slowly, allowing the blood to return to his legs as his aching head swam a bit. "Understood," he agreed.

He was aware of more of Pete's goading going on behind him and he was aware of Jeb pulling Gill aside as the two men whispered between each other.

But Ezekiel paid it all no mind. Instead he strode three quick steps across the floor and stood before Craig. He longed to reach out and touch the man but Craig still hadn't said a word—and the man didn't look too happy to see him.

Suddenly Craig turned and walked away. Ezekiel rushed to follow him but was stopped when a rather small wiry man with ebony black skin and an angry glare shoved the barrel of sawed off shot gun into his chest.

Ezekiel held his hands up and raised his brow. "Hello Wyatt."

The man's eyes narrowed further and his lips moved without sound. Unfortunately, Ezekiel had no skill in reading them.

Zachariah cleared his throat after Wyatt's lips stopped moving. "He said if you hurt his best friend again, he'd kill you. He said Craig's been through enough and he doesn't need some jackass making things worse." Zachariah shrugged. "Personally, I think Craig is a bit of an immature babe who makes bad choices and then bitches about them."

Wyatt's elbow made contact with Zachariah's gut causing the man to chuckle as he rubbed at the abused spot.

Ezekiel grunted. "More people wanting to kill me just for being here..... this sure ain't a real welcoming family, is it?"

Zachariah chuckled. "Not at first, no. I reckon I was knocked unconscious and tied to that same chair that Gill just freed you from."

Ezekiel turned his attention back to Wyatt. "I'm here to stay if Craig will let me," he promised. "Now, can you remove the gun from my gut so I can go talk to him? I came a long way."

Wyatt stared hard at him a moment longer before pulling the gun away. A bright smile lit up his boyish face. He shooed Ezekiel away and gave him a slight shove to get him moving toward the barn.

After regaining his footing, Ezekiel let his feet carry him swiftly and determinedly toward the barn Craig had taken cover inside.

Ezekiel had been far too long without the man and he wasn't going to allow Craig to walk away from him now. Entering the barn, Ezekiel gave his eyes a moment to adjust to the change of light.

"Where'd you go?" he called out, earning a snort from a horse in a nearby stall.

"Back here."

Ezekiel followed the sound of Craig's voice to the back of the barn and an empty stall that house a bed and kerosene lamp. "Home sweet home," Craig muttered.

He was avoiding looking at Ezekiel, but Ezekiel didn't care. He wasn't going to waste any more time. Did they need to talk? Of course they did. But there would be time for that later.

Ezekiel swooped forward and pulled Craig into his arms. When the man opened his mouth to protest, Ezekiel slammed their lips together, getting the first taste of Craig that he'd had in far too long.

Craig's body became liquid and molded against him as Ezekiel propelled Craig's body backward and pinned him against the rough-hewn boards of the wall.

Ezekiel nipped at Craig's lips, demanding entrance. Then, just as suddenly as Craig had submitted, the man pulled away and shoved Ezekiel back.

"What are you doing?" Ezekiel growled, his chest heaving. He licked at his lips, still tasting Craig upon them. "Come here."

Craig's cheeks were flushed and his lips were red from Ezekiel's assault. Ezekiel could see the want in those green eyes but Craig shook his head and didn't take a single step toward him.

"No."

"Craig...." Ezekiel's fists clenched. "Don't tell me no. I want you."

"No, you don't," Craig announced, the life seeming to leave him in an instant as his shoulders sagged. "I'm just one of those people who is one big ol' mistake after the other and I always will be. I'm gonna have to struggle and work hard every day to keep from giving in to old habits and I can promise you that there will be times I fall back into them. I'm not my brother. I'm not strong like him and Gill. I'm not good and patient like Wyatt. Hell, I'm not even as dependable as Pete."

"Craig...."

Craig held up his hand. "Don't. Don't." He took a deep breath before swallowing hard and his green eyes were red rimmed as they looked into Ezekiel's. "I'm gonna spend my life making mistakes and trying to get better. I'm okay with that. But there is one thing I can't do. I can't spend my life looking at your back as you walk away from me time after time."

Ezekiel felt as if he'd been punched in the gut. More of that damn pain. Only this time, he really did have no one but himself to blame.

"Craig, stop. You are a good man. You are my man," Ezekiel added sternly. He saw Craig's throat bob as a tremble washed over the man. The ghost of a smile tugged at Ezekiel's lips. "Hell, Craig, I know I have a temper and I hate it but it's just the way I am. And I don't always know how to say what I need to say or show what I need to show. You know the man I used to be. I've told you how I grew up. Heart to hearts and being open weren't things that went along with that. We both said things that day that I really don't believe we meant and I know I shouldn't have walked away from you. I promise I won't ever walk away from you again."

Craig wrapped his arms tight around himself and sat down on the edge of his rickety bed. "And what happens when her babe is born and I can't prove it's not mine. What happens when I marry that goddamn harpy to give a child a name? You just gonna stand by me and smile like it's all okay?"

Ezekiel hated seeing Craig so broken. He had to soothe his man and find some way to see that smile again. Ezekiel stepped to the bed and dropped to his knees in front of Craig. He took the man's hands in his and tilted his head to force Craig to meet his gaze. "It'll hurt. I won't lie. It'll hurt like hell. But, yes, I will stand by you. I won't walk away again, Craig. No matter how hard you want to push me away right now. I'm staying. You're mine and I'm yours. That's just the way it is."

A tear slid from Craig's eye and Ezekiel gently swiped it from his cheek with his calloused thumb. Craig leaned forward and dropped his brow against Ezekiel's. "It ain't gonna be easy."

"I've never been one to shy from a challenge."

"I'm sorry I hurt you."

"And I'm sorry I hurt you."

The two men stayed that way for several long, silent moments of peace. Being so close to Craig, sharing the same air as the man, filled Ezekiel with a calmness that he hadn't felt a single moment they'd been apart.

"I came after you that morning," Ezekiel finally whispered.

"Huh?"

"The morning after our fight, I came to town for you. I knew I couldn't let you leave without me and I figured we'd get through whatever came together."

Craig's hand tightened in his own. "You came back for me?"

Ezekiel nodded. "But a storekeep told me you'd left the night before. That damn woman had gone in bragging about how you claimed to love her and that the two of you were going to get married....."

"That lying bitch," Craig hissed, sitting up straight. Anger flashed in his green eyes. "I never told that heifer I love her, I can promise you that. I can't stomach to be in the same town as her. She's a lying, small-minded, big-mouthed cow." His shoulders drooped once again. "What am I going to do about this baby? I don't think I could stand being married to that monster...."

Ezekiel knew now was the time to tell Craig about Edison's findings. He put his hand on Craig's stubble-covered cheek. "You won't have to, Craig. Edison did a bit of digging and lying is something that woman is good at. She has no clue who the father of that babe is and I highly doubt even she believes it's you."

Craig's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? She told me she was innocent until we laid together—which I still have no memory of, by the way."

"Because I don't believe you did."

Craig sighed. "You don't want to believe I did. Neither do I. But..."

Ezekiel put his finger over Craig's soft lips to silence the man. "Think about it a minute. You were so damn drunk you can't remember a thing about her and yet, when you got done bedding her you fully dressed yourself and locked your door from the inside before going to sleep?"

"That was part of what never made any sense to me. Well that, and the fact that ever since that line shack my damn cock seemed broken."

Ezekiel's brow crooked up and he lowered himself a bit so his warm breath would blow against the front of Craig's trousers. "I remember that cock well. There ain't a damn thing broken about it. It just knows it belongs to me."

Craig's grip on his hands became nearly painful as the man trembled from his head to his toes. Ezekiel raised his head to offer the man a bit of relief. "You weren't the first man she accused of being the father of that babe. You were number four, at least."

Craig's jaw dropped just before anger filled his features. He shoved himself to his feet and paced to the side of the stall before slamming his hand against it. "That damn whore!" he bellowed.

Ezekiel rose up slightly, turned around and sat down on the edge of Craig's bed. "That was her profession," he agreed as he watched Craig work through whatever was going on in his mind.

"I gave up....everything for that bitch," Craig hissed. "I disappointed everyone who meant something to be because of her."

Ezekiel shook his head and his silence had Craig turning toward him. Ezekiel smiled. "You didn't give me up, outlaw. I'm right here."

Slowly, the tension left Craig's body. It was like watching the sun come out as a smile curved Craig's cheeks and his green eyes lit up. "Well that's good to know."

Ezekiel hooked his finger and urged Craig to come to him. Craig shook his head. "Not now. Not in Jeb and Gill's barn. We're gonna head to town, I'm gonna have a talk with that whore and then we're gonna spend a good three days locked up in the hotel."

Ezekiel chuckled. "Three days?"

That mischievousness Ezekiel had missed seeing flashed in Craig's eyes. "At least."