Chapter Twenty-Six

Craig was having a better time than he'd thought he'd have. He and Wyatt had only been out on their own for a night but it felt good to sleep under the stars and spend the day riding, talking and relaxing in the shade with his best friend.

He'd missed this. He'd missed feeling like the old days.

The two had just sat down beneath a shade tree to play a bit of cards when the sound of hoof beats reached their ears. Craig glanced up and sighed. "Looks like the bounty hunter couldn't let you stay out of his sight for three days after all."

Wyatt's head whipped around and when his eyes fell on Zachariah, he shook his head roughly and shoved himself to his feet. 'That overprotective jackass.....'

Wyatt's posture changed from one of annoyance to one of worry as Zachariah neared them on that big black horse and it became clear that something was wrong.

"Craig, you'll be wanting to get back to Jeb's place," Zachariah announced.

Craig stood and swiped the dirt off his backside. "What's wrong? Is everybody okay?"

"You've got a visitor," Zachariah replied. "And in true Crane Gang fashion, he's been knocked unconscious and is tied to a chair at your brother's place."

***

Ezekiel had regained consciousness several moments ago but had remained still, silent and kept his eyes closed to allow himself time to gauge his surroundings.

"Look at your damn hand, Gill. You need to let Maria look at that. I think you might have broken it."

"My hand is fine, Jeb," Gill replied with exasperation. "You worry too much."

"It's so nice to see that mother hens don't change," a third male voice announced with a tone that was clearly teasing.

"You better be quiet, Pete. With the mood Jeb's in, he's apt to try to hurt you and then I'd have to step in an protect you," a woman warned.

"My knight in shining armor," Pete mused.

Ezekiel frowned. These people were insane—just as Craig had said they were.

He remembered Gill knocking him out cold. First damn time Ezekiel had ever been knocked out with one punch. He wouldn't be surprised if the man had broken his hand. And he wasn't surprised Gill had hit him. Hell, Ezekiel was lucky Gilliam Tomlinson hadn't shot him on sight.

The man knew what Ezekiel had once been. He knew every single nasty detail ever listed on law reports about Ezekiel and the things he'd done.

But Ezekiel couldn't figure out for the life of him where he was now or why he was tied to a damn chair and surrounded by a small army of bickering, teasing and mother henning folks.

He figured it was as good a time as any to open his eyes. Would he see Craig anywhere?

"He's awake," the woman's voice immediately announced the moment Ezekiel's eyelids opened. She had wild blond hair beneath a wide brimmed hat and a young boy, he knew must be Little Willie, was propped on her trouser clad hip.

"Hello Jane," Ezekiel replied.

A red haired, buck-toothed man instantly came between Ezekiel and Jane. It took him a moment to place the familiar face. "Pete Bardlow. Nice to see you."

Pete batted his lashes and laid his hand over his heart. "That warms my heart. Did you hear that, Gill? It's nice to see me."

"That's the first damn time those words have been uttered," Gill grumbled. He stepped forward. "What are you doing here, Ezekiel?"

"We already know the answer to that, Gill. Hells bells! Where have you been? He's here because he obviously came chasing after Craig. Catch up."

Gill pinched his nose between his fingers and shook his head. Another man, a man who must be Jebidiah Crane stepped forward. He had the same colored hair as Craig, only it was cut shorter, and his eye color matched his brothers. But where Craig had boyish good looks, Jeb was sharper, sterner and it was clear the man was angry.

"Does my brother know you? Does he know what you are?"

"A ranch foreman?" Ezekiel shrugged one shoulder and tugged at the restraints keeping his arms behind him. "Yeah, I reckon he knows."

Jeb clenched his fists. "You know damn well I'm not talking about your ranching cover. I'm talking about the man you really are. A cold-blood killer?"

Ezekiel sighed. "I'm not that man anymore."

"See? He's not that many anymore. Simple as that. Untie him. Let him up. Apologize for cracking his skull."

"Pete?" Gill grumbled.

Pete smiled at the other man. "Yes?"

"Don't."

"Okay. You never let me have any fun."

Ezekiel focused his attention on Gill and Jeb. Those were clearly the two he was going to have to convince if he wanted out of the damn chair. "Craig knows. He knows about my past. I've worked real damn hard to overcome all that and I've changed. I came here because I need to see Craig. I need to speak with him."

Jeb threw up his hands and began to pace. "Craig is one giant headache. If he isn't worrying me to death by drinking himself into a stupor, he's riding in with pregnant whores or losing himself in melancholy or falling in love with damned cold-blooded murderers who were wanted dead or alive not too damn long ago....."

Ezekiel wasn't sure what to say. He was sure, knowing Craig the way he did, that being big brother to the man must be hard... and Jeb had been more than that. He'd been more like a father to the man for over a decade since their parents had been murdered.

Craig was certainly a person who gave you more than a few gray hairs and headaches if you were responsible for him.

Before Ezekiel could say anything, Gill crossed the floor and stilled Jeb's pacing by putting his hands gently on his chest and blocking his path. "It's going to be okay, Jebidiah. We'll figure it all out and everything will be just fine." Ezekiel was surprise. Was the ex-lawman who had just knocked him unconscious not too long ago, suddenly on his side?

Jeb's voice was quiet as he stooped down lower. "I've almost lost this family too many times, Gilliam. I can't risk it again. What if we can't trust him? What if Craig made a mistake... it wouldn't be his first one."

"No, it wouldn't," Gill replied. He let out a humorless chuckle. "Hell, he was the one who trusted Pete and I when we met him in that town. He was the one who led us to you and the gang never knowing that we were supposed to bring you to justice. He's made mistakes before, that's for sure. But they worked out."

"Yep, look at us now!" Pete agreed, throwing his arm around Jeb's shoulders. "One big happy family."

The look on Jeb's face was a murderous one. "Personal space, Pete," he growled.

Pete put up his hands and backed away. "Grouch," he mumbled as he went to his wife and she patted his arm soothingly.

"Gill? Jeb?" Ezekiel spoke. "I know you have good reason to not trust me. Hell, I've spent years trying to forget the things I've one but I don't ever sleep a whole night without the memories waking me up. I was orphaned young and fell in with a bad group of men who saved my life—I didn't know any better at the time and by the time I was old enough to know better, I was in so deep it didn't seem to matter. But that's not me any longer. I'm a hard working man who's earned respect from those I've worked with and for. Hell, I don't even carry a gun anymore. I hurt your brother when I walked away from him and I intend to make that right. Just let me know where he is. Where is Craig?"

A floorboard creaked near the door and Ezekiel's head whipped around to find Craig standing in the doorway. The man was pale, his green eyes were wide and he was gripping the door facing for all he was worth.

Pete nudged Ezekiel's shoulder. "He's right there."