Chapter Forty-Three

Cavanaugh groaned, his head was pounding and his stomach was turning. He felt as if he was suffocating and reached his hand up only to realize there was a leg laying across his face. He shoved it down and heard Ian mutter, "Dammit."

"Daddy, my head hurts," Madeline's voice spoke up.

"Mine too," Ian mumbled.

Cavanaugh felt another body shift next to him and yet another one was laying across his legs. He moaned with pain as his head throbbed and then pulled himself out of the pile of bodies and stood up. He looked down at the bed he'd been laying in and saw all his brothers and the women still piled up.

"Apparently more than one hotel room would have just been too much for the woman to manage."

Cavanaugh turned quickly and saw Jamison standing beside the open door, leaning against the door jamb with a cigar hanging off his lip.

"How did you know we were here?" Cavanaugh asked, as everyone else in the bed began to moan, groan and slowly disentangle themselves. Cavanaugh found Nicole's hand among the pile and helped her to her feet before pressing her back into his chest and using his fingers to massage her temples. He knew her head was pounding by the look that had been on her face and he smiled when she groaned with pleasure and leaned into him.

"Glad to see you pulled your head out of your ass, Cav," Jamison said.

Nicole smiled brightly, "I missed you, Jamison! You scared the life out of me when you 'poofed' right in front of my eyes." Then Nicole looked down at herself and at the old fashioned wool skirt and cotton blouse she was wearing, "What happened to my clothes?"

"Looks like Mary changed all you women into something more time appropriate," Cavanaugh replied.

Nicole sighed, "Damn. I was really hoping to bring my yoga pants with me."

Cavanaugh chuckled and Jamison put out his cigar on the bottom of his boot, "Hallie is a seamstress. I'm sure she could make some for you. My wife likes to help people when she can."

Nicole let out a happy cry and then moved away from Cavanaugh and went to Jamison, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tight, "Thank God you listened to me!" Jamison chuckled and patted her on the back, fully aware of the hundred yard stare his brother was sending his way.

"Might want to let her go, Jamison," Ian said as he managed to get himself to his feet and helped Leslie to hers as well. "Cav gets a little crazy over that one." Jamison nodded as Nicole moved away from him and went back to Cavanaugh who was more than happy to wrap his arms around her once again.

"Daddy, it's the police officer cowboy!" Madeline exclaimed as she jumped from the bed and into Ian's arms.

Ian grunted as he fought to steady them and winced at the aching in his head, "Yes it is," he replied, forcing a smile through his pain.

"Daddy?" Jamison asked with a frown.

"I am her daddy," Ian shot back and Jamison's eyes widened with surprise as his womanizing, commitment-phobic brother propped the little girl on his hip and wrapped his free arm tight around her mother.

"Well I guess that means all of us are settled down," Jamison said as he turned his gaze to Andrew who was cuddling in the bed with the tall, slender girl that Jamison thought he remembered as being Silas's granddaughter.

"So how did you know we were in here? Did Mary tell you?" Cavanaugh asked.

Jamison shook his head, "Naw, I haven't seen her since she sent us to the future. It was widow Callahan that found you. She's visiting some family and was staying in this hotel room. She came back from her luncheon to find a big ol' group of people passed out on her bed. Caused quite a stir to tell you the truth."

Andrew snickered behind his hand and Ian laughed outright, "Maybe old widow Callahan needs to get out more often. I know that if I walked in on a scene like that I would....." Ian stopped when he felt Leslie's eyes burning holes in him. He looked down at her and grinned sheepishly, "I would walk right back out and report it to the proper authorities because I am a happily taken man."

Ian watched her beautiful gray eyes roll and she smacked his stomach, "You're so full of it I feel like I need wading boots." The hotel room filled with laughter.

Andrew pointed at Jamison's vest which was void of a badge, "Where's your badge?"

"I gave that up. Seems that now that I've had a taste of the settling down life, I don't like to be away from it," Jamison replied with a smile that surprised his brothers. Jamison had never been much of a 'smiler'.

Then Jamison sobered as he looked at Cavanaugh, "Cav, I need you to come somewhere with me."

Cavanaugh nodded, "Mary said you have something for me. What's going on?"

Jamison just shook his head, "I'd rather just show you. Ian, Andrew, why don't you take the ladies on down to Hallie's. She'll make sure you all get something to eat."

"Nicole can come with me," Cavanaugh countered but Jamison shook his head again.

"I really think it would better if she went on to Hallie's."

Cavanaugh was about to argue again but Nicole put her hand on his arm, "It sounds important, Cavanaugh. Just go on and I'll be waiting there for you."

Cavanaugh nodded and then looked over at Ian and Andrew, "Keep a close on her now," he warned.

Ian nodded. With a mischievous grin he came forward and grabbed Nicole's arm, pulling her body into him and kissing her cheek, "Don't worry, big brother. I'll take care of her." Ian barely had time to finish speaking before Nicole's elbow was ramming into his stomach.

"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your hands off, McEllis?" she asked with a laugh.

He released his hold on her and rubbed his aching abdomen, "One or two more oughta do." he admitted with a grin.

"Well come on then, Cav," Jamison stated and he walked out. Cavanaugh quickly kissed Nicole's brow and then followed after his brother.

***

"I feel like I just stepped into a movie." Bethany gasped as they stepped onto the bottom floor of the hotel and heard the piano music playing from the diner through the wide swinging doors to the right of the clerks desk. They walked outside onto the dusty boardwalk and Ian and Andrew took deep breaths, happy to finally be home, while the women all stared around wide-eyed.

"This is amazing," Nicole gasped. There were rough wooden plank buildings, dirt roads, wagons and hitched horses. Fancy writing on tall signs told what each building was. Mercantile, tailor, livery, blacksmith, banks....

"Daddy, what's that?" Madeline's voice asked and Ian followed her gaze to the saloon where loud piano music was playing and raised voices were coming through the doors. A scantily clad woman was leaning over the top balcony.

Ian cleared his throat and steered Madeline in the opposite direction, toward Hallie's dressmakers shop, "Nothing, Maddy. That's a place for grownups," he said quickly.

Leslie looked around at the people milling around. She knew that Dodge City was a big town and there were a lot of people bustling about. Surprisingly there were more men without guns on their hips than there were men with then. Most of the women were wearing gingham dresses, or wool skirts with cotton blouses and most of the men were in work worn pants and stained shirts. There were some women walking around in fancy satin dresses and big hats and some of the men were in sharply cut suits and top hats but they weren't the majority. Children were running and playing while dogs chased chickens across the road.

"Ian McEllis?" A feminine voice called out and they all turned to see a young woman practically running toward them. Leslie looked her up and down. She was young, probably eighteen or nineteen. She had an innocent girl next door look about her with bright blond hair pulled back and covered with a bonnet that matched her mauve colored gingham dress.

She smiled brightly at Ian, her green eyes sparkling and her full cheeks reddening as she bit her lip, "It's nice to see you again, Ian," she said shyly.

Leslie saw Ian shift his feet uncomfortably and heard Andrew chuckling, "Hi.. Uh....." Ian mumbled and he rubbed the back of his neck. The woman's face fell and she wrung her hands, "Gretchen."

He nodded, "Gretchen," he said, though he still had no real idea who she was.

"Remember me?" she asked. "My daddy's wagon...."

"Right!" Ian said a bit too loudly as he put his hands over Madeline's ears and spared a quick nervous glance at Leslie. "Yeah, I uh.. I remember."

The girl's bright smile returned and she looked at everyone standing around Ian, "Who are your friends?"

"Uh.. This is my brother Andrew, his wife Bethany, my brother Cav's wife Nicole and this is Leslie and Madeline."

"I'm his woman by the way." Leslie stated as she put her arm around Ian's waist.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Madeline whined as she tugged on Ian's hand.

Gretchen's green eyes flashed with anger, "But it hasn't been that long since we..." she declared, gesturing at Madeline. "I thought I was special!" she added in a near shriek.

Ian coughed, "I never said that," he said quickly, hoping to reassure Leslie. He could practically feel anger rolling off of her in waves as she stood there with her arm around him.

"How dare you!" Gretchen exclaimed and then her hand fell sharply across Ian's cheek before she turned and stormed away.

"Daddy, she doesn't like you," Madeline informed him.

Andrew laughed loudly, "No, Madeline, she likes your daddy too much. Your daddy was a bit of a stud in his time."

"Are there going to be a lot of those?" Leslie demanded, feeling more than a little jealousy.

Ian flushed and rubbed his neck awkwardly, "Uh.... I hope not."

"Yeah me too," she snapped.

Ian was about to reply when Madeline tugged on his hand again, "I'm hungry."

Ian nodded, "Let's go eat then." he said while forcing a smile. He knew that he was going to have some major ass kissing to do just as soon as he got Leslie alone.

They all went down the road to Hallie's dressmaking shop and walked in, "Oh, Hallie! Where are you, Hallie?" Andrew called out. He had met Hallie a couple of times when he'd been coming through Dodge and she'd always treated him like family because she knew he was Jamison's brother.

"Andrew!" Hallie exclaimed. Nicole was surprised when she saw Hallie. The woman actually did look a little like Miss Kitty and made her remember the talk that she and Jamison had shared on her couch. Hallie's green eyes widened when she looked at everyone else standing in her shop.

"Who are all these people?" she asked as she watched Bethany, Madeline and Leslie walk over to the different fabrics and dresses and begin to touch and look through them.

"Wait don't tell me," she amended quickly. "You're Ian," she guessed while pointing at him.

Ian nodded, "Yes'm. Jamison must have told you I was the most handsome of the McEllis boys?" he asked with a teasing grin.

She snorted and put her hands on her rounded hips, "No, I just recognize a slick outlaw when I see one," she replied. "That tall girl, the willowy one, I'm guessing she's with you, Andrew?"

"That's right, Hallie. Her name is Bethany."

"Jamison didn't mention Cav's woman having a child so that must mean that the brunette and her adorable look a like daughter are yours," Hallie said as she gestured toward Ian.

"Leslie and our girl Madeline." Ian said with a nod.

Hallie turned her eyes toward Nicole. Nicole felt like a giant standing beside the woman. Hallie was tiny, barely five feet and she was petite with voluptuous curves in exactly the right places. She had dainty features and a beautiful smile. Nicole, who was five foot six and the opposite of dainty felt very self-conscious under the pretty woman's appraisal.

"You must be Nicole. Jamison speaks very highly of you. It seems you gave him the swift kick in the backside he'd been needing and for that I thank you."

"Glad I could help," Nicole replied with a smile. She liked Hallie.

"It is amazing the way these clothes are made," Leslie said as she fingered one of the satin dresses hanging on a mannequin. "All hand stitched and no electric sewing machines."

"Electric?" Hallie asked with a frown and then she nodded and waved her hand. "I forget you're from the future. Why don't we go get some lunch and you can tell me more about this 'talking picture box' that Jamison has been telling me about."

***

"What's going on, Jamison?" Cavanaugh asked as his brother led him into the jail. Jamison might not have a badge anymore but when he motioned, the deputy quickly cleared out, closing the door tight behind him.

"I screwed up after Leah and the kids were killed, Cav, I realize that. When I got back, right after I married Hallie, I headed out to try to figure out what had happened back then."

"And?" Cavanaugh asked, his interest rising, after his initial temper at hearing Jamison mention his family began to fade.

"I got 'em."

Cavanaugh was sure he had heard his brother wrong, "Come again,"

"I got 'em, Cav. I found the bastard that killed them and the bastard who ordered it done. It was your neighbor, Maxwell Crenshaw that ordered one of his ranch hands to kill your family and get rid of you."

Cavanaugh felt his legs go out beneath him and was thankful for the wooden chair that Jamison suddenly shoved underneath him. He came down hard on it and buried his face in his hands.

Jamison watched his brother's shoulders shudder for several long moments and then Cavanaugh sniffed, wiped his face on his sleeve and stood up, his blue eyes suddenly ice cold, "I should have known! I should have known it was that bastard! He always wanted my ranch and the one time Leah met him she said she didn't like him. That he made her feel odd. I should have listened to her...."

"Cav, don't blame yourself now. There was no way of knowing that the man would be sick and twisted enough to order the murders of a woman and two children."

"Did you make them suffer when they died? Tie the knot wrong when they hanged so they slowly choked to death?"

Jamison shook his head, "They aren't dead."

Cavanaugh's eyes widened, "Where the hell are they?"

"In the basement. I saved them for you," Jamison replied. "You can make it quick or you can make it slow. Take all the time you need, Cavanaugh. And don't worry about the law. I have connections and they're on your side."

Cavanaugh nodded and went to the door that led down the basement. As he walked down the narrow stairway and into the lantern lit space below he kept picturing his murdered children in his mind. The blood, the fear in their lifeless eyes, forever etched into his memory. He saw Leah, broken and bloody on the floor, every ounce of her dignity stripped from her before the knife had ended her life.

Cavanaugh stepped into the basement and there they were. The two people responsible for the death of his family. They were dirty, unkempt and chained to the wall as they sat on their butts in the dirt.

Cavanaugh wasn't sure how he managed to speak but he heard his voice filling the silence, "Remember me?" he asked, his voice low and containing a barely controlled rage.

Two heads snapped up in unison and Cavanaugh found himself looking at Maxwell Crenshaw and a ranch hand named Van who he had met a handful of times, "Well good to see you, Cavanaugh. We were wondering when you'd show up." Van said with a smile on his dirty face.

Maxwell's eyes went wide with fear, "Please! Please don't kill me Cavanaugh! My ranch is yours! I signed it over to you! Please just don't kill me. I'll leave. I'll head east and you'll never see me again. I didn't have anything to do with what happened to your family!"

"Oh shut-up, you lying sack of shit," Van spat. "You paid me a pretty penny to get rid of that whore and those brats."

Cavanaugh stepped toward Maxwell and the man looked up at him, his lip and chin quivering and his eyes full of tears, "Please have mercy...." he begged and Cavanaugh nodded.

He pulled his gun and pressed it against the man's forehead, "This is for my family." he growled and then he pulled the trigger, the sound reverberating off the walls and filling his ears with a ringing that nearly deafened him.

Van began laughing beside him, "Thank god! Now we don't have to listen to him whine anymore. That's one thing I can't stand is whining. I didn't give your brats time to whine before I blew their heads off. And your wife? She tried to run for it when I killed the kids but I caught her and you know what? She didn't beg for me to stop or whine as I took her on that kitchen floor. As a matter of fact, I think she liked it. I heard her moaning like the whore that she was...."

Cavanaugh growled and put his gun to the man's left thigh, "This is for me," he said and he pulled the trigger. Van's screams filled the basement as the bullet shattered his bone.

Cavanaugh moved the gun to his groin and to the disgusting part of his anatomy that he had shoved inside of Leah, "This is for my wife!"

"No please!" Van cried just before the gun went off and Van screamed and vomited while his blood pooled around him.

Cavanaugh could have stopped then, Van would be dead in moments, but he still had two more bullets owed to him. He put his gun to Van's head and looked in the mans' glossy pain-filled eyes.

"This is for my children," Cavanaugh fired off two consecutive shots and Van fell forward, slumping against the chains.

Cavanaugh holstered his gun and then moved to the other side of the basement before sliding down the stone wall, dropping to his knees and sobbing into his hands.

Finally. Finally his family could rest in peace. Their deaths had been avenged. Cavanaugh felt no guilt. Only sadness that his children could not be brought back to him and relief that he had finally had his vengeance.

***

Jamison heard the gunshots and the cries of pain and put his hat over his face as he sat in the chair at the desk with his legs propped up and his ankles crossed.

A long time passed before he heard Cavanaugh's limping steps coming back up the stairs and Jamison pushed his hat back and stood up as his brother shut the heavy basement door.

"Is it done then?" Jamison asked.

Cavanaugh nodded, "It's done."

"Well then lets get the hell out of here, little brother." Jamison put his arm around Cavanaugh's shoulders in a warm brotherly embrace and led him from the jail.