Chapter Two

East Texas

August 1875

“This is gonna be our biggest job yet, boys.” Billy said with a whistle as he rubbed his hands together. Ian McEllis frowned as he wiped his black bandana across his stubble covered, sharp featured face.

“I don’t know, Billy. Swindling gamblers and robbing stage coaches is one thing, but banks? I ain’t too eager to get caught and go swinging if you catch my drift.”

“Well then let’s not get caught.” Billy replied with a chuckle. Ian shifted uneasily in his saddle as they sat just outside the town and he shook his head again.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea, Billy. My damn brother is a U.S. Marshall. If I get a wanted poster with my face on it then I’ll never be allowed back at home.”

“Sounds like a personal damn problem to me. Don’t it sound like a personal problem to you, boys?” Billy asked as he looked at the other five men around them. One by one they all nodded and Ian folded his arms over his saddle horn.

“I can’t do it, Billy. It’s too risky. That town has a group of damn vigilantes that have already soiled at least seven bank robbery attempts in the last year. What makes you think this one would be any different?”

“Those robberies weren’t being led by me.” Billy replied with a shrug. “You can sit this one out if you wanna but you won’t get none of the money we ride out of there with.”

“That’s fine with me. I got plenty.”

Ian watched the gang ride away and shook his head. Billy was new. Billy had killed Ted, who had led the group of men before, and taken over his place. Billy was a trigger happy, hotheaded, risk taker that was going to get every one of them killed.

Shot or swinging, dead was dead, and Ian wanted no part of that. He decided since he was so close he’d head into Windfall Texas and send his mama a letter. He tried to write her at least three times a year and he always sent his letters from Windfall since he had told the woman he had a job there.

He didn’t want to break his mama’s heart by letting her know her third born was an outlaw. Of course technically you had to be a wanted man to be an outlaw and so far Ian had managed to avoid that. That had more to do with him being good at what he did rather than actually being good.

It was evening before he rode into Windfall and he went straight away to the post office to write and mail his letter. The clerk, Thomas Ritter, recognized him and waved him over to the counter quickly.

“I’ve been wondering when you’d come back this way. You’ve had a letter waiting on you for the last couple of months. I was thinking about sending it back to your mama if you didn’t show up soon.”

“My mama?” Ian asked with a frown. His mama never wrote to him. In the last eight years since he’d left home he’d never gotten a letter from her.

Thomas ducked behind the counter and Ian could hear him rummaging through papers. Ian sat and shifted from side to side in his dusty boots, all sort of things racing through his mind. Why would his mother write to him? Had something happened to one of his brothers? Was Cav settling down again? His wife had been gone for over three years now and Cav was definitely the settling down type.

Or maybe Jamison had fallen victim to a bullet. Ian hoped not. His brother might be a lawman, and given Ian’s line of work he didn’t exactly appreciate lawmen, but Jamison was his brother first and Ian loved him. Though he hadn’t seen the man in a good eleven years other than in passing..

Surely the note wasn’t going to be bad news about Andrew. Andrew was hyperactive and loud and some people didn’t quite know how to handle him… maybe somebody had handled him the only way they thought possible….

Ian practically ripped off Thomas’s arm as he jerked the envelope from his hand and tore it open.

Never in his wildest dreams had he thought he would read the words that he read. His tan face must have paled beneath his hat because Thomas leaned forward and his face was concerned.

“Are you okay, Ian? Was it bad news?”

“Yeah…” Ian muttered. “Yeah it was bad news.” Without another word, Ian folded the letter, shoved it in his pocket and quickly left the post office.

Ian had an idea where his little brother might be and it was on his way to Kentucky. There was only one thing Ian knew for sure. He had to hurry because his mama said there wasn’t much time and it was postmarked three months ago!

Tennessee

September 1875

“And that would be another winnin’ hand.” Nineteen year old Andrew McEllis exclaimed with a smile as he scooted the chips across the table toward him.

“That’s almost enough to buy me that dress I’m wanting.” Kate said as she sat in Andrew’s lap and held his cigarette between her painted nails. Andrew kissed the saloon girls rose water scented neck and grinned broadly.

“Of course, my lady.” he replied with a wink. Kate rolled her eyes and rose from his lap, her tight corset pushing her full breasts up and out, creating a rather nice line of cleavage that Andrew found himself staring at.

“I’m sure.” she said dryly and then she pulled off his hat and ruffled his blond hair as the other men at the table chuckled. “I’ll go get you another beer.”

“I don’t know how you do it, boy! You’ve got that sweet little thing crawlin’ all over you!” the dealer stated as he shook his head. Andrew laughed.

“The women can’t resist us McEllis boys!” he exclaimed. The piano player picked up a faster tempo and Andrew jumped to his feet and smacked his thighs.

“Who wants to dance with me?” he asked loudly and a small red haired saloon girl giggled.“We have a winner.” Andrew winked with a grin. He took her by the arm and pulled her too him. He spun her around and around the saloon, bouncing and singing off key to the music as she, and everyone else in the place, laughed loudly.

It was early afternoon on a Wednesday and therefore everyone here knew Andrew well enough to know that the boy was harmless. He couldn’t hold still, he was loud, and all the girls flocked to him but he certainly wasn’t a danger to anyone.

Andrew was laughing and stealing swigs of beer from the other patrons in the saloon when suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and stopped instantly when he saw his brother Ian standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Having fun?” Ian asked. Andrew placed a loud popping kiss to the saloon girls lips and then released her and she was giggling loudly as she walked away to lounge against a back table.

“Having a blast.” Andrew admitted as he grabbed a half empty beer that had been left on a table and took a swig. He made a face as he swallowed the warm rotgut and then shrugged and took another swig.

“We gotta get going, Andrew.” Ian stated. “We’re needed at home.”

“Needed at home? What are we needed at home for? I got a good game going on over there and these fine folks would be lonely as could be if I left ’em. Wouldn’t you girls?” Andrew asked with lopsided grin. Kate laughed lightly as she came over with a fresh beer in hand and draped her arm over Andrew’s shoulders.

“Sure would, darling. Who’s your friend?” Ian pulled off his hat and grinned at the woman, his mama had always taught him to be polite after all.

“Hello, ma’am.” he said with a tip of his head. “My name’s Ian and Andrew is my brother.”

“Brother? So you’re one of the McEllis boys he says women just can’t resist?” Ian’s smile grew broader and he placed his hat back on his head.

“Yes ma’am. I’m one of them boys.” Andrew laughed and jumped onto one of the empty tables.

“Hey everybody!” he called out, swaying slightly due to his consumption of easily an entire wooden keg of beer so far today. “This here is my brother Ian and we are the McEllis boys! Forget about them James brothers! We’re the real deal!”

The saloon full of men and women roared with laughter and cheered Andrew on as he took several theatrical bows and then frowned at his brother who took his arm and yanked him off the table.

“We really gotta go, Andrew.”

“What’s the matter, Ian? Don’t you wanna have some fun?”

“Andrew, it’s mama.” Ian whispered quietly. “She’s real sick and we gotta get home.”

“Mama?” Andrew asked quietly as his heart broke apart in his chest. Not his mama. Not his sweet, loving mama who had always believed in him even though he couldn’t hold still, had no real attention span and couldn’t seem to learn new things real easy.

“Yeah, we gotta….” Ian stopped speaking when he realized that Andrew was already out the door and jumping on his horse. He shook his head and followed after his younger brother.

***

Kentucky

September 1875

“Holy hell, Andrew, is that you?” Cav demanded when he saw his youngest brother again for the first time in ten long years. He had seen Ian off and on because his outlaw brother had come to visit he and Leah to have a place to lay his head from time to time.

“Yeah, it’s me. Who else would it be?” Andrew asked as he jumped from his horse. It sounded to Cav as if the boy had a major stick up his ass and Cav had no idea what the boy would be so angry with him about. “Where’s mama?” Andrew demanded.

“She’s inside. She can’t even get herself out of the bed. I have a feeling the two of you made it just in time.” Jamison replied as he stepped onto the porch and rubbed his hands over his tired face.

His eyes fell on Ian and the younger brother rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled.

“Well this is awkward.” he mumbled. “I don’t usually get this close to lawmen.” Andrew rolled his eyes at all of them, tapped his fingers on his thighs a few times and then pushed past all his brothers and into the house.

“I can imagine why. You still robbing hardworking folks for a living?” Jamison drawled as he took a wide legged stance and stared down from the porch at his little brother, squinting in the sunlight beneath his hat.

“I don’t’ have a clue what you’re talking about.” Ian replied with a grin. “I ain’t stolen a single thing in my life.”

“Yeah and my leg don’t bother me when it rains neither.” Cav added with a snort.

“How long have y’all been here?” Ian asked as he looked at both his older brothers. He knew there was bad blood and bitterness between the two of them and looking at them together on that porch it was clear that the tension was thick.

Both men were roughly the same height at around six and a half feet. They had the same broad set shoulders, tapered waists and lean hips. Both wore their gun belts low in a style more popular among gunslingers and both had legs easy a mile long clad in work stained trousers. They both had their mama’s blue eyes, their fathers strong chin and his squared cheekbones.

They could almost pass for twins at first glance and only the small round scar on the side of Jamison’s jaw truly set him apart from his younger brother.

“We’ve been here close to two months.” Cav replied as he limped over to a chair and sat down, rubbing his thigh subconsciously.

“How’s your leg?” Ian asked and Cav took a draw off the cigarette in his hand and shrugged.

“Fine. The pain ain’t too bad. It reminds me of what I’ve been through I guess.” Ian didn’t miss the glance Cav threw in Jamison’s direction and it was clear from Jamison’s scowl that he hadn’t missed it either.

“I’m gonna go to the barn.” Jamison stated with a sigh as he left the porch.

“You still mad at him?” Ian asked as he stepped onto the porch and leaned against the post across from his brother.

“Nope.” Cav replied, sending Ian a pointed look that stated clearly he wasn’t going to talk about it. “You gonna go talk to mama?” Ian shrugged and looked out over the yard that he and his brothers had played in growing up. They’d learned to shoot with their pea shooters and no squirrel or chipmunk had been safe.

The McEllis brothers had been close as any brothers could be. Then their father had died of consumption and a year later Jamison had left. The next to leave was Cav and Andrew and Ian had followed a few short years later.

Now the brothers barely knew each other. Ian and Andrew were together more often than anyone else. Andrew resented Cav because Cav had left him and never looked back and Andrew had always looked up to Cav. Cav hated Jamison because of what had happened to Leah and the babies…. Needless to say their loving family had turned into one hell of a mess.

If you needed proof, Ian was an outlaw and Jamison was a U.S. Marshall. It didn’t get much more screwed up than that.

“I’ll wait till Andrew is done talkin’ to her.” Ian replied simply and Cav nodded. Silence reigned after their short conversation. Nowadays they were virtual strangers and didn’t have much to say.