Ride For The Sun Ch. 02

Two weeks later Rafe rode to Camp Verde for supplies. He'd talked Emmett in to staying back at the ranch with the women. As he saddled Bowie, Emmett objected to staying behind.

"Didn't want to say nothin in front of Molly and Emma but we don't know where Tom Morrison is," Rafe said. "His brother is in jail waitin for the circuit judge and like you said we need to be careful."

"Don't like it none but you're right," Emmett agreed. "You're the logical one to go to town what with my leg and all." He put his hand on Rafe's shoulder. "But you be careful boy. I don't want to have to explain to Emma that something happened to you."

Rafe had loaded his pack animal with the supplies and decided to have a beer before heading back to the R Bar R. The main doors to the saloon were closed against the colder weather that had rolled into the valley the week before. He entered the saloon and walked over to the potbellied stove sitting in the corner near the end of the bar. Rafe stretched out his hands toward the stove to warm his hands.

The bartender, Charley, saw Rafe coming and drew a beer, setting it on the bar. Rafe nodded his thanks and took a big drink.

"It's a good thing I don't live in town," Rafe said. "I'd be in here all the time. This is good beer Charley."

Charley smiled and then leaned across the bar. "There's two fellars been talkin about gettin some kind of revenge on you and Emmett. I caught their names; one of them Tom Morrison."

"What do they look like?" Rafe asked.

"See for yourself. They're sittin at that back table yonder." Rafe turned and looked. "The big one's Morrison, the other's name is Barlow. "Should I send for the Sheriff, Rafe?"

"Reckon you should," he replied. "I'm gonna have a talk with Morrison and if things get squirrelly we'll need the undertaker too."

Rafe finished his beer and walked to the table in the back of the room. The two men watched as Rafe came closer. He stopped and faced the two men sitting there.

"Reckon you'd be Morrison," Rafe said. He recognized the man as the leader of the bandits. "Heard you was lookin for me."

"And just who might you be youngster?" Morrison asked with a sneer on his face.

"Name's Rafe Cassidy. I was ridin with the Riley's when you tried to rob them." Morrison tensed. "I had to shoot your brother up on that ridge."

Morrison and his companion slowly stood up. The other man stepped back away from the table with his hands raised to shoulder height, showing he didn't want any part of the trouble that was coming.

"I'm gonna avenge my brother on you and then go out and take care of Riley," Morrison bragged. "I might even enjoy myself with his women."

"You'll be dead before you get to the door Morrison," Rafe warned in a cold hard voice. "I think you better come with me to see the Sheriff."

Morrison didn't wait for Rafe to finish speaking; he reached for his pistol. He was trying to point the gun toward Rafe when he felt the first bullet. A second one followed a split second later and he fell onto the table and slid to the floor.

Rafe's attention was on Morrison and he didn't see the other man draw his weapon and fire. Hit in the leg Rafe started down but snapped off a shot. His aim was the better of the two and he hit the man in the chest. The man dropped his pistol, coughed, and collapsed.

Pulling himself up into a chair, Rafe tied his bandana around the wound in his leg. Then he stood and limped toward the door. Charley ran over to help but Rafe waved him off.

Sheriff Rawlings entered the saloon. "You all right Rafe?" Rawlings asked as he looked over at the two men on the floor. "Here, sit down. You can tell me what happened."

"Morrison and his man drew on me and I killed them," Rafe said heatedly. "You wouldn't help us when we told you about the robbery." Rafe gave the Sheriff a hard stare. "So don't be gettin in my way now Rawlings."

Rafe continued out the door and mounted Bowie. "Let me get the doctor for you Rafe," Charley said from the doorway.

Shaking his head, Rafe turned Bowie toward the ranch and rode out of town.

Bowie stopped in front of the ranch house and waited for his human to get down. Rafe was hunched over in the saddle barely conscious. When he didn't move Bowie whinnied loudly.

Emma came out to investigate the noise and saw Rafe. "Mommy, Daddy, Rafe's been hurt," she yelled back into the house. She ran down the steps and up to Bowie. Molly joined her and together they got Rafe down off the big horse. They carried him into the house and as soon as he was settled into one of the bedrooms Emmett told Emma to go take care of Rafe's horse.

"He'd be real upset if Bowie wasn't unsaddled," he told Emma to get her to leave.

Molly used scissors to slit Rafe's pant leg so she could tend to his wound.

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This ain't the bunkhouse, Rafe thought when he woke up. He looked around the room and knew he was in the main house. Lifting the quilt that covered him to look at his leg he saw the bandage around his thigh; it looked clean and fresh. Rafe also saw that he was naked.

Emma came bouncing into the room. "Bout time you woke up," she said with a big smile.

"How long I been out?"

"Today's the fourth day since we got you into bed. Doc Sweeny and Charley came out with your pack horse and said he couldn't do anything more than Mommy had already done." Seeing the worried look on Rafe's face she added, "Doc said you'd be fine in a month or two."

"Who undressed me and put me to bed?"

"Well, Mommy and me..." Emma stopped and giggled as Rafe's face got red. "Like I said, Mommy and me got you to the bed and she slit your pants leg so she could tend to you. Then we..." She stopped again and smiled. "Then we called Daddy and he undressed you the rest of the way."

Rafe chuckled. "Thanks Emma. Y'all takin care of me means a lot."

"Guess your gonna be with us for a while," Emma said in a happy voice. "Doc said it be at least two months before you could ride much."

"Emma," Molly called. "You come and let Rafe rest for a while. You'll get to see him later."

"Yes em," she responded. Turning back to Rafe she said, "I'm glad you're gonna be okay." Emma leaned over and her long hair covered his face. She added softly, "And I'm glad you're gonna stay with us and stay with me." She kissed Rafe, smiled, and left the room.

Rafe put his fingers up to his lips. Reckon I'm never gonna get to California, he thought.

Best write the folks and tell them I found a real decent place to settle. Best tell them about Emma too.

The End.