Free The Outlaws: Sam by Ten Talents Press Page B

know how else to break this to you
so I'll just come right out and say it. Lacey and I are husband and
wife. My full name is Sam Gentry. Lacey believed me dead all these
years, until I showed up here recently."
    "Well I'll be a lop-eared jackass," Rusty
said. "Why didn't you return to your wife after the war? It don't
hardly seem right to let her believe you were dead. Why, I'll bet
you never even knew you had a son."
    Sam winced but said nothing. He couldn't
bring himself to name Lacey a whore for having a child with a
lover. Or label Andy a bastard. "That's right. I knew nothing about
Andy. But I intend to make it up to Lacey and Andy. That's why I'm
moving into the ranch house. I want everyone to know we're
married."
    "What about Taylor Cramer?" Rusty blurted
out. "He ain't gonna like this."
    "That's for sure," Barney ventured. That must
have been the general consensus for the other hands nodded their
heads in vigorous agreement.
    "I don't give a damn about Taylor Cramer,"
Sam said. "Lacey is my wife and that's not going to change."
    Grinning, Rusty slapped Sam's back. "I don't
pretend to understand any of this, but I can't say I ain't glad Miz
Lacey ain't gonna marry that bastard. Andy don't like Cramer and
that's good enough for me. It does my heart good to know he ain't
gonna get his hands on old Hob's land."
    Sam walked over to his bunk and gathered up
his few belongings. "I'll be fit enough to ride again in a day or
two," he said as he stuffed clothing into his saddlebags.
    "I reckon we'll be taking orders from you
from now on," Rusty ventured.
    Sam stopped what he was doing to answer
Rusty. "I'm going to bow to your knowledge, Rusty. I'm not a
rancher but I'm willing to learn. We'll decide what needs to be
done together. How does that sound?"
    Rusty grinned. "Sounds just fine...boss. Will
you join us for supper?"
    "Another time. I'm going to take supper with
Lacey and Andy tonight."
    "Don't blame you none," Rusty replied. "Six
years is a long time to be away from your wife. You and Miz Lacey
have a lot of catching up to do."
    Sam merely grunted. He and Lacey weren't the
lovers Rusty imagined them, but he wasn't about to admit it.
Neither he nor Lacey wanted that kind of relationship. There was
too much ill-will between them to forget and forgive. His only
reason for sticking around was to punish Lacey. Becoming
romantically involved with his betrayer was asking for trouble, and
Sam had enough to contend with right now.
    Sam returned to the house and stowed his gear
in the spare bedroom. Then he went downstairs to find Lacey. Sam
knew she wasn't going to be happy about his new living arrangements
but he wasn't going to let that bother him. Lacey wasn't in the
house. Rita told him she'd gone to the barn.
    "Tell her supper is almost ready, Senor Sam,"
Rita said. "Will you be joining her and Andy?"
    "I'm moving into the house so I'll be taking
my meals here from now on."
    Sam found Lacey in the barn, currying her
horse. She wasn't aware of his presence until his shadow fell over
her. She whirled to face him.
    "Sam! You scared the daylights out of me.
Must you sneak around?"
    "I wasn't sneaking around. You were so
engrossed in your thoughts you didn't hear me. Were you thinking
about Cramer?"
    "My thoughts are none of your business. Why
aren't you in the cookhouse with the hands? I heard the supper bell
ring a few minutes ago."
    "I told them, Lacey. The hands know I'm your
husband."
    Lacey's cheeks flamed. "You had no
right!"
    "I have every right in the world. I expected
more questions but evidently the boys accepted my word and let it
go at that. I moved my things up to the house. Rita said to tell
you supper is almost ready. I'll be joining you and Andy."
    "Your audacity is appalling," Lacey hissed as
she led her horse back into the stall and closed the gate.
    "It got me through some tough places. You
used to like that about me. Among other things," he added with
daunting boldness. "Or have you forgotten already?"
    "I've