Free A Family for the Holidays by Sherri Shackelford Page B

leave by the obvious routes. He’s practically ordered me to board that stagecoach. I took money from him. I made him believe I was leaving.”
    â€œGood. That’s good. That buys us some time. He won’t come for the children until then.”
    The fear in her eyes gave him pause. She was frightened, all right, but not of him. She was terrified of being left on her own.
    â€œI promise,” he said. “No matter what happens, I won’t abandon you.”
    She and the boys had become his most pressing concern. The mystery of the stolen guns had to wait.
    â€œYou can’t guarantee that. No one can. What if the sheriff discovers the cell is unlocked? What happens then?”
    He reached through the bars and touched her shoulder. She didn’t flinch this time. “Don’t worry, I’ll manage.”
    Lily placed her hand over his. Her fingers were delicate and pale against the rough cotton of his shirt. She stared up at him, her eyes full of a trust he hadn’t earned, and a faith he didn’t deserve.
    â€œI’m putting our fate in your hands,” she said.
    â€œYou have to promise me something. Don’t tell a soul that you’re leaving with me, not even Regina.”
    He didn’t trust anyone in this town, especially someone associated with Vic.
    The boys stared at him with mirrored expressions of horror and wonder.
    Sam’s mouth hung open, then snapped shut. “We’re going to travel with an outlaw. A real, live outlaw. You’re the best chaperone ever, Miss Lily.”
    â€œI know this all seems quite unusual.” Lily patted Sam’s head. “I assure you, I know what I’m doing. I’ve hired this man as our escort. Your grandfather is, uh, temporarily indisposed. There are some mitigating circumstances that make the added safeguard of a hired gun prudent.”
    â€œI have no idea what you just said, but I’m not scared,” Sam replied, his voice breathless. “I’m excited. This is better than The Captives of the Frontier . I’d rather stay with you than that creepy pale guy.”
    â€œWell, don’t be excited either. This is a very serious situation.” She strode across the room and replaced the key, then secured the cupboard. “We need a plausible reason to be here.”
    â€œNo, you don’t,” Sam declared. “I have a better idea. C’mon, Peter.”
    â€œNot so fast.” Lily blocked their exit. “Where are you going?”
    â€œWe’ll distract the sheriff so Jake can break out of jail.”
    â€œAbsolutely not,” she said. “Too dangerous.”
    â€œThis is no time for a lecture,” Sam pleaded. “We’ll create a distraction. Just like in The Fourth Bullet . Then you can break the outlaw out of jail.”
    â€œI’m siding with Lily.” Jake shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
    Sheriff Koepke was too unpredictable for this nonsense. If the man sensed trouble, he was liable to accidentally shoot them all and ask questions later. He wasn’t much of a marksman in the best of circumstances.
    Lily prowled the cramped space. She peered through the barred windows and tapped her front tooth, no doubt reaching the same conclusion as Jake. The cottonwood trees planted for shade had lost their leaves for winter, providing little cover between the jail and the hundred yards to the edge of town. With the sheriff on his way, he’d never make the distance unseen.
    â€œWait!” Peter hollered. “The sheriff has stopped walking. He’s talking with Regina. They’ve turned around. Looks like they’re heading back to the hotel.”
    Jake exited the jail cell and blew out a gusty breath. “All right. You three need to leave. Now. You can’t be seen here any more than necessary.”
    â€œOh, no,” Peter groaned. “We’re too late. He’s coming back again.”
    â€œLeave,”