Free The Loner: Inferno #12 by J.A. Johnstone Page B

solution.”
    A shudder went through her. She was close enough to him that he could feel it.
    “I’m not going to marry him. I decided that even before you came along, Kid. I only agreed because I ... I’d known him for so long, since before my husband died. I guess I was scared to face things alone.”
    In the time he had known her, Jessica hadn’t acted like much of anything scared her. But there was no way of knowing what went on inside a person’s heart and mind, where their true self was found.
    “You’ll have to work that out without my help.” He started to turn away.
    She clutched at him again. “Kid, please—”
    From the wagon’s tailgate, Scott Harwood roared a curse and flung himself toward them. “Let go of her, you son of a bitch!” He tackled The Kid and knocked him away from Jessica. Both men crashed to the floor of the wagon. Harwood started throwing wild punches in the gloom.
    “Scott, stop it!” Jessica shouted. The collision’s impact had driven her to her knees nearby. “Stop it!”
    Harwood ignored her and kept flailing away at The Kid.
    Biting back angry curses of his own, The Kid blocked as many of the punches as he could, but some of them got through and landed on his chin and jaw, jerking his head back and forth, stunning him. His arms sagged.
    With a shake of his head, he threw off the effects of the punches and reached up to grab the front of Harwood’s shirt. A sudden heave sent Harwood crashing into the wagon’s sideboards. The Kid rolled away from him and came up on a knee.
    “Blast it, settle down!” The Kid said as he held out a hand toward Harwood, as if to ward off the scout’s attack.
    It didn’t do any good. Harwood scrambled up and launched himself at The Kid again. As they crashed together, they rolled toward the rear of the wagon, through the canvas flaps, and right off the lowered tailgate.
    The fall to the ground was a good four feet, and the awkward landing broke them apart. People had heard the shouting from Jessica’s wagon and were hurrying toward it to see what was wrong. Surprised exclamations went up as the two battling men emerged.
    The Kid wasn’t one to run from a fight, but as he got to his feet he backed off. It was a pointless struggle that shouldn’t have happened in the first place. He was just thankful that so far Harwood had only used his fists. If the scout had reached for his gun, that would have been real trouble.
    “You’ve got it all wrong, Harwood,” The Kid said as he tried to talk some sense into the furious man. “There’s nothing between Mrs. Ritter and me.”
    Harwood had reached his feet, too, his chest heaving and his eyes blazing. His fists were clenched at his sides. “You’re a damned liar! I saw the two of you together. You either attacked her, or you’re trying to steal her away from me!”
    “Scott, stop it,” Jessica said again from the rear of the wagon. “Mr. Morgan didn’t do anything. It was me, all me!”
    Harwood lifted his head, and an even bleaker look settled over his face. “What are you saying, Jess?”
    She swallowed hard. “You heard me. I’m sorry, Scott, but I ... I can’t marry you.”
    Silence fell over the people who had crowded around Jessica’s wagon as Harwood stared at her uncomprehendingly. Finally, a grim realization settled over his face. “I was right,” he said quietly. He turned his head to look at The Kid. “You did this.”
    And with that, he twisted his body and grabbed for the gun on his hip.

Chapter 10
     
    Instinct sent The Kid’s hand flashing toward his own Colt. Harwood might be a fine scout, but he was no fast gun. The Kid could have drawn and fired a couple of times before Harwood cleared leather.
    But that didn’t happen. Horace Dunlap moved up fast behind Harwood, swiftly thudding a revolver against the back of his head. Harwood’s hand opened, releasing his gun as he toppled forward.
    The Kid’s gun was leveled, but his finger wasn’t on the trigger. Dunlap