Redemption

Chapter 32

Chapter 32

Jessie stepped out onto the front porch, a determination in her heart but a nagging fear in her mind. What if Adam actually decided to use his gun? What if someone got hurt?

“What do you want, Adam?” she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking.

Adam looked disheveled, with his wrinkled tan shirt and ruffled hair sporting a nasty hat ring. His bloodshot eyes were glazed over, hinting a lack of sleep.

“You know what I want, Jessie. I want you. I… I can’t live without you, honey,” Adam’s nearly begged her.

“I’m sure you can’t.” Jessie laced her words with sarcasm and crossed her arms.

“What do you mean?” Adam narrowed his eyes at her.

“I remember everything, Adam. I remember the fight, I remember the man you sent to find your father and ‘tell him the good news’. I remember everything. You want my money so you can pay off your father’s gambling debts. You never cared for me, Adam Jeremiah.”

Adam stared at her and stumbled over a coherent sentence. “I… you… um… You don’t understand. His life is at stake here. They’ll kill him if they don’t get their money.”

Jessie glanced around for Colt, but didn’t see him.

“I don’t see as to how that’s my problem. I didn’t even know I had this money until a few weeks ago. It seems to me that you know more about me than even I do. Surely you can find some other innocent heiress to peddle your charms on to get their money,” she said.

Adam set his gun up higher and directed it to the other side of the house. “Show yourself, Kidd.”

Slowly, Colt appeared out from behind the house.

“Unarmed, too? My, my, you are a brave one,” Adam sneered.

“I’m gonna give you a chance to mount your horse and ride out of here one more time,” Colt said, lifting his chin a notch.

Fear gripped Jessie’s heart. She knew that Colt was no match for Adam in any fight. Fear for his life caused her breath to catch and her knees to shake.

Adam laughed. “You’re gonna give me a chance? Look who’s got the iron, Kidd. That makes me the boss.”

Colt shrugged. “If I would have thought a gun necessary, I would have gotten one. Put down your weapon.”

Adam glared at him before leaning slightly forward to emphatically state, “No.” He waved his gun around and motioned for Jessie. “You come here. I’m taking you home where you belong.”

Jessie looked to Colt for advice, but he offered none. It was almost as if he wasn’t worried for her at all.

“Move!” Adam yelled.

Jessie walked toward him and stopped a few feet from where he stood. Adam closed the distance and grabbed her arm, shoving her toward his horse. “Mount up. This time I’m gonna make sure you have no one to come after you,”

Adam directed the gun at Colt and drew back the hammer.

“Adam, no!” Jessie screeched.

A shot rang through the air, and Jessie screamed.

Just as she was expecting Colt to fall, Adam collapsed onto the ground in front of her. Relief mixed with sorrow plagued her mind as she searched for the gunman who had downed Adam.

Doc came running from around the edge of the house with a pistol in his hand.

“It took you long enough,” Colt hollered at him as he made his way toward Jessie.