Chapter 56

After Izzy was done cryin', and we'd both soaked 'til the water turned cold, I dried off and slipped on my drawers. Izzy pulled a plain white nightgown out of the clothes that Missus Duval had brought, and I helped her into it.

It didn't take much coaxin' for her to have a drink afore bed. I knowed sure as hell that I needed one, but was hopin' it would help Izzy to relax and mayhap dull her pain as well.

We sat quietly, Izzy sippin' on her drink while I downed mine in one swallow afore pourin' another. That did the trick, 'cause I could feel myself lettin' go as the warmth spread through me, my muscles finally goin' slack for the first time all day.

"She asked me if I minded havin' the clothes of a dead woman." Izzy's whispered voice surprised me.

"What's that?"

Izzy looked up at me, still sippin' her drink. "Missus Duval, she brought me the clothes and explained they belonged to her daughter. That gal had been 'bout the same size as me, but sickly all her life. Missus Duval said she passed on last year, but hadn't had the heart to part with her clothes 'til now. She said there was somethin' 'bout me telled her it was the right thing to do…"

I didn't know what to say in answer.

"Mayhap everythin', even bad things happen for a reason…." She spoke aloud, but I reckoned she was talkin' more to herself than to me.

When we finally settled in our bed, I thought Izzy would drift right off to sleep, but I was wrong. Evidently there was things preyin' on her mind that she needed to be relieved of.

"I ain't never been struck afore." She said in a whisper as we lay there starin' at the ceilin'. I pulled her closer as I grasped the meanin' of her words. "Not once had someone struck me in anger. My Pap used to tell me that I was the best child, never hardly needin' to be disciplined. 'Izzy', he'd say, 'soon as ya reckoned out the meanin' of the word 'no', sayin' it was enough to suffice.' Hearin' that used to set my brothers off, 'cause they was rascals." She said with a giggle.

She got quiet again for a spell. "But that man today Ed, he looked at me with pure hatred in his eyes. I don't know why, and now I reckon I never will." She took a deep breath. "It warn't 'cause I wouldn't marry him, he telled me that much."

There had been a question naggin' me since our talk with the doctor. Izzy had proven herself to be stronger than I ever thought, but had he gone far enough to break her? "Izzy, did he," now that it come down to it, I struggled findin' the words. "I'm sorry darlin' but I have to ask… Did he force himself on ya? It won't change the way I feel 'bout ya, I just…"

She shook her head. "No, Ed. Please don't trouble yourself 'bout that. I reckon in that way, I was lucky he was so angry. It seemed that he just wanted to beat on me. If he hadn't suspected that ya was followin' I don't doubt he would have beat me to death in that train car." She sniffled then and her voice dropped to a low whisper, "But he telled me that he was lookin' forward to killin' ya in front of me, just to make me suffer." Her voice cracked as a sob escaped. "After that, I don't know, mayhap he woulda forced himself on me, but I wouldn't a cared. If I'd lost ya, I wouldn't a cared 'bout nothin'." She turned her face to cry into my shoulder.

"It's over darlin'. Let it go."

Mayhap I need to take my own advice…

Sleep didn't come easy to me that night. Long after Izzy had drifted off, I still lay there, the events of the day playin' over and over in my mind 'til I thought mayhap I was goin' crazy.

The worst of the memories was findin' her gagged and bleedin'…

I warn't sure if I'd ever be able to wipe that image from my mind.

Chapter 57

"Forrest said that he'd caught up to us in Monroe," Izzy telled the Sheriff in a soft voice. "He'd been followin' us since then, always keepin' a good distance away so's Jack wouldn't know. He was bidin' his time, waitin' to get me alone."

This was all news to me, although I hadn't pressed Izzy for information afore now.

The Sheriff nodded, and then asked her to tell what happened from the time James Forrest appeared the day afore. Izzy held my hand and, in a voice no louder than a whisper, proceeded to tell the same story she'd confided in the Doc's office.

It warn't no easier hearin' it for the second time.

The Sheriff listened without interruptin', now and then makin' a note of what she said.

When she was through, he studied us both for a long moment afore speakin'. "Thank you Missus Cullen," he telled her sincerely afore turnin' to me. "I read this," he held up Jake's letter so's I could see, "and I'm going to have to ask ya both to stay in town for a couple of days."

Izzy frowned and give me a questionin' look.

I patted her hand, knowin' I couldn't put off tellin' her about Jake's letter.

"I've sent wires to both Mississippi and Tennessee. Soon as I hear back from my inquiries, and they verify what you've told me is true, you'll be free to go." He telled us as he stood.

I nodded in understandin' and stood as well, Izzy risin' from her chair with me.

"If what this letter says is true, ya maybe ought to receive a medal for sendin' that Forrest feller to meet his maker, Mister Cullen." The Sheriff reached his hand out to shake mine. I took it gladly.

"Yes, sir."

****WYiMA****

Izzy was unnaturally quiet all the way back to the boardin' house. "Are ya in pain Izzy?"

She looked up at me, her bruises lookin' worse today. "Not much."

I nodded and walked along with her for a spell afore speakin' again. "Ya sure are quiet."

"I just want to get back so's I can see Jack."

This warn't like Izzy at all. Normally, she'd be dyin' of curiosity over that letter, makin' me tell her everythin' it said.

"Darlin', ya ain't mad at me are ya?"

She give me a surprised look then and almost smiled. "No, Ed. Why would I ever be mad at ya?"

"'Cause I didn't tell ya 'bout the letter."

She shrugged. "If ya kept it from me, ya musta had good reason. I reckon you'll tell me what's in it when you're ready."

I stayed on the back porch and watched while Izzy sat under a tree with Jack. She warn't feelin' up to playin' like they usually did when they was together. Jack looked over to me as if to say he knowed she was hurtin', afore layin' his head in her lap.

It was well after noon by the time I was able to coax Izzy into the house. Missus Duval had prepared lunch and when given the choice of eatin' downstairs or havin' the meal in our room, Izzy chose the privacy of our bedchamber.

She didn't say it aloud, but I knowed it was because of her bruises. She didn't want to face the other boarders and their curious stares.

After lunch, I tucked her in for a nap, while I penned two lengthy letters, the first to Jake, and the second to my brother. I wondered what Emmett would make of all that had occurred.

By my calculations, we'd reach him in a little over a month's time. I said a silent prayer that all of our adventures were now behind us.

Chapter 58

"What ya doin'?" The sound of Izzy's voice startled me a little as I was just finishin' the letters to Jake and Emmett.

"Just writin'."

"Your brother?"

I nodded. "And Jake. Ya didn't sleep long," I said afore crossin' the room and lyin' down beside her on top of the covers.

She took a deep breath and turned her eyes to the ceilin'. "If I sleep too much now, I'll be awake all night."

That was probably true. I watched her as she continued to stare at the ceilin'. On top of the injuries that marked her beautiful face, she just looked so damned sad and defeated. "How ya feelin'?"

She shrugged. "I reckon I feel the same as this mornin'."

I taked my hand and run it over her hair. "Ya wanna go out and get some air?"

"Only to visit Jack. I don't wanna go nowhere for folks to see me like this."

I leaned over and kissed the top of her head, "I miss your smile darlin'." I telled her what was in my heart.

She rolled on her side to face me and placed her hand on my cheek. "I'm sorry Ed. I'm tryin', I really am." She tucked her other hand up under her pillow. "Part of the reason I'm feelin' this way is 'cause my monthly's fixin' to start, I can tell. I got other pains aside from the bruises."

I sighed. "I wish there was somethin' I could do…" I was feelin' useless again.

"Just don't give up on me," she whispered, and I found myself placin' my hand over hers in order to keep it pressed against my cheek.

"Never, darlin'." I telled her true.

****WYiMA****

The next day, we got word that the Sheriff wanted to see us. Izzy hid her face under her bonnet, hangin' her head as we walked the blocks to the jailhouse.

"Mister and Missus Cullen, I won't keep ya long," Sheriff Parker said as we took our seats in front of his desk. "I just wanted to let ya know that you're free to leave town. I got wires back this morning confirming that James Forrest is wanted for murder in both Tennessee and Mississippi. I'm waiting for a longer correspondence to give the details, but I won't keep ya waiting for that."

I glanced at Izzy and for the first time in two days seen the shadow of a smile pass over her face.

"I still have to write my report, and there may be further questions, so I'll need ya to leave information on how to contact ya in Texas."

He stood then and reached to shake my hand. "I won't be needing this anymore," he telled me as he placed Jake's letter in my hand. "I wish ya both a safe journey," He then turned to Izzy. "I'm as sorry as I can be for what happened to ya Ma'am."

"Thank ya sir," Izzy answered in a small voice.

Back at the boardin' house, I pulled Izzy away from her packin' to sit down beside me on the bed. Soon as she spied Jake's letter in my hand, her eyes grew wide.

I wrapped my arm 'round her shoulders. "Darlin', ya said that I would tell ya 'bout this when I was ready. In a short while, we'll be leavin' Shreveport behind us. I wanna leave all them bad memories behind as well Izzy." I give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "This letter is the last of it. I know that for a time, your pain and what ya see in the mirror will trouble ya. But God willin' one of these mornin's soon, you'll wake to find no evidence a what that monster done to ya." I kissed the side of her head and placed Jake's letter into her tremblin' hand.

Chapter 59

It seemed that as Izzy's wounds healed, her spirits healed along with 'em. My heart swelled in my chest 'bout three days out of Shreveport when we crossed into Texas, and she started smilin' again.

The days was hot, bein' as it was full on summer now. We started gettin' up and on the trail just afore dawn so's to do most of our travellin' afore the heat of the afternoon set in.

That's when we'd leave the trail and set up camp. I'd water and settle the horses afore helpin' Izzy with the daily chores such as washin' and cookin'. We was settlin' back into a comfortable routine, but Izzy was still keepin' her distance from me durin' the night.

As much as I missed bein' with her, I didn't know if she was still hurtin' so I warn't 'bout to press. I trusted her to let me know when she was ready.

One evenin', the kiss I give her goodnight turned more passionate than I'd intended. When Izzy didn't push me away, I let things between us progress in a natural fashion. It had been so long that my manhood responded and was soon throbbin' and ready against her leg. I forced myself to go slow, not wantin' to rush things.

When I pulled back from the kiss, her eyes was shinin' as she looked up at me. "I've missed ya Ed."

"I been right here darlin'; just waitin'."

"I know ya have. I don't deserve ya, that's for true." She said afore graspin' my head between her hands. "I love ya more than anythin'. Ya's my hero, ya know."

"I love ya too my sweet girl." I telled her with a smile as she run her fingers through my hair.

Then I commenced to show her exactly what them words meant, as we joined our bodies together in a slow, familiar dance.

The times that I joined with Izzy was a fair piece of heaven while in this world of hurt and confusion; but it was also much more.

As I held her, lovin' her with everythin' that was in me, the truth that I almost lost her hit me full force, and I clung to her as if my life depended on it. At that moment, everythin' I'd been holdin' inside since that terrible mornin' come to the surface as I gasped and moaned against her skin. By the time I fell over the edge takin' her with me, the tears in my eyes spilled over onto my cheeks.

I collapsed against my girl and shamelessly wept into her neck. She comforted me as only she could by rubbin' her hands over my back, holdin' me close, and whisperin' soft words into my ear.

We was connected to one another in a way that was hard for most folks to understand. It warn't just how it was when we was joined in the marriage bed, but every day, whether wakin' or sleepin', she was part of me, and I was part of her.

My heart didn't beat just to keep me livin' no more. It beat for the woman I loved, and she was the only thing keepin' me tied to this earth. If'n Izzy was to stop drawin' breath, I knowed for certain that I would follow right after.

It was the way of things with us now.