Sullivan: Cowboy Protector: The Kavanagh Brothers Book 4 Read online

  “Russ here says Sheila Kelly killed a girl, but he doesn’t know how she did it. Something smells fishy about the whole story.”

  Sullivan turned to Russ. “How was she killed? Did Sheila shoot her?”

  “No, nothing like that. Ed brought his daughter into the Kelly place and the next thing we knew, Jenny was dead.”

  “But how sick was she, and why did Ed bring her there?” Sullivan gazed intently at Russ.

  “The way I heard it; Jenny caught her dress on fire while watching her ma wash clothes. They soaked her in cold water for a long time. Then one of the men was called to hitch up the wagon. They made a pallet in back for Jenny and we hurried to town, leaving the missus behind. That pretty nurse said the doctor wasn’t in. She told Ed to take Jenny to Sheila.” Russ shrugged. “We all rode to the witch’s house.”

  “Have you ever seen a burned person, Russ?” Teagan asked. “Cold water helps a bit, but the burned flesh is an awful sight. She would have been in too much pain for them to put clothes on her. Did you hear any crying?” He took on a thoughtful expression. “Unless maybe Jenny was given medicine when it happened. Give too much and it can kill a person.”

  “She was limp and dressed with her eyes closed. That’s all I saw. Never heard no crying.” A frown creased his forehead. “You made some good points, but I doubt you’d be able to change Mr. Wren’s mind. He told me once that Sheila had put a curse on him, and he believed it.” Sighing, he shook his head. “I’ll go back and try to reason with them, but I know my voice won’t be heard above the rest of the men who are out for blood.”

  Becca walked to Sullivan and held her arms up to him. He immediately picked her up and snuggled her close.

  Russ stared at him hard. “I never knew you had a child.”

  Sullivan smiled. “She’s my pride and joy.” He wasn’t about to mention her name.

  Teagan walked Russ to the door and practically pushed him out.

  “He won’t be the last to come here,” Gemma said in a low voice. “That poor girl must have been dead before they dressed her.”

  “I’m going to carry Becca upstairs. Dolly could you please make up a tray for her and her mama? I think we must move them tomorrow.”

  The door opened and Brogan stepped inside, quickly closing the door behind him. He wore an expression of surprise. “I just got a visit,” he said right off. “I have a feeling they won’t stop until they find Sheila.”

  “Good to see you, Brogan,” Dolly said as she started to climb the steps with a platter of food. Sullivan walked behind her tenderly carrying the little girl.

  “Teagan, we’d better list possibilities of hideouts,” Brogan said.

  Sullivan gave Becca a sad smile. He should have protected them somehow. He should have seen this coming. There must have been something he could have done. As soon as they walked into the bedroom, Becca squirmed down and ran to her mother.

  The affection between the two always marveled Sullivan. It was a sight to behold. Sheila winced as she moved to hug Becca, so Sullivan lifted the little girl and sat her on the bed right next to her mother.

  “There, this way you can both eat supper in bed.”

  Sheila mouthed “thank you” to him.

  “If you need anything just holler,” Dolly told her as she bustled out the room.

  Sullivan put the tray on Sheila’s lap and then sat on the bed, helping Becca. She was a good eater and polite too.

  “We’ll have to move you and Becca tomorrow,” he casually told Sheila.

  Her eyes filled with fear. “What do you mean? Move us where? I thought it would just blow over and I’d have time to collect my things then move on.”

  “I don’t think it will go that way for now. Don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  “I still need to get my clothes, my medicines, and my money.” Her voice grew louder.

  “It’ll have to wait.”

  “Take this tray off me. Take it now!”

  Obliging her, he lifted the tray, and she scrambled out of bed, wincing as she turned toward him. “I don’t like people telling me what to do. I have my own life.” She hobbled in front of the bed. “I want to be consulted on decisions. I’m not a mindless person who just follows the dictates of others.” She frowned as he spread butter on a piece of bread and handed it to Becca. “If you don’t mind, I can help my daughter.”

  She waited until he left the room and then she shut the door.

  Shaking his head at how bristly she’d become, he went downstairs. Donnell greeted him with a grin, his eyes full of humor. “Kicked you out didn’t she?”

  Sullivan rubbed the back of his neck as he scowled.

  “We all know you’re sweet on her,” Donnell teased.

  It would have been so easy to just punch Donnell and get his frustrations out that way. “It doesn’t matter. We need to see to her safety.” He brushed by Donnell, hitting his brother’s shoulder with his own. “She wants to be consulted in any decisions. I’m not sure that’s in her best interest.” Sullivan shrugged.

  Gemma and Dolly both turned on him at the same time, each wearing a shocked expression.

  “Sullivan Kavanagh, sit!” Dolly pointed to one of the wooden chairs at the table.

  Uh oh. First and last name. He must have done something wrong. He sat and waited.

  “Does she have a condition I don’t know about? Are her thoughts scrambled?” She put her hands on her hips as she stared at him.

  “No, ma’am,” he answered in a subdued voice.

  His brothers snickered in the background.

  “She’s been raising that beautiful girl all by herself for some time now, hasn’t she?”

  He slowly nodded.

  “Then what makes you think you can run her life without asking her? You might think of her as a damsel in distress, but she’s capable of taking care of herself. Do you think Gemma, Ciara, or Heaven would allow their husbands to tell them what to do?”

  Sullivan pushed back his chair, causing a loud scraping noise. “I get the point. I’m not stupid.”

  Dolly hurried over and hugged him. “No one said you were. It’s just that I see how you two eye each other when the other isn’t looking. Don’t push her away.”

  He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth. They didn’t understand him at all. “Let’s get a few ideas so we can ask her what she’d like to do.”

  The door opened again, and this time the rest of his brothers all filed in. Murphy, Fitzpatrick, Angus, Rafferty, and finally Shea.

  “Horses coming. A lot of them,” Murphy announced.

  Quinn came in the back door with Heaven, Owen, Tim, along with Daisy, Ciara, and Orla. Orla locked the door behind her.

  Brogan put his arm around Ciara and nodded at his sister-in-law, Orla.

  “Women and children upstairs and stay down away from the windows,” Teagan yelled right before he kissed Gemma.

  The brothers all scrambled for extra ammo. Then Quinn put out the lanterns while everyone took their places near the windows.

  “Why are they back?” Donnell asked.

  “They must know Sheila and Becca are here,” Murphy answered.

  “Russ saw Becca, and someone probably told him I don’t have a daughter,” Sullivan said in

  frustration.

  Chapter Three

  “Send out the witch!”

  Sheila gasped. She sat with Becca and the others on the floor of a back bedroom. Ciara had the door open and she guarded them with a rifle. Heaven stood to the side of the window, doing the same.

  Sheila heard yelling back and forth with promises of no one getting hurt if they sent her out. Her gut clenched, and tears filled her eyes. She couldn’t put this many people in danger. She kissed the top of Becca’s head and slowly stood. Then despite the pain in her ankle, she rushed past Ciara and almost went tumbling down the stairs. Sullivan caught her before she hit the ground.

  “What are you doing?” It was too dark to see him
, but his voice was full of anger.

  “I’m giving myself up. What if someone gets killed because of me?” Her voice quivered.

  “I’m trying to defend you, and you are just making it harder!” he hissed.

  “Both of you, I need to talk to you in the kitchen, stay down,” Teagan said.

  Teagan followed them and opened the pantry door. “Sheila, grab a couple of lanterns.”

  Sheila went in, but it was dark. The next thing she knew Sullivan was pushed into her and she heard the sound of the door locking.

  “What is going on?” She cried.

  “No noise. Whisper,” Teagan said before his footsteps faded away.

  “Sullivan?” she whispered; afraid tears would fall.

  “He tricked us. I knew the lanterns were on the top shelf and you wouldn’t be able to reach them. He didn’t want us arguing and giving away our position.”

  “What if someone dies? I can’t live with that.” She was pulled roughly into Sullivan’s arms, and she grabbed onto the back of his shirt, afraid he’d let go. “What about Becca?”

  “My brothers will make sure she is fine.”

  They were quiet, listening for any hint of what was going on.

  “Let’s sit,” Sullivan suggested. He let go of her and sat on the floor. Then he guided her until she was sitting with her back against his chest. There wasn’t much room.

  “No one has been accused of being a witch since my great, great, great grandmother,” she murmured. “It’s always in the back of each Kelly woman’s mind. But I never thought — I mean in these modern times who believes in witches? Maybe history is just repeating itself. None of us ever married, but we each had a girl child. I knew it would just be a matter of time before fate turned on me, so I always carried a knife with me.” She lifted a shoulder and let it fall. “One day I couldn’t get to it, and the result was Becca.”

  “They have no cause to call you a witch. Teagan will talk them down. Then it’ll blow over once Ed Wren thinks about what the truth is.” He hesitated, but she sensed he wanted to say something else, so she kept silent. “I am sorry for what happened to you. Not all men are like that.” His voice was gentle.

  “I do have a few books about spells and curses. My mother left me one about the history of witchcraft. We were looking for a way to break the cycle. We wanted to be mothers but with a man of our own choosing.”

  “I’m moving us in the morning,” he announced abruptly. “There’s a cabin not too far from here, but not on our property either. Quinn, Heaven, and the kids stayed there when they were being chased by outlaws. I think it’s our best chance until things settle down.”

  Her heart dropped. He wasn’t asking, he was dictating. She sighed. Then again, she wasn’t in a position to oppose his plan. This was probably one of the reasons the Kelly women never married. They were too independent.

  “We’ll be ready, Sullivan,” she promised. “You could just leave us there. I know you have a lot of work to do with the cows calving and all.”

  He wrapped his arms around her. “That’s the beauty of having so many brothers, I won’t be missed.”

  “Becca has taken to you.”

  “I like her. She’s sweet.” His voice spoke of kindness. “I haven’t heard anything from outside in a while. Maybe they’ll let us out of here.”

  “I’m not happy about being tricked into this closet, but truthfully I haven’t been held since my ma died. I have Becca, but it’s not the same. Drawing comfort from another adult is a real blessing.”

  He released a soft chuckle. “We’re lucky we have Dolly. One look at our faces, and she knows what’s going on inside us. Since the war, I’ve come to cherish her caring nature.”

  He rubbed his hands up and down her arms. There was something about him that brought butterflies to her stomach. She’d never felt this way and decided to enjoy it while it lasted. She’d never marry. She’d always known that. Though she never questioned her fate, she wondered now… why couldn’t a Kelly woman marry? Sullivan was too overbearing for her, and they’d be sure to butt heads. But maybe there was another?

  The door opened, and Becca ran in and shut it behind her and then curled up on her mother’s lap. No one locked the door behind her.

  “Are you all right, my precious girl?”

  “Yes, Mama. I was scared, but Gemma held me. I like her. She smells like flowers.”

  Experiencing a moment of bliss shocked Sheila. This must be what a family felt like. A family with a man in it. The door would open any second and her illusion would be gone. Closing her eyes, she just breathed and felt. Sullivan’s muscles were strong as she leaned back against him, and his breath was warm on her head. She felt Becca’s softness as she snuggled even closer. Her braids felt as shiny as they looked, and her skin was baby soft.

  Sheila sniffed, picked up a sweet scent. “You smell like flowers too, Becca.”

  “Gemma put one drop on my neck and said that I could have another when I’m much older.” Her happiness of being treated as special gladdened Sheila’s heart.

  The door opened, and Quinn stood there, his eyes full of humor. “Are you ever coming out?”

  “Seeing as I’m in the back I’m waiting for the women to move first.” Sullivan sounded happy.

  “As long as you’re all comfy. Shall I have blankets sent in?” Quinn chuckled.

  “I don’t want to sleep in a closet,” Becca whispered.

  Quinn reached in and picked Becca up. “You won’t have to, but it is getting mighty late. I know a right comfy bed upstairs.”

  Sheila scrambled to stand. “I’ll take her. Can you thank your brothers for me, Quinn? I didn’t hear any shooting.”

  “Teagan went out on the front porch and told them you weren’t here… and that they had at least ten rifles trained on them. They left, but they weren’t happy. Oh, and Ciara is mad that you pushed her out of the way.”

  She took Becca into her arms. “Thank you, Quinn.”

  * * *

  The next morning before dawn, Sullivan had the two females dressed as males and on a horse riding toward the cabin. Both Sheila and Becca had worn the same mutinous expressions on their faces when Sullivan handed them the clothes. He hightailed it out of the room before they had a chance to say no.

  He did allow time for coffee and a biscuit. Becca had milk. He’d had supplies already delivered by a couple of his brothers in the late hours of the night. He wasn’t taking any chances. When he and Rafferty and Shea had sneaked over to her place, they found her house had been burned down; these men meant business. Apprehension coiled in his gut. How was he supposed to tell her about the house? It was bound to break her heart.

  Perhaps it would be better to just wait. Nothing could be done, but she’d only fume about it. He drew Zealous to a stop and jumped down off the bay’s back. Then he went to help Sheila, but she already was on the ground with Becca safely in her arms. He’d been looking forward to helping her. He scowled. These were not thoughts he should be having.

  “Is something wrong?”

  He shook his head. “Just thinking is all. This is it. Go on inside.” He opened the door and quickly ushered them into the cabin. “I’ll put the horses up. Stay in here.”

  As he made the horses comfortable in the small barn, he sighed. Why didn’t she smile at him anymore? He was trying to keep her and Becca alive. She had said she wanted to be involved, but there hadn’t been enough time to consult her. She had to know he was doing this for her. He frowned. Same thing every time; his help either wasn’t enough or wasn’t wanted. How did a person know what was too much? Not enough got your fellow soldiers killed. Maybe she didn’t understand how much danger she was in. Had Sheila made arrangements for Becca in case something happened?

  He hadn’t expected it to be easy, but he’d thought they were friends.

  “Did you know there is only one bed?” Sheila asked as soon as he came inside. She had her arms crossed in front of her, and she was wearing what
was becoming a perpetual scowl.

  “I’m sleeping on the floor. I did know.” It was heartening to see the fire crackling in the big stone fireplace, and even more so when he spotted the coffee. He grabbed a kitchen cloth and wrapped it around the coffee pot handle. “Can I pour you a cup?” As soon as the words were out, he suppressed a wince. She probably wanted to do it herself.

  “Thank you, that would be nice.”

  Surprised, he poured coffee into two tin cups. He set the pot back on some cooler coals and put the rag on the mantel. He handed her the cup. “Becca’s sleeping?”

  “Yes, she’s napping. She was up much earlier than usual.”

  Was that some type of dig at him? “We have enough wood inside to keep the fire going all day and night. I don’t want anyone going outside and drawing attention.”

  She stared at him. “What about the outhouse? Or did you decide we won’t need it today?”

  He opened his mouth and then shut it. “Would you rather I left you here alone?”

  “That’s not what I said.” She crossed her arms in front of her.

  There was a rapid knock on the door, and Sullivan opened it right away. Brogan slipped in quickly.

  “You’ll need to put the fire out. Men are at the ranch nosing around. Do you want me to take the horses? You could always hide in the tunnel.”

  “What tunnel?”

  “When you played here, you probably never found it. See how the fireplace is framed out on each side with large sections of sanded wood?” He went to the section farthest from the door. He tapped the side and it opened. Inside, below the opening, was a sturdy ladder. “The tunnel doesn’t go far, but far enough to get you away and able to run for help. You can lock it from the inside if needed.”

  “Take the horses and we’ll hunker down here. Keep me posted.”

  “Will do. Stay safe.” Brogan slowly opened the door, peered around and then closed it behind him.

  Chapter Four

  “How could you have done that?”