West

"Go to your cave," I answered. "Don't let anyone see you, and don't leave until Taylor or I come find you." Without waiting for his response, I hiked up my skirts and ran back to the house and into the foyer. "Nell!" I called.

"What is it? What's wrong?" came her harried response from the direction of my wing.

"We need to go to town!"

"Now, Miss Josie?"

"Yes!" I didn't wait for her but strode out onto the porch and began to pace.

Nell appeared alarmed as she ran down the stairs and out of the house. "I'll have the carriage brought around."

I glanced towards the carriage house. For once, I wasn't content to wait for the slower pace o this time period. "We're going by horseback," I decided and left the porch.

"Miss Josie, what is it?" Nell asked again.

"Taylor's Indian brother is in trouble."

Nell said nothing. I sensed she wasn't as alarmed as I was, but I didn't care. I would've left her if I didn't think she was too fragile and likely to freak out with me disappearing.

We saddled horses quickly and left the property. The trip to town was about twice as fast on horseback, especially alternating between a trot and gallop, and we reached the town in about twenty minutes.

There was a crowd outside of the sheriff's, one that made me uneasy. They appeared calm, but I doubted even a calm lynch mob was a good thing. I dismounted in front of the mercantile store, a safe enough distance away from Taylor's office. Handing off my reins to Nell, I started through the crowd. A few of those gathered called out congratulations for my marriage while several more shared condolences. I smiled and waved, moving as fast as possible to the door.

A beefy deputy outside the door glanced at me without challenging me, and I entered.

The office was jammed. The native with the silver stripe in his hair, who had been with Running Bear the night they found me in the storm, was present, accompanied by another. The judge was there as well, two more of Taylor's deputies, and my new husband. Running Bear was in a cell with Doctor Green, who appeared to be wrapping an injured arm.

"Josie," Taylor spotted me. "You shouldn't be here."

"I heard the news," I said.

A spark of understanding crossed his gaze. "Peter, hold things down. I'm gonna have a word with my wife."

The deputy he addressed smiled at me.

Taylor waved me towards the cells rather than outside, and we ducked into the far one. He took my cheeks in his roughened hands and kissed me lightly. I smiled, wanting to tease him about how brave he'd gotten after one night together, but didn't. I moved close enough to feel his body heat.