Page 32 of The Drifter's Bride
“Lukas,” she whispered, releasing his cheek. “I love you.”
Then everything went black.
Chapter Twelve
“Addison!” Lukas yelled.
He was blind with fury, wanting to tear Lolly into little pieces and throw her to the curlews feasting along the shore.
He kneeled on the ground and lifted her towards him, cradling her in his arms. Blood was running down her arm and soaking into the blanket underneath her. How could the afternoon go so wrong? He saw her eyes flutter open for a moment and she looked at him with large doe-like eyes.
“Lukas,” she murmured.
“Yes, darling. I’m here. Save your strength, sweetheart.”
“I love you.”
He choked back a sob as her eyes rolled back and she went limp in his arms.
“I love you, too, Addison.” His heart squeezed in anguish at the thought of losing her. He had never loved a woman before, and now that he found one, why was God taking her away? “Sam!” he yelled. “What do I do?”
He had lived in some of the worst towns in the west. People were shooting each other every day. Things like that didn’t happen in Flat River. He had even helped doctor gunshot wounds in the middle of dirty fields, but all that knowledge was nowhere to be found right now.
She looked so pale. His finger brushed her hair back, leaving streaks of blood on her ghostly skin.
“Where did she get hit?”
“I can’t tell with all this blood.”
“Turn her over and see if there is an exit wound,” Sam yelled. Lukas glanced at the marshal who had Lolly already hogtied on the ground. “Justine, throw me my rifle.”
Lukas gently turned Addison over and saw a dark spot oozing blood on the back of her dress. “I think it did. Looks like it is coming from her arm.”
“That’s good. At least it isn’t her shoulder.” Lifting the rifle in the air, Sam fired two shots in rapid succession. “Help should be coming. Let me see her arm.” He kneeled next to Lukas and rolled Addison backwards on the blanket. “Do you have a knife on you?”
“I do.” Lukas pulled it out of his pocket and handed it to the marshal. He watched helplessly as Sam sliced up Addison’s sleeve and tore the fabric apart. Just above the elbow, a nasty pucker mark appeared against her perfect flesh.
“She’s lucky, Lukas. It missed her elbow. I don’t know if it broke her bone, but if it didn’t, she won’t lose her arm. Cut off a piece of her skirt so I can tie up her wound.”
An ache tore at Lukas’s throat, and he let out a raspy sob as he tore the hem of Addison’s skirt and handed the pieces to Sam. “She said she loves me.”
“Of course she loves you.”
“I was going to ask her to marry me today.”
“Once she’s better, you can ask her again.”
Sam rolled back on his heels at the sound of thundering hooves approaching.
“We heard the rifle fire. What’s going on?” Owen Chapman said, dismounting his horse. “Addison! What happened?”
“She was shot,” Sam explained. “By that woman there. I witnessed the whole thing. So did Justine and Lukas. I need someone to get to town and get the Doc and bring him to your house.”
“Rich,” Owen said.
“On it, boss.” The stockman kicked his horse and took off toward town as if a herd of wolves were nipping at his horse’s heels.
“We need to get Miss Aland to a bed. Lukas, are you up for driving my buggy? I’ll take yours and get this prisoner to the jail.”
