Page 34 of A Letter to Adaya
Beau gazed upon Adaya with terror, noting the rage that emanated from her eyes and curled her fists. He could see why Whit didn’t want to wait for the judge; her father was safest behind bars. Beau clenched his jaw as he envisioned what could have happened if these men had not been taken away.
The thought of them preying on other innocent people caused a wave of anger to wash over him. He felt grateful that these men were going to hang and thankful that they wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else. A low whistle rang out from the next cell, followed by a loud cackle. Adaya pushed backwards from her father’s cell and looked at the man.
“Oh, you are a feisty thing. Your Papa was right. I’m going to have so much fun breaking you.”
“I doubt you’re going to get out of here,” Adaya said, coolly.
“You know your Papa sold you out, right? He’d get the horses; and me and Billy here, we’d get you. Yeah, we’d have a lot of fun with a pretty little filly like you.”
Beau clamped his hands on Adaya’s arms and physically lifted her, turning until she was behind him. “We’re done here,” he stated. “Sheriff. Marshal. They are your problem now.”
Adaya simply turned, ice in her gaze, and she took one step forward and looked at Beau. He could see her fighting for composure. “I’m not done yet.” Pointing to the cell where her father lay, still facing the wall, she stated, “That is my father, Robert Breckenridge. That one over there,” she gestured to cell three, “is Amos Black. He worked for our ranch. That man, the one he called Billy, I don’t know.”
Adaya grabbed Beau’s hand and tugged him through the office and out the front door. His skin stung from the tight grip of her fingers, and he followed her blindly as she stumbled around the side of the building. She bent forward and vomited a thin stream, her body shaking with each retch that left her mouth. Beau quickly moved forward to hold her hair away from her face, watching helplessly as she heaved and gasped for air.
Walter appeared beside them, carefully not looking at her. “I see that went well.”
Beau couldn’t help it. He chuckled, only to be rewarded by a slap on the thigh from his lady friend.He was proud of her.
“Is she okay?”
Beau looked up to see Whit standing on the edge of the wooden boardwalk. “As well as expected, I suppose. Is there anything else?”
“I need to get my cloak,” Adaya said, wiping her mouth on a handkerchief.
“I’ll walk with you,” Walter offered.
Beau’s eyes followed them as they disappeared inside the office once more before his eyes snapped back to Whit. “What’s on your mind?”
Whit reached down and scuffed the dirt with the tip of his boot. “The judge will probably be here later tonight or tomorrow, so there isn’t anything we need right now. Are you going to stay in town or head back to the ranch?”
“I’ll take her to Nate’s.”
Whit nodded. “If the judge has questions, we’ll send for you there.”
“Thanks.”
“You know, you could always get hitched while he’s in town.”
Beau raised his eyebrows. “What brought that up?”
“I see the way you look at her. Heck, I see the way everyone looks at everyone in town. You might as well marry her while the judge is here before she decides she doesn’t want to remain here.”
“Have you been taking lessons from Marmee?” Beau chuckled.
“Nah. I just know that being married makes a man happier. Look at what it has done for your brother, Bass.”
Beau put his head back and laughed loudly.
“What’s so funny?” Adaya asked, her cloak draped over her arm.
“Something Whit said that doesn’t bear repeating.” Beau took Adaya’s arm. “You let me know when the judge comes to town. I want to take him up on that.”
Whit smiled. “Will do. Get some rest, Miss Breckenridge.”
He escorted her back to the doctor’s office and up the side steps to Nate and Carolina’s house.
“How did it go?” Carolina asked as they entered the apartment.
