Jewel, will you back me up if I postpone the wedding?
Jewel put an arm around her shoulders. Sure, honey. But why dont you go out and talk to Jericho about it first? Maybe you can catch him on his way in.
Come with me?
All right. But wed better hurry. The guests are already arriving. Theres a major traffic jam outside.
Outside under the cottonwoods and next to the church, standing with his brother Fisher beside him, Jericho had been biding his time. He turned when he heard someone calling his name.
Sheriff Yates! The voice was coming from his deputy Adam Rawlins.
Jericho watched as the man hed hired not long ago hurried toward him. Adam was dressed in his full deputys uniform because hed been on duty today and hadnt planned on attending the wedding. Rawlins was a good man who had come to them with terrific
references from a deputy job in Wyoming. And Jericho was mighty glad to have found him.
Sheriff, weve got ourselves a traffic tie-up out here on the highway. Someone called it in and I thought Id better come over and direct traffic.
Geez. The entire county must be planning on attending his wedding. Who all had Macy invited? Hed left the plans up to her because hed been so busy for the last few weeks. What with that case of identity theft a while back and then an actual dead body and a murder investigation out on Clay Coltons ranch that had just been put to bed, the sheriffs business was booming lately.
All right, deputy, he told Rawlins. Thanks for the quick thinking. Ill be out of pocket here for a few more hours and then I can help you out.
The deputy nodded and raced back toward the highway, apparently all ready to set out traffic cones and organize traffic lanes.
Arent you and Macy going on a honeymoon, bro? Fisher laid a hand on Jerichos arm, reminding him of his presence and of the upcoming nuptials.
Jericho winced and shook his head. Not funny, bubba. You already know the answer to that. Besides, Macy and I are planning on spending some quality time with T.J. over the next few days. I thought I might take him hunting like Dad used to do for us. I hear the wild boar hunting has been good up on the north Gage pasture.
Yeah, wild boar hunting the day after your wedding does sound romantic. Fisher scowled and rolled his eyes.
Jericho shook off his brothers sarcastic comments. He didnt care what Fisher or anybody thought of this marriage to his best friend. Macy was a great lady and a great friend, and Jericho vowed to do right by her and her sonregardless of anyone elses opinion.
Still twisting her hands in the backseat and waiting for a good opportunity, the woman with no past and a questionable future bit her lip and stared out the cars window. There was so much traffic here. Surely one of the people in these other cars would see her predicament and come to her aid.
Son of a bitch, the traffics even worse now. The car wound down to a crawl as the driver turned around again to speak to her. Dont get smart, lady. You call out or make any noises like you need help and well shoot you. I dont give a rats damn if that special item the boss wants is ever found or not. The choice between you giving us the answer and you never being able to answer again aint nothing to me.
You got that?
She nodded, but the movement seared a line of fiery pain down her temple. Another couple of pains like that and she might rather be dead anyway.
Terrific, the goon sitting shotgun said. Just look at that, will ya? A local smoky. Out in the middle of the highway, directing traffic. Crap.
Whats going to happen, Arnie? The man in the passenger seat was beginning to sweat.
Were not doing anything wrong, Arnie answered with a growl. Were regular citizens just driving down the road. Nothing to worry about. Stash your gun under the seat until we pass him by.
The driver bent and buried his own gun, then twisted back to her. Remember, sis. No funny stuff. I swear, if you call out, youre dead.
Shaking badly, she wondered if her voice would work anyway. But right then, the miracle shed prayed for happened. Their car came to a complete stop, almost directly in front of the church.
She bit her lip and tried to guess whether it would be closer for her to head for the sanctuary of the church or to run for the policeman in the street ten car-lengths away. The truck in front of them inched ahead and she decided to break for the churchit was her only real choice.
For a split second she stopped to wonder if she might be the kind of person who made rash decisions and who would rather fight back than die with a whimper. But then, whether out of fear or out of instinct, she knew it didnt matter.
If she were ever going to find out what had happened to her in the first place, she would have to go. Now.
Jericho heard a popping sound behind his back. Spinning around, he scanned the area trying to make out where the noise had originated.
Was that a gunshot? Fisher asked, as he too checked out the scene in front of the church.
In his peripheral vision, Jericho spotted a woman hed never seen before. A woman seemingly out of place for a wedding, dressed in fancy jeans and red halter top. And she was racing at top speed across the grass straight in his direction. What the hell?