Page 41 of A Bride for Brodie

CHAPTER10

Brodie, his heart pounding and pulse racing, ran toward The Copper Lady Saloon. He was sure the shots had probably come from there.Ross!

He was two stores away when Jake Flannery ran out of the saloon and to the nearest horse.

Flannery carried a pistol, and he pulled his own. “Flannery! Stop right there.”

Jake turned and fired at Brodie. The bullet missed and struck the building to his left.

Brodie fired back. He didn’t hit Flannery or, luckily, the horse he was near as he tried to mount up. Brodie ran as fast as he could.

In his hurry to leave, Flannery didn’t untie the horse from the hitching rail. He jumped down, untied the reins and was just about mounted when Brodie yanked him backwards away from the horse.

The momentum of his pull sent them both tumbling to the ground and knocked their guns from their hands.

“Ufft.” Brodie blew out a breath and got to his feet.

Flannery rose, as well, reaching for his Derringer.

Brodie was faster. “Don’t do it, Jake. After what you did to Lottie, I could easily pull the trigger.”

“I’m not going to prison, so kill me now or let me go.”

Brodie shook his head at the man’s arrogance. “Doesn’t work that way. You go to jail and wait for trial, just like every other criminal. Joey will even be in the cell next to you.”

Flannery laughed hysterically. “You really think they’ll get Joey out of there alive? He doesn’t want to go to jail either.”

Suddenly, he lunged for his gun, grabbed it and fired at Brodie.

The bullet missed.

Brodie lifted his pistol and fired.

Jake Flannery fell to the ground with a bullet wound to the chest.

Holstering his Colt, Brodie walked over to Flannery. He kicked Jake’s gun away and checked for a pulse. He didn’t find one. Straightening, he was just in time to catch Lottie as she barreled into him.

“Brodie! Are you okay? Are you wounded?” She rubbed her hands down his chest and arms, to check.

He caught her arms above her wrists. “I’m not hurt.” He looked down at Flannery. “But he won’t be hurting anyone else ever again.”

The saloon doors opened and Joey came out with his hands behind his back.

Doc Chandler ran past Brodie and Lottie to where Sheriff Knoll and Ross followed behind the thug.

Ross leaned against the Sheriff who kept his gun pointed at Joey’s back.

“Excuse me, sweetheart. I have to help my brother.”

“Go.”

He gave her a kiss and hurried over to take Ross from the sheriff. He got under his arm and placed it over his shoulder.

Sheriff Knoll escorted Joey to the jail.

“Brodie, help me get Ross to my office.” Doc Chandler slung Ross’s other arm over his shoulder and they took the weight off of his legs. “Did Jake shoot you before he ran out of the saloon?”

Ross nodded. “Yes, and with my gun. He turned and attacked me before I was prepared and we grappled for my gun. It went off—”