Love's Sweet Revenge Read online

  “No!” Randy whispered, hugging Little Jake closer when he started crying harder. Peter reached over and grasped her shoulder, pressing reassuringly. Lloyd started to rise, but Katie pulled at his arm. “No, Lloyd!”

  The judge pounded his gavel again. “Quiet, everyone!” He sighed deeply. He turned back to Jake. “Mr. Harkner, since you’ve spent the last few days a virtual prisoner at the Brown Palace, I will consider that time served. As for the rest, since you are obviously needed by your son to help run your ranch while he heals, I order that the rest of your sentence be spent on the J&L.”

  The crowd broke into whoops and applause, and Jake looked at Lloyd, who had a big grin on his face and tears in his eyes.

  The judge again pounded his gavel, and everyone quieted. “Your sentence to stay on the J&L means I don’t want to find out that either you or your son have been seen in Denver until the sentence is completed,” he continued. “I don’t want you back here until it’s time to sign you off and release you, which will be July 31, 1897. I will allow you to go to nearby cities like Boulder and Longmont for supplies, but no loitering in saloons or”—he rolled his eyes in frustration—“brothels. The law in those cities will be notified to keep an eye on you if you go there. They will also be notified of the end date of your sentence.” He rubbed at his eyes. “And one more thing.”

  Jake watched Randy, wanting to run over and grab her into his arms. He turned to the judge. “Yes, sir?”

  “Mr. Harkner, I want your promise that if you do see one Brad Buckley, even if he comes up to taunt you in any way, you won’t shoot the man. Can you refrain from doing that?”

  Jake glanced at Lloyd, sharing an equal hatred for Buckley. Lloyd just closed his eyes and shook his head.

  “Mr. Harkner?”

  Jake glanced at Peter, who gave him a warning nod. “Yes, Your Honor,” Jake finally answered. “I agree not to shoot Brad Buckley.”

  The room hung quiet for a moment as the judge studied Jake. “Why do I get the feeling you are leaving something out?” he asked Jake.

  Jake took a moment to answer, scanning the crowd and then his family first. Finally, he turned to the judge. “Well, sir, if Brad Buckley threatens one member of my family, I can’t promise I won’t beat the hell out of him.”

  The crowd broke into a round of laughter, and even the judge couldn’t help smiling, although he tried forcing it back as he again pounded the gavel. The room quieted again. “Mr. Harkner, you will refrain from bringing harm to Brad Buckley if at all possible. I’ve ordered him out of Denver, but if he makes trouble, I want you to do your best to hold him so the law can take care of him, not you. If he turns up badly beaten or dead, you will spend time in prison or possibly even face a noose. Is that understood?”

  Jake nodded. He faced the judge. “Am I allowed to discipline men on the J&L who might turn out to be troublemakers? And what about rustlers?”

  “Normal discipline is fine. And you will do your best to hold rustlers for the law. You have every right to use your guns in self-defense, but not for taking the law into your own hands. Is that understood?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Now”—the judge shoved Jake’s and Lloyd’s guns even closer to Jake—“take your guns and go home, Mr. Harkner.”

  The crowd broke into cheers and whistles. Randy couldn’t help breaking down with relief. She hugged Little Jake closer.

  “Just a moment!” the judge yelled, pounding his gavel again for attention. He turned to Jake. “Mr. Harkner, your best defense today was that beautiful family sitting over there. No man who is responsible for a family like that can be all bad, and today they might just have saved your life.”

  Jake fought a desire to run off the stand and go grab up every last one of them. “I am well aware of that, Judge.”

  “And I have one last question.”

  Jake faced him. “Yes?”

  “I want to know how a man like you—who was wanted for any number of crimes, a man who had his face on wanted posters all over the South, who’d robbed and killed and ran with loose women and God knows what all you did—how did you end up with a beautiful, sophisticated, obviously well-educated and fashionable woman like that tiny, lovely lady over there holding your grandson?”

  Randy smiled through her tears, looking at Jake lovingly. Their gazes held for several quiet seconds.

  “Well, Your Honor, I met her thirty years ago in a dry goods store back in Kansas City, where I had a shoot-out with a bounty hunter that scared her so bad she pulled a gun out of her purse…and shot me. Damned if I didn’t fall in love with her then and there.”

  It took a moment for the crowd to realize he was telling the truth.

  “You shot Grampa?” Little Jake blurted out to Randy.

  The crowd burst into an uproar of laughter. The judge looked at Jake. “Give me one hundred and ten dollars, and take these guns and go home, Jake.”

  Jake rose and shook the judge’s hand while the rest of the family hugged each other. Jake took the money out of his pants pocket and paid the judge, glancing over to see Little Jake had climbed off Randy’s lap, and Randy was embracing Peter. That little stab of sorrow that she could have married better hit him again, along with the lingering jealousy that Peter Brown did all this for her because he was still in love with her.

  Flash powder exploded as Jake strapped on his guns. Little Jake ran up to him, jumping up and down. As soon as Jake buckled his gun belt, he picked up his grandson, who practically choked Jake when he hugged him tightly around the neck.

  Lloyd stood up and managed to walk on his own to greet his father as Jake came off the stand still holding Little Jake. With the boy in his arms, Jake reached out and embraced Lloyd, both men hugging for a long minute.

  More flash powder exploded, and a reporter scrambled to reload powder for more pictures, which he managed to do several more times throughout the courthouse bedlam.

  “Let’s go home, Pa, soon as we can,” Lloyd told Jake, keeping an arm around his father.

  “I’ve got no argument there,” Jake told him. Katie came up, and Lloyd embraced her. By then Randy was close enough that Jake set Little Jake down and pulled her into his arms. She buried her face against his chest.

  “Oh, Jake, I can’t believe it!”

  “You did it, mi amor. You and the big, beautiful family you’ve given me.” He kissed her hair, her cheek, her eyes, her lips. “I love you, Randy Harkner. Do you know how much?”

  “Not as much as I love you.” In seconds, they were joined by Stephen and Ben, both boys also crying. Jake reluctantly let go of Randy and took a moment to hug both boys and tell them everything would be all right now. Little Jake reached up, insisting that Jake pick him up again. He locked his arms around Jake’s neck as Jake shook hands with Pepper and Cole.

  “We’re ready to head for the J&L as soon as you are, Jake,” Pepper told him. “It’s gonna feel real good to be back home, ain’t it?”

  “It sure is!” Jake answered.

  Once the group hugs were over, Peter and Jeff joined in the moment. Randy turned to embrace Peter again. “Thank you so much, Peter. It was so good of you to come all the way here from Chicago.” Jake kept hold of Little Jake, watching with mixed emotions.

  Peter let go of Randy and kissed her cheek, looking at her lovingly. Jake caught the look before Peter managed to wipe it off his face. “I’m just happy for both of you and greatly relieved,” Peter told Randy. He looked up at Jake. “I hope you know I mean that. I wanted this for you, too, Jake. I wasn’t sure how this would turn out, but I had a feeling all along that Judge Carter was on your side. You and that beautiful family of yours won him over.”

  Jake set Little Jake on his feet and shook Peter’s hand vigorously. “I don’t know how to thank you, Peter. I’ll pay you whatever you say I owe you, and you have to come visit us at the J&L—you and Jeff b
oth, along with your wives. Our men will give them a royal escort to the ranch in complete safety. We’ll have the biggest barbecue you’ve ever attended, and you’ll taste the best beef in Colorado and see the prettiest piece of land in this whole state.”

  “I’ll remember the invitation,” Peter told him.

  “You can come back with us now if you want,” Jake told him.

  Peter glanced at Randy, who was hugging Lloyd. He turned back to Jake. “For reasons you probably understand, I’d better get back to Chicago for now. I have a wife there waiting for me.”

  “Then I want your promise you’ll come back with Treena,” Jake told him.

  “I’ll do that. Right now I have some paperwork to file. Come back here to the courthouse in the morning before you head for the J&L, and I’ll have a few things for you to sign.”

  Jake nodded, shaking his hand again. “You’re a good man, Peter. One of the best, and you know why I hate saying that.”

  “Well, Jake, I hate having to say the same about you, but you have a way of growing on people. I respect your ability to survive and rise above some bad situations. I’ve come to know the man down under all the bravado.” He squeezed Jake’s hand harder. “I know I don’t need to tell you to take good care of Randy, but I’m telling you anyway.”

  Little Jake was running in circles, shouting about going home. Jake kept his eyes on Peter. “I’d die for her, and you know it.”

  Sadness wafted across Peter’s gaze. “I damn well do know it.” He turned away, and Jake turned to Jeff, who’d just finished scribbling more notes and waited anxiously to shake Jake’s hand and congratulate him.

  “I’ll come to the J&L again sometime after my wife has our baby,” he told Jake.

  Jake wouldn’t settle for just a handshake. He gave Jeff a full hug and slapped him on the back again. “Jeff, my loyal Jewish friend, what can I say? I appreciate what you told that judge. And as far as the verdict, it’s just what Evie prayed for all night. Has she converted you to Christianity yet?”

  Jeff laughed. “I stay away from her as much as I can because I’m worried she’ll manage to do just that, which would greatly shock my family.”

  Jake laughed and moved an arm around Randy, pulling her close.

  “That daughter of yours has some powerful faith,” Jeff added, sobering a little.

  Jake felt a keen stab of pain to his heart. “That she does. It takes a lot of faith to pray for the likes of me.” He ached at what Evie went through earlier, loving her even more for the proud way she told the judge her name and the way she honored the grandmother she never knew. He pulled Randy even closer. “Speaking of Evie, we’d better get to the hotel and tell her what’s happened.”

  Bedlam followed as Lloyd grabbed his guns from the judge’s bench and joined the rest of the family as they headed out of the courthouse. Jake spotted Gretta and called her over. With one arm still around Randy, he bent down and planted a long kiss on Gretta’s lips. Men hooted, and women just shook their heads.

  “Jake Harkner, you told me you only kiss your wife that way,” Gretta teased, patting him on the cheek.

  Jake never let up on his grip around Randy. “This is a special occasion,” he told Gretta, “and you spoke up for me. I won’t forget that.”

  “Hell, if I’d known it would lead to a kiss like that, I’d have said a lot more and made it worth two kisses!” Men around them roared in laughter.

  “Come see me the next time you’re in Denver, handsome,” Gretta told Jake, jokingly swaying her hips as she walked away and invited men to come with her to the Range Club to celebrate Jake Harkner’s release.

  Jake grinned and shook his head, heading out with Randy. He noticed Evie hurrying toward him.

  “Daddy, is it true? You can come home with us?”

  Jake kept Randy in one arm and embraced Evie with the other. “What the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be back at the hotel.”

  “I couldn’t leave, Daddy! I just couldn’t. I made Brian let me wait outside on the steps.”

  Jake hugged her close, kissing her hair. “You shouldn’t have done what you did, angel. It wasn’t necessary. I didn’t want you to go through that.”

  “But it was necessary,” she argued. Tall like her brother, she didn’t have to stand on tiptoes to hug Jake. “I think God wanted me to speak up, Daddy. He’s the one who gave me the courage and put the words in my mouth. I’m okay. Really.”

  Jake glanced at Brian. “I’m damn sorry, Brian. I didn’t want her to do this.”

  Brian touched her shoulder. “I tried to get her to the hotel, but far be it for me to be able to stop her when she makes up her mind. We both know where she gets that from.”

  “My daughter is a brave, strong, determined young woman!”

  “Yeah, well, I’ve never been able to say no to her since the day I met her.” Brian gently pried her away from Jake. “Come on, honey, come back to the hotel with me.”

  They were outside on the steps by then, and Jake whistled for a cab. “I want Evie and Katie and Lloyd to go back in a buggy. All three of them should get some rest and stay in bed the rest of the night.” He grasped Randy’s arm. “Do you want to go back with them?”

  “No, I want to stay right here with you. And the kids can all walk with us.”

  Brian climbed into the enclosed cab with the two women and Lloyd. The buggy pulled away, and people continued to mingle around Jake and Randy.

  “Grampa has his guns now!” Little Jake bragged. “Nobody can take him away now!”

  People laughed, and Jake picked the boy up again. Randy walked ahead of him with her arms around Ben and Stephen. Pepper and Cole walked on either side, keeping a lookout for anyone who might decide to make a name for themselves, namely one Brad Buckley.

  Jeff walked briskly behind all of them. No jail time for Jake Harkner! he wrote. He considered what just the right headline should be. He would wire the news to every newspaper he could right away. “Jake, I’ll meet up with you and the family tomorrow morning,” he told Jake. “All of you need some time alone.”

  “You be sure to come out to the J&L as soon as your wife can travel,” Jake answered. “And if you and the wife need help in any way sometime, you let me know, and I’ll damn well come to Chicago.”

  “It’s the same for me, Jake. You know that, but I’m not so sure you should come to a big city again,” Jeff joked.

  “Yeah, well, you don’t fit the J&L any more than I fit into a city!” Jake shot back.

  Jeff laughed. “After riding with you for all those weeks in Oklahoma? Hell, I’m a real cowboy now. I’ll come out to the ranch, and you can teach me how to wrangle down a calf for branding.”

  Jake laughed harder. “Please do! That is something the boys would definitely want to watch!”

  “Then by God, I’ll come out and do just that!” He shook Jake’s hand again, sobering. “You’re the best friend a man could have, Jake. I’ve never met anybody quite like you. I meant what I told the judge.”

  Jake squeezed his hand. “You’re a damn good friend yourself.”

  Jeff nodded and let go. “I’d better get this news on the wire. You’re good for my career, Jake.”

  Jake grinned. “Nice to know I’m good for something.” He turned to join the rest of the family in their walk back to the hotel. He answered questions and joked with others the whole way, finally setting Little Jake down. The boy ran to catch up with his grandmother while Jake lit a cigarette and took a deep drag on the smoke, secretly thanking God for his freedom. I don’t know why You keep getting me out of trouble, he prayed. I’m sure you did it for Evie.

  He watched Randy walking ahead of him, loved the yellow dress she wore and the gentle sway to her hips. He’d never loved her more than at this moment, for all she’d gone through to give him this beautiful family he didn’t deserve.
r />   There was a time when he didn’t have a clue what love was about. Little Jake ran back to him, and it hit Jake that the boy seemed the epitome of the love he’d never known at that age. He drew on the cigarette again, shaking off ugly memories as he picked Little Jake up while keeping the cigarette between his lips.

  “Can I smoke, Grampa?”

  “Hell no!”

  “You smoke.”

  Jake scowled at him. “Little Jake, you and I need to have a good talk. I absolutely do not want you trying to be like your grampa in all the wrong ways.”

  “Mommy says I should be proud you’re my grampa.”

  “Yeah, well, your mommy sees a lot of things through rose-colored glasses.”

  Little Jake frowned. “Mommy doesn’t wear glasses.”

  “I’m talking about Mommy thinking everybody is good.”

  “Aren’t you good?”

  Jake shifted him to one arm and took another drag on the cigarette before taking it from his lips. “I’m good to grandsons who mind me. That means you can’t smoke, and you can’t say bad words in front of your mother. She is a very special woman with a big heart and a special faith, and she doesn’t like hearing bad words.”

  “Sometimes you say sonofabitch in front of her.”

  “Yeah, well, I try real hard to watch what I say around your mother, but I grew up hearing bad words, and nobody taught me not to say them, so now they come out of my mouth sometimes when I don’t want them to. You are young enough to start teaching yourself right now to watch what you say in front of nice people.”

  Little Jake scowled. “Did you really kill your daddy like that man said in the courthouse?”

  Jake set him on his feet and crouched in front of him, tossing his cigarette aside. “Little Jake, that’s a long story, and it’s not something we can talk about right now, okay? I promise to explain another time.”

  Little Jake touched his face. “Was he real mean like Ben’s daddy was?”