Oh, thank god. He was always there when I needed rescuing. "Here, Taylor!" I shouted. "It's Nell! She's got a gun!"
Nell whirled to face him. Staggering up, I lurched towards her with the board and lifted it. She started to turn just as I smashed it into her head.
"Josie!" Taylor rounded the corner.
Nell dropped, and the board fell from my hands. I'd never hit anyone in my life, and in that moment, no part of me regretted it.
"Taylor!"
He flung his arms around me and hugged me hard, his familiar scent and heated strength overwhelming. For once, I didn't care if I could breathe in the damned girdle. "Are you okay?" he asked urgently.
"Yeah," I breathed. "I'm so glad to see you!" In that split second, I loved him enough not to care about spending my life in the past with him. I knew it was adrenaline speaking, that I wasn't in love with him, but I'd never been as grateful or happy to see anyone as I was Taylor.
"What the hell happened?" he demanded. "I found both deputies dead in a stall when I took my horse in and -"
"Nell was a traveler like us. She went a little crazy when the real Josie died, and killed off the other girls who came before me."
He drew away. "The real Josie is dead?" he asked, startled.
I didn't tell him. The story was too sordid for me this night. "We can talk about it later," I said. "Fighting Badger is hurt bad." Twisting out of Taylor's grip, I hurried back towards the native bleeding out next to the well. "We have to get him inside!"
The man was still conscious and wheezing. I squeezed his arm in reassurance before checking his wound. From what I could make out, it was bad.
"Taylor?" I called and looked over my shoulder.
He had frozen in place, staring towards us.
"What's wrong?"
He moved slowly at first then closed the distance between us with haste and knelt.
"Brother," Fighting Badger whispered. "I was … concerned for … Talks to Spirits."
My throat tightened. My internal debate about whether to regard him as a psycho or a hero was nowhere near settled, but all I could think about was saving him.
"I need …sleep," the native murmured. He sagged against the well.
"Don't worry, Fighting Badger," I told him. "We'll get you fixed up."
Taylor took my hand and squeezed. I smiled and glanced up.
Lighting lit up his face. He was pale, his gaze haunted.
"What's wrong?" I asked, alarmed by the expression.
"Josie, I want you to know I care about you, and I'm sorry if I caused any of this," he replied.