“Custis!”
Longarm twisted around and was amazed to see none other than Molly Bean, Sophie Flanigan, and even Bert riding hard toward him. Close on their heels were four riders.
Nobody had to tell Longarm that his friends were being pursued by the last of Ford Oakley’s gang. Levering another shell into the breech of his Winchester, Longarm took a bead on the first rider, who was huge with a shock of wild red hair. Longarm squeezed the trigger and saw the giant slap his chest, then tumble into the sage.
Longarm shot the next man, who was equally large, before he could saw his horse around and retreat in the face of the deadly rifle fire. The last two got away and disappeared over a ridge.
Molly dismounted and threw her arms around Longarm’s neck, but only after making sure that Ford Oakley was finally dead.
“You’re my hero!” she cried, giving him a big hug and then a kiss.
Sophie grabbed a fistful of Oakley’s wet hair and twisted his ugly face up so that she could spit into it. “Good riddance to bad rubbish,” she hissed.
“Yes,” Molly agreed. “Custis, we knew you’d finally run out of patience and kill this big sonofabitch!”
“He was bound and determined not to go to prison,” Longarm said. “He just had to go out fighting.”
Sophie slipped her arm around Bert’s slender waist. “I guess this is as good a time as any to tell you that Bert and I are going to be married.”
Longarm stared at Bert. “You are?”
“Yeah,” he said sheepishly. “We’re returning to the Ruby Mountains to work my mine until the gold is all gone. After that, we’ll be rich enough to do nothing but travel the world for the rest of our lives. Marshal, you and Miss Molly are sure welcome to come along as our guests.”
Sophie looked up at Bert, her gaze adoring. “Now, I think a month or two would be more than generous, Bertsy!”
“Yes, sweetheart.”
Longarm shook his head and tried hard not to get sick.
“Darling,” Molly said, slipping her arm around Longarm’s waist. “Elko is just a little ways off and that eastbound train won’t be along for two days. You look like you could use some tender care and good lovin’.”
“I could,” he agreed, his spirits immediately lifting.
She kissed his mouth and pressed her body close. Longarm wrapped her up in his arms and thought maybe he would miss the first … well, maybe even the second train through to Cheyenne.