Wait For The Sunrise Part 21

"Shot.

I think he found out some- thin' he shouldn't have. "

Cynthie told them to bring the body into the house. Winn wanted to help, butall he could do was hold the horses for them. Greg stayed beside him,clutching his leg. When Peter came back for the horses, he said Jeremiahwould ride into town and get the sheriff. Winn nodded to Peter and, takingthe child's hand, went back to the house.

Cynthie met them at the kitchen door and led Greg away to clean him up forbed. Louie had been coaxed into having something to eat and Winn sat down atthe table with him. Louie looked at the younger man and didn't wait for himto ask.

"There's been cattle stolen off Mrs. Franklin's land. I don't know if youheard about that or not. I was out there loo king for evidence of old camps.Found a couple, too. They might mean nothin', but whatever Emery foundmeant something to somebody. He was lyin' near a camp that looked to havebeen deserted in a hurry. My guess is he caught somebody in the act."

"Changing brands?" Winn guessed.

"Did they leave anything behind that would tell you anything about them?"

Louie was quiet, and Winn wondered if he might have nodded or shaken hishead. He listened to Cynthie's light footsteps on the stairs.

"I'll tell you later," Louie said and took a gulp of coffee.

Cynthie entered the kitchen.

"I better take care of the body tonight," she said.

"The sheriff will want to see him first. I'll wait and help you,"

Louie said.

Cynthie shook her head.

"He'll want to talk to you and then you better turn in. You've had a longday."

Winn knew there was no way he could help so he didn't offer, but he resolvedto stay with her for company at the very least. He took the coffee Cynthieoffered. Peter came to the front door with Emery's best clothes and offeredto sit up with the rest. Cynthie thanked him but firmly sent him off to bed.She returned to the others and they sat drinking coffee and talking quietlywhile they waited for Jeremiah to get back with the sheriff.

It was completely dark by the time they arrived. Cynthie lit a lamp in thefront room while Louie let the sheriff in. Winn stood by and listened to theother two men talk, and Cynthie came to stand near him.

Louie didn't tell the sheriff anything he hadn't already told Winn except thelocation of the camp and how he and Emery had separated in an effort to covermore ground. Whatever it was Louie had found, he was keeping it from th.e.s.h.eriff as well as his boss.

The sheriff watched Louie go through the man's pockets and asked about kin.Louie knew of a brother but they hadn't been close, and Emery himselfprobably didn't know where to reach him. The sheriff said, in that case, histhings would belong to Mrs. Franklin.

Cynthie cleared her throat.

"We'll worry about that later," she said.

Winn wanted to put an arm around her and pull her close so she could leanagainst him. She sounded small and frightened. She was close enough totouch, but he didn't dare.

In a few minutes the sheriff was ready to leave. Louie renewed his offer to help, but Cynthie refused. After promising to be back after a few hours'sleep, he left Cynthie and Winn alone.

"I think it'll be quiet enough now that you can go to bed," she said.

Winn shook his head.

"I'll stay if you'll let me."

Cynthie sighed with relief.

"Thank you," she whispered. She knew the task would be hard enough to face

without being alone, as well.

She removed the poor man's dirty and b.l.o.o.d.y clothing, calling occasionally on

Winn to help her lift him. She washed the body the best she could, and began dressing him for burial.

"I didn't know him very well," she said as she worked.

"He hasn't been here as long as Louie or Jeremiah, and he usually kept to

himself."

Winn heard a tremor in her voice and stepped closer to her. He knew strong

men who would get squeamish doing what she had to do. What would he do ifshe fainted?"Somebody who loved him should be doing this," she said.Winn reached out and touched her shoulder. "Wouldn't it be harder on them?""I don't know." Cynthie's hands were trembling and she gripped them tightly together.

"It's hard when it's someone you love but... I wish... I should have..." Shestarted to sob, and Winn turned her into his arms.She twisted her fingers into his shirt and gave in to the tears.Winn pulled the silky head against him and caressed the narrow back. He wanted to comfort her, to

stop the heartbreaking little sounds that she

m.u.f.fled against his chest.

At the same time, he wanted to hold her forever, amazed at the wonderful feeling of having her in his arms.

Eventually the tears were spent and she was no longer shaking. He bent to

kiss the top of her head. "Feel better?" he whispered.She nodded against his chest but didn't pull away. He kept his arms aroundher, waiting for a sign from her that she wanted him to let her go. Hewanted to touch her for as long as she would allow it.

"This doesn't have anything to do with him." Her voice was so soft he barely heard her.

"But it brings back memories," he suggested softly.

She nodded.

"I remember exactly how I felt when Louie brought Victor home.

It seems as if it was just yesterday instead of nearly a year ago. "

"Do you want to tell me about it?" His lips were still close to her hair.He wanted to kiss her again but he knew he mustn't. She would think he wastaking advantage of her, and she wouldn't be completely wrong.

"Louie found him." She pulled away but only a little. One hand toyed with a

b.u.t.ton on his shirt.

"He brought him in on his horse. He'd been shot, almost exactly like this."

She shuddered as she sighed.

"I better finish," she said more firmly, and Winn let her go.She finished dressing the body without saying anything more except toinstruct Winn when she needed his help. Finally she said, "I'll send someoneinto town to tell the pastor in the morning. The funeral will probably bein the afternoon. I don't suppose there'll be too many folks out for it."She was quiet for a moment then stepped closer. "Winn," she began."About earlier..."He knew by her voice where she stood and he knew exactly how tall she was.His hands reached out and easily found her shoulders.

"Please don't apologize," he said."All right." She moved closer and put one hand on the damp circle her tearshad left on his shirt. The warmth of her hand quickly soaked through to hiscool skin.

"Let me thank you, then," she whispered.

She looked up into the gentle face only inches away. Those lips had alreadykissed her hair, small difference now if they kissed her lips.She smiled to herself, wondering if he would make any move toward her.He didn't, but he didn't pull away, either. She slipped her hand up and around his neck, pulling his head toward her as she rose on tiptoe to meet

him.Winn felt her lips, warm against his, and wanted more. He wanted to pull hertoward him and wrap his arms around her. The slight brush of her bodyagainst his made him long to mold it against him. He kept his hands on hershoulders and didn't dare think about what he wanted.

He let her decide when the kiss was over; it was, after all, her thank-you.

When she slid her hands from around his neck, he raised his head and let his hands drop from her shoulders.

They stood near each other for a moment, each waiting for the other to speak.

Finally Cynthie said, "You might as well get some rest. I'll sit with the body until Louie comes."

"I can do that, Cynthie." He knew he wouldn't sleep anyway. Too manythings had happened during the day and few of them would help him sleep, thesweet torturous kiss the least of all.

Cynthie watched the flickering lamplight play on the handsome face. She wanted to suggest they stay up together, but knew it made more sense for herto rest.

"Call me if you need anything," she said. He still stood where he had been when she kissed him, waiting for her to leave. There could be no more procrastinating.

"Good night," she whispered as she walked past him.

"Goodnight."

She waited on the stairs a moment listening, but the room was quiet.

She checked to see that Greg was sleeping soundly before she went to her own room.

There she lit a lamp and, after changing into a nightgown, she sat down ather dressing table and brushed her long black hair. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and touched a finger to her lips.

A moment later she frowned. That had been the most polite kiss she had everexperienced. Polite was exactly the word for it. She got up quickly, turnedaway from the mirror and put out the lamp. She didn't want to see the tears that were falling again, this time for herself.

"Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we shouldbe called the sons of G.o.d. Therefore the world knoweth us not, because itknew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of G.o.d..."

Greg clung tightly to Winn's hand. They had gathered in a small fencedcemetery a short distance from Cynthie's house.

More people had come than Cynthie had expected, and they all brought foodthat filled the tables that had been set up in the yard. Winn knew it was respect for Cynthie that brought most of them here.

Winn was sure Louie was standing near him, probably Peter, too. When Dempseyarrived, he had moved Cynthie away and Winn had lost them in the crowd. He would have liked to have been near her, but she had the right to choose herown companions. In troth, it wouldn't have mattered to Winn at all, had itbeen anyone but Dempsey.

"Little-children, let no man deceive you. He that doeth righteousness isrighteous. He that commit teth sin is of the devil. For the devil sin neth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of G.o.d was manifested...."

Winn tried to keep his attention on the pastor, but this seemed like such anodd funeral to him. He had never met the man they were burying, but he waspretty sure several others here could say the same.

He couldn't see the casket. He couldn't see the mourners. Greg's tiny handwas all that seemed real.

The poor man's body had seemed real enough last night, however. The threat to Cynthie that this death implied was very real, as well. Winn wished he knew how to protect her.

He tried to pull himself back to the funeral. The pastor's voice was alittle too comforting to keep his attention.

"For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we shouldlove one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew hisbrother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, andhis brother's righteous."

Was that why the pastor had chosen this pa.s.sage? Did he think that the murderer was in the gathering? The message would probably be lost on him ifhe were, Winn thought.

"We know that we have pa.s.sed from death unto life, because we love thebrethren. He that love th not his brother abide th in death. Whosoever ha teth his brother is a murderer...."

Billy Emery had a brother, they said. One who didn't even know of his death. It was a sad thing to come to the end and be buried by strangers.

Winn had a sudden picture of himself in the casket. Cora would never know. He searched his memory for something in his belongings that would lead themto Cora. He pictured Cynthie saying, "He may have had family but we don'tknow how to reach them."