Page 84 of Mail-Order Lady

The yard stayed quiet.

No sound. No flash of gunfire from the trees.

She kept her focus on that dark line, but at the edge of her gaze, Nathan started moving forward. Three steps, then he straightened, and his stride lengthened.

Still nothing from the trees.

Had Sutton lied about the gunmen?

But no…Robert. Maybe Robert had caught that man and taken him down.

She forced down the sting that blurred her eyes. She had to focus. Had to see the first shot.

Nathan had nearly reached the tree line now. He turned back toward the house and waved them forward.

The tension coiling inside her didn’t ease. This felt wrong. Too easy.

Thomas turned to Kate. “I’m going now. If I make it across with Nathan, the rest of you come quick. Stay low. Stay quiet.”

He pressed a kiss to his wife’s forehead, and the tenderness of it made Clara’s chest clench. Thomas might not survive this. Any of them might not make it across that yard.

Thomas climbed through the window easier than Nathan had. He dropped to the ground and sprinted low toward the tree line. That’s what they all had to do.

“I’ll go out next and help from below.” Rose leaned her gun against the wall. “Hand this down to me in a second.”

Rose sat on the sill and pushed off, landing with barely a sound in the grass below.

Clara handed down the rifle, and Rose leaned it against the house. “Now Bea.”

Bea gripped the frame with both hands and climbed through. Clara held her arm as she turned, then half-jumped, half-fell to the ground. Rose crouched with her, and a moment later, the two pushed to their feet.

“Can you hand Catherine out to me?” Mandie turned to Clara.

“Of course.” She reached for the babe who still slept on Mandie’s shoulder.

How she stayed asleep through all this chaos was a wonder. She cradled the girl close as Mandie climbed through the window.

When Mandie reached the ground, Rose stretched up to take Catherine. Clara passed the babe down, and for the first time, the child squirmed and whimpered.

She handed down the rest of the rifles, then turned to Kate. The moonlight illuminated her sister’s eyes, but they held no fear.

“You next.” Kate reached for her elbow.

Clara shook her head. “I’ll come right after you.” Kate was probably still weak and might need help from above.

Kate’s mouth pressed into a thin line, but she didn’t argue. She climbed onto the sill and turned, and her arms shook as she lowered herself down. Clara gripped her wrists until Kate’s feet touched ground, then released her.

Now her turn.

She sat on the sill and swung her legs over. The drop looked farther than before, but she turned to her stomach and lowered herself down. Hands gripped her feet, guiding her to the grass.

Finally.

She took the rifle Rose handed her, then they all turned to the tree line.

“Stay low. Go.”

At Rose’s words, they ran.