Chapter 17 - The Storm That Took Harlan
Silas Vale reached Black Pine two days later.
He never entered town.
Instead he disappeared into the mountains.
Sheriff Mercer organized men to search.
Josephine refused to hide.
“That's exactly what he wants,” Harlan said.
“What?”
“For you to make a mistake.”
“I won't.”
“Then stay in town.”
Josephine folded her arms.
Harlan sighed.
“I'm asking.”
“Better.”
“And I'm saying no.”
“Josephine.”
“He wants the deed?”
“Probably.”
“The original is in Denver.”
“He may not know.”
“Then we tell him.”
Harlan stared.
“No.”
Josephine explained her plan.
They spread word that Josephine would travel to the cabin carrying the original deed.
In reality Sheriff Mercer would station men along the trail.
Vale would reveal himself.
Harlan hated every part of it.
But he also knew Josephine was right.
The plan almost worked.
Almost.
Josephine rode toward the cabin.
Harlan traveled fifty yards behind.
Mercer's men waited at two positions.
Nothing happened.
They reached the cabin.
No Vale.
Harlan relaxed slightly.
That was the mistake.
Josephine opened the cabin door.
A voice behind her said, “Good afternoon.”
Vale stood beside the stable.
He had approached through the trees.
Harlan immediately stepped between them.
Vale held no visible weapon.
That somehow made the scene stranger.
“You've caused me extraordinary inconvenience,” Vale said.
Josephine replied, “I hear prison can be inconvenient.”
His smile was gone.
“I need money.”
“Then work.”
Harlan almost laughed.
Vale's face twisted.
“You think this is amusing?”
“No.”
Josephine remained calm.
“I think you spent years believing everyone had a price.”
Vale looked toward Harlan.
“He did.”
Josephine shook her head.
“No.”
“He paid your father.”
“To get me away from you.”
“He wanted your land.”
“And told me.”
“Eventually.”
Vale smiled.
That wound no longer worked.
Josephine stepped closer.
“And I forgave him.”
Harlan looked at her.
It was the first time she had said it.
Vale's eyes hardened.
“I don't need your forgiveness.”
“Good. You won't get it.”
Hoofbeats sounded below.
Mercer.
Vale heard them too.
He ran toward the trees.
Harlan followed.
“Harlan!”
Josephine ran after them.
Snow still covered the higher slope despite spring below.
Vale reached the ridge.
Harlan nearly caught him.
Then the mountain made a sound.
A low crack.
Harlan stopped.
“Josephine!”
She looked uphill.
Snow moved.
Avalanche.
“Run!”
Everything became white.
Josephine threw herself behind a boulder.
The world roared.
When silence returned, she could not hear anything except ringing.
“Harlan!”
No answer.
“Harlan!”
Sheriff Mercer reached her.
“You hurt?”
“No.”
“Where's Harlan?”
Josephine looked toward the buried slope.
There had been two men.
Now none.
Searchers dug for hours.
They found Vale first.
Alive.
Injured.
Mercer's men carried him down.
Josephine barely looked.
“Harlan!”
Darkness approached.
Someone suggested stopping until morning.
Josephine refused.
“He's alive.”
Nobody contradicted her.
Samuel arrived.
Together they searched.
Near midnight Josephine found a piece of brown leather beneath the snow.
Harlan's coat.
“Here!”
Men rushed over.
They dug.
A hand appeared.
Josephine dropped to her knees.
“Harlan.”
They uncovered him.
He was breathing.
Barely.
Josephine sobbed.
Samuel examined him.
“He needs warmth.”
They carried him to the cabin.
The same cabin where Harlan had once wrapped Josephine in buffalo fur.
Now she wrapped him.
The symmetry almost broke her.
For hours Harlan did not wake.
Josephine sat beside the stove.
“Remember the first night?”
No answer.
“You told me I needed my lungs.”
She held his hand.
“You need yours now.”
Nothing.
“Harlan Creek, if you die after making me wait months to marry you voluntarily, I will be furious.”
Samuel smiled sadly from across the room.
Near dawn Harlan's fingers moved.
Josephine froze.
“Harlan?”
His eyes opened.
“Why…”
His voice was rough.
“…are you yelling?”
Josephine began crying and laughing simultaneously.
“You idiot.”
“That sounds familiar.”
She pressed her forehead against his hand.
Harlan looked around.
“Vale?”
“Alive.”
“Unfortunate.”
“Harlan.”
“Kidding.”
She laughed harder.
Later Vale was returned to custody.
This time under federal guard.
There would be no escape.
The storm passed.
Spring finally conquered the mountain.
And one week later Josephine stood in front of the iron stove holding her old marriage certificate.
Harlan approached slowly.
“What are you doing?”
Josephine looked at the paper.
“This marriage began with my father's bargain.”
Harlan said nothing.
“So I think we should end it properly.”
She opened the stove.
Harlan's eyebrows lifted.
“You're burning our marriage certificate?”
“The old one.”
Josephine dropped it into the flames.
The paper curled.
Harlan stared.
Josephine turned toward him.
May you like
“Tomorrow we start again.”
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