He Was the Deadliest Gun in the Territory — Until a Child Gave Him Something Worth Fighting For
Chapter 2
They rode until darkness settled over the mountains.
Noah remained silent.
Every few minutes, he looked behind them.
Cole noticed.
“They’re not following.”
“How do you know?”
“Tracks.”
“You can see tracks in the dark?”
“Sometimes.”
Noah considered this.
“You really are the fastest gun in the West.”
Cole frowned.
“Who told you that?”
“My father.”
Cole looked at him.
“He knew me?”
“No.”
The answer surprised him.
“My father said your name once.”
“What else did he say?”
Noah hesitated.
“He said you were the kind of man who could survive anywhere.”
Cole looked toward the dark horizon.
He wondered whether that was a compliment.
They eventually reached a small cabin hidden among the trees.
Noah jumped down.
“Mom!”
The door opened.
A woman appeared with a shotgun.
She froze when she saw Cole.
Then she saw Noah.
Her expression broke.
“Noah!”
She ran toward him.
Cole stepped away.
The woman embraced her son.
“Where were you?”
“I ran.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
Then she looked at Cole.
“Who are you?”
“Cole Tanner.”
She went still.
“You’re Cole Tanner?”
“That’s what people call me.”
She lowered the shotgun slightly.
“My name is Evelyn Hayes.”
Cole nodded.
“Your son found me.”
“He saved me,” Noah said.
Cole looked at him.
“No. You saved yourself.”
Evelyn studied him.
“Why did you help him?”
Cole shrugged.
“Three armed men were chasing a child.”
“That didn’t answer my question.”
Cole looked at her.
“Maybe I didn’t have a good reason.”
Evelyn stared at him for a long moment.
Then she opened the door.
“Come inside.”
Cole stepped in.
The cabin told him more than Evelyn did.
There were broken boards near the window.
A repaired bullet hole beside the fireplace.
And a man’s coat hanging in the corner.
Evelyn noticed his eyes.
“My husband.”
“Daniel?”
She nodded.
“He died four months ago.”
“How?”
“A riding accident.”
Cole looked at the bullet hole.
“Accident?”
Evelyn’s eyes hardened.
“You don’t trust easily.”
“No.”
“Neither do I.”
For some reason, that made Cole smile.
It was the first time Evelyn saw it.
And she realized the famous gunslinger wasn’t quite as cold as the stories claimed.
