He Was the Deadliest Gun in the Territory — Until a Child Gave Him Something Worth Fighting For
Chapter 4
They left the cabin before sunrise.
Cole rode ahead.
Evelyn and Noah followed.
For the first time in years, Cole found himself responsible for two people who weren’t himself.
It was uncomfortable.
Noah talked constantly.
Evelyn talked only when necessary.
By midday, Cole realized he had become accustomed to hearing the boy’s voice.
That worried him.
Attachment was dangerous.
He knew that better than anyone.
That evening, they stopped near a creek.
Noah watched Cole clean his revolver.
“Did you really kill a dozen men?”
“No.”
“Five?”
“No.”
“Three?”
Cole looked at him.
“One.”
Noah’s eyes widened.
“Who?”
“A man who deserved it.”
“Did he?”
Cole paused.
“I thought so at the time.”
Noah didn’t ask anything else.
Evelyn watched from beside the fire.
“You don’t want him becoming like you.”
Cole looked at her.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because being like me isn’t easy.”
Evelyn was silent.
Later, when Noah slept, she sat beside Cole.
“Daniel wasn’t killed in an accident.”
Cole looked at her.
“I knew it.”
“He was shot.”
“By Crowe?”
“I don’t know.”
“But you suspect him.”
“Yes.”
Cole looked into the fire.
“You should have told me.”
“I didn’t know whether I could trust you.”
“You still don’t.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“Fair enough.”
Then Evelyn looked at him.
“But I want to.”
Cole didn’t answer.
For the first time in a long time, he wanted someone to trust him too.
