Chapter 24
She crossed the creek and climbed toward the old logging road.
Matilda followed.
“Abigail!”
The woman stopped.
She turned.
No g/u/n.
No guards.
Just the two of them.
Snow began falling.
Abigail laughed breathlessly.
“You really think you've won?”
Matilda approached slowly.
“Yes.”
“You'll lose everything.”
“Maybe.”
“You don't know how to run mines.”
“I'll learn.”
“You don't know business.”
“I'll learn.”
“You don't know politics.”
“I'll learn.”
Abigail's face twisted.
“You're a cook.”
Matilda smiled.
“Yes.”
The answer seemed to enrage her.
“All that land, all that silver, all that money—and you're proud of cooking stew?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Matilda thought of the first bowl Jedodiah had eaten.
“Because I took hard things people considered worthless and made something that kept them alive.”
Abigail stared.
Matilda continued.
“I think that's what I'm going to do with Black Ridge too.”
Something broke inside Abigail's expression.
She lunged.
Matilda stepped aside.
Abigail slipped on the icy edge.
Her foot went over the creek bank.
She screamed.
Matilda dropped and grabbed her wrist.
Abigail dangled above rushing black water.
“Help me!”
Matilda strained.
For one heartbeat, she remembered the boarding house door opening.
Twenty below.
Abigail pointing into the storm.
Not my concern.
Matilda could have let go.
Instead she tightened her grip.
Abigail stared up.
“Why?”
Matilda grunted.
“Because I'm not you.”
Elias and two miners arrived.
Together they pulled Abigail up.
Sheriff Hollis placed iron cuffs around her wrists.
Abigail looked at Matilda as though she had been defeated by something she could not comprehend.
Mercy.
Back at the clearing, Jedodiah sat against a tree while Doctor Hale bandaged his arm.
Matilda ran to him.
He looked up.
“You catch her?”
“Yes.”
“You all right?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Then Matilda struck him lightly in the chest.
He blinked.
“What was that for?”
“For saying you were fine.”
“I am fine.”
“You were sh/o/t.”
“Only a little.”
Matilda stared at him.
Then she started crying.
Jedodiah's humor disappeared.
He reached for her.
She collapsed against his chest.
His good arm wrapped around her.
“I thought…”
“I know.”
“I can't lose another person.”
“You haven't.”
His voice was soft.
“I promise.”
She pulled back.
“You cannot promise things like that.”
“No.”
He smiled.
“But I can promise not to make it easy.”
For the first time in days, Matilda laughed through tears.
Then Doctor Hale approached.
His expression was strange.
“Matilda.”
Her smile vanished.