Over

Carey’s horse ran straight past him, seeing the other riders off in the distance, and Carey knew he was trapped. Will was certainly behind him now. He dropped the derringer to the ground, hoping compliance would be beneficial. His only option was to find a way to get close enough to Cordia to take that gun away and use her body as a shield. “Cordia,” he said as sweetly as he could muster, “you’re not going to shoot me,” he smiled at her, nonchalantly. “Go ahead and step out of the way, darlin’ so I can join my men.”
“You and your men shot my daddy,” she replied, her voice filled with hate.
Carey swallowed hard. It had never been his intention to physically harm her father. “I’m sorry to hear that,” he said quietly. “Your father and I have always been such good friends. I’m sure he would understand why you would let me go.”
It was a stretch, and they both knew it. Yet, as he spoke, he stepped forward and Cordia could see that he was closing the gap between them now. He was only a foot or two away. Her finger was on the trigger, all she had to do was pull it, and Carey Adams would no longer be her concern. She had hated him her entire life, for as long as she could remember. Even as a small child, she had somehow known the evil he would someday bring down on her. Now, faced with the opportunity to take him down once and for all, she could not bring herself to do it. She was not a trained killer. She was just a young woman caught up in a war that no one seemed to understand.
“Cordia,” he said in that singsong voice, the one he used to charm her mother and the other ladies. “Beautiful Cordia. Step aside now, darlin’.” As he spoke, he began to reach for the rifle. She realized what his intentions were just a split second too late. Before she could pull the trigger, he grabbed ahold of the barrel and turned it away from himself, pulling her toward him. In that split second before her body completely covered his, there was a flash. Cordia was so close she could feel the heat of the bullet as it flew by, the spray of blood as the metal hit its mark. She jumped back, her heart racing as she watched Carey tumble to the ground, a look of shock and dismay frozen on his face. His head collided with the brick wall behind him, jarring his eyes closed as he landed against the hard ground.
Cordia’s hands immediately covered her mouth. Before she fully realized exactly what had happened, Will stepped out of the shadows and wrapped his arms around her, whispering, “It’s all right. It’s all over. He can’t hurt you anymore.”
She hadn’t even known he was there. Somehow, he had managed to put himself in a position to take Carey out from the trees to her left, and she had never even seen him come around the side of the house. “How did you do that?” she asked, once she had regained her ability to speak.
He shook his head. “It’s just. . . what I do,” he replied.
The noise from the street reminded them that they were not necessarily safe just yet, and they hurried back inside. “How’s your father?” Will asked once they were standing in the kitchen and the door was locked. He could see a few more horsemen flying across the bridge behind the house.
“I think he’s going to be okay,” she replied, hurrying back into the living room to check. He was lying on the duvet, Jane at his side. Cordia had had enough time to check the wound and see that the bullet had passed cleanly through his upper shoulder before she realized that Will had gone outside to face the marauders. She had applied pressure to her father’s injury while watching from the window until she saw Carey disappear around the side of the house. She had been tempted to let him go but could not do so. On her way to the back door, she yelled for her mother and Frieda to go help her father, which they had done as quickly as possible.
Isaac was awake, and Frieda offered him a shot of whiskey, which he downed. Cordia went into the other room to get her nursing supplies, aware that, if Dr. Walters was safe, there was no way he was coming out to help tonight. Both of them would be very busy the next day taking care of the wounded. So many people would be left homeless. It would take a lot of time and cooperation to rebuild their little town of Lamar, but Cordia had no doubt in her mind that it would happen.
Once her father’s wounds were dressed and the bleeding had all but stopped, Will helped her assist him up the stairs and to his room. There was just an occasional gunshot outside now, no more cannon fire, no more pounding of horses’ hooves. While she was working on her father, Will had gone outside and dragged the bodies of the dead away from the house and over toward the barn. Jane had gone in to take care of her husband and Frieda went down to make sure the house was locked up and find a way to cover the broken glass in the windows. She said she couldn’t rest with the whole house exposed.
Cordia took Will by the hand and led him into the bedroom she had called her own her entire life. Well aware that her parents were right next door, her intentions were only to find solace in his arms, and hopefully, eventually fall asleep. She sat on the edge of the bed and began to pull off her boots. He stopped her, however, taking them off for her. “Thank you,” she said quietly as he slipped off the first and moved on to the other. “I don’t know what I would have done tonight if you hadn’t shown up.”
“I told you, I will always protect you,” he replied smiling at her gently.
She nodded her head, wrapping her arms around him. She sat quietly for a few moments, content to relish in the long-awaited solace, before she finally asked, “Is Julia gone?”
Throughout the events of the night, the thought of his sister had been at the forefront of his mind, despite the chaos unfolding around him. “Yes,” he said quietly, nodding his head.
Cordia sighed. “I’m so sorry to hear that,” she said. She knew the next days, weeks, and months would be full of tears for her dear, sweet friend whom they had lost far too young, but for now, she was too exhausted to cry.
“Me, too,” he replied, looking up into her eyes. Smoothing back a lock of her long brown hair, which had come loose he added, “You’re the only family I’ve got now, Cordia. But you’re all I need.”
“For now,” she said smiling. “But someday, hopefully, we’ll have lots of little Wills running around causin’ all sorts of mischief.”
“And lots of little Cordias?” he asked. “I’d love to have a little girl who looks just like you.”
“What if she acts just like me?” Cordia laughed.
“Ah, well, then, I guess you’ll get what you deserve then,” he teased. “Strong willed little girl, just like her mama.”
“You’re the only Will I need now,” she said raising her eyebrows.
He couldn’t help but chuckle as he pulled her in and found her lips with his. “I love you, Cordia Tucker,” he quietly proclaimed.
That was the first time anyone had ever called her by her married name. Cordia liked the sound of it. “I love you, too, Will Tucker,” she replied, kissing him once more before collapsing on the bed in his arms. Outside, the war may have raged, creating a dangerous and uncertain world. But at last, Cordia had found her peace and solitude. Cordia had her Will at last, and he was all she would ever need.