Chapter 3 The Stranger's Story

Lila set the coffee pot on the stove, the clatter of metal louder than she meant it to be. Her hands were steady, but the silence in the room wasn't. Jack sat at the table, shirt stained with blood, one sleeve torn from the earlier fight. The lamp between them cast long shadows, and outside, the sky was beginning to pale with dawn.

"Start talking," she said.

Jack's eyes drifted to the window before returning to hers. "You ever heard of the Copper Ridge Gang?"

Lila raised a brow. "Everyone west of the Mississippi's heard of them. Robbed three trains in one summer. Last I heard, the Rangers burned out their hideout in El Paso."

He gave a humorless smile. "They got most of us that day. But not all."

"You were part of them?"

"I was their scout. Knew the trails, the canyons, the places no lawman could follow." He leaned back slowly, wincing. "I left a year ago. Thought I could bury it. Find something quiet. But men like me don't get to disappear."

Lila narrowed her eyes. "And those men tonight?"

"Bounty hunters. Or worse. Could've been hired by someone I crossed. Someone who still wants payback."

She poured two cups and slid one toward him. "So I'm harboring a wanted man."

"I'm not wanted anymore." He met her eyes. "Not by the law, anyway. Rangers cleared my name after I led them to the gang's stronghold. But that didn't earn me any friends."

Lila took a sip, watching him over the rim of her mug. "So what are you doing out here, Jack? Really?"

He was quiet for a beat, then said, "Looking for land. Maybe peace. I didn't expect a bullet to the ribs on day one."

She gave a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "You brought trouble here, Jack. And I can't afford more trouble."

"I'll be gone by sundown," he said. "Soon as I can ride."

She looked at the blood on his shirt. "You won't make it five miles."

"That's my concern."

"No," she said, "It's mine. You're on my land. My conscience. Which means until you can walk straight, you'll stay right here. But once you're healed..."

"I'll ride."

Lila stood and crossed to the sink. "I'll go check the fence. And bury the bodies."

Jack's voice followed her quietly. "You don't trust me."

"I don't trust anyone who shows up bleeding and half-dead with a story that changes every time I ask a question."

He gave a soft nod. "Then I'll earn it."

She didn't answer, just grabbed her hat and stepped out into the morning.

Behind her, Jack stared into his coffee, the silence stretching around him like an old enemy. Earning trust wasn't something he'd ever done before. But if he wanted to stay alive-and maybe, just maybe-start over, Lila Montgomery's trust might be the only thing that could save him.