about it. You're blinded by him. Most women are once they get a good look at his face."

Angelina laughed, startling the anger from the Ranger's eyes. "I hardly think I'm one to be turned by a pretty face, Mr. Winston. But I do know Charlie. You do not. Believe me. He didn't do what you're accusing him of. He didn't kill your Claire, and he didn't kill that engineer."

"He'll have his day with the judge to discuss the engineer. Claire," he said and shot a glance of hatred

Charlie's way. "Claire he'll discuss with me."

Angelina stifled her flare of anger. The Ranger was as stubborn as Charlie. But she wouldn't give up.

She'd dealt with stubborn men before and prevailed. She would not allow Drew Winston to take her husband away to be hanged.

"Could I say somethin' here?" Charlie asked.

"No!" Angelina and the Ranger answered in unison.

"I think I'd better," he said.

Angelina rounded on him. "You'd better keep quiet while I handle this. You heard him. He's taking you

back to Texas. If he does, you'll be hanged. No one will believe you there."

"I know that, Angelina. But I just remembered something-something about Claire."

Angelina froze at the name on Charlie's lips. Icy-cold dread swept through her. She glanced at the

Ranger, who had also gone still at the mention of his fiancee.

"Spit it out, Coltrain." He cocked the gun. "Now."

"Relax," Charlie said in disgust. "I'm tryin' to tell you. I remembered where I was when you say I was burnin' your place and killin' your woman."

"Where?" Angelina asked through stiff lips.

"First I was at a funeral; then I was in jail. I can prove I didn't kill Claire. I've got witnesses."

"What are you talking about?" Angelina demanded.

Charlie looked at the Ranger, ignoring the gun trained upon him as though it weren't there. "When was your woman killed? What month?"

Winston frowned, obviously confused at the question. "November."

Charlie nodded. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He turned to Angelina with a crooked smile. "Remember, I told you that somethin' about what the Ranger was sayin' sounded kinda off to me. I finally remembered what. Before I left for Second Chance, I buried my sister." He took in a deep breath after those words before plunging ahead. "Then I spent a month in jail for killin' my stepfather. The judge decided what I already knew. Richard Bakker needed killin'. He let me go at the beginning of December. I spent the entire month of November, when the Ranger's woman got killed, in jail."

"And you just remembered this now?" Angelina asked.

"Yeah. That whole time was kinda a blur to me. But talkin' about it all so much lately with you-" He shrugged. "Well, it must have brought everything back. When the Ranger came in, I suddenly remembered."

Angelina scowled at Charlie. He hadn't made things very easy for the Ranger, forgetting something so important. She glanced at the lawman. Winston looked as though someone had just kicked him hard in the stomach. He uncocked his gun, but kept the weapon pointed at Charlie. "I can check this out, Coltrain."

"Fine. Go ahead. Check it out."

The Ranger stared at Charlie for another moment. Then he glanced at Angelina. Her hope must have shown in her eyes, for he flinched away from her gaze and returned his attention to Charlie. "I'll still have to take you back to Texas."

"What?" Angelina shouted. "Why? He told you he can prove he didn't kill Claire."

"He hasn't proved it yet. And unlike you, ma'am, I don't trust him. He still has to stand trial for the train engineer's murder and the robbery."

"Why? You were wrong about him once, couldn't you be wrong about him again?"

"Possibly. But I doubt if I'm wrong on both counts. Either way, he's going back with me. He can talk to the judge."

"No!" Angelina heard the hysteria in her voice and, for once, didn't care. She was past the point of being good and calm and angelic. Being all those things had gotten her nowhere so far. Maybe being difficult would. "I won't let you take him. I won't. Not now. Not when I've finally found out what-"

"Angelina!" Charlie's voice stopped her in mid-tirade. "Calm down. He's right."

"Huh?" The Ranger gaped at Charlie.

"What are you saying?" Angelina's heart thumped a fearful cadence at the unnatural note of despair lacing Charlie's voice.

"I've got to go back. If I can prove my innocence, then I can get on with my life. If not-" He shrugged. "I've gotten away with plenty of things in my life I deserve to be hanged for. It's kinda fittin' I be hanged for somethin' I didn't do."

"If you insist upon going, then I'm going with you.

"No, you're not. You're goin' back to that convent, and you're gettin' on with your life. I'm no good for you. I'm no good for any woman."

"Listen to him, ma'am."

"You stay out of this," she snapped. "In fact, get out of my room. You can watch the door from the hallway."

The Ranger shrugged. "I'll be right outside." He shut the door behind him.

"I'm sure you will," she muttered. Turning, she ran straight into Charlie's concerned gaze.

"What's gotten into you, Sister? I've never seen you so worked up."

"How can you sit there and calmly discuss your own hanging? If we think, we can get you out of this. There's got to be a way."

"No. No more thinkin'. No more plottin'. I'm goin' back with him. I'm not gonna let you throw your life away because of misguided loyalty to me. You're goin' back to the Sisters, and I'm goin' to Texas with the Ranger."

Angelina bit her lip, panic racing through her at the finality in his tone. He wanted her to go back to the convent. He planned to leave today-without her-to ride merrily toward a near certain death. All her carefully laid plans and her newfound hopes and dreams were shattering around her with every word Charlie uttered.

Angelina took a deep breath and forced herself to be calm. There was a way out of this situation. Her angel had told her to hold fast to her faith and her love. She would do just that, and somehow she would find a way to save them both from disaster.

Outside in the hallway. Drew listened to Angelina's voice rise and fall. Coltrain's ruined tones answered her.

He could almost feel sorry for the girl. She obviously loved the bastard, though he couldn't understand why. When she'd tended his rattlesnake bite. Drew had thought her pretty, sweet, full of an inner strength that lent maturity to her face despite a lack of years. How on earth had Coltrain gotten her to marry him? She hadn't seemed the type to fall for a handsome face, as she'd pointed out. And that father of hers obviously couldn't wait to get Coltrain out of the way. What was the story here?

The door banged open and Angelina came out. Drew caught a quick glance of Coltrain, still propped in the bed, before she closed the door behind her.

"He insists on leaving with you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? What about now?"

"He was just shot last night, Mr. Winston. He's staying here until tomorrow."

Her voice and her face brooked no argument, and though Drew knew he could force the issue, he

decided he didn't have the heart right now.

"All right, ma'am. Tomorrow then."

She gave a sharp nod and went downstairs. He watched her go, the slump of her shoulders reflecting the

dejection within his own heart.

He'd spent the last several years of his life hating Charlie Coltrain, and now it looked as though he just might have been wrong. His entire existence over those years had been geared toward one thing- making Charlie Coltrain pay. If what the outlaw said was true and he wasn't guilty, Drew was in quite a

bind. At this late date he would never be able to determine the truth about who had murdered the woman he loved. And if he could not avenge Claire's death, then what did he have left to live for?

Absolutely nothing, his mind taunted.

Drew shook his head against the melancholy sweeping over him. He still had to return Coltrain to Texas

and then make certain the man was telling the truth about his whereabouts when Claire had died. If not,

Drew would kill Coltrain himself.

A sound at the head of the stairs made him turn sharply, gun at the ready. He relaxed only slightly at the sight of Miguel Reyes.

"Well?" Reyes asked. "Are you taking him away?"

Drew nodded. "Tomorrow. As soon as the sun's up."

Reyes walked toward him, nodding. He stopped directly in front of Drew. "Good. The sooner the better.

Angelina is being difficult, not that her being difficult is anything unusual for her." He shrugged. "You say

Coltrain will most likely be hanged."

"Most likely. He says he didn't rob the train. Wasn't anywhere near the place. He could go free. Who knows? That's for the judge to decide."

Reyes frowned. "That's no good. I have to be certain he is gone forever." He peered at Drew, speculation ripe in his eyes. "Young man, I sense your distaste for Coltrain. Perhaps you would accept a proposition?"

"What proposition?"

"I am a very wealthy man. I can make this worth your while. Name your price."

"For what?" Drew had no idea what Reyes was talking about, and his irritation with that fact was

reflected in the sharpness of his tone.

Reyes chose not to notice. Instead he smiled, leaning toward Drew with an unmistakable air of secrecy.

Despite himself, Drew tilted his head to listen.

"Make sure Coltrain dies before he reaches Texas, and I'll pay you anything you ask."