“I’d close those eyes again if I were you.”Sterling jerked his head to the side to discover his worst nightmare sitting there.Swindler’s gaze bore into him.“It would be unfortunate if Graves misjudged the seriousness of your injury, and you were to suddenly expire on the spot. Frannie would be terribly disappointed,” Swindler said.”

“I adore you, Frannie. You know that. I always have."She gave him the smile that had always warmed him, but it was not that threatened to bring him to his knees. He would kill to keep that smile on her face. But to keep Catherine smiling, he would willingly die."But you love Catherine," Frannie said quietly.”

“Austin stood. “All right, I will.” He walked to the door and stopped, his hand on the latch. He gazed back over his shoulder. “That woman you love . . . Do I know her?”Houston forced himself to meet his brother’s gaze. The boy only knew one woman, if he didn’t count the whores in Dusty Flats. “Yeah, you do.” “She never left your side, not for one minute.” “She should have.” “Well, I’m not learned in these matters, but I’d like to think if a woman ever loved me as much as that one loves you ... I’d crawl through hell to be by her side.”

“If he wasn't angry, he certainly did a good imitation. His voice was clipped and as hard as stone. She wrung her hands together. "I love you. Clay.""No, you don't."Meg felt as though he'd just slapped her. "Yes, I do. When you leave this town, I'll go with you."Narrowing his eyes, he studied her. "Will you marry me?""Yes.""Will you give me children?""If I can. Kirk and I were never able to conceive, but if I can have children, I want to have yours.""In this town that we move to, wherever it is, will you walk down the street with me?""Of course.""Holding my hand?""Yes.""And the hands of my children?""Yes."He unfolded his arms and took a step toward her. She wanted to fling herself into his embrace, but something hard in his eyes stopped her."And what happens, Mrs. Warner, when someone you know rides through town and points at me and calls me a yellow-bellied coward? What will you do then? Will you let go of my hand and take my children to the other side of the street? Will you pretend that you haven't kissed me, that you haven't lain with me beneath the stars?" With disgust marring his features, he turned away. "You think I'm a coward. Go home.""I don't think that. I love you."He spun around. "You don't believe in that love, you don't believe in me.""Yes, I do."He stalked toward her. She backed into the corner and bent her head to meet his infuriated gaze."How strongly do you believe in our love?" he asked, his voice ominously low. "If they threatened to strip off your clothes unless you denied our love, would you deny our love?"He gave her no chance to respond, but continued on, his voice growing deeper and more ragged, as though he were dredging up events from the past."If they wouldn't let you sleep until you denied our love, would you deny our love so you could lay your head on a pillow?"If they stabbed a bayonet into your backside every time your eyes drifted closed, would you deny our love so your flesh wouldn't be pierced?"If they applied a hot brand to your flesh until you screamed in agony, would you deny our love so they'd take away the iron?"If they placed you before a firing squad, would you say you didn't love me so they wouldn't shoot you?"He stepped back and plowed his hands through his hair. "You think I'm a coward. You don't think I have the courage to stand beside you and risk the anger of your father. I'd die before I turned away from anyone or anything I believed in. You won't even walk by my side."He looked the way she imagined soldiers who had lost a battle probably looked: weary, tired of the fight, disillusioned."You don't believe in me," he said quietly. "How can you believe in our love?”

“Dodger knelt beside Sterling. “Greystone, you have to understand we come from the streets. When Frannie was a young girl, we weren’t able to stop someone from hurting her very badly. The four of us swore an oath that we’d die before we let anyone harm her again. It’s a vow we will keep.”Sterling lay where he was long after Dodger left. He had been correct about one thing: they did love her.”

“Brittles stood at attention until Jack looked at him, then he bowed slightly. “I’m sorry to disturb you, sir, but an Inspector Swindler from Scotland Yard wishes to speak with you. Are you home?”“Of course, I’m home, man. I’m sitting right here.”

“...Closing his eyes, he saw every smile that Rebecca had ever directed his way and knew a pang of regret. He would have liked to have held her in his arms one last time before he died.”