Читать книгу The Bounty Hunter's Bride - Victoria Bylin - Страница 11

“How do you know our uncle?” Ellie asked.

Dani and the girls were sitting in Adie Blue’s kitchen. After insisting Dani call her by her given name, the pastor’s wife had given the girls snickerdoodles and made Dani a cup of hot tea, lacing it with enough sugar to stop her hands from shaking.

With the girls staring at her, Adie sat down with a cup of her own. “Pastor Josh and I know your uncle from Denver. He used to be a sheriff.”

“Where’s his badge?” Ellie asked.

Adie paused. “I don’t know. Maybe he left it in Denver.”

“Why?” Emma hadn’t touched her cookie. Of the three girls, she was most aware of their uncertain future and needed reassurance for herself and her sisters.

Dani wanted answers, too. And not just from Adie. Why had God filled her heart with love for Patrick and snatched him away? Even more troublesome, why had He left three little girls in the care of a dangerous man? Dani watched as Adie stirred her tea in slow circles, as if this were an ordinary day. But it wasn’t ordinary. Each plink of the spoon sent tremors down Dani’s spine.

Adie finally set her spoon in the saucer and looked at Emma. “Your Uncle Beau was married to a woman named Lucy. Something bad happened and he didn’t want to be a sheriff anymore.”

A wife…Dani didn’t know what to think. Beau Morgan had loved a woman and been loved in return. She didn’t want to feel his pain but she did.

Ellie’s eyes filled with concern. “What happened?”

“It’s hard to talk about, sweetie.”

Emma glared at the pastor’s wife. “As hard as losing Pa?”

“I’m afraid so.”

Adie’s eyes had the fragility of etched glass. Whatever Beau Morgan had suffered, it had been tragic, maybe violent. The girls needed to feel safe, so Dani stepped in. “I hear you have kittens,” she said to Adie.

“I sure do.”

Esther jumped up. Cookie crumbs bounced on the table.

“I want to see them!”

Ellie caught the excitement. “Is Stephen home?”

Adie glanced at Dani to explain. “Stephen’s our son. He and Ellie are the same age.”

“We’re best friends,” Ellie added.

Dani almost smiled. It figured Ellie the tomboy would be friends with the pastor’s son.

Adie looked at Ellie. “Stephen’s staying at Jake Roddy’s house until Sunday.”

“Oh.”

“But you can still play with the kittens,” Adie said.

“They’re in the stable.”

Esther ran for the door.

Adie looked at Emma. “I need to speak to Miss Dani. Would you take your sisters to the stable?”

Emma scowled. “But—”

“I know, sweetie.” Adie motioned for Emma to lean closer.

“You’re old enough to know the facts, but Esther isn’t. We need your help.”

“Will you tell me later?” Emma asked.

Dani nodded. “I promise.”

The girls left through the back door. Adie went to the stove where she lifted an enamel kettle and refilled their cups.

“I wish Josh were here.”

“Where is he?” Dani asked.

“Looking for you. He must have missed your train.”

Dani squared her shoulders. “I’m glad he did. It gave me a chance to meet Mr. Morgan.”

“That’s not the real Beau.” Adie put down the kettle. “Let’s sit on the porch. I’ll tell you his story, but I need to see the sky when I do.”

“Why?”

“To remember that Lucy’s in Heaven. Considering how she died, it’s the only comfort we have.” With her cup and saucer in hand, Adie led the way to the porch and indicated the hodgepodge of chairs. “Take the rocker. It’s soothing.”

Balancing her teacup, Dani dropped onto the chair and instantly felt the cradlelike rocking. It matched the beat of her heart, calming her thoughts as the hot tea had settled her nerves. Adie said nothing as a man in a black preacher’s coat rode into the yard on a dapple gray.

“That’s Josh.” She set her cup on the table, then went down the stairs to meet him.

At the sight of his wife, Reverend Blue’s face turned from stone to living flesh. He slid out of the saddle, slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her into a gentle hug. After lowering his chin, he whispered something in her ear. Dani ached with envy. A husband…A partner and friend. Marriage meant starting a family. It meant belonging to a person and making a home. Dani had lived in Walker County her entire life, but she’d never fitted in. She’d felt that oneness with Patrick and now he was gone.

Why, Lord?

It was a question for Reverend Blue, but the man looked nothing like the minister Dani had expected. When she dreamed of the wedding, she’d pictured him as a twin of her pastor in Wisconsin, an elderly man with kind eyes. Pastor Schmidt had called Jesus the Lamb of God. He’d taught his flock to turn the other cheek.

Reverend Blue had a mane of dark hair, hawkish eyes and a chin that looked as if it could take a punch. For a good cause, Dani suspected he’d welcome it. Would he find her cause worthy? The Blues considered Beau a friend, but they didn’t know about the pistols on the porch or the secrecy in town. Dani had to convince them to help her keep the girls.

Reverend Blue guided his wife up the stairs. As Adie sat, he took off his hat and faced Dani. “I’m sorry about Patrick, Miss Baxter. It had to be a shock.”

“Yes.” Her throat closed.

He dropped into the chair on her right and turned it so they were seated at an angle. “Whatever you need, Adie and I will help. Train fare—”

“I’m not leaving.” Dani had to make her case and she had to do it now. “I want to adopt the girls.”

The Reverend’s eyes stayed kind, but he lowered his chin. “I don’t think—”

“I have to!” Dani’s voice trembled. “I promised Patrick.”

The Reverend traded a look with his wife. They had an entire conversation without saying a word. Jealousy raged in Dani’s middle. She was mad at everyone right now—the Reverend, Adie, Beau Morgan, Patrick for leaving her, and especially God.

Adie spoke to her husband in a murmur. “I saw Beau.”

“How is he?” The Reverend sounded grim.

“He looks terrible,” Adie replied.

Dani jumped in. “The girls are terrified of him. Frankly, so am I.”

“Of Beau?” The Reverend sounded incredulous.

“Yes.” Dani pressed her point. “I don’t know what he was like in Denver, but he’s not fit to raise three girls. I don’t care what Patrick’s will says. I have letters. He’d want me to raise his daughters.”

“Miss Baxter—”

“I can prove it.”

Reverend Blue held her gaze. “Maybe so, but does it matter?”

“Of course, it matters!”

“Why?”

“They prove what Patrick intended.”

The Reverend’s eyes filled with sympathy. “God might have other plans. Patrick left a will, but—”

Her throat hurt. “The letter is more recent.”

Reverend Blue sealed his lips. Dani didn’t like his expression at all. He looked like a man keeping a secret. Had Beau already spoken to the Blues? Did they know about sending the girls to school?

She had to make her case. “You can’t let him do it.”

“Do what?” Adie asked.

“Send the girls away.”

The Blues traded another look. Adie turned up her palms in confusion. “I spoke to Beau for less than a minute. I don’t know what he’s planning.”

“I do,” Dani said. “He wants to send the girls away to school. I can’t let him do it. They need to be in their own home.”

Adie’s mouth tensed. “They certainly do.”

“That’s why I want to adopt them,” Dani continued. “I grew up on the biggest dairy farm in Walker County. I know the business. I can run the farm and the girls can stay together. It’s what Patrick would have wanted.”

The Reverend said nothing. Why the silence? If he wouldn’t speak, how could she convince him to support the adoption? She didn’t know what to think of this hard, silent man, but she liked Adie. She turned to the preacher’s wife. “Will you help me?”

“Hold on, ladies.” Reverend Blue sounded like Moses about to deliver the Ten Commandments. “Things aren’t that simple.”

Dani frowned. “Why not?”

“Patrick’s will gives Beau authority. He’s a blood relative.”

“He’s also dirty and dangerous!” Dani didn’t like her tone, but she felt overwhelmed by emotions. Sadness. Fear. An anger that needed a target. She stared hard at Reverend Blue.

He stared back. “What has Beau done to offend you?”

Dani related Emma’s story about the guns, then described the trip to town. Her skin crawled at the recollection of Beau Morgan behind the window, the way his eyes had narrowed to her face. The more she relived the escape, the more deeply she disliked the man who had made it necessary. She took a breath. “I know you and Mrs. Blue consider Mr. Morgan a friend, but people change. He’s not the man you once knew.”

The Reverend drummed his fingers on the armrest. “Has Beau harmed you in any way?”

“No.”

“Has he been harsh with the girls?”

Dani thought of the blankets in the wagon and felt petty. She recalled his smelly clothes and knew he’d worked hard. He’d sounded threatening, but his actions had been courteous, even caring. “He’s been a perfect gentleman.”

“That’s what I’d expect.” The Reverend looked her in the eye. “Let me tell you about Beau Morgan, Miss Baxter. He was the bravest, most dedicated lawman Denver ever had. He sang in the church choir. He pounded half the nails in my first church and served as a deacon. He put Bibles in jail cells for men who spat on him.”

Dani didn’t want Beau Morgan to be human, someone with a conscience who’d fight her for the girls. “That was five years ago. It’s a long time.”

“So is five minutes,” he said. “That’s how long it took for Beau’s life to change.”

Adie touched Dani’s arm. “This is a horrible story, but you need to understand.”

Dani’s insides spun. “What happened?”

The Reverend’s gaze shifted to the mountains rising in the west. “It started with a gang of horse thieves. Randall Johnson was the leader. I knew him. I knew Clay, too. They were brothers with Randall being the elder.”

“How did you meet them?” Dani couldn’t see the connection between the outlaws and this man of the cloth.

The Reverend’s lips quirked upward. “Same way I met a lot of outlaws back then. I rode into their camp and introduced the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. That was a few months before the horse thieving started.”

Dani sighed. “I guess the message didn’t take.”

“We don’t know,” the Reverend said. “But I do know what happened that day in October. The Johnson gang raided Cobbie Miller’s place. They burned the outbuildings and made off with a dozen good horses. They also abused Cobbie’s two daughters.”

Dani felt both ill and furious.

The Reverend leaned back in his chair. “Cobbie stormed into town with the girls in the wagon, wrapped in blankets and looking pale. He went straight to the sheriff’s office. Beau put together a posse. Three days later, he shot Randall Johnson in a fair fight. I know, because I saw it.”

Dani let out her breath. “Justice was done.”

“Not in Clay Johnson’s mind. His brother was dead and he wanted revenge. He got it by murdering Beau’s wife.”

Dani gasped.

Reverend Blue stared into the distance, but his gaze lacked focus as he traveled to that bitter day in Denver. “It happened a week after Beau shot Randall. Clay sneaked into town and positioned himself on the building across from the sheriff’s office. He must have been up there for hours, but Beau never made rounds that morning. Of all the stupid things, he’d busted his big toe chopping wood.”

Dani blinked and saw Beau Morgan’s sock with his toe poking through the hole. Five years ago, his wife would have darned it. She’d have knit him new ones. Dani didn’t want to ache for him, but she did.

Adie touched her arm. “It’s a hard story to hear.”

“And hard to tell,” said the Reverend.

“Go on,” Dani urged. “I need to know.”

Reverend Blue raised his chin in defiance of what he had to relive. “I know what happened because Beau told me. He’s gone over that moment a thousand times. Maybe more.”

Dani thought of Emma standing at the window, recalling Patrick’s riderless horse and the smell of burned flesh. She heard Beau Morgan telling the child not to talk. He’d been trying to protect her from a heartache that rivaled his own. Dani had judged him as hard, yet he’d been acting with compassion.

Reverend Blue took a deep breath. “Beau was sitting at his desk with his foot on a stool when he saw Lucy pass by the window with a picnic basket. She’d been to the doctor that morning and had come to surprise him.”

Her heart squeezed. A healthy young woman went to the doctor for just one reason. The picnic basket…a surprise for her husband. Tears welled in Dani’s eyes.

Reverend Blue cleared his throat. “In spite of his bad toe, Beau got up to help her. When he opened the door, Johnson fired. Lucy died in Beau’s arms.”

In Wisconsin, Dani could look at a tulip and see God in the petals. She could catch a snowflake and see the divine beauty. Staring at the rippling grass, she saw nothing but Lucy Morgan’s blood and Patrick’s riderless horse. “Where was God?” she said in a whisper.

“Same place He is right now,” said the Reverend.

“I don’t feel Him.”

“I think you do, Miss Baxter.” She felt the Reverend’s gaze on the side of her face. “I see tears in your eyes. Our Lord’s weeping, too. For Beau. For you. For those three little girls. Bad things happen. It’s a fact. But the Lord will see you through.”

“I know that’s true,” Dani murmured. “It has to be true.”

Yet she couldn’t shake the niggling fear that she’d left God in Wisconsin. She looked to the Reverend for comfort but didn’t find it. His eyes were on his wife, blazing with a protectiveness that tore Dani’s heart in two. With Patrick’s death, she could only dream of a man looking at her that way.

The Reverend’s throat twitched with emotion.

Adie’s eyes misted.

Dani’s throat hurt. It tightened even more when the girls spilled out of the stable door. Emma had a blanket draped over her arm. Ellie had the box of kittens and Esther’s little legs pumped as she tried to keep up with her sisters. Dani raised her chin. God had denied her a husband, but she could still be a mother.

The Reverend broke into her thoughts. “I spoke at Lucy’s funeral.” He bit off the last word, as if he could barely say it. “I’m a man of God, Miss Baxter. I believe in Heaven and Hell and living well in between, but I could barely say a word that day.”

Adie interrupted. “I’ll tell the rest. I’m the one who cooked Beau his last meal.”

“It was roast beef,” the Reverend said.

“And raspberry pie. I’d given Lucy the recipe.”

Dani bit her lip to fight the dread.

Adie laced her fingers together. “I’ll never forget that last night on the porch. Lucy had been gone a month when Beau said he was leaving town. As cold as death, he said, ‘I’m going to hunt down Clay Johnson and kill him.’”

“I believed him,” said the Reverend.

“I still do,” Adie replied.

Dani shivered. “That’s why he’s been so protective, isn’t it? Clay Johnson…is he in the area?”

“Beau thinks so,” Adie said.

Fear, danger and dirt. Beau Morgan had brought all three into the lives of three little girls. Dani’s heart broke for his loss, but she feared for Patrick’s daughters. She turned to Adie. “I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything.”

“Could the girls and I stay with you a few days?”

Adie tilted her head. “Are you still afraid of Beau?”

“No,” Dani replied. “But I am afraid of Clay Johnson. What if he comes to the farm?”

Adie looked at Josh. “Dani has a point.”

“I’ll speak to Beau,” said Reverend Blue. “He’ll know best.”

Dani thought of the ride through town. Surely Beau would want to keep them safe. “Thank you.”

Adie touched her shoulder. “You must be exhausted. Would you like to rest a bit?”

Dani shook her head. “If I close my eyes, I’ll see Patrick.”

“A walk might be nice,” Adie said kindly.

“I think I will. Is the church open?”

“Always,” said the Reverend.

As she pushed to her feet, Dani looked at the tin steeple. The sun had dropped in the sky, turning it from silver to gray. The edges no longer seemed so sharp. Maybe she’d go inside. Maybe she wouldn’t. Mostly she wanted to cry and she wanted to do it alone. She looked across the yard and saw the girls. They seemed content, but in the distance she saw the stirring of dust from a wagon and recognized Beau Morgan holding the reins. He had her future in his hands, as well. She had to convince him she could handle the girls and the farm. That would be hard to do if they stayed with the Blues, but neither did she like the idea of an outlaw stalking them.

Patrick? Are you watching? What should I do?

Silence.

With her heart aching, Dani headed for the cemetery.

Beau steered the wagon into the yard and stopped. The chairs on the porch sent him back in time to Denver, where Josh and Adie had lived in a Mansion named Swan’s Nest. Beau and another deputy had taken to visiting on Wednesday nights. During the third visit, Josh had opened his Bible and read scriptures from Proverbs, the funny ones about fools and carping women. Their little group had turned into the Wednesday Ruckus, a men’s Bible study that didn’t mince words. That’s how Beau got roped into church on Sunday…How he’d met Lucy.

As he climbed down from the seat, he saw Josh come out of the parsonage. The man looked harder than ever. Rail thin and tall, he resembled a chimney pipe. Beau wasn’t in the mood for Josh’s kind of fire, but he was glad to see his old friend.

“Hello, Reverend.”

“Reverend?” The preacher faked a scowl. “You used to call me Josh.”

Beau offered his hand to shake, but Josh pulled him into a bear hug and thumped him hard between the shoulder blades. Beau pounded back. In Denver he’d enjoyed having friends, men who’d told jokes when times were bright and stayed quiet when they weren’t. He missed them. He missed a lot of things. He stepped back. “It’s been a long time.”

“Five years, friend.” Josh’s eyes burned like coal. “Where in the world have you been?”

“I think you know.”

“Only what you told Adie.” Josh put his hands on his hips, pulling back the flaps of his coat. “You and I need to talk.”

“No, we don’t.” Beau’s voice dropped to a growl. He didn’t want to hear about forgiving his enemies. He wanted an eye for an eye. He wanted Clay Johnson to swing from a rope.

Josh aimed his chin at the girls. “You have three children in your care.”

“I know that.”

“And Miss Baxter, too.”

“Only because she’s too stubborn to go home.” Beau looked at the red curtains in the window. He half expected to see Miss Baxter spying on him, but the gingham hung straight. “Where is she?”

“Taking a walk. I’m sorry about Patrick.”

“Me, too,” Beau said. “Those girls are suffering.”

“So’s Miss Baxter.”

Beau didn’t need to be reminded of the woman’s tears. He’d been the one to deliver the bad news. He’d felt the same pain when Lucy died. “I know all about it.”

“Yes, you do.”

Beau appreciated Josh’s plain tone. He hated pity, but he hated Clay Johnson even more. A bitter rage burned in Beau’s soul. “Johnson’s close, Josh. I can smell him.”

“Is he a threat?”

“I don’t know.”

Beau told Josh about the trinkets Johnson had left him, the taunting letters. “I don’t know what he’ll do next. He could run, or he could turn the tables and come after me.”

Josh folded his arms again. “You know what I’m going to say.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Beau thought back to Lucy’s funeral. To Josh’s credit, he hadn’t said a word about forgiveness. He’d saved that speech for the day Beau rode out of Denver.

Bitterness will eat you alive, my friend. Vengeance belongs to the Lord.

Fine, but Beau wanted to be the man to put the noose around Johnson’s neck. As soon as he took care of his nieces, he’d get back to the business of revenge. As for the bothersome Baxter woman, she’d be better off in Wisconsin with her family.

Josh’s expression stayed hard. “Adie tells me you scared the daylights out of Miss Baxter. That was a fool thing to do.”

Beau grunted. “She’s as green as grass.”

“Not from what I can see.”

“Then you haven’t seen much.”

“I’ve seen plenty.” Josh looked Beau up and down. “Looks like you found time for a bath.”

Beau wished he’d worn his duster over his new clothes. The blue shirt made him feel like a dandy, and so did the brown leather vest. The gun belt still hugged his hip, but he’d slicked back his hair and his jaw had a shine. Beau scowled. “Adie shamed me into it.”

“Adie’s wise.”

She was also a good cook. Beau smelled supper on the stove. His mouth watered, but he refused to be hungry.

Josh eyed him thoughtfully. “Thanks to your bad manners, Miss Baxter wants to stay here with the girls.”

Beau toyed with the idea but rejected it. “The woman can do whatever she wants, but I want the girls on the farm.”

“Is it safe?” Josh asked.

“As safe as I can make it.” His nieces shared his name. Beau wanted them where he could see them. He didn’t expect Johnson to ride into town, but the outlaw had a sick mind.

“Can I give you some advice?” Josh asked.

“Can I stop you?”

“No, so here it is. The girls think of Miss Baxter as their new mother. They think of you as an intruder. They trust her. No matter what you decide, things will be easier if she’s on your side.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Why not?”

“She made a promise to Patrick. She wants to adopt the girls.”

“I know.” Josh lowered his voice. “I know something else.”

“What?”

“I can’t share it with you.”

Beau thought of Emma standing at the farmhouse window. He went to see Pastor Josh. He was in a hurry. Had Patrick gotten cold feet? Beau remembered the day before he’d married Lucy. He’d been crazy about her, but his knees had turned to jelly before the wedding. If Patrick had changed his mind, Miss Baxter’s promise to adopt the girls meant nothing. She’d be free to go home to Wisconsin.

Beau hated secrets, but he trusted Josh. “You know best.”

“I hope so.”

No matter what troubled the minister, Beau knew he’d wield the sword of truth with discretion. Before coming to Colorado, Joshua Blue had been a high-and-mighty preacher in Boston. He’d suffered for his misplaced words and knew the power of a loose tongue.

So did Beau. He’d spoken too quickly when he’d asked Daniela Baxter to stay at the farm. His belly had been growling and he hadn’t given the situation enough thought. The girls were already too attached to her. With each day, that tie would grow stronger and they’d all end up heartbroken. With Harriet Lange in the picture, Beau hoped the situation would be resolved in a matter of days, a few weeks at the most. He could live on pancakes until then.

As for Daniela Baxter, she’d be better off with the Blues. Once the shock of Patrick’s death wore off, Beau felt sure she’d head home to Wisconsin.

“Where is she?” he asked. “I need to speak with her.”

“Look in the church.”

His stomach lurched. No way would he go inside that building. He turned to ask Josh to fetch her, but the minister had already slipped into the house. Beau turned back to the building and scowled at it. He’d gone to church twice after Lucy’s death. With a groaning deeper than words, he’d hit his knees. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…”