Lawfully Justifiedl (Bounty Hunter Lawkeeper Romance)

by Lorana Hoopes

  After pulling on his clothes, William folded up the few items he had unpacked and shoved them back in the saddlebag. He spared a final glance around the room to make sure he hadn’t missed anything before heading to the kitchen.

  He didn’t expect anyone else was awake, but he was hopeful he could locate the coffee and brew a pot before having to head out. However, he was pleasantly surprised to find Doc Moore reading at the table, Carrie already bustling in the kitchen, and a pot of coffee already made.

  “Good morning, Mr. Cook,” Doc Moore said, looking up from his Bible as William entered. “Would you like some eggs before you leave?”

  “If it isn’t too much trouble,” William said, being careful to keep his voice low as Jennie was still asleep on the couch.

  “It’s no trouble,” Carrie said. “There’s coffee made too. Go on and help yourself.”

  William nodded and grabbed a cup off the shelf, feeling very much at home and like an outsider at the same time. He filled the mug, added a dash of milk, and returned to the table with the warm liquid in hand.

  As he sat down, Carrie placed a plate of eggs, bacon, and a slice of bread in front of him. “Thank you,” he said, smiling up at her before picking up his fork.

  “Aren’t you going to pray first?” Doc Moore asked.

  William dropped his gaze. “It’s been quite a while since I prayed. I’m not sure I remember how.”

  “Then I’ll pray for you,” the doctor said and closed his eyes. “Lord, we thank you for this food and for the hands that prepared it. Thank you for healing William. Keep him safe on his journey and help him find his way back to you. Amen.”

  “Amen,” William echoed though he felt strange listening to someone else pray for him.

  He ate his breakfast in silence, unsure how to bring up the topic of Emma. Doc Moore had made it pretty clear the previous night that Emma may want nothing more to do with him and that he might not see her before leaving, but he felt he at least owed her an apology.

  “Do you have any paper and a pen?” William asked when his plate was clean, and his belly was full.

  Doc Moore nodded, walked to a small chest in the living room, and returned a moment later with a few sheets of paper and a pen.

  William stared at the blank page for a minute wondering how to write what was in his head. After a deep breath, he placed the pen on the sheet and let the words flow. When he was finished, he folded the letter and wrote Emma’s name on the outside.

  “Will you make sure she gets this?” William asked Carrie as he stood.

  “Of course. I’ll put it in our room where she’ll be sure to find it,” Carrie said. As she took the paper from him, she flashed him a small sympathetic smile.

  “Alright, I guess I should be going then,” William said. “Can you show me where my horse is lodged?”

  “Be happy to,” Doc Moore said, standing and leading the way outside.

  The air was crisp and cool as they walked to the barn, and the first rays of sunlight were hitting the sky, creating a brilliant purple and red color.

  Doc Moore opened the barn door and crossed to the third stall. William was glad to see his horse munching hay happily in the stall. She looked well taken care of.

  He entered the stall and let Bessie sniff his hand. She had been his first purchase when he joined the Rangers and she had been his closest friend since.

  “Thank you again for boarding her and taking care of her while I recovered,” William said, pulling out a small wad of bills and handing it over to Doc Moore.

  The doctor shook his head, but William insisted, “You fed me, so consider it repayment for food. Besides, I make more than enough money for myself.”

  With a single nod, the doctor accepted the money and shoved it in his pocket. “You’re welcome, Mr. Cook. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to throw my two cents in. I can tell by the way you look at my daughter that you have feelings for her and the very action of her shutting herself in her room proves she cares for you as well. I know you must turn your bounty in, but there comes a time in a man’s life when he realizes the chase is no longer what it once was. There is a comfort in coming home to a loyal woman.

  “I know you had that once,” Doc Moore continued when William opened his mouth to speak. “And I know you say you don’t want it again, but iffen you ever do, I’d be willing to get to know you better.”

  “Thank you, Sir,” William said, unsure of what else to say. That very thought had been playing in his head like a record since the day before. How nice it had been to come home to a loving woman and how it could be that way again if he could give up bounty hunting. But therein lay the quandary. Could he give up the life?

  The doctor said nothing further as he helped William saddle Bessie up.

  “Be sure to keep your wound clean and covered for another week or so,” he said as William mounted Bessie outside the barn. “And be seen by a doctor if you have any issues breathing or the pain gets worse.”

  “I will, thank you,” William said. He spared one final look at the man who had saved his life and then glanced at the house in hopes of at least seeing Emma in the window. Nothing but empty windows greeted him back and with a sigh, William turned the horse towards town. He had a bounty to collect and a woman to forget.

  * * *

  The house was quiet when Emma woke the next morning. She looked to the side, but the bed was empty. Where was everyone? Pa would most likely be at work and Jennie and Benjamin would be at school, but where were Carrie and Samuel? Emma was just surprised they had let her sleep in. Of course, usually she was awoken by Jennie first thing in the morning.

  After a quick stretch, Emma rolled out of bed and dressed for the day. Her calico dress was nothing fancy, but it was one of her favorites as evidenced by the fraying hem at the bottom.

  She opened the bedroom door, expecting to hear Carrie cleaning in the kitchen or see her sitting in the living room, sewing, but there was nothing but silence.

  “Hello?” Emma called as she walked toward the kitchen. The dishes were washed and drying by the sink save for a plate with a few pancakes on it, obviously saved for her. A wave of hunger knotted her stomach as she realized she had missed dinner the previous night in her effort to avoid William.

  Grabbing the plate, she sat down at the table and that’s when she saw the note. Her name was at the top, written in her sister’s handwriting.

  Emma,

  William is gone. I do think you should have listened to his story for Joseph’s death wasn’t really his fault. We decided to let you sleep as it seemed you needed it, so to make sure it was quiet for you, I decided to help Pa out in the clinic today. Samuel is working the garden should you need anything. I pray you find peace and we’ll see you this evening.

  Carrie

  Emma frowned at the paper as she cut the pancake into pieces and brought a forkful to her mouth. Had she been wrong not to listen to William? It wouldn’t be the first time her emotions got the better of her, but usually she had a way to make it right. If William were gone though, there was no way to make it right, but maybe it was better this way. After all, even without the lying incident, he wouldn’t have stayed, and Emma would still be alone, wouldn’t she?

  She pondered that question as she finished eating the pancakes. When she was finished, she washed her dishes and then looked around the room for what else she could do. Carrie was such a good homemaker that items were rarely out of place.

  Emma wandered into the living room, but everything was put away here as well. She would venture into her father’s and brothers’ room, but they had often said they would rather she didn’t, so she wandered back into the girls’ room to grab some knitting.

  As she reached for the knitting bucket beside the dresser, another flash of white caught her eye. It was another note, but this one wasn’t written in her sister’s curly script. Instead, her name was spelled out in a crooked print.

  Intrigued, Emma grabbed the note and sat down on the
bed to read it.

  Dear Emma,

  I hope Carrie left this for you. I’m sorry things ended so poorly between us, and I wish I could go back and tell you the moment I knew, but I was scared. I haven’t felt affection for a woman since Catherine, but I was feeling attraction to you, and I was afraid you would be angry when you found out. I don’t know if you felt the same way I did, nor do I know if I could have offered you the kind of life you want. Perhaps it worked out this way for a reason, but I wanted to thank you for caring for my injury and to let you know how sorry I was. If I could go back in time and make sure Gilbert was truly secured and bring Joseph back to you, I would.

  William Cook

  Emma fought the emotion as she read the letter again and pored over each word. Had she acted too hastily? It didn’t matter now, of course. William was gone, and she had no way to reach him. The enormity of that hit her and the letter fell from her hands as she curled into a ball and let the tears come once more.

  Chapter Ten

  What took so long?” Jack Hardesty asked as William deposited Monroe in his care. “This was supposed to be a quick and easy hunt.”

  “I took a bullet,” William growled. “I had to take a few days to heal. I was lucky it hit a fleshy part and didn't cause other damage.”

  He had been grumpy all day since picking Monroe up from the Sage Creek jail. William had thought once he left the town that the image of Emma would fade from his mind and he would remember the thrill of collecting bounties, but Monroe had been nothing but a hassle since they left.

  William had bound his hands to the front of the saddle and then, after getting Monroe mounted on the horse, had tied his feet to the saddle belt to keep him from kicking. Monroe had fought but not as much as William had expected. Instead, he had pleaded his case the entire ride. William grew so tired of his voice that he almost knocked the man out.

  “I have another mark,” Jack said. “You think you can handle it or should I give it to someone else.”

  “I can take it,” William said. Whether he could or not he needed to. He needed to stay busy to keep his mind and his heart from wandering to the blond woman he had left behind.

  “Good,” Jack said. “Well, here’s the cut for Monroe and the next mark.” He slid a plump white envelope and a folded piece of paper across the desk.

  William picked up the envelope first and glanced inside to see it bursting with bills. Then he unfolded the piece of paper. A grim looking man with a long thin face stared back at him.

  William scanned the paper. Tom “Too Tall” Herman wanted for bank robbery. Last seen near Dallas Texas. It was perfect. Far enough away to put distance between Emma and himself and with a paycheck of a thousand dollars, it was a nice job that should be challenging enough to keep him on his toes and his mind off a certain woman.

  “Looks good. I’ll head out now.”

  Jack nodded and turned his attention to Monroe.

  After a quick stop at the mercantile to load up and replenish items he needed, William repacked his saddle bag, mounted Bessie, and headed toward Dallas. If he was lucky, he might make it by nightfall but more than likely, he’d be sleeping under the stars.

  * * *

  When her tears were spent, Emma wandered back into the kitchen. She still had a few hours before the young ones would be out of school and a few more hours until her father and Carrie would be home. Samuel would probably finish his work around the small farm shortly after the young ones returned home.

  Emma decided to spend the time cooking for supper. She began chopping vegetables for the stew, hoping to keep her mind off William Cook’s strong face and cleft chin.

  When the vegetables were ready, she added them and the meat to a large pot and lit the fire. As the stew began to simmer, she turned her attention to the bread. After the ingredients were mixed, she began kneading the dough, letting her mind flirt with “what if” possibilities.

  If she had heard William out, would he have stayed? Beyond that, if he had stayed, would he have wanted to court her? Might she have one day been preparing bread for him in their house as she waited for him to come home for dinner?

  “Mmm, what smells so good?”

  Jennie’s voice broke Emma’s daydream, and she looked up to realize nearly an hour had passed and she hadn’t gotten the bread in the stove yet. Benjamin and Jennie stood a few feet away staring at her.

  “It’s stew,” Emma said, placing the bread in the stove, “but it’s not ready yet. We’re going to wait for Pa and Carrie to finish their day before we eat.”

  “Okay,” Jennie said, a small pout gracing her lips. “Do you think William will ever come back?”

  “Yeah, I miss him too,” Benjamin said. “I wanted him to teach me about bounty hunting.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry you two, but I don’t think Mr. Cook is coming back,” Emma said.

  “Emma, are you sad that William is gone?” Jennie asked.

  Emma sighed. “I suppose I am a little, but Mr. Cook had to get back to his life. He would never have been happy staying here. Sage Creek doesn’t have enough to offer him.”

  “It has us,” Jennie said with a pout. She folded her arms across her chest. “I wanted him to stay. I wanted the two of you to get married so he could be with us always.”

  “Why are you so eager to marry me off?” Emma asked with a smile. “Won’t you miss me when I don’t live here any longer?”

  “Yes,” Jennie said, “but you seemed happier when you were married to Joseph.”

  Emma stared at the sage little girl. Of course she had been happier when she was married to Joseph, but that had been about Joseph and not just about marriage, right? Suddenly, she was no longer sure.

  * * *

  William made it to Dallas just as the sun was setting. At least he’d be able to sleep in a room tonight and ask some questions around town. If he was really lucky, maybe he’d even find his mark hanging around at the saloon though from his experience, bank robbers tended to be less social.

  The inn’s sign came into view and William dismounted, throwing the reins around the hitching post before sauntering into the three-story building.

  The smell of leather greeted him as he stepped into the lobby. Two brown leather couches complemented the cream and brown colors of the room. A woman sat behind a check-in desk to the right.

  She looked up as William approached and he paused. With her blond hair and hazel eyes, she reminded him very much of Emma. He shook his head to clear the image - how had she affected him so profoundly after only a few days - and continued toward the woman. She wasn’t Emma; he knew that. Emma was back in Sage Creek.

  “Can I help you?” she asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. I wanted to see if you have a room for a few nights.”

  She smiled at him as she opened a large book. “You might be in luck.” After a quick scanning, she turned around and grabbed a key off the hook. “I have room three available.”

  “Wonderful.” William plunked down the required bills and took the key. He would check the room out and stash his money before heading to the saloon to gather information. It was never smart to carry a lot of money into those places. You never knew when fights might break out or pickpockets would wander through.

  A quick investigation of the room satisfied him, and after stashing the money under the bed, William locked the door behind him and headed toward the saloon.

  The place was bustling when he arrived, not unusual as these types of establishments catered to a night crowd.

  He walked up to the bar and ordered his usual single shot of whiskey. The bartender had just slid the glass his direction when a heated argument broke out next to him.

  “I told you to stay away from my sister, Charles.” The words were slurred and angry.

  “Your sister is old enough to make up her own mind, Leroy,” the other man shot back, his voice much harder to understand. Both men had clearly had too much to drink.

  William, wanting to distance hims
elf from any fight so as not to draw attention, grabbed his drink and stood, but the men were quicker than he had expected and before he had fully turned, a fist appeared out of nowhere and connected with his neck.

  The room grew grey as William grabbed his neck and sank to the floor. Hot, searing pain erupted in the wound and clawed up his neck. While the men brawled near him, he tried in vain to grab the attention of anyone close by, but everyone’s gaze remained fixated on the two men and William lost his fight with the darkness.

  Chapter Eleven

  Thank you for finally coming out with me,” Carl said, grabbing Emma’s hand.

  She fought the urge to extricate her hand from his grip as they walked. What had she been thinking? Giving Carl hope wasn’t fair to either of them and she didn’t need to be married to be happy. Emma had accepted the invitation to the town picnic in a moment of weakness and now she was regretting it.

  “You’re welcome, but Carl, I hope you understand this doesn’t mean we are courting. This is just two friends attending a town social event together.”

  “Don’t be silly, Emma,” he said. “You know we belong together, and after this afternoon, I’m sure you’ll remember how much fun we used to have.”

  Emma swallowed her sigh. This was going to be a long few hours.

  The church grounds were already littered with blankets and townspeople when they arrived. Carl found an open patch and spread out a blanket for them. Emma set the picnic basket she had packed down and then folded her feet under her.

  “Would you like some punch?” Carl asked.

  “That would be nice,” Emma said.

  He returned a few minutes later with a cup of lemonade for them both. After handing her a cup, he sat as well, placing himself a little too close to Emma for her comfort.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked, shifting her position to discreetly put more space between them. She opened the picnic basket. “I have cheese, biscuits, and fruit.”