by Lisa Harris
Catherine took another small bite of the cake from the glass dessert plate. Who said she needed a man in her life anyway? Being a spinster—even one who’d been twice jilted—was no cause to be ashamed. She’d taken what life had handed her, raised her sisters on her own, and turned a once floundering business into a success. She had her family, her church work, and Morgan’s General Store. Life was good. Something many people only dreamed about. She took another veiled peek across the room at Corbin, who had been joined by two of the local farmers. No, memories of Sunday afternoon walks, church picnics, the day he proposed were better left kept where she’d buried them years ago.
She glanced across the room at Philip Rutherford and smiled. Now there was a man who knew how to treat a woman. While he’d never asked permission to court her, he’d implied his interest on several occasions. Perhaps it was time to consider the possibility.
“Catherine?”
Catherine startled at Lily’s voice.
“Are you all right?” Lily rested her hand on Catherine’s forearm. “You’ve been quiet tonight.”
“Of course. I just…”
Just what? She looked down at the empty plate she now held. Emily’s living room was almost empty as well. Apparently, while she was lost in a past she’d intended to forget, she’d missed Harrison’s latest narrative, and the departure of the majority of the guests.
“What time is it?”
“Just past nine,” Lily told her. “Are you ready to leave? John went to get the buggy.”
“Already? Yes, I…” Catherine set the plate down on the table Emily had decorated with fresh flowers and candles, the wicks now burnt down to short nubs. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”
“The sheriff’s ride left early, so I offered him a ride back into town. I hope that’s all right with you.” Lily grabbed Catherine by the hand and pulled her toward the padded bench where they had laid their shawls and gloves. “If I didn’t already have my heart set on John, I might just be having second thoughts.”
“Really, Lily, you should be ashamed of yourself. For one, Mr. Hunter—”
“Sheriff Hunter.”
“Sheriff Hunter is far too old for you, and two, you know nothing about him other than the fact that he’s—”
“Handsome, intelligent, and witty?” Lily grinned. “Exactly my point. I’m surprised he’s not working in some big city like Boston or New York. He’s bound to be bored to death in this town.”
“Really, Lily.” Her sister’s habit of finishing other people’s sentences could be quite exasperating.
Lily leaned forward as she slid on her gloves. “Don’t tell me you haven’t seen the way he looked at you all night from across the room.”
“Looked at me? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to play matchmaker, a game I thought I’d made perfectly clear I wasn’t going to play.”
“And why not?” Audrey appeared out of nowhere beside Catherine, her eyes bright with a hint of mischief. “There’s nothing wrong with helping to fan a few dimming sparks of romance along, now is there? With a little encouragement from your side, I can guarantee that Sheriff Hunter will come calling on the prettiest storekeeper in town. I know a man who’s interested when I see it.”
“Audrey!” More than likely his expression was due to indigestion. Milena’s food always was a bit too rich for some people.
Lily nodded knowingly to Audrey. “And if you ask me, the sheriff wasn’t the only one who couldn’t keep his eyes from straying across the room tonight. Catherine seemed to spend the entire evening daydreaming.”
Audrey nodded.
“Lily…Audrey! Why I certainly did no such thing.”
“Really?” Audrey asked. “So you’re telling me that even after all these years, you have no feelings whatsoever for the man who once stole your heart.”
Before ripping it in two.
“None, whatsoever.” Catherine’s jaw tensed and she made her hand into a fist. “I’ll aim a sockdolager at his upper lip before ever agreeing to let him court me again.”
“Why Catherine Morgan.” Audrey swung her shawl across her shoulders and shook her head. “I do believe you protest far too much. And besides that, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for talking that way about a perfectly fine gentleman.”
The room suddenly became far too hot and stuffy. Catherine glanced across the large living room. Emily was saying good-bye to the last of her guests, and thankfully, there was no sign of Corbin.
Catherine grabbed her lace shawl from the table. “Sheriff Hunter might be a fine—and handsome—gentleman. And we might have once held…feelings for each other. But none of that holds true anymore.”
“It’s all perfectly clear to me.” Audrey linked her arm with Catherine’s. “You still hold a burning flame for him, but you’re too stubborn to admit it.”
“Why I never…”
Catherine pulled away from her sister and waltzed out the front door without even stopping to tell Emily thank you. She’d apologize later for her rudeness, but the last thing she’d ever do was admit that Audrey was right.
Because she wasn’t.
Her sisters knew nothing about what had transpired between them the last time she’d seen Corbin Hunter, nor the fact that her injured pride would never allow her to let a man like him back into her life.
Catherine fled toward the buggy while trying to hold back the stream of tears threatening to spill. Seeing Corbin again had dashed—for a second time—every hope and dream she’d carried as a young girl. Plans of marriage, children, and protection had vanished with the early morning mist the day he’d left. And she’d been thrust into mothering her sisters while Corbin had gone on with life without her.
She stopped short at the edge of the buggy. Her lips parted. He stood there, hands in his pockets, head cocked to the side, looking just as uncomfortable as she felt. But despite what her sisters claimed, she knew that Corbin no longer harbored a spark of interest in the town spinster.
“Mr. Hunter,” she began, “I hope you enjoyed the party.”
“I did, thank you.” Corbin shifted his weight. “And I hope you don’t mind sharing the buggy with me. Your sister was rather insistent that it wasn’t a problem. I hitched a ride here with the Parkers, but they had to leave early.”
“So she said.” Catherine prayed she’d be able to tame her tongue, as the Good Book required, the next time she saw Lily, but at the moment she wasn’t sure who she desired most to give a tongue-lashing to—Corbin Hunter, for daring to walk back into her life and turn her orderly world upside down, or her interfering sisters for trying to make her believe that they could pick up where they left off.
“Are you cold?” he asked. “I could give you my jacket.”
Catherine’s gaze dropped to the ground. She tried counting pebbles beneath the light of the full moon as a distraction from his gray eyes, which seemed to penetrate all the way through her. “I’m quite warm actually, Mr. Hunter. Thank you.”
The deep laugh that followed sounded forced. “Do you really think that such formalities are necessary between us? We were, at one time…engaged to be married. And if I’m to be living here again, even though temporarily, it seems as if we can at least be cordial toward each other without feeling so uncomfortable.”
Soft laughter distracted Catherine momentarily. John had returned inside and was now escorting Lily to the buggy. They strolled arm-in-arm, the way Corbin once escorted her to various social events. She remembered clearly the whispered words, stolen touches…
Catherine’s face flushed. “I agree, as we are now older and wiser, we should be able to live in the same town without a wall of awkwardness between us. But as for formalities…Mr. Hunter…yes, I believe they are necessary.”
She turned away from him again, wishing her words hadn’t come out as cold as they had. That hadn’t been her intent. Far from it. But she had every intention of guarding her heart, something she couldn’t well do if she were
to do something as intimate as call him by his first name.
Corbin felt his lungs press against the walls of his chest. He reprimanded himself for letting the woman sitting beside him affect him, but a buried sea of resentment flooded through him in fresh surges. He’d planned to spend the evening gathering information, primarily on Hamilton Tucker, and instead he’d become distracted with—he glanced over at Catherine with her fancy hat and silk dress—with her. The problem was that there were far more serious issues at hand. If Mr. Tucker was the man Corbin thought he was, it was only a matter of time until he’d be able to apprehend him. O’Conner had given him little useful information other than the fact that Harrison was new to town and that he’d quickly woven his way into the hearts of the town—especially the heart of Audrey Morgan. Within three months of his arrival, he’d asked for Audrey’s hand in marriage, and no one seemed to question that they might not really know who the man was.
Which left Corbin facing the undeniable reality that if his instincts were true, Audrey’s heart would be broken. Something he knew Catherine would never forgive him for. But he also knew that it was something he couldn’t avoid. Duty had to come first. That had been something Catherine herself had taught him.
He watched her from the corner of his eye and had to smile despite the awkwardness of the situation. She looked as if she were heading to an execution, not simply driving home from a party on a lovely summer evening. She stared straight ahead, shoulders taut, hands clasped in front of her. Had the night he’d left Revenge affected her that much? He might not be able to forget that night, but surely it was possible for them to live in the same town without continual skirmishing between them.
He cleared his throat, determined to break the silence between them that hung heavier than the approaching storm clouds. “I was surprised to hear that you never married.”
He saw her eyes widen in the silvery glow of the moon and instantly regretted his words. Apparently he wasn’t any more sensitive to a woman’s needs than he had been all those years ago.
He combed his fingers through his hair. “I’m sorry…it’s certainly none of my business.”
“No, it’s not.” Her fingers tightened against the wad of fabric they clutched in her lap. “Though I suppose, unlike my sisters, I’ve never found the one person I wanted to share my life with.”
Corbin felt the well-placed jab prick his heart.
“What of you?” she continued. “Isn’t there a wife and family waiting for you to return when you’re finished with this job?”
“I, too, have yet to find that one person.” Not that he’d been consciously looking. He’d spent his life dodging the calculated plans of matchmakers and had eaten enough homemade pies and cakes—from both eligible young women and widows whose goal it was to trap him into the confines of matrimony—to feed an army.
He cleared his throat. “All I’ve got waiting for me back home is a dog named Badger.”
The rest of the trip toward town was silent except for John and Lily’s continued whispers from the front of the buggy that only seemed to add to the awkwardness in the back seat. Finally, Morgan’s General Store came into view, bringing with it an inaudible sigh of relief to Corbin’s lips.
Except that there was one more thing he needed to say to her. “I’m not sure how to say this, but I’ve always wanted to apologize for that day. The situation was—”
Her hand brushed his sleeve, sending a flood of memories through him, despite the pleading in her eyes. “Please, don’t. Sometimes the past is better off forgotten.”
He nodded. If she didn’t want to talk about it, that was fine with him. Besides, he’d already discovered she was right. He jumped to the ground to help her down. She took his hand but avoided his gaze as she alighted from the vehicle, stumbling on the last step.
She quickly found her balance. “Good night, Mr. Hunter.”
“Good night, Miss Morgan.” He watched her walk away, his resolve to forget the past strengthened. The next time he encountered her, he’d be a perfect gentleman. Because he hadn’t returned home for Catherine Morgan. He’d come here for one reason and one reason only. Revenge.
Chapter Five
Catherine stood inside the darkened store, took a deep breath, and filled her senses with the rich aroma of coffee and molasses. With her hands at her sides, she clutched the smooth fabric of the new dress. Part of her longed to recapture the look Corbin’s eyes had held when he’d first seen her tonight—if only to relive the satisfaction it had brought. She’d seen the admiration briefly reflected in his gaze, until he’d turned around and walked away.
Which meant that the other part of her wanted to set the frivolous dress back on the store rack and retrieve the portion of her nest egg she’d foolishly squandered. She would do it, if it weren’t for the fact that Mrs. McBride and the other ladies who’d attended tonight’s party would notice its reappearance.
Moonlight spilled into the front of the store, reminding her she’d forgotten to pull down the shade that covered the front window. Stopping before the windowpanes, she stared down the deserted boardwalk. The store faced the brick facade of the hotel across the street that offered five rooms and some of Mrs. Peck’s homemade food for a decent price. Beside it sat the doctor’s office, then the sheriff’s…
The sheriff’s office.
Her stomach lurched as a light illuminated its front window. The silhouette of a figure stood within its wooden frame, broad shoulders, tall build…It was Corbin. He was talking to someone she could barely make out in the background. She watched the animated conversation progress until Corbin spun around to face the window. She jerked back her hand and let the shade fall into place, hoping he hadn’t seen her.
Securing a wisp of hair that had escaped her chignon, Catherine hurried to the back room of the store and lit the brass oil lamp on her desk. She had no desire to resurrect the past, but it was proving to be difficult when every time she turned around he was there. She pulled out the store’s accounting ledger. She had plenty of things to do besides reminisce about her life with Corbin Hunter. There was filling out next month’s stock order, ensuring that the store’s accounting was up to date, organizing the recent shipment of flour, sugar, and penny candies. As far as she was concerned, her past relationship with Corbin…Mr. Hunter…was a closed book.
Sliding into her chair, she picked up her pencil, brushed off the open page of the ledger, and went to work. Business would be significantly better if she lived in a larger town like Lancaster, but she still managed to do well for herself. After years of working, duties like settling the accounts and ordering stock had become routine and helped to clear her mind.
The door connecting the house and the store opened behind her, causing the lamp’s flame to flicker in the draft. Catherine looked up from the ledger. “Lily? I thought you’d gone to bed.”
“I wanted to talk to you first.” She pulled her dressing gown closer around her and sat down beside Catherine on an empty wooden chair. “I…I came to apologize.”
“To apologize? For what?”
“For inviting the sheriff to ride home with us. I saw how uncomfortable you were. I should have been more sensitive to your feelings instead of trying to get involved in something that clearly isn’t my affair.”
“You don’t need to apologize.” Catherine shook her head and started doodling with the pencil she held, a habit she’d picked up years ago…before Corbin. “I simply wasn’t prepared for his return. I’m sure you don’t remember as you were too young, but Mr. Hunter and I were once engaged. Then Momma died, and I had the three of you to raise.” Catherine started doodling again, pressing down on the pencil. “When Corbin showed up, he arrived with memories I’d prefer not to dredge up.” The lead snapped.
“I know.”
Catherine sat back. “You know?”
“About the engagement, I mean. And that he walked out on you.”
Catherine had hoped it had been too long ago for her siste
rs to remember the details of that time. Apparently she’d been wrong. “How?”
Lily’s dark brows arched. “I didn’t think it was a secret. Everyone in town knows.”
“Everyone?”
“Well, maybe not everyone.”
Catherine closed her eyes. Who was she fooling? Of course everyone knew. People didn’t forget things like that. “So that’s what they whisper about me as I walk down the street.”
Lily gripped Catherine’s hand. “No. You’ve got it all wrong. And even if it were true, you’re the one who always taught me that who we are doesn’t depend on what people think about us. Or our profession. Or whether or not we might have a husband.”
If only it were that simple. Catherine pulled her hand away and shut the ledger, no longer interested in the distraction. It seemed that she simply couldn’t escape Corbin Hunter’s reach. She grasped the handle of the lantern and headed into the small, three-bedroom house she’d lived in her entire life. “I know what they call me. That they see me as the town spinster.”
Lily followed right behind her. “Everyone in this town looks up to you and respects you. We all do, and anything we did tonight, any ‘match making,’ as you call it, was simply an effort to make sure that you’re happy.”
“Did you ever stop to consider that maybe I am happy?” Catherine trotted up the narrow stairway to the second floor, trying to decide if her own words were true. Of course they were. She was extremely happy. “And why shouldn’t I be happy? All my sisters are either married or soon to be married. The store is doing well enough for me to put aside a small nest egg each month, and—”
“Tell me about him.” Lily grasped Catherine’s arm at the threshold of her bedroom.
Catherine swallowed the lump in her throat, wishing she could push her sister away along with the memories.
“Why did he leave?”
Catherine frowned. Lily’s curiosity had always managed to get her into trouble, and apparently, tonight was no different. Catherine set the lantern down on the oak dresser and picked up her brush. Her hair tumbled halfway down her back as she let it down. “I thought you just apologized for interfering.”