The Marshal's Promise

by Rhonda Gibson

  The dark window? Rebecca jerked upright. Instinct directed her search for the baby. Seeing only an empty basket she bolted out of the bed and raced to the kitchen.

  Seth stood beside the stove, forking bacon and talking to the baby. “I guess your mama is going to sleep all night, too.”

  Janie cooed up at him. He’d placed her on a blanket on the floor and surrounded her with pillows and toys. Her blue eyes were glued to his face.

  Unaware of her presence, Seth continued, “You have worn her out, little girl, but we’re going to have to wake her up soon. What would the neighbors say if I let her stay all night?”

  “They’d say more than either of us wants to hear.” Rebecca walked into the room and held out her hands. She frowned when Seth handed her the fork and moved away, still talking to the baby.

  He knelt down in front of Janie. “She’s right, you know. I guess it’s a good thing she got up on her own.” The dimple in his cheek winked at Rebecca when he smiled in her direction.

  Janie grabbed his finger and pulled as if to say, Pay attention to me.

  Rebecca felt her cheeks burn. How long had she slept? Her gaze moved to the dark windows. “I’m sorry, I overslept. What time is it?”

  “A little after seven.”

  Her hands flew to her face. “That late? I’m sure you are starved.” She turned back to the stove. “Let me get this bacon done and I’ll fry you up an egg. I think there are a few biscuits left over from this morning. I’m so sorry, Marshal. I promise this will never happen again.” Rebecca made the promise more to herself than to him.

  “It’s all right. You are tired. Maybe I should start cooking my own dinner and you can go home when Grace comes by after school.”

  Rebecca turned to look at him. “That isn’t necessary, Marshal.”

  His brown eyes were filled with warmth and compassion. “I’m not sure you will be able to keep up this pace, Rebecca.”

  Concern laced those beautiful brown eyes. Every time he said her name, something in her gave way. He’d taken to calling her Rebecca after their shared kiss. Something she couldn’t forget and couldn’t allow again.

  She turned her back on him. “Janie and I are just settling in. She’ll sleep the night through soon and I’ll be fine. I can’t afford not to work, Marshal.” She removed the bacon and reached for the bowl of eggs.

  “Your pay won’t change.” He stood so close to her that she felt the hairs on the back of her neck move with his breath.

  Rebecca gasped and dropped an egg. They both bent to clean up the mess and bumped their heads.

  “Ouch.”

  Seth stood and rubbed his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He took a step back.

  She’d had enough. Enough of him being in her way, telling her what to do and making her insides do the wiggles. “Marshal, please go sit down and let me finish your dinner so I can go home.” Her voice came out sharp and shrill.

  At the sound of her raised voice, Janie gave out a startled cry. Seth spun on his heels and walked back to the baby. He picked up the little one and placed her against his shoulder. His warm voice soothed the child as he murmured, “It’s all right, little Miss Janie.”

  Rebecca finished the meal and placed his plate on the table. She turned to face him. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped like that.”

  He handed the baby to her and nodded. She waited while he said grace and then took his first bite.

  “I don’t want to give up cooking dinner for you, Marshal. As soon as Janie and I get used to one another, everything will be fine.” Rebecca gathered Janie’s things. Tears stung her eyes and she wished she’d never lain down. Now Seth didn’t think she could handle the workload and Janie. Would he take Janie from her? Could he take the baby? What were her legal rights?

  She picked up Janie’s bottle and walked into the living room. Rebecca stuffed all of Janie’s things into her bag. Rebecca pulled her shawl about her shoulders, and continued to the front door. “I’m leaving,” Rebecca called as she pulled it open.

  “Wait. I’m going with you.”

  “But, you haven’t finished eating,” she protested. “I can walk myself home, Marshal.”

  He wiped his mouth off with the dish towel he’d carried into the room with him. “No, you can’t. It’s after dark and I don’t want a single woman with a baby walking the streets this late.”

  She wanted to go now, but she didn’t want his dinner to get cold. The last thing Rebecca enjoyed eating were cold eggs. “Then we’ll wait until you are finished with your supper before we go.”

  “Why are you in such a hurry, anyway?” he asked as he placed both hands on his hips. His brown gaze bored into her eyes.

  Heat filled her face. “Marshal, are you going to eat? Or ask me questions?” Rebecca prayed she sounded braver than she felt.

  * * *

  Seth didn’t know how to react. One moment she was sugar and spice, the next salt and vinegar. He really wished he knew what was wrong with her. Maybe she hadn’t gotten enough rest. Or maybe she was still embarrassed that he’d caught her sleeping on the job. Literally. Either way, this side of Rebecca wasn’t where he wanted to be.

  “Look, if you want to go home, we can go now. I just don’t understand what I did wrong this evening.” And he really didn’t understand why he was allowing her to get to him. What difference did it make if she was grouchy? Or angry at him?

  As far as he could see, he’d done nothing wrong. Seth replayed the events of the day in his mind. The dark circles under her eyes this morning had bothered him and he’d realized that they were there because she hadn’t been resting well. He’d thought to send her home early. But when he returned home and found her asleep, he’d taken the fussy baby out of the room, changed her diaper and fed her.

  A deep sigh came from Rebecca. “You haven’t done anything wrong. It’s me. I should have been up when you arrived, I should have had dinner cooked, and I should have been taking care of my own child. I guess I’m being oversensitive tonight. Please, go ahead and eat. I’ll wait right here for you.” She closed the door and walked to the couch.

  Seth nodded. If he lived to be a hundred he would never understand women. His own mother was much like Rebecca. Strong-willed and unwilling to accept free help. He gulped the remainder of his food, washed it down with coffee and returned to the sitting room.

  Rebecca’s head was resting against the back of the sofa. Janie played on the floor at her feet. Rebecca’s eyes were closed and her breathing even. Had she fallen back to sleep? Was the woman totally exhausted? A soft snort exited her lips. Yes, she had fallen asleep sitting upright. Seth sighed. If only he could leave her like that, but he knew that the gossips of the town would be on it first thing tomorrow morning if he did.

  He walked behind the couch and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Rebecca, I’m ready.”

  She opened her sleep-filled eyes, looked up at him and smiled. “Good. I almost went back to sleep.”

  Almost? Who did she think she was kidding? The woman had been asleep. She’d snored—in a very dainty manner, but it was still a snore! He fought to keep the corners of his mouth from tilting upward. “Then we should get you home so you can climb into bed.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Rebecca grinned at Janie. “You are getting so big. Look, your feet are coming out of the basket.” She tickled the baby’s feet. Much to her satisfaction Janie kicked and smiled. The baby had grown quite a bit in the past month.

  Since the house was clean, the laundry done, and dinner simmered on the stove, Rebecca decided to go to the Millers’ store. Maybe Mrs. Miller would have a bigger basket or something even better to carry the baby about in.

  Then she thought of her hair. She’d told Grace she didn’t care who saw her with her hair down, but the truth was she did. “How can I fix my hair so that it’s up and respectable?” she asked Janie as she pulled it back into a ponytail and then twisted it to create a knot.

&nbs
p; Her gaze looked about for something to hold it into place. If only she’d thought to grab a hat or something this morning, she chided herself. Not seeing anything, she looked out the door and into the backyard. The thought that she could use a stick brought a grin to her face.

  Why not? If Eliza could wear birds, flowers and all kinds of other outdoor things on her hats, then why couldn’t she use a stick to hold her hair in place until she could get to the store and buy more pins? Rebecca scooped up the baby and hurried outside. She searched the ground for just the right size stick. It had to be long and pointed.

  “Well, well. What have we here?”

  The voice came from her right. Rebecca turned to find a dark-haired, thin, foul-smelling man standing beside the well. She clutched the baby to her. His clothes were torn and dirty, and his hair looked as if it hadn’t been washed in a month of Sundays. He staggered toward them.

  Rebecca took a step back. “You better move on, mister. My man will come if I scream,” she warned, praying he’d believe her.

  Janie whimpered.

  He snorted. “Nope, your man ain’t home. I saw him head out hours ago.”

  She shook her head in denial. God, please protect Janie and me. Would he? After she’d just lied? Rebecca forced the questions aside and continued watching the man. “There are houses all around us. All I have to do is scream and someone will come,” she threatened.

  “But you won’t.” He moved swiftly and grabbed her by the arm. He spoke low and harsh. “That brat will get hurt, if you so much as squeak.”

  Janie grabbed handfuls of Rebecca’s hair and attempted to get away from the threatening stranger. Her cries filled the air and her little body shook with fear.

  Alcohol coated Herman’s breath. Body odor clung to him like death. The combined smells gagged her. He wasn’t a big man and Rebecca held out hope that she could get away. She twisted her body to free herself but only accomplished hurting her arm. Desperation and anger warred within her as she fought to hold tight to Janie and to free herself from the foul man who held her captive.

  * * *

  Seth climbed off his horse and allowed it to drink from the cool stream. He bent down and splashed cold water in his face. Maybe that would wash away the sight of Rebecca and the way she’d looked this morning. Her hair had been down, and swished across her back with each step she took, reminding him of spun gold. She’d hurried into the house smelling of vanilla and cinnamon. Grace had said they were late because Miss Rebecca almost burned the cinnamon bread.

  He smiled. Grace had a way of telling things like they were. She’d gone on to say that Miss Rebecca said, “If the old gossips wanted to talk about her hair, let them talk.” Nine-year-old Grace had mimicked Rebecca to a tee.

  More ice-cold water splashed into his face, but it wasn’t doing the job of washing away his thoughts. Seth pushed up from the creek bank and stood, his horse studying him. “I know. I’m not myself today,” he said, as if the animal could understand him.

  Back in the saddle again, Seth continued his circle around the town. Everything appeared normal, just the way he liked it. He sat on the hill beside the school and looked down on Main Street. Everything seemed as it should.

  His gaze moved to his house. Would Rebecca be fixing lunch for herself? He thought about going down and joining her and Janie for the noon meal. Seth used his knees to set the horse into motion and then pulled back on the reins to stop it.

  “No, I’d better head to the diner.” He wanted to go home, but in his state of mind he’d probably end up kissing Rebecca silly and that wasn’t something he wanted to get into the habit of doing. He licked his lips and then moved the reins to direct the horse back to Main Street when a movement beside his house caught his attention. Seth stood up in the stirrups to get a closer look. There it was again. He couldn’t make out a person, just the shadow moving.

  The hair on his arms rose, a sure sign that the marshal in him had just kicked in. Seth’s thoughts raced to the Evans gang. Had Maxwell Evans decided to make a move toward Rebecca?

  A few minutes later, Seth moved in silently behind the drunk and prayed Rebecca wouldn’t give him away. His choices on how to separate the man and Rebecca were limited. He could jerk him away, and possibly hurt Rebecca and the baby in the process, or he could hit him over the head with something and knock him out. Seth chose the latter.

  Drawing his gun, he gripped the barrel and used the handle as a club. Seth hit the drunk with more force than he intended. A loud crack split the air and the man went down. Seth caught him as he fell and laid him out on the ground. “Are you all right?” he asked Rebecca.

  Her big eyes looked to him, and the baby tried to lurch into his arms. Seth hurried to Rebecca’s side and pulled her into his arms. He clutched her and the baby to him. What if he hadn’t returned to town?

  She gasped. “We’re fine.” Her pain-filled voice caused him to pull away and look into her eyes.

  Rebecca jiggled the baby in her left arm. Her right arm hung limp.

  “You’re hurt,” he accused. His mind continued to play the scene in his head. He’d seen her jerk to the side. That must have been when she’d injured her arm.

  “Really, Marshal, I’m fine.”

  “No, you aren’t. We’re going to see Doc.” He inhaled the soft fragrance of vanilla as he took the baby from her arms.

  “But what about him?” Rebecca protested.

  “He’ll be all right until I get back. I hit him hard enough, I don’t think he’s going anywhere for a while.” Seth tucked Rebecca close to his right side and cradled the baby to his left.

  She pushed away from him. “I can walk myself to the doctor’s office, Marshal. Why don’t you take care of him? I’d hate for that evil man to get away. What if he wakes up while you’re gone?”

  Seth wanted to refuse, but the determination in her eyes stopped him. A flash of fear also entered those soft blue orbs. He didn’t want the man to get away either, so he nodded. “You go straight to see the doctor and I’ll drop this one in a cell and be right over.” He placed Janie into the crook of Rebecca’s left arm.

  Rebecca continued to speak in a soft tone to Janie but her gaze never left his face. “I will.” Tears filled her eyes.

  He raised her chin and lightly ran his lips over hers. “I promise, this man will never hurt you again.” Seth released her chin.

  She nodded and then turned away and walked toward the doctor’s office.

  He picked the thin man up and slung him over his shoulder.

  His heart rate slowed as he neared the jailhouse. Seth had experienced pure fear back there, and memories from the past had pushed their way to the forefront of his mind. Memories of Clare and the day she’d died. No, she didn’t just die. She’d been murdered and Seth knew it had been his fault.

  He didn’t want the same thing to happen to Rebecca, and yet the events of a few moments ago had been so similar that it choked him. When would he learn? Women were not a part of his future. There would be no wife. No children. No love. At least no real love—not the kind between husband and wife. His job wouldn’t allow it. No, he wouldn’t allow it.

  Seth opened the door to the jail and grunted as he tossed the drunk onto one of the hard mattresses. He stared down at the man. How could a man hurt a woman? What did he gain from the experience?

  God, I can’t fall in love with Rebecca. Please give me the strength to fight the emotions that she brings up within me. You know I am called by You, Lord, to protect others and in doing so I hurt those I love and care for. Now two people have died because of me. Please don’t let Rebecca be the third. I have enough blood on my hands.

  He locked the door and walked over to the doctor’s office. Rebecca would be fine. He knew that now. But his first reaction had been to protect her and get her help. His second had been to kiss her and offer words of comfort. Something he should not have done. Now he wished he didn’t have to face her again. Maybe with God’s help he’d get over the edgy feel
ings he had for her and learn to keep his kisses to himself.

  Seth took a deep breath and opened the door. His nostrils filled with the scent of disinfectant. The waiting-room chairs sat empty. He wondered if he should sit down, but just then the doctor came out of the examination room. “How is she?” Seth asked.

  “Both mother and child are just fine. Miss Ramsey’s arm will hurt tomorrow, but she’ll be right as rain in a few days.” He stopped at the reception desk and looked down at his appointment book. “She’ll be out in a few minutes. You might as well sit down. Did you find out why the guy attacked her?”

  Seth ignored the good doctor’s advice and chose to stand while he waited. “Not yet. He’s still out cold. I’m going to walk Miss Ramsey home and then go wait for him to wake up.”

  The older gentleman looked up and chuckled. “I wouldn’t want to be him and face you.”

  He didn’t answer because Rebecca chose that moment to come into the room. She had a white sling on her arm and was carrying Janie in the other. Seth hurried to her side and took the baby.

  Janie’s bright blue eyes looked up at him. A soft smile touched the baby’s lips. With just a look, the little one twisted his heart around hers. He’d protect this child with his life, should he be required to do so. Janie was as much his as she was Rebecca’s. When he thought of how close he’d come to losing both this sweet baby and Rebecca, Seth saw red.

  “I want you to take these for the pain.” The doctor handed Rebecca a small brown bottle.

  She took the medicine. “Thank you, Doctor. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  “You’re still staying with Mrs. Kelly. Is that correct?” At Rebecca’s nod he continued, “Good. Make sure she is available to take care of the baby. Those pills might make you sleepy.”

  Rebecca nodded again. “I will. Thank you, Doctor.”

  Her pain-laced eyes looked to Seth. The air swished from his lungs and his gut twisted. Whether he liked it or not, he would protect her until the end of time or until she returned to where she belonged.