The Marshal's Promise

by Rhonda Gibson

  Chapter Fourteen

  Rebecca cradled her arm against her stomach. “Marshal, I need to know something.”

  He patted the baby’s back. She curled against his neck and her breath came easily as she relaxed into a nap. “What’s that?”

  “Who are these men hanging around your house? And who are they after? You or me?” Rebecca knew the answer, but needed him to tell her. Maybe she was wrong in her assumption.

  Seth stopped and turned to look at her. “They are a part of the Evans gang. Well, the first man you saw was, but he’s locked up now in Durango so he’s no threat to you.”

  She rubbed her arms to ward off the cold chills that had popped up. “I see, and the man today?”

  His large tan hand stroked the baby’s soft curls. “I’m not sure about him. He might prove to be just a drunk who saw a pretty lady.” He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. The calluses on his palm scratched her cheek.

  “Do you think the Evans gang is after me, or you?”

  Seth held her gaze. “You.”

  Her voice sounded small. “Why?”

  His thumb rubbed her cheekbone. She wanted to lean into his palm but held herself straight. Weakness wasn’t something Rebecca Ramsey gave in to. She would do what she had to, to protect herself and Janie.

  “Do you feel up to going into the diner?”

  Was he avoiding her question? She tilted her head to study him closer. “Will you answer my questions, if I say yes?”

  Seth dropped his hand and nodded. The serious lines in his face gave her pause. Did she really want to hear the answers?

  Rebecca squared her shoulders. Yes, she did. Her gaze moved to a sleeping Janie. Her little thumb was tucked between her lips and her sweet head rested on Seth’s shoulder. Rebecca had more than herself to think about now. She had the start of a family.

  Her gaze moved up to his chocolate eyes, which studied her face. Was Seth Billings to be a part of that family? Her pulse quickened. The gentle kiss they’d shared earlier had comforted her and awakened feelings within her. But right now wasn’t the time to think about such things. “All right.”

  Seth pushed the door open to the diner. He stepped back and allowed Rebecca to pass before him.

  “Well, hello, you two!” Mrs. Velarde, the owner of the diner, hurried toward them.

  Janie gave a little start and her big blue eyes looked at Seth. He gently patted her back and she laid her head back down.

  Mrs. Velarde lowered her voice. “You are very good with her, Marshal.” She led the way to a table at the back of the building. They followed the tall woman. She wore an apron tied about her thin waist and took long steps toward one of the many wooden tables. “I’ll put you back here where the little one can sleep in peace.”

  Seth held out a chair for Rebecca. She noted that he took the side of the table that allowed him to face the door. He continued to pat Janie’s back, but his gaze remained on her face.

  “What can I get you folks to drink?”

  Seth nodded at her to answer first. “I’ll have tea, please,” Rebecca said.

  “Just coffee.”

  After Mrs. Velarde left, Rebecca turned her full attention on Seth. “Why are they after me, Marshal?”

  He stared at her for several moments. “Because you were to be Jesse’s wife and he was a part of their gang.”

  “Jesse was a thief?” Her voice caught in her throat. Did everyone in town know that Jesse had been a thief? Is that why Mrs. Walker didn’t want to extend credit to her in Seth’s name? She thought Rebecca would steal him blind? After all, you are known by the company you keep.

  Seth nodded. “But during the last two years of his life, he’d changed. Left that life behind. Joined the church, was a regular upstanding citizen.” He continued to study her face.

  “Then why are they after me?”

  He shrugged. “Jesse warned me that they might come after you.”

  She wanted to reject the idea that Jesse had been a thief, that he’d stolen and who knew what else he had done. “But I still don’t understand why they want me.” Her voice came out stronger than she’d planned. Rebecca looked around the diner to see if anyone had noticed.

  Mrs. Velarde crossed the room with a glass of tea and a steaming cup of coffee. But other than her, no one else seemed to pay any notice to them. Rebecca sighed in relief. It was bad enough her arm was bandaged and Seth carried her daughter as if she were his own.

  “Here you go,” Mrs. Velarde said, setting the drinks on the table. “Can I get you anything else?”

  Seth looked to Rebecca again. “Would you like something?”

  “No, thanks.” She thought of the beans simmering on the stove and hoped she’d left enough water in them to keep from scorching.

  Seth nodded. “Nothing for me right now either.”

  “If you change your mind, just wave.” Mrs. Velarde walked away.

  “I’m not sure. I’ve been trying to find out, but the first man I arrested wouldn’t say and the other one is in my jail cell sleeping off too much liquor and a knot on the head.” Seth picked up his coffee and took a cautious sip.

  Rebecca tugged at a string on her sling. “Oh, no.” Had Seth given her stolen money? She looked up to find him studying her again. “The money you gave me?”

  “Was money Jesse had earned working for the Vaughans.”

  Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She’d almost married a criminal. What would her life be like now if she had married Jesse? The outlaw gang would still be after her and Jesse. Now they were only after her. What was she going to do? The thought of leaving town entered and fled her mind in quick sucession.

  “You can’t leave, Rebecca. They will just follow you.” Seth shifted the sleeping baby to his other arm.

  She didn’t tell him she’d already thought of and dismissed the idea. “Is that why you didn’t tell me? You thought I’d leave?” Rebecca held hope in her heart that he was starting to care for her.

  “Yes. I promised Jesse I’d watch out for you and I can’t do that if you leave town.”

  “I see.” He didn’t care about her. She was just another part of his job. Thinking of his job reminded her that he was her boss and that by placing her in his house he could fulfill his promise to Jesse. She picked up her tea and drank deeply.

  Janie began to fuss.

  Rebecca looked to the baby in his arms. She didn’t belong there. Setting her glass down, Rebecca stood. “I’m ready to go.” She held out her good arm to take the baby back.

  “I’ll walk you back to Eliza’s.” Seth stood and tossed money onto the table for their drinks.

  She straightened her back, determined not to spend one more moment in his presence today. “No, thank you. You have beans on the stove that need to be taken off before they burn.”

  Seth looked down at her and something about her stance must have told him to let her go. He gently placed Janie into the crook of her good arm. His hand reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “Don’t. I’m not your responsibility, Marshal, so you don’t have the right to do that.” She stalked out of the diner as quickly as her legs would carry her. The feeling that everyone was watching her only fueled her legs to move faster.

  Janie protested the sudden jerky movements and began to cry in earnest.

  How could I have been so stupid? First I answered an ad to marry a man I didn’t know. And now, I’ve fallen for a U.S. Marshal who only thinks of me as his responsibility.

  Tears streamed down Rebecca’s face as she hurried into the dress shop and passed a surprised Eliza.

  * * *

  Two days later Seth walked among the apple trees behind his house. They belonged to the Shelbys and had become one of his favorite places to think. Today his thoughts were where they always were—on Rebecca Ramsey. She’d not set foot out of the dress shop since the attack.

  He’d half expected her to show up for work that morning but then realized it wa
s Sunday, her day off. Seth picked up a smooth pebble and carried it to the river’s edge. He skipped the stone across the water and sighed as he counted one, two, three, four, five and six.

  The thought that he should be in church came to mind. Maybe Rebecca was there. He’d been pretty hard on her the other day and guilt ate at him. Seth knelt by the water and listened to its soft song as it washed over the rocks and sand.

  After several long moments, the hair on the back of his neck began to prickle. Without being told, he knew someone or something was watching him. Very slowly, Seth stood and turned.

  Rebecca sat on a quilt a few yards into the tree line. A picnic basket rested beside her. Blue eyes stared back at him. From this distance he couldn’t tell if she was still hurt or angry at him.

  Throwing caution to the wind, Seth approached her. “May I join you?” he asked.

  “I can’t stop you, Marshal,” she answered, smoothing her dress with her good arm.

  “Are you out here alone?” He looked about the clearing. Surely Eliza wouldn’t have let her come out into the orchard alone. Especially since he’d made Rebecca aware she was in danger from the Evans gang.

  She raised her chin. “Yes, I am.”

  He stood beside the quilt, not sure what to do. Seth saw a couple of sandwiches, chunks of cheese, sliced pickles, quartered apples and peaches in various containers around her. Was she expecting someone?

  “You are welcome to sit down, Marshal. I’ve plenty of food for both of us.” Rebecca waved her hand at the spot across from her.

  Seth set down and smiled. “Are you sure I’m not intruding?”

  Rebecca sighed. “Not at all. I just needed to get out of the house and took advantage of Eliza’s offer to take Janie to church with her this morning.”

  He offered her a friendly grin. “So Mrs. Kelly has no idea you aren’t tucked away safe at home, resting.”

  She shook her head and looked out across the water. “No, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

  “Your secret is safe with me.” Seth pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around them.

  She grinned at him. “Thank you.”

  They sat in comfortable silence for several long minutes. The river ran before them and the birds chattered in the trees behind. It really was a peaceful spot to have a picnic.

  “Rebecca, can I ask you a personal question?” He didn’t look at her, simply waited.

  “Only if I can ask one in return,” she answered.

  He released his legs and turned to face her. “Seems fair enough.”

  She handed him an egg salad sandwich. “What’s your question?”

  Seth stretched his legs out in front of him and took the sandwich. “Why did you answer Jesse’s ad?”

  Pain filled her eyes and she looked away. “My father had remarried and I was no longer needed around the house. Jesse seemed like the answer to my prayers.”

  He wanted to take her in his arms and offer some sort of comfort. Had her stepmother abused her? Before he could ask her, Rebecca turned those pain-filled eyes on him and changed the subject.

  “I’ve been wondering. Why did you become a U.S. Marshal?”

  Seth thoughts turned to his father, Abe Billings. “I guess you could say I’m following in my father’s footsteps.”

  She nibbled on a chunk of cheese. “So your father is a U.S. Marshal, too.”

  “Not anymore. When I was younger he was ambushed and hung on a lone tree by the same bank robbers he was chasing.” The gravel in his voice caused him to clear his throat.

  “Oh, Seth, I’m so sorry.” Rebecca reached out and touched his arm.

  “It’s all right, Rebecca. It was a long time ago.”

  She withdrew her hand, leaving a warm tingly spot on his forearm. He missed her light touch. “What happened to your mother?” he asked, hoping to pull the attention away from himself.

  “She caught a bad chest cold that moved into her lungs, and died. That was about five years ago. I still miss her.” They sat in silence, each wrapped up in their own sorrows. Rebecca broke the stillness. “Sometimes my heart still feels like it is breaking.”

  Seth wanted to relieve the sorrow that he heard in her voice but didn’t know what he could say or do that would take away the pain of losing a loved one. His brown gaze searched her blue one.

  “Do you think someone can really die of a broken heart?” she asked, softly.

  He felt as if his chest would burst with pain, remembering the misery from his own losses. “After my father died, people whispered that my mother died of a broken heart. So it might be true.”

  Her hand reached out to him again. He took hers in his and gave it a little squeeze. For some reason sharing his pain helped him to feel better about it. He felt closer to Rebecca than he’d ever felt to another woman, even Clare.

  “She must have loved your father very much. Someday I hope to share that kind of love with another.” Rebecca seemed to realize that she’d spoken out loud. A nervous laugh escaped her throat. “Listen to me going on with such romantic notions.”

  He wished it could be him that she fell that hopelessly in love with. But he knew that he’d not put any woman through the dangers and loss of being married to a lawman. It had cost Clare her life and that was before they’d even wed.

  Looking into her eyes, Seth knew Rebecca’s love would be true and strong. He found his voice at last. “I’m sure you will, Rebecca, and when you do that man will be the luckiest man alive.”

  She pulled her hand from his. “Thank you, Seth. You are turning out to be a good friend.”

  Her gentle smile created a longing in him to take back her hand and never let it go. He told himself that this was a simple reaction from learning that Rebecca had suffered losses, much like him.

  He hated the thought that his actions had caused her even more loss. Jesse Cole would have been a good husband to her.

  Once Rebecca learned the truth of the circumstances of Jesse’s death, would she still want to be friends with him?

  Chapter Fifteen

  “I don’t know that I should go,” Rebecca said, shoving the last safety pin through the fabric of Janie’s fresh diaper. She joined Hannah at the table and handed the baby a toy.

  Eliza placed both hands on the table. “And why not? You’re young, single and could use a night out.”

  Rebecca laughed. “I am also a mother now. A single mother with no one to watch the baby. So I can’t go.”

  “Already taken care of. I asked Mrs. Brown to look after her for you. It will only be for a couple of hours.” Eliza brushed at imaginary crumbs on her dress.

  Rebecca frowned. “You asked Mrs. Brown to watch Janie?”

  “No, she volunteered when she heard how sad it was that you couldn’t go to the social event of the year.”

  Hannah looked up from her tea. “I wouldn’t call it the social event of the year.”

  Eliza shrugged.

  “She didn’t mind taking her?” Rebecca caressed Janie’s soft curls. Over the past month, she’d not had Janie out of her sight. During the two weeks it took her arm to heal, Eliza, Hannah and Grace had been there to help her with the sweet baby, but even then, Rebecca had made sure she was in the room with them. Could she stand to have the little girl stay with someone else?

  Hannah reached over and patted Rebecca’s hand. “It’s only for a few hours. You need to have a little fun.”

  “Mrs. Brown offered to take her. She’s excited. You really should go.” Eliza picked up her teacup and took a sip.

  Rebecca knew they were right. She looked from one friend’s determined face to the other. Their expressions said she was going, no matter how long it took them to talk her into it. “All right, but I’m not staying long.”

  Eliza jumped from her chair. “I have just the hat and dress for you. I’ve been saving them for such an occasion.” She hurried from the room and into the store.

  Hannah shook her head and smiled. “She picked out my hat
and dress, too.”

  “I guess of the three of us, she does have the most fashion sense.” Rebecca waved her hand over the pale yellow house dress she wore. Did she have enough money saved up for the outfit Eliza had for her?

  “Here they are!” Eliza swirled into the room. The two-toned blue dress she carried flared out with her movements. “Don’t you just love it?” She stopped in front of Rebecca. “The colors will bring out the various shades of blue in your eyes.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Hannah sighed.

  Rebecca handed Janie to Hannah and reached out to touch the fabric. Its silky smoothness slid over her hand. “It is beautiful, Eliza. How much does it cost?”

  “Nothing.”

  “It has to cost something, Eliza. You can’t just give it to me,” Rebecca protested. She took the offered dress and held it up to her chest. This was a dress that had cost a lot to make. Its stitching was perfect and the fabric had to be the finest. Never had she owned such an exquisite gown.

  Hannah whispered to Janie in a loud enough voice for the other two to hear, “Here it comes.”

  “You’re right. I can’t just give it to you. But I don’t want money for it either.” Eliza pulled a comb from her hair. A small bluebird sat on the edge of the comb among what looked like small diamonds.

  “So what do you want?” Rebecca’s worried gaze met Hannah’s.

  “First, I want you to wear this comb in your hair, instead of the promised hat. I got to thinking and this will look so much better in your hair.” Eliza tucked the comb into Rebecca’s blond locks.

  “And second?” What was the catch? Rebecca knew her friend would never hurt her, but she seemed reluctant to tell Rebecca whatever it was she wanted.

  Eliza fiddled with the placement of the comb. “When the ladies ask about your dress, I want you to tell them I made it.” She dropped her hands to her side and smiled broadly.

  Rebecca studied her sparkling eyes. “Is that all?”

  “Yes. I want all the ladies in town to start coming here for their party dresses.” She returned to her chair and sat down.

  Something wasn’t right. Why did this matter so much to Eliza? Rebecca looked to Hannah for answers.