Surrender Your Heart

by Marie Higgins

  “There are apples by the breadbox.”

  The woman’s voice startled him, and he jumped, bumping against the wall. Sitting at the table in the shadows, munching on an apple herself, was none other than the woman who distressed him greatly. She’s pulled her knees against her bosom; her feet rested on the edge of the chair. She wore a white wrapper around her nightdress, and bare toes peeked at him from underneath. Long, blonde hair glided over her shoulders curling slightly at the ends. Her wide eyes watched him closely.

  “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said before taking a bite out of her apple.

  Breathing easier, he ran his fingers through his hair, realizing his hair was messier than he first thought, probably from the way he’d slept. He groaned and swallowed hard. Perhaps he should have dressed in his waistcoat and cravat and made himself presentable after all. He touched the front of his shirt, feeling only his bare chest. He hitched a breath and glanced down. How had he forgotten to button up?

  “What are you doing awake this late at night?” he asked, trying not to act embarrassed as he latched his shirt together.

  She shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. I would assume the same about you, but judging by your appearance, I’d say you are down here because you slept through supper and you’re hungry.”

  “Very observant, Miss Black.” He turned and moved to the breadbox to get himself an apple. Because he wasn’t fully dressed, he felt uncomfortable being alone with a lovely woman. Yet Emily didn’t seem uncomfortable, and she was in her nightgown.

  He grabbed an apple and walked to the table. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  “Not at all.” She motioned to the other chairs.

  “Forgive me for looking so un-presentable right now, but I honestly didn’t believe anyone would be down this late in the night.”

  “You don’t have to apologize, Mr. Hamilton. Its night and things like this happen. Especially at my house.”

  He chuckled and sat across from her. “What you don’t understand, Miss Black, is that things like this don’t usually happen in my house.”

  She smiled. “We’re not at your house, are we?”

  “True.” He bit into his apple. The juices ran down his chin, and he quickly wiped them with his sleeve. Once again, he was feeling out of character in front of her, and he didn’t enjoy being so rattled.

  They sat in silence as they ate their apples. He tried to look anywhere but at her. When he did look her way, she studied him with curious eyes. No wonder she made him so uncomfortable. He felt like she was trying to look into his very soul.

  “Miss Black? Must you stare at me?”

  She chuckled. “Yes, I must. There’s nothing else to look at that’s as interesting as you.”

  “You find me interesting?” He arched an eyebrow.

  “Quite.”

  “Well, Miss Black, I’d appreciate it—”

  “Call me Emily.”

  “What?”

  “I don’t like you calling me Miss Black. I would like you to use my given name and call me Emily,” she explained slowly.

  “I’d rather not.”

  “Why? Because you don’t think of me as family?”

  “No, that’s not it at all.”

  She huffed. “I reckon since we’ll be spending a lot of time together, we might as well refer to each other by our first names. After all, you call my sister Hannah. Correct?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then I give you permission to call me Emily.”

  He shrugged. “If I must.”

  “Yes, you must.”

  Frustrated, he tapped his fingers on the table and took another bite of his apple. He’d bet she was this annoying with family and friends, so he shouldn’t consider himself fortunate. Yet, even though she irritated him, he found himself intrigued with her attitude. Perhaps it was the way she reacted to him that interested him. Or maybe it was the tone of her voice, or just gazing into her alluring blue eyes. It could also be her words, and if she really tried to upset him. It didn’t matter because he couldn’t move from this chair. He didn’t want to.

  “Tell me something, Adam,” she said softly.

  He really should reprimand her for using his name without permission, but he didn’t have the energy to argue with her about names. Strange, but he liked the way she said it. “What do you wish to know?”

  “Are you married?”

  Although the topic was touchy, he would answer her but not go into details. “No.”

  “What do you do for a living?”

  “When I lived in Kentucky, I worked beside my father. He’s into steel, and his company makes rail cars.”

  “What are you doing now?”

  “I’ve been a drifter for a little while.”

  “Hmm...” She munched on her apple and swallowed. “Do you plan on returning to Kentucky then?”

  Adam nodded. “Yes, eventually. A few weeks ago, I thought to visit my brother, and only heard about his death upon my arrival.”

  She frowned and reached across the table to take his hand. He allowed it for now.

  “I’m sorry.” She squeezed. “Were the two of you close?”

  He glanced at her fingers as they tenderly caressed his knuckles. He rather enjoyed how soft her skin was against his fingertips. “Yes. Growing up, we did a lot of things together.”

  “Really?” She tilted her head. “You were part of a close-knit family?”

  He knew why she asked this question, and the conversation they’d had that first day on the train returned to his mind. “Yes.”

  Nodding, she pulled her hand away. “Adam, why were you and your brother living here when you were born in Kentucky, especially if you were from a close-knit family?”

  “Jacob and I wanted more. We wanted to travel and see all we could before settling down. I came to Georgia first, and I knew my brother would love it here. We both invested in the railroad, and it didn’t take long for Jacob to become wealthy.”

  “What about you? Do you still have an investment with the railroad?”

  “Yes. I became business partners with the man who started the line, in fact.”

  Her eyes grew wide with surprise for a moment, but slowly her gaze narrowed on him as she scratched her cheek. “So why would you want to return to Kentucky if you had a good job here and were close to your brother and his new family?”

  He should have known this question would come back up. But like before, he didn’t wish to answer. Bringing up horrid memories only made him bitter.

  Clearing his throat, he pushed away from the table and stood. “Emily, please forgive me for ending this conversation so abruptly, but I need to retire for the night. I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow.”

  She jumped to her feet and grabbed his arm. “What are your plans tomorrow?”

  He smiled and touched her hand. “You are full of questions tonight, aren’t you?”

  She shrugged. “I’m just trying to get to know you better.”

  “Please don’t. I’m a private person, and I would like to remain that way during the remainder of my stay.” He bowed slightly. “Good night, Emily.”

  As he walked away, he could hear her mumbling angrily under her breath. Biting his cheek, he tried not to smile. No matter how she irritated him, he certainly enjoyed their confrontations.

  FIVE

  Adam yawned and shook the sleep out of his head. Today was not a day to have a sleepy mind. He needed answers, and determination pushed him into rising early, dressing, and heading into town. Ghosts from his past were not the only things keeping him restless last night. It was the blonde beauty with the intoxicating blue eyes that still looked adoringly at him even when she was still put out with him. By the sharp tone in her voice last night when they first started talking, he could tell that she hadn’t forgiven his rudeness from when they were on the train. However, as their conversation lengthened, her voice had softened, and when she’d gently touched his arm, it had wrought
havoc with his brain.

  But he didn’t have time to think about that now. He was nearly at the sheriff’s office. Thankfully, his walk had been peaceful. Not many people were up this early in the morning. A few store owners who opened their shops gave Adam a curious stare, but he continued on without acknowledging them. So far none had acted shocked to see him. For that matter, none had acted as if they recognized him. Maybe they wouldn’t. To his credit, he had changed since he left Savannah five years ago. His body hadn’t been as muscular, and his hair had been much shorter.

  As he walked closer to the sheriff’s office, he noticed the front door was still closed, and nobody appeared to be inside. Adam grumbled and stopped near a post. Staying right in this spot would help him watch for the office to open as well as the people passing down Main Street.

  He leaned against the post and tipped his black hat lower on his forehead. Today he’d decided not to dress in his fancy clothes, but to wear ordinary black jeans with his white shirt and brown vest.

  Out of boredom, he kicked the toe of his boot into the dirt. The weather was too dry. Indeed, this was a fire hazard. Hopefully the town’s fire wagon responded quicker to fires than it had done five years ago.

  Images of the nightmares he’d had since he watched his house burn, flashed through his mind. Nobody had ever known what happened that night. There was no reason to why his house burned, and absolutely no reason why his wife and child should have died.

  An ache grew in his head, so he rubbed his temples. There had to be some way to get on with his life. He was tired of feeling helpless. He was tired of feeling that his life was full of blunders. He needed answers now before he went insane, and he feared he was on the brink of that emotion already.

  A movement from across the street caught his attention. Three men stood around Father Brian. They appeared to be talking in secret because every so often, one of them would look to see if anyone was coming.

  Curiosity pricked Adam’s interest. He doubted Father Brian was giving a sermon to the other men, especially since he wasn’t carrying his Bible. But what was more suspicious than that was Adam knew one of the men. Almost six years ago when Adam had become partners with John Wilkinson in their railroad venture, Harvey Corbin—the man with Father Brian—was the partner that had been pushed aside to make way for Adam.

  As he studied Mr. Corbin, Adam recalled the nervousness he’d felt days, weeks, and months after Corbin had been cut from the railroad. Corbin had drunk himself into a stupor, and for the longest time, Adam thought the man lived and slept at the saloon. Many times, Corbin had issued threats toward Adam, but as time passed and nothing happened, he figured the drunken man hadn’t remembered making those warnings.

  Days after Adam’s house and family burned, his mind had turned to Corbin, wondering if the man had been responsible. Unfortunately, according to the sheriff, Corbin had an alibi that night and there was no proof that he was responsible.

  Adam bunched his hands into fists and clenched his teeth. Deep down inside, he believed Corbin was responsible, only because weeks after Adam’s family died, every time he saw Corbin in town, the man refused to look Adam in the eyes.

  Two other men joined the circle around Father Brian. These new men resembled each other with their curly red hair and stocky stature. Since arriving in town, Adam was surprised to see how many Irishmen there were. Not that he disliked the Irish, on the contrary. However, Adam had heard of the struggles between the landowners and the peasants that had been going on in that country, which made him wonder if they came here to live in peace.

  Hairs rose on the back of Adam’s neck. Something wasn’t right, but he had no idea what it was.

  Slowly, more people came into town. Immediately, Father Brian’s group dispersed, each going their separate ways. Adam couldn’t put his finger on what worried him, but right now he had bigger fish to fry.

  The noise of keys rattling pulled Adam’s attention back to the sheriff’s office. A man in his early thirties with a head full of sandy brown hair and wide shoulders, unlocked the front door to the building. When the man turned slightly, his silver star hooked to his vest was visible.

  This couldn’t have been the same sheriff from five years ago. This one was much younger.

  Adam pushed his hat back on his head and moved toward the door just as the sheriff walked inside. As Adam’s boots clicked on the wooden porch, the man jumped and turned.

  “Oh, I didn’t see you there.” The man chuckled lightly, making dimples in his cheeks. “Of course, I haven’t had my morning coffee yet, so I’m not quite awake.”

  “I understand.” Adam nodded. “Is Sheriff Barton around?”

  “Barton? No, he hasn’t been sheriff for at least two years. I’m the sheriff now. My name is Montgomery.”

  “Nice to meet you, Sheriff Montgomery. I’m Adam Hamilton. Jacob Hamilton was my brother.”

  The man’s smile disappeared. “Oh, I’m so sorry about your brother. Jacob was a good friend of mine. His loss has affected the whole town.”

  “Yes, Jacob was the best of men.” Adam cleared his throat when it tightened. “I just got into town, and I was wondering if you could tell me what happened. I’m sure you have a report about the accident, correct?”

  “Certainly.”

  Montgomery walked to his desk. It surprised Adam to see all the clutter. Adam skimmed his gaze around the whole room. Apparently, the new sheriff liked a disorderly life.

  “I can tell you,” Montgomery continued, “that your brother and his wife were leaving the opera. Mrs. Hamilton’s recollection about the events was that it felt as if their coach was going faster than it should. Jacob had knocked on the wall to try and get the driver’s attention, but that’s when the vehicle overturned and tumbled down a ravine. Jacob had...” The sheriff’s voice trailed off as his gaze lifted to Adam. The lines on the man’s face deepened in sadness. “He was thrown from the vehicle.”

  Tears stung Adam’s eyes as his mind pictured what had probably happened. Knowing Jacob, he would have tried to keep Hannah safe, and in doing so, cost his own life.

  “Were there...” Adam’s voice cracked, so he cleared his throat again. “Were there any witnesses?”

  “Oh, yes. Plenty, in fact, but only those who saw the runaway vehicle.”

  Adam narrowed his gaze on the sheriff. “Runaway? Do you mean there was no driver?”

  “None. And to this day, the man has yet to be located.”

  Adam nodded. “How many deputies do you have out there trying to find him?”

  “There are three that work under me.”

  A thought sprang to Adam’s mind and he couldn’t stop it from leaving his mouth. “Appoint me a deputy, and then you’ll have four.”

  The sheriff’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped. “You want to help with the investigation?”

  “Why not? I’m familiar with this town and most of the people. I lived here eight years ago. I used to be a prominent name in the community, in fact.”

  “You did?” He scratched behind his ear. “Adam Hamilton... I don’t think that name rings a bell.”

  “I own half of the railroad.”

  It only took a few seconds, but finally recognition registered on the sheriff’s expression. “You are that Adam Hamilton?”

  Adam resisted the urge to ask what exactly the sheriff meant by that remark, but he didn’t dare. So far, the man looked at him in awe, not in disgust.

  “If you heard my name connected to the railroad, then yes, that’s me.”

  Sighing, the sheriff shook his head as he rubbed his shaven chin. “I don’t know, Mr. Hamilton. With the victim being your brother that might make you—”

  “What it will make me,” Adam cut the man off, “is eager to find answers. The sooner the better, in fact. My sister-in-law needs to know what truly happened so she can finally put her memories to rest.”

  The sheriff’s gaze slowly moved over Adam. He kept waiting for the other man to remember a
bout the rumor that was probably still circling Savannah. So far, the man didn’t act like he was standing in the same room with a murderer like most of the town had acted before Adam left.

  The sheriff arched an eyebrow. “Well, you look like the kind of man who could get answers from unwilling suspects.”

  Adam chuckled. “That’s an understatement. I could pick them up and throw them if I had to.”

  “I’m sure you would, too.” Montgomery moved to a cupboard on the wall and took down a silver star. “Adam Hamilton,” he said, walking toward Adam, “As Sheriff of Savannah, Georgia, I hereby appoint you Deputy Sheriff.” He pinned the badge on Adam’s vest.

  Strange, but Adam actually felt a sense of accomplishment in accepting this job. And he vowed he would find the person responsible for his brother’s death, and make sure he’s hanged in the town square for everyone to see. Nobody messes with the Hamilton brothers!

  MID-MORNING, EMILY sat with her sister on the two-seater swing in the backyard hanging from the large evergreen oak tree as they watched Megan and Flynn play in the yard. The large leaves on the many branches shaded them well. A gentle smile touched Hannah’s face as she watched her children, but her eyes still appeared desolate. Hannah hadn’t been very talkative so far today, which broke Emily’s heart. Of course, she knew they couldn’t go back to being the giggling silly sisters they’d been before Hannah and Jacob married.

  After Emily had awoken this morning, she helped her sister make breakfast for everyone, but it seemed Adam had disappeared without telling anyone where he was going. She tried not to let this news upset her as she cleaned the dishes and helped with dressing the children. Hadn’t Adam once told her he didn’t want to be part of her close-knit family? And yet, it was more than that. She wanted him to be her friend. Unfortunately, it appeared that he didn’t want that relationship, either.

  “You know,” Hannah’s voice broke the silence between them, “sometimes I think Jacob is still alive and will return home at any moment.”

  Emily grasped her sister’s hand and squeezed softly. Hannah hadn’t taken her eyes off the children.