He just didn’t know how to protect his daughters’ hearts. Having Laura care for them seemed to be the worst solution when they would all go back to their old lives soon enough. And Laura would no longer be part of their lives.
Suddenly the easy solution seemed even more complicated.
“Very well,” Owen said. For now, he’d let the matter drop. Maybe it was better this way, going back to the initial awkwardness that had been between them when she first came to the ranch.
The door opened, and Will walked in, confirming Owen’s decision to let things drop. They didn’t need an audience for their conversation.
“We need to get moving. The men confirmed that James hid in the wagon before making his move. I suspect he arrived sometime in the night, which is why you didn’t see him coming. It looks like he made himself a makeshift bed in there and slept.”
Owen had already come to the same conclusion. “Why did he wait so long? We were out in the yard all morning with the horses. He could have easily picked us off.”
“I’m guessing he was passed-out drunk. There was an empty liquor bottle in there, and I know you don’t drink.”
Laura had stood to join them. “But how did he get here?”
“We saw a loose horse on our way here. He probably rode partway, then abandoned it to come the rest of the way on foot. From what I understand, the description of the horse matches one that was stolen in town a couple of days ago. Some of the deputies have gone to catch it just in case.”
“How did he figure out we were here so quickly?” Owen asked.
Will’s brows furrowed. “Only a handful of men knew the plan. If the horse is the same one that was stolen, that means James knew you’d gone to the ranch within hours of your leaving town.”
The look Laura gave Will made even Owen’s palms sweat. “If you knew a horse was stolen, why didn’t you assume it was James and take action?”
Will gave her the patient smile he gave people when they asked an ignorant question. Sometimes Owen wished he’d developed that skill. He could certainly use it in most of his conversations with Laura.
“Do you know how many horses are reported stolen each day?”
Laura gave him a blank look. Owen tried not to chuckle. When he’d been assigned to investigate stolen horses, they got dozens each day. In a town as large as Leadville, it wasn’t surprising, considering the number of unsavory characters attracted to the saloons and houses of ill repute.
“Enough that we couldn’t use it as credible evidence that James had arrived in Leadville. We had people all over the state looking for him, and this is the first confirmed sighting.” Will didn’t bother hiding his disgust as he spoke.
Owen could understand. Based on their previous conversation, Will suspected that someone within their department had been in contact with James and was feeding him information. But who? It sickened Owen to think that one of their own was betraying them. He and Will had both thought they knew the men in the Sheriff’s Office.
They’d been wrong.
And that hurt almost as much as nearly losing his sister. Men he trusted, had fought beside, risked his life with... How could someone they knew so well turn against them?
“I’m sure he has enough people who owe him favors that he’s going to be impossible to find,” Laura said.
Owen shook his head. “I don’t believe in impossible. I’ll admit that this adds a degree of difficulty, but we’ve faced worse before.”
They’d never faced having a traitor in their midst. But at least, moving forward, Owen had Will to back him up. Will was the finest lawman he knew, and with Will on their side, they were sure to get James in the end.
“True,” Will said, then he turned to Laura. “Owen refuses to take credit for it, but he is the reason we were able to bring down the Hart Brothers.”
Owen hated it when people brought up that case. It was merely a coincidence that had led the law to the hideout. All right, it was more than a coincidence. Owen had seen his wayward wife riding out of town, and he’d gone after her to try to talk sense into her. He’d heard rumors that she was keeping company with Buddy Hart and was thinking to warn her. He’d ended up making the greatest arrest of his career. But everyone thought he was a hero.
He wasn’t a hero. Just a confused husband.
Sadie had told him that being an outlaw’s mistress was more fun than being a lawman’s wife. She’d started bragging about all the exciting things she’d done with Buddy, and Buddy, not wanting her to incriminate him further, had pulled out his gun and killed her.
Had the posse not seen Owen riding out, the story would have had a different ending. But they hadn’t been too far behind and arrived just in time.
No great lawman skill there, just a lot of coincidence.
But he couldn’t say that without telling Laura the whole story about Sadie. He’d already shared too many personal details with her. Why had he told her so much about his family?
One more reason it was best to have this distance between them. He’d done the right thing by apologizing to her, and she’d done the right thing by accepting it. Even though they both knew that none of those words had been adequate in resolving Laura’s hurt feelings.
It just seemed as though sharing anything with Laura would only serve to complicate an already muddy mess.
“Enough of all this talk,” Owen said. “I need to get some things packed for the girls, and I imagine Laura needs to pack, as well.”
He turned back to Laura. “How much time do you need to be ready to go?”
“Only a few minutes. I didn’t bring much, as you may recall.”
Her words had an icy quality to them, and they stung more than they should have. The trouble with doing the right thing for them long-term meant a painful short term.
“Good.” He turned to Will. “Do you think the wagon is safe to take to town? Lena won’t be able to ride.”
Will nodded. “The men are checking it out as we speak.”
But was there, among those men, someone who’d betrayed them?
“I’d like for the two of us to take a second look. I thought I could trust every man we have, but clearly, we are going to have to be extra vigilant.”
Will looked pained as he nodded. Probably because while Owen had hung up his badge, Will was still working to bring justice to the people of Leadville. Not knowing who he could trust put all of their cases in jeopardy.
Even though they were supposed to be protecting Laura, the stakes were even higher if they didn’t figure out who was helping James. When a lawman was for sale, no one was safe.
Chapter Eleven
When they finally arrived at her boardinghouse, Laura was relieved to see that everything was as she’d left it. Mary came out the front door with her little girl on her hip, and the twins immediately jumped off the wagon.
“Aunt Mary! Rosabelle!”
Owen turned and smiled at Laura. “She’s not their real aunt, in case you were wondering. But our families have always been close, and we love them like family.”
“Mary is a friend of mine, as well,” Laura said, smiling at him. “I’m glad we share the connection.”
Though she hadn’t needed Owen’s explanation about Mary, it felt good that he was trying to establish a semblance of normalcy between them despite their earlier quarrel. Of course, calling it a quarrel seemed to diminish what had happened.
But that small bit of conversation was all she was going to get out of Owen right now. He gave a quick nod, then turned to give instructions to one of the deputies who’d ridden alongside their wagon on the way to town.
He blamed her for Lena’s injury. True, he’d apologized for his words and had even tried to explain why he was wrong and that it wasn’t her fault. But while he said all the right things, there had been something in his demeanor lacking sincerity.
Like he’d been holding back what he really thought.
As much as Laura wanted to hold it against him, how could she? Owen was right. Even if what Owen said was true, and Lena’s injury could have happened at any point in the situation with James, the fact was, it had been Laura’s mistake that had gotten Lena out of the house and into the line of fire.
The only reason Laura could even hold her head up was that Lena, who’d ridden on a pallet in the wagon, was going to be all right. One of the men had given her something to help the pain that also made her sleep most of the journey. Laura had ridden the entire way sitting next to Lena, watching over her, and praying that the other woman would have no lasting ill effects from her injury.
As if she knew Laura was thinking about her, Lena murmured something incoherent in her sleep. Owen came back around the side of the wagon.
“I’ve got some men to help me carry Lena in, and the doctor is on his way. If you would be so good as to show me to the room you’d like Lena to stay in, that would be appreciated.”
Laura stood and brushed the hay off her dress as she took Owen’s hand to be helped out of the wagon. The electric shock she’d once felt in his touch was almost like a sting. Reminding her that everything she had been attracted to in him was an illusion. Why would she even want a man who thought so little of her?
Taking a deep breath, Laura strengthened her resolve to not view Owen as anything more than a lawman doing his job. Why would she even like someone who’d hurt her feelings so deeply? Why did she care so much about what Owen thought?
But then he smiled at the girls, who were holding hands with Rosabelle and playing Ring Around the Rosie. Anyone could tell his daughters were the center of his existence, and such tenderness and love couldn’t be ignored. How could she be angry with a man who hadn’t lashed out at her in meanness and cruelty, but out of the pain of seeing a beloved family member almost die?
Was it too much to want that kind of love for herself?
Perhaps it wasn’t just about Owen. She watched Will greet his wife with a tender kiss as he patted her slightly rounded stomach, and the twinge of envy Laura felt wasn’t wholly unexpected. All she’d ever wanted was the love of a good man and a family of her own. What she’d gotten was a divorce from an evil man and no hope of ever having children. She knew the Lord had plans she didn’t understand, but sometimes, they seemed incredibly unfair.
Laura followed Owen into the house. He paused at the stairs, but Laura gestured toward the back of the house. “I know Lena isn’t able to stand right now, but I believe it will be easier if she takes my room. That way, help is close at hand, and when she can walk, she won’t have to manage the stairs.”
He hesitated like he was going to argue with her, but then he nodded. “As long as it doesn’t put you out.”
“Not at all. The other rooms are quite pleasant, and I will sleep better knowing that Lena won’t have to worry about the stairs.”
She led Owen to her room, grateful that she’d tidied it up before they left. Not that she was messy, and he’d already seen it, considering the way he’d hovered over her while she packed. But she hadn’t been thinking beyond her anger at being forced to do something she didn’t want to do when he’d last been here. Now, she was aware of how he took in the room, his glance sweeping over her neatly made bed, covered by a quilt the ladies at church had made her, her mother’s bureau, which she’d brought from Denver, and the small bedside table that held a lamp that she’d thought too pretty to resist. What did he think of her room? Did he think it as impractical as he’d found her parlor? Was it another blemish on her character?
Shoving those thoughts out of her mind, Laura smiled at him as she said, “I’m sure Lena will find it comfortable in here.”
A group of men entered the house with the bed contraption they’d created to carry Lena. Owen had called it something, but Laura couldn’t remember. She supposed it didn’t matter.
“In here, please,” Laura said, going around the side of the bed to pull back the covers. She’d changed her sheets when she’d done the others the day they’d left, so everything was acceptable for a guest.
At least in that, no one could fault her.
Laura stepped out of the way as the men brought Lena in. Lena smiled weakly at her, and her expression was almost vacant. Definitely not herself. Laura said a quick, silent prayer that Lena would find relief from her pain soon.
The men put Lena on the bed, then left the room.
“Thank you,” Laura said to the departing men, then turned to Lena. “Are you comfortable enough? I can bring more pillows, more blankets, anything you need.”
Lena’s eyes fluttered closed, then back open again. “No fussing. I’ll be fine. Don’t let that brother of mine bully you into thinking you have to wait on me. No matter what anyone says, this isn’t your fault.”
Her last words seemed to take forever for her to get out, and as she spoke, her eyes drifted closed again. Moments after she said her piece, a tiny snore escaped her mouth.
“I suppose we should let her rest,” Laura said, looking at Owen. His expression betrayed nothing about what he’d thought of Lena’s speech, but that was probably for the best. She couldn’t handle any more guilt.
He nodded. “The doctor should be here soon. In the meantime, why don’t you show me where you’d like the rest of us?”
As she passed by him to exit the room, Owen took her by the arm. “And she’s right. I already apologized for what I said, but I hope you know that you don’t have to put yourself out or go to extreme measures to ease your conscience. I want to inconvenience you as little as possible.”
His touch was gentle but firm. James used to delight in jerking her by the elbow, sometimes sending her flying across the room. But there was no violence in Owen, and his eyes were filled with kindness and sympathy. She’d never seen that in James. Not even when they were courting. Back then, she’d thought his eyes mysterious, though now she recognized that they were shifty. But there was no mistaking the gentleness in Owen’s expression.
Considering Owen’s words, Laura took a deep breath. Perhaps she was wrong to mistrust his apology. James and his false non-apologies had hardened her heart to the genuine sincerity of others. It had taken Laura months to accept the friendship of the ladies in the Leadville community because she’d been worried about their motives.
Maybe she needed to start trusting Owen, as well.
“I’m not helping Lena out of guilt,” Laura said. “She was kind to me in your home and provided for my comfort. I will do no less for her. This is how I treat all my guests.”
Owen hesitated, and in that hesitation, Laura realized that they both had a lot of work to do in the trust department. Though Laura had thought she trusted Owen, and perhaps, the first time around, she had. But somehow, in establishing her independence, she’d become so desperate to prove it that she’d lost her ability to believe in other people’s judgment. Here was Owen, needing to give her that same trust, and he was struggling against his self-reliance and with letting Laura lead.
Or at least that’s how it seemed to Laura.
Something in that realization gave her hope. And courage. He was struggling just as much as she was to adjust to the situation. A thought that gave her a great deal of compassion for the man standing before her.
Laura led him up the stairs and stopped on the landing. “There are three bedrooms up here, all of which are equally comfortable. But I’ll let you choose which one you feel is most advantageous for you to do your job.”
His shoulders relaxed slightly. “You don’t mind if I look around?”
“I would be pleased if you did. Our primary concern right now is safety, and I believe you would know best how to handle it.”
Did he see the olive branch she was extending? Telling him that she was going to let him do what he felt best and she would abide by that d
ecision?
Owen said nothing as he walked into the first bedroom, a rather feminine room adorned with all sorts of lace that had seemed like a good idea at the time. James used to mock Laura for her love of beautiful things, and as a result, her surroundings had been more masculine than she would have liked. When Laura came up with her boardinghouse idea, she’d hoped to create places that were a haven for women. She hadn’t thought that she’d ever have a man as a guest.
He went through the next two rooms, going straight to the windows and peering out. Of course, he didn’t notice the decor. Once again, Laura was being silly in even worrying that he might find the rooms objectionable in that way. Owen’s only concern was the safety of the room. A fact brought home to her when she watched him try every window.
All locked, which Laura hadn’t remembered doing. When Owen arrived the other day, she’d had them all open to air the space out. And, for the first time, Laura realized the rooms were now a bit stuffy again.
“We can open the windows if you like,” Laura said, stepping into the room Owen now occupied.
“No. I had Will make sure they were secured when we left. All James needs is an opening, and everyone is at risk. I realize it will be uncomfortable, but for now, you must leave all the windows closed and locked.”
He looked at her like he didn’t trust her to listen. She was starting to hate that expression, and yet, she deserved it.
“Of course,” Laura said. “I understand completely. Do you have a preference for where everyone will stay?”
“I’ll take this one. If I were breaking into a home, this is the entry I’d use. You’ll sleep in the front bedroom, because it’s in the open, and anyone would be stupid to try to access it with that many men guarding the area. The girls can share the other one.”
It wasn’t much of an explanation, but it was more than Owen had ever given her at her first question. Could he also be learning to compromise in their rocky relationship?
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