The Bounty Hunter's Bride

by Victoria Bylin

  He saddled his horse, led it into the yard, then went to find Dani. He didn’t like leaving her alone on the farm, but more than a week had passed since he’d ridden with Dawes. He felt certain Johnson had either left to sell the stolen horses or holed up somewhere to plan another raid. Even so, Beau wouldn’t be gone long. He’d have a word with Josh, visit Wallace and be home by supper.

  He found Dani behind the house, scrubbing the collar of his shirt with a vengeance. The dirt didn’t stand a chance. Neither did Beau’s heart. With wisps of hair sticking to her neck and her cheeks flushed, she couldn’t have been prettier. Beau surveyed the yard and saw Emma hanging a pinafore on the clothesline. In the garden he saw Esther digging in the dirt and Ellie pouring out a bucket of rinse water.

  The girl had a sly look in her eyes. Before he could speak, she touched her finger to her lips, signaling him to stay quiet. Being fond of mischief himself, Beau winked at her.

  Tiptoeing, Ellie snuck up behind Emma and splashed the dregs of the bucket on her older sister.

  Emma cried out in shock.

  Ellie dropped the bucket and took cover behind Beau. Showing no fear—a fact that warmed him—Emma grabbed a second bucket, the one at Dani’s feet, and charged at them. Ellie had been armed with a cup or so of water. Emma had two gallons and wanted revenge. She got it by dousing Ellie. Beau got caught in the crossfire.

  Dripping wet, he laughed. “You’re going to regret that, young lady!”

  Emma grinned. “Now you don’t need a bath!”

  “No, but Esther does.” Beau indicated the little girl in the garden. “I think she’s eating bugs.”

  Groaning, Ellie and Emma went to fetch their sister. Beau turned to Dani. Her eyes were focused square on his chest. Her expression made his heart pound.

  Looking down, she went back to scrubbing the shirt. “You’re as wet as I am.”

  “Almost.”

  Blotches of water had turned the white apron to a dull gray. Beau looked in the tub where he saw more of his clothes. Dani worked hard. She deserved the best life he could provide. That meant securing the adoption and settling his score with Johnson.

  He rested his hand on the edge of the tub. “I have to go to town.”

  She stopped scrubbing. “Why?”

  He didn’t want to mention Scott’s visit. “I have to see Josh.”

  She raised her eyes. “Is something wrong?”

  “Not a thing,” he said. “Do you need anything from town?”

  She smiled. “Butterscotch?”

  Dani liked sweets. He’d buy a pound of the candy, maybe two. He felt generous these days, as if he couldn’t give her enough. He’d be leaving in a few days. That called for gifts for the girls, something special for Dani. They deserved more, but trinkets were the best he could do. After promising to be home for supper, Beau went back to his room to change his shirt, climbed on his horse and rode to the parsonage.

  As he neared the house, he saw Josh in front of the church with a brush and a can of paint. Half of the front wall looked new. The other was weathered and worn from the sun.

  Beau dismounted and called a greeting.

  Josh looked over his shoulder. “Perfect timing. Grab a brush.”

  “I can’t stay.”

  “So what’s up?” Josh kept painting.

  Beau felt like a louse for not helping, but the thought of whitewashing the church left a sour taste. In Denver, he’d pounded nails and hauled lumber. God might have noticed his efforts, but he hadn’t cared enough to save Lucy.

  “Come on down,” Beau called.

  “You come up.”

  Josh could be stubborn. If Beau had to shout, so be it.

  “Something’s come up with the adoption.” He told the minister about Miss Lange’s concerns about Dani. “I’m sure you can see the problem.”

  Beau hoped Josh would put the pieces together and bring up marriage. Instead the minister dragged the brush up and down. To Beau, each stroke felt like a mile. He wanted to arrange the wedding and be on his way. Josh acted as if he had all the time in world. “How can I help?”

  Beau tried to sound matter-of-fact. “We need a marriage certificate.”

  Josh stopped the brush at the highest mark, then brought it down with a long swipe. He put it in the bucket, then faced Beau. “That’s an odd way to ask me to marry you and Dani.”

  “It’s a marriage in name only.”

  “I see.”

  “This is the surest way to give Dani and the girls a real home.” Beau heard his pleading tone. He’d begged just once in his life—for God to save Lucy. The answer had been no and he’d never done it again.

  Josh ambled across the porch and sat on the top step. “Has Dani agreed?”

  “I haven’t told her yet.”

  “I see.” Josh’s eyes drilled into him.

  Beau widened his stance. “Will you help us or not?”

  “I have a question for you.”

  “Go ahead.”

  “How does a fake marriage give Dani a real home?”

  Beau should have seen the fight coming. Josh took marriage seriously, but he’d also been unpredictable. He made some couples wait a year for his blessing. For others he spoke the vows the same day. Beau didn’t need Josh’s help. He and Dani could go to the courthouse, but he wanted the minister to understand. For Dani’s sake, he wanted Josh’s approval.

  Beau wished he’d picked up the paintbrush. “It’s a legal arrangement, nothing more.”

  “What’ll you tell the girls?”

  “Nothing.”

  “What’s Dani supposed to say when men come calling?”

  “She’ll say no.” Beau didn’t like the thought of other men at all. “We have feelings for each other. I’d stay if I could.”

  “You can.”

  “You don’t understand.”

  “I think I do,” Josh replied. “You love Dani and the girls. You want to provide for them. Is that right?”

  “Yes.”

  “You also want to see Clay Johnson hang.”

  Beau nodded.

  “You’ve figured out how to have it all. You tie up the woman you love in an empty marriage, get revenge against Clay, then come home and expect her to be happy about it.”

  Beau felt sucker punched. He hadn’t considered Dani’s feelings at all. “If she wants an annulment, I’ll give it to her.”

  “And that will fix things?” Josh looked incredulous.

  “It’s all I can do.”

  “It’s flat-out stupid.”

  Beau didn’t want to hear a rant, but he’d knocked on the door and Josh had swung it wide. The minister came down the steps, hooked his thumbs in his trousers and got in Beau’s face.

  “This plan is so selfish I can’t believe you conjured it up! If you marry Dani in name only, you’ll break her heart. Both today and every night she goes to bed alone. You know what marriage means. Dani doesn’t, not yet. I’m not going to ruin her hopes with a big, fat lie.”

  “It’s not a lie,” Beau said. “It’s an answer.”

  “A bad one.”

  Josh started to pace. “I’m not naive, Beau. People marry for all sorts of reasons. Not everyone’s head over heels in love. Sometimes marriage is born out of need and the love comes later. But what’s got to be at the foundation—always—is truth.”

  “I am being truthful.”

  Josh’s expression turned mild. “I don’t think you are.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you really want to leave?”

  “It’s necessary.”

  “Says who?”

  Right and wrong seemed plain to Josh. Beau saw gray mist. It didn’t matter, though. He lifted the reins from the post.

  “My mind’s made up.”

  “So change it. Raise your nieces and make Dani your wife. Give her all the things she needs.”

  Beau thought of the butterscotch he planned to buy. She deserved far more. A husband. A partner. A man who’
d sit next to her in church. The smell of whitewash filled his nose to the point of sickness. The church looked brand-new. He wanted that freshness for himself, but paint only covered the marks of time. It didn’t remove them. Beau turned to his horse.

  Josh gripped his arm. “Stay. Marry Dani, but do it right.”

  “I can’t.”

  “You won’t.”

  How could Josh say such a thing? He’d buried Lucy. Beau swung onto his horse. “Thanks for nothing.”

  Josh kept talking. “Clay stole Lucy from you. Don’t give him Dani, too.”

  Beau tasted bile. “I want justice.”

  “Then let God have His way,” Josh insisted. “He’s far smarter than you.”

  “He had His chance. It’s up to me.”

  “Is that so?”

  Beau frowned. “What are you getting at?”

  “You’ve been chasing Clay Johnson for five years and he’s still on the loose. Clay’s not that smart. Either you’re a lousy lawman or God’s keeping him a step ahead of you.”

  Beau often had the same thought. In five years, he’d caught twenty-two men. Why not Clay? Sometimes he imagined God baiting a hook and jerking it away. The thought made him furious.

  He glared at Josh. “If you won’t do the ceremony, I’ll get a judge.”

  “Suit yourself.” The minister went up the stairs and picked up the brush. “I’ll be around if you need me.”

  Beau clicked to his horse. He still had candy to buy, but he felt pulled to the Silver River. Maybe Wallace had news…Maybe Johnson was close enough to kill. Tasting bile, Beau rode to the wrong side of town. As he neared the saloon, he looked for Harriet Lange’s detective. He had no intention of avoiding the man. He wanted to fight and the man who’d been spying on him was a worthy target.

  Seeing no one, Beau dismounted and went into the Silver River. He smelled chili and thought of the graybeard with the bad teeth. Beau didn’t want to become that man, but he could see the signs. Without Dani and the girls, he had nothing.

  Wallace came out of the back room. “It’s been a while. Where’ve you been?”

  “Around.”

  “Coffee?”

  Beau nodded, then watched as Wallace poured. The barkeep set the mug in front of Beau, then took something from a drawer. He rested his closed fist on the counter, then opened his fingers to reveal a bullet. “Someone left this for you.”

  Beau saw the caliber. Lucy’s pink dress flashed before his eyes. Only Clay Johnson would leave a bullet for the rifle that had killed Beau’s wife. He pinched the casing until his thumb ached. “Who left it?”

  “Some fellow with dark hair. I’ve never seen him before. He said to give it to you, that was all.”

  “Did you tell Dawes?”

  “First thing, but he didn’t act concerned. He said bounty hunters brought trouble on themselves.”

  Beau couldn’t believe his ears. “What about the raid at the Rocking J?”

  “He thinks the thieves are long gone. He said the bullet was your personal business.”

  “Fool,” Beau muttered.

  Wallace wiped a glass. “Do you know who left it?”

  “No, but I know what it means.” Johnson had sent him a summons. “When did he leave it?”

  “Last Saturday.”

  The night of the social…If Beau had come to the Silver River instead of watching fireworks, he’d have seen the man for himself. With his palm warming the casing, he made a decision. Tonight he’d offer Dani a marriage in name only. Tomorrow they’d take vows in front of a judge. He’d be out of Castle Rock by noon. With a little luck, he’d be home in a week. The other possibility, that he’d be doomed to wander for five more years, made him ill. Either way, Dani and the girls would be secure.

  Smoke stung his eyes. He loved Dani, but he hated Clay Johnson even more. The truth shamed him, but as Josh had said, it couldn’t be denied.

  Beau put the bullet in his pocket, paid for the coffee and walked out of the saloon. At the store he bought three pounds of butterscotch, dolls for the girls and the one thing he’d sworn not to buy. A ring for Dani. He picked a silver band with a pretty blue stone that matched her eyes. Someday he’d put a gold band on her finger. For now, silver and blue would have to do.

  Dani worried every minute of Beau’s absence. The instant he mentioned Pastor Josh, she’d sensed trouble. When he walked into the house with enough butterscotch for a year and toys for the girls, her worry hardened into fear. Supper didn’t ease her heart. She’d expected him to be quiet as usual. Instead he was charming to them all. With the girls giggling and Dani enjoying his praise, the meal couldn’t have been more normal.

  The girls washed the dishes and went upstairs, leaving Dani alone on the porch. She could see a light in Beau’s room and was tempted to knock on his door. Before she could decide, he strode across the yard. He’d shaved, something he usually did in the morning. He’d also put on his best shirt.

  “It’s a nice night,” he said. “Let’s take a walk.”

  “Sure.”

  As she came down the steps, Dani considered Beau’s behavior. He’d gone to town to see Josh. He’d come back with candy, gifts and a secret. Her heart beat with the rhythm of a waltz. Her mind raced to reasons a man spoke in private to a minister.

  With the moon lighting the way, Beau hooked his arm around her waist and guided her down the path to the stream behind the pasture. Full of snowmelt, it tumbled over rocks and made deep pools. When they reached the bank, Dani crouched and dipped her hand in the water. Her fingers tingled.

  Beau cleared his throat. “I brought you here so we could speak in private.”

  Dani blushed. “It’s a lovely night.”

  He looked nervous. It charmed her until his eyes glinted with irritation. “I have bad news about the adoption.”

  The tingle from the stream turned to a burn. Dani pushed to her feet. What a fool she’d been to expect talk of love. Putting aside thoughts of rings and her ivory dress, she faced Beau. “What happened?”

  She listened as he described Trevor Scott’s visit. With every word, her anger grew. She didn’t care about Miss Lange’s opinion of her, but Beau deserved respect, even kindness. For the sake of his nieces, he’d stayed in Castle Rock. He’d done it for her, too. How much longer would he stay? Afraid to ask, Dani looked upstream and said a silent prayer.

  Please, Lord. Show me what’s right. Protect the girls and show Beau You love him. You know my heart. You know what’s best. Amen.

  Beau stepped to her side. “That’s the bad news. There’s good news, too.”

  “There is?”

  “Scott had a suggestion.”

  Dani turned her head. Her eyes landed on Beau’s shoulder. She saw strength. It made her brave. “What is it?”

  He kept his eyes on the stream. “If we got married—”

  “Married?”

  “In name only, of course.”

  “I see.”

  Dani blinked and saw her wedding gown. Earlier she’d imagined it touching her skin. She’d felt a ring on her finger, but Beau hadn’t offered that kind of marriage. “I don’t know what to say.”

  “It sounds crazy, but Scott has a point.”

  Dani huddled in her shawl.

  Beau crossed his arms. “If we got married, the adoption would be secure. Harriet Lange couldn’t even sneeze at us.”

  Dani liked the sound of “us,” but he didn’t mean it the way she did. “What about you?”

  “I’m leaving.”

  “For how long?”

  “As long as it takes to find Johnson.”

  Dani wished she hadn’t asked. She turned to the stream and dipped her hand into it. The cold jarred her senses but failed to numb her feelings.

  Beau stepped up behind her. “Once the adoption’s settled, you can get an annulment.”

  Not once in her dreams had she even thought that word. She understood the principle. An unconsummated marriage wasn’t a marriage at all, bu
t what about her feelings? If he thought she could stop loving him, he’d lost his mind. Dani bit her lip to hold in an angry remark. Lecturing Beau—even telling him she loved him—wouldn’t make a whit of difference.

  He touched her arm. “I have to say something else.”

  “Not now.”

  He leaned closer. “I care for you, Dani. Johnson’s close. If things go as I hope, I’ll be back in days, not months.”

  But what then? Would killing Clay bring Beau peace? He thought so, but Dani had her doubts. Beau had been fighting God as much as he’d been battling Clay. Dani loved him, but she feared for the future. She also feared losing the girls.

  Sighing, she faced Beau. “When do I have to decide?”

  “The sooner, the better.”

  “So you can leave.”

  He nodded.

  “That’s why you went to see Josh,” she said. “To arrange the ceremony.”

  Beau frowned. “He won’t do it.”

  Dani respected the pastor for his choice. She felt the same inclination, but she had to consider the girls. Before she made a decision, she wanted to hear Josh’s opinion for herself. She looked at Beau. “I’ll give you my answer on Sunday.”

  He looked peeved. “That’s three days.”

  “I need time. Surely—”

  “Fine. Sunday it is.”

  With her heart breaking, Dani led the way back to the house. Of all the marriage proposals she’d received, this one was by the far the saddest.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Beau drove Dani and the girls to church on Sunday. He’d been on his best behavior after visiting Scott, but he had no intention of stepping inside the building. He had nothing more to say to Josh, and he doubted Adie would take his side. Dani alone controlled the future.

  Beau stopped in front of the church, helped Dani down from the seat, then watched as his nieces went to Miss Adie’s Sunday school in the parsonage. Dani walked up the steps without looking back. If she had, she’d have seen Mr. Paisley Vest with his son, a young boy who needed a haircut. The kid saw the girls, spoke to his father and scampered off to be with Miss Adie. Beau wondered if she still used puppets to teach Sunday school. He’d helped her once. He’d been a bear named Jed and had hammed it up.