The Moon and the Stars

by Constance O'Banyon

  The housekeeper saw Caroline’s stricken face and wondered if she had done wrong to invite strangers into the house. “They said they were friends of yours. A Mr. and Mrs. Grady.”

  “Oh!” Caroline took a step forward, then another. By the time she passed through the formal sitting room, her footsteps were hurried. On entering the morning room, she could hardly contain her joy.

  “Nelly! Yance! It is you!”

  Nelly leaped to her feet and grabbed Caroline in a hug while a smiling Yance put his big arms around them both.

  “I can’t believe you are here. But,” she said somewhat befuddled, “Mary told me that you were Mr. and Mrs. Grady—did I hear her right?”

  Nelly clasped Caroline’s hands and pulled her to the sofa. “We have been married for three weeks.” She grinned up at her new husband, her eyes soft with affection. “Yance said the first thing we’d do after we got married was go in search of you. And he kept his word.”

  “I am so happy for you both!” Caroline took Yance’s hand. “What tactic did you use to get her to say yes?”

  “It was easy,” he said, grinning. “That gal just found me too charming to resist.”

  Nelly gave him a mock scowl. “Humph. I find you to be nothing but trouble.”

  He grinned from ear to ear. “See, she loves me.”

  “And why wouldn’t she?” Caroline stated, happy for both of them. “You are quite a catch, Yance.”

  “What we really need to know is if you are all right,” Nelly said, seeing the dark shadows beneath Caroline’s eyes. “And what are you doing here in that man’s house?”

  She didn’t know where to start explaining. “This is going to take some telling. I am not sure how it happened myself. I was ill when Wade brought me here.” She saw the frown on Nelly’s face. “I am all right now. What I want to know is, how you were able to find me?”

  Yance looked at Caroline carefully. “Mr. Gray saw you leave town with the bounty hunter, and we put the pieces together. Then when we went to your house, we read your letter and knew what had happened. Nelly knew you were in trouble, and she wouldn’t rest until we could follow you. We followed your trail all the way to San Antonio, but from there, we completely lost it. Then we found out where Mr. Renault lived, and here we are.” He looked at her guardedly. “I’m full ready to get you out of here.”

  “We didn’t really expect you to be here,” Nelly said, puzzled. She held Caroline’s hand as if she were afraid to let go of it. “Are you really all right? Is the bounty hunter holding you here against your will? ’Cause if he is, honey, like Yance said, we’ll get you right out of here. Yance will take care of Mr. Renault,” she said, nodding up at her husband.

  “I don’t know where to start,” Caroline said. “You are the truest friends I could ever have, rushing to my rescue like this. But I am not here unwillingly, although . . .” She drew in a deep breath. “It’s a long story.” And she proceeded to tell them about how she had gone to the boardinghouse the day of the picnic, and ended up explaining how she had come to be a guest in Wade Renault’s home.

  There were tears in Nelly’s eyes, and she carelessly brushed them away. “I should have listened to you when you said he was after you. I am so sorry that I didn’t believe you.”

  “You must not blame yourself. I will not have it. Even I was lulled into thinking that Wade had come to town looking for someone else. That is, until the day of the picnic.”

  “I thought you acted kinda strange that day. Didn’t you, Yance?”

  “I didn’t notice. But I believed you when you said you noticed it.”

  “There’s more.” Caroline glanced from Nelly to Yance. “I am going to marry Wade Renault.”

  Nelly was immediately on guard, and she voiced her suspicions. “He’s forcing you to marry him, isn’t he?”

  “No. I don’t want you to think that. You must understand that Wade is a very fine man.”

  Yance was wondering if this was merely the romantic fantasy of a woman falling in love with the danger surrounding the bounty hunter. But Caroline had always been such a stable, levelheaded woman. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

  “I do want to be his wife.”

  Nelly stood up and wandered about the room, touching the back of a red velvet chair, looking at the marble fireplace that had been hand carved. She had never been in such a fine house. “A bounty hunter must make a lot of money.” There was skepticism in her voice. “Yance, why don’t you take a walk in that fine garden we saw out back? I want to talk to my friend.”

  He went directly to the door. “Not married a month, and already I’m thrown out.” He smiled mischievously. “Just give me a loud yell when you want me to come back.”

  After he stepped outside and closed the door behind him, Nelly looked at Caroline. “You’ve lost weight.”

  “I did tell you that I was ill for a time.”

  Nelly sat down on the edge of a chair and concentrated on what she wanted to say, and how she would say it. “You can come away with us right now and know that we will not let him come after you, if that’s what you want. Yance has a sister who lives in Sacramento, California, and we can take you directly to her. Wade Renault will never think to look for you there.”

  Caroline shook her head. “He would find me wherever I went—but I do not want to leave him.” She wanted to make Nelly understand something she wasn’t sure she understood herself. “I can’t run anymore.”

  Nelly reached across and squeezed her friend’s hand. “What in heaven’s name are you running from?”

  “If I tell you everything, you will only worry more.”

  “How could I worry more than I already am?”

  Caroline took a deep breath and started telling her friend about her past life. She told her about the day she had married Michael and how he had died on their wedding day.

  Nelly was horrified. “Hens’ teeth, Caroline—you kept all that bottled up inside you? It’s a wonder you are sane at all. Do you know who shot your husband?”

  Caroline did, but she wasn’t going to tell Nelly just yet. The less Nelly knew about Michael’s murder, the safer she would be. Brace had a long reach, and Nelly would never understand how dangerous he could be. “Perhaps one day I will tell you the whole story, but not now. I want you to understand that my brother-in-law hired Wade to take me back to Charleston, and Wade understands that I would be in danger if I went home alone. When we are married, he will take me back to South Carolina.”

  “You don’t have to marry this man just so he will take care of you. You have friends.”

  “I know. And you and Yance are the sweetest friends I could ever have. But I find I want to be Wade’s wife. You must believe me when I tell you he is a fine man. If you only knew all that he has done for me.”

  “I was watching him the day of the picnic, and I thought for a moment that he was in love with you. But I talked myself out of that notion when he took you away with him.” She looked doubtful. “If you change your mind, there is always Yance’s sister that you can stay with.”

  “Thank you for all the trouble you went through on my behalf.”

  “I couldn’t sleep until I knew you were all right.” She finally smiled. “Yance has been very patient with me.”

  “What about his son and daughter?”

  “That’s the funny thing about it. After the picnic, Judy went to her papa and said it was time they had a new mama. She said I’d be as good as anyone else, and they wanted me for their new ma.”

  “So Judy changed her mind?”

  “I swear it. I not only have a husband, I have a son and daughter, too. ’Course, if I don’t get back to them, they may think they’ve been deserted. They’re staying with the Grays. Wanda Gray said she wouldn’t even notice two more faces at her table.”

  “Will you and Yance stay here for the night? I know Wade wouldn’t mind, and I would love to have you with me.”

  “Thank you, but we’re still on ou
r honeymoon.” She actually blushed. “We have a room at one of those fancy hotels in town. Now that I know you’re all right, I’ll pay more attention to my husband.”

  “Have you moved to Yance’s ranch?”

  “Not yet. But as soon as we get home, I’m going to sell the boardinghouse.” She looked dreamy-eyed for a moment. “I want to be the best wife I can. He and the kids need someone to look after them. And I need someone to look after.”

  “Nelly, do you ever feel like you are betraying your first husband by marrying again?”

  “No. Marty would have wanted me to be happy.” She glanced at Caroline. “You aren’t feeling guilty, are you?”

  “Perhaps a little. Michael died so young.”

  “Then tell me this—do you love Renault?”

  “I’m not sure. I don’t feel the same way about him that I felt about Michael. Of course, I had known Michael most of my life. But with Wade, my feelings are so intense. I can’t explain it. I have never felt this way before.” She looked up questioningly. “Does that make sense to you?”

  Nelly chuckled. “That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said to me. Wade Renault could make any woman’s teeth rattle. He’s so”—She tried to think of a way to put it delicately—“so male. And he’s got a body like—” Nelly actually blushed. “I understand what you’re feeling for him. But I’d feel better if you said you loved him just a little.”

  “Maybe love will come. But I trust him more than I trust anyone else. And I want to take care of him.”

  Nelly shook her head. “I can’t imagine that man needing anyone to take care of him.”

  “He does, though. He needs someone badly, although he doesn’t know it yet.”

  “When is the wedding going to be?”

  “I don’t know. We have not really had time to discuss it. It happened so quickly.”

  “He hasn’t touched you, has he?” Nelly had her reasons for asking. Her friend was in a very vulnerable position. Renault would know exactly how to seduce a woman as innocent as Caroline—and no matter what, Nelly was not going to let that happen.

  “No. But if he hadn’t stopped himself, I probably would have.” Caroline lowered her gaze and stared at the tip of her shoe. “As I said, he is very intense.”

  Nelly stood. “I see.” And she did see. Renault had used his charm to get her to agree to marry him. “I see very well.”

  “Then tell me what I am feeling.”

  “It just may be the budding of love. I hope it is. I suspect that man is already in love with you.”

  “No. He isn’t.”

  Nelly let the subject drop. “You will need to tell me what you want done with the belongings you left behind in San Sebastian.”

  “I hadn’t thought about that. There is nothing there I really want to keep. I had so little.” She thought of Archimedes and smiled, thinking she would like to have him with her.

  “I’ll box your things up and have Yance store them in his attic. You may decide later what you want done with them.”

  “You have already done so much. But I would ask one other favor of you. When you are packing my things away, I would like you to give all the books to Private McCaffrey. I think he would like to have them.”

  “I’ll do that very thing.”

  “I don’t know how I will ever thank you.”

  Nelly spread her hands and looked at her palms. “That’s what friends do. I know because you’ve been that kind of friend to me.”

  Both women stood and hugged each other. “Thank you, Nelly.”

  “I’ll be back tomorrow, if that’s all right with you.”

  “I would love it. I would like you to get to know Wade.”

  Nelly looked doubtful. “I can never feel close to a man who makes his living with a gun.”

  “Nelly, he has not made his living bounty hunting for a long time. And he has given it up.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “For me.”

  Nelly stared at her for a moment and then nodded her head. “I can see him doing that.” Then she gripped Caroline’s hand. “I sure do miss you.”

  “My dear friend, I miss you, too.”

  “Well,” Nelly said, gathering her purse. “It’s late, and you look all undone. Me and Yance will be back tomorrow to see you.”

  “I look forward to it.” She hugged her friend. “What about Archimedes—is someone taking care of him?”

  “That cat rules the boardinghouse. He sleeps on the counter or anywhere else he decides to sleep. He goes into the guests’ rooms and begs for attention, and usually gets it.”

  “Thank you. Thank you for everything. Oh, there’s one other thing. Please tell Captain Dunning that I am to be married.”

  Nelly nodded. “I understand.”

  When Wade finally arrived home, it was long after midnight. With his keen hearing, he detected the presence of a stranger even before the man had stepped out of the shadows and approached him.

  “Come forward,” Wade said in a threatening tone. “Whoever you are, show yourself.”

  The stranger did not hesitate. “I just want to know what kind of shenanigans you are trying to pull with Caroline. And don’t try to tell me that you came to San Sebastian looking for a wife, ’cause I won’t believe you.”

  “Yance Grady. You are a long way from home.”

  “Nelly and me, we came looking for Caroline. I want to know what you’ve done to her.”

  Wade smiled to himself. This big man could break every bone in his body if he chose to. “I am going to make her my wife.”

  “I’ve been told that. But what do you get out of it?”

  “A wife.”

  “Smart talk will not get you out of this. I left Nelly back at our hotel room with a promise that I’d make you admit what your intentions are toward her friend. And I ain’t going back to her without answers!”

  “Nelly is with you?”

  “Yeah, she is. We got married.”

  “Congratulations!”

  “I’m not here to talk about us. I want to know what you feel for Caroline.”

  Wade’s eyes narrowed. “My feelings for her are strictly my business.”

  Yance stepped in front of him, his broad shoulders blocking out the sky. “You’ll tell me or I’ll beat it out of you.”

  Wade gave a deep laugh and shook his head. “I believe you would. You can go back to Nelly and tell her that I want nothing but the best for Caroline.” With a quick change of subject, Wade asked Yance, “Why did you marry Nelly?”

  “We got married for the right reasons, but it’s different with you and Caroline.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Hell, every man in San Sebastian would like to have had her, but she’s a lady, and she’s got lots of friends. She never knew that the young recruits she taught to read and write took turns watching her house at night to make sure she was safe. If you do anything to hurt her, you’ll have the whole cavalry down on you.”

  Wade respected loyalty in anyone, and he certainly respected this big man. “If I can get Caroline to agree to marry me tomorrow, how would you and Nelly like to attend our wedding?”

  Yance looked mollified for a moment. “We wouldn’t miss it if it’s what Caroline wants.”

  Chapter Twenty-two

  The quarter moon unfurled a wispy illumination across the garden, leaving the pathways in shadows and casting an ethereal glow on the honeysuckle vine that twined around the base of the fountain. Dressed for bed, Caroline stood on the gallery dragging her fragmented thoughts together. So much had happened in such a short time, it was difficult to put all the pieces together. Her main concern at the moment was Jonathan and how her marriage to Wade would affect his life.

  Somewhere in the distance she heard the lonesome sound of a ship’s foghorn, warning other river travelers away from danger. The wind rustled through the cypress leaves, and she heard the musical sound of the fountain below her. It had been a very emotional day, sta
rting with the swamp trip Wade had taken her on, and ending with Nelly and Yance charging to her rescue.

  She smiled. Those two were the most unlikely pair of rescuers, and the most dear.

  Wade had just returned from the stable to make sure his horse had been taken care of. The animal had just arrived home by a private stock car that morning.

  He was thinking of Caroline as he moved past the fountain that sprayed water into the air, leaving a fine mist on his face. He paused to watch the small figure leaning on the railing of the gallery. Caroline was gazing at the moon, and he could only imagine where her thoughts were taking her.

  He directed his footsteps toward her and watched her startled expression when she heard his steps on the stairs. She moved toward the safety of her room, halting only when Wade called out to her.

  “It is only me. I saw you out here, and I thought we might talk if you are not sleepy.” He came up beside her. “Are you too tired?”

  “No. Not at all.” She moved back to the railing. “Did the fire do any damage to your warehouse?”

  “I was fortunate that my men reacted quickly and started a bucket brigade.”

  “Louis indicated that the fire had been set deliberately.”

  Wade leaned his arm on the railing, his elbow almost touching hers. “So it would seem.”

  “Fires are Brace’s specialty.” She curled her fingers until her nails dug into her hand. “Do you think he could be responsible?”

  He looked down at her, noticing that her hair was unbound just the way he had often imagined it. Blond curls fell almost to her waist, inviting a man’s hand to tangle in them. “I think it is more probable that it was some disgruntled employee taking out his spite on me. I cannot think what your brother-in-law would have to gain by such an act against me.”

  His shoulder brushed against hers, and her heart pounded as blood thrummed hotly through her veins. She had never been susceptible to a man’s touch the way she was to his. She glanced up at him and felt trapped by the fire in his golden eyes.

  “I had guests tonight,” she said.

  “Oui. So I learned.”

  She glanced up at him. “I suppose Mary told you?”