Claire felt like she was in a bubble. She could see what was going on around her, but none of it felt real. And she felt embarrassed. She was a Hawarden. She was strong. The last thing she wanted to appear to be was a weak woman, but she had no control over the darkness that threaten at the edges and then claimed her.
Chapter 9
Doctor Holloway’s Office
Bareglen Creek, TX
“Hey, sis. Hey, Claire?”
It sounded like Jim’s voice—but Jim was in Texas. Suddenly Claire remembered. She was in Texas too. She opened her eyes, and a bright light shone above her.
“Hey, there.”
That was Jim’s voice. It was coming back to her—her brother had been injured. Mary said that, right? It was all so confusing.
“Hey, sis. It’s me, Jim. Wake up—it’s not like you’ve been shot,” he added derisively.
That brat! Claire opened her eyes wide and looked in the direction of the voice. Her brother was lying on a bed with a drip flowing into his arm.
Confusion wrinkled her brow. Wait a minute. What?
“Yep, you passed out, you sissy. I get shot. Live. And you pass out because you find out I’ve been shot. Does that seem right to you?”
She shook her head. There was something so true about what Jim was saying. She took a breath and swung her legs over the table, pushing herself up.
“Better watch out, sis. Doc Holloway is a bit of a beast. If he finds you upright without permission, there will be hell to pay.” Jim chucked and then winced.
“Oh my goodness, Jim! You’re okay. Are you okay? You’re alive. Mary said you’d been shot. What happened?”
“Whoa, sis. Slow it down. One question at a time.”
Claire took a deep breath before rushing to her brother’s side. “Jim!” was all she managed, hugging him as gently as she could, while wanting to strangle him at the same time.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m fine. It was just a gunshot wound—nothing serious. What about you? I heard you fainted — survived a train robbery.”
“Ugh. Don’t remind me. It’s all a bit of a blur,” she admitted, leaning against his bed.
Jim cocked his head and struggled to sit up.
“Don’t do that!” Claire stressed through clenched teeth. “You said the doc is a beast. He’ll be furious with me.”
“Since when have you ever been afraid of a man?” Jim asked with a smirk.
“If you weren’t hurt, I’d smack you,” she declared.
“No smacking the patient.” A voice boomed behind her. Claire whirled around to see two men standing at the door, arms crossed. One man she recognized as the sheriff, tall, dark, green-eyed, and handsome. He looked grumpy—or maybe annoyed was a better word. The other was equally as tall, but fair with ash blonde hair and clinical steel-blue assessing eyes. She wondered how long they’d been there.
“How are my patients?” the man with blue eyes asked, walking toward them.
“I’m not a patient,” Claire declared. “And my brother…appears to be recovering quite well in light of the fact that he’s already harassing me,” she emphasized with a grin and a gentle punch to Jim’s arm, who was still prone on his bed.
When Doctor Jamison walked through the door, Claire was taken aback.
“He’s a medical school classmate of mine,” Doctor Holloway explained.
“University of Pennsylvania?” the sheriff asked, addressing Lee Jamison.
“Yes.” Lee turned to him. “I understand you graduated from there too.”
“I did, three years ago,” the sheriff replied.
Claire’s eyebrows raised. All three of these men were University of Pennsylvania graduates? The connection between the doctors made sense now, but there was far too much male dominance in this room for her to be comfortable—and so much for her assumption that the people here would be uneducated.
“You’re here to check on Jim?” she suggested to Doctor Holloway, recovering quickly.
Jim laughed and then groaned.
Claire turned back to him, and Doctor Holloway joined her at his side. “I can already see that he’s improved since you’ve joined us, Miss Hawarden. Perhaps you’ll consider staying?”
“Umm. No. He can handle this one on his own,” she declared with an eyebrow raised in her brother’s direction.
Jim groaned as he stifled a laugh.
Claire suddenly felt more like herself. It felt good to be with her family again. She’d have a lot of work to do if she was going to overcome the first impressions she’d made on her new acquaintances, though. What had come over her, fainting like that?
The men joined them at Jim’s bed and a glance crossed between the two doctors that was not lost on Claire.
“You definitely look like you’re feeling better,” Doctor Holloway observed, his focused turned to her. “You have some pink in your cheeks and your eyes are bright. You appear to have made a quick recovery. With that said, multiple fainting episodes over the span of a day or two aren’t normal, or are they?” he asked as he watched her.
Claire felt heat rising in her face, spreading to her neck. She’d never liked being the focus of attention and here she was in a room filled with men who were all staring at her. She quivered with indignation. “No, of course not. I’ve never fainted in my life—well before this, and I’m perfectly fine now,” she added. She arched her eyebrow as she rested her hand on her hip and took a step back from the doctor, facing him squarely.
His forehead creased as he studied her. “Still, I’d like to do a complete examination just to make sure. Doctor Jamison said his exam on the train was very brief.”
Her eyes narrowed. How dare these men discuss her without her knowledge. “I said I’m fine. No further intervention is required.” Long seconds passed. She shifted under his intense scrutiny.
“Hey, what about my release?” Jim protested.
“Soon, Jim, soon enough. Let’s get you strong enough to survive the next attempt on your life, shall we?”
Claire’s head spun from Jim toward the doctor. “There will be no more attempts on my brother’s life,” she announced, eyes blazing. “In four weeks we will all be returning home to Philadelphia.”
This time Jim’s groan wasn’t because he was in pain.
“Claire, calm down.” He moaned.
“Calm down? Calm down? Are you kidding me?” She gaped, raised her chin and looked back at Jim. “Mary’s husband died,” her voice softened. “You were almost fatally injured. I could have been killed in train robbery, and you want me to calm down?”
“Okay. This stops now,” Doc Holloway gently interjected. “Miss Hawarden, Jim doesn’t need additional upset right now.”
Claire had the decency to drop her head. “I’m so sorry. Of course, you’re right. This has all been a bit overwhelming—for all of us. I didn’t mean to make things more difficult.”
“That’s my passionate, outspoken, suffragette sister.” Jim smiled with affection. “God, I’ve missed you, sis.”
Embarrassed at the tears filling her eyes, Claire turned back toward her brother. “I’ve missed you too—my obstinate big brother.”
“Oh, and did I mention she avoids every display of emotion and being the center of attention at all cost?” Jim offered, his look thoughtful.
* * *
That piece of information surprised the sheriff. Claire Hawarden wasn’t at all the way Sully had imagined her to be. She was tall for a woman, strikingly beautiful with porcelain skin, high cheek bones, and a nose that fit her face perfectly; and when her blue eyes flashed, he was afraid to admit what it did to him. She was poised, funny, sarcastic, and a suffragette. Quite unexpected. Clearly he’d been wrong about her—but what surprised him most was, he couldn’t wait to find out what she was truly like.
He hadn’t felt that way in…well, in three years, when he lost Misty. Warning bells sounded in his head. He would have to tread these waters carefully. The last thing he needed to do was get
his heart involved with a woman who had no interest in the West, and who had all the indications of being exactly what he had intentionally left behind. Three years ago, to be exact.
Suddenly he realized Miss Hawarden was studying him with a thoughtful expression on her face, as though she was surprised by what she saw, and maybe pleasantly so. His eyes raked over her, and came back to rest at the pulse beating at the base of her throat. Her hand moved there unconsciously and she took at step back, a blush rising in her face.
“May I have your attention, Claire?” She heard Jim’s sarcastic voice.
She rolled her eyes and turned back to her brother. “I’m heading to the farm to see Mary and help her with all the duties you are neglecting,” she announced with finality, but added softly, “Get better, brother. I love you.”
“I love you, too, sis. Welcome to the Wild, Wild West,” Jim said as she breezed past the men toward the exit with determination in her step.
Chapter 10
The road to Mary’s Farm
Bareglen Creek, TX
It was a quiet ride from the town to Mary’s farm. Claire tried to engage the sheriff in conversation, asking questions about the town, and life there in general, but he kept his answers short and to the point. She decided to try a different approach.
“Are you from Texas?”
He paused before answering. “No, I’m not.”
She sighed, mentally rolling her eyes. “Where are you from?”
“Pennsylvania.”
“Really?” She glanced in his direction. “Did you live there through college?” The fact that he’d graduated from the University of Pennsylvania had surprised her. She bit her lip. She was going to have to work on her biases and preconceived ideas—notions she was now finding had no basis in reality. Why couldn’t a sheriff have graduated from there?
“Yes, I grew up in a small mining town outside of Pittsburgh.”
“What brought you to Texas?”
Long seconds passed. She drew a deep breath and waited.
“You made it clear how you felt about Texas in Doctor Holloway’s office. I doubt you’d understand all the reasons why I love it, so I’ll just stick with the facts. I wanted to pursue law enforcement, and the Wild West seemed like a good place to do it.”
Claire swallowed. As much as his response annoyed her—there was truth in it. Well, perhaps she didn’t understand but she could try.
“Had you always wanted to be in law enforcement?” She was at risk of being rude, or overly impertinent, but she found herself almost insatiably curious about the sheriff, which she justified by the fact that he was single-handedly breaking down biases she hadn’t consciously realized were there—until now.
“No, not always.”
It didn’t appear he was going to give her the details behind that or anything about himself. She was disappointed and her gaze wandered to the landscape around them. It was more beautiful here than she had imagined. The late spring air was hot with the sun overhead, but the grasses had the light-green color that always accompanied new growth, and the rolling hills that Mary had described to her in their correspondence somehow fit perfectly. The air smelled overwhelmingly of grass, with an occasional whiff of pine mingled with sunshine from the man next to her. Yes, he smelled like sunshine.
“What about you, Claire? Have you always lived in Philadelphia?” His question startled her.
“Yes, my entire life. My father’s family moved there when he was a child.”
“What brings you here now?”
“I’m here to visit with Mary. She’s been through so much with losing Mike, and now she’s trying to run that farm with the help of my brother. I know it’s made it difficult for her to do the work she really loves, and the reason she originally came here—to help the Sisters with homeless and abandoned children. I thought—well, I thought I might be able provide some support to her for a short time…” Claire’s voice trailed off.
She thought it best not to admit that she was also tasked with trying to convince her sister and brother to return home with her to Philadelphia.
“Well, you’ve certainly had an eventful trip so far. We’ll do our best to make sure that the rest of your stay is less so.”
She glanced at him again. She couldn’t tell if he was being sincere or making fun of her. Claire opened her mouth to assure him that wasn’t necessary, then stopped. The truth was, she’d had enough danger to last her for the rest of her lifetime.
After another prolonged period of silence, she lifted her chin. “I fear I’ve given you the wrong impression, Sheriff.”
* * *
Curiosity got the better of him, and he took his eyes off the road to look at her. Her blue eyes were clear and filled with concern. He felt something stir inside him as he took in the cascading golden-red hair that looked like fire in the sunlight, and hung in graceful curls over her shoulders and down her back. Lashes graced her soft cheeks and fine cheekbones. Her lips were soft, full, and rosy. She licked them, and he had to drag his eyes away. “What impression is that, Miss Hawarden?” He asked.
“You don’t know me very well, but I can only imagine what you must think in light of the fact that my father hired you to protect me. I realize I didn’t handle the upsetting nature of the robbery well, or the news of Jim’s injury.” She added, “But that’s not typical of me at all. I recently graduated from Bryn Mawr, and when I return to Philadelphia I’ll begin seeking a place of employment.”
“You don’t need to justify what happened to me,” he stated for the record, watching her rankle beneath his feigned disinterest.
“I’m not justifying,” she insisted. “I just don’t want you to get the wrong impression.”
Annoyance crossed her face, and then surprise. He found it interesting that she felt the need to justify herself. Sully was enjoying himself. Not that he was interested in Miss High and Mighty, nor she him, he was sure, but it certainly made for an interesting ride.
“What type of work will you look for?” He wasn’t easily surprised by people, but he had to admit the fact that she would return to Philadelphia to look for a job had surprised him.
“I want to work with children—to help foster excellence and innovation in our country’s future.” She risked a sideways glance at him.
But he kept his expression the same it had been through this entire trip. Stoic. Vaguely disinterested.
She raised one eyebrow at him.
“You think I’m a snob, don’t you?” she exclaimed as she grabbed the corner of the carriage seat and pushed herself as far toward the edge as she dared, turning toward him. “You do! Don’t deny it. Well, let me tell you, Sheriff, I am not. I believe that all children deserve an education and a future. Both girls and boys—regardless of socioeconomic status. I have turned down an engagement to a very wealthy man in Philadelphia because I do not want to spend my life being a wallflower. I was put on this earth by God for a reason, I am determined to live that out. I will do it on my own without my father’s influence—without the influence of any man,” she added, determination dripping in her voice.
Spunk. Fire. Intelligence.
He’d add those to the list that was forming in his mind. He looked at her against his better judgment. Anger only served to make her more beautiful. Her blue eyes were full of spark and determination, but there was no malice or contention in them. They were expressive, easy to read, and even when pursed, her lips looked ripe for the taking. He pulled the reins and brought the horses to a stop, never taking his eyes from hers.
“Claire?”
She wet her lips, but kept her head bent, looking at her hands clasped in her lap.
“Claire,” he insisted.
“Yes?” she said softly.
“Please look at me.” She hesitated for a long moment. “Please,” he added.
His body was at full attention, but he could not let her know that. When her eyes turned to his, he read vulnerability and surprise at the spark that pass
ed between them—but there was no point in calling attention to it—or fostering it. She would leave for Philadelphia in four short weeks.
“There’s not an ounce of doubt in my mind that you will succeed at whatever you choose to do.” He paused, and she cocked her head at him and smiled, looking curious. Then he continued, “I’ll do my best to keep you safe while you’re here.”
Her eyes widened as his gaze moved to the base of her throat and back to her eyes.
Was that hope, chased by desire, ending with disappointment he’d read in them? Perhaps he was reading her wrong, but he didn’t think so. He was very, very good at reading people. What did she expect after all? He was the sheriff and he had been tasked with protecting her. He would do it. That would be the end of it, and then she would go back to Philadelphia. This was how it had to be.
“We’re almost at Mary’s,” he added softly as he turned from her. He picked up the reins, snapped them, and the horses took off in a trot.
* * *
Professional.
Impenetrable.
Her breath hitched as every inch of her body flickered to life. She mentally scolded it, but she couldn’t ignore what was happening to her. No man had ever made her feel this way. Worse yet, she could tell his eyes had taken it all in, and read her like a book. She clenched her hands, humiliated.
Chapter 11
Mary’s farm
Bareglen Creek, TX
The sheriff reined the horses in as they stopped in front of a small log cabin with a quaint front porch, surrounded by fields with rolling hills in the background. In the distance, it looked like a stream of water bordered the property. There were two corrals containing a few cattle—one of them huge with the largest horns she’d ever seen. There were horses, and what appeared to be goats, a small barn, a garden, and a barking dog.
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