Laney glanced at the ground, and raked her teeth over her lower lip. She blinked back the stinging in her eyes. Memories of Tyler’s touch, the concerned look in his eyes one moment, then the heated stares he sent her way at other times, tore her to pieces.
“Then I don’t see the problem. He looks to be completely smitten with you. In fact, if I’m not mistaken—”
“That’s why you need to send me back now,” Laney interrupted. Before my heart shatters even more.
The reverend continued to shake his head. “Without your task completed, you’ll return to your old life, Laney.”
“I don’t care.” Laney clutched at his hand, and stared into his blue eyes.
“You’d rather go back to the life you’ve led up until now, possibly prostitute yourself? You have a good life here. I thought . . . I thought I had made a good match. This is my first attempt at bringing two people together, two people who deserve a chance at love and happiness, and you’re telling me you’re not interested?” The stunned look on his wide-eyed face, the hint of anger, confused her. What was he even talking about?
“Don’t you understand? I’m going to hurt Tyler when I do go back. Yes, I can see that he cares for me, but I can’t do to him what his mother did to his father.
The reverend clasped her hand in his. “Then don’t, Miss Goodman.” His blue eyes reflected in the light coming from the street.
“What, you mean, stay here?” She laughed. “I can’t do that. Sooner or later, Tyler is going to get tired of me. I can’t stay in the past. I can’t even boil a pot of water in this time, Reverend. I’m not meant to be here.” Trying to convince the reverend didn’t seem as daunting as trying to convince herself with those words.
“But you just said he would be heartbroken if you left. Why would you think he’s going to abandon you?” The old man’s eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head, complete incomprehension written on his face.
Laney paused. She sounded irrational, even in her own mind. She inhaled a long breath, and voiced her deepest fears. “Because everyone in my life has abandoned me at some point.” Laney paced in front of the reverend. She wiped the back of her hand across her face. “No one ever stays around for the long haul. Every time I start to care about a guy, I end up getting burned in the end. It’ll be the same with Tyler.”
“You’re not being fair to him, Miss Goodman.”
Laney’s eyes narrowed. “You never intended to send me back, did you? You wanted me to stay here all along. You lied to me. Send me back to the future, Reverend.” She choked out the words. Panic gripped at her chest. Tyler is different.
The old man’s blue eyes stared at her in disbelief. “Perhaps I was mistaken yet again,” he said in a whisper. He shook his head. “I will never fathom human emotions. I did not make this decision to send you to Tyler lightly, Miss Goodman. I was so sure that you and he were a perfect match.”
A perfect match? Laney blinked back tears. In her experience, there was no such thing, at least not for her.
“Well, you’re wrong,” she said, steeling her heart. She swallowed back the lump in her throat.
Doubt nagged at her at the reverend’s words. What if she and Tyler were a perfect match? She wanted to believe it was true. She’d never wanted to believe anything more desperately in her life. But what if he turned out like all the others in the end? No one was ever going to save her. She would always be on her own.
None of her foster families had ever cared enough to do any more than put a roof over her head in order to collect the checks the state paid them for keeping her. Her own mother had made no effort to clean herself up in order to get her back. When Tyler grew tired of her, she’d be stuck here, alone and abandoned yet again, but in a different century.
Could she even learn to live in this time? The thought that she could make a life with Tyler had crossed her mind on more than one occasion. Obviously the reverend knew things, and had powers she didn’t even want to contemplate. If the reverend had sent her here to stay with Tyler, was it worth risking another heartbreak to find out if she was meant to be with him?
“You were correct, Miss Goodman,” the old man said with a quiet sigh. “I brought you here with the hopes that you would want to remain in this time. I was so sure that you and Tyler would fall in love. You have completed your assignment where Tyler is concerned. He was a man who didn’t want to trust a woman, a man who didn’t want to love anyone. You have changed his mind about that, and in a very short amount of time, I might add. He is completely taken with you. I only wish I could understand what is required to help you overcome your fear of abandonment.”
He turned away from her and headed for the street. Laney rushed after him.
“I can’t believe you lied to me,” Laney said between clenched teeth. She wanted to be angry. She didn’t want to focus on the old man’s words that Tyler was in love with her. “You promised me a position on a horse farm if I did what you asked. Now you’re saying you had no intention of sending me back home.” The old man’s actions proved that everyone lied to her, that no one could be trusted.
“I didn’t lie to you, Miss Goodman. Staying here in the past, married to Tyler, you would be living on a prosperous horse farm. You would be living the kind of life, with the kind of man, that you’ve dreamed of for so long.”
Laney laughed bitterly. “That’s not what you led me to believe, and you know it.” He’s right, dammit! Why are you arguing with him?
“I’ve brought two young people together who have both been leery of finding happiness due to their pasts. It appears as if you have cured Mr. Monroe of his problem. It doesn’t appear as if you are ready to believe that there is a good man out there for you. What is required for you to allow those walls you’ve built around yourself to crumble?”
Laney ignored his words. He was right. She was too afraid of yet another heartbreak. She’d cured Tyler of his fears of commitment? Reverend Johnson believed that Tyler was in love with her. Was he correct? She gritted her teeth. You want to stay with Tyler. You love him.
The reverend continued walking until he reached the street. The light from the oil lanterns that illuminated the boardwalk flickered warmly. Up ahead, laughter and piano music drifted from the saloon. He stepped onto the wooden walk, and turned to face her. Laney bit her lower lip. The look on his face told her he wasn’t going to budge on his decision.
He sighed deeply. “If you still wish to go home after you’ve cured the horse, I will send you back to your time, Laney. All I ask is that you give it a few more weeks.”
He’s giving you what you want. Her heart raced. Why did it not make her happy, then? The reverend said that Tyler loved her. Gabe had hinted that Tyler was in love with her. Could she give up everything she knew, her old life, and live here in the past? With the guy she’d fallen completely in love with?
“A couple of weeks? And you’ll send me home?” she choked out.
“Yes, Miss Goodman. I’ll send you home, if that’s what you really want. But I warn you now. Once you’ve completed your assignment here, if I send you back to your time, I won’t be able to bring you back if you decide to change your mind.” He searched her face, then smiled. “You’d best get back to the party, before you are missed.”
The reverend turned and walked away before she could say another word. Laney swiped her hand over her face, pushing back some of her loose hair. Slowly, she turned to head back the way she came. This meeting with the reverend certainly hadn’t played out the way she’d hoped. If he had agreed to send her back immediately, there might have been a slim chance that she’d get over Tyler. She laughed. It was far too late for that already.
Laney inhaled deeply. Was it time to stop running? Tyler was her dream come true. Would it be so wrong to stay with him? Tears welled up in her eyes. She loved him.
Deep down, you know the reverend is right. You want to stay with Tyler. You want to stay in this time, regardless that you haven’t got a clue about how things
are done. You can learn. Maybe it’s time you set aside your fears, Laney.
Tyler was so different from all those other guys. He treated her with such respect, it made her chest hurt just thinking about it. The thought that he might have fallen in love with her, like everyone seemed to think, scared her beyond anything she could imagine.
With a determined lift of her chin, she wrapped her shawl more firmly around her, gathered a handful of her skirt, and stepped off the boardwalk to head back toward the livery. She scurried up the street toward the light coming from the festivities, when she nearly collided with another body that materialized out of the dark. Her hand flew to her mouth to muffle her startled scream.
“Oh, my goodness, I’m so sorry. Are you all right?” A soft, raspy voice greeted Laney.
She stepped away from the person she’d collided with. “Yes, fine.” Laney blinked as an unexpected jolt of dizziness swept over her. Her head pounded where the colt had struck her. Apparently, she wasn’t completely healed from that injury.
“Beg your pardon, ma’am,” the other woman said again, and tried to scurry past her. She hastily pulled her shawl up over her bare shoulder. Laney caught sight of the woman’s flimsy dress, if it could even be called that. She wore no more than a fancy corset, and a plain light-colored skirt. A huge black set of feathers bobbed behind her head. She glanced up and met Laney’s eyes, and Laney held her breath. She’d seen that look before . . . in her own eyes.
“Is everything all right?” Laney asked slowly, her eyes darting to the girl’s clothes, then back to her face.
“Yes, ma’am. I need to get back to the saloon before I’m missed.” She tried to move past Laney.
“Wait. Are you sure you’re okay?” Laney took a step closer. Dirt streaked the girl’s face where obvious tears had run down her cheek.
“You really shouldn’t be talking to me,” the girl said with a quick laugh.
“And why not?” Laney challenged.
This could have been you, Laney. That haunted look on this girl’s face had been her more than once, in fact. Her mind drifted back to the days she lived with the Sheldons, and her decision to finally run away.
“Who hurt you?” Laney said forcefully, and reached for the girl’s arm. Anger flooded her. This girl couldn’t be more than eighteen, and she’d sold herself into a life of prostitution.
The girl stared at her with wide eyes. She laughed bitterly. “Some men can get a little rough, but I ain’t hurt.”
Laney ground her teeth. “What’s your name?” she asked softly. She held the girl’s gaze, waiting for an answer.
“Alice,” she finally said. “And I need to get goin’.”
She pulled her arm away. Laney reluctantly let the girl go. She stared after her as she darted up the boardwalk and finally disappeared inside the saloon.
Is that the kind of life you want for yourself, Laney?
It’s what she’d almost done, had she not met the reverend. She bit back the tears that pooled in her eyes. Inhaling deeply, she continued on her way back to the livery. She’d have to come up with some excuse if Tyler was looking for her.
Myra still sat with her group of ladies when Laney stepped back into the circle of light in the yard. The young prostitute’s haunting eyes wouldn’t leave her thoughts.
You’ve been given a chance to keep that from happening to you, Laney. The times might be different, but the circumstances aren’t.
Someone reached for her arm, and Laney spun around to stand face to face with Tyler. Her eyes widened briefly in panic, then she relaxed and gazed up at him. The truth of what she read there in his dark stare startled her anew. A look that she’d yearned for, one that had eluded her through so many failed relationships, smoldered in those brown depths. Her heart jolted, and raced fiercely in her chest, then melted as she stared at the truth in front of her; as she stared at her future. Tyler was in love with her.
Chapter 20
“Where have you been?”
Tyler’s forehead creased. The haunted look in Laney’s eyes disturbed him. He’d finally excused himself from Ben Sockum, who was eager to talk grain prices with him, and the trouble he’d heard about concerning the sick horses. When he hadn’t seen Laney with the other women who surrounded Myra Hansen, a quick jolt of dread had washed over him. Tyler shook off his irrational worry. Nearly losing her in that fire was still too fresh in his mind.
Laney’s eyes darted around, and she avoided looking at him.
“I . . . I had to use the bath . . . outhouse,” she stammered.
“Are you sure you’re feeling all right?” He leaned toward her. The soft scent of her rose water teased his senses. His hand slid up her bare arm under her shawl, her quick intake of breath sending a wave of warmth to rush through him. He couldn’t stop looking at her. The flicker of lantern lights reflected in her blue eyes, making them shimmer like a mountain lake on a sunny afternoon. If they weren’t in the presence of so many people at the moment, he’d have her in his arms, and kiss her until she melted against him.
For nearly a week, he’d stayed away from her. He’d barely been given the chance to speak to her, much less touch her. Myra Hansen was worse than a bear on fresh kill. Tyler had no plans of coming to Laney’s bed or taking advantage of her while she was recovering from her ordeal in the fire, but Widow Hansen acted as if he was a randy colt with only one thing on his mind.
Laney drew in a deep breath. She winced slightly. A sudden determination flashed in her eyes, replaced by a spark of some emotion that set his heart to beating faster. She favored him with a smile that made his insides melt and ignite in a burst of hot fire all at once. “I think I feel just fine,” she whispered, and reached for his arm. “Let’s go wish Myra a happy birthday.”
Tugging at his shirt, she led the way to where the widow sat with her gaggle of lady friends. Reluctantly, he followed. He’d never get enough of just looking at his wife, and he would much rather just stand off in the shadows of the festivities with her and explore what he briefly glimpsed in her eyes.
Laney stood out from all other women. There was something different about her, something so incredibly alluring that none of the wives of his friends and neighbors possessed. She acted in ways that were unconventional, and could be considered scandalous by some. Her speech was perplexing at times, while her behavior had him either shaking his head one moment, smiling for joy the next, or seething in anger. She certainly didn’t want to dress like a lady, and she seemed to know more about horses than even he did sometimes. Rather than be put off by it all, his attraction, admiration, and love for her grew with each passing day.
Laney preferred to wear her hair tied back with a simple string, or more often, completely unbound. She was the only woman here tonight whose long strands flowed free and natural down her back without the confines of countless pins. He’d caught the looks of disapproval from several of the women when they saw her, but she didn’t seem to have taken notice. The corners of his lips twitched. Although she’d worn her hair in an elaborate style the day she’d arrived, he liked it better the way she kept it now. One day soon, he would be running his fingers through that blonde mane of hers, and . . .
“Well, it’s about time you come and visit with me.” Myra beamed. Her eyes widened, and she wore a satisfied look on her face. She glanced from him to Laney, and her gaze lingered for a moment on his wife’s unbound hair. Her forehead wrinkled for a split second, and Tyler braced for a sharp reprimand from the old woman about propriety.
Instead, Widow Hansen clasped her hands to her chest. “Didn’t I say that she’s the prettiest thing this town has ever seen?” She glanced toward her friends, who all spoke at once, and Tyler introduced Laney to the eager women.
“You come and sit with me for a minute, Laney, while your husband goes and brings us some punch.” Myra stared up at Tyler. He nodded wordlessly. Of course the widow would try and steal his wife away from him again. Once this evening was over, there would be no more i
nterruptions. He’d have her all to himself from now on. His eyes lingered on Laney for a moment. Her amused gaze was infectious, and he winked at her before he turned and headed for the punch bowl.
Myra’s friends assaulted Laney with one question after another by the time he returned with two cups of the sweet drink. She looked decidedly uncomfortable, and dodged questions about her life back east and why she had traveled so far from all she’d known. Tyler studied her. She’d always refused to answer his questions whenever talk had moved to her life in the big city. What was she hiding? Perhaps it was time he confronted her about it. If she had led a questionable life as he’d suspected, he wanted to let her know that it didn’t matter to him.
Behind him, people clapped loudly, and the lively reel that had played up until now stopped. Moments later, the music changed to a slower, softer tune.
Myra stood and leaned toward him. She whispered in his ear. “Why don’t you dance with your wife, Tyler?”
Tyler shook his head. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d danced with anyone. He gave a nervous laugh. “I don’t know if she’s ready to do any dancing, Myra. She’s been through quite an ordeal.”
Myra waved her hand in front of her. “Nonsense. You bring a woman to a dance, she’s gonna expect that you dance with her.”
When he shook his head again, she leaned forward, and shot him a stern look. “I’ve known you since you were knee high to a tadpole, Tyler Monroe. Humor this old woman. My son has chosen to remain a bachelor, and since I’m fond of you as if you were my second son, that leaves you to give me some grandbabies to hold on my lap before I die.”
Tyler’s eyebrows rose. For the past week, the old woman had treated Laney as if she was preparing her to enter a convent. Now she was suggesting that he get amorous with his wife?
“If only I had the opportunity to have one last dance with my George.” Myra sighed dramatically. “You never know when that moment will come when you are separated forever. You need to cherish the time you have together and make the most of every minute.”
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