by Elle E Kay
Getting down on her knees, she prayed, confessed her thoughts and feelings and asked for guidance to help her live a righteous life despite what she’d been through.
Climbing into bed, Adeline pulled the quilt up and prayed some more asking God to bring Nathaniel back safely. She also prayed for her innocence to be proven so she could go home. Yet a nagging feeling told her it wasn’t time for her to go home. There was nobody left in Kansas City. What was her home without her father?
After tossing and turning for what felt like hours, she allowed her mind to once again remember the details of Nathaniel’s handsome face and broad shoulders. It might be scandalous, but it was nicer to think of him than her father’s murder or the deceased miscreant who killed him.
∞∞∞
Adeline ran across the yard toward him as Nate hopped off his horse.
“In a hurry to greet me?”
“Do you have any news? Am I free?” It was painful to think she was in such a hurry to leave. He wasn’t her suitor. As comely as she was, she was nothing more than a bounty. He’d do well to remember that.
“Not yet. I’m sorry to say.” Nate ran his fingers through his hair. “The sheriff wanted me to bring you in. I didn’t mention you were already in custody.”
“Is that what this is?” She put her hands on her hips. “I’m in custody? You’re holding me here for the law?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?” She sputtered and took a step back.
He reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, but she pulled away. “I meant I was trying to keep you safe.”
“I don’t need you to keep me safe.” She took another step back.
“Please. Stay here.” He threw up his hands. “You’re not in custody, but I’d like you to stay.”
She turned and stormed off toward the house.
What was he thinking? He should’ve given her a horse and let her go. It didn’t make sense to keep her around when she affected his thoughts and clouded his judgment.
He took care of his horse and put away the tack. Then he led his horse out to the pasture and stood staring out at the herd. Maybe he’d take another horse and get back on the hunt today. There wasn’t a lot of point in hanging around the ranch with a seething woman.
His father moseyed up to the fence line where Nate stood watching the horses.
“Son, what’s going on with you and that little filly?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I told you the situation. She needs my help until her situation is resolved.”
“Do you think I’m blind? I can see what’s in front of my nose.”
Nate narrowed his eyes.
“If your intentions toward her are not honorable than you should ride out again. That girl has been through enough. She doesn’t need to have her heart broken.”
A muscle in Nate’s jaw clenched and unclenched. “I’ll ride out in a couple of hours. I have no intention of getting tied to a woman with a man’s job.”
Nate stalked off toward the house.
∞∞∞
Adeline cornered Nate in the stables. “Where are you going this time?”
“To hunt down Owen Glenn.”
“You’re not leaving me here.”
“I don’t see any other option.”
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. “I’m coming with you.”
“It’s not safe.”
“I can help.”
He removed his hat and swiped at his brow to dry the sweat. “How do you propose to do so when you can’t show your face in town?”
“I can camp on the edge of town.”
Nate pretended to consider her request. “Let me think about.” He scratched the side of his head. “No. You aren’t going with me.”
“I know where they plan to hit next.”
“Then why haven’t you filled me in?”
“I thought I might need the leverage later to avoid the gallows.”
“I’ve got to get going.”
“You don’t want the information?” She blocked his path from the stables by standing in the narrow walkway between the stables and the outer wall.
“Move out of the way.”
“Not until you agree to let me come with you.”
He got close to her, too close, daring her to remain planted. When she didn’t move he got even closer pressing his body against hers. “This is your last chance to get out of my way,” he growled.
She peered up at him, something akin to desire burning in her eyes. He allowed himself a moment to consider his options. Her lips parted. He could kiss the willing woman blocking his path or he could do the honorable thing. The temptation nearly overwhelmed him, but in the end his conscience won out. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her, tossing her over his shoulder.
Her fists pounded against his back.
He chuckled as he deposited her on the ground outside of the stables. “Did you expect me to do something improper?” He asked
“Hauling me around like a sack of potatoes is most improper if you ask me.”
“It’s a good thing nobody is asking you.” Nate brushed the hair from her face. He allowed his thumb to trace a trail across her bottom lip, but resisted the urge to lower his mouth to hers and pull her into his arms. “I’ll see you in a couple of days, Adeline.”
∞∞∞
Adeline was not going to sit around the house waiting for that insufferable man to decide her fate.
She saddled an Arabian gelding. It was mid-afternoon when Cimarron came into view. She’d carefully wound her hair atop her head and covered it with the new hat Nathaniel purchased for her. She tugged the hat down to obscure her features and rode into town on main street.
When she reached the church, she brought the horse to a stop and dismounted. Her legs were stiff and numb from the ride. In an attempt to get the feeling back in her legs, she stomped her feet kicking up dust. She needed to rest and think.
There was a cool breeze in the church when she entered. She sat in the pew she’d occupied on her last visit and considered her options. If she was going to provide proof of her innocence, she’d have to find a way to get one of them to admit it. Bradshaw’s comments to Nathaniel would help, but she needed more. To get it, she would have to find Owen. Knowing he intended to rob a Wells-Fargo stage coach before it got into Cimarron was a start, but she didn’t know what day it would arrive or where they would intercept it. She’d heard something about a narrow pass, but no specifics. Maybe she was already too late.
The information she needed was unlikely to materialize within the walls of the church. She could ask at the telegraph office, but they might recognize her and she didn’t want to spend her night behind bars.
∞∞∞
Nate strolled into the sheriff’s office.
“Hello, Sheriff.”
“Nate. Great to see you. Did you get Ricketts delivered to Santa Fe without complications?”
“Harry roped me into helping him bury the body, but I got my reward.”
“What brings you back to Cimarron?”
“I’m tracking Owen Glenn.”
“Pleased to hear that,” Sheriff Jack Garrison replied.
“I’d like another chance to talk to Bradshaw. May I?”
“I guess you didn’t hear?” Jack scratched at his beard. “Bradshaw escaped two nights ago.”
“How did he manage that?”
“With help from Owen Glenn and others, I reckon. They nearly destroyed my jail with explosives. Blew the gate clean off. It’s a wonder they didn’t blow Bradshaw to bits in the process.”
“How do you know they didn’t?” Nate asked.
“They wouldn’t have had the courtesy to remove the corpse.”
“I suppose not. I’m going to head over to the saloon and grab a bite to eat. Maybe I’ll hear something worth pursuing.”
“I’m headed over there myself. I’ll only be a moment if you want t
o wait we can go together.”
“You’re not much to look at, but I can tolerate your company through one meal,” Nate said.
The sheriff laughed.
A few minutes later, they sat and ordered.
“So, Jack. Do you enjoy being a sheriff?”
“That’s an odd question.”
“It was something Harry said got me thinking. He asked if I’d ever considered a career change.”
“I don’t think you’ll stop hunting men until you’re a decrepit old man.”
“I do relish the thrill of the hunt.”
“I enjoy my work as sheriff. It has it’s challenges, certainly.” He smirked. “Like having the Glenn-Ricketts boys destroy the jail. It has its rewards, as well.”
“What are the rewards?”
“The townsfolk respect me. I get to go home and sleep in my own bed every night. Best of all, the few women we have around here are clamoring for my attentions. I guess lawmen are in high demand.”
“Funny you should mention that. I see several of Miss Patty’s women looking your way.”
“It’s more likely they’re glancing in your direction, Nate. I don’t fraternize with prostitutes.”
“And you think I do?”
Jack had the decency to look embarrassed. “No. I guess not. Although, you did have a reputation in our younger days as a bit of a rake.”
“I’ve changed.”
“My apologies,” Jack said.
Nate’s gaze fell on the woman entering the saloon. “That woman is insufferable.”
“Who is she?”
Nate lied, “My wife.”
∞∞∞
Adeline smoothed her skirts and made her way outside. The late afternoon sun was warm, but it would soon slip behind the hills. She rode the short distance to the St. James Hotel. After hitching the horse out front, she shuffled inside, and turned into the saloon. The smoke filled bar was darker than it had been outdoors.
Adeline stood still for a second, giving her eyes time to adjust. A hand with an iron grip grabbed her upper arm and his steely blue eyes bore into hers.
Between gritted teeth, Nathaniel muttered, “I told you to stay at the ranch.”
She put her lips close to his ear and whispered, “And I remembered you are neither my husband nor my father.” She pulled her arm out of his grip. “I have no reason to obey you.”
He narrowed his eyes and put his arm around her waist. “You’re my wife while you remain in this establishment. Unless you want one of these men to make you their mistress. Women don’t go wandering into saloons alone unless they are working as a courtesan.” He propelled her toward a table.
“Sheriff Jack Garrison, I’d like you to meet my wife, Ada. I’m afraid she had an unexpected emergency which simply couldn’t wait for my return.”
“Ada, it is a pleasure to meet you.” He grinned. “I hope the ‘unexpected emergency’ isn’t too serious.”
“It isn’t,” Ada said.
“My deepest condolences on your recent nuptials to this rogue. I hope you’re able to tame his wild ways,” Sheriff Garrison replied.
The look in Nathaniel’s eyes held a clear warning for her to hold her tongue. “Thank you, sheriff. I’m sure he’s had enough of wild times and is ready to be a homebody now.”
The sheriff guffawed. “That is my cue to get out of here. It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope your return trip is a safe one.”
Adeline curtsied and sat in the chair the sheriff had vacated.
“You will not make yourself comfortable in this establishment. Let’s go.” Nathaniel reached for her hand.
“There is no need for you to manhandle me.” She met his iron gaze.
“Apparently, there is.” He took her hand and led her toward the door. “You don’t obey otherwise.”
“And why should I obey you?”
“You didn’t hear? You’re my wife. Now keep your lips sealed for one precious moment and let’s get out of here.”
Nate put his arm around her waist and steered her out of the saloon and to the hotel desk. “My wife and I need a room for the night.”
Her eyebrows shot up and panic bubbled to the surface, but she refrained from interrupting him.
Once he finished procuring a room, he led her to it.
“I have no intention of sharing a room with you.”
“It’s not exactly my first choice either, but what would you have me to do?”
“Leave me alone.”
“And let you get claimed by one of those men downstairs?”
Her chin jutted out and she stared at the floor. “I can take care of myself.”
“Still defiant? You walked into a saloon after sundown. What possible good did you expect could come of that stunt?”
“I was hoping to find out when the Wells-Fargo stagecoach was coming through.”
“Why? Are you planning to leave town on it?”
“No.”
“Then why did you need to know when the stagecoach is coming, Adeline?” He sighed heavily.
“Owen and the rest of the gang plans to rob it.”
“This information would’ve been useful for me to have known sooner,” he barked.
Adeline lowered her eyes and stared at the floor. Nate walked to the door. He turned back and gave her a lingering look, before walking out, leaving her standing alone at the foot of the bed.
Chapter 4
Nate walked along the river. His eyes had adjusted to the dim moonlight. His fathers words echoed in his mind. ‘If your intentions toward her are not honorable then you should ride out again.’ He’d heeded his father’s warnings and had ridden off again. How could he have known Adeline would follow him? Pa was correct. There was no way he could be around Adeline and keep his hands off her. There was nothing honorable in that, but he couldn’t get her out of his head. When he allowed himself to be in the same room with her, she made his blood run hotter and his brain turn to mush.
He sat at the base of a tree on the bank of the river and tossed in a stone. What possible solutions were there? He could get her out of his life and send her away on the next stage coach, but he knew he wouldn’t do that. He could no more let her go back to Kansas City than he could watch her hang. His options were limited. She was here. In Cimarron. In his hotel room. It was unseemly. The only viable option was to marry her. He couldn’t marry a detective. Could he? Would she want to keep working for the Pinkerton Agency once Owen Glenn was captured? Maybe she would consider raising a family. He put his head in his hands. Once he started praying the words flowed freely and he found himself begging the Lord for direction.
A sound downriver caught his attention and he slipped silently through the night to investigate.
He watched from behind a massive rock as a man dug a hole. The man was mumbling to himself, but Nate watched for several minutes longer to make sure he was alone before he approached, Colt in hand. “Glad to see you weren’t blown to bits, Bradshaw.”
“You again?” Bradshaw shoveled another scoop of dirt from the hole.
“What are you digging the hole for?” Nate asked.
“Milton didn’t say, but I’m positive it’s my grave. A favor to Owen. Owen wants revenge for Ricketts death. He blames me.”
“Who is Milton?”
“Milton Yarberry. I don’t know much about him. Owen hooked up with him while hiding in the hills.”
Nate waved the gun indicating he should move. “Let’s go. I think we can help each other.”
“He’ll think I went willingly and he’ll kill me.”
“He plans to kill you anyway, so why not assist me in arresting him before he gets the chance.”
“What makes you think you’ll be able to capture him?”
Nate smirked. “I’m the best at what I do.”
“You are a quick shot.”
“Thanks for noticing. Let’s move away from your grave. It’s creepy.”
“It is.” Bradshaw set down the shovel.
Nate tied Bradshaw to a chair in the sheriff’s office. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but you did escape once.”
“It wasn’t my doing. I’d prefer to rot in a cell rather than spend a minute longer with Milt.”
“I’ll be back in a few hours. I have to go make arrangements with Adeline.”
“You caught up to her?”
“Minutes after I dropped you with Jack.”
“I thought she’d have been gone by then.”
“She wants to clear her name.”
“Do you think I can help?”
“Possibly. I’m formulating a plan.”
Nate had a few ideas for how to keep Adeline safe, but he had no intention of sharing the particulars with the bandit.
∞∞∞
Adeline sat on the edge of the bed. What would happen when Nathaniel returned? It had been careless of her to put herself in this situation. Nathaniel was correct to admonish her. If she hadn’t done such an addle-brained thing as to walk into a saloon unaccompanied, she wouldn’t be in this predicament. Her heart leapt when he’d introduced her as his wife. She’d noticed how he’d shortened her name, so the sheriff would be less likely to make the connection. He’d been kind to her and did everything he could to protect her and her reputation, even when her behavior had been atrocious. Would he ever consider courting a woman like her? She’d heard the sheriff’s words about Nate’s character. She wondered if he’d ever been in love, and if it was possible for him to fall in love with her.
Where had he gone? Her thoughts circled round and round pondering Nathaniel’s whereabouts. Did he have another room? Maybe he was in a room with one of the courtesans. He may have returned to the ranch, but she didn’t think he’d leave her behind, although it would serve her right for leaving the ranch in the first place. The night grew late and she needed to rest, but she was afraid the minute she undressed and crawled under the quilted coverlet, he would return. Would he expect something from her she wasn’t prepared to give? Would she be able to deny him? She extinguished the lamp and rested atop the bed fully clothed.