Return to Whispering Pines

by Scarlett Dunn

  Jack chewed on his lip as he thought about Morgan’s comment. He really liked kissing Addie, but they hadn’t done much of that for a couple of days. That was probably a good thing, because kissing her seemed to fog his brain. Since Davey’s adoption, he and Addie hadn’t talked about anything else. He didn’t think they knew each other well enough to think about a future together. But he’d never been so attracted to another woman. He didn’t know how she felt about him, and there was the chance she still had feelings for Prescott Adler. There were too many unanswered questions right now for him to make a decision about his feelings, or a future with her. It was too soon. “I guess I’m not ready to make that kind of decision right now.”

  Morgan didn’t push. “Since we don’t know the whereabouts of Frank’s gang, I’ll have Rose make sure Addie stays here at the ranch for a while. That way her reputation won’t be ruined, and you won’t be exhausted running back and forth,” Morgan said.

  Jack nodded. “I think that’s best.”

  “One of my men will be going to town for supplies later today, so I’ll have him bring Addie and the girls back to the ranch after school.”

  Jack hated the thought of not seeing them tonight, but Morgan was right. A woman’s reputation was not something to take lightly. He needed to put some distance between them before he lost his head. “Thanks, Morgan.”

  * * *

  On the way to school, Addie thought Jack seemed preoccupied. She assumed it was because her brother was in his jail. “Jack, is everything okay? Are you concerned about Frank’s gang?”

  Jack had told her about the judge’s telegram, and that he would be returning to Denver with Frank in a few days.

  “Did you confirm the telegram? Could this be a ploy by Frank’s gang?” Addie thought about the last time Jack had chased Frank’s gang. He was shot and almost died. She couldn’t entertain the thought of something happening to him again.

  Jack hadn’t thought the telegram could be a ploy. Addie was one smart woman. “I’ll telegram the sheriff and tell him when we will be there.”

  “You’re not leaving today, are you?”

  “No, it’ll be a few days. Why, did you need something?”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t need anything.”

  They pulled in front of the school and Jack looked around to see if he saw Davey. “I don’t think Davey is here yet.”

  The girls scampered from the buckboard to go in search of Davey. Addie turned to Jack and said, “The girls haven’t slept at all since Davey left.”

  “I know it’s a big change for them.” Jack jumped from the buckboard to help her down.

  Addie placed her hands on his shoulders as he lifted her to the ground. “Thank you for everything, Jack.”

  “Tell Davey hello for me.”

  “Maybe you’ll get to see him after school.”

  “One of Morgan’s men will be picking you up today.” Jack had waited until the last minute to tell her about the arrangement.

  Addie looked up at him, waiting for him to tell her why there had been a change of plans. When he didn’t say anything, she said. “Oh . . . okay.”

  He tipped his hat, jumped back in the buckboard, and pulled away. He knew she’d wanted him to explain, but he didn’t know how to tell her he just needed to put some distance between them. He’d miss seeing her and the children daily, but he’d decided this was the best way for him to handle the situation.

  * * *

  School ended, and Morgan’s foreman was waiting for Addie and the girls. Addie asked him to take the children to Morgan’s ranch, explaining that she had business in town. Davey hadn’t been in school today, so she planned to ride out to the Coburn farm to find out the reason. She had little doubt that Mr. Coburn was trying to make his point that he was going to make the decisions regarding Davey’s education. Addie was equally determined not to give up so easily. Davey’s education was more important than Mr. Coburn’s pride.

  Before she made the trip to the Coburns’ farm, she thought it was the perfect time to see Frank before Jack took him back to Denver. Now that she was aware of the terrible things Frank had done, she knew she couldn’t rest until she’d faced him to ask him why.

  As she approached the jail, she saw Jack on the sidewalk talking with Clarissa. Even in her heavy blue winter coat, Clarissa looked trim and lovely as usual. Addie instantly felt inadequate about her appearance. She thought with her fuller figure, she probably resembled a round bear in her drab brown coat. Just like a frumpy old school spinster. She’d bet Jack’s hands could easily span Clarissa’s tiny waist over her coat.

  Addie came to a screeching halt when she saw Clarissa move closer to Jack, until there was just a hairsbreadth between their bodies. Clarissa slowly removed her glove and reached out to brush something from Jack’s coat. Probably an imaginary piece of lint, Addie thought. Clarissa’s small hand remained on his chest as she gazed up at him with a come-hither smile. Addie figured Clarissa was the reason Jack hadn’t wanted to pick them up today after school. As much as she wanted to see what Clarissa would do next, Addie forced herself to keep moving. They were so absorbed in conversation, they probably wouldn’t even notice her. When she was within a few feet of them, Clarissa stood on her tiptoes and kissed Jack’s cheek, close to his lips. Her lips lingered on his skin as her hand glided seductively over his chest. “I’ll see you tomorrow night. I’m cooking your favorite meal.”

  Addie saw the smile on Jack’s face when she passed. He obviously liked the thought of Clarissa cooking for him. She had a strong urge to kick him in the shin as she passed, but she resisted.

  Jack saw Addie out of the corner of his eye and whirled around. “What are you doing here?” He wondered if she’d seen Clarissa kiss him, or overheard her comment about dinner.

  Addie ignored his question and glanced at Clarissa. Clarissa was looking her up and down, just as she had the first time they’d met. And just like the first time, the look on Clarissa’s face telegraphed she didn’t consider Addie a threat.

  Jack glanced at Clarissa, and he thought she didn’t look pleased to see Addie. “Clarissa, you remember Miss Langtry.”

  So, Jack was calling her Miss Langtry now. Addie smiled sweetly at Clarissa. It wasn’t Clarissa’s fault he was a scoundrel. She doubted Clarissa knew where he’d been spending his time. He’d been kissing her, and staying at her home, but now he was acting as though they weren’t on a first-name basis. “Please call me Addie.”

  “Yes, I remember you. You are the one with all those children. I do believe at first I thought they were your offspring.” Clarissa didn’t bother to hide her scrutiny of Addie’s figure again. “By looking at your . . . well, I was certain you’d given birth to those children. Your age . . . of course, I naturally assumed you were married by now.”

  Addie had to give Clarissa credit. She was trying to make it sound as if she didn’t intend to say anything offensive. If Clarissa thought she was going to embarrass her over her age, figure, or marital status, she had a surprise in store for her. “No, they are not my children by birth, but by choice.”

  Clarissa arched her brow. “One would never know.”

  Addie had no intention of tolerating her snide comments. “As I always tell my students, one can never assume anything. Just like attractiveness and manners do not often go hand in hand.”

  Uh-oh. Jack thought he should put a halt to this conversation. He directed his attention to Addie. “What are you doing in town? Where are the girls?”

  Addie was upset with him, and with the snooty woman he was planning on seeing tomorrow night. Her terse response reflected her emotions when she said, “I have business to attend to.”

  Yep, her frosty tone answered his questions. She obviously overheard Clarissa invite him to dinner, or saw the kiss, or both. He wasn’t inclined to stand there on the street and explain that Clarissa had told him her father wanted to talk to him. He tipped his hat, and smiled at Clarissa. “I’d best get back to work
. Clarissa, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He glanced at Addie, and added in an equally cool tenor, “I’ll let you go about your business, Miss Langtry.”

  As soon as Jack walked away, Clarissa turned, without a word to Addie, and disappeared into the mercantile.

  Addie stood on the sidewalk for a few minutes, trying to collect her scattering thoughts. What had she done to make him treat her like she had the plague while he was planning a night with Clarissa? Miss Langtry, indeed. She didn’t even know what his favorite meal was. Well, he’d made his intentions perfectly clear when he’d smiled at Clarissa before he walked away. He certainly hadn’t smiled at her. The bounder. She squared her shoulders, walked the few remaining feet to the jail, and opened the door.

  Jack was talking to his deputy, but stopped in midsentence when Addie walked in.

  “I’d like to see my brother,” Addie said.

  Her request took Jack by surprise. “Why?” He wondered why she didn’t mention before that she wanted to see Frank.

  “I don’t think I need to give you a reason to see my brother. I didn’t bring him a gun, if that is what concerns you. Shall I remove my coat so you can see for yourself?”

  Jack thought about searching her just to be obstinate. Wouldn’t that just set her back on her heels? “Where are the girls?”

  “I sent them to Morgan’s with his foreman. After I speak to Frank, I’m going to go check on Davey, since he didn’t come to school today.”

  “What do you mean, he didn’t come to school?”

  She gave an exasperated sigh. “I mean Davey didn’t come to school today.” She thought she saw real concern on his face, but she ignored it. She wasn’t in the mood to be generous or civil.

  “How were you planning to get to the Coburns’ farm?”

  “Did you forget I can ride? I will get a horse at the livery.”

  “I’ll take you.”

  “No, thank you. I’d rather go alone.” She wasn’t thrilled about going to see the Coburns alone, but after seeing him with Clarissa, she thought it best to stay away from him. She’d been in real danger of losing her heart to him, and she’d even imagined—or hoped—he might be attracted to her after they’d kissed. But that dream had been dashed on the sidewalk. He’d probably been laughing the whole time at how easily she succumbed to his kisses. “Now, may I see my brother?”

  Jack wasn’t going to argue with her in front of his deputy. He didn’t know why she wanted to see Frank, but he had no reason to stop her. “Webb, take her to see her brother, but don’t open the cell.”

  Addie followed Webb through the door leading to the cells. There were only three cells, and Frank was the only occupant.

  Webb stayed next to the door, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, but he couldn’t avoid hearing what they had to say.

  Frank was lying on the bed with his hands behind his head when Addie approached. She waited a few seconds for him to look her way, but when he didn’t move, she said, “Hello, Frank.”

  Frank slowly turned on his side and stared at her. “Well, if it ain’t the schoolteacher.”

  Rose had told her Frank didn’t resemble the brother they once knew, and staring at him now, Addie understood what she meant. Though his features hadn’t changed much, she felt like she was looking into the eyes of a complete stranger. Granny had always said you could see a person’s soul in their eyes. She couldn’t recall what she’d seen in Frank’s eyes when she was younger, but she didn’t like what she saw now. She was staring into a cold, dark void.

  “What do you want?” Frank asked.

  Straight to the point, Addie thought. Well, she would give it to him straight. “I’ve heard about the things you’ve done, Frank, and I came here to ask you why. What happened to you?”

  Frank smirked. “Nothing has happened to me. As you can see, I’m right here.”

  Addie stepped forward and gripped the bars. “You know what I mean, Frank. How could you kill your own brother? How could you kidnap Rose and try to kill Morgan?”

  “Miss Addie, step back from the bars,” Webb warned.

  Addie didn’t take her eyes off Frank, but she dropped her hands and took a step back.

  “Yeah, Miss Addie, move away from the bars. Don’t you know I’m a dangerous man?” Frank taunted.

  She’d wanted to see Frank to get answers to her questions. She didn’t understand what had led him on this path of destruction. After the death of their parents, their grandparents—Preacher and Granny—had welcomed them into their home without hesitation. They may not have been rich in possessions, but they had a home filled with love. Granny and Preacher had nurtured them, taught them to care about family, how to live a righteous life, and the value of working hard for what you want. Considering their upbringing, it seemed impossible that one of her brothers would become an outlaw. “Talk to me, Frank. Tell me why you killed Stevie.”

  “They’re lying to you. I didn’t kill Stevie.”

  “You know Rose has never told a lie in her life.”

  Frank flopped on his back again and stared at the ceiling. “Rose ain’t the sweet little thing she used to be. She’s been different ever since she took up with LeMasters.”

  “Rose isn’t the one who has changed. Are you going to tell me Stevie changed too? He worshipped the ground you walked on, and he would have done anything for you. If you didn’t kill him, then you let him die in that fire. Did you set that fire?”

  “I had nothing to do with Stevie dying in that fire.”

  “So you are innocent, and everyone else is lying? Rose, Granny, Morgan, and the sheriff . . . they’re all lying about the things you’ve done?”

  “Now you’re getting at the truth. Morgan LeMasters has always had it out for me. Granny even treated Morgan like he was her grandson, always believed him over me.”

  The hate in his voice was palpable. “Look at me, Frank.”

  Frank turned his head to look at her again. When their eyes met, Addie shivered. It wasn’t her imagination—his eyes reflected the darkness within. In that moment, Addie knew he’d never admit he killed Stevie, or his many other crimes. She understood why Rose was petrified that Frank wouldn’t be happy until he killed Morgan. He was filled with animosity toward Morgan. “I don’t think the problem was how Granny treated Morgan. It was your own jealousy of Morgan that created the problems. Now, tell me the truth. Why did you kill Stevie?”

  “Get out of here, Addie. I don’t have anything to say to you. You go ahead and believe all their lies, but you will know the truth when the judge sets me free.”

  “Frank, Preacher and Granny loved you beyond measure. No grandparents could have done more for all of us. How could you disrespect Preacher’s memory by turning your back on every moral law? How could you break Granny’s heart? And have you forgotten what Morgan did for us? Morgan was a young man when he was building his ranch, but he found it in his heart to give Granny and Preacher beef every winter so we wouldn’t starve. I’m sure he didn’t have much to spare in those early days. You and Morgan are the same age, and while he was working long hours every day and night for his future, you were acting like a spoiled child. For some reason, you’ve always hated Morgan, and you thought you finally found a way to get to him by hurting Rose. Now I understand that your hate stemmed from jealousy.”

  “I said to get out!”

  Her words were having no impact; there was no reasoning with him. No matter how much it hurt, she had to face the fact that Frank had set his course and there would be no turning back. Before she walked away, she had one more thing to say. “Leave Morgan and Rose alone. They have done nothing to you.”

  Frank jumped to his feet and grabbed the bars in a tight grip. “I don’t need you telling me what to do. Like I told Granny and Rose, all of you make me sick. I hate the sight of you. You’re no family to me.”

  Addie forced herself to look him in the eyes again. If you could see a person’s soul in their eyes, then she was looking into the eyes of a soulles
s person. She understood she would never have the answers to her many questions. No matter how she tried to keep her emotions under control, tears filled her eyes. “You’d best ask for God’s forgiveness for your many sins, Frank. He’s the only one who can help you now.”

  “I don’t need help,” Frank replied, and threw his head back and laughed.

  Rose had told her she thought Frank might be insane. Addie didn’t know if he was insane, but without a doubt, he was evil to the bone. He felt no remorse for all the terrible things he’d done. She walked toward Webb without a backward glance, and wiped away the tears on her cheeks. Webb quickly opened the door and ushered her out. When she reached the outer office, she didn’t notice Jack was still sitting behind his desk.

  Jack could tell she’d been crying. He shot a quick glance at Webb before he jumped up and grabbed his coat and hat. “I’m going to take Miss Langtry to the Coburn farm.”

  Though she heard Jack, she didn’t stop to look at him when she responded, “I’m going to the Coburns’ by myself.” She reached the front door and walked out without saying another word.

  Jack stood there staring at the closed door for a few seconds before he asked Webb, “What did Frank say to her?”

  “She asked him why he’d killed their brother. Frank didn’t admit to it, but he told her he hated his family. She told him he’d best ask forgiveness for his many sins.” Webb shook his head. “Frank is plumb loco. All he did was laugh.”

  “Yeah.” Jack looked at the door again, debating whether he should chase Addie down and insist on going with her to the Coburns’. She was miffed at him because Clarissa had kissed him, and he was inclined to think he should leave well enough alone since he’d decided to put some distance between them. Still, he didn’t like the thought of her riding to the Coburns’ with no means of protection, and he doubted she had a pistol stuffed into her reticule. He reached for his coat and hat. “I’ll be back later, Webb.”

  Jack caught up with Addie before she reached the livery. “I don’t think you should be riding off by yourself, considering it will be dark before you get to Morgan’s.”