by Karen Kirst
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that.” Brushing past him, Adam greeted his sister-in-law, who was enjoying a boiled egg and toast with marmalade.
“Good morning, Anna. I apologize for intruding.”
“Nonsense. You’re family.” She gestured to the place across from her. “Let me get you a plate.”
“I appreciate the offer, but Aunt Mae’s expecting me to join the other boarders.” He glanced at Russ. “I wouldn’t mind a cup of coffee, though.”
His brother fetched him a mug and filled it to the brim with steaming, rich brew. Adam settled in the chair across from Anna and beside Russ.
“What’s the pressing issue?” Russ forked a bite of sausage.
“Liam and Lily Quinn.”
Swallowing, Russ passed the napkin over his mouth. “If you’d been patient, I would’ve come to see you later this morning. During office hours.”
“I’m not patient.”
“I know that.” He sipped his coffee. “I’ve received confirmation from the postmaster in Lakewood that a Jeremiah and Laura Jackson do in fact live there. While long-term inhabitants, they’re rather reclusive. They attend church sporadically and rarely take part in community events.”
His gut tightened. “You didn’t mention the kids, did you?”
He gave him a dry look. “Of course not. In order to dig deeper, the next step is to hire someone to travel there and investigate in person. I can supply you with a list of names of men I trust.”
Lakewood was a two-hour train ride from Cowboy Creek. “Not necessary. I’ll go.”
Russ exchanged a surprised look with his wife. “What about Ogden? You’ve had your hands full the past few days. Can you afford to divert your energy to the orphans’ plight?”
It was true. He hadn’t made progress in the hunt for Ogden. “Our quarry doesn’t know I’m on his trail. He’s enjoying success here, so there’s no reason to leave. It won’t take me more than a day or two to find the answers I seek in Lakewood.”
Anna’s smile was tender. “You care about Liam and Lily, don’t you?”
He recalled his conversation with Liam on Saturday and the time they’d spent with Seth and Tate. “I care enough not to rely on anyone else to do the job. This is too important.”
When Russell walked him to the door, he caught Adam’s sleeve. “You don’t still suspect Deborah, do you?”
“How can I? I’ve seen no evidence.”
“Forget your analytical approach for a second,” he scoffed. “What does your heart tell you?”
He wasn’t sure his heart was reliable. He did know that the thought of Deborah engaged to another man filled him with despondency. He knew that it was getting increasingly difficult not to kiss her and shower her with affection.
Russ whistled low and long. “You’re smitten with her.”
Adam waved him off. “I’m not having this conversation.”
“Why can’t you admit it? She’s a wonderful person. Anna likes her. And I think she’d make a fine addition to the family.”
“I’m leaving. Thanks for looking into the Jacksons.” Outside on the porch, he turned back. “While I’m gone—”
“I’ll keep an eye on Deborah and the kids.”
Ignoring his brother’s catlike grin, Adam waved and headed for the depot. He had an important mission to complete, one that took precedence over his years-long crusade to catch a crook. Was the success of both too much to hope for?
* * *
The thin telegram paper crinkled beneath the pressure of Deborah’s fingers. Lucy had reached out to inform her that their father had hired an investigator. Not just any investigator, either. Lyle Canton was a Pinkerton agent with a reputation for success.
Around her, folks bustled about their business. Like yesterday, clouds lent the day a gloomy quality that dampened her mood.
But it isn’t the weather affecting you, is it? It’s Adam’s absence. And now this troubling news.
Worry nipped at her like a riled dog. Was Adam all right? Would he find answers that would aid the kids? Would her father’s new bloodhound discover her whereabouts? What would she do if Gerard showed up and demanded she return home and marry his friend?
Shoving the paper into her reticule, Deborah retrieved her parcels from the bench and hurried along the boardwalk, dodging other shoppers. Aunt Mae had offered to watch Liam and Lily while she completed a few errands. It hadn’t taken long for the boardinghouse proprietress to take a liking to the kids and assume the role of stand-in grandmother. Still, she didn’t possess endless patience, and Deborah had been gone longer than she’d anticipated.
She was passing Hannah’s dress shop when a hulking figure bumped into her. Her parcels went flying.
The man muttered an apology and retrieved her things with jerky movements. “Sorry about that,” he said, his face obscured by his hat.
She noted he had overly large feet. The black, round-tipped shoes were the size of toy boats.
When he straightened, she recognized him as the same man she’d bumped into before, the one who’d been with the woman who could pass for her from a distance.
Wearing an inscrutable expression, he tipped his hat and continued on his way.
“Who was that?”
Deborah turned to find Hannah at her elbow. “I have no idea. You haven’t seen him before?”
“Not that I recall.” The willowy brunette frowned at his retreating figure. “I hope you didn’t have anything breakable in those sacks.”
“Fortunately, no.”
“Well, I’m glad I saw you through the window. I’ve got those dresses you ordered for Lily ready.” She waved her into the shop’s cooler interior. “How’s she and her brother doing?”
Deborah waited at the counter. “They’re coping as best they can, considering their uncertain circumstances.”
“I saw the four of you at church,” she called from the storage room. “They seem comfortable in your and Adam’s company.”
Deborah glanced around, relieved there were no other customers to overhear.
Liam’s reserve melted a little more each day. It was like watching a flower slowly open to the sun’s rays...a touching experience. Adam had a lot to do with that. The boy clearly admired him.
Hannah returned with two dresses, a Sunday dress of buttercup yellow with white ribbon trim and an everyday dress of whimsical mint green with tiny pink roses.
Deborah made a sound of appreciation. “Lily is going to be ecstatic! You’ve done a wonderful job, as usual.”
Since she’d purchased new clothes for Liam, she couldn’t resist giving new dresses to Lily.
“It’s my pleasure.” When she’d accepted Deborah’s payment, Hannah proceeded to package the dresses. Her face clouded like the sky outside. “I don’t like to repeat gossip, but you should know there’ve been rumblings that concern the merchandise Liam and Lily took.”
“Oh? The sheriff didn’t act concerned when Adam and I approached him the other day.” In fact, he hadn’t given them more than five minutes of his time before announcing he had other pressing concerns to tend to. There was something about the man that struck her as insincere.
“Some of the shop owners are willing to overlook the losses, considering the situation. Others may not be as compassionate.” She named one in particular. “Mr. Hagermann’s threatening to hold them responsible.”
“We’d intended on having the kids visit each affected proprietor. We simply haven’t gotten around to it. That’s our mistake.”
“I’m sure you and Adam will find a way to appease everyone.”
The way Hannah said it made it sound like she and Adam were a real couple, partners caring for the siblings. But that wasn’t the case. Or it wouldn’t be for long.
* * *
Adam shouldn’t be this excit
ed to see Deborah and the kids. Nor should he have allowed them to dominate his thoughts during his brief sojourn to Lakewood. He should be strategizing. Trying to predict Zane Ogden’s next move.
Instead of stopping at Russ’s office to discuss the information he’d uncovered, he strode down Eden Street with one object in mind—speak to Deborah. He couldn’t wait to share everything he’d learned, to see her reaction and together decide what the next step should be.
It was a unique experience, this feeling that they were partners. How ironic that the woman he’d suspected of wrongdoing had become so important to his happiness!
Adam passed through the gate, climbed the porch steps and entered the boardinghouse through the main door. His anticipation built, perspiration dampening his collar. His heart beat against his ribs with sudden force. Would she be in the kitchen baking something unusual? He could hardly wait to see that winsome smile of hers. No doubt Liam and Lily would be there, too.
Lily would greet him with a hug because she was unreserved with her affection.
Liam would probably want to hug him, too, but would hold back. Not only was he determined to guard his bruised heart, he was in a peculiar place between boyhood and manhood.
Voices drifted from the parlor. Changing direction, Adam charged inside.
Hildie and Preston, seated close together on the sofa, looked at him in surprise. “Adam.” Hildie’s eyes held a note of censure. “Where’s the fire?”
Preston didn’t bother to hide his dislike. Adam wondered if the man was spending time with Hildie because he truly liked her, or because he was angling to get close to Deborah.
“No fire. Sorry to bother you.”
Swiftly retreating, he passed through the dining room, certain his footsteps would summon Deborah. But no one appeared in the doorway.
“Deborah?” he called as he entered the kitchen.
The scene was chaotic. Liam and Lily flanked Aunt Mae at the stove. Every surface was crammed with utensils and dishes.
“Adam!” Circumventing the worktable, Lily rushed up and threw her arms around his middle. “I missed you!”
Lifting her head, she looked up at him with shining, hopeful eyes. His fondness for this little girl grew each day. Despite her hardships, she hadn’t lost her zeal for life.
He gently patted her back. “I missed you, too, sprite.” He angled toward Liam, who’d approached them but hung back. “I suppose you’re too old for hugs?”
Lily giggled. “No one’s too old for hugs! Come on, Liam.”
The boy shuffled closer. Lily seized his arm and tugged him into their shared embrace. He relaxed after barely a second, his arms squeezing tight around Adam and Lily before he removed himself.
Aunt Mae’s soft-as-butter expression mirrored Adam’s insides. These kids had endured enough sorrow. They deserved kindness. They deserved guardians who’d care and provide for them, who’d make them feel safe and loved.
If he wasn’t on the trail of Ogden, if he wasn’t in the employ of the Pinkertons and was free to do as he pleased, he’d be the first to volunteer. Second, actually, after Deborah.
“Where is she?”
Aunt Mae’s eyes took on a knowing gleam but she asked, “Where’s who?”
He couldn’t hide his impatience. “Deborah.”
“She’s outside picking snap beans.”
Lily grabbed his hand. “I’ll take you to her.”
Aunt Mae chuckled. “I believe the adults would like to speak privately, little missy. Besides, I need help with this chicken if we’re to feed everyone at a reasonable hour.”
Adam forced himself to take a sedate pace through the kitchen, past the storage room and out to the shaded, rose-scented veranda. He scanned the vegetable garden, spotting her almost immediately. A yellow blossom was tucked behind her ear, contrasting with her chocolate-colored tresses. He studied her profile, the pert nose and elegant line of her jaw.
His mouth dried. He felt almost queasy.
What was wrong with him?
It wasn’t like he was fighting for his life on a bloody, chaotic battlefield or hemmed in by a crook’s bullets.
Telling himself he was being childish, he left the veranda and strode across the short grass, halting at the end of her row and drinking in her beauty. She was a ray of summer sunshine in her yellow dress.
Unable to think of a thing to say, he cleared his throat.
Surprise flitted over her features, followed by a surge of joy.
Was she as happy to see him as he was her?
Bolting to her feet, she dashed straight for him. Holding his arms out in silent welcome felt like the natural thing to do. When she stepped into his arms, it seemed as if she’d found a home in his embrace, burrowing against his chest, her cheek pressed to his heart.
“Oh, Adam.” She released a sigh that indicated she hadn’t breathed properly while he was gone. Funny, he could identify.
He stroked between her shoulders and along her spine. The cotton fabric of her bodice was supple and warm with her body heat.
“I feel like I’ve been gone a month,” he murmured, unable to keep from kissing her temple.
“More like a year,” she whispered.
Meeting his gaze, she slowly twined her arms around his neck and focused on his mouth.
Adam hugged her closer, his head swimming with intoxicating anticipation.
There were no more words as their lips touched and sparks exploded. This wasn’t a tender exploration. They’d waited too long. Dreamed too long.
Adam held her tight, his hands spanning her waist, keeping her close.
She was everything he’d hoped. Giving. Daring. Passionate. Sweet.
Her floral scent enveloped him, imprinting this moment on his brain.
He never wanted to let her go. Never wanted to be separated from her again.
Deborah suddenly broke contact, her breath uneven and fanning his tingling mouth.
Her topaz eyes whirled with wonder. “You’re the first man I’ve kissed.”
Grinning, he inched his fingers over her cheek and jaw, glorying in the silken skin stretched over fragile bone. “This is new for me, too.”
“If I’d had any inkling how amazing it would be, I’d have kissed you a long time ago.”
Adam chuckled and kissed the tip of her cute nose. “Don’t ever lose your candor, Deborah.”
She didn’t respond. Taking her cues from him, she framed his face, her thumbs stroking his lips and chin. The expression on her face made his heart tumble over itself.
“If you continue in that vein,” he murmured in a thick voice, “I’ll be forced to kiss you again.”
Her smile was bright enough to banish the darkest shadows. “Would that be so terrible?”
“Not if I could be sure a pair of orphans wouldn’t discover us.”
His emotions—heightened by his absence—had edged out common sense. He couldn’t ensure that neither of them would be hurt. He couldn’t offer her a future.
With that fact fresh in his mind, Adam let her go.
Chapter Seventeen
Something had changed. Deborah couldn’t pinpoint exactly what.
Longing burned in Adam’s molten gaze, but his countenance had lost its easy lines from moments earlier. Smoothing his hair—she vaguely recalled threading her fingers through the short locks—he glanced at the windows. Ah. He was worried the kids might see them.
She pulled her thoughts to where they should be. Not a light task, considering her nerve endings danced with the thrilling aftermath of his touch. Adam’s kiss had confirmed that what she felt for him wasn’t fleeting or inconsequential. She wasn’t sure what to label it, exactly. Perhaps it was best not to. Not until his case was solved, which would then allow him to entertain thoughts of his future.
The sun broke thr
ough the clouds. The brightness was almost blinding. She started walking toward the veranda.
“What did you find out?”
He fell into step beside her. “I interviewed several townspeople first, including the owner of Lakewood’s only mercantile, the livery owner and the pastor. They had little good to say about the Jacksons.”
His grim tone chased the last of her giddiness away. In the shade, she located the pitcher she’d brought out earlier and poured water into glasses before choosing one of the wicker chairs.
Adam sank into the one across from her and removed his tie. “They haven’t witnessed any questionable behavior. However, what interactions they have had left them with poor impressions. Jeremiah and Laura moved to the area a decade ago, but according to Pastor Lund, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who claimed to have a relationship with them.”
“We suspected they were recluses. Did you have better results with the neighbors?”
“One was a surly old bachelor who ordered me off his property.”
“With rifle in hand?”
His smile was part grimace. “I obliged him without hesitation. I had better success with the Rands, a couple in their early sixties whose property borders the Jacksons’. They confirmed Liam’s story about how they wound up in Lakewood. Six months ago, Mr. Rand paid Jeremiah a visit to discuss farm business and was surprised by the kids’ presence. Apparently, Jeremiah and Laura have an adult son who rarely comes around. Mr. Rand’s seen him only once or twice in the decade they’ve lived there.”
Anger bubbled up inside her. “If they treated him like they did Liam and Lily, I’d imagine he has good reason.”
“Jeremiah made sure Rand didn’t see much of the kids.” His jaw hardened. “What he did see troubled him.”
Deborah left her chair and began to pace. “Why didn’t he go to the sheriff?”
“Sadly, there’s not much he could do unless he had a witness to attest to outright cruelty.”
Her hands fisted. “There should be laws protecting children like Liam and Lily.”
“I agree.”
“Did you meet Laura and Jeremiah?”