by Annie Boone
But it was Mr. Jessup. He ducked his head in with an apprehensive smile. Hesitantly, he stepped into the doorway. Glancing around, he surveyed the room for a minute before turning to her. The motion made her think of Wyatt Thomas who did this upon entering any new space. She could see the closed door across from Lucas he supposedly was resting. She wondered quickly now he was doing, but put her mind back to Lucas Jessup since he was standing in her room.
“I’m sorry, I missed what you said.” She managed vaguely when Lucas spoke.
“It’s all right.” He smiled and held up two pieces of paper. “Here you are, Miss Carlson. The first is a telegram from your aunt, arrived here this morning. And I received this from Boston. They’ll be closing the files on your uncle, Mr. James Robinson.”
Selina looked at him with a blank expression. She wasn’t sure what to think.
“Apparently he caused trouble between Boston and here as he travelled, so they set out a reward. Three hundred dollars. Enough to take you wherever you’d like. Susie mentioned you were considering leaving, and I wanted to let you know I can write back immediately and request the funds delivered to you here while you recuperate.”
She frowned and glanced at her hands. Lately, she just couldn’t make the shaking stop. So she slipped the papers into her pocket. “But I didn’t catch him. Nor am I the one who stopped him.”
He shrugged. “But you found him.”
Such logic would have made her laugh if she had the strength. “I think it was more along the lines of him finding me,” she corrected him with a shake of her head. “It should be Mr. Thomas’s money.”
For a minute, Lucas just stared at the papers in Selina’s hands before shrugging and taking a step back. “He’s had a hard past, and I don’t know what you know, Miss Carlson. But I can assure you, money is far from his mind and he took no pleasure in killing another man. He wanted to keep you safe, and the knowledge that he saved you is more than enough for him, I’m sure. Consider it, and I’ll return tomorrow for your answer.” The sheriff turned to leave but paused first. “Get some rest, Miss Carlson, you’ve been through a lot.”
His words made her think. Selina stared at the ceiling for hours, unable to fall sleep. All she could hear was the beating of her heart. It made her furious Wyatt had been there, and he’d saved her. She didn’t want to depend on anyone for anything.
And she wondered why he’d come for her after their conversation. She’d been quite clear she wanted nothing else to do with him. Yet he had saved her from her uncle with little concern for his own safety. Now she owed him a great debt of gratitude and more.
So many mixed emotions and thoughts filled her mind until she couldn’t take being alone anymore. There was too much in her head and she needed to talk to someone about everything. But there wasn’t anyone. Selina decided she might try walking again. Her body screamed as she worked on sitting up at the edge of the bed. The bruising on her hip had grown swollen and numbed a good part of her leg.
“Come on, come on,” she murmured, frowning as she managed to grab hold of the nearby chair. Using it as a crutch, Selina pulled herself up. A bead of sweat dripped by the time she made it, her arms trembling. Still leaning on the chair, she staggered to the wall, keeping her weight on her good leg.
Her breath caught as she opened the door and found no one there. Glancing at the floor, she knew it would take three steps at least to get across the hall and it suddenly felt as wide as a valley. Taking a deep breath, she stretched forward with one hand but couldn’t reach it. She’d have to make it without support. After gathering her strength, she made the lunge and banged a shoulder into the door, wincing.
“What is it?” A groggy voice came from the other side of the door and she froze.
Suddenly she wasn’t certain she wanted to do this. How was she to face him? Glancing back at her room, Selina hesitated. The man had been seriously injured, almost died to protect her. He’d probably saved her life. She wondered if he’d want to see her after the things she’d said to him. Yet she still need to talk to him, to be honest and only then would she know what to do. If nothing else, she owed him a word of thanks. After another deep breath, she slowly opened the door.
He was watching the door, waiting. One hand gripping the edge of the cot, ready to get up, and the other one hidden under the covers. Squinting, his eyes widened in surprise at the sight of her, and then he sighed as his entire body relaxed. “Selina,” he breathed softly. “You’re all right.”
His words made her want to laugh, but she was too busy concentrating on the best strategy to get over to him. He had a larger room and there was a chair far off in the other corner. Taking a deep breath, she staggered, a hand on her hip, in his direction.
“We need to talk, I suppose.” She started to get further into the room and she lost her balance when she put too much pressure on her bad leg.
But Wyatt was fast, and had an arm around her before she could fall, helping her to the edge of his bed. His gaze was too intense for her to meet, so she stared at the floor as she tried to catch her breath and wipe the sweat from her brow. “Selina? Are you all right?”
“Well, I think so.” Her voice fell as she realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Instantly she felt her face flush and she couldn’t stop staring. Not so much at his muscular chest, though she did notice it. She saw the bandage on his shoulder, but it was the scars that held her attention. She recognized a few, from the stories he told her. In the middle of his ribs, there what looked to be burns that had faded from time. Selina almost reached out to touch them but she caught herself.
He took her hand and squeezed it, breaking her away from her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Selina turned and slipped her hand away. She needed to focus, and she couldn’t while he touched her with his kindness. Though she’d worried about the tension and awkwardness, she felt only easiness between them.
Carefully taking the papers from her pocket, she showed the poster of James to him. “There’s a reward.” She paused to clear her raspy voice. “For him.”
Carefully, Wyatt unfolded the page and stared at it blankly. Chancing a look, Selina saw Wyatt had a black eye and a cut on his lip as well. His knuckles were bandaged, but the big concern was the bullet wound. Dr. Fitzgerald had told her it had torn through Wyatt’s body, making a clean exit. But they had to keep an eye on infection, so he wouldn’t be leaving for a while.
“It’s yours,” he said finally, and returned the paper to her. “I don’t want it. I don’t need it.”
She frowned. “But you deserve it. You stopped him, you’re the one.”
Shaking his head, he raised a hand. “I said I don’t want it, Miss Carlson. It would just be a reminder of him, no matter who he was or what he did. What he was trying to do will never leave my mind.”
Her cheeks burned, and she looked away, feeling the sting of tears. Tears of humiliation, of pain, of guilt. Gulping, she sniffed and realized she wanted to tell him the truth. And now, what would it hurt since it was all over between them? He deserved that much, she supposed, and wiped her eyes.
“James,” she started, and sucked in more air as she felt light-headed. When it passed, she began again. “James Robinson was my uncle. He married my mother’s sister. After my parents died in the shootout, I lived with my grandmother until I lost her, too. I had no other family, so they sent met to live there with them. It wasn’t a good place, but it was better than the streets. At least that’s what I thought. I tried to escape him. I fought, and I fought, but he was stronger and bigger.”
He put a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, but she still jumped. “You don’t need to explain any of that.”
She cut him off with a furious shake of the head. She had to get it out, and she’d already begun.
“Mary left me money and a note telling me to come here. She was afraid he’d kill me. So I did what she told me and I came here. I thought I’d be safe. I was so sure things would be good, and I could start over. I had no idea
he would find me.” The tears came and so she stopped, trying to catch her breath. Gulping, she shook her head at the paper. “I don’t want it, Wyatt, please.”
Chapter Twenty
He dropped the piece of paper so neither of them had to touch it. It was an ugly reminder neither wanted. Sniffling, Selina turned away and Wyatt glanced at his bandaged hands. “What shall we do with it?” He asked after a moment of silence. And after another stretch of silence he changed the subject. “What of your aunt?”
With a frown, she pulled out an unopened telegram and read it out loud. “Sorry for everything Please forgive me Police know all Mary.” She stared at it for a minute as the words sunk in. “He beat her again.” Her voice was a whisper. “He injured her over and over. For years. I never thought of it much because neither of them treated me well. Since he beat me and she didn’t stop him, It sort of felt like she deserved it. But I should have tried to help.” She closed her eyes. “Yes, she should have it. When Mr. Jessup returns, I’ll tell him to send it to Mary.”
They fell quiet, and he leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes. He’d been shot before and the pain had already turned dull. And knowing with a surety Selina was safe helped relax the knots in his stomach. Wyatt had only awakened that morning after being out for a few days, and could feel the room spinning. With a soft groan, he allowed the exhaustion to take over.
Wyatt wasn’t certain if it was the squeeze of the hand or the soft voice woke him, but he felt it pulling him from the darkness. “You fool,” a quiet voice murmured. “What were you thinking, attacking James? You could have died, Wyatt.”
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“You must be in such pain,” Selina murmured, sniffling. “And then trying to rescue me after everything I said to you.” Wyatt tried to open his eyes and wanted to ask her if she was talking to him, but his body felt sluggish. She didn’t seem to notice. “You let me talk to you so horribly and then still came after me? What a gentleman, what a fool of a gentleman.” She grew quiet and waited. She had his hand in hers, rubbing it lightly with a soft squeeze. “Perhaps I’m the fool. Letting you go, letting you think I don’t care.”
She raised his hand and kissed it gently. His eyes were still closed, and she took the chance to finish her thoughts.
“I do care, you know. I don’t want to, but I do. I was so mad at you. But I was just so afraid you would leave for some reason. I thought it meant you weren’t who I thought you were, and that frightened me. I liked the Wyatt I knew, and if he didn’t really exist, then it meant I was alone. I didn’t know what to do about that. I’m so sorry, Wyatt, I’m sorry.”
He found the strength and squeezed her hand in return. It caught her by surprise and Selina yelped. Trying not to smile, Wyatt slowly opened his eyes at the confounded girl. She wrapped a hand around her heart, chest heaving in fright. “It’s all right,” he managed with a foolish grin.
“You were listening the whole time?” Her mouth dropped open and her cheeks turned bright red.
Groaning, Wyatt shook his head and tried to sit up. That’s when the room started to spin and he stopped and with a grimace, he grudgingly collapsed back on the cot. Swallowing his pride, he took a deep breath and glanced at his bandaged shoulder. “Only some of it. But you were right. The other day, at my house, I should have been honest. Miss Carlson…”
She shook her head. “Selina.”
He managed to smile. It hurt his cheek terribly, but to say her name again was a pleasure he couldn’t resist. “Selina, I wasn’t worried about telling you about my agreement with Mrs. Jessup because I didn’t think it was a secret, and it wasn’t something I wanted to hide.” He tried to find the right words. “But I did want to hide something. I haven’t been entirely honest because people don’t always take it well when I tell them about my past. When I was sixteen, I joined up with Luis the Sixer. The bounty hunter. I worked as a hunter myself until I came here to start over. It was a hard, cruel life, and I did many things I’m not proud of. My actions often weren’t honorable, and I wasn’t a gentleman.”
After everything, he expected her to leave the room, but nothing could have prepared Wyatt for Selina to bite her lip and then shake her head. “No matter what you think, you are a gentleman. In every sense of the word.”
Wyatt could hardly believe it. Taking her hand, he kissed it gently as he marveled at her strength. “I’m trying to be. And if you’ll have me, I’d like to be the gentleman you marry. As soon as I can stand up without getting dizzy.” He smiled crookedly. “I love you, Selina, and I think you love me, too. Please tell me I’m not confused.”
He had told her what was in his heart and he felt like he was walking into a gunfight with a white flag. This was new territory to him. He hadn’t planned the words, but he knew he wouldn’t regret telling her how he felt and what he wanted.
Now, he could only hope she felt the same. Wyatt watched Selina as she bit her lip. Rubbing her eyes, her cheeks grew splotchy, and she tried to laugh. It was a quiet laugh, a cute one, the one she gave any time she tripped or did something she thought was silly. Catching him by surprise, she covered his hand and raised it to her soft cheek.
Finally she smiled and nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Wyatt.”
He let out a breath. “You had me worried for a minute.” In spite of the pain it too to move, he pulled her close for a proper kiss. She leaned in to him without hesitation and his heart sang. His cut lip burned, but he didn’t mind. Nothing but Selina and their happiness mattered now. He grinned so wide his entire face hurt. “We should get married tomorrow.”
She pulled back as she gave him a look. “Tomorrow? Wyatt, you can’t even walk. And I have this painful limp.” She frowned as she tilted her head.
He thought back to how difficult it had been for her to just cross the room and knew she had a point. “Fine. Next week, then.” He gave her a grin as she rolled her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-One
Selina and Wyatt’s wedding happened four months and five days after he asked her to marry him. It took them both a week before they were well enough to make the journey home. Selina still walked with a slight limp but she’d made a wonderful recovery. Wyatt took some time to fully run his ranch again. He hired extra help during the harvest until he could use his arm again. But they were both well, and both safe.
“We’re here!” Susannah hurried down the aisle, her husband trailing behind her. Straightening up, Wyatt shifted his stance and nodded as the couple sat down. If they were here, then it meant Selina was here.
“She’s coming soon, Wyatt.” Susannah beamed at him, her happiness seemed to bubble over. “It was just lovely weather you know, on the drive over. Just perfect, just perfect. Lucas, do you know what this reminds me of?”
Wyatt grinned at the bubbly woman. Her excitement was always infectious, and very appropriate. Chuckling, Lucas wrapped an arm around his wife. “Our own wedding, of course. But today isn’t about us, Susie darling. Let’s focus first on getting these two kids happily married, shall we?”
“We shall!” Susannah nodded hurriedly and settled down as the back doors opened again.
She was very happy, Wyatt could tell. Selina had told him about her reconciliation with Susannah. After several long conversations, they’d repaired their relationship. Susannah was a wonderful woman who clearly tried her best. And all in all, there was a wedding that needed to be planned.
Selina entered the room, carefully shaking off her cloak and fixing her hold on her bouquet of white flowers and ivy. Selina was stunning, and he grinned as she finally met his gaze.
Eagerness had been driving him all day, and it all faded away as she hastened to join him by the pastor. Wyatt’s hand went out to her, and she clutched it, not letting go. She ran a finger over his knuckles, now healed as though nothing had happened.
“Welcome, friends of Selina Carlson and Wyatt Thomas.” The pastor started the ceremony, but Wyatt hardly p
aid attention. He was dressed in his best suit, and she had a new light blue dress for the occasion. The last four months had been some of the longest days of his life, but they had been some of the happiest.
They were both able to make complete recoveries though his shoulder was often sore, and she walked with just a bit of a limp. It would take time, Dr. Fitzgerald had assured them, but they were both strong people who would eventually heal completely.
The emotional healing had come, too. Together, they’d agreed to put their pasts behind them and start fresh together. This wasn’t easy, and they’d spend hour after hour talking it through, but the progress was undeniable.
She squeezed his hand, bringing him back to the present. Wyatt met her gaze with a grin.
“Do you, Selina Carlson, take Wyatt Thomas to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.”
“Do you, Wyatt Thomas, take Selina Carlson to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
He squeezed her hand as she smiled up at him. “I do,” he assured her, and pulled back the veil so he could finally kiss his wife.
As they shared their first kiss as husband and wife, Wyatt felt Selina relax. The joy at seeing her at peace and happy was a surprise. He’d never cared for another person this much before. He loved the feeling and he looked forward to making her happy and keeping her safe for the rest of his life.
“Let’s get started on our life together, Selina. I’m so thankful God worked it out for us.”
She smiled and looped her arm with his and walked with her husband out of the church as they approached their next adventure together.
It’s not quite the end!
* * *
Did you enjoy Selina and Wyatt’s love story? What a change for Selina! She went from a terrible and abusive home to a place where she was loved and cherished. It’s no wonder it was difficult for her to trust a man like Wyatt who had secrets. Isn’t it wonderful that God brought these two together? A perfect match!