by Jenna Brandt
Upset by what the man said, and by her own reaction to it, Naomi took off running from the saloon. She needed fresh air before she passed out. As she pushed through the double swinging doors of the establishment, she welcomed the fall breeze that kissed her skin along with the lingering warmth from the setting sun.
She darted to the side of the saloon and followed the edge of it until she was well hidden by the shadows. Finally, she let her body sag against the brick wall. What was she going to do? The more she found out about her past, the more she realized she was in deep trouble. What had she gotten herself involved with? Why had she been so stupid?
“Naomi, is that you?” she heard a deep voice say from the side of her near the street.
“Who is that?” she asked with trepidation.
“It’s me, Naomi, Uncle Clyde,” the man said, as he approached her. “I’ve been worried about you ever since you took off three days ago.”
As the stranger came close, she inspected him to see if she recognized him. Something was familiar about the grey-haired older man, but she couldn’t say she remembered him. Again, being near him was like having the faintest feeling from a dream she couldn’t quite remember.
“What are you talking about? I can’t remember anything from before this morning. How do I know you?”
The man’s wrinkled face scrunched up as he stared at her for several seconds before he shook his head. “I can see from your face, you really don’t know who I am. I’m your uncle.”
“Do we both live here in Oak Glen?” Naomi inquired, trying to put the facts from her past back together.
“No, your parents passed away several months back. I took you under my wing.” Frustration settled on his face as he blurted out, “What on earth happened to you?”
“I got knocked out during an explosion on a train this morning. When I came to, a Texas Ranger was standing over me telling me I had been involved in a train robbery. None of it makes sense—it still doesn’t. He took me into custody, claiming I could lead him to the rest of the Beckett Gang.”
“Do you know where they’re at? Specifically, where their leader Bill Beckett is at?”
Naomi crossed her arms, not trusting the man in front of her. Something about him didn’t set well with her, and even though he claimed they were family, he seemed to care more about locating the outlaws than he did about her well-being. “Why do you ask?”
“Because the whole reason we were here in Oak Glen was for us to find out. That was your job, to get close to the men from the gang at the saloon while I nosed around town.”
“Why were we trying to find them?” Naomi asked with confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“We’re—”
Before he could answer her, Emmett’s voice interrupted their conversation. “Miss Rutherford, are you out here? I hope for your sake, you are.”
“I‘ve gotta go. I stay clear of lawmen as much as I can,” Clyde said, stepping away and moving down the alley in the opposite direction of Emmett. “I‘ll find you later and explain everything. If you do remember anything, don’t tell that ranger. Our livelihood depends on it.”
Before Naomi could question him about all the disconnected clues, he gave her about her past, Clyde was gone. Naomi was left more confused than ever and wondering what all of what he said meant. What was going on?
Emmett sprinted down the alleyway. A look of relief crossed his face as he came to a stop in front of her. “What’s going on? What happened in there to cause you to rush out like that?”
Naomi debated about telling him the truth. From what she could gather, old Naomi would probably lie, but new Naomi didn’t feel comfortable doing that. “The barkeep said he knew me, that I used to work in that saloon. Claims I do have a connection to the Beckett Gang. It turns out, I... I—” She didn’t want to finish the rest. How could she admit out loud that she had been involved romantically with one of the outlaws? The thought of it disgusted her, so she could only imagine what it would make Emmett think of her. And for some reason, it mattered to her what he thought of her. The longer she was around him, the more she found herself not only respecting him, but wanting to gain his approval.
“What, Miss Rutherford, what else did he tell you?” Emmett inquired, reaching out and placing his hand on the side of her arm.
A tingling sensation crept up her arm, causing her eyes to dart up and meet his. She hadn’t expected to feel such a strong attraction to him, and it took her by surprise.
Naomi blinked several times before whispering, “Under the circumstances, I think you can call me Naomi.”
She noticed a kindness in his eyes she hadn’t seen there before. “All right, Naomi, what else aren’t you telling me?”
Pushing away the troubling feelings towards Emmett, she focused on telling him the truth. “The barkeep told me that I was… close to one of the gang members; close enough that I took off with them three days ago.”
A look of disappointment crossed Emmett’s face as he said, “So, this confirms my suspicions you were a part of the train robbery this morning.”
“I hate to admit it, but it looks that way.” Quickly, she added, “But I still remember nothing. When he told me about my past, I was shocked. Then he warned me the gang would kill me if they thought I was working with a Texas Ranger, so I got upset. I couldn’t stand finding out what and who I was. I needed to get out of the saloon.”
Emmett pulled Naomi close, his eyes looking deep into hers. “Maybe it wasn’t your fault. Maybe you got caught up in something because you were naïve enough to get mixed up with the wrong man. Maybe if you find the right man, all of that would change.”
“Do I strike you as naïve?” she asked with a quirk of her eyebrow, letting her body rest against his.
“Not precisely,” he said, letting his face drift towards hers, “but I do think you need a good, strong man in your life. Someone to steer you in the right direction. It could make all the difference in the world.”
Mixed emotions swirled in Naomi’s heart, causing warning bells to sound in her head. Though she found Emmett attractive, she didn’t want to complicate her life by trading one man for another. This was especially true since she couldn’t see a future with a Texas Ranger, given her recently discovered history. “On the contrary, I’m beginning to think all men are trouble for me.” Pulling back, she added, “Perhaps I need to be on my own for a time.”
A flash of embarrassment surfaced on Emmett’s face before he stepped back and turned his head away. “We need to rest for the evening, before tomorrow. It stands to be a long day now that I know where the Beckett Gang plans to strike next.”
Naomi nodded, hanging her own head in regret. She could tell he had wanted to kiss her. Part of her wondered what it would have felt like to be kissed by a good man. Could it have indeed changed everything for her? As she followed behind Emmett’s retreating figure, a part of her believed it just might have.
Nine
Emmett wasn’t sure what came over him in the alleyway. He had been moments away from kissing Naomi, but he knew better than to care about a suspect, no matter how sweet or innocent she appeared to be. Worst of all, he wanted to kiss her, even after knowing that his worst suspicions about her were confirmed. She was in fact an outlaw which means she was strictly off-limits.
As they entered the Oak Glen Hotel, Emmett was looking forward to a good night’s sleep. It had been a long day, full of energy-sapping twists and turns in his hunt.
The rest of the men had gone to get rooms at the saloon while Jake and Levi said they would return home to Rockwood Springs for the evening, and meet up with them in Woody the following day.
“Good evening,” Emmett began, as he sauntered up to the reception desk of the hotel. “I’d like to get two rooms that are adjoining, please.”
The stout man with black hair and friendly brown eyes gave him a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry, mister, but the hotel is completely full this evening. There are rooms at the saloon d
own the road though.”
Emmett glanced behind him at Naomi, who was patiently waiting for him. He didn’t like the idea of taking a woman there to spend the night. Add the fact she used to work there, she would have way too many allies possibly willing to help her escape. He needed to keep her as far away from that place as possible.
“You’re certain there aren’t any available rooms; even one that is closed for minor repairs?” he asked, shifting his saddle bag on his shoulder. “I’m Ranger Moreley, on the hunt for the Beckett Gang,” Emmett said, pushing his coat back to reveal his silver star on his vest. “Any assistance on your end would be greatly appreciated.”
The man seemed to waffle for a moment, before he stated hesitantly, “There is one room, but we never offer it to guests because we keep it reserved for the owner when he’s in town. Though it is one of our largest rooms, it only has one bed.” He glanced behind Emmett to Naomi. “Will that be an issue?”
Emmett placed his hands on the counter in irritation. “You’re certain there isn’t any other option?” Emmett sputtered out in frustration.
“I’m sorry, Ranger Moreley, but we have no other openings. I shouldn’t even offer this room. I think, however, under the circumstances, the owner would understand and allow me to make an exception for a lawman such as yourself,” the desk clerk stated with an apologetic tone and expression.
“I’ll take the room then,” Emmett reluctantly agreed.
As he walked up the stairs to their room with Naomi beside him, he realized sleeping in the same room as her was a bad idea. Not only would it come across as inappropriate if anyone came to find out, but the more he was around Naomi, the more tempting she got. Though he knew the reasons it wasn’t wise, he also trusted no one else to keep as good an eye on her as he would. If she ran off in the middle of the night, Emmett would be the one explaining to the captain how he lost his biggest lead, not to mention the only gang member he had in custody.
Awkwardly, they entered the room. Emmett turned to Naomi and gave her a lopsided grin, trying to make the uncomfortable situation more relaxed. “Sorry I can’t offer you a separate room. We’ll make the best of this situation.”
“Even though I can’t remember it, I’m sure I’ve been in worse accommodations,” she said with her own smirk. “We can make this work.”
Ten
Naomi wasn’t sure how she would handle spending a whole night in the same room as Emmett. Considering what had happened only an hour earlier in the alleyway, it was like playing with fire. She wondered if she would get burned?
“I’ll take the floor and you can have the bed,” Emmett said, as he removed his jacket before sitting on the edge of the bed. “Just let me take my boots and belt off really quick before I bed down there.”
Naomi nodded, watching as Emmett put his saddle bag down, pulled off his boots, then placed both items neatly by the nearby wall. Next, he stood back up and removed his belt. Her eyes lingered at his tapered waist. She knew from riding with him on horseback, he was physically fit, but seeing him this way confirmed it. She was realizing that it wasn’t just bad men that were a problem for her; a good one could be just as dangerous.
She looked around for something to do, needing to distract herself from his handsome physique. A blanket, that’s what he would need if he was sleeping on the floor. Quickly, she picked the top one off of the bed, and handed it to him. “Here, you’ll need this.”
He took it and smiled. “Thank you, Naomi. It’ll probably get cold down there on the floor.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Moreley,” she said, returning his smile.
“It’s quite all right if you call me Emmett,” he corrected with a hint of admiration she hadn’t noticed before. “I think we’ve both earned the right to use our Christian names after all we’ve been through. Your honesty—though it didn’t benefit you one iota—makes me wonder how you could have gotten involved with such despicable people as the Beckett Gang. You seem too good a woman to get caught up in such folly.”
Sadness crept into Naomi’s heart as she contemplated the truths she was finding out about herself. “I wish that were the case, Emmett. The more I find out about myself, however, points in the opposite direction. I’m thinking I will not like the woman I was when I remember my past.”
“It’s never too late to change, Naomi. I’m not sure if you’re religious, but I have a strong faith in the redemption God offers. God redeemed me, and He can do the same for you, if you give Him a chance. God is in the business of forgiveness.”
“I don’t know how I felt about God before today, but the idea of having my past forgiven seems mighty appealing. I’m not sure I deserve it though. I think the woman I was doesn’t deserve a second chance.”
“That’s just it, Naomi, none of us deserve it. God offers salvation freely. All we have to do is accept it. When we do, it allows us to form a relationship with God which He can use to change us.”
“What do I have to do?” Naomi asked, not quite understanding the stirring in her heart, yet relinquishing to it nonetheless.
“I can help you with that,” he said, reaching over and opening his saddle bag. He pulled out a beat up old book, and the words “Holy Bible," were scrolled across the top. “Someone gave this to me right after Barbara died. It comforted me and changed my life. I can share some verses that helped me the most.”
Naomi nodded, sitting down on the edge of the bed with Emmett doing the same. He opened it up and read the words printed inside. The words comforted her, causing a peace to wash over her as she listened to them fall from his lips. She closed her eyes and let the words penetrate her heart.
Some time passed before she felt a hand on her arm, gently shaking her. “Naomi, are you all right?”
Her eyes darted open, and she nodded. “I want the gift that book is talking about. What do I have to do to get it?”
“You have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the Cross for your sins and rose again and accept Him as your Lord and Savior. I can pray with you, if you like,” Emmett offered.
“Thank you. I would like that.” Naomi said, realizing that losing her memory had given her a gift she didn’t even know she needed; a gift that was more important than anything she could have ever imagined.
As she listened to Emmett’s prayer and repeated the words after him, a burden she didn’t even know she had been carrying fell from her shoulders. A joy she had never felt before cascaded over her, causing tears to spring to her eyes.
When the prayer was finished, she looked up and whispered, “I feel so light, Emmett, like I don’t have a care in the world. I mean, I know there are a million things wrong with my life, but none of it seems to matter now that I know what really matters.”
“I know. It kind of changes everything, doesn’t it?” he asked with a grin. “It only gets better too. Not saying life isn’t hard, and there aren’t plenty of problems you’ll still face, but you never have to face them alone again. God will always be with you to help you through.”
Naomi never thought it would be the case, but she was grateful Emmett came into her life. She never would have thought a Texas Ranger would lead to her redemption.
Without warning, a yawn formed and slipped from her mouth.
“I bet you’re exhausted,” Emmett observed. “I think it’s time we both hit the hay.”
She nodded, but as she looked down at her clothes, she wondered how they were going to both do that. She wouldn’t sleep well as she was, but there was no way she would undress in front of him.
The soft fabric of the sheet beneath her hand gave her an idea. She noted there was a lamp in one corner and a hook on the other side. “Do you have any rope on you?”
“Why? Do you think I need to tie you up for the night? Are you planning on trying to escape?”
She let out a laugh. “I probably deserve that, but no, I know better than that. I have a way to make us both more comfortable if you have a rope.”
&nb
sp; Emmett bent over and opened his saddle bag, then dug around in it. “I don’t have a rope, but… will this do,” he said, holding up twine.
One of her eyebrows rose as she stated, “So you do tie people up, it seems.”
“It’s not what you think,” he rebuffed, shaking the bundle at her. “This comes in handier than you can imagine. I use it to secure packages, to bind items to my belt when I’m in a pinch, or if a strap on my saddle breaks, I can use it to reattach whatever I need to store on it.”
“I still think you keep it in your bag to tie up people you have in custody,” Naomi protested.
“If I do, and I’m getting it out now, does that mean I should use it on you?” he teased.
Her eyes grew round as she adamantly shook her head. “No, I’m quite fine. You won’t need to use that on me,” she said, taking the twine, “But I have other plans for it.”
Naomi made a loop and attached one end of the twine to the hook on the wall, then pulled it straight across to the other side of the room. She took the other end, made a second loop and attached it to the top of the lamp. Next, she grabbed the sheet from the bed, placed it over the twine until it draped evenly on both sides. The temporary wall wasn’t perfect, but it helped divide the area.
Placing her hands on her hips, she smiled with pride over her accomplishment. She gestured to her project and said, “See, now we both have a bit of privacy.”
Emmett chuckled as he nodded. “My, aren’t you resourceful? Remind me if I ever struggle, to ask you to help me figure out the solution.”
“Will do,” she said, stepping behind the makeshift screen. Naomi sat down on the edge of the bed, slipped off her vest, blouse, and skirt, wearing just her slip and undergarments. She climbed into the bed, then pulled up the remaining blanket. She was grateful the hotel provided two of them, or one of them would have been very cold tonight.
“Do you mind turning out the light when you’re ready to go to sleep?” Naomi asked, peering over the edge of the blanket and through the sheet at the shadowy figure of Emmett.