Victoria Bylin – The Bounty Hunter's Bride (страница 12)

“And raspberry pie. I’d given Lucy the recipe.”

Dani bit her lip to fight the dread.

Adie laced her fingers together. “I’ll never forget that last night on the porch. Lucy had been gone a month when Beau said he was leaving town. As cold as death, he said, ‘I’m going to hunt down Clay Johnson and kill him.’”

“I believed him,” said the Reverend.

“I still do,” Adie replied.

Dani shivered. “That’s why he’s been so protective, isn’t it? Clay Johnson…is he in the area?”

“Beau thinks so,” Adie said.

Fear, danger and dirt. Beau Morgan had brought all three into the lives of three little girls. Dani’s heart broke for his loss, but she feared for Patrick’s daughters. She turned to Adie. “I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything.”

“Could the girls and I stay with you a few days?”

Adie tilted her head. “Are you still afraid of Beau?”

“No,” Dani replied. “But I am afraid of Clay Johnson. What if he comes to the farm?”

Adie looked at Josh. “Dani has a point.”

“I’ll speak to Beau,” said Reverend Blue. “He’ll know best.”

Dani thought of the ride through town. Surely Beau would want to keep them safe. “Thank you.”

Adie touched her shoulder. “You must be exhausted. Would you like to rest a bit?”

Dani shook her head. “If I close my eyes, I’ll see Patrick.”

“A walk might be nice,” Adie said kindly.

“I think I will. Is the church open?”

“Always,” said the Reverend.

As she pushed to her feet, Dani looked at the tin steeple. The sun had dropped in the sky, turning it from silver to gray. The edges no longer seemed so sharp. Maybe she’d go inside. Maybe she wouldn’t. Mostly she wanted to cry and she wanted to do it alone. She looked across the yard and saw the girls. They seemed content, but in the distance she saw the stirring of dust from a wagon and recognized Beau Morgan holding the reins. He had her future in his hands, as well. She had to convince him she could handle the girls and the farm. That would be hard to do if they stayed with the Blues, but neither did she like the idea of an outlaw stalking them.

Patrick? Are you watching? What should I do?

Silence.

With her heart aching, Dani headed for the cemetery.

Beau steered the wagon into the yard and stopped. The chairs on the porch sent him back in time to Denver, where Josh and Adie had lived in a Mansion named Swan’s Nest. Beau and another deputy had taken to visiting on Wednesday nights. During the third visit, Josh had opened his Bible and read scriptures from Proverbs, the funny ones about fools and carping women. Their little group had turned into the Wednesday Ruckus, a men’s Bible study that didn’t mince words. That’s how Beau got roped into church on Sunday…How he’d met Lucy.

As he climbed down from the seat, he saw Josh come out of the parsonage. The man looked harder than ever. Rail thin and tall, he resembled a chimney pipe. Beau wasn’t in the mood for Josh’s kind of fire, but he was glad to see his old friend.

“Hello, Reverend.”

“Reverend?” The preacher faked a scowl. “You used to call me Josh.”

Beau offered his hand to shake, but Josh pulled him into a bear hug and thumped him hard between the shoulder blades. Beau pounded back. In Denver he’d enjoyed having friends, men who’d told jokes when times were bright and stayed quiet when they weren’t. He missed them. He missed a lot of things. He stepped back. “It’s been a long time.”

“Five years, friend.” Josh’s eyes burned like coal. “Where in the world have you been?”

“I think you know.”

“Only what you told Adie.” Josh put his hands on his hips, pulling back the flaps of his coat. “You and I need to talk.”

“No, we don’t.” Beau’s voice dropped to a growl. He didn’t want to hear about forgiving his enemies. He wanted an eye for an eye. He wanted Clay Johnson to swing from a rope.

Josh aimed his chin at the girls. “You have three children in your care.”

“I know that.”

“And Miss Baxter, too.”

“Only because she’s too stubborn to go home.” Beau looked at the red curtains in the window. He half expected to see Miss Baxter spying on him, but the gingham hung straight. “Where is she?”

“Taking a walk. I’m sorry about Patrick.”

“Me, too,” Beau said. “Those girls are suffering.”

“So’s Miss Baxter.”

Beau didn’t need to be reminded of the woman’s tears. He’d been the one to deliver the bad news. He’d felt the same pain when Lucy died. “I know all about it.”

“Yes, you do.”

Beau appreciated Josh’s plain tone. He hated pity, but he hated Clay Johnson even more. A bitter rage burned in Beau’s soul. “Johnson’s close, Josh. I can smell him.”

“Is he a threat?”

“I don’t know.”

Beau told Josh about the trinkets Johnson had left him, the taunting letters. “I don’t know what he’ll do next. He could run, or he could turn the tables and come after me.”

Josh folded his arms again. “You know what I’m going to say.”

“I don’t want to hear it.” Beau thought back to Lucy’s funeral. To Josh’s credit, he hadn’t said a word about forgiveness. He’d saved that speech for the day Beau rode out of Denver.

Bitterness will eat you alive, my friend. Vengeance belongs to the Lord.

Fine, but Beau wanted to be the man to put the noose around Johnson’s neck. As soon as he took care of his nieces, he’d get back to the business of revenge. As for the bothersome Baxter woman, she’d be better off in Wisconsin with her family.

Josh’s expression stayed hard. “Adie tells me you scared the daylights out of Miss Baxter. That was a fool thing to do.”

Beau grunted. “She’s as green as grass.”

“Not from what I can see.”

“Then you haven’t seen much.”

“I’ve seen plenty.” Josh looked Beau up and down. “Looks like you found time for a bath.”

Beau wished he’d worn his duster over his new clothes. The blue shirt made him feel like a dandy, and so did the brown leather vest. The gun belt still hugged his hip, but he’d slicked back his hair and his jaw had a shine. Beau scowled. “Adie shamed me into it.”

“Adie’s wise.”

She was also a good cook. Beau smelled supper on the stove. His mouth watered, but he refused to be hungry.

Josh eyed him thoughtfully. “Thanks to your bad manners, Miss Baxter wants to stay here with the girls.”

Beau toyed with the idea but rejected it. “The woman can do whatever she wants, but I want the girls on the farm.”

“Is it safe?” Josh asked.

“As safe as I can make it.” His nieces shared his name. Beau wanted them where he could see them. He didn’t expect Johnson to ride into town, but the outlaw had a sick mind.

“Can I give you some advice?” Josh asked.

“Can I stop you?”

“No, so here it is. The girls think of Miss Baxter as their new mother. They think of you as an intruder. They trust her. No matter what you decide, things will be easier if she’s on your side.”