Suddenly, her gaze connected with a man sitting by himself at a corner table. When recognition struck, she wanted to look away, but his charming smile and green eyes captivated her from across the room. She quickly gave him a polite nod before quickly resting her gaze back on her table, which was where it should have been this whole time.
Her heartbeat quickened, and she hoped she hadn’t given him the wrong impression. This was not the time to become friendly with a man – or anyone, for that matter.
Time seemed to tick by slowly as she waited for her food. Her nerves were on edge, and she tapped her foot against the table leg. It was difficult to relax now, and her mind spun with things she’d say if he came over. It was too late to tell him she didn’t speak English, especially since they talked inside the store. And he probably heard she was a widow, especially since the woman who’d been talking to her had a loud voice.
Finally, her food arrived, and she breathed a sigh of relief that the man hadn’t come over to talk. She hadn’t looked his way and didn’t plan to, but she hoped he had already left by now.
She found herself rushing through her meal, even if she didn’t want to. All she could think about was hurrying up to her room and locking herself inside until it was time to check the telegraph office. Even at that time, she considered dressing as a boy so as not to be noticed.
Once she was finished with her meal, she left money on the table and quickly stood. Keeping her gaze to the floor, she hurried out of the dining area and toward the stairs. As she passed through the lobby, she heard one of the hotel clerks calling a familiar name. She stopped and froze. She held her breath as she listened for the name again, not sure if she had heard correctly.
“Mr. Graham.”
She gasped and placed her hand to her mouth. What were the odds that the boy was calling her soon-to-be husband? No, that couldn’t be correct. There must be more than one person with that surname.
Cautiously, she glanced around the room until she saw the adolescent boy holding up a chalkboard with Mr. Graham’s name written across. The boy called out again, and immediately, that man walked out of the dining area and stopped the boy.
Oh, heavens! It was the green-eyed man with the charming dimple.
She couldn’t catch her breath, but she watched closely and listened to him talk to the boy.
“I’m Mr. Graham,” the man said, pointing to the chalkboard sign.
“Oh, you have a telegram.”
The man gave the boy a coin before he took the telegram and opened it. Courtney didn’t move as she watched his gaze wander over the page. Finally, he sighed and folded the page. A pleasant smile touched his mouth, and her heart leaped.
She needed to find out if that man was indeed, Timothy Graham – or related somehow. The quicker she could get out of this town, the better.
So then why didn’t her feet move to take her toward that man?
Once again, her nerves began to quake, and her stomach churned with indecision. This was it. She needed to decide about her future now. If she didn’t make herself known to him and present herself as the mail-order-bride, she would be on the run for a long time, always wondering if the sheriff of Helena had somehow found proof that made them think she was Albert’s killer. Although she knew there wasn’t any proof, since she was innocent, that didn’t mean they wouldn’t still point fingers at her.
Yet... if Courtney walked across the floor and introduced herself – and if he was really Timothy Graham – she would convince him that she would make a wonderful wife and mother to his children. Once she did that, all of her problems would be taken care of.
She took a deep breath for courage and walked toward him, keeping her eye on the target now. When he noticed her, his eyes widened, and his bright smile returned.
“We meet again,” he said, moving toward her.
“Yes.” They both came to a stop together. “I suppose we are destined to be introduced.”
He chuckled lightly. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.” He held out his right hand. “I’m Mr. Graham.”
“Are you Mr. Timothy Graham?”
“Tim? Oh, no. That’s my older brother. I’m Denton Graham.” The man grinned.
Disappointment filled her chest that he wasn’t Timothy, but at least she knew he was related and would soon be her brother-in-law.
Putting on her best smile, she slipped her hand into his. “I’m Miss—” she quickly stopped herself before saying Mills, “Parker. I am the woman who answered your brother’s ad for a mail-order bride.”
He blinked in shock. “You are Courtney Parker?”
“Your brother mentioned me?” She pulled her hand away, especially when the warmth from his palm had begun to spread up her arm, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
“He did.” He held up the telegram. “In fact, he just sent this to me in hope of me finding you and bringing you back with me when I return to Oregon.”
She gasped in surprise. “I cannot believe my luck. I only sent your brother a telegram last evening.”
He nodded. “As you mentioned before, we were destined to be introduced.”
It eased her mind that this man was so kind and willing to assist his brother. If Timothy were half as kind and charming, she’d consider herself lucky to be his wife. “May I ask what you’re doing in town if you live in Oregon?”
“I’m actually in town to meet a man about obtaining more property for my business. In fact...” He offered his arm. “If you would like to take a stroll with me outside, I’d love to tell you all about it.”
Her heartbeat flipped crazily, and when she hooked her hand around his elbow, her pulse increased. It appeared their friendship was getting off to a great start. After all, if he approved of her marrying his older brother, then Timothy would have to accept her, too.
FOUR
DENTON’S PLAN WAS WORKING out splendidly. Or, he should say, Clark’s plan was working out. During Denton’s visit with his cousin last night, Clark had a brilliant idea – for Denton to pretend to be the prospective groom’s brother. Clark gave Denton examples of what he could do, which was why he’d paid the hotel boy to call out his name in the lobby at that exact time Courtney Mills would hear it. So far, things were going perfectly.
He wasn’t surprised to see Courtney Mills presenting herself as a widow. After all, she would have been one if she’d married Albert Greenwood. Yet, what surprised Denton was that she was so lovely. She had the most mesmerizing eyes he’d ever seen – gray with a touch of blue. Her skin looked so smooth, and her heart-shaped lips practically begged to have a man kiss her passionately. From what he’d learned from her parents, Courtney Mills was a pure woman. They had made sure she was untouched before she married.
Because she was innocent in that regard, he wouldn’t be the man to show her lips what a passionate kiss was all about. Besides, he couldn’t allow her beauty to sway him from his goal. He was here to question her about Mr. Greenwood, discreetly, of course, and try to figure out if she really had murdered her fiancé. Eventually, he’d tell her who he really was, but for now, it was best that she thought of him as her soon-to-be brother-in-law.
As he walked her outside, he stood a little taller and prouder. Not often did he get to escort such a pretty lady down the street.
“Tell me about your business, Mr. Graham,” she said sweetly.
“Timothy and I set up livery stables. We travel from town to town, looking for places in desperate need of these stables. Once we find a location, we scout out the nearby horse ranches to purchase the animals who will be housed in the liveries.”
“How very interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of men in your profession.”
“There aren’t many, and I hope to keep it that way. After starting my first livery, I had gotten the idea and then traveled to see family in other states, only to realize the need for more businesses like mine. Timothy was happy to help me.”
Although it was a complete lie, it wasn�
��t farfetched. This had been Denton’s dream since he was a young man. But when working with the law had become his career, he put his dreams aside. He still hoped that one of these days, he could make his dreams a reality.
“And the man you’re meeting is someone who will run the livery for you?” she asked.
“Actually, the man I will meet will sell me some horses. I’ve already gotten everything else in the works.”
Her expression showed signs of panic. Her skin even lost a little color.
“How long do you plan on staying in town, Mr. Graham?”
Now he knew why she acted this way. She wanted to get out of town as fast as she could. Well, he had other plans, and he hoped she would have the patience to stay with him throughout the process. After all, he needed time to work up to the questions about the murder. He didn’t want to scare her away, either. Now that he found her, he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight.
If he could help it, anyway.
“I have arranged to meet Clark Turner tomorrow afternoon. In fact, if you’d like to join me, I’ll be happy to have you.” This wasn’t a lie. Denton’s cousin had already made arrangements with his employer, Dallas Remington, for Denton to come to the ranch as a prospective buyer.
Her eyes widened. “For your meeting?”
“Yes. I’ll be riding out to Blue Creek Ranch.” He pointed in the direction. “It’s not far from here, and it’s a pleasant drive.” He patted her hand, still resting on his arm. “You can visit with Clark Turner’s wife, Pearl.”
“Well, um... I suppose. If you don’t mind me coming.”
“Not at all. Having your company will make the journey more pleasurable.”
Her cheeks grew red, and she smiled shyly. “Then, I shall join you, Mr. Graham.”
“Wonderful, but I must insist that you call me by my given name, Denton.”
“Then I will, Denton. And you must call me Courtney.”
He smiled, relieved she believed his story so far. In his line of work, telling the truth was difficult to do, even though sometimes he wished he didn’t have to deceive so many people.
“What a lovely name for a lovely woman.”
Her cheeks flamed red again. He thought it looked adorable. Of course, he should really deter his thoughts away from how pretty she was. He couldn’t allow that to distract him. He had a role to play, just as she did. With any luck, he’d get answers from her soon.
Within the next few days, he’d either catch a murderer or rule her out. Deep down inside, he hoped he would be able to rule her out. He wouldn’t mind getting to know the real Courtney Mills a little better.
COURTNEY TRIED HARD not to stare at the incredibly handsome man next to her, but she found it nearly impossible. Denton was so confident, and the way he spoke and carried himself let her know he was a true gentleman. She tried to imagine what his older brother would look like. She wondered if Timothy would have silver streaks in his dark hair by now, but Denton’s thick head of hair didn’t show any signs of aging. The man’s body was robust, and she hoped Timothy was built the same way.
She had realized that by getting to know Denton, she could get to know Timothy better. Perhaps meeting the brother first was the perfect way to start this relationship.
“Denton, tell me about Timothy’s children.”
He turned them down another street, but this one wasn’t as busy. He didn’t want people to recognize him, not that they would, but he needed to be cautious. He glanced her way. “What have you heard?”
She shrugged. “The preacher that had helped me sign up to be a mail-order bride just mentioned that the prospective grooms had children. I suspect Timothy has children, which is why he’s looking for a wife.”
Denton nodded. “He has two little girls with black curly hair.”
She smiled, already preparing for her role as their mother. “How old are they?”
“Five and three,” he answered quickly, thinking of his nieces from his only sister.
“What are their names?”
“Joanna and Emily.”
“I bet they are adorable.”
His heart swelled with pride as an image of their faces popped into his head. “They are.” He hoped when he finally settled down to start a family, he would have girls who looked like Joanna and Emily. He wouldn’t mind a few boys, too.
“How long has their mother been dead?” Courtney blinked with quizzical eyes.
Denton didn’t dare tell her anymore, only because the lie was getting deeper and deeper. The more he lied, the more he’d have to remember what he’d told her so that she wouldn’t suspect him of leading her astray.
“Well, it’s hard to say,” he began, but a split second later, a man ran into Courtney, knocking her to the ground. Denton stumbled himself since she had been holding his arm, but he kept upright. The man held a bulky leather bag against his chest. Covering the lower half of his face was a bandana.
Denton glanced toward the building the man was running from, just in time to see another man coming toward them, clutching a leather bag and wearing a matching bandana over the lower half of his face, too. Denton didn’t need to ask questions. He’d been catching criminals for too long not to know what was happening.
Immediately, he fisted his hand and punched the man in the face who had knocked Courtney to the ground. As the man grabbed his bloody nose, he dropped the leather bag. When it hit the ground, coins spilled out of it. Courtney gasped loudly, but Denton didn’t have time to see if she was all right. He quickly pulled out his pistol and pointed it toward the second man, who came to a sudden stop as his face lost color.
The man staring at him with angry eyes fumbled with his pistol, but because he was trying not to lose his money bag, the man was clumsy in his efforts. Using the toe of his boot, Denton kicked the gun out of the man’s hand. When it fell beside Courtney, she released a little cry.
“Pick up the gun,” Denton told her, “and point it at the man next to you.”
She lifted the gun with shaky hands and pointed it toward the first bank robber, still holding his nose as blood gushed over his fingers. Her arms shook, and Denton knew if it came down to her, she wouldn’t be able to shoot anyone in that frightened state.
Taking great caution, Denton reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. “Drop the bag,” he told the man, “and assume the position. I’m sure you’ve been arrested before, so you will know that you can’t outrun me.”
The man’s glare darkened, and he hesitated to do as Denton asked. He would have problems with this one, he was sure. “I mean it,” he warned.
Immediately, the second man threw the money bag at Denton, but he was prepared and didn’t try to catch it. Instead, he kept the gun pointing at him. At that moment, the bank robber took his first step away from Denton, but he was prepared again and so jumped on the man, knocking him to the ground. He yanked the robber’s hands behind him and slapped the iron cuffs on.
As soon as he was satisfied that the robber wasn’t going anywhere, he quickly jumped up and moved to the first man, still howling over his broken nose. Denton quickly yanked the bandana off the man’s face and used that to tie his wrists together before rolling him next to his friend. By this time, a few people had gathered, especially those who were from the bank. Denton rested his gaze on the middle-aged man with white hair, wearing a crisp, clean suit of someone who works at the bank.
“Have someone fetch the sheriff,” Denton told the man, who then turned to a younger man and pointed toward the middle of town. Once the younger man took off running, the middle-aged man and two others started collecting the money spilled out of the bags.
Finally, knowing that everything was taken care of, he turned to Courtney. Two women had helped her to her feet, but Courtney’s white face told of her scare. Her gaze darted around at the people but mostly stayed on Denton. She held her folded arms against her trembling body.
Denton knew she’d ask about what had just hap
pened... about what he’d done with the robbers. After all, most men don’t carry a pistol around, and they especially didn’t carry around handcuffs.
Inwardly, he groaned. It appeared that the truth would come out sooner than he’d wanted.
FIVE
AS THE SHOCK OF THE upheaval slowly wore off, Courtney’s mind began to work properly, taking her thoughts momentarily off her bruised rump. She pieced together everything that had happened – everything that Denton had done – and she still couldn’t believe it all. Had she really seen him hit the man in the face and break his nose? And could she have imagined him taking control over the second bank robber? Where had the handcuffs come from, and why was Denton carrying them in the first place?
Although she wanted to admire him for being a hero, things were not adding up. If Denton’s occupation was to set up livery stables, he might carry around a pistol. However, livery stable owners did not carry handcuffs. Only men who worked for the law carried handcuffs. Which meant...
Her heart sank as her chest tightened. Meeting Denton had not been an accident. In fact, she was willing to bet he wasn’t even related to Timothy Graham. Was Denton a sheriff or a deputy? Or... a bounty hunter?
Courtney realized that meeting Denton had been too coincidental. She’d been so gullible to believe him. Yet, she’d been desperate to find her groom and get married quickly just to leave this state. It was her fault for trusting so easily.
The pounding of horse’s hooves on the road caught her off-guard, and she jumped. Riding toward them was a man wearing a silver star on his leather vest. Slowly, Denton moved toward the man on the horse. Her mind screamed that this was her chance to run.
Taking cautious steps, she backed away from the crowd. Her heartbeat hammered against her ribs, and her mind told her now was the time to run as fast as she could.
She lifted the bottom of her dress and darted toward the busy street up ahead. These ladies’ boots wouldn’t allow her much speed, which meant she must find someplace to hide before Denton discovered her gone.
Denton's Bride (Runaway Mail-Order Bride Book 1) Page 3
