Denton's Bride (Runaway Mail-Order Bride Book 1)

by Marie Higgins

  When Courtney looked back at Denton, he smiled at her with pride in his gaze. Once again, her heart skipped a beat. How could she not love this man? She only prayed that he felt the same way about her.

  Another thing she quickly prayed for was that when the sheriff arrived, that Denton could convince him not to arrest her. Hopefully, they’d be able to tell the man of the law what they knew so that the right people were put in jail.

  ELEVEN

  DENTON’S SHOULDER WOULD ache like the dickens, but he’d survive. It wasn’t the first time he’d been shot, and it wouldn’t be the last. However, what made this time so special was that he had someone to share it with. Courtney wouldn’t leave his side, even when the doctor removed the bullet, bandaged his arm, and they rode back to the hotel.

  Never before had Denton been with someone who’d cared that much about him when he was shot. Then again, he was always shot on the job, and because of his profession, he didn’t know many people.

  After the doctor left their hotel room, Courtney arranged for the hotel to bring them up some food. Now, she sat on the bed next to him, helping him eat. Every time he tried to lift his left arm, she’d playfully scold him and tell him to be still.

  After he took a couple of bites from his stew and swallowed, he smiled. “You know, Courtney, I am right-handed. I can eat by myself.”

  She cocked her head and gave him a teasing smile. “But you also lost a lot of blood, and Doctor Patrick did say to take things easy for the rest of the day.”

  “Yes, he said rest. He didn’t say, don’t move.”

  She chuckled and scooped up another spoonful of stew. “Well, Mr. Reed, you’re going to have to allow me to help you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I like it.” She slid the spoon inside his mouth.

  It pleased him that she enjoyed taking care of him. He chewed the stew and swallowed. “I’m sure the sheriff will be here anytime now.”

  She nodded. “There’s no use to try and hide. I’m sure Louise told him we’re together.”

  “I had wished the doctor wouldn’t have taken us back here. I wanted to explain things to the sheriff.”

  “I know, but I trust Mr. Tibbs and Mrs. Jackson will take care of things.”

  “They will, but the case still hasn’t been solved.”

  Courtney frowned. “What do you mean? Louise paid that man—”

  “Yes, she had paid him to kill me.”

  “But Louise mentioned that if he messed things up this time, she’d kill him personally.” She shrugged. “That made me think that she had paid the man to kill her father, too.”

  “That would be the logical way of thinking, however, Mr. Tibbs confessed to hearing what happened when Albert was killed.”

  Her eyes widened. “He did?”

  Denton’s heart wrench again, thinking about his friend. “It was Terrance.”

  She gasped and covered her hand over her mouth. “No,” she muttered, shaking her head.

  “First thing in the morning, I’ll be riding to Stumptown to arrest him.”

  “No, you won’t.” She gave him a stubborn expression. “We will ride to Stumptown.”

  He chuckled. “The sheriff might come with us.”

  “I don’t mind, just as long as he doesn’t try to arrest me.”

  “I won’t let him. I’ll shoot him myself if he tries.”

  Her shoulders relaxed, and she placed her hand on his chest. “Why are you so kind to me?”

  He shrugged. “Because I have a kind heart.”

  “Yes, you do, but... is that all?”

  Denton held his breath. What was she trying to get him to say? Confessing his feelings to her had been on the tip of his tongue since right after he was shot, but he didn’t dare. He knew he had been caught up in the moment of her trying to save his life. Yet, he couldn’t stop the erratic beat of his heart whenever he looked into her beautiful grayish-blue eyes. And, when she touched him as she was doing now, her touch burned through his skin into his blood and warmed his whole body.

  “Because I know,” he answered, “that you’re not guilty. I’ve always tracked down criminals, and you, my dear Miss Mills, are not a criminal.”

  She sighed and smiled, but the gesture didn’t reach her eyes. “No, I’m not a criminal.”

  Her gaze dropped to the bowl of stew as she scooped another spoonful. His emotions twisted, seeing the pain in her eyes. Oh, why was he so weak around her? If he told her his feelings now, he’d be vulnerable, and helpless men didn’t make good bounty hunters. Yet, he hated to see her this way. He hated the confusion filling him at this moment.

  “Courtney.” He touched her hand, stopping her from lifting the spoon to his mouth. “It’s actually more than that.”

  Her eyes widened in anticipation.

  “I like you, and...” Oh, good grief! He needed to rein in his emotions. “I’m kind to those I really like.”

  She laughed lightly. “I really like you, too.”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her the truth, but then someone knocked on the door, breaking the mood between them. Courtney left the bed and set the bowl and spoon on the table before opening the door.

  “Miss Mills.” Sheriff Smith doffed his cowboy hat and nodded. “I was told Mr. Reed is here.”

  She stepped back and motioned for him to enter. She pointed toward the bed. Denton waited for the sheriff to say something about Courtney being here, but the lawman didn’t. It relieved Denton to know that Mr. Tibbs and Mrs. Jackson must have talked to him and let him know what really happened.

  “Welcome, Sheriff,” Denton greeted. “I wondered when you’d drop by.”

  The tall man released a heavy breath and ran his fingers through his hair. “You left me a mess to clean up at the Greenwood estate.”

  Denton carefully rubbed his bandaged shoulder. “I would have done that, but I was injured.” He paused and then asked, “How is the scarred man who shot me?”

  “He won’t die, but he lost a lot of blood. Apparently, nobody wanted to tend to his wound as they tended to you.”

  “If you ask me,” Courtney said, moving to a chair near the bed and sitting, “the man didn’t deserve our help. He was out to kill Mr. Reed, and I don’t feel sorry for him at all.”

  Sheriff Smith looked at her. “I’m told you are the one who shot him.”

  “I am.” She straightened her shoulders. “And if he tries to kill Denton again, I’ll happily shoot the man again.”

  Denton grinned, and his love grew for this special lady.

  “I did as Mr. Tibbs and Mrs. Jackson requested. I kept Miss Louise handcuffed to the chair and went to check on the man you shot.” He shrugged. “You were right. He had a bag full of gold coins, and the bag was monogrammed with Miss Louise’s initials, and smelled of her perfume.”

  Courtney beamed. “That’s wonderful. I’m glad he still had the money on his person.”

  “The servants also told me that you witnessed the exchange between him and Miss Louise.”

  “I did.”

  His mouth tightened as he scratched his neck. “I’m having a hard time believing that you saw this.”

  “Why?” Denton snapped, anger filling him quickly.

  “Because you had run from a murder scene, which makes you look guilty.”

  Panic crossed Courtney’s expression, and her face paled slightly. “If you had been forced to marry someone so much older than you, and then ridiculed and hated by that person’s children, then you found that person dead... You would be smart enough to know that if you didn’t get out of there, you’d be arrested for a crime you didn’t commit.”

  Denton closed his mouth, realizing he couldn’t have said it any better. He studied the sheriff, and thankfully, the man appeared to be on Courtney’s side. Denton could only hope.

  “Sheriff,” Denton said, “I don’t know if Louise had anything to do with her father’s death, but according to Mr. Tibbs, he knows who the killer is.”<
br />
  The sheriff sighed again and scrubbed his face with the palms of his hands. “I cannot accept that it was Terrance.” He shook his head. “I’ve never known him to have a mean bone in his body.”

  Denton thought back over his memories with Terrance, and although a few times the man had become upset, it never escalated into anything violent. “It’s difficult for me to accept, as well. He is my good friend. But Mr. Tibbs saw Terrance enter Albert’s study, and they quarreled, Tibbs heard the thud of Albert’s body crumbling to the floor, and then Terrance leaving. And let’s not forget that Terrance threatened Tibbs that if he said anything, he’d ruin him – or worse.”

  “Yes. Tibbs is a respected man who was loyal to Albert Greenwood.”

  “Then I suggest,” Denton said, “we travel to Stumptown tomorrow and find him.”

  Sheriff Smith motioned to Denton’s bandaged arm. “Are you going to feel like riding that far?”

  “Terrance is my friend. I want to get the truth out of him. His father’s death needs to be solved soon.”

  The sheriff nodded. “Then, we’ll leave at sunrise.”

  TWELVE

  COURTNEY TRIED TO BE strong for Denton but riding astride on a horse wearing men’s trousers and a long overcoat to cover her curvy womanly figure was almost more than she could bear. Even the hat the sheriff made her wear – after pulling her long hair into a ponytail – had made her more uncomfortable. If not for the moisture gathering around her hairline, the only good purpose for this hat was to keep the sun off her face. Bonnets did the same thing, except she’d never nearly sweated to death while wearing one.

  Yet, that was the deal she’d made with Denton and the sheriff if she wanted to go along with them during the long journey. She clenched her teeth and didn’t complain. The truth was, she’d not been brought up to ride a horse astride or wear men’s clothes. Her parents would be fainting dead away if they saw her now – or they’d probably disown her.

  At long last, they arrived in Stumptown, population three-hundred, and twenty. Helena was much bigger than this town, yet she already liked the small-town feeling’s coziness. They rode toward the lake. As she spied the people on the streets, she realized she didn’t see many women. Perhaps this was another reason Denton and the sheriff made her dress in men’s clothes.

  She urged her horse closer to Denton. He looked at her and smiled.

  “What do you think of Stumptown?”

  “It’s an odd name, but I do like it. However...” She glanced around once more. “I don’t see many women.”

  The sheriff chuckled. “Not many live here. This is a logging town, and there isn’t much room for fashionable women. They don’t belong in places like this.”

  She scowled at the sheriff. “That’s ridiculous. Every town needs women.”

  “You’ll find a few, my dear Courtney.” Denton winked. “But very few.”

  Courtney didn’t know if she liked the sheriff’s attitude about women not belonging in a logging town. Men still had desires, and she was sure that some of them wanted families, too.

  The flash of a calico dress caught Courtney’s attention, and she swung her gaze toward the mercantile. A lovely woman, probably around the same age as Courtney, walked out, carrying a basket. Her belly was round with child. The woman had the prettiest dark brown hair Courtney had ever seen.

  The woman’s gaze briefly met Courtney’s, but then switched back to her wagon as she set her full basket on the seat. Suddenly, the woman’s gaze jumped back to Courtney as her eyes widened.

  Courtney held her breath. Her first thought was that the woman had noticed Courtney from the newspaper article, but then, she’d hoped that the newspaper hadn’t reached this far northwest.

  Slowly, a smile touched the woman’s face, and she raised a hand in greeting. Courtney gasped quietly. The woman must recognize another woman in town – even if she wasn’t dressed like one. Courtney waved back at the woman, relieved to be seen as a lady and not a man. She hoped men wouldn’t notice. Then again, only women noticed things like that.

  Courtney looked ahead and noticed Denton looking at her with an arched eyebrow.

  “A friend of yours?” he asked.

  “No.” She smiled. “The lady was just waving at visitors, I suppose.”

  He stared at her for a few moments, and his grin widened. “You should smile more.”

  “What an odd statement.” She gave him a suspicious look. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because your face brightens, and your eyes sparkle like gems.”

  Her cheeks heated, and she was sure her whole face was aflame with embarrassment. “You shouldn’t say such things out in public.”

  He laughed. “Why not? You’re absolutely adorable.”

  “Well, because I’m dressed like a man, and I don’t think you’d want anyone overhearing you talk that way to another man.”

  Denton’s laugh grew louder. “Point taken, my dear.”

  They didn’t talk again until they grew closer to the lake. Denton motioned his hand toward the large sawmill.

  “Let’s stop there. I know the owner. I’ll see if he has spoken with Terrance.”

  The sheriff looked at Denton and cocked his head. “Does your friend know Terrance?”

  “I don’t know, but Terrance is a hard man to miss. His height and deep auburn hair makes him unforgettable.”

  They brought their horses to a halt and dismounted. Denton turned to help Courtney down, but she held up her hand, stopping him.

  “I’m supposed to be a man, remember?” she whispered.

  Nodding, Denton chuckled and backed away. “Sheriff, keep an eye on her. I’ll be right back.”

  Once Denton walked up the wooden porch and into the building, Courtney slowly moved away from her horse. Her legs ached, and her bottom felt bruised. Oh, heavens... how was she going to get back home now? She almost hoped they didn’t find Terrance right away and that they would have to stay in Stumptown. The hotel they’d passed looked like a decent place to stay. And so far, the town was nice.

  For a moment, she pictured herself living here – with Denton as her husband, of course. They would have four or five children. She wanted more boys than girls, only because she wanted them to look just like their father.

  Sighing, she leaned against her horse. She really shouldn’t do this to herself. Although she’d tried to get Denton to tell her how he felt, all he could say was that he liked her. That didn’t tell her much at all.

  Courtney rubbed her forehead. Perhaps she would have to be the one to say it first. Then, maybe, just maybe, he would have the same feelings for her. A man couldn’t kiss as passionately as he had without having his heart involved.

  Or could he?

  THIRTEEN

  THE NOISE FROM THE saws in the back of the building was overwhelmingly loud. Denton was sure the saws weren’t going all the time. A person could become deaf from hearing that day after day.

  He walked from one aisle to the other but didn’t see his friend, Bryan Easton. The Easton family was probably the wealthiest in Stumptown, but only because the brothers’ grandfather owned many of the sawmills and the logging camp. Thankfully, the old man allowed his three grandsons to run things. Bryan was the oldest, then Joel, and Maverick was the youngest.

  The last time Denton had talked to Bryan, Maverick had married a lovely lady – who apparently was supposed to be Bryan’s mail-order bride. Denton chuckled. What an odd story that was. But Bryan admitted that he wasn’t ready for a wife and that Maverick and Hannah were perfect together.

  Finally, the saws in the back stopped running, and Denton listened for any sign of the workers. After a few moments, he called “Bryan Easton?”

  The floor squeaked as the shuffling of footsteps was heard from the back room, growing louder as they came closer. A tall man with sandy-brown hair held a box against his chest. Sawdust coated the man’s hair and mustache. His eyes widened, and he grinned.

  “Reed? Is t
hat you?”

  Denton smiled and walked toward his friend. Being a bounty hunter, he made sure to make friends in almost every town he visited. He and Bryan had been friends for four years. “Yes, it’s me.”

  Bryan set the box on the counter and moved toward Denton, brushing his hands along his saw-dusted covered clothes. When he reached Denton, the two men shook hands.

  “What in the blazes are you doing in Stumptown?”

  “I’m on a case.”

  Bryan rolled his eyes. “You never come out to just visit anymore.”

  Denton laughed heartily. “Maybe one day, I will. I’m actually thinking of finding a small town to settle down in soon.”

  Bryan motioned his hand toward the window. “Stumptown is small.”

  “You’re right. It is.”

  “And we could certainly use a man like you here.”

  Denton’s curiosity rose. “What would you have me doing?”

  “The town needs a good sheriff. The one we have now is... well, he’s old and decrepit.”

  Denton couldn’t believe how the idea rooted in his mind and expanded in his chest with enthusiasm. “Let me think about it. But, for now, I’m trying to find someone. His name is Terrance Greenwood, and I was told he was coming here to meet with someone about buying a fishing boat. He’s tall with red hair.”

  “A fishing boat, eh?” Bryan scratched behind his ear, and then must have realized he had sawdust in his hair, so he quickly brushed it off.

  Denton pointed to his upper lip, hoping his friend would know what he was saying. Laughing, Bryan brushed the sawdust off his mustache.

  “What can I say? It comes with my job.”

  Denton nodded. “I don’t mind at all.”

  “So, Mr. Greenwood came to talk to someone about a fishing boat? That would probably be Alan Cartwright. He owns a boat shop.”

  “And where can I find him?”

  Bryan walked to the window, and Denton followed. “Do you see that gray building?”