“Before we do,” Chet stopped her by touching her arm, “I have to tell you something.” His chest lifted and fell in what appeared to be a heavy breath. “I fear I must apologize for my actions today, and especially for hurting you. Your confession was quite startling, and my first reaction was the one I’ve used for so long as a bounty hunter.”
She nodded slowly. “Do you mean you always make people feel like criminals even though they are not?” Her voice tightened, so she cleared her throat.
His frown deepened. “Yes, that’s the one. You see, I don’t understand this particular case because after I got to know you a little more, I realized you couldn’t possibly be the bad person who had taken the mayor’s daughter.” His hand lifted and softly stroked her hair. “Not when you are so kind to strangers and... you sing like an angel.”
It was difficult to hear words like that from a man, mainly because those at the orphanage had told her the opposite. However, Chet’s expression was sincere and genuine, which made her heart melt. Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked in an effort to keep them from running down her face. She’d cried enough for one day.
She gave him a smile, although it was shaky. “I’ll forgive you on one condition.”
“Name it.” He took hold of her hands.
“That you will help me find Gracie’s family after you discover who really kidnapped the mayor’s daughter.”
“There’s nothing I want more.” His gaze locked with hers as his thumbs moved softly over her knuckles. “Actually, I must retract my statement. There is one more thing I want more.”
In one quick movement, he bent his head and kissed her on the lips. She gasped in surprise, but then her heart took over, relaxing her body until she leaned against him. He released her hands and circled his arms around her waist while she slid her palms up his strong chest, loving his masculine frame.
The kiss wasn’t as passionate as it had been earlier when they were at the tree, but through the way his mouth moved over hers so gently and meaningfully, she could feel his sorrow for upsetting her. Knowing that he was truly sorry made her kiss him with more emotion and press herself against him tighter.
He was the one to break the kiss, which disappointed her, but when she noticed the gleam in his eyes and the grin on his lips, she sighed with satisfaction. He caressed her cheek.
“My darling Amelia, as much as I want to continue this passionate moment, the stable is probably not the right place for it, especially when anyone can walk by and see.”
Inwardly, she scolded herself. Why hadn’t she realized that? “You’re correct, of course.” She stepped back and smoothed her hands down her dress. “We should get back inside.”
“Yes.”
He offered his arm to her, and she happily hooked her hand around his elbow. As he escorted her out of the stable, she couldn’t stop the fluttering of happiness growing in her chest. Since the first day she’d stepped foot inside that horrible orphanage, she hadn’t dared hope for happiness to return to her life. But now she couldn’t stop the feeling from expanding inside her.
As they stepped closer to the hotel, she glanced up the street. Soon, she’d venture out and find her grandparents – if they were still alive, anyway. She prayed she’d be the one to bring her family together.
Three young ladies walked out of the Millinery shop across the street from the hotel. The lovely woman with dark auburn hair and fair skin immediately looked at Chet. Her eyes widened and her steps faltered, bringing her to a sudden stop. She gasped loudly as her mouth hung agape.
“Chet Logan?”
Chet stopped and peered toward the woman. Amelia noticed the signs of recognition in his expression. It didn’t take long before his cheeks darkened with color and his body stiffened. She wasn’t sure she liked his reaction to this other woman. The two most definitely had shared a past, and Amelia found herself hoping that the woman didn’t want to be part of his future, too.
CHET BLINKED HIS EYES, but the vision of Dinah Mullins wouldn’t disappear. The woman he’d told over two years ago that he would marry, was actually staring at him from across the street. A mixture of sadness and anger flittered across her expression.
Silently, he groaned, recalling the moment he’d told her goodbye when he left Astoria after their brief summer romance. He’d been to Astoria to drop off a criminal and had decided to stay a few weeks since there was no pressing assignment keeping him from leaving. That’s when he met Dinah. She was lovely and cheerful, and he enjoyed himself in her company. However, he’d never really felt like he was in love with her... but he could see she was in love with him. He’d always hated to see women cry and so when he’d told her he was leaving and she started crying, he lied and told her that he’d come back and marry her.
Guilt sat heavily in his heart, and now he realized he should have never lied to Dinah. But now, he needed to set things straight, even if it had been two years. Hopefully, she was already married and living a happy life.
He forced a smile. “Miss Mullins?”
She said something to her friends before leaving them and coming toward Chet and Amelia. Thankfully, Amelia’s hand was still holding his arm, but her fingers had tightened. He’d explain things to her, but unfortunately, this was not the time.
“Chet Logan, as I live and breathe...” Dinah shook her head, stopping in front of him. She glanced at Amelia and arched an eyebrow before putting her attention back on Chet. “I honestly never thought I’d see you again.”
He chuckled and shrugged. “My job has me hopping all over the countryside. I’m never in one place for very long.”
Dinah looked at Amelia again. “Obviously, you’ve been here long enough to be escorting a woman, though.”
“Oh, forgive me. Miss Mullins, this is Mrs. Florence. She and her family are from southern Idaho. I was helping bring them to Oregon.”
Dinah nodded. “Is it Mrs. Florence?”
Amelia’s neck jumped as if she swallowed hard. “I’m widowed.”
“Oh, well... it’s nice to meet you,” Dinah answered quickly.
“Amelia,” he said tenderly, looking at her tight expression, “Miss Mullins is from Astoria. I had met her there a couple of years ago.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet one of Chet’s friends.” Amelia’s voice was sweet, just as it always is.
“Actually,” Dinah squared her shoulders, “I’m Chet’s fiancée... or at least I was when he left Astoria two years ago.”
Chet gritted his teeth. Why did she have to say that? Apparently, she still wasn’t over him. Now he would have to let her down gently – and hope that Amelia would forgive him again. If he messed up any more with that wonderful woman, he doubted she would forgive him again.
“Fiancée?” Amelia looked up at him with wide eyes. “Then I suppose I should offer my congratulations to you both.”
He wanted to tell her the truth, but he didn’t want to embarrass Dinah, either. His mind swam with ways to get out of this mess, and unless there was an earthquake right now, he really didn’t see that happening.
“Mommy!”
Gracie’s sweet voice snapped him out of his thoughts as he focused on the little girl running up to Amelia and tugging on her skirt. Amelia withdrew her hand from Chet’s arm and reached down and picked up Gracie.
“You’re awake,” Amelia said, smiling at the girl.
“Yes. Uncle Theo went to go look for your brother.”
“What?” Chet hitched a breath, directing his focus to Gracie. “Bobby is gone?”
Gracie nodded. “Uncle Theo was mad that Bobby got away.”
Chet grumbled under his breath. He really couldn’t trust anyone else to do his job. “Which way did Uncle Theo go?”
Gracie pointed up the street.
He touched Amelia’s arm. “I’ll go find them. I’ll be back.”
When she nodded, her gaze didn’t meet his. His heart wrenched. He would definitely have to do some serious charming and sweet-talking to
get her to believe he wasn’t in love with Dinah. That would come later because Bobby was more important.
“Miss Mullins,” he said quickly, “I hope you don’t mind, but I need to go.” He didn’t wait for her to answer but ran in the direction Gracie had indicated.
There was no way Chet could have a thief on the loose now that they were in a new town. That would definitely make the residents judgmental against Amelia.
ELEVEN
If Amelia wasn’t humiliated enough when Miss Mullins blurted out her engagement news, now Amelia was left standing with the woman while Chet ran after Bobby. Amelia didn’t know which one she was more upset over – that her brother was running from the law again or that Chet was running from her.
She and Miss Mullins traded uncomfortable glances. Would it be rude to excuse herself and return to the hotel? She really didn’t want to be chatty with one of Chet’s heartbreaks, especially because Amelia wondered if she would be the next woman left with a broken heart.
“You have a lovely daughter,” Miss Mullins said, nodding to Gracie.
“Uh, thank you.” Amelia’s mind swirled. Chet thought Gracie was the mayor of Astoria’s daughter. Miss Mullins was from Astoria. If Gracie was really the girl kidnapped, she would have been three when living with her family. Would Miss Mullins recognize the little girl at all?
“How long have you lived in Astoria?” Amelia asked.
Miss Mullins’ smile appeared strained. “All of my life. My aunt was taking care of me, but I’ve been on my own here in Spruce Hill for almost two years now.”
“My daughter and I were in Astoria a few years ago, but only briefly. We visited with the mayor.” Although it was a lie, Amelia needed to know how close Miss Mullins was with the mayor.
“Mayor Tidwell?”
Chet had mentioned the man’s name once. “Yes.”
“He’s a nice man, and most of the town thought he was a good mayor.” Miss Mullins glanced at Gracie. “In fact, he has a daughter about the same age as your little girl. I bet Georgia kept your daughter entertained during your stay. She’s an energetic one, don’t you think?”
“Indeed, I do.” Amelia waited for the woman to point out the resemblances between Gracie and Georgia, but she didn’t say anything. That eased Amelia’s mind slightly.
“You do look familiar to me.” Miss Mullins cocked her head, narrowing her gaze on Amelia. “I’m sure I must have seen you with the mayor’s family.”
Amelia didn’t dare laugh, especially since she’d never set foot in that town. “Gracie and I were only there for about a week.”
The more Miss Mullins peered at Amelia, the more uncomfortable she became. She didn’t want the woman to strain her memory over something that had never happened.
“Well, I’d better get Gracie back inside since she doesn’t have her cloak. It was nice meeting you.”
“Before you go,” Miss Mullins stepped in front of Amelia, stopping her, “I just need to know how close you and Chet are.”
It was on the tip of Amelia’s tongue to tell the nosy woman it was none of her business, but it wasn’t in Amelia’s nature to be rude, either. “There’s nothing to tell,” she answered in a steady voice. “My uncle and I needed help during our journey from Idaho to Spruce Hill, so we asked Chet to go along with us. My uncle is deaf, and he wouldn’t be able to hear if we were getting attacked.”
The woman folded her arms and nodded slowly. “I understand that completely, however, that doesn’t explain why you had your hand hooked to his arm so cozily, and why when he looks at you, his expression softens.”
Amelia’s throat turned dry and she swallowed hard. “I believe, Miss Mullins, that you are reading too much into this. Chet and I are just friends.”
“Well, it’s a good thing.” The woman shrugged. “Chet has a habit of leaving women stranded after he makes promises. I’d hate to see you one of those people.”
“If you think that way about him,” Amelia wondered, “then why are you still engaged?”
Miss Mullins chuckled sadly. “Actually, I’d only said that to make him uncomfortable, and to make you aware of what kind of man he really is.” She sighed. “The truth is, I’ve put him out of my mind, and I don’t care what he does. I’ve matured quite a bit since he hurt me, and even if he wanted to fulfill his two-year promise, I would reject the offer.”
“Then I’m sure you’re the better person because of it.” Amelia tried to smile, even if her heart was breaking. “Perhaps he just hasn’t found the right woman yet.”
“I don’t believe there is a right woman for Chet Logan. He loves being a bounty hunter too much to settle down.”
“Yes, well...” She looked in Gracie’s eyes. The girl was obviously bored with the conversation. “But I need to get my daughter inside. The air has turned chilly.”
“It was nice to meet you,” Miss Mullins said. “I hope you’ll be staying in Spruce Hill.”
Amelia looked at her and nodded. “Thank you. It was nice to meet you, too.”
As she headed toward the hotel, her eyes burned with unshed tears. She needed to stop this insanity. He hadn’t offered marriage to her, nor had he confessed his love. And yet, the first man to ever kiss her would be difficult to remove from her memory, especially her heart.
After she and Gracie returned to their room and the door was closed, Amelia sat on the bed. She struggled to smile, but she must do so for Gracie’s sake.
“Come here and talk to me.” Amelia patted the bed.
Gracie turned away from the window and joined her. “I wanna eat. I’m hungry.”
“I know, sweetie, but we’ll eat when Uncle Theo comes back.”
“What about Bobby and Chet?”
“Yes, when they get back, we can eat, but right now, I want to talk about your mother and father.”
Gracie’s smile disappeared. “But you’re my mother.”
“Yes, I am, but it’s not legal yet. Before we do that, we need to know more about your family when they were alive.”
Gracie nodded.
“Tell me what you remember about your mother?”
Gracie crossed her legs and leaned back on her palms as she stared at the ceiling. Amelia prayed she wasn’t putting too much pressure on the little girl to remember her family. Amelia just wanted to know that she hadn’t taken her from Mayor Tidwell. Then again, she still could have taken her from a loving family.
“Mommy was at school.”
“Do you mean the boarding school where I first talked to you?”
Gracie nodded.
“Did your mother clean the school?”
“Yes.”
“What about your father?” Amelia wondered.
Gracie shrugged.
“Don’t you remember him?”
“My mother told me that my father was far away and that I would never see him.”
A niggle of relief swept over Amelia. That couldn’t have been the mayor. “Do... you wish your mother was still alive?”
Gracie frowned and glanced out the window. Amelia’s insides twisted with guilt. Gracie’s mother wasn’t dead at all, she just knew it. Oh, why had she believed the Stones had been honest in their dealings?
“I miss Mommy.” Gracie sighed. “But she couldn’t spend much time with me.” Her gaze reverted to Amelia. “You spend more time with me than Mommy did, and you don’t yell at me, and you don’t beat my bottom with a switch.”
Amelia teared up. Perhaps Gracie didn’t want to go back to her mother. But the honest thing to do would be to find Gracie’s mother and ask if she still wanted to be a mother to the adorable little girl. Was it selfish of Amelia to hope the mother didn’t want her own daughter? Amelia wasn’t sure how she could live without Gracie.
Amelia gathered the girl against her bosom and hugged her. “I like being your Mommy.”
“Me, too.”
Taking a deep breath, she wiped the wetness out of her eyes and stood. “Let’s go downstairs and see if Mrs. Po
rtly has any food to give her tenants. I’m hungry, too.”
The two of them walked out of the room holding hands. Amelia wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to play the part of Gracie’s mother, but she was going to make every second count since she knew that she’d have to find employment in Spruce Hill soon and wouldn’t have a lot of time with the girl.
As they walked into the lobby, the front door opened and in walked Bobby, and Uncle Theo, followed by Chet... and remarkably enough, they all looked happy. She thought for sure Bobby would be in handcuffs and sporting a black eye.
Bobby rushed to her, lifted her, and swung her around once, laughing. She smiled through her confusion.
“Bobby, put me down. Really.” Once her feet touched the floor, she stepped out of his embrace. “Why are you so happy?”
“I found us jobs,” he said while signing for Uncle Theo’s sake.
She glanced at them all. Even Chet seemed to be smiling brighter. “All of you?”
“Well, Chet didn’t need one, but Theo and I are now lumberjacks and we’ll start work tomorrow morning.”
She clapped her hands once and held them clutched to her chest. “That is wonderful.”
“Not only that,” Chet said, stepping beside her, “your brother found you all a place to live.”
Although she should be shouting with happiness, she detected a hint of sadness in his voice. It would be improper for him to live with them, but... she now wondered if he’d already made plans to leave Spruce Hill.
“And how did that happen?” She looked back at her brother. “You weren’t gone for very long.”
Bobby chuckled. “I literally ran into the man who is in charge of the lumber mill, Hunter Winfield, and as we got to talking, he told me they were looking for help. When I informed him we’d just gotten into town and needed lodging, he told me of an empty cabin not far from the mill. The owners moved only three days ago, and he offered it to our little family.”
She met Chet’s gaze again, trying to read his expression. She wished her heart would not soften every time she looked at his handsome face, and that his mesmerizing gray eyes would stop holding her prisoner. “And what do you think of that?”
The Widow's Secret (Keepers of the Light Book 5) Page 7
