Luckily, his words felt like enough to Miss Hope and she nodded her thanks. Owen’s younger sibling chose that moment to enter. He was grateful she gave them a little privacy to talk but now he was glad June decided to join them. She came in with a smile and was carrying a large tray.
“I brought snacks as well,” she announced. And she really did, a lot of them, as if feeding a small army. Bless her heart, Owen very much loved his sister and knew he made the right decision bringing Miss Hope home.
“You didn’t have to trouble yourself,” Miss Hope said as Owen stood up to help his sister.
June waved with her hand. “Oh, it was no trouble at all.”
Brother and sister poured the tea for everybody together. June proceeded to fill a small platter with food before offering it to Miss Hope. “You simply have to try these, Miss Hope, it’s our family recipe.”
“Thank you. And please call me Hope.”
“So, how do you find our town so far?” June asked conversationally.
Owen let the two women interact for a while as he thought about Miss Jessamine.
They spent the whole day like that, in easy conversation and telling embarrassing childhood stories to one another. That was June’s specialty, to embarrass him, and she did not miss an opportunity to do so now. Not that Miss Hope minded, she looked like she was having a nice time with his sister, and Owen was pleased he managed to uplift her burdens if only for a small period of time.
At some point, June dragged Miss Hope to the kitchen to prepare a meal together.
“You never made jam before?” He could hear his sister’s voice. “All right, that is the next item on our list, then.”
He couldn’t hear what Miss Hope replied. Both girls laughed afterward, which he took as a good sign.
Do not get attached, Owen warned himself, moving to the back of the kitchen so he could observe them without intrusion. Somehow, he feared, it was already too late for that.
* * *
“You did not have to do this,” Hope said while they rode back to Mr. Dalbow’s ranch. By the expression Sheriff Owen gave her, that was something that was not up for negotiation. He was escorting her home, and that was that.
Home.
That wasn’t her home, yet it was the only place she had at the moment. Miss June offered for Hope to spend the night at their house since they both knew Mr. Dalbow was away on business. Hope declined.
She did not want to burden the siblings anymore. They were beyond kind to her without adding to Hope’s list of debts. At least that was the reason she used to justify her departure from their home. There were other reasons, unfortunately. Reasons that had nothing to do with overstaying her welcome and everything to do with Sheriff Owen himself.
“Are you feeling better?” He asked her at some point.
No. “I don't know,” she replied simply. All day long she tried really hard to be strong, and not to cry in front of the Sheriff. She was embarrassed enough he saw her breaking down after hearing the news for the first time. Besides, as she told him before, her own feelings did not matter at the moment.
Jessamine’s mother and father, and little Sofia and Abel, must be beyond themselves with worry, and she wished she could offer her comfort to them no matter how small it may be. If Hope was feeling the way she did, then their pain must be unimaginable. Not that it really mattered who suffered the most.
Pain is pain, big or small, it always causes turbulence in life.
“I will do everything in my power to discover what happened to your friend,” Sheriff Owen told her again, and she was grateful.
She was also very much aware of the careful phrasing he used. “I know you will,” Hope replied with utmost confidence. “And I want to help,” she added.
Instantly, Hope started going through the list of arguments inside her head she could use to persuade him to let her participate in Jessamine’s search since she was certain he was about to say no to her. Men always do. Just because Hope looked like a delicate flower did not mean she actually was.
To her surprise, all he said was. “Feel free to come by the station anytime. I could use your help.”
Hope’s jaw actually dropped. “Really?” She asked in disbelief before she could stop herself. Then she wanted to bite her tongue off.
Nice work, Hope. Now he will think of you as fickle and shallow.
Hope prayed he wouldn’t change his mind. Luckily, his smile was a reassuring one. “Of course. As you said before, nobody knows Jessamine better than you, so your help would be very much appreciated,” Sheriff Owen inclined his head, showing gratitude. He was thanking her when she was the one overcome with gratitude.
Hope could only stare at him for a heartbeat or two. She never met a man like Sheriff Owen before. He keeps surprising me at every turn. And he had never acted in a way she assumed he would. While others, especially in her father’s circle of friends, tended to regard her as some shiny object whose sole purpose was to be admired or occasionally watched for entertainment purposes, Sheriff Owen was different. Hope felt valued when around him.
“Thank you,” was all she said, fully knowing she was expressing her gratitude for more than letting him participate in the investigation.
“Oh, no, thank you,” he was quick to reassure her and she couldn’t help but smile, even though it was a fleeting one.
They rode the rest of the way in silence.
Once they reached Mr. Dalbow’s house, Hope lingered. She did not want the Sheriff to leave. That notion made her feel guilty toward Mr. Dalbow. Here she was, hoping the Sheriff could stay with her while she was staying in another man’s house. In the house of the man she was supposed to marry. Shame on you, Hope. She knew she wasn’t fair toward Mr. Dalbow and promised to do better. Sheriff Owen needed her to find Jessamine and nothing more.
“Are you quite sure you will be all right here by yourself?” The Sheriff insisted, looking a bit concerned as though sensing her sentiments.
They dismounted at the same time and he helped her move Riley to the stable. “Yes, I will be perfectly fine, thank you,” she replied politely, trying to make a barrier between them. “I have everything I could possibly need, and Mr. Dalbow promised he would return as soon as possible.”
Sheriff Owen still did not look happy with her response. “I will come by to check up on you sometime tomorrow,” he promised, and Hope felt glad despite the fact she knew she shouldn’t. At that moment, the prudent thing to say would be to remind Sheriff Owen how something like that was not necessary.
Hope could not say what force made her keep her mouth shut, yet that was precisely what she did, and simply nodded her thanks.
After Riley was taken care of, the Sheriff escorted her to the front door. “Try to get some sleep,” he said, clearly stalling.
“I will do my best. Goodnight, Sheriff Owen,” Hope lied, fully knowing sleep was the last thing she would do that evening.
“Goodnight, Miss Hope.”
After saying his final goodbye, he mounted his horse and took off without sparing her another glance, and Hope was glad. Her mask was slipping and she needed some solitude.
That was how Hope was left all alone in an unfamiliar town, surrounded by strangers, living in a stranger’s house, with only her thoughts to keep her company.
She wasn’t even aware of the precise moment she started crying, suddenly the scenery turned blurry around her, not that she cared. And once she started, there was no stopping the flood of tears that followed. She cried about everything. About all the things she held bottled up so securely during the day. All of that came rushing out now.
Hope didn’t even make it inside the house. She fell onto the front porch and started sobbing. The pain was too great to handle. Where are you, Jessamine? She demanded the answer from the heavens. Are you all right? Are you alone? Frightened? Cold? In pain? She couldn’t even dare think the last possibility. Actually, she couldn’t bear to have any of these thoughts. Like her tears, there was no s
topping the merry-go-round inside her head. Jessamine was all Hope was left with in this world after running away from her home, and now she felt utterly alone.
I can't lose you, too!
She cried even harder, fully lying on the cold, hard wood, covering her face with her hands as she curled to the side.
Please God, bring her back to us, Hope prayed over and over again. Please God, let her be safe, wherever she may be. Once the night fell, her tears dried out. Hope did not feel better, simply a bit spent. Eventually, she started shaking uncontrollably, and she could not fathom why. Her mind was in shambles.
It's a cold night, she realized at some point. A part of her wished to stay as she was, even if it meant freezing to death. Ultimately, she knew she couldn’t do that. Hope managed to pick herself up from the floor of the porch and enter inside.
Getting to her room upstairs, she lay on the bed without stripping, covering herself with all the blankets she had. She couldn’t stop the rattling of her teeth and she cursed herself for such foolish, childish behavior. Nobody could prevent her from grieving, however, this was taking matters too much to the extreme.
She did not want to get sick before she had a chance to visit Sheriff Owen and help him find Jessamine. That was all that mattered to her at the moment. That was all that gave her strength and would force her to keep going, no matter the state of her heart.
I will find you, Jessamine, she promised. I will find you, and all will be well once again. It had to.
15
Dawn greeted Hope in the same position she lay in bed the night before, minus the shakes. She did not catch a wink of sleep, not that she expected to. Her mind would not let her have rest, tormenting her with all kinds of thoughts.
All this time, she completely ignored the most obvious of things while worrying about Jessamine. When Jessamine did not write her back, it was because she couldn’t. It was because something terrible had happened to her.
Did I cause this? Hope asked herself that question many times during the night and did not like the answer she received back.
Getting up, since there was no point in delaying, she went to the small washroom and flinched seeing herself in the mirror. Hope washed her face. That did not improve her mood or her appearance. She looked horrible, which was appropriate, considering she felt awful as well.
Needing something to occupy her mind and pull her away from the depression she succumbed to, Hope went outside. It was a fine, clear day yet that held no joy for her.
Mr. Dalbow had not returned and Hope was glad. She needed a bit more time for herself, to pull herself back together before facing him. He employed a couple of workers on the ranch, however, they did not live on his land so at the moment Hope was completely alone.
Hope decided to roam a little until they arrived, since she had the ranch all to herself. Mr. Dalbow had a couple of buildings on his property, one of them was far away from the main house and that was her goal. She wanted to see the old rickety barn up close.
Hope did not get that far. Shortly after she started her walk, she ended up in the stable. That was very predictable of her. She found solace in taking care of Riley. Hope was immensely grateful to the Sheriff for giving Riley to her. Well, he stole the horse from his deputy to give it to me. Hope wasn’t about to dwell on the details. Still, that small notion brought a smile to her face.
“We have to find Jessamine,” she told the horse and he started yanking his head up and down as though he could understand her.
“Good boy,” she complimented, giving him an apple slice.
“You look like you didn’t have any sleep at all,” a male voice startled her, breaking her conversation with Riley. Hope turned slowly since she recognized the voice immediately. It held only the slightest amount of reprimand like he was worried about her well-being. His face suggested as much as well.
Sheriff Owen approached her, looking at her from head to toe. She knew what he saw, a pale face with dark circles under her eyes, the same wrinkled clothes she had on yesterday, and her hair braid was sloppy, without care. Despite his scrutiny, she did not feel lacking.
“How can I sleep when I don’t know if Jessamine can do the same?” she replied honestly.
Sheriff Owen frowned. “Try not to think like that.”
How could she not?
“You need to stay positive. All this worry will only make you sick and then you would be of no use to me.”
Hope gawked at him, she could not believe he just said that to her. There was a small smile dancing across his lips.
He said that on purpose, to shock me. And it worked. Hope had to admit, if only to herself, that Sheriff Owen had a point, she needed to be strong. For Jessamine.
“Is there something you needed this morning?” She asked, not daring to hope there were some new clues about the case. She held her breath while he replied.
He looked a bit uncomfortable for the briefest of moments. “I just wanted to make sure you are all right. I'll be going to the office now.” He was worried about her, she realized, and that warmed her heart more than it should.
“So you can’t stay for breakfast?” Hope heard herself say. She wasn’t particularly hungry; all this worry made her stomach feel like it was full of knots. For him, she would make an effort. Hope would even cook for him, or at least try to.
“Unfortunately, I do not have the time. Thank you for the offer. Perhaps some other time?”
Hope ignored the eagerness in his voice while he asked her that question. She could not afford distractions, not when her best friend was missing, and certainly not while she was living at Mr. Dalbow’s house.
“It’s probably for the best. I am a terrible cook,’ Hope replied.
“I know,” Sheriff Owen replied instantly. “I saw you with my sister yesterday,” he pretended to shudder. “I've never met a person before who could burn down a pan of water,” he said straight-faced, although it was apparent he was teasing her.
Hope gasped in outrage. It was all for show, she merely played his game. “It was my first time making jam.”
“And it shows,” he continued to tease her. “I was preparing buckets of water just in case you lit the kitchen on fire.”
That rascal. “I think it’s time for you to leave. And I do pray you are a better sheriff than you are a comedian.”
“I am certainly a better sheriff than you are a cook,” he was quick on his feet and Hope laughed wholeheartedly.
“Please try not to cook anything unsupervised, you see, I worry.”
Hope planned on saying something else to him but that last part made her reconsider. She took his hand with hers and squeezed, before releasing it. “I know what you are doing and I thank you for it.” It was obvious he was trying to make her feel better and she appreciated the effort. More than she cared to admit, even to herself. Mr. Dalbow came to mind once again and Hope felt ashamed, and that sobered her up immediately.
I cannot keep doing this.
Sheriff Owen pretended not to understand what she was talking about, even though it was apparent her message was received and he continued to speak in a light tone. Shortly after, Hope was laughing so hard her stomach ached.
“Disregarding your poor culinary skills, I am happy to see how Riley is thriving under your care. Kit will be relieved.”
“Riley is a true delight, and you can tell Deputy Pharis his horse does not miss him at all.”
“That will break Kit’s heart, I will remember to tell him word for word.”
They left the stable together and smacked right into Mr. Dalbow. He looked a little disheveled and dusty, as though he was riding all night to get back home as soon as possible. Guilt washed over Hope.
“Miss Hope,” Mr. Dalbow greeted her with a smile. “Sheriff Rundell, what a sense of déjà vu, seeing you again.”
Hope could not explain why she felt as though he was scolding them for doing something bad or inappropriate.
That is just your guilt running wi
ld, she informed herself.
“Mr. Dalbow, you are back,” Hope stated the obvious once she found her voice.
“Indeed,” he approached to kiss her hand. “I rushed back because I was concerned about you being here all alone. I see now I did not have to worry.”
“The Sheriff came to pay me a visit.” What was wrong with her? She seemed unable to move past the most obvious of statements.
Just as she said that, Sheriff Owen asked Mr. Dalbow. “You were away on business?”
“Yes, a tedious affair. Was there a reason for this visit?” He asked with mild interest. Hope wanted to reply to Mr. Dalbow and discovered she couldn’t. Sheriff Owen, seeing her hesitation, came to her rescue.
The Redemption 0f A Hunted Bride (Historical Western Romance) Page 14
