“So what happened?” she prodded, fully invested in the story. “Did they marry?”
He grinned as if he’d hoped for her reaction. “He was convinced he wasn’t good enough for her. He hadn’t made his fortune yet, and there were so many fighting for her, he felt he needed to prove himself, and show that he was the best man for her.”
Sadie let out a puff of air. “I hope she told him he was being ridiculous,” she muttered.
He chuckled. “Maybe she did. The legend says he made a claim in an area a few camps over. It was too far to visit often, and he didn’t want to chance leaving his claim unprotected. Before he left, he brought her down to the river, close where the town is, and promised her that in one year, they’d marry. He’d have his fortune, and he would shower her with love and wealth for the rest of their lives, if she would only wait for him. Since that day, it’s been called Promise Creek, and when the town was formed they wanted to keep the name to always remember.”
“It is rather romantic.” She bit her cheek. “At least, it is if he came back and they were actually married.” She peeked up at him, hoping he had more to add.
He laughed and held up his hands. “Unfortunately, that’s the end of the story. No one knows if he ever came back.” He looked out at the river. “But I like to think he did. A man doesn’t forget the woman he loves. If she’s the one, then he’ll do whatever it takes to be with her. Gather a fortune, wait for years, and sacrifice whatever is necessary, but he’ll do it.”
The hairs on her arms rose. He hadn’t looked at her at all when he’d spoken the last bit, but there was so much meaning there. “That’s what you’d do,” she added softly.
Finally, his eyes met hers. “After finding the woman I’m meant to be with, I will do anything necessary to win her.”
His eyes bore into hers, as if willing her to understand his meaning, understand what he hadn’t said. She shook, wanting to believe it could be that easy, that two people could fall in love and marry, and be willing to trust after what she’d been through. And regardless of the past, that was what she wanted. She wanted to trust Owen, wanted to believe that everything would work out. But she wasn’t quite ready to make that huge leap just yet. “I believe you would,” she said softly, but couldn’t look him in the eye. She wasn’t ready to say anything more. He’d just have to understand.
Silence passed between them, until he finally pushed away from the rock and held out his hand for her. “Come on. Let’s head toward the waterfall.”
She blew out a breath, unsure whether she was happy the discussion was over or disappointed. She placed her hand in his and relished the feel of his warm hand closing over hers, before placing her hand on his arm to lead her to her horse.
He helped her mount, then slid up into his own saddle. “Would you mind if we made a quick stop at the mercantile?”
“Of course.” She motioned her horse into a trot next to him.
“Thanks. My new book arrived, and I wanted to pick it up since I don’t plan on being back to town anytime soon.”
“Then of course we will. You know, I’m happy to pick up any parcels for you. We go into town a lot more often than we probably should.”
“Thank you. I’ll keep that in mind for my next book order.”
Sadie shook her head and laughed as they took off into a canter and speech became difficult. They made great time to town, and since they were only making the one quick stop, she stayed on her horse to wait for Owen.
He dismounted quickly and tethered his horse on the post in front of the mercantile. “I’ll only be a minute.”
“Take your time.” She waved him off and looked around. It was midday, and the main road through town was noisy and bustling with people. Some milled about visiting, while others loaded their wagons with supplies. The shops were busy, and she wasn’t surprised so many people had decided to take advantage of the good weather to stock up and run errands.
Children cheerfully ran down the boardwalk, giggling in glee and holding sweets purchased from the mercantile, and Sadie could only imagine what fun they were about to have. Children were so innocent, and she wished they could stay that way as long as possible.
Sadie sat on her horse, relaxed and responding to greetings from people she knew, when a man and woman on the opposite side of the street caught her attention. Sadie took in the woman’s huddled posture and the way the man, presumably her husband, towered over her, his fists clenched and his nose flaring. His voice raised, and she could hear him clearly from where she sat across the road.
Sadie’s heart began pounding and a clammy sweat broke out over her skin. She pulled in ragged breaths as she frantically looked around to see if any of the others would intervene, but no one appeared to even notice them.
The man forcefully grabbed the woman’s arm, causing the woman to cry out in pain, and before Sadie knew what she was doing, she was off her horse and running towards them, rage on the woman’s behalf pushing away all thoughts for her own safety.
“Let her go!” She jerked a piece of hair that had come loose, away from her face. The man glared at her, but when he didn’t remove his hand from the woman, Sadie smacked his wrist. “I said let her go.”
His eyes narrowed on her. “This is none of your business. Now leave.”
She took in his bloodshot eyes and the blood vessels close to the skin around his nose. He was an alcoholic, and from the looks of it, a mean one. The recognition sent shivers up her spine. “You made it my business when you placed your hand on her and hurt her.”
The man laughed cruelly. “She’s my wife. I can do anything I want to her. I own her.”
“No you can’t,” Sadie gritted out. “She’s a person, not your property. Now let her go.”
The man wrenched the woman to his side, and she cried out again, before giving Sadie a pleading look. “I’m all right. You can go.”
Tears smarted in Sadie’s eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She remembered telling someone who had tried to intervene on her own behalf the same thing once before, not wanting them to get hurt, but still wishing they could have helped her. She shook her head. “No. I’m not leaving. Not until your husband lets you go.”
He sneered at her, and it took all of her willpower to keep looking him in the eyes. She wouldn’t be intimidated by him. Not by him or anyone else.
“What are you doing to do? Make me?” He snickered.
Sadie’s chin notched up, but before she could respond, a strong arm wrapped around her from behind, and she was pulled back against a firm, unforgiving chest.
She glanced over her shoulder, and found Owen, who was glaring at the man. “Owen?”
He gave her his attention and skimmed his gaze over her face. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine.”
With that, Owen leveled his gaze back on the man, but didn’t release her. “Looks like we have a problem here, Larry. I thought I overheard you threatening Mrs. Johnston here.”
The man shifted like an outraged bull. “Mrs. Johnston poked her nose in my business. If she doesn’t want to be spoken harshly to, then she shouldn’t involve herself in other people’s affairs.” He puffed up his chest, as if proud of his speech.
Anger coursed through her. “I don’t know how others in the town have reacted in similar situations, but I can guarantee you, if I ever see you lay a hand on your wife, I’ll speak up every time.”
“Now see here!”
Larry stepped toward Sadie, but before she could move, Owen had already lifted a hand and was easily holding the large bully away from her. “Don’t ever, ever, lay a hand on her,” Owen warned, his voice low and deadly, which if it had been directed at her, would have scared her far more than yelling ever would have. “Or any other woman for that matter. That includes your wife. If I see any sign of mistreatment toward Eliza, you’ll be sorry you ever touched her.” Owen pushed Larry away, and the other man finally released his hold on his wife’s tiny wrist.
Eliza yanked her arm in close and huddled in on herself even more. Sadie wanted to go comfort the woman, but Owen held her firmly in place.
“You can’t threaten me like that!” Larry spluttered belligerently. “I have rights!”
Sadie felt Owen’s nod. “You do. But so does Eliza.”
The man’s face turned a mottled red, but he seemed to know better than to attack Owen. He raked his greasy, gray-streaked hair angrily, then turned and yelled at the woman, “Come on, Eliza. Let’s leave these two gentlefolk to their day.”
He turned and left, never doubting his wife would scurry behind him. And he was right.
“But wait!” Sadie reached a hand out for Eliza, but Owen still held her in place.
“Let them go.”
“But I wanted to speak with her.”
He turned her gently to face him. “It’s better that you don’t. Right now, we stopped him from hurting her, but if we push him too far, he might retaliate just to prove a point.”
She placed her face in her hands. “It’s so wrong. No one should ever be treated like that.”
“I know.”
He ran his hands up and down her arms, uncaring if anyone saw them, and Sadie knew many probably did. Confronting the couple had made them a spectacle to all. But what else could she do? She’d been in Eliza’s place not that long ago herself. It had seemed impossible and hopeless to her then, and there weren’t many options for women in situations like this. As much as she despised it, the law normally sided with the men. Women had little rights once they were married, so in a sense, it was true that they were merely regarded as property.
The whole situation was a mess.
“Come on. Let’s get back to our ride,” Owen coaxed.
Sadie dropped her hands from her face. “I can’t just leave her.” She glanced at the woman’s bent, retreating form.
“I’ll watch out for her,” he gently promised. “And I’m going to be paying them a visit tomorrow.”
She met his eyes for the first time. “You are?”
“I am. No living being should be treated that way.”
When she didn’t respond, he put his arm around her and gently led her back to their horses. He helped her mount, and they took off without another word.
Before they turned the corner, she glanced back to see if she could spot Eliza, but the couple was already gone. She’d been that woman once, and she never wanted to be again.
She turned back around and watched Owen’s back as he rode ahead of her. He wasn’t that kind of man. He’d stood up to Larry, and had protected both her and Eliza.
Doubts still tried to force their way in, but she kept pushing them away. Owen wasn’t like Gerald. She knew she could trust him.
Chapter 9
Owen slumped onto the bench just inside the back door and bent over to remove his muddy boots. It had been a rough morning, and all he wanted to do was eat the huge pile of food his cook had left for his lunch and rest his eyes, before going back out to do even more work.
He placed the caked shoes to the side, careful not to drop clumps of mud on the freshly cleaned floor. His help would no doubt want to take a stick to his backside if he did. They were paid to clean, but they took just as much pride in his house as he did, and he wasn’t about to give them extra work to do because of his carelessness
He washed his hands, then padded on stocking covered feet over to the table, where a covered plate had been left for him. Lifting the cover, Owen smiled appreciatively at the thickly made sandwiches and hefty slice of cake. He decided he needed to give his hired help a raise.
He sat and inhaled the sandwiches and cake, licking his fingers when he was finished to make sure he got all the crumbs. He sighed contentedly, then scrubbed at his face with his hands and evaluated how he felt. The food had helped, but he was still exhausted. He decided a quick nap should do the trick.
Owen was heading to his room when a knock sounded at the door. He paused and looked longingly at his bedroom door, and contemplated not answering it, but quickly squashed the thought. He didn’t get visitors often, so it could be important.
Sighing, he went to the door and opened it, surprised when Sadie looked up from under her hat. “Hi.” He opened the door wider to let her in. “Is everything all right?”
She stepped inside and quickly took off her gloves. “Of course. I’m glad I caught you before you headed back out.”
The fact she was familiar with his schedule and habits filled him with warmth. “I just finished eating and thought about resting my eyes for a few minutes. It’s been a long morning.”
“Oh.” Her brows furrowed. “I thought you might be planning to visit Eliza now.”
He shook his head. “No. I was going to go later today after everything was wrapped up on the ranch.” He got a sneaky suspicion. “Is that why you’re here?”
“Yes. You’d mentioned it, and I’d like to see for myself that she’s all right.”
She shrugged as if it were no big deal, but he couldn’t believe she really thought it would be a good idea. “You can’t go.”
Her back straightened. “Of course I can.”
He saw the mulish expression on her face, and he realized he should have chosen his words a bit differently. He blamed exhaustion for the mistake, but now that he’d said it, there was no turning back. “And what will happen if Eliza isn’t there and it’s just Larry?”
Her chin notched up. “Then I’ll tell him I’ll stop by again later.”
“And you think you’d walk away without a confrontation?” He shook his head in bewilderment.
“Yes. He knows better than to hurt me.”
“But what if he doesn’t? What if he loses it? What if he’s had too much to drink and doesn’t even realize he’s hurting you?”
She crossed her arms in front of herself. “Then I can handle it.”
His fingers itched to shake some sense into her. “No you can’t. He’s three times the size of you. He might look saggy around the jowls, but he’s a miner. His body is muscle-packed from hauling rocks, and he could knock you unconscious with one hit. You can’t go.”
She stepped up to him and poked him in the chest. “You have no say in what I can or can’t do. You’re not my husband.”
He grabbed her hand and held it flat against his chest, knowing she could feel his heart beating in a frenzied pace. “You’re right. I’m not your husband, but I am your friend, and I care about you. I care enough to tell you that you’re being ridiculous, and by going, you’d be risking yourself unnecessarily. I told you I would take care of it. Let me handle this.”
She jerked her hand out of his grip and spun away. “I can also take care of it. I’m capable, and I’m not afraid of him.”
“You should be afraid of him. He doesn’t respect or care about you. If I hadn’t been there yesterday, he could have hurt you.” Didn’t she understand he needed to protect her? That it would kill him if anything happened to her?
“I’m in charge of my own life, Owen. And I refuse to be intimidated by anyone. I lived that way before, and I’m never doing so again.”
Her chin quivered at the end of her speech, and the sight of it almost caused him to give in, but he couldn’t. He would never be okay with Sadie putting herself in a dangerous situation. “I understand, I do. But—”
“You don’t! You can’t understand. No one can unless they’ve lived it. You’ve never had to worry about every little thing you say and do. You’ve never had to tip toe around anyone. You’ve never spent every second watching, waiting, and wondering if something you were about to do—whether it was clean a dish you thought they were done with, or throw away a scrap of paper that was on the ground—would result in pain. You’ve never had to lay awake at night, your muscles strained in fear, until you heard the person next to you snore, finally knowing you were safe, at least until they woke up again. Until you live that life, you can’t understand.”
With her breath heaving, she spun and
raced out the front door.
“Wait! Sadie, wait!” Before he even reached the door, she was up on her horse and turned back in the direction of her house. “Please don’t go over there!”
“I won’t!” She angrily brushed at her cheeks. “I’m too angry to help Eliza like this. But that’s the only reason I’m not going.”
As he watched her ride away, her words replayed in his mind, and he leaned against the house. That was what she’d lived through? What she’d described was a nightmare, a life filled with torture and despair, all of which he heard in her voice.
No wonder it had taken her so long to become as close to him as she finally had, which still wasn’t where he’d like. He’d known her husband had mistreated her, but he hadn’t known the extent of what she’d been through. And she was right. No other person could understand what she’d gone through, unless they too had lived it themselves.
He scrubbed a hand over his face, uncertain of what to do. She’d wanted to check on Eliza, but he couldn’t stomach the thought of her risking her own safety. He would never be okay about Sadie putting herself in danger, and even if he was with her, he couldn’t guarantee her safety. Anything could happen, and she could get hurt.
He’d made a mess of this though. As much as he wanted to protect her, he couldn’t cage her. He couldn’t force her to do, or not do, what he wanted.
He blew out a long breath and headed inside. He’d finish out what he needed to do, and then he’d fix this. He didn’t know how, but he would darn sure try whatever he could.
By the next day, Sadie knew she’d made a mistake. “Okay. So I might’ve overreacted.”
A Mail-Order Escape Page 7
