She watched him eat. He didn’t gobble it down like she expected, but took his time. First he went to the back and rinsed his face and hands in a bucket of water, then sat down and picked up the coffee cup. “Thank you. Last night, I was thinking how much I would have liked coffee.” He drank deeply from the coffee. “It’s very good.”
As soon as he finished his breakfast, she’d ask him to go. Propriety took over and she sat with her hands folded across from him watching him eat. “My sister and I just moved to Rutgers Ridge. It’s a nice town, I believe you will come to feel welcome here.”
The man chuckled. “I doubt that. There is only one person in this town who will be happy to see me.” He shrugged and took a bite of his biscuit seeming to savor every bite.
“Who is that?” Jane had to know. She expected perhaps one of the saloon girls. “So you have been here before then?”
He nodded and swallowed his food. “I grew up here.”
“And your name is?”
“Do you know where Marshal Gentry is? I have to talk to him.”
Jane studied his face as he waited for her reply. What if she’d just invited a troublemaker? A ruffian. God if Mrs. Higgenbottom and her group of gossips happened upon them alone, there was no telling what rumors they’d start. “He will return in two or three days. You should find a place to sleep until then. Perhaps a room at the hotel.”
“Two or three days.” He repeated and let out a breath. “Are you certain he won’t be back sooner?”
Several sentences formed in her mind, ways to tell the stranger he had to leave and find another place to sleep. She opened her mouth to tell him it was best he go, perhaps the stable owner would allow him to sleep there. His heavily lashed eyes met hers behind the long hair that fell over them, and something familiar about them made her hesitate. “I am positive he won’t return until Monday at the soonest.”
Crestfallen, he hunched over the remains of his breakfast. He looked to his bedroll first then drank the rest of the coffee. “Thank you for the meal. I’ll be on my way then.”
“Where are you going?” Jane wasn’t sure why she asked other than pure curiosity. “Do you have a place to stay?” That was a seriously stupid question.
His chuckle was without mirth. “No ma’am. I don’t at the moment.”
She straightened. “How about this. In exchange for room and board for the next three days, you clear up that stack of things in the corner. Set aside what is salvageable and discard what is not. You may use it in the fireplace to warm the space.”
He pondered it for a few moments, looking to the corner. When he looked back to her, there seemed to be a kind of sadness in his expression, as if he didn’t wish to remove the items. “I accept on one condition.”
“I am not sure you are in the position to make any,” Jane replied and folded her arms.
Linc liked her spunk. In spite of being faced with a man who could easily overpower her, she didn’t seem overly fazed by him. He pressed his lips together to keep from smiling before speaking. “It’s just that I must remain indoors. I am not too keen on being seen like this by people who may know me. I need to get cleaned up. I was going to ask if you could provide me with some water and soap.”
Some of her bravado left. “Of course.”
“It can wait until after I’m done with some work here. And I’ll help carry the water. Thank you.”
After a curt nod, she left.
The rest of the morning passed quickly. After a second cup of coffee and eating, he felt much better as well. He took his time going through the mound. Lincoln picked up a stout table and inspected it. One of the legs was loose, but other than that, it was fixable. He put it against a wall he’d deemed for the items that would be kept.
At the new schoolteacher’s appearance, he’d prepared himself for the worst. But it seemed to be a good turn of luck. He thought back to the miner’s words, maybe he was lucky. He’d yet to tell her his name, not wanting to lie to a person that sought to help him. If she demanded to know it, of course he’d tell her the truth. He looked to the front door which he’d blocked with one of the long benches inside. He’d already told Jane Conner to come through the back because he wanted to spread out the items to fix them. She seemed to believe him.
Although she didn’t seem the naïve sort, he had to admit, it was shocking she’d not raised the alarm at finding him there. Wherever she came from, she must have lived a sheltered life, not to throw him out immediately at finding him hiding there.
Jane Conner was beautiful. Through the modest dress she wore he’d noticed generous breasts and a small waistline. Not tall, perhaps a foot shorter than his six feet. Her hazel eyes were expressive, her serviceable bun rested at the nape of her neck, and her lips—it would be hard not to notice those kissable lips. His gaze had been drawn to her delicate throat, the creamy skin pulling at his mind to take a direction he didn’t need to be even considering at this point in his life. When he plunked the table down and one of the legs landed on his foot, he cursed out loud. “Damn it, keep your mind where it should be, Linc.”
The crash of something hitting the floor made him jump. He turned to find Jane with a cup of spilled coffee at her feet. “You’re the marshal’s brother, aren’t you?”
“Yes I am. I’m Lincoln Gentry.”
Instead of seeming afraid, her eyes were narrowed and her lips pursed in disapproval. “Why didn’t you just say so?”
“I’m hoping to talk to my brother before being turned in.”
She continued to take him in. “I thought something about you seemed familiar.” She took a step closer, and let out a breath. “Well I don’t suppose I can have you staying in here sleeping on the floor. Being that you’re family, I expect it’s all right for you to sleep in Maddie’s room.”
He hadn’t been gone so long to miss a new sister or cousin, at least he didn’t think so. “How are we related?” His heart quickened at the unsavory thought’s he’d just had about her. Hopefully she was not his sister. Not that cousin was much better.
Her hand went to her hair as she seemed to ponder what to say to him. “How about you come to the cottage and we share a meal. I can refill this coffee. It’s best I tell you what all you have missed.”
Now his interest was doubly piqued. Whatever happened, he hoped it wouldn’t cause more trouble for his brothers and him. Had his father perhaps remarried? In that case, he wondered if that meant he couldn’t be interested in Jane Connor. Just as he took a step toward her he stopped, eyes widening.
“You aren’t my stepma by any chance? Married Pa?”
Jane pressed her lips together, but her eyes twinkled in mirth as she suppressed laughter. Finally she shook her head. “No Lincoln. I’m not married. Come on let’s get you fed.”
He lingered behind the buildings to see about his horse and wash his hands and face before following Jane into the teacher’s cottage. The transformation inside was astounding. It was neat as a pin, every surface cleaned and polished. There were curtains on both the front window and the smaller one in the kitchen area. Jane was there pouring two cups of coffee. She looked over her shoulder at him. “Sit please. “ Instead he went to her and took the cups from her hands.
Finally settled, she took a sip from her coffee and let out a breath. “I am not quite sure how to start. First of all, you should know that your brother Grant is alive and well.”
It was his turn to spill the coffee. The liquid splashed over the sides as his hand hit the side of it. “What?”
“He was left for dead by the robbers who attacked you. A traveling salesman found Grant the next day stumbling down the road and brought him to the Sullivan sister’s home. He was unconscious for several days, until finally one day he came to and told them who he was. At that point, your father and brother were sent for.”
Linc studied the tabletop. “I didn’t know.”
“They have been looking tirelessly for you. Hoping you’d not been killed. Grant says you w
ere gone when he woke. There’ve been rumors you took the opportunity to escape and hide from the charges pending against you.”
His heart sank. “Is that what my brothers believe?”
“No. They think you are innocent.”
“Then I should go see Grant. I don’t need to trouble you.” Linc searched his mind for the best way to head there and not run into anyone during the day.
“I think it’s best if you stay and wait for Emerson. He and my sister are on their honeymoon.”
Both his eyebrows shot up. “I’ve only been gone three months. He got married?” It was hard to keep his mouth from hanging open. Emerson, the one brother he figured to never marry, was now hitched. Although truth be told, the idea of Grant getting married was just as foreign.
“Grant is also married.”
Linc didn’t bother hiding his displeasure at the news. Not sure why, but the thought of his brother’s moving on while he’d been living the life of an outlaw just didn’t sit right. “Looks like they’ve moved on, enjoying life. Hate to disrupt their happiness with my appearance. Maybe its best I move on. Not the time to ask anything of them.”
He got to his feet, only to become angrier when Jane laughed and shook her head. “That’s right, you are the baby of the family. It should be all about you. Your brothers should have spent every breathing moment in anguish, suffering at not knowing where you were. It was silly of them to move on, especially if you had died. And not having any news from you, not one single letter letting them know otherwise, they should have continued to search for you and forsaken any chance of happiness.”
She stood and looked him straight in the face. “The first thing Grant wanted to do as soon as he could ride was look for you. They had to stop him. Emerson spent weeks searching the area where you were robbed. Your father has gathered groups of men to try to track you down. Many men here in town have joined your family in attempts to find the elusive Lincoln Gentry.”
The miner had told him on several occasions to write the letter to his family, that he’d post it for him at the nearest town. Every time Linc had started it, he’d not been sure what to say. Besides stating that he was alive and, well, not guilty, words evaded him. Now he saw how selfish he’d been.
“I suppose you’re right.” He sunk into the chair and let out a breath. “I haven’t been thinking straight since that day either.”
Jane went to the stove and ladled out two bowls of stew. After placing them on the table, a plate with freshly baked bread followed. Linc had a hard time holding back from tearing the bread and gobbling up his stew. He bent his head while she said grace and then ate. “The stew is very good. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I’m sure you and yours would do the same for me.”
He waited for her to eat, giving her time to compose her thoughts before bombarding her with questions. At the same time what did he really want to know? His father may have gotten groups to search for him, but he was sure it was more of a way to bring him to “justice” than to find him unharmed. On the other hand, like his brothers’ lives, maybe his father’s had changed as well.
“How is my Pa doing?”
“I haven’t seen him since the wedding. He seemed to be doing well. From what I understand, he wants Emerson to come out and take over the ranch. But your brother is not planning to do so anytime soon.”
“So your sister is married to my brother?” Emerson asked in between bites. “Who did Grant marry?”
“Yes. Emerson married my younger sister Madeline, I call her Maddie. She came out here with me to keep me company and then promptly married off.” In spite of her words, her lips curved up. “Your brother Grant married a wonderful woman named Julia, who helped nurse him when he was recovering. You will like her. At first she is a bit shy, but once you get to know her, she’s very nice.”
Before he could ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue she answered it for him. “You are still wanted. Although the townspeople have stopped talking about it as much, whenever your name comes up, it’s always followed by your outlaw status. Several men have traveled through with news of seeing you or of you asking questions, so it’s been speculated that you somehow survived and then ran off to avoid facing the hangman’s noose.”
“My father amongst them, no doubt.”
Jane’s eyebrows burrowed. “I’m sure he is worried about you more than anything.”
“You don’t know Pa well enough.”
With a no nonsense huff, she stood and moved to the kitchen window. “Your brother and my sister should be here the day after tomorrow. I believe you should remain here, hidden, until Emerson returns. He’ll know what to do. If you wish, I can take your horse to the stables and have him housed there.”
“I prefer to keep him here if that’s all right.” Linc didn’t want to chance not having a form of escaping, if it came to it. “I’d greatly appreciate it if you could purchase some oats for him. I have money.”
Chapter Three
Jane wasn’t sure what to think. After supper Lincoln went outside and had not returned for over an hour. Torn between checking to ensure he wasn’t in trouble and not wanting to come across as overbearing, she forced herself to sit still and work on her sewing. Almost finished with new curtains for the bedroom window, she would be glad to get rid of the sheets Maddie had strung up temporarily. Once the set was complete, she’d start on another set for the other bedroom window. She let out a sigh. Sewing was not her favorite pastime, in her opinion about as boring as watching water boil.
Once again her gaze flickered to the back door. What could the man be doing that took him so long? He’d gotten several buckets of water and borrowed towels and a bar of soap. She expected, as grimy as he was, it would take more than that to clean up, so it was possible he’d been forced to get more water. Jane bit her lip to keep from giggling at the thought that he’d be better off going to a river and taking a swim.
Unable to stop herself, she put her sewing down and crept to the kitchen window. The small courtyard in the back of her house was enclosed by the rear of the schoolhouse building and a tall fence. She assumed it had been closed off so the younger children that came to class could go outside and the teacher not worry about them wandering off. It was a secluded place, she enjoyed it on warm days, sitting outside to drink a cup of tea and read in private.
Next to a wooden round tub stood Lincoln Gentry. Jane’s eyes widened at the sight. Fully nude, he lathered his body and hair. He had his eyes closed to keep the soap out, so she could look to her heart’s content without him knowing. With muscular arms and chest, as well as a flat stomach, he was a perfect specimen of a male physique. Her gaze traveled to his narrow hips, down to his muscular thighs. Ensuring his eyes were still closed, she continued to watch.
Without prompting, she locked on to the path his hands took, moving the soap down the center of his chest, his movements fast and fluid. Bar held in his right hand, he slid it to between his legs and washed up. Once again she ensured he did not catch her. Jane studied him further. Unfortunately the suds slid down his body to between his legs, so she could not get a good glimpse of his sex.
Her cheeks reddened and she started to turn away only to stop when he did and bent to pick up a pail to dip into the larger tub. “My goodness.” His bottom was perfectly formed, begging for her touch. Jane gulped down as much air as she could, mesmerized as she was by the water he poured over his head, envying the path of it sliding over his body. She stepped backwards from the window, not wanting to risk exposure. Her hand shook when she smoothed her hair back from her flushed face.
As much as she wanted to be ashamed, the heat that pooled between her legs and shortness of breath took priority. Jane dashed to her bedroom and picked up a small cloth. After dipping it in cold water, she ran it over her face and nape. Just as her breathing evened out, she heard the back door open. Now to pretend she had no idea what he looked like bereft of clothing.
“I’l
l be right out, please make yourself comfortable. There’s coffee in the kettle,” Jane called out. “If you need to put your things in the other bedroom, please feel free to.”
“Thank you. I will.” His footfalls went past her door to the next room. Jane waited for a few beats, hoping the redness of her cheeks subsided, but it seemed to get worse when once again he walked past. This was ridiculous. Just weeks ago she’d chastised Maddie for flirting and being too forward and here she was barely able to keep from passing out after spying on a man while he bathed.
Two knocks sounded. Jane jumped. “Yes?”
“Would you like some coffee as well?”
“No thank you. I’m having a cup of tea.” Jane went to the door and opened it. He’d walked to the larger room and she made her feet move to where she’d left her sewing. She kept her eyes downcast and reached for her chair.
“Are you all right?” Linc was closer than she suspected and when she whirled around she almost ran into him.
“Oh!” It was not his closeness that shocked her, it was his face. He’d combed his shoulder length hair back. The man was stunning. If she’d thought Emerson and Grant the most handsome men she’d ever seen, it was only because she’d not yet met Lincoln Gentry.
Lord help her. She’d invited him to stay with her. For two entire nights.
His dark eyes met with hers and she couldn’t stop from noticing how long his lashes were. His thick eyebrows lifted. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. It seemed like you were off balance.”
“Oh yes…well, I’m just a bit…tired.”
She was relieved when he moved away, allowing her space to sit and pick up her sewing. The cloth and thread were but blurs as she pretended interest in it. Head bent, she attempted a conversation. “Did I tell you Emerson and Maddie are going to live there right behind his office for the time being? Although it’s selfish of me, I am relieved. I can see my sister daily since she’ll be living so close.”
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