His Blessing in Disguise: A Western Historical Romance Novel

by Ava Winters

  “Jake,” one of the men called. “I told yah she’d bring trouble.”

  “Shut up, Gary!” Jacob bellowed.

  Peter’s eyes met Layla’s for a brief moment, and he could see her fear as she stared at him. Jacob’s arm was tight around her waist, bunching the fabric of her clothes around her delicate frame.

  “What will it be, McCarthy? You going to put down that gun, and your boys, too, or do things have to get ugly here?” Peter questioned firmly.

  “We both know you won’t shoot as long as I have Layla,” Jacob replied.

  “Why not?” Peter bluffed. “You having her makes the need to kill you even more necessary,” he pointed out through gritted teeth.

  One of the men inched toward a rifle. “That would be a mistake,” Eustace told him coolly as he trained his gun on the man’s head. The outlaw stopped in his tracks.

  “I’m waiting, McCarthy,” Peter called once more. “What will it be? We can make this easy. You give me Layla, and you boys can go free. You keep her, and someone’s bound to get hurt around here.”

  “And I hear jail in Colorado is a nasty place for the likes of you, given the number of charges you’re looking at,” Bill agreed. “It might even mean the noose for you.”

  “You send Layla over here, and maybe we forget the charges in Richstone and leave you to someone with jurisdiction,” Peter stated. “Up to you, McCarthy. Don’t forget, I can always add kidnapping to the charges you’re facing back in Richstone. If you boys come that way again, I might be forced to lock you up for the foreseeable future.”

  “Just let her go, Jake!” Gary said. He raised his hands slowly. “I’m not gettin’ killed for her.”

  “Neither am I.” Another man followed suit.

  “Looks like your boys have some smarts, after all,” Peter stated. “Now, are you going to have some and let her go?”

  Jacob glared at him. If looks could kill, Peter would’ve been dead several times over.

  “Give her over, Jake!” Gary called again. “She ain’t worth it.”

  Jacob growled in frustration. He stared at Peter and Peter stared back; still, he held Layla firm.

  Peter’s finger was itching, but he couldn’t risk taking the shot yet. If Jacob gave him the slightest opening, he would take it. “I’m getting pretty tired here,” he warned.

  “I suggest, if you boys want to get out of here, you do so now,” Bill put in. “If he doesn’t give her up, then you’re all gonna hang for kidnapping. If she gets hurt, we may have to push it up to attempted murder.”

  The outlaws looked stricken. There was only one penalty for attempted murder, and that was the gallows. Slowly, those who hadn’t put down their guns already began to lower their weapons.

  “We’ll give her over,” one said calmly. “You agree to let us go, and you can take her.”

  “Shut up! I make the decisions,” Jacob bellowed.

  “Doesn’t look like it, this time,” Peter replied. “Your men are being wise. They know there isn’t any good way out for them, except to let Layla go. The only one who doesn’t seem to get that is you.”

  “She’s my wife,” he replied.

  “I don’t want to be,” Layla stated firmly. She fixed her eyes on Peter, but Peter kept his focus on Jacob.

  “Shut up!” Jacob yelled.

  “Let me go, Jacob,” she continued. “Why would you want to keep me? All I’m going to do is make you miserable. I made that promise and you know I’ll keep it. If you let me go now, you might be able to live past today. If you don’t, then I don’t know what will happen to you. Please, Jacob. End this, here and now. Let me go.”

  Peter watched carefully as Jacob’s hand loosened from around Layla’s waist. Eventually, it fell from her entirely. “Get out of here!” he yelled as he shoved her forward. Layla stumbled but didn’t fall. Peter fought the urge to ride over and hit Jacob.

  “Put it down,” Bill demanded.

  Jacob lowered his gun and raised his hands in the air. Bill kept his gun on him, while Layla walked in Peter’s direction.

  “Come on up here,” he said as he extended his hand to her and helped her hoist herself onto the horse in front of him. He wrapped his arm protectively around her waist.

  “Now that everything’s settled. I think you boys should leave first,” Bill stated. “Just to make sure there’s no double-crossing.”

  The men didn’t need to be told twice. They were quick to pack their things together and get themselves on their horses. Only Jacob dawdled. He kept looking in Layla’s direction.

  “I expect that when you get the papers, you won’t give her any trouble about the divorce,” Peter called to him. “I’d hate to have to file those charges and give the law around here tips on where to find you.”

  Layla looked over her shoulder at him in surprise. It was no veiled threat; Peter would gladly sell Jacob out to the authorities. There was more than one way for Layla to be free of him. Divorce was one, but the gallows was another. It was up to Jacob to choose.

  Jacob’s expression was violent. “Whatever you want, Sheriff. If you can find me.”

  “I’ll find you,” Peter replied. “I found you this time, didn’t I?”

  “And we’ll be keeping a keen ear out for news of you,” Bill added. “If, at any time, any other law enforcement agency seeks our help, we would be honor and duty-bound to help them.”

  Jacob sneered. “You get them to me and I’ll sign them,” he growled as he swung his leg over the back of his horse. He gave Peter one final look of disdain before he and his boys took off. Peter watched them go until they were out of sight before he attempted to move.

  “Are you alright?” he asked Layla, lowering his gun.

  She nodded. “Better, now that you’re here. How did you find us?”

  “A tip,” Peter admitted. He looked her over carefully. She looked tired, but not too worse for wear.

  “Did he hurt you?” he asked tenderly, stroking the small mark on Layla’s cheek.

  “Nothing to worry about,” she said. “It was me who caused all the trouble. I kept fighting him about everything.”

  “You can tell me all about it when we get back to Richstone,” Peter told her. He turned the horse toward home.

  “I didn’t think you’d come, after everything,” Layla said softly.

  Peter felt a pang of guilt. “I almost didn’t,” he admitted. “When you left, I thought you wanted to go. If it hadn’t been for the miners coming to report what had happened with Jacob and his men, I might never have come.”

  “I’m so sorry, Peter. I should’ve told you the truth,” Layla replied. He could hear the tears in her words, but she kept her back to him.

  “You weren’t the only one to blame,” Peter assured her. “I kept trying to save you when you didn’t need saving. I kept trying to take control when you were trying to find your feet. I also let my pride get in the way. I didn’t want you to leave, but I didn’t want to chase you, either. I felt you owed it to me to show me how you felt.”

  “It wasn’t you, it was me,” she insisted. “Miss Annabelle told me to come clean with you, but I couldn’t. I was so scared that you’d hate me that I just—”

  “Hush,” Peter said gently as he pulled her closer to his body. “It doesn’t matter what happened before right now. You’re coming home, where you belong, and I’m never going to let you out of my sight again. Do you hear me?”

  Layla turned in his direction. Peter could see tears glistening on her cheek as she did so. She nodded.

  “We all make mistakes. Even me,” he confessed. “I thought I was going to prove myself and save you from everything, but the fact is, you saved me. I would have lived my life in misery and isolation if you hadn’t come into my life, Layla. You were the one who saved me from the life I was living and opened me up to possibilities.”

  “We saved each other,” she whispered.

  “So let’s not let each other go again,” Peter replied.

&nb
sp; Layla nodded silently and leaned back against him. Peter’s heart was at ease. He had her back and he knew the truth.

  Chapter Thirty

  Layla spent most of the next three days sleeping in Peter’s arms. It felt like the safest place in the world, and she never wanted to leave. They didn’t make camp. Peter was eager to get back to Richstone and Layla was, too. She had a lot to account for, and the first person she needed to come clean with was Peter.

  She made numerous attempts to talk to him during their trip home, but refused to hear it. He encouraged her to rest and for the most part, she did, but it was always in the back of her mind. What she’d said at their meeting wasn’t enough. A simple apology wasn’t enough. He deserved complete honesty, and it was about time he got that from her.

  The day they arrived in Richstone was a moment Layla would never forget. People watched them closely as they rode down the main street. Lucy and some of the other staff from the saloon came out to greet them. Most waved with smiles on their faces. Others had questioning glances. They wanted to know what had happened as much as Peter did.

  All of her fears had culminated in one event: her leaving. Now, she was going to have to face the truth—and everyone in Richstone along with it.

  Bill left them for home once they crossed the border of the town. His wife must have been worried about him. After all, those years sitting as sheriff of the town, he had finally retired only to find himself back out there chasing after Layla. What must his wife think of her?

  The new deputy didn’t say much along the way, and when they returned to town, he went directly to the sheriff’s office to see to matters there. She and Peter were left alone to make their way back to Annabelle’s.

  Layla remained perched in the saddle in front of Peter as they rode toward her home. Once again, she had nothing with her. She had left everything with Jacob and the wagon. It was as if she was starting over, one more time.

  When they arrived, Peter dismounted first to help her down. Layla braced her arms against his as he hoisted her to the ground and brought her to stand in front of him. Her hands slid up his arms and settled on his shoulders as her feet touched the dirt. “Thank you,” she said softly, lowering her hands.

  “You’re welcome,” Peter replied as he met her gaze.

  There was so much she wanted to say to him. They were back now, safe and sound, and everything inside of her wanted to just unleash the truth on him like a flood. She needed to unburden herself.

  “Peter, I need to talk to you about something. I need to say something to you—”

  “Not now,” he interrupted gently. “It’s been a long journey. You need to rest. We can talk about this in the morning.”

  “No,” she insisted. “I want you to hear this now. I’ve rested enough.”

  “Anything you have to say to me can wait,” Peter assured her. “I promise I’ll hear you, but I need to sort some things out first at the sheriff’s office.”

  It wasn’t what Layla wanted to hear, but she understood. “Yes, of course, you do. You are the sheriff,” she replied. He’d left his post and responsibility just to come after her. She wondered how the mayor felt about that. He had barely been appointed to the position and already, he was running off and leaving the town in the care of someone else.

  “I’ve caused you so much trouble,” she said sadly, and hung her head as shame began to wash over her. She’d caused trouble for so many people.

  “I don’t want to hear that,” Peter replied. “You’ve done a lot of things, but causing trouble isn’t one of them.”

  “How can you say that?” Layla asked incredulously.

  Peter smiled. “Because it’s true.”

  “Layla!”

  Annabelle’s voice interrupted their discourse. The older woman pulled the door opened abruptly and stepped outside. Immediately, she fell on Layla with a strong embrace.

  “Bless my soul,” she cried. “I was so worried he wasn’t gonna find yah,” she declared and hugged Layla tighter. “I started prayin’ the minute I heard Peter had gone out to get yah.”

  Layla wound her arms around the older woman’s back and embraced her in return. Peter stood watching, a large smile on his face. Layla smiled back at him.

  “I was so worried ‘bout yah,” Annabelle stated. “I thought I might never see yah again.”

  Layla patted Annabelle’s back as a sniffle filled the air.

  “I’m sorry I made you worry about me,” she replied. “I should have listened to you. I should have just done what you told me.”

  Annabelle pulled back to look at her. “Now, don’t you never mind that now. What’s the most important is that yer back safe and sound.” She turned to Peter. “Thank you for bringin’ my girl back.” Annabelle stepped toward Peter and hugged him, too. “Thank yah.”

  “You take care of her,” Peter replied. “I have to get back to the sheriff’s office, but I’ll be back later to check on you.”

  “Yah don’t have to worry,” Annabelle replied. “I’ll take care of her. She took Layla by the arm, almost as if she was trying to prevent her from escaping. Layla remained silent as Peter nodded in her direction and then got back on his horse.

  He was still riding down the street when Annabelle led her into the house. “Where are all yer things?”

  “Gone,” Layla replied distractedly.

  Annabelle sighed. “That doesn’t matter. We can always get yah new ones. As long as yer ‘ere, everythin’ will be alright.”

  Layla nodded. “I’m glad to be back.”

  Annabelle led her to the living room and sat her down on the small couch. “Tell me everythin’,” she insisted. “No, never mind. I don’t wanna know. I just wanna know what yer thinkin’ now. Are yah stayin’, fer good this time?”

  “I’m back for good,” Layla answered. “There’s no place I’d rather be.”

  Annabelle smiled at her. “That’s good to hear. I’ll go get started on some dinner, yah must be starved after such a long trip. Took yah days to get back here.”

  Layla watched as Annabelle got up and walked toward the kitchen. She turned back to look at her when she got to the door. “You go rest. I’ll have everythin’ ready when yah get up.”

  She didn’t want to argue. Everyone seemed to think she needed to rest, but Layla was all rested out. What she wanted to do was explain herself and come clean about everything that had happened. What she wanted was absolution. What she wanted was to know that the love she had wasn’t lost forever. That her mistakes hadn’t completely overshadowed what good she’d done. And she was going to have to wait for that.

  Layla made her way up to her room. Everything was where she’d left it, not that she expected Annabelle to have done much with it in her absence. It had been an abandoned room when Layla had first arrived. She expected that would be its end once she was gone. She felt good to be able to return to it.

  ************

  Annabelle went to bed the moment Peter arrived. It was late in the evening when he knocked on their door. Layla’s heart began to pound immediately and hadn’t stopped since. She was nervous and glad at the same time. She was happy he had come back that night; she wasn’t sure she could have held everything in until morning.

  He sat on one end of the couch while she sat on the other. She could feel the tension between them. She hated it, but she also knew it was her fault. Now, she had to fix it.

  “Are you sure I can’t get you anything?” she asked.

  “No. I’m fine,” Peter replied. He acted calm, but the muscles in his jaw gave him away as they twitched nervously while he watched her.

  “Alright,” Layla answered. She took a deep breath and met his gaze.

  Peter’s eyes were so beautiful. They were the color of fresh honey, and Layla loved to look at them. She didn’t know why, but she expected them to look different now, for him to look at her differently. He didn’t.

  “Peter,” she began. Her heart was pounding so loudly, she could barel
y hear her own voice. Her lips trembled as she spoke, but she had to do this. She had to say what was in her heart. “I’m sorry doesn’t even begin to explain how I feel.”

  “Layla…”

  “I made a mistake,” she continued, despite his interruption. She wasn’t going to let him stop her this time. “When I fell in love with you, I didn’t wanna lose you. I would do anything to not lose you. Then, Jacob appeared and I realized that everything I wanted might all go away. I hoped he would just let me go, but I understand now why he couldn’t.”