With the Lord on his side, Jesse knew he’d be able to accomplish anything.
HOPE’S HAND TREMBLED as she brought the teacup to her mouth and sipped the warm liquid before setting it back on the coffee table in front of her. Even with a blanket around her, she still didn’t feel the warmth she’d experienced from being in Jesse’s arms when he rescued her, and they walked home. Instead of taking her to the hotel and to her room, he brought her to the hotel he was staying at. His logic was that Frank probably didn’t know where Jesse’s lodgings were, but since the outlaw had entered Hope’s hotel, it was obvious that he knew where she was staying.
After building a small fire in the room’s hearth, wrapping Hope in a blanket, and fixing her tea, Jesse had left the room to head down to the lobby to send a telegraph to Graham and Evelynn, letting them know of Frank’s and Kate’s escape from jail.
She held Jesse’s gun as she waited for him to return, but even that weapon – along with her knife – didn’t make her feel safe. While tying her up, Frank had mentioned that with Hope and Jesse out of his way, he’d be able to achieve getting the mother lode. She didn’t exactly know what he meant, but she figured it had something to do with robbing a train. After all, that’s what he was good at.
It was disheartening to know that Frank had friends who were lawmen. After all, how else would he be able to break out of jail unless there was someone on the inside? She now suspected not only the sheriff, but his two deputies, as well. Hopefully, Jesse had the same suspicions and had let Archie Gordon know. If the lawmen in Colorado Springs were corrupt, then the Pinkerton agents needed to step in and fix this town.
The first thing she and Jesse would have to do was figure out if there was a train coming soon that carried a lot of money. That would be the one Frank was after. She and Jesse would stop the outlaw before he could even put his plans into motion.
At least she hoped.
The door handle rattled, and she lifted the gun, pointing it toward the unknown visitor. Once again, her hand trembled and she cursed her weakness. She was stronger than this, and she would overcome her fears soon. She had to in order to save her life, and the life of her Pinkerton agent husband.
The lock clicked open, letting her know that whoever was at the door had a key. It had to be Jesse. Then again, what if Frank had somehow injured – or killed – Jesse and took the room key?
Slowly, the door opened. “Hope, it’s me.”
Jesse’s soothing voice calmed her nerves and she expelled a nervous breath. He walked inside and quickly closed and locked the door behind him.
“Were you followed?” she wondered, still believing that Frank was somewhere out there watching them and waiting for another time to pounce.
“Not that I could see.” Jesse sat next to her on the loveseat. He caressed her cheek. “How are you feeling?”
She managed a small smile. “Better.” She sighed. “But Frank is still out there, which means I’m never going to feel safe until he is locked away for good.”
Jesse took the gun from her and placed it on the table next to her teacup. He turned toward her and gently grasped her hands, slowly rubbing warmth back into her body. “You need to tell me everything Frank said in the saw mill.”
She nodded. “I’d asked him how he got out of jail, and he said he had many friends.” She tightened her grasp on Jesse’s fingers. “We need to have Archie Gordon investigate the lawmen here in Colorado Springs. I have a feeling one or more of them are crooked.”
Jesse nodded. “When I sent the telegraph to the agency, I did mention that.”
She sighed with relief. “Good.”
“What else did Frank say?”
“He led me to believe he knew you’d come rescue me.”
Jesse arched an eyebrow. “And you didn’t think I would?”
Her heart fluttered slightly. She had wanted to believe he would, and while she was on the table inching closer to the buzz saw, she anticipated that moment when he would arrive. “Of course, I did. But Frank knew it, too, as if...” She paused and frowned. “As if Frank had set us both up for being at the mill at the same time.”
“I wonder why he’d do that.”
She shrugged. “Frank had mentioned that he wanted us out of his way to prepare for the mother lode. I could only assume it was a train since that’s what he has been robbing lately.”
“Unless...” Jesse’s expression turned serious. “What if Frank is aiming for something bigger, which is what mother lode implies.”
“Like a bank?”
Jesse nodded. “Like a bank.”
“One here in town?”
“Possibly. The biggest bank in town is First Cornerstone. It was the first bank set up in Colorado Springs’ too.”
“But that doesn’t explain why Frank would want us both at the saw mill at the same time, especially if he knew you would rescue me.”
Jesse grew silent as he stared into her eyes. Soon, he lifted from the loveseat and paced the floor. As she watched him, she realized how enjoyable it was to see him like this. It was as if she could practically see the wheels turning inside his head. He was a brilliant thinker, and he had come up with some intelligent plans of catching outlaws during her training months.
She also enjoyed looking at his handsome form. He’d always been well dressed, even when wearing jeans and dusty boots. His hair was always combed and his face, clean-shaven. Jesse Slade was definitely one man who could made her sigh dreamily... But of course, she wouldn’t do that.
“I’ll need to contact Graham and Evelynn,” he said. “If Hinchee is going to rob a bank, the Morgans have tackled cases like that before. They’ll know what to look for.”
Groaning with distaste, she folded her arms and scowled. “We don’t need their help. We can figure this out ourselves.”
Jesse’s gaze met hers. “Not if we have never arrested a bank robber and they have.”
“I doubt it’s that different from a train robber.” She paused as a thought popped in her mind. “Which reminds me, why were they helping with our case last night? Archie assigned it to us, not them.”
Jesse moved to the window and looked outside. “I had been talking to Graham the other day and mentioned that you were working on Frank’s case. Graham hinted that Frank’s case tied in with the one he and Evelynn were working on.” Shrugging, Jesse turned his head to look at Hope. “I can only assume they knew something we didn’t, which is why they showed up.”
“But you acted like you suspected them to come.”
He shrugged. “I hadn’t really, but when they did, it wasn’t a surprise.”
“Well, if you ask me, we could have handled it without them.”
“Except for getting them to jail,” Jesse said. “After all, your horse was nowhere to be found, and we only had mine and Frank’s.”
Inwardly, Hope boiled. Why did Jesse always have to point out the little details? “Even if we had to stay at the Hinchee’s cabin all night, we still would have gotten them to jail today.” She shook her head. “I refuse to believe the Morgans came to our rescue, because we are not helpless.”
His expression turned stern and he took fast steps back to the loveseat and plopped down beside her. “They didn’t rescue us, Hope. They assisted in a case. That’s all.”
She frowned. “You don’t need to take their side.”
Jesse blew out a long breath as he stared into her eyes. “Hope, why do you always have to find something to argue about? Why can’t you just be grateful and look at the positive side of this? Without their help, it would have taken us longer to drag the Hinchees into town, and who knows what would have happened then? Can’t you just be happy that the Morgans are people who enjoy helping others?”
“Well,” Hope gasped, “I can’t believe my own husband would talk to me in such a manner.” She wasn’t sure which was more painful, his words or the sting slicing her heart in two.
“It would be different if you actually thought of me as y
our husband, but you don’t. Do you know how much it hurts that my own wife doesn’t care enough to think of me as a man?”
She snorted, feeling very uncomfortable with this subject. “Of course I think of you as a man. You’re definitely not a woman.”
“No, Hope.” He cupped her face. “A real man. For once, I want you to know what it’s like to have a real man kiss you like a husband would.”
Her heart flipped crazily as she watched his mouth descend on hers. The suddenness of it all was startling, but what was even more shocking was that the warmth that had disappeared because of her near-death experience at the saw mill had finally returned. The warmth filling her now was exactly what she’d been craving, and for the life of her, she didn’t want it to go away.
SEVEN
Jesse really shouldn’t be kissing her right now, especially since he was still very frustrated. Yet, that’s what happened when she made him so confused. Sometimes, he didn’t know if he wanted to shake some sense into her, or just kiss her passionately, like now.
Hope pressed her hands against his chest, and yet, she wasn’t trying to stop him. At least, not yet. Instead, her lips softened beneath his and her body relaxed. The rage building inside him had calmed considerably, and now all he wanted to do was make the best of the situation. She couldn’t close the door in his face as she’d done last night.
As he gently pushed her back against the cushions, he moved his hands from her face to circle around her as he held her closer. So far, the kiss was lasting longer than it had the previous night. Knowing this encouraged him more.
He tilted his head and urged her to relax more and follow his lead. She did, so he deepened the kiss. A heavy sigh rattled from her throat, and at the moment, her whole body relaxed so much he wondered if she had fainted. However, the way she participated in the passionate kiss let him know she was most definitely alert.
Never had a kiss felt more explosive as the one he was experiencing now, and never had he wanted a woman more than he wanted Hope. Could her response be the answer he’d been searching for?
She was the one to break the kiss, but all she did was tilt her head back as she took deep and slow breaths. Her eyes were closed, and it appeared that she was smiling with satisfaction. He grinned, but he didn’t want to stop their contact, so he moved his mouth to her neck, continuing the kisses over her skin. Another sigh escaped her, but she still didn’t push him away.
“Jesse,” she whispered huskily. “I think... we should... stop.”
He wanted to convince her otherwise, so he trailed his kisses back up and to her face, leaving soft brushes of his lips over her mouth, nose, and then her eyes, before returning to her mouth. “Why?”
“Frank...”
Jesse chuckled softly but didn’t break the kiss. “Now is not the time... to think about... the outlaw,” he said in between kisses.
“We need to... catch him.”
“We will, but not right now. Kissing a beautiful, passionate woman is much more enjoyable.”
This time when he deepened the kiss, she responded with urgency. The hands that were still on his chest were now clutching at the material as if trying to bring him closer. He decided to let her take control and follow her lead. Heat filled him quickly from the wildness of her kiss.
Jesse wanted to believe she was finally feeling the same emotion that had been growing inside of him since they were married, but he didn’t dare jump ahead. Not until he heard it from her. Knowing Hope, it would be like pulling teeth to get her to admit anything. It was still too soon to tell her he loved her even if it was on the tip of his tongue to confess now.
The gunshot blast coming from outside the window ruined the mood and jerked him out of the passionate moment. Jesse jumped off the piece of furniture and snatched his gun from the coffee table before rushing to the nearest window. Out in the street, a crowd had gathered around someone lying in the middle of the road.
Immediately, Jesse recognized the man’s messy red hair.
“What’s going on?” Hope asked in a voice that was still affected from their passionate kiss.
She stood beside him at the window, and when she gasped loudly, Jesse knew she had recognized the person lying still. He turned to her and clutched her hand until her gaze met his.
“Stay here. This might be a trap.” He gave her his gun. “I’ll be right back.”
He couldn’t move as he stared at the lovely woman next to him with swollen lips and red cheeks. Her brown eyes were darker than he’d ever seen them before, but they were hypnotically keeping him from moving. This was the first time he’d seen her this way, and he wanted to memorize everything.
“No, you take this gun.”
She tried to push it back into his hand, but he shook his head. “I have another one.”
“Please... stay safe.” She lifted up and kissed his mouth.
His heart sang as a smile stretched across his face. He could die right now and still be the happiest man on earth.
“I’ll be right back,” he told her before grudgingly moving away and leaving the hotel room.
Minutes later, he was on the street, pushing through the crowd toward Frank. When he reached the outlaw, a doctor was already on the scene. Frank was shot in the shoulder, and he’d lost a lot of blood. When Frank fell to the ground, he had hit his head on a rock, which was the reason he was knocked unconscious.
Jesse stood over Frank, watching the man and the doctor carefully. Frank had fooled the Pinkerton agents once, and Jesse was determined not to let it happen again. After all, what were the odds that Frank would be injured when not even an hour ago, he had tied Hope to the saw mill and stood back and waited for Jesse to save her? Indeed, things were not adding up and he wouldn’t believe anything at face-value anymore when it came to this outlaw. Until the man had his trial, Jesse would suspect anything.
HOPE NEEDED TO CLEAR her mind and being around Jesse wasn’t the way to do it. She’d convinced him that she needed to return to her own hotel room now that Frank was in the hospital. Jesse had assured her that a Pinkerton agent would stand guard near the prisoner until the outlaw was healed and then the agent would personally escort him back to jail and stay with him. Archie Gordon had already lined up several agents to sit outside Frank’s hospital room around the clock. That made Hope feel safer than before, thankfully.
But just as her husband was suspicious, so was she. It was too coincidental, and Hope didn’t believe in coincidences. That was the very reason she spent the next two days asking questions all over town. Jesse did as well, but they were not together during these times. The memory of his saddened expression when she told him she didn’t want to be with him while they followed up on their suspicions nearly broke her heart.
Jesse didn’t need to tell her that he had feelings for her. It was obvious by the way he looked at her and the way he kissed her. She didn’t know how to tell him that she didn’t want to fall in love again. Not with him – or anyone. The pain was too much to bear.
Hope went to the three banks in Colorado Springs to ask questions, but there wasn’t anything that made her believe they would get robbed, or that they were the mother lode. She checked out other places around town that might earn a lot of money, and except for the brothel, she couldn’t think of any place that would carry that much money at one time.
Jesse had checked in with her from time to time to catch her up on what he’d been doing. Unfortunately, he was coming up empty, too. He had dropped in at the train station to see if they were planning to transfer money or gold from one city to the other by train, but the train company wouldn’t give them the answers he needed. Jesse had said the man didn’t look as if he was holding something back, either.
They were back to square one. Was Frank still planning on trying to escape once he was out of the hospital? This time, they’d put the man in chains and hide the key. Even his wife and son had disappeared. Indeed, something was going to happen very soon.
On the th
ird day, Hope decided to try something different. This time when she went out into town, she’d disguise herself as she used to do when Jesse had first started training her. She still had her wigs and her clothing. Today she’d dress as an orphaned young man. The last time she dressed this way, it surprised her how most people didn’t look directly at her. She’d actually been able to get into places that Jesse hadn’t been given access to, and she’d overheard conversations that most people didn’t think she was listening to.
The wig she used was a ratted dirty blonde. The ragged clothes she wore made her appear thinner than normal, mainly because she wrapped a bandage around her bosom to help hold it in. The man’s overcoat was two sizes too big, as were the boots, but it fit her character perfectly. She wrapped an old brown scarf around her neck to hide the womanly curve of her throat.
She filled a small leather pouch with some coins and stuffed it in the pocket of the overcoat before leaving her hotel room and making her way out the servant’s back stairs and out the back of the building. Once outside, she found the dirt needed to rub on her face and hands. The dirtier she looked, the better she’d fit in so that people would ignore her.
The first place she went was the millinery shop. Hope had learned quickly that the best place to overhear gossip was the shops that only women visited.
Hope found a spot to sit on the boardwalk near the front door. She shuffled cards in order to appear occupied, keeping her face down the whole time. Several groups of women went in and out of the shop, but three hours later, Hope had learned nothing.
The next place she visited was the saloon. Jesse would have a fit if he knew she was in here. Then again, he was the one who had trained her, so he couldn’t be too upset. She ordered some ale and pretended to sip the vile drink as she sat at a table nearest to the saloon’s main counter. Once again, she shuffled cards, but this time, she eyed every man that walked into the establishment.
An Agent for Hope Page 5
