Laura stood tall as she stepped back and examined her handiwork. The room was crisp, clean and beautiful.
After James’s trial, Laura had moved from Denver to Leadville, where she had opened her own boardinghouse. It wasn’t your usual sort of boardinghouse. Rather, it was meant for women like herself, women who were out of options and had no place to stay. It was so easy for men like James to catch up with their supposedly errant wives. The law was always on the husband’s side. A fact Laura knew only too well, considering all the times she’d tried to escape James’s clutches. Well, it hadn’t been all that many times. She’d learned rather quickly that running did her no good. And so she’d lived her life in meek acceptance because anything else seemed far too frightening.
Laura moved to the next room to pick up the rumpled sheets from the bed she’d already changed. Fortunately the last two boarders had left under good circumstances. They’d gone to stay with relatives who could support and protect them.
For once, Laura’s boardinghouse was empty. On one hand, she’d miss the company, but on the other hand, it was nice to have a break.
As Laura went down the steps, carrying the bundle of laundry, she saw someone on her front porch.
Owen Hamilton.
Funny that Laura had just been thinking about him, and here he was, standing on her doorstep. With sandy blond hair that hung in shaggy waves around his face and blue eyes that probably pierced even the most hardened criminal’s heart, Owen was still as devastatingly handsome as ever. True, his hair was longer and more unkempt, and he’d grown an equally unkempt beard, with rugged clothes to match, but there was no mistaking those warm eyes. Most people wouldn’t recognize him. Except for someone who’d grown to trust those eyes.
Even when Laura had been under his protection all those months ago, she’d felt a strange pull to him. There was something about Owen that drew her in a way she couldn’t explain. However, Owen had always been extremely professional. And so Laura kept Owen in that special place in her heart where all those schoolgirl crushes resided. Something to be sighed over with friends, but never acted upon.
She’d exercised such poor judgment in marrying James, thinking he loved her when he’d only loved her money. Back when they were courting, she’d thought him different from all the other men of her acquaintance. His character seemed above reproach. Back then, she’d mistaken the little ways he’d tried to control her as concern or caring. Of course, it hadn’t been until after they’d been married that he’d first hit her.
Entertaining romantic notions about anyone else... Laura couldn’t fathom doing such a thing except in the secret places of her heart. Her judgment was too poor, and even if someone as honorable as Owen declared his undying love for her, could she believe it to be true?
Laura opened the door and smiled at him. “It’s so nice to see you. What brings you here?”
Owen didn’t smile back. Unfortunately, that lack of smile told Laura everything she needed to know.
“I already heard. The sheriff was here to see me.”
“Good. Then we don’t have to waste time on explanations and small talk.”
“It’s not as though you’ve ever made a social visit before.” She sounded harsh, and she knew it, but after her short reminiscence about him, it stung to realize that he’d simply moved on with his life after the time they’d shared.
He took a step back as though she’d slapped him with the truth. In a way, it felt good to make him feel that way. After all, all those months in Denver, awaiting James’s trial, and the connection Laura had thought they’d shared... But when Owen had moved from Denver to Leadville, he hadn’t once come to visit her. She’d known he was in town, had even waved to him from across the church, but he hadn’t come to call. Even with their mutual friends, Laura was surprised at how little their paths crossed. No one brought up Owen in conversation, and it wouldn’t have been right for Laura to mention him either. It was as though their friendship in Denver had never happened.
Which was why Laura knew anything she felt for Owen was simply a schoolgirl infatuation. To Owen, Laura was just another case. Any thought she had that there might be something romantic was just a foolish notion, best put aside for someone who had more sense about the ways of women and men than she had.
“I suppose I should apologize for that,” Owen said. He shifted his weight uneasily on the porch. “The truth is, I don’t know what to say to you. I mean, we’re not...supposed to...become friends...with the people we’re hired to protect.”
Laura’s heart twisted, and her mouth opened to give a retort back, but then she realized he was only speaking the truth. Any implied gestures of friendship were just that—implied. Further proof that Laura couldn’t trust herself when it came to her heart.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. That was unkind of me.” She softened her expression and started again. “Would you like to come in?”
Owen gave a quick nod. “I think that would be best.”
There was a stiffness to Owen that hadn’t been there before. He was more formal, like her comment about his job had wounded him or perhaps had just reminded him of the truth. She truly had thought they’d become friends. Laura and Owen had been able to talk for hours, and sometimes at night, when Laura could not sleep for fear of the nightmares overtaking her, Owen would open the door to the hallway outside her room and sit with her. He on the chair outside the door, and she on a chair inside, so that no one could question the propriety of his actions.
As Laura stared at the lines on his face, she noted that new ones had formed where previously there been smooth skin. What had happened to him in the past year or so? Then, with a pang, she realized that in all of their talks, it had mostly been about her. She didn’t know anything about Owen Hamilton. Well, she knew that he liked his coffee strong and black. That when focused on a task, he seemed to be able to shut out everything else around him. He laughed at her jokes, which no one else seemed to understand. And he was kind, always thinking about her needs and putting himself out to make sure she had every comfort he could possibly provide. But anything else about him? Laura couldn’t say.
Where was he from originally? How long had he been a lawman? Why had he become a lawman? She couldn’t claim to know anything about his family or his hobbies outside of his work.
No wonder he considered her a job and not a friend. And no wonder Laura was so clueless when it came to matters of the heart. She would do better in the future to remember that any feelings she might be developing were based on her ignorance, not anything real.
Laura smiled at him and gestured toward the sofa in the parlor. “Please sit down. If you’ll give me a moment, I can find some refreshments. It won’t take long to make a pot of coffee.”
Owen shook his head. “As you’ve already surmised, this isn’t a social call. We need to get you somewhere safe.”
“What do you mean, ‘somewhere safe’?”
“James wants you dead. This is the first place he’ll look.”
Laura shook her head. “Maybe, but what he wants more than my death is his freedom. He can’t have enjoyed all that time in prison. Some of his associates are already in Mexico. He’ll go there.”
Information she’d already given the sheriff, which is why it seemed strange to have Owen here. He should know this already.
Owen looked at her like she was still the helpless woman he’d once protected. “You underestimate him. You destroyed James’s pride in the worst way. He’s coming after you. A man as arrogant as James is going to think that he can come to town unnoticed, kill you, then go on his way.”
Determination set in Laura. She wasn’t that woman anymore. The woman James had married didn’t exist anymore, much of that thanks to Owen. Besides, she knew James better than Owen did. “James isn’t stupid. He’s got to know that this is the first place the law will come looking.”
At the core, that’s the only thing that gave her hope that she’d be safe. James always took the easy way out, which was why he’d killed his mistress rather than have his infidelity exposed. But to kill someone he’d publicly threatened, who would surely be guarded...that was too complicated for a man like him.
Owen looked like he disagreed with Laura’s assessment, like she had no clue what she was up against. She squared her shoulders and looked him in the eye.
“Even if he does come after me, I still remember all the things you taught me. I keep a gun in my nightstand drawer. And just like you showed me, every now and again, I go out and practice shooting it.”
Owen continued staring at her like she was an ignorant child. “A gun gives a person a false sense of safety. Many a fool has gotten killed thinking a gun was all they needed to stay safe. James is coming after you, and that itty-bitty gun of yours isn’t enough to save you.”
“You’re the one who gave me that gun!” Now she was starting to get offended. Why had he even bothered to teach her these things if he didn’t think her capable of taking care of herself?
“Yes, ma’am, I did. And I’m glad I gave it to you. I have no doubt that it has given you a great deal of comfort, knowing that you have the ability to protect yourself. But you aren’t protecting yourself against an ordinary villain, and you know it. James is the worst kind of villain, and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants...or he’s dead.”
Though Owen’s words had some logic to them, he’d forgotten that Laura had been married to James for nearly ten years. She of all people knew what he was capable of, and Owen still treated her like she knew nothing.
“But James doesn’t know that I’ve moved to Leadville. He won’t know where to find me. Even if he does, Leadville is in the complete opposite direction of where he’ll be headed. He won’t waste that much time in search of me.”
Owen looked at her like she was an idiot. “You don’t think he can read a newspaper? Even I’ve seen the ads for your boardinghouse. It’s noble of you, making sure women know that they have a place to go when they’re in danger from their husbands. But this house, it isn’t safe. Any determined man can get in and hurt the people inside.”
He looked around the room as if to take in the surroundings and judge them. She tried to see it through his eyes. The pretty glass vase full of flowers could easily be used as a weapon. The windows, while locked shut, could be broken and someone could come in. As much as Laura hated to admit it, Owen was right. Not just about James, but about the fact that all this time she’d given herself a false sense of security.
“So what now?” Laura sighed as she sat in her favorite chair. How had she gone from feeling strong to being so helpless in so short a time?
“You’ll come with me. I’ll take you somewhere safe, where James can’t find you. You’ll stay there until the authorities capture him and put him back in prison.”
“How long will that take?” Just because she felt helpless didn’t mean she had to act that way. Or let Owen make decisions without giving her all the information.
“I don’t know. My hope is that they get him before he ever arrives in Leadville. But so far, all we have is dead bodies to let us know where he’s been, and where we think he’s going.”
Which sounded an awful lot like Owen was trying to get her to act on her fear of James when Laura had moved beyond that phase of her life. She wasn’t going to live in fear of what James might do.
“So he’s not here yet?”
“Not yet. But he’s coming.”
Laura took a deep breath. “Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe. You’ll know when we get there.”
More lack of information and the expectation that Laura was the helpless woman she’d once been. However, these days, she had more to worry about than just her own comfort. “But what about my boardinghouse? The women who stay here need me.”
Owen looked around the room again. “Doesn’t look like you have any boarders right now.”
“Not right now, but I’m expecting some soon.”
“They’ve made reservations?”
Laura hated the way he pried into her business like he knew it. But as she looked into those deep blue, knowing eyes, she saw that it was futile to argue. He was the law. He probably already had all that information.
“All right, I’m not expecting anyone in particular. But you know how these things work. My house is empty one day, and the next day it is full of people needing a place to stay. I can’t just leave. What if someone needs me?”
She stood and crossed her arms, glaring at him. He had to see that she’d changed. That she could take care of herself if need be.
“You can’t help someone if you’re dead.”
A good point and Owen’s satisfied expression told her that he knew it. He always knew these things, and it seemed useless to argue. Except...she couldn’t just leave.
Somehow running away felt a lot like giving up the hard-won strength she’d developed since being on her own.
“Can’t you stay here with me until we know he’s been apprehended?”
Owen shook his head. “That’s not possible. I have obligations that require me to be elsewhere.”
His answer made something in Laura snap. It wasn’t right that everyone else expected Laura to do the bending. Meek, biddable Laura. A woman who no longer existed.
And if Owen thought she was still that woman, well, maybe she wasn’t the only one misjudging someone else.
“So this is actually about you and your obligations, not about keeping me safe.”
Owen let out a long sigh like he’d finally gotten irritated with all of Laura’s questions. Back when he’d protected her before, she’d easily acquiesced to everything he wanted. She’d easily acquiesced to everything in her life. She’d been the most agreeable person anyone knew. However, over the past several months, Laura had learned that she had an opinion on a lot of things. She didn’t quickly agree to every suggestion people gave her. She didn’t let people tell her what to do. Instead, she took the time to think about what she wanted. When she finally got out from under James’s thumb and had been able to create a life for herself, Laura had decided that she wasn’t going to ever again do anything she didn’t want to do.
If Owen thought she was going to simply do what he wanted, well, that was too bad.
“I’m sorry to inconvenience you, but I believe I’ll stay here.”
“This isn’t a negotiation,” Owen said. “The only option you have is to come with me.”
Chapter Two
Riding on a horse with Owen, leaving her boardinghouse, made Laura feel more like a coward than she ever had. She’d finally learned to stand up to James, and here she was, running from him. Worse, she hadn’t even felt like she’d had a choice but to go with Owen. How had she become so helpless again?
“You could have at least let me say goodbye to my friends,” she said, not bothering to hide the anger in her voice. “And what about my boardinghouse?”
Owen had only given her enough time to pack a bag. Even then, he’d stood above her, telling her what she could and couldn’t bring. While the rational part of her reminded herself that he was a lawman who knew what he was doing, the woman who had made so many strides in becoming independent resented his interference.
Funny how just hours ago, she’d been entertaining the foolish thought that he might have had some personal interest in her. Maybe she wasn’t a good judge of character, but she at least knew the signs of a bully. She’d been married to the worst of them, so for Owen to be so forceful with her, perhaps it was just as well that he’d never given her any indication that their relationship was anything more than professional. She wouldn’t risk getting her heart involved with a man who showed such obvious signs of needing to have power and be in control. At least that was one area where L
aura could remain strong.
“I told you, Will has arranged for some of the ladies at church to help out with the boardinghouse.”
“How would he have had time to do that already? James only escaped this morning.”
“We agreed when he sent me to get you, that he would talk to his wife, Mary, and she would rally the ladies. I have no reason to doubt his word.”
Owen made a sound with his mouth that Laura had never heard before. But his horse seemed to understand what it meant because it sped up.
Laura clung tighter to Owen’s back, hating the impropriety of riding double with a man, but knowing it was the only option. Though it seemed inconceivable that a woman of her age couldn’t ride a horse, she’d never had a reason to ride until now. She’d always had carriages, and her parents had thought riding too dangerous a pursuit for young ladies.
And at this speed, Laura could see why.
“Do we have to go so fast?”
This time, the noise Owen made before speaking was one Laura knew all too well. Let him be irritated. Hadn’t he been irritating her?
“As a matter of fact, we do. I’m deliberately taking a convoluted route to our destination so that if anyone has been following us, or tries tracking us, they’ll be lost for sure. However, we have a lot of ground to cover if we are going to make it there by dark.”
It had been the most he had said to her in a while. She should have been grateful for the information, and in the past, it would have been enough. But now that Laura had taken control of her own life, it seemed foolish to blindly trust this man, even though she’d done so before.
“When are you going to tell me where we’re going? You said at the house you couldn’t tell me because you didn’t want anyone who might be eavesdropping to overhear. We’re in the middle of nowhere. Surely you can tell me now.”
Honor-Bound Lawman Page 2
