Charity (Brides of the Rio Grande Book 4)

by Peggy McKenzie

  She pushed the thought out of her mind and told herself she was crazy. Of course, he wouldn't. That kind of kiss would scare that little gingham-wearing baker woman half to death, wouldn’t it?

  She wasn't certain what to think about Miles and Selina’s…whatever it was they had, but deny it as he would, Charity sensed they had history and she was going to find out exactly what that history consisted of and how deep his feelings for the woman went.

  Finally home, she took off her shawl and hung it on the hall tree by the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?" She could really use someone to talk to in times like these. Since her sisters were busy with families of their own, the only person she could rely on was Aggie, But the house was quiet as a tomb. Not the best analogy she could use under this week’s circumstances, but it fit. She would just have to wait until Aggie and Hiram returned home and then she would tell them what a mess she had made of things already.

  Miles finished his rounds under a cloud of fury. He had been shocked to see Charity kissing Ben Carter on the street. He didn't trust the man and he was pretty sure neither should Charity. And how could she kiss a stranger after their kiss this morning. What had she learned in that school back East anyway? Did they teach women how to go around kissing men all day? He shook his head in disgust.

  But after his declaration that Selina Watson wasn't any of Charity's business, he knew Charity was hell bent on retaliation.

  He had deliberately gone into the bakery even though he had no reason to be there. It was then Selina reminded him that he was expected at her house tonight. He didn't want to go. No good could come from it. How could he get out of it gracefully without hurting Selina's feeling?

  The sight of Charity in the arms of Carter made him want to punch something. Memories of this morning's kiss pumped sexual tension through his veins and it made him cranky.

  "Hello, sheriff. You look like you've had a breakfast of iron nails. Hard on your teeth don't you think?

  He turned to see Doc Howard walking a few steps behind him. "I'm not in the mood, Doc."

  "That's obvious. Need an ear?" The man offered.

  "No. Yes. I don't know." He wasn't usually this rattled. Leave it to that red-head to turn his world upside down and she had wasted no time in doing it either.

  "Sounds like a yes to me. Come on. We can talk in my office."

  Miles followed the doc down the street, into the alley and into the man’s office. He watched Doc pull the shades down to cover the windows and lock the door before he sat and offered Miles a cup of coffee.

  "No, thanks. It makes me—"

  "Jittery. Yeah, I remember."

  Doc poured himself a cup and raked his fingers through his tousled hair. "Mrs. Armstrong went into labor yesterday afternoon. This morning around three, her husband woke me up banging on the door said his wife needed me. All she needed me for was hold her hand. Mother Nature did the rest, but it made them feel better that I was there, so that's what I'm here for, I guess, although it's rough on a man’s sleep." Doc laughed and sipped his coffee.

  Miles sat and watched the man open a journal and write a couple of notes before he closed it and turned his full attention to him.

  "Okay, it's obvious you are upset about something. Might make you feel better if you share it."

  Miles sat and studied the man back. He could just deny it and pretend the man was imagining things. The truth was, he wasn't and Miles could use some advice for another self-proclaimed bachelor.

  "Damn it, Doc. That woman is back in town less than a week and she's stirring up trouble right and left. I don't know what to do about it." Miles stood and paced around the room.

  "By woman, I'm assuming you are talking about Charity?"

  "Of course. What other woman is there?" Miles demanded to know.

  "Exactly. What other woman is there?" Doc's cryptic message penetrated his confusion and made him stop and look at the doctor’s face.

  "You’re talking about Selina."

  "I’m talking about both. It is well-known around town that you and Selina have been courting the last year—"

  "There is no courting, Doc. I might escort her to a dance now and then and I’ve had supper at her aunt’s house once or twice, but that’s the end of it. If there’s anything well-known around town, then that’s all her. I've made it clear from the very beginning that I'm not the marrying kind. “Damn it,” he rubbed his hand over his face.

  “What is it?” Doc asked and took another sip of coffee.

  “She wants me to come over tonight to ‘talk’ over supper.”

  “What did you say to that?”

  “Well, I agreed. But I didn’t want to. She insisted and I couldn’t…say no.”

  “Do you think that’s a wise idea considering the other woman in town might catch wind of it. She’s a force to be reckoned with when she’s put out with someone. In this case, that would be you,” Doc Howard was teasing him now.

  “I’m just gonna have to set Selina straight. Again. I’ve told her before that there is no future for us. I’ll just have to remind her again tonight at supper."

  "And what about Charity? Is there a future there?" Doc set his cup down, tented his fingers together and rested his chin on them. "Come sit down. You can think better that way."

  Miles stopped his pacing and did as the doc asked. He didn't answer the man's question right away. His immediate response was 'no, hell no, there's no future' but his gut still clung to the possibility. Why?

  Doc waited. The man was nothing if not patient. Miles supposed he had to be in his profession of doctorin’.

  "Why have you never married, Doc?" Miles blurted.

  His eyebrows raised in surprise above his dark eyes at the change of direction Miles’ question posed.

  "If you don't mind my asking." Miles added not wanting to appear nosey.

  "I don't mind. My profession doesn't really allow for that kind of commitment. A wife would always take second place over my patients." He commented. His tone was matter-of-fact, but Miles sensed there was more behind his words even though his demeanor was one of indifference.

  "But that doesn't really answer my question, now does it?"

  He frowned at Miles as if confused. "I thought it did."

  "You laid out the pecking order between your career and a wife. But why haven't you ever fallen in love?" Miles pushed.

  The man sitting across from him smiled and lowered his gaze. "Who said I haven't?"

  "Well you aren't married, so I just assumed..."

  "Are you saying if you knew you were in love with someone, you would marry them?"

  Miles sat back and thought about doc's comment. How could he answer that? He had some pretty strong feelings for Charity, but was it love or lust? Either way, his path had been cast in stone and he couldn't marry now no matter what his feelings turned out to be.

  "No, I'm not saying that, but my job is a little different from yours. You save lives. Sometimes, I take them. My line of work is dangerous. And sometimes people around me can even get… killed."

  "Ah, now we have the crux of the matter." Doc sat back in his chair and smiled.

  "Crux of what matter?" Miles saw the look of understanding on Doc’s face. What had he said that gave himself away?

  "You can't admit you have feelings for Charity because you think it's too dangerous for her, but wasn't she the one who shot the train robber? I could understand your hesitation if Selina was the one you wanted, but Charity? She's your match if ever I've seen one, sheriff."

  "She can still get killed." Miles said the words out loud and the thought hit him in the chest.

  "So can anyone, Miles. I've had perfectly healthy women die in childbirth along with their babies. Death can come anywhere and at any time to the ones we love. You can't avoid that. No one can."

  "I guess I know that. It's just that some jobs are more prone to disaster than others."

  "I take it you've had that sort of trauma in your life and it has made a profound
mark upon you, but you can't just check out of life, Miles."

  "Isn't that what you've done?" Miles tossed the accusation back at him.

  The man sitting across from him seemed to consider his answer for a minute before he answered. He shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe. Maybe not. Or maybe it's because I haven't found a woman that has had the same experiences in life that I have."

  "What does that mean?"

  "Look, I've seen a lot of sad things in my life. Some affecting me directly and some that happened to people I cared about. Take Charity for example. Now that's a woman who can get behind you and have your back at a moment's notice. And I don't mean with a gun either, although I’m certain she could do that too if the need arose.

  "Charity understands what the pain of loss feels like. She and her sisters grew up in an orphanage where loss was an everyday occurrence. We've all lost people, Miles. But that doesn't have to mean those losses diminish your opportunities for your future."

  "How can I do that to her? She's tough on the outside, but she's vulnerable on the inside. How can I jeopardize her life—her happiness—because she wants to be a part of mine?"

  "Have you ever thought of giving up your job? Maybe do something else that wasn't so dangerous?" Doc asked.

  Miles had thought about it. Many times. "Yeah, I've thought about it, but...but it won't matter at this point whether I give it up or not. I've been a lawman for the last ten years. Louisiana. Texas. And now here. In all that time, I've made enemies of some real bad people. It wouldn't take much for one of those murdering excuses for a human to come after me or...someone I loved. I wouldn’t be that hard to find you know."

  “So, what do you propose to do? Are you gonna be okay if she moves on with her life...with someone else?"

  Miles stared at the man sitting across the table for a second or two before he gave him the only answer he could. “I have to be.”

  12

  Charity sat in the parlor and waited for the Hanovers to return home from their nature outing. She had a lot of thinking to do about her next move to win Miles, especially if she had competition and apparently, she did.

  Finally, just after three, she heard their carriage rumble into the yard behind the house.

  Her impulsive urges pushed her to meet them at the kitchen back door and bombard them with the trials and tribulations of her day. But a lady is always considerate of other people’s needs and her common sense told her they might be tired from their day of fun and adventure in the great outdoors.

  She allowed herself to go as far as the kitchen and then she busied herself helping Sarah peel a potato or two before she finally heard them on the back steps. Unable to contain herself any longer, she wiped her hands and opened the back door for them. It was simply a courtesy to the couple she told herself and she wouldn’t say a word until she had heard all about their day, but she was unable to keep that promise when she saw them standing on the stoop.

  “What on earth has happened to you? Come in. Come in. Are you hurt? What happened?” Charity ushered Aggie in and Hiram followed close behind.

  Aggie’s hair was half up and half down. Her face was dirty and scratched as were her arms. And her lovely summer dress was…ruined. Hiram looked none better. His clothes were filthy and his hands and face were scratched too.

  Sarah rushed to heat some water on the stove. “Oh this won’t be nearly enough. I’ll go run a bath,” she took another look at Hiram’s condition. “For the both of you,” and off she hurried down the hall.

  Charity guided Aggie to the breakfast table by the window and sat her down. Charity took the other seat leaving the third one for Hiram, but he declined. “I need to see about the horse. I want to make certain her scratches are as superficial as ours.” He shot a troubled look to Charity. “It could have been much worse, my dear. Much worse.” And then he left back out the kitchen door leaving her and Aggie alone.

  Charity rose and got some cold water from the ice box and filled a glass nearly to the brim. She set it in front of Aggie and took her seat again to wait for Aggie to explain what had happened to her and Hiram.

  “Take your time. Don’t rush. Tell me everything.” Charity tried to remain calm and not push the woman, but she wanted to know what happened and she had never been a patient person although she was trying.

  Aggie took a sip of water and then tried to repair her hairdo. After several seconds, she gave up and let the wispy strands of gray-blonde hair hang where they willed. She took a deep breath and began. “Well, as you know, Hiram and I wanted to spend the day out in the sunshine thinking that would help us deal with the anniversary of a very tragic day in our lives.”

  “Yes. You and Hiram were going to have a picnic up on the mountain somewhere amidst the flowers and nature like you used to.”

  “In the Appalachians,” she offered,

  “Yes. The Appalachians. So what happened? It would appear that all didn’t go as planned.” Charity prompted the woman to continue with her story.

  “Yes, well we had a lovely time. Everything was so beautiful and calm and quiet and then…” Aggie paused.

  Charity was sitting on the edge of her seat. “And then?” She pushed the story forward again.

  “Then Hiram hitched up the carriage to come home.”

  Charity sat and stared at the woman. “Okay, but how did you get so dirty? And where did all of these scratches come from, Aggie?”

  “Oh, yes. That. As I said we were on our way home and Hiram had our little mare, Dolly, trotting at a nice comfortable clip down a narrow pass not too far from where Grace and John’s place is. Do you know the place I’m talking about?”

  She knew exactly where Aggie was talking about. It was a narrow road between two steep mountain slopes where often times loose rocks dislodged and rolled down the mountain. Most of the time, they just landed in the road and someone eventually had to move them to get their wagon by, but she had never heard of anyone actually being struck by rocks falling from there, especially not in the middle of summer when rains were scarce and the soil hard-packed and dry.

  “Yes, I do know the place. Go on,” Charity encouraged.

  “Well, it seemed like the whole mountain gave way at once and nearly covered us with rocks and dust. Some of the rocks were large enough to have done some serious damage to our carriage had they hit us directly.”

  “I can only imagine how frightened you both must have been,” Charity admitted, images of what could have happened frightened her now.

  “I’ll tell you, the noise frightened my little Dolly so badly, that she bolted. Thank the Good Lord Hiram managed to pull her to a stop or we might have been more seriously injured. I’m just so thankful we weren’t. There must be something about this day that is jinxed for Hiram and I. I think next year, we shall stay in bed. What could possibly go wrong there?” Aggie laughed at her joke and took another sip of water.

  “Yes, we are all so thankful.” Charity stared at the woman who had become like a mother to her. Suddenly, the conversation she had with Mr. Carter after she heard the news of the Mabrys tragic carriage accident returned with a vengeance. “Aggie, I couldn’t bear it if something happened to either one of you. I’m so doubly thankful you weren’t seriously hurt. Or worse.” Emotions gathered in her throat and choked off her words. She was suddenly very fearful that Miles’ suspicions about someone trying to kill the witnesses to the train robbery could be right.

  “Oh, sweetheart. There’s no cause for alarm. We are both just fine and even my little Dolly is going to be alright. Hiram will see to it.” She patted Charity’s hand on the table and stood. “Now, if you will excuse me, I think I shall seek my bath and when I am finished, I want to hear all about your day.”

  Charity sat in the parlor and waited for Aggie and Hiram to regroup from their harrowing experience today. An hour later, she finally heard Aggie’s voice call out to her from down the hallway. “Where are you, Charity?”

  "In here, Aggie." She called out to her
from the parlor.

  “Ah, there you are.” Aggie joined her and sat across from her on the settee.

  "All in all, it was a glorious day. Sunshine. Fresh mountain air. Cool. Crisp. Beautiful."

  "Where is Hiram?"

  "He wanted to visit with Liam a bit before supper. Just to catch up on anything he might have missed in the office today. You know how obsessed the man is with his work."

  "Yes, but for those of us who need legal counsel on occasion," she grinned at Aggie, "we are awfully glad he knows his business well."

  Aggie laughed. Her eyes were still red-rimmed from this morning, but Charity could tell her sadness had lifted a bit.

  "Are you okay, Aggie? Is there something I can do for you? Anything at all, you just name it."

  "Come sit over here by me. I could use an ear, if you don't mind?" She patted the cushion beside her.

  "Of course. I could use an ear myself after the day I had."

  Concern etched Aggie's face. "A bad day?"

  Charity rolled her eyes heavenward. "I did something really stupid today and I may have scared Miles off for good."

  "Come. Let me be the judge of that."

  Charity moved to sit beside Aggie and settled in. “Now, tell me about your day. What did you do that makes you think you have scared our sheriff away?" Aggie suggested, but Charity didn't want Aggie to listen to her problems. At least, not yet. She wanted to be there for Aggie. "No, you first."

  A wistful smile cross her lips. "I’m afraid today reminded me too much of home."

  "Where was home, if you don't mind me asking?" Charity didn't want to pry, but she knew very little about Aggie or Hiram. Just what she had learned since she and her sisters had come to live in Creede.

  "The Appalachian mountains. In Tennessee." Aggie smiled a melancholy smile that offered Charity a glimpse into how much she missed her home.

  "Was it a beautiful place?"

  "Oh, it was an unimaginable place. Before the war, that is. Now, it is just a big pile of rubble made up of red bricks and charred oak." Aggie's rosy cheeks rose in a melancholy smile.