A Bounty Hunter and the Bride

by Vickie McDonough

  But Dusty’s kiss—well, he made her quiver, too, but in a nice way.

  She rested her hands in her lap and stared out the window. She had prayed and asked God to show her the way to go, and He’d given her two separate paths to choose from. Had she picked the correct one?

  A soft knock sounded on her bedroom door, and it slowly opened. Aunt Rebekah peeked in and gave her a weak smile. “If you’re not too tired, Mason and I would like to talk with you in the parlor.”

  Katie swallowed the lump in her throat. How many times in her life had she endured the “parlor talk”?

  There was no sense in avoiding the inevitable, and she nodded. She checked on Joey, wishing with all her heart that he’d wake up and need her, but he slept soundly. For a brief moment she was tempted to give him a little pinch to make him cry, but she shook off that desperate thought.

  In the parlor, she took a chair near the window. Rebekah sat on the settee, and Mason paced in front of the fireplace. Katie rubbed her finger back and forth on the wooden trim of the chair, took a steadying breath, and waited for her uncle to speak.

  Finally, he looked at Rebekah, who nodded her head. He turned toward Katie. Her pulse kicked up a notch, and she felt like she had when she was eight years old and had nearly set the barn on fire because she’d decided her dolly was cold.

  “Katie, you know your aunt and I love you dearly.”

  She nodded, knowing they couldn’t have cared for her any more than if she were their own child.

  “Rebekah and I have discussed it, and we both feel you’re making a huge mistake. I haven’t pushed you to talk about this other man you nearly married, but the fact that you didn’t want to tell us about him leads me to think you sensed marrying him was the wrong thing. You tried to hide the news from us until it was too late to stop it. And now here you are, ready to marry another man you’ve known only a month or so.”

  Katie winced. Spelled out so clearly, she could understand why he’d be concerned.

  Mason rubbed the back of his neck. “I think you know we both like and respect Dusty.”

  Katie tightened her grip on her skirt. “Then why do you disapprove of us marrying?”

  Mason glanced at Rebekah as if he needed backup. She pressed her lips together and nodded. “For one, you seem to be rushing into this marriage.”

  Rebekah tugged a sofa pillow onto her lap. “Katie, you’ve always been one to make hasty decisions instead of taking the time to think things out and pray over the situation.”

  “But I did pray for God’s guidance. And then Dusty asked me to marry him. Isn’t that confirmation?”

  “You’re confusing confirmation with coincidence. They aren’t the same thing.” Rebekah heaved a sigh and looked out the window.

  Katie heard the twins race by outside, followed by Josh, who yelled at them to slow down.

  “The biggest issue is that Dusty isn’t right with God. He’s still angry over losing his first wife, and that’s no way to start out a new marriage. Trust me, I know.” Uncle Mason’s gaze begged her to believe him.

  “But he said he cares for me.” She blinked back the tears stinging her eyes and burning her throat.

  “I believe he does. Dusty is a man who takes responsibility very seriously, and he feels somewhat responsible for what happened to you.” Mason lowered himself to sit by Rebekah. “But he has no business getting married to you when he’s at odds with the Lord.”

  Suddenly, Katie felt the blood drain from her face. She’d done it again. She had plowed ahead and agreed to marry a man without making sure he was walking with God. How could she be so dumb?

  “Are you all right, sweetie?” Aunt Rebekah’s concerned tone nearly did her in.

  Was she so desperate to not mooch off her relatives that she’d marry the first man who asked her? How could she be so naive?

  She closed her eyes and muttered a prayer. She knew it in her heart now—she was wrong to accept Dusty’s proposal. As a Christian, it would be a mistake to marry a man whose heart wasn’t right with God, no matter how good that man was. The thought of hurting Dusty caused her stomach to clench with queasiness, but she had to put a halt to their marriage plans.

  “What do you mean Katie is gone?” Dusty leaped to his feet. The chair he was sitting in clanked against the wall. He stared at Mason, fighting the confusion and an unwanted numbness that made his whole body feel heavy and sluggish.

  Mason twisted the brim of his hat. “She decided to move to Cushing and live with the widow Howard for a time.”

  Dusty ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t understand. When I talked to her Sunday, she agreed to marry me.”

  Mason studied the floor for a few moments. Dusty knew from the look on his face when Mason had caught them kissing that he’d been upset. His fists tightened. Had Mason influenced Katie in leaving him?

  “Mind if I sit down?” Mason motioned to the chair in front of the window.

  Dusty nodded and grabbed his own chair, dropping into it, feeling as if he’d lost something precious.

  “Katie has been through a lot lately. You know that more than any of us since you experienced some of it. On top of that, after women have a child, their emotions are all aflutter, and they can’t seem to think clearly for a time. Trust me, I experienced it enough times with Rebekah.”

  Mason’s ears turned red as he looked at Dusty, then at the floor again.

  “I won’t lie to you, Rebekah and I discouraged Katie from marrying you.”

  Dusty lunged to his feet again, feeling as if his friend had stabbed him in the back. “Why would you do that? You know I’d take good care of her and Joey. I care deeply for them both.”

  Mason grimaced, then nodded. “Yes, I know that, but the problem is, you’re still angry at God for what happened to your first wife. You can’t be the husband Katie needs until you make peace with Him.”

  Dusty stared at Mason. He clenched his jaw, biting back his angry retort. Katie was a grown woman who could make her own decisions. What right did Mason have to dissuade her from marrying him?

  “Katie needs time to heal and to get her heart right with God. She’s been dodging so many arrows sent her way that she hasn’t had time to think things out. She’s always been one to rush into things, then have to pay the consequences later.” A gentle smile of remembrance tilted Mason’s lips. “Did I ever tell you about the baby skunks she found?”

  Dusty heaved a sigh and fell back into his chair, imagining what must have happened.

  “She thought they were kittens.” Mason glanced up. “They weren’t, though, and Rebekah used nearly her whole store of tomatoes trying to get the stink off that little gal.”

  Dusty allowed a smile that didn’t reach his heart. “Sounds like she had her share of trouble as a child.”

  “Yep, she did at that.” Mason leaned forward, elbows on his knees and laced his fingers. “Katie will do the right thing in the end. If you and she are meant to be together, this time apart won’t affect your relationship. In fact, it will make it stronger.”

  Dusty failed to understand that reasoning. He’d already lost Emily. He didn’t know if his heart could stand losing Katie, too.

  But what Mason had said about God made sense, even if he didn’t want to admit it out loud. After Emily died, Dusty had plunged forward without thinking. He was afraid if he stopped to sort things out, he might just wither up and die from the pain of loss. Having Sloane to chase after gave him a target for his anger. But Sloane was in jail now, and Dusty needed to step back and turn loose of his hate.

  His pride had taken a hit with Katie leaving town without explaining why she couldn’t marry him or even saying good-bye.

  “Dusty, I know what you’re feeling.” Mason looked at him with pleading eyes. “I lost my wife—not to a madman but to an act of nature. Something God could have easily prevented. I don’t know why it happened, but I nearly let my anger and unforgiving spirit destroy my life.”

  He stood, crossin
g the small room to the desk, then placed his hands on the wood and leaned forward. Dusty wanted to back away from the intensity of his stare.

  “You’ve got to put aside your anger, Dusty. Get right with God. Nothing in this world will make sense until you do.

  And Katie can never be a part of your life if you don’t.”

  Mason blew out a warm sigh that smelled of coffee and stood. He looked spent. For a man of few words, he’d sure spewed a lot today. Probably used up a whole fortnight’s worth.

  Mason settled his hat on his head. “I like you, Dusty. I consider you a friend, but you need to consider what I’ve said today. If you ever want to talk, you know where to find me.”

  The door clicked shut, and Dusty watched Mason stride by as he passed the window. Leaning his elbows on the desk, Dusty rested his head in his hands.

  Katie was gone, and with her, his dream of starting over. He should have known better than to allow his emotions to get in the way.

  He thought about the little house he’d just found and paid the first month’s rent on. Now he wondered if he’d ever live there.

  A restless energy zipped through him. He needed to get Shadow and ride out of town, shedding his pain as they soared across the prairie. He pulled open the drawer that held the WANTED posters and thumbed through them. Maybe he’d set out bounty hunting again. If he rode long enough and far enough, maybe he could outride his pain.

  Mason’s words came back to haunt him. “You can’t be the husband Katie needs until you make peace with Him.”

  He rose and walked to the window. Pressing both hands to the glass, he stared outside. People ambled down the street, talking and laughing, oblivious to his struggle.

  He’d felt God’s gentle tugging, urging him to come back to the fold. He knew he should have sought God’s forgiveness a long time ago, but he’d felt so unworthy. God didn’t walk away from him; he left God. And what kind of a man runs away just because times get rough?

  But Mason had done a similar thing—and he’d made peace with God. Perhaps Dusty could, too. God’s arms were wide enough to wrap around a hardened warrior—if only that warrior would yield.

  Dusty strode out of the office, slamming the door behind him and rattling the windows. It was past time he had a long talk with Parson Davis.

  thirteen

  Katie pulled a clothespin from her apron and hung another diaper on the line. The flannel squares snapped in the stiff breeze and would be dry in an hour. She picked up her empty basket and stared down the street.

  Though she’d been at Alice Howard’s home for a week, she still couldn’t get used to living in town. Every direction she turned, there were houses or tall buildings blocking the view. Katie longed to jump on a horse and ride out to the open prairie, where the land rolled on until it reached the horizon.

  She swiped at a tear tickling her cheek. Even worse was this horrible ache deep within her. She had never considered how much she would miss Dusty. Though soft-spoken, he was all man. Tall, strong, and even kind when she wasn’t.

  When she first returned to her aunt and uncle’s after the fire, Dusty’s visits irritated her, but at some point, she had begun to look forward to them. Now she longed to see his face again.

  Was he angry with her for leaving without talking to him? Without telling him why she couldn’t marry him?

  She wondered for the thousandth time if she’d done the right thing in letting her uncle tell him. Katie closed her eyes. It cut her to the soul to think that she’d hurt such a good man.

  And why did obeying God have to hurt so badly? If this was the right thing to do, shouldn’t God take her pain away?

  With a sigh, she hoisted the empty basket onto her hip and headed back to Alice Howard’s white clapboard house.

  The woman maintained a meticulous home. Though her old teacher seemed delighted to have Katie staying with her, Katie wondered how she would react once Joey started getting around and could bother her things.

  With Alice gone all day teaching school, Katie had the house to herself. And way too much time to think.

  In her heart, she knew she couldn’t marry Dusty when he wasn’t right with God. But why did it have to hurt so much?

  The door clicked shut, and she set the basket in the kitchen. She needed to check on Joey, and then she’d go dump the rinse water on Alice’s garden, though the only thing still growing were pumpkins.

  She remembered how the twins had thought she had swallowed a pumpkin when she was carrying Joey. A wave of homesickness washed over her.

  She moved slowly through the house, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dim light inside. Upstairs, she crossed the hall to her bedroom and peeked at her son. The blanket on his back rose and fell with his soft breathing. His tiny thumb lay just outside his open mouth.

  Love for Joey surged through her. How was it possible to care so deeply for someone who’d been part of your life for such a short time?

  She’d asked herself the same thing about Dusty—many times.

  Her love for Jarrod had grown slower. She’d see him weekly at church services in Guthrie and occasionally at a barn raising or town event.

  She’d never loved Allan. For some reason, she still had trouble thinking of him as Ed Sloane. Maybe doing so forced her to admit how wrong she’d been about the man. Why hadn’t she yielded to the apprehension and doubt she had felt about marrying him?

  It was pure stubbornness. She wanted to keep her land and was willing to do almost anything—and she nearly had.

  Katie lay down on her bed, suddenly weary. Joey hadn’t slept well since the move and was restless during the daytime. She suspected he missed all the attention he had gotten from her family.

  Stuffing the pillow under her head, she longed for Aunt Rebekah’s warm embrace. To see Deborah’s quick smile or the twins whooping it up. She had wanted her independence, and now she had it. But she missed her family and Dusty something awful.

  Tears stung her eyes and clogged her throat. Why did life have to be so difficult?

  Her thoughts drifted back to Dusty. Was he still in Guthrie? Or had her desertion caused him to ride off in search of other outlaws?

  She thought of the three letters she’d tried to pen him. None of her words seemed appropriate, and none relieved her guilt. She’d told him she loved him and would marry him but had ridden away without even a good-bye. Difficult as it would be, the next time she saw him, she’d need to apologize for running away without telling him why she was leaving.

  A picture of Allan dressed in his swanky suit flittered across her mind. Then that miserable scene was obliterated with her first view of Dusty standing like a majestic warrior in her parlor with the wind whipping his long duster around his legs. His raven black eyes focused steadily on his prey. Who would have thought such a man capable of being so gentle and loving?

  Overcome with homesickness and longing for Dusty, Katie turned her face into her pillow and wept. As she prayed, peace filled her soul. As hard as it was, she knew leaving her family and Dusty had been the right thing.

  Every day as she prayed and drew closer to God, the aching lessened. Her problems were generated from her impulsiveness in plunging forward without seeking God’s will first.

  “Lord, forgive me for being so headstrong and independent. I need You. I need You to show me the way and to save me from myself and my hasty decisions. I promise to pray over decisions in the future and to never again charge forward like I know the answer to everything.

  “And please, Father, if this gripping love I have for Dusty isn’t from You—please take it away.”

  Dusty sang the words to “Amazing Grace” feeling as if the song had been written personally for him. He was the wretch that God had saved—the one who was lost, but now found.

  And it felt so good to be back home with God.

  Two weeks had passed since Katie had left, and he knew without a doubt that he loved her and wanted to marry her. But she had to be sure of that, too, and he
was determined to give her all the time she needed to figure things out.

  In the meantime, he’d strengthen his faith and become the man of God she needed.

  He bowed his head for the closing prayer, then slowly made his way outside. After shaking the pastor’s hand, he replaced his hat and nodded a greeting to several clusters of people as he passed them. His stomach growled, reminding him it was time for dinner. A warm meal at the café was just what he needed, and then he’d head over to his little rented house and finish painting the parlor.

  If Katie ever decided she’d marry him, he wanted to have a place she’d feel comfortable calling home. If she never wanted to marry, he could always move out of the house. But he didn’t like that alternative and prayed that God would speak to Katie and that her love for him was strong enough to endure this time of separation.

  “Dusty!”

  He looked up to see Mason jogging in his direction. Excitement zinged through him. He hadn’t had a chance to tell Mason about his talk with Pastor Davis. Smiling, he held out his hand.

  “Good to see you.” Mason shook his hand. “I’ve been praying for you and wondering how you’re doing. I was also hoping my talk with you wouldn’t affect our friendship.”

  “Oh, it affected our friendship all right.” Dusty struggled to keep a straight face.

  Mason’s eyebrows furrowed, and his lips tightened. “I’m real sorry to hear that.”

  “Don’t be. I’m grateful you were a good enough friend to be honest with me. You made me realize that it was time I made things right with God. I had a long talk with the parson.”

  Mason’s face beamed with joy. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear that.” He pulled Dusty into a bear hug and pounded on his shoulders. “That’s the best news I’ve heard in weeks.”

  When Mason released him, Dusty stepped back and glanced around. He wasn’t used to a man hugging him—or anyone, for that matter. He’d been a loner much too long.

  “Now I understand.”