The streets grew quiet as Rory and Luke left the business district behind and walked through a residential neighborhood toward their sister’s home. Janna supported herself and her two children by serving as governess to shipping magnate Horace P. Wentworth’s three children, and she lived with her two daughters in a carriage house on her employer’s estate.
Luke was gratified to find a light shining in the window of the apartment. Janna was awake. His boots thumped against the wooden steps as he climbed the outdoor staircase. Rory followed but hung back, waiting halfway down the stairs as Luke rapped on the solid oak door. To his surprise and consternation, a man in shirtsleeves answered the door. It was just after six o’clock. Had Janna moved? “I’m looking for Janna Murphy?”
The stranger widened his stance and folded his arms. “And just who are you?”
Luke didn’t like the fellow’s tone or his body language. “Look, mister, let’s not—”
“Jared? Did you say…” Janna Murphy walked up behind the stranger, holding a baby in her arms. “Luke? Luke, is it really you?”
The stranger stepped back, smoothly accepting the child Janna handed his way before throwing herself, laughing, into her brother’s arms. “Luke!”
They hugged tightly, then Luke took a step back and looked at his sister. She looked different. Her hair was still brown and curly, her eyes still the color of melted caramel. The difference, he detected, shone in her eyes. Janna Murphy looked happy.
Luke gave the stranger a second look, then the baby. Well, now. What’s going on here? “Hello, sunshine.”
“Oh, Luke! This is such a wonderful surprise. It’s so good to see you. It’s been too long.”
“That it has, Janna. That it has.” Luke felt a wave of affection rise within him as he again hugged his sister, and he couldn’t help but think of the McBride reunion he’d witnessed the day before. That family would never let a year go by without getting together. “It’s wrong of us to let it stretch this long between visits.”
She squeezed him hard. “Come inside. You must have arrived on the morning train. Bet you can use some coffee.”
“Definitely. But first…” He nodded toward the stairs. “I didn’t come alone.”
He crooked a finger toward Rory who climbed the remaining stairs like a prisoner approaching the gallows. Poking his head into the doorway, Rory waved. “Hello, Janna.”
Her chin dropped. “Oh, my heavens.”
“Jan?” the stranger asked, stepping forward, concern in his tone.
“Rory.” She jerked her head around and spoke to the stranger. “It’s Rory.”
The stranger muttered a curse, then moved away from the door. “Let your brothers in, honey. I’ll put the baby down and join you.”
Luke stepped into the apartment, which consisted of two bedrooms off a central room that served as a combined kitchen, living and dining area. He noted new curtains on the windows. New rugs on the floor. The oak dining table that had graced their mother’s kitchen was set for two. An iron skillet sat on the stove, eggs and sausage laid out on a cutting board ready to cook. He had a dozen questions, but he started with an easy one. “Girls not home?”
“They’re staying over at a friend’s house. It’ll break their hearts that they weren’t here when you arrived. You are staying in town, though, aren’t you? You’re not leaving right away?”
Luke glanced from her to the stranger who had emerged from the girls’ bedroom with empty arms. Might as well cut to the chase. “Actually, I’d hoped to stay here.”
The stranger crossed the room to stand beside Janna. He rested his hand possessively at her waist. “That makes sense, honey. You and the girls and the baby can move on up to the house. It’ll make everything easier.”
“I think an introduction’s in order, don’t you, Luke?” Rory piped up.
Janna’s smile flickered, then when the man gave her a comforting squeeze, went tender and sweet. “Yes. Definitely. Luke. Rory. I’d like you to meet Jared Harper, my fiancé. We’re to be married in two weeks.”
“Your fiancé?” Rory’s brows winged up and he glanced at Luke. “I thought you said Murphy was in jail. Did those friends of yours kill him, after all?”
“His trial is set for next month,” Luke said, raking Jared Harper with suspicious eyes.
Rory pursed his lips. “So that means…hell, Janna. You wouldn’t make the mistake I did. You finally worked up the nerve to divorce Finn?”
Janna’s chin came up. Temper snapped in her big brown eyes. “Yes.”
“I’m surprised.” Rory scratched the back of his head. “I didn’t think you believed in divorce.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Because of him, right?” Rory gestured toward Jared Harper. “Guess you’re human after all. Funny how fast our convictions can change when faced with something we want really bad.”
Luke watched his sister’s eyes narrow and her mouth stretch into a grim line. He knew that look. He’d grown up seeing that look. Rory was fixing to get it.
“Actually, brother,” she drawled. “I changed my mind because I saw how good divorce has been for a dear, dear friend of mine. A sister of mine, one might say. Divorce has been a wonderful thing for her, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
Oh. Puzzle pieces fell into place. Luke pursed his lips and blew out a silent whistle as he anticipated what was coming.
Janna continued, “Her husband deserted her, and she divorced him and her friends have been supportive. It wasn’t near the scandal I expected. Now she’s remarried and on her honeymoon with a dear, wonderful, dependable man. In fact, I’m babysitting for her now. They chose not to leave town, of course, since the baby is still nursing, but they have a private room in a lovely home, and she is blissfully happy.”
Harper squared his shoulders and added, “We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to ensure she stays that way.”
Rory’s baffled expression told Luke he didn’t get it. “Rory, she’s talking about Melissa.”
“Melissa? What does she…? Whoa. She divorced me?’
Janna lifted her chin even higher. “Yes, she did.”
“Oh. Well.” Rory walked over to the dining table, pulled out a chair and sat. He pursed his lips, drummed his fingers on the table and thought for a full minute. His tone held a note of accusation when he finally said, “I didn’t sign anything.”
“It wasn’t required. You deserted her.”
“Yes, well…” He continued drumming his fingers. “Divorce. That’s a fine thing for a fellow to hear out of the blue.”
Janna folded her arms and her toe went to tapping.
“Well, what did you expect? You seduce her away from her longtime beau, stay long enough to get her with child, then disappear without a word. No goodbye, no financial support. Not even a letter asking if she’d yet given birth to your baby!”
“Luke said she had a boy. Brian. He’s…wait…you’re babysitting for Melissa? Is that kid you were holding mine?”
“Finally,” Luke muttered beneath his breath.
“Only by accident.” Janna gave her head a toss. “George is the boy’s father in every way that matters.”
“George Honeycutt?” Now Rory was the one whose chin dropped. “She went back to him?”
“He never stopped loving her. Once she came to her senses about you, he forgave her and took her back. He loves Brian, too.”
Again, Rory fell silent. His fingers continued to drum. Eventually, he nodded. “Well, I guess that’s good. Honeycutt was always a steady sort. Say, when did this divorce take place?” Glancing at Luke, he said, “Maybe I am married to Kat after all. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Great wasn’t the word Luke would choose. The question had occurred to him right off, as had the potential consequences. Pregnancy notwithstanding, Kat McBride was better off without the likes of Rory Callahan in her life. Not to mention that his own plans for Mari didn’t need the complication.
“Melissa wa
s granted the divorce two weeks ago,” Janna’s fiancé responded, just as Janna asked, “Who is Kat?”
Weariness melted over Luke. “It’s a long and not-so-pretty story better saved for another time. Janna, I’d love that cup of coffee you mentioned.”
Serious conversation halted while Janna added two cups and saucers to the pair already on the table and filled all four with coffee. Luke took a seat, then sipped the strong black coffee, groaning with pleasure.
Janna took the opportunity to tell her brothers more about her fiancé Harper owned the house next door, and he’d become acquainted with Janna during a dispute over a barking dog. Like his neighbor, Horace Wentworth, Jared Harper owned a shipping company.
“I love your sister. And her girls,” he reassured Luke. “It took work to win her, but I was a determined man. I intend to spend the rest of my life making her happy.”
Well, how could a loving brother argue with that?
Luke took another sip of coffee. “I’ve wanted her to kick Finn Murphy out of her life for going on a decade. The man is poison.”
“He’s evil,” Jared Harper said flatly. “I met him just last week.”
Luke’s cup banged against the table. “You met him? Tell me you visited him in jail.”
“Yes. The Texas Rangers notified Janna that he’d been arrested. She wanted to be certain he’d been notified about the divorce. It was important to her symbolically.” Harper took a sip of his coffee, then casually observed, “He had a message for you should we meet.”
Just as casually, Luke remarked, “Oh?”
“He said to tell you he knows your weakness, and that he intended to say hello the next time he visited Fort Worth.”
Mari. Hell. Luke shrugged, and tried to tell himself not to worry. His friends were keeping an eye on the McBride sisters. “Murphy undoubtedly has a date with a hangman. Won’t live to see Thanksgiving this year.”
The conversation was interrupted by an infant cry and a coo. Belatedly, Rory expressed interest in his son. Luke and Jared Harper cooked breakfast while Janna oversaw the introduction of little Brian to his father.
In the hours that followed, Luke had little time to dwell on Finn Murphy and his threats. He had a decision to make. His main reason for dragging Rory back to Galveston no longer applied. Rory didn’t need to take responsibility for Melissa and her son. George Honeycutt had done that. Luke could wash his hands of his brother, leave him to fight his own legal battles, and return immediately to Fort Worth and Mari.
It was a tantalizing idea, and he might have done just that had Janna not asked him to give her away at her wedding in two weeks. Luke decided to use the time looking into Rory’s legal troubles and seeing if he couldn’t save him from hanging. As a Texas Ranger, Luke couldn’t ignore his brother’s crimes. As a brother, he had to do whatever possible to help.
His first discovery surprised him and Rory, both.
“The fisherman is alive,” he told his brother, returning to Janna’s home after having confirmed the fact. “Apparently, he recovered from the beating and gunshot wound the Dickersons gave him and returned to his daily routine.”
“So I’m not a murderer!” Rory exclaimed, heaving a sigh of relief. “What did he tell you? Did he say anything about me?”
“I didn’t speak with him. Unfortunately, he sailed south a week ago to do some fishing off the Yucatan Peninsula. You’re not off the hook, Rory. The sheriff has issued a warrant for your arrest.”
“A warrant? For what?”
“Theft.”
“Hell. I could still hang!”
Luke nodded. “You need a lawyer. I’ll talk to Janna’s beau, get the name of someone from him.”
Jared Harper’s attorney told Luke that the ownership of pirate booty was a gray area to begin with, and that he felt confident he could get the charges dismissed by Janna’s wedding. Hearing that, Luke planned to catch the first train out of town following the ceremony.
Four days before the wedding, the lawyer brought the good news that Rory was officially a free man. That same afternoon, Luke received a telegram from Fort Worth.
“A sheriff nabbed the Dickerson brothers during a bank robbery attempt in Palo Pinto County,” Luke told Rory. “They’re in jail.”
Rory let out a whoop of joy, then rushed out of Janna’s home where he’d been hiding. He spent the rest of the day carousing and raising hell all over Galveston. That was the last Luke saw of him before the wedding.
Rory was his old charming self at the reception at the Wentworth mansion, and when Luke realized he’d danced three straight dances with a pretty young woman, he dragged him away from the ballroom at the Wentworth mansion. Outside in the rose garden, Luke unloaded on his brother. “What’s the matter with you?” he demanded. “If you just have to have a woman, visit a brothel! Don’t prey on another poor virgin. Don’t leave yet another bastard baby in your wake.”
“Hey, wait one minute. Melissa’s boy isn’t a bastard and Kat’s won’t be, either. I intend to marry her. Again. Give her baby a name. I’m not totally without honor.”
“No, you’re just totally without heart.” Luke scooped a handful of pebbles off the dirt path and tossed them one by one toward a cottonwood tree he’d chosen as a target. “What makes you think Kat McBride will even speak with you again, much less marry you?”
“She’ll forgive me,” Rory said with a casual shrug. “They always do.”
Sadly, Luke couldn’t argue with that. Ever since Rory was a baby, all he’d had to do was smile at a female and she was his.
Luke gazed up into the inky black sky and shoved his hands in the pockets of the new suit he’d purchased to wear when he gave the bride away. He honestly didn’t know what was best. Would Kat and her child be better off if she married Rory? Or, would it be kinder in the long run if she never saw or heard from his brother again? Without a doubt, having Rory Callahan for a husband would be a bad bet for any woman. Was giving Kat’s child legitimacy enough to offset what was bound to be a lifetime of disappointment and pain as Mrs. Rory Callahan?
No, not in Luke’s opinion, it wasn’t. This was Texas—The Land of Beginning Again. Hell, half the people populating this state were bastards, if not by birth, then by act.
Of course, Luke wasn’t a woman, and they tended to have different viewpoints about such things. Still, Kat had to know that Rory Callahan wouldn’t change. Any woman who thought he might was betting awfully long odds.
But in the end, Luke’s opinion didn’t matter. This was Kat’s decision to make.
Luke dragged his attention away from the sky and pinned his brother with a look. “So, are you determined to return to Fort Worth?”
“I am.”
“For Kat, or the pirate’s treasure?”
“For the sake of my child,” Rory declared, though his eyes shifted as he said it.
Dammit, I called that one. “A warning, Rory. If you cause Kat or any member of her family one more minute’s worth of pain or trial or trouble, I’ll take it out of your hide. You understand?”
“Yeah.”
“All right, then.” Luke threw the last of his pebbles, then faced his brother. “I’m leaving on the morning train. If you want to come with me, I won’t stop you.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
A HUSH HUNG IN the sultry evening air as Mari sat alone on the back porch swing at Willow Hill, watching a pair of squirrels play on the branches of the towering bur oak that shaded the gazebo. The house was quiet, her parents and the boys away for a meeting at school. Kat rested in her room and Emma had holed up in Papa’s library, polishing her knowledge of the Revolutionary War in preparation for a lecture the following day.
Mari toed the ground and set the swing moving, glad for the peace at the end of a busy day. The past two weeks had been both the happiest and most miserable weeks of her life. The McBride family as a whole was ecstatic. Individual members had had their ups and downs.
A screen door squeaked and Emma approache
d, carrying two glasses of lemonade. Mari scooted over on the swing to make room for her sister. “So, do you now know everything there is to know about the American Revolution?”
“No, but I am more knowledgeable about muskets. That’s what’s important to nine-year-old boys.”
The two women sipped their drinks in companionable silence and watched the scampering squirrels. “The way they chase each other reminds me of Tommy and Bobby,” Emma observed.
Mari laughed. “Or Billy and Kat years ago. Remember how he’d pull her pigtails, then run, and she’d chase him and yank his ears?”
“I saw Kat pull Billy’s ear in the kitchen before supper. I thought that was a good sign.”
“Her color is better, too.”
Guilt and remorse had sapped Kat’s strength in the days following her return to Fort Worth. Twice she’d experienced cramping that sent her to bed, and the doctor had advised Jenny that her daughter must come to terms with the turmoil in her life or the safety of her babe would be threatened. After that, their mother and Aunt Claire shut themselves in Kat’s room and the three women developed a plan to smooth Kat’s reentry into Fort Worth society.
Papa hadn’t liked it at all.
“Do you think they did the right thing, Mari?” Emma asked. “Mama’s plan?”
Mari gave the swing another push. “I worried about Kat confessing to the fire marshal that she’d accidentally started the Spring Palace fire. I understood that she felt she needed to take responsibility, but I was afraid of what the authorities might do.”
“Just between us, I think Papa had already talked to Captain Reese.”
“Really?”
“Remember those weeks after the fire? Papa tried to learn every bit of information he could about what happened. I’ll bet the fire department already knew everything Kat and Billy told them yesterday.”
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