The Runaway Bride

by Noelle Marchand

  This was not the time to worry about Silas she realized as she stared at the letter in her hand. She bowed her head and prayed, her lips barely moving along with her entreaty. Please, God. Let the Brightlys want to help us by keeping quiet about the whole thing for now. Please—

  “Miss Wilkins, did you want to mail something?” the young man behind the counter asked.

  She glanced up to see she was now the only one in line so she stepped up to the counter. “Yes, I’m sorry. I was thinking about something. How fast do you think this will get to where it needs to go?”

  He took the letter and stared thoughtfully at the address. “Reverend Sparks usually hears back from this fellow in a couple of days.”

  “Am I sending it to the right address, then?” She handed him the money for postage.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He postmarked it and placed it into the mailbag behind him. “Just check back in a few days.”

  “Thank you.” With a parting smile, she turned away breathing quietly, “Your will be done.”

  * * *

  “Thanks, Maddie,” Sean said as Maddie slid the cup of lemonade he’d requested onto the table.

  “Sure thing.” She straightened, then paused to peer out the window. “Why didn’t you tell me Lorelei was coming?”

  “She isn’t.”

  “Sure, she is. She’s right there. Aren’t you going to have lunch with her?”

  He followed her gaze to see Lorelei crossing the street toward the café. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  Maddie placed a hand on her slim hip. “Well, here’s your chance. Go get her. Tell her I’ll have a slice of my pecan pie waiting. That girl hasn’t been in here in ages.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he agreed as he slipped past Maddie.

  Lorelei had just passed the door by the time he made it out. She was only a few feet away so he called out, “Hey, beautiful! Where are you going?”

  She slowly turned around. Then, narrowing her eyes, she tilted her head at him. “I assume that means you want me to stop and talk to you.”

  He grinned. “Have you eaten yet?”

  “No.”

  “Would you like to have lunch with me?”

  “No.”

  “Lorelei.”

  Her dark blue eyes filled with mirth. A smile tugged at her lips, and she shook her head as she approached him. “You realize that half the people in the café have their faces pressed against the glass, don’t you?”

  He frowned. “What happened to the other half?”

  “They already had front-row seats.”

  “Have lunch with me,” he repeated.

  She looked over his shoulder toward the café thoughtfully. “Why?”

  “You’re here. You’re hungry. I’m here. I’m hungry. It seems like a good idea.”

  Her gaze lifted to meet his. “Silas said that people think we’re getting serious about each other.”

  “That’s good,” he said, feeling his stomach rumble in protest of the delay. Then his eyes narrowed, and he looked at Lorelei closely. “When did he say that?”

  She tugged on his arm and stepped past him. “Let’s eat.”

  “Lorelei,” he protested, but she had already walked into the café.

  Her gaze met his, then danced away as Maddie showed her to his table. Maddie took Lorelei’s drink order but didn’t leave to fill it immediately. Instead, the woman grinned. “That was quite a hello you received.”

  Sean looked at Maddie in amazement. Now, how had she heard that? Perhaps the door hadn’t closed behind him before he’d said it. Lorelei laughed. “I’m getting used to it. That wasn’t the first time I was hallooed today.”

  He frowned. “It wasn’t?”

  She shook her head. “I think it was the third.”

  “Oh, my.” Maddie laughed. “Sean, it looks like you may have some competition.”

  “Let me at them,” he growled and more people in the café than just Maddie laughed.

  He shook his head. That was one of the perils of living in a small town where everyone was so interconnected. There wasn’t enough room to mind your own business, so you often ended up minding others’. No wonder Mr. Wilkins had been so adamant that he marry Lorelei.

  “Now, what can I get you two to eat?”

  They both ordered the special. After Lorelei received her drink, they were left alone for a while. Lorelei glanced up at him with a smile. “Do you know what I did today?”

  Everyone seemed to go back to their own meals, but he leaned forward and lowered his voice slightly just to be safe. “You mean besides meeting Silas Smithson without so much as a word to me?”

  She shook her head. “No, besides that.”

  “I have no idea.”

  “I mailed the letter to the Brightlys,” she said softly. “I feel optimistic about it. After all, they’re good people. They shouldn’t mind helping us, should they?”

  “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

  She nodded. “The postmaster said it should only be a few days until I hear back.”

  They both stopped talking as Maddie made her way toward them with their food. After they said grace, Sean gave Lorelei a few minutes of uninterrupted eating before he pinned her with the question she should have answered long ago. “So why didn’t you tell me you were meeting with him?”

  She glanced up at him, then back at her food. “We arranged it yesterday at church. I told him I couldn’t talk to him then, so he asked to meet me today. My parents wanted me to leave right after that, so I didn’t have time to tell you.”

  He nodded. “I see why you didn’t tell me then. Why didn’t you tell me earlier today?”

  She lowered her fork, admitting, “I was working on the letter but I did follow your advice. We met in a public place in the daytime just like you said we should.”

  “I’m glad to hear it, but next time you have to let me know so I can at least be in the general area. I mean it, Lorelei. If something happens, I need to be able to help you.”

  “I’m meeting him Thursday at two o’clock in front of the courthouse. He wants to go over some final details. You are more than welcome to be in the general area then.”

  “Thursday at two.” He chewed thoughtfully for a moment. “What happens at the bank around that time?”

  She glanced up curiously. “Nothing. It’s usually pretty quiet.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “You mean?”

  “I mean I have a lot to do.”

  “We have a lot to do.”

  “That, too.” He needed to go over Lorelei’s role in this, but as soon as they finished, he’d head over to the courthouse and talk to the judge about swearing in as many temporary deputies as he could find. He’d put Jeff on watch at the train station. Most important, he also needed to prepare Mr. Wilkins and the new manager now that the threat seemed imminent.

  His whole plan hinged on being prepared in advance. That’s why Lorelei’s information was so valuable. He wanted to have the tellers and the deputies lying in wait for the gang so they’d have the benefit of surprise, not the other way around. He was pretty sure he’d be able to find a lot of eager volunteer deputies. This was Peppin, after all. They wouldn’t go down without a fight because they plain refused to go down at all.

  * * *

  Lorelei did her level best to pay attention to the book she was pretending to read and not try to scan the courtyard for Sean. He’d told her he would be in the vicinity but refused to tell her where. She sighed. Very comforting, Sean.

  She’d been instructed to act as though she was totally oblivious to the fact the robbery might actually be happening today. She could act that way, but just the possibility of the holdup becoming a reality had her body strumming with nervousness. The waiting wasn’t helping, either. Where in the world is Silas, anyway? I’ve been waiting at least ten minutes already.

  She made it through the next few pages of her book before she realized someone was approaching. Sila
s strolled toward her bench as if he didn’t have a care in the world. She closed her book and offered him a smile. “Hello, Silas.”

  He carefully returned her smile. “Lorelei, it’s a beautiful day for a walk. Join me.”

  “Certainly.” She slipped her arm into his, then glanced at him curiously when he pinned it to his side. She surveyed his expression carefully. He seemed uncharacteristically lacking in emotion. “Is something wrong?”

  He shook his head. “No. Everything is going according to schedule.”

  She allowed him to continue to lead her along the sidewalk away from the center of town. “Do you have some information you want to share with me then? Perhaps a final date so that I can be ready?”

  He watched her for a long moment. A strange mix of emotions settled in his eyes. They were filled with pity, amusement and a bit of derision if she wasn’t mistaken. “No, I’m afraid not.”

  “I don’t understand. Why did you insist on meeting me today?” The sidewalk abruptly ended, causing her to stumble.

  Silas caught her arms in his hands until she regained her footing, then pinned her with his stare. “You’re going to cooperate, aren’t you, Lorelei?”

  Her eyes widened. “Yes, of course. I told you I would.”

  He seemed much more like the Silas she knew when he smiled his approval. “Good. Follow me.”

  She had little choice since he kept his grasp firmly on her arm and pulled her behind the courthouse. The rail yard stretched behind a big iron fence to the right. The sight of the large bay stallion tethered to the fence caught her attention. Waves of dread slowly filtered through her stomach as Silas made a beeline toward it. “Get on the horse, Lorelei.”

  She swallowed nervously. “Why?”

  His voice was calm. His eyes were deadly. “If you don’t, I’m going to have to kill you.”

  “You wouldn’t—” She bit her lip as she suddenly found herself staring down the barrel of his gun. Her heart pounded in her chest. She daringly lifted one eyebrow and shrugged nonchalantly. “No need to be nasty about it. Put that thing away and give me a boost.”

  He put his gun away, but not before she saw a flicker of respect in his eyes. She waited until he met her gaze again. “It’s happening today, isn’t it?”

  He gave her a hard stare, then cupped his hands for her boot. “We don’t have time for this. Drape your skirt across the saddle horn and sit sidesaddle.”

  She did as he said. He untethered the horse and swung up behind her before turning the horse abruptly. As they rode out of town, Lorelei didn’t dare look behind her to see if Sean might be following. Instead, she closed her eyes. Lord, I’ve been trying to do the right thing. Please, protect me and the rest of the town. Show me how I can stop this before someone gets hurt.

  * * *

  Sean waited until he felt he had a good sense of the direction Lorelei and Silas Smithson were heading before he cut through the alleyway toward the livery. Joshua Stone and Jeff Bridger looked up questioningly as Sean stepped out of the alley into the doorway of the livery. Sean gave them an abrupt nod. “Today is the day just like we thought.”

  “Your mount is saddled and waiting like you asked,” Mr. Stone said.

  “Thank you. Jeff, gather the others and get into position. Mr. Stone, notify Mr. Wilkins. Make sure everyone is armed and ready.”

  Jeff frowned. “Where are you going?”

  He swung onto his mount, then glanced down at the two men he knew he could count on to carry on without him. “They took Lorelei. I’m going to get her back.”

  As he rode out of town, he muttered a prayer. “All right, Lord, I know I haven’t been the best at asking for help or advice. I reckon You must not hate my plans entirely since You let me think of them, but this one is too important for me to do by myself. The town needs You, Lorelei needs You and I need You to see to it that this plan goes off without a hitch. I’m surrendering this to You, Lord. Please, protect us all.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The ride was shorter than she expected. Silas reined in his horse about a quarter mile outside of town. They stopped in front of a small railroad supply shed that had obviously been built and abandoned five years ago when the railroad swept through town. She eyed the building dubiously. Silas helped her dismount before grabbing her arm in that tight grip of his and forcing her inside the shed.

  Despite the bright sunlight outside, the inside of the small building was dim. The only square of sunlight in the room burst through a busted window along the back wall. Once her eyes adjusted, she met Calhoun’s gaze with a smile she didn’t feel. “It looks like your waiting is over, Mr. Calhoun.”

  He grunted around the pipe in his mouth and said nothing else at first. He just continued to watch her. It was only when she glanced away that he spoke to Silas in that rough voice of his. “The others should be here any minute.”

  “What others? I thought you were just waiting for your boss.”

  Mr. Calhoun grinned slowly. “The boss and rest of the gang, Missy.”

  “The rest of the gang,” she echoed, wondering how many that meant. She hoped Sean was prepared for more than they’d planned. He’d refused to tell her anything about his role and what he’d done to prepare for it, so that if questioned, she could honestly say she didn’t know.

  Silas moved past her to stand by the window. The air suddenly filled with the sound of horse hooves and strange wild yips. Mr. Calhoun stood from where he sat on an old crate and walked toward the door muttering, “Bunch o’ wild ne’er-do-wells, the lot of them.”

  He stood outlined in the door for a long minute while the whoops and yelps grew louder. Finally, he yelled, “All right, all right. We know you’re here. Shut your traps.”

  The sounds only increased in volume until the first man burst through the door. She immediately recognized him as one of the men who’d pestered her on the way to mail the letter to the Brightlys. “Calhoun, you old coot, you’re cranky as always, I see. Remind me why the boss keeps you around.”

  “Because I’ve got more sense than the rest of y’all put together,” he said wryly, then glanced behind him. “Except for maybe Smithson here.”

  She knew the instant the younger man caught sight of her because he gave a slow whistle. “Who’s that?”

  Another man burst into the shed. He took one look at Lorelei and stopped short. A lecherous grin tipped his mouth, and he elbowed the other man. “Lookee there. You see what I see, Jake?”

  Jake looked her over slowly. “Looks like a woman to me, Owen.”

  She straightened her shoulders and sent them a haughty glare meant to put them in their place. “That’s funny. From here it looks like two fools.”

  Jake grinned. “You can call me whatever you want, honey, as long as I get to look at you.”

  Owen pinned her with his lazy smile as he sank onto a nearby crate. “Look all you want. Just don’t touch her. I claimed that little gal when I saw her on the sidewalk. Ain’t that right, Miss Wilkins?”

  She ignored him and turned toward Silas, who was still staring out the window. “It looks like there’s a lot you didn’t tell me, Silas.”

  Calhoun hooted. “Now that’s the truth.”

  She lifted her brows inquiringly. “Are there any other surprises, gentlemen?”

  Silas suddenly turned to face her. His eyes were dark, hard and unflinching. His mocking smile sent chills through her body. “You might be surprised to know that I didn’t believe your little act for a moment. I will congratulate you on your valiant effort, though.”

  Chills tripped down her arms. She swallowed. “What are you talking about?”

  “The only reason I kept you around was to get the layouts of the bank and feed the wrong information to that sheriff of yours.” He stepped toward her threateningly. “Do you really think that I wanted your help?”

  “So the plans we made…”

  Calhoun grinned. “That was funny. You planned a nice little robbery all by yourself, didn
’t you? We might have to use that plan on the next town we hit.”

  “I see,” she said thoughtfully, then frantically tried to think of a way to get herself out of this mess. She tilted her head and gave a dry laugh. “Well, you had me fooled. I almost thought you were a gentleman.”

  “You thought Silas was a gentleman?” Jake laughed in disbelief. “He’s just like the rest of us only he wears fancier clothes because we send him in to scout places out. I always say, you can dress up a donkey so he looks like a horse but inside he’s still—”

  “Shut up, Jake,” Silas growled.

  Jake rolled his eyes, then sat down on a crate with a thud.

  “When is the boss getting here?” Owen asked.

  “He’s riding over now,” Calhoun said from where he leaned next to the door.

  Lorelei hated to bring the focus back to herself, but she needed to know what she might be up against. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you planning to do with me?”

  Owen leaned forward with a leer. “Now, there’s a question I’d like to answer.”

  She sent him a scathing glare. “I wouldn’t care to know that answer. Besides, I was asking you, Silas. After all, you could have just let me remain oblivious to all this. I wouldn’t have been able to tell anyone anything about your real plans. What’s the point of taking me captive?”

  A new man entered the shed. All of the others sat up in attention. The mood immediately became more serious as he took stock of everyone. He was tall and thin but about as well dressed as Silas. His hands rested at his holster. His light brown gaze stopped when it met hers. “You’re our insurance. Your pa owns the bank. He’ll be much more cooperative if he knows we’ve got you.”

  He turned to address his men. “I’ve been thinking. We’d better not take her with us at first. We don’t want the locals to get any ideas about saving her before everything is done. Someone will need to stay behind with her, then join the rest of us in about twenty minutes. By that time, we should have what we need.”