Love Inspired Historical November 2015

by Linda Ford

  Tessa stared at the spoon clutched between her fingers. “I should never have interfered in something that was none of my concern. I’ve had a lot on my mind recently.”

  “You’re afraid of someone, aren’t you?”

  Her head snapped up. “Why would you say that?”

  Her acting skills had obviously rusted.

  “A few things. Like the way you sat so you could keep an eye on the door. And before, at the train station, you were as jumpy as an outlaw in a room full of deputies. Are you a runaway heiress or something?”

  Tessa fiddled with the lace at her collar. “Nothing so romantic, I’m afraid.”

  Clearing her throat, she glanced away. The outlaw-and-deputies analogy had struck a little too close to home.

  “If someone is bothering you,” he said, “perhaps I can help.”

  “We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” Though she hadn’t expected an instant shower of riches, she’d thought living a moral life might result in a bit more reward and a bit less trouble. Carefully choosing her next words, she said, “I’ve attracted the attention of a somewhat shady character.”

  That wasn’t too far from the truth. Nor was it a lie. Dead Eye Dan was definitely a shady character.

  Shane’s eyes widened. “Who is this person?”

  “He, uh…he came into the Harvey House where I work. Worked. He’s been asking about me.” Which was also the truth. Maybe not the entire truth, but a good portion of it. “I have reason to believe he’s an outlaw.”

  A really, really good reason.

  She imagined Dead Eye Dan trolling through town with the daguerreotype picture of her that he’d flashed at the Harvey House. The picture he’d obviously stolen from her father. She’d seen such events play out before with startling predictability. As long as the outlaw concocted a believable tale, each person she’d met this morning would proudly declare her whereabouts. People enjoyed feeling helpful. Meaning the more time she spent with Mr. McCoy, the more she put him and his family in danger as well.

  Shane offered Owen another bite and caught her gaze. “Outlaws dine at the Harvey House?”

  “Everyone dines at the Harvey House. We have the best prices and our service is impeccable.”

  “I don’t doubt it.” He paused. “You don’t happen to know this fellow’s name?”

  Skirting the truth had the unfortunate side effect of leaving too many openings for pointed questions. Tessa considered making a run for the door, then discarded the idea. She’d only attract more attention. And, really, what harm was in a name?

  “He’s called Dead Eye Dan Fulton.”

  Shane scoffed, “That is the worst outlaw name I’ve ever heard.”

  “Not very clever, I know.” Tessa laughed in spite of herself. “He has a meandering eye. It’s terribly difficult to carry on a conversation with him because you never can tell which eye is looking at you… I’m rambling again.”

  “I’m curious.” Shane removed the flour sacking from around Owen’s neck and wiped his chocolate-covered fingers. “Why don’t you simply turn him over to the sheriff?”

  “Staying out of his way seemed the best solution. I wouldn’t want to anger him.”

  Or his brothers. She couldn’t very well tell Shane about the rest of the Fultons either. Just like she couldn’t tell him that if she turned in Dead Eye, the outlaw would guess her involvement in a heartbeat.

  The Fultons might not be the smartest men, but they weren’t the dumbest either. “As you can probably imagine, one does not rebuke the advances of an outlaw without consequence.”

  “I see your point.” Shane tipped the glass bowl and scooped out another bite. “Then you’ve decided to abscond like a thief in the night.”

  Tessa sighed. There it was again, that unfortunate reference to thievery. “Despite what the poets say, absence does not make the heart grow fonder. He’ll forget about me soon enough once I’m out of his sight.”

  She hoped.

  The door opened and she leaped halfway out of her chair then sat back down with a thud. The elderly couple who’d admired the children earlier were leaving. No need for panic.

  “Sorry,” she said. “Thought I saw someone I knew.”

  To her immense relief, Shane appeared unfazed by her weak excuse. “You’ve had a rough go of it, haven’t you?”

  A sharp pain throbbed in her temple. She wasn’t lying, though, not exactly. She was withholding certain facts for his protection. Men like Mr. McCoy didn’t understand men like Dead Eye.

  Despite the bolstering thought, or maybe because of it, she averted her gaze before biting the inside of her cheek.

  Emmett had been certain she’d fail on her own, certain she’d come crawling back, begging for his help. He could have at least had the courtesy to be available for the begging-and-crawling portion when the time arrived. “I’m starting on a new adventure. It’s very exciting.”

  Exciting in the sort of way a catastrophic train wreck was exciting, but rousing all the same.

  A shadow passed before the window, and she shrank back, dipping her head and covering her face. Everyone simply assumed they were a loving family enjoying the afternoon, and she’d relaxed into the illusion. She’d taken for granted the respectability of traveling with Emmett. Alone, she attracted all sorts of unwanted stares and attention.

  Bolstering her courage, she stood. She’d made her choice, and she had no one to blame but herself if the going was difficult. Her heart heavy, she reached out and brushed the backs of her knuckles along the cushion of Alyce’s cheek, then ruffled Owen’s hair.

  The twins had devoured what ice cream hadn’t melted and claimed their spoons. They were having great fun sweeping their fingers around the glass bowl, seeking every last drop. The task took a great deal of concentration, which meant Tessa had lost her last excuse for lingering.

  The ticking clock above the counter propelled her forward. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. McCoy. You have a beautiful family. Despite your difficulties this morning, I feel certain you will prevail.”

  She squared her shoulders and focused on the door. The important part was not looking back. Emmett always said that life was not meant to be traveled backward.

  Shane caught her hand. “Wait.”

  She mustn’t turn around. All of her instincts screamed that he expected something from her. She knew full well she’d never live up to those expectations.

  Certainly she’d never been one to linger over little heartbreaks and trivial disappointments. This morning when she’d realized her time at the Harvey House was at an end, she’d set out with dogged resolve. Though she mourned the loss of her delicate new friendships, she hadn’t faltered.

  Yet her feet remained rooted in place. She didn’t believe in fate, but something had brought them together on that platform. Of all the people passing through the station, Owen had found her. Surely that meant something in the grand scheme of things.

  The preacher at the tent revival had said that in helping others one helped oneself. But what did a retired thief have to offer?

  Shane released her hand. “Hear me out. Please.”

  The appeal in his voice scattered the last vestiges of her good sense. “I’m listening.”

  Chapter Three

  Miss Spencer’s direct gaze had Shane tied up in knots again, and he immediately forgot what he was about to say. There was a chance they might help each other—if he took care of the problem plaguing her first. Just once he wanted to do the right thing and have something good come of it.

  Before Shane could speak, Owen reached for his spoon and slipped. His body fell forward and he splayed his hands, nicking the edge of his bowl. The glassware slid across the table. Tessa lunged. The bowl dodged between her fingers and careened off the edge. Melted chocolate splattered her skirts before the glass shattered.

  Owen sobbed and rubbed the spot on his chin where he’d bumped the table. The boy reached for Tessa and she immediately resumed her seat, pulling
him onto her lap while carefully avoiding the shattered glass. Owen grasped at her white lace collar with sticky fingers and buried his chocolate-covered face in her neck. Oblivious of the damage marring her pristine outfit, Tessa rubbed his back and murmured soothing words.

  Shane swallowed hard once. Then twice. The twins had sought that affection from Abby, craved her attention. Instead, she’d drifted through their lives like a marionette, going through the motions without any more warmth than a carved wooden block. Everything he’d done to help had only made matters worse.

  As Owen’s cries turned into hiccups and eventually subsided, Tessa glanced up, her expression troubled. “I have to go. My shift normally starts at dinner. When I don’t arrive, Dead Eye will start looking for me.”

  She was paler by the moment, her movements jerky and frightened. Shane blew out a breath. He’d always had a weakness for the marginalized. All the men he’d hired on the ranch had conquered adversity in one way or another. Finch had lost his right arm and the vision in his left eye during the war. Wheeler was a freed slave Shane had met on a tortuous stagecoach ride through the sweltering Texas heat.

  The others…well, the others had seen more than their fair share of hardship. Probably that was why Abby had returned once she’d realized she was in trouble. She knew he’d never turn her away. Yet he suspected a difference in Tessa. As though she’d take any offer of protection as an affront, though clearly she was in need of assistance.

  Shane scowled. The outlaw deserved a throttling for terrifying her. Barring that, he’d do the next best thing.

  “Let me help,” he said quickly. “Please.”

  Owen fidgeted in her lap and she produced a coin he hadn’t noticed before. With a deft flick of her wrist, the coin disappeared. Owen snatched at her fingers and frowned in confusion. She fisted her hands a few times, turning her arm this way and that. With an exaggerated frown of confusion, she brushed Owen’s temple.

  “Hmm,” she said solemnly. “What have we here?”

  With a flourish she produced the coin from behind Owen’s ear. The boy squealed in delight.

  Alyce stood in her chair and leaned over, eagerly joining the game. Without answering him, Tessa absently repeated the trick. Much to the delight of the children, the coin dropped from noses and sprang from beneath dimpled chins with an elegant and imperceptible sleight of hand. Shane was as mesmerized as the children with the rapid disappearance and reappearances of the coin. Only when she dropped the money into her reticule was the spell broken.

  She glanced up and he shook his thoughts back to the problem at hand, grasping for a convincing argument.

  “The next train doesn’t leave for hours.” He charged ahead. “I have an idea that may help us both.”

  Her face softened and his persuasions died on his lips. Abby had an odd habit of staring at a spot over his shoulder, never looking directly at him. The practice had left him feeling invisible. Tessa met his gaze dead-on, her expression open and forthright.

  “I’m not sure how you can help.” She quirked an eyebrow. “Unless you have a freshly pressed dress handy or a private stage for a hasty exit out of town?”

  “No.” Her directness was refreshing and disconcerting at the same time. “I’m afraid not, but I can offer you a room at the hotel.” At the startled look in her eyes, he quickly added, “To freshen up.”

  She gave a sad shake of her head. “I wouldn’t mind staying out of sight and cleaning up, but I can’t displace you.”

  “As you can see, our plans have changed.”

  A riot of color suffused her cheeks. “Because of me.”

  “Never say that. My plans have altered because Mrs. Lund wasn’t a good choice for a guardian. I might not have realized her unsuitability,” he added, “if Owen hadn’t pestered you into returning him.”

  Owen grinned at the sound of his name, revealing his two front teeth. “Ball.”

  “Don’t paint me as the hero,” Tessa replied, raising her delicately arched eyebrows. “I was a little reluctant to return him. He’s a very good listener.”

  Shane dug through his pockets, producing the metal key. “This is the only key. I have some business in town. If you need to change, I can fetch your trunk as well.”

  “Not the trunk! I mean to say, that won’t be necessary. I’m sure a dab of water will take care of this.”

  Shane didn’t know much about laundry, but he figured it was going to take a lot more than a spot cleaning to erase that damage.

  His doubts were forestalled by a flutter of activity. Summoned by the commotion, a woman in an apron bustled over. Together they plucked shards of glass from the floor and wiped up the mess.

  Tessa brushed at the stains on her gown. “I can’t very well travel like this.”

  “Definitely not.”

  Reaching out, she rested her hand over the key. “You said there’s only one key.”

  “Only the one.” He’d bought himself some time. With a little effort, his plan would erase the fear in her eyes and make up for the trouble they’d caused her. Then maybe he could convince her they each had something the other needed. “I’ll walk you the distance and be on my way.”

  Owen showed no signs of surrendering his perch, and Tessa absently tucked him closer. The boy rested his head in the crook of her neck and stared at the shiny locket nestled at the base of her throat.

  With a last glance over her shoulder, she nodded. “I accept your offer.”

  Shane blew out a relieved breath. “You’ll be on your way in no time.”

  Keeping vigil for outlaws with wandering eyes, Shane escorted his motley bunch to the hotel and made arrangements with the clerk. Miss Spencer was obviously not well-known in town, as none of the staff showed even a flicker of recognition.

  Not that anyone could get a good look at her anyway. She spent much of the time helpfully chasing after Owen and Alyce as they reached for the vase of flowers on the round table in the lobby and crawled between the spindly legs of a settee.

  The room he’d procured was at the end of the corridor and he walked her that way, then gathered the twins. Owen yawned.

  Tessa hesitated. “How long will your business take?”

  “An hour. Maybe two.”

  “The children appear tired.”

  “They usually nap around this time.”

  She reached for Alyce, who eagerly took her hand. “I could…I could watch them. You know, while you accomplished your task.”

  He hesitated, not wanting to take advantage of her. “If you’re certain.”

  Her offer was ideal. Better than he could have hoped. While he was fully prepared to take the twins on his errand, he moved faster without them.

  “Aren’t you afraid I’ll abscond with your children?” she asked, turning the key in the lock.

  Her bright smile stole his breath. Her eyes sparkled and a delightful dimple appeared in her left cheek. He’d been immersed in his own troubles for so long, he’d forgotten the simple pleasure of a moment of joy.

  “I’m more afraid they’ll send you screaming into the streets,” he said at last.

  “I’m much stronger than I look.”

  Her dimple disappeared and he mourned the loss. “I don’t doubt it.”

  Tessa turned the key a few times, but no click of the lock sounded.

  She removed the key and studied it closely. “The numbers match but one of the teeth is bent. That must be the problem.”

  “I’ll see if they have another.”

  “No need.”

  She reached behind her head and pulled a hairpin from the coil at the nape of her neck, then inserted the slender metal into the space beneath the key. Her brow knit in concentration, she jiggled the hairpin a few times and the door sprang open.

  Shane gaped, nonplussed by her odd talent for disappearing coins and difficult locks.

  “I—uh,” Tessa stuttered. “I once had a temperamental lock on a boardinghouse door. I learned a few tricks.”

&n
bsp; He supposed there was nothing too odd in that. “You’re quite the locksmith.”

  “It comes in handy at the oddest times.”

  The twins hugged him around the legs before he left, but seemed content to remain with Miss Spencer. Relieved at Owen and Alyce’s easy acceptance of the situation, he made his way toward the train depot with only a twinge of guilt for taking advantage of Tessa’s good nature. The twins had been roused earlier than usual this morning and should sleep easily. Tessa appeared as though she could use the rest as well.

  Her intervention with Owen, though unplanned and unexpected, had pushed him out of his stupor. While he’d like to believe he’d have seen Mrs. Lund’s duplicity eventually, viewing her through Tessa’s eyes had forced him into acknowledging her unsuitability.

  The telegraph office was devoid of customers, and he accomplished his task in short order. Having a cousin who served as a telegraph operator was convenient. Having a telegraph operator for a cousin who was also married to a lawman was even more helpful.

  A flurry of messages were received and dispatched over the following hour, and he took a seat on the bench tucked into a corner of the small office, impatiently tapping his heel. A fine bead of sweat formed on his brow. Miss Spencer must be pacing the floors by now. He checked his watch for the thousandth time. Another forty-five minutes passed before the sheriff appeared. Shane met him at the door in three long strides.

  The man was tall and slender and as weathered and thin as a strip of beef jerky.

  He presented Shane with a wanted poster. “There’s a reward for Dead Eye. Where would you like it sent?”

  A reward. His stomach twisted. Glancing at the picture, his eyes widened at the sum listed on the bottom of the page. Tessa could hire her own private Pullman car with that amount. She certainly wouldn’t need a housekeeping job. He stuffed his free hand into his pocket and shook his head. At least one good thing had come out of this mess.

  “You’ve got him, then?” Shane prodded. “He’s locked up?”