by Linda Ford
Everything Tessa had said had led him to believe that Emmett Spencer was dead. Yet here he was. Very much alive.
*
“Emmett!” Tessa squealed again, too shocked to do anything but stare.
Stumbling back, he lifted her off her feet in a bone-crushing hug, then set her away from him. Tall and lean, Emmett’s bandit-dark hair had only just started graying at the temples. He kept both his thick hair and beard neatly clipped and his expensive clothes tailored and spotless. Any passerby who didn’t know him would think he was a respectable fellow and not a seasoned outlaw who’d spent a lifetime skating in and out of trouble.
“You look as pretty as a peach.” His eyes glistened. “I’ve missed you.”
She stepped away and blinked back tears. “Where have you been? I was worried.”
She had plenty to say to him but this was not the time or the place. These past weeks had taught her the value of family, and she’d try to remember that when they spoke alone later. He didn’t appear any worse for wear, and while she was thankful for his good health, her resentment lingered.
How like Emmett to simply appear unannounced, throwing everything into an uproar.
“I had to go underground. You know that.”
Despite her curiosity, there were too many other people around.
Tessa realized they’d drawn the curious stares of the other patrons. She dragged Emmett back through the jumble of tables toward the vestibule. Shane was still standing in the spot where she’d left him, an unreadable expression on his face.
She ducked her head against her own guilt. She’d led him to believe Emmett was dead. No doubt he was curious about her father’s sudden reappearance.
“Shane, this is my dad, Emmett Spencer.” She sucked in a fortifying breath. “Emmett, this is my husband, Shane McCoy.”
“You can’t be serious. I’m gone for a few weeks and you up and marry.”
“I haven’t seen you since last September.”
“It can’t be that long.” He paused, as though mentally gauging the time passed. “Is this why you made all that fuss in Wichita?”
“No. I hadn’t even met Shane yet.”
Emmett snatched her hand and studied her fingers. “You’re not even wearing a ring.”
Trust her dad to pick out that one small detail.
Tessa tucked her hands into the folds of her skirt. “It’s a long story. We got married rather suddenly. There wasn’t time for a ring.”
The men exchanged a brief handshake. Both of them wary and eyeing each other like a couple of roosters with their chests puffed out.
Shane hooked his thumbs into his belt loops. “Join us for dinner, Mr. Spencer?”
“Actually, I’d prefer a word alone with my daughter, Mr. McCoy. We haven’t seen each other in a while.” He looked Shane up and down. “Seems like we have some catching up to do.”
Tessa silently pleaded with her husband and he gave an almost imperceptible nod of his head. “I’ll wait at the table. There’s a parlor in the back for guests. It’s usually empty this time of day.”
Tessa gripped his hand in a quick, grateful squeeze. He knew something was wrong. How could he not? How was she ever going to explain this?
Together she and Emmett found the tiny parlor with a fire crackling merrily in the hearth and two tufted wingback chairs set before the warmth.
Emmett perched on the edge of one chair and she took the other.
“Who is he…that…that farmer?” Emmett demanded. “Did he take advantage of you?”
“He’s a rancher and it’s nothing like that. It’s a long story.” Her chest seized at a sudden thought. “The marshal. The town marshal has met you before. You’d best steer clear of him.”
“Have a little faith in your old man. I checked on the local law enforcement before I settled into town. Marshal Cain is resolving a land dispute two towns away. I’ve got another day or two before he’s back. I’ve been in town for two weeks. I’d given up hope of ever finding you. I nearly fainted when you waltzed in the door.”
“You haven’t answered my questions properly. Where have you been? Why didn’t you answer my telegrams? I’ve been worried.” She chucked him on the arm. “You have some explaining to do.”
There was no use scolding Emmett. He was impervious.
“Me?” He rubbed at his arm with an exaggerated grimace. “Why did you leave Wichita? How’d you end up here? This town is filled with nothing but churchgoers and salt-of-the-earth folks.” He tugged on his collar. “Makes me nervous. I can’t find a poker game to save my hide.”
“Thank goodness for that. You leave these people alone. I’m living here now. I can’t just pick up and run if you start a ruckus.” She stared into the flames. “Is everything squared? Are we safe now?”
He adjusted his trousers over his knees, then clasped his hands before him. “About that. I need your help with a little project.”
“No.” She shook her head for emphasis. “Absolutely not.”
Betrayal shot through her veins. He’d come only because he wanted something from her. Here she’d thought he’d actually discovered his conscious.
“Hear me out. You’re the best locksmith west of the Mississippi. You’re the best person for this job.”
Tessa narrowed her gaze. Charming Emmett was back at his finest. First he’d begin with the flattery. If that didn’t work, he’d move to guilt.
“No.”
“It’s one job,” he pleaded. “And it’s for a good cause. Me.”
“No, no and no.”
Emmett’s mouth hardened and he stood halfway from his chair. “It’s that farmer, isn’t it? Has he got some sort of hold over you? I’ll take care of him. I know people. Say the word and he’ll be on the next steamship bound for the gulf.”
“Don’t you lay a finger on him. You hear me?” Tessa pressed her hands against his chest and shoved him into his seat once more. “It’s nothing like that. I met him in Wichita. He has these two beautiful children. He’s a good man. He doesn’t know about you. What you do for a living. What we did for a living.”
“You’ll be bored to death in a year with that fellow. People like us don’t change.”
“I’m not like you. Why can’t you see that?”
Emmett’s scowl only deepened. “We’re back on that again, are we? It’s not bad for a man to make a living off his wits. If a fellow can’t play a round of poker, then it’s not my fault.”
“It’s not just the poker. You know that.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “Land grabbers don’t deserve fair dealings. There’s nothing wrong with cheating a cheat. That’s the rule.”
“It’s not a rule. Not everyone thinks like you.”
Emmett made a sound of disgust in his throat. “I don’t understand. You never had a problem before that preacher got his teeth into you. You want to know the truth? That snake-oil salesman was no better than I am. He’s worse, even. You think any of them folks are getting the salvation he promised? At least I’m up-front in my dealings. That preacher has no better chance getting through the pearly gates than me.”
She pressed her hands against her cheeks. “I don’t want to argue. I had to leave Wichita in a hurry because I spotted Dead Eye. He was looking for me.”
That information snagged his attention. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried to. Why haven’t you answered my telegrams?”
“Because I can’t go near any of my old haunts. Those Fultons have people everywhere.” He settled back into his seat and pinched his forehead. “Glad I missed him when I went looking for you. The last place I knew you’d been was Wichita. I picked up the trail there.”
“And you came looking for me for a job.” She drew her brows together. “You were worried about me, too, right?”
“Sure, sure. Absolutely. But you’re smart and capable,” Emmett scoffed. “You know how to steer clear of them Fultons. They’re not too bright. The delay has put me
behind, though. We have to put this plan together lickety-split.”
There was no use reasoning with him. Once Emmett got hold of a plan, he was obsessed. Never mind that his only daughter was married and he’d practically growled at her husband. Never mind that an outlaw was on the lookout for her, putting her new family at risk. There was a plan. Time for everyone to drop everything and go along with Emmett.
“Dead Eye Dan had my picture.” She spoke through gritted teeth.
“He must have stolen it. I sure didn’t give it to him. How can you even think that of your old pa?”
Not even ten minutes into their reunion and already her patience was thinning. “You haven’t answered my question. What job are you working this time?”
“You’re gonna love this.” He held up a hand, silencing her protest. “I found the guy who set me up before. He was working as a teller in a bank in Wichita. Caught him up in Abilene living like a king. Turns out he and Dead Eye Dan had the same particular friend. Dead Eye must have told her about his plan, and she double-crossed him with the teller. They turned us in. That’s why there was a posse mustered before we could spit twice. It was a brilliant plan. While I was holed up under the floorboards waiting for dark, that teller was hauling out all the money. Who’s gonna believe a bunch of outlaws when they say the money is already gone? Wish I’d have thought of it myself. The law thinks the Fultons have the money. The Fultons think I have the money. And those two got off scot-free. It’s brilliant.”
Tessa snickered. “Brilliant. Yes. And how do you propose to expose his guilt?”
“I steal the money back from him, give it to the Fultons, then clear my name.”
“This teller is living like a king, you said. How much money does he have left? You really think the Fultons will settle for chump change after they’d had a chance at the whole prize?”
“It’s better than nothing.” Emmett started to rise, then caught himself and paused. “Help out your old man, one last time. If the Fultons put a bullet through my heart, you’ll never forgive yourself for not helping.”
There it was, the guilt. Right on time. Emmett was nothing if not predictable. “Don’t start in on me. I didn’t get you into this mess, and there’s no way I can get you out.”
All at once his face slackened, and he looked older and exhausted. Studying him closer, she realized he was thinner, his cheeks more gaunt than the last time she’d seen him. Guilt gnawed at her gut.
She touched his sleeve. “Pa, you know I can’t help you. Especially now. I have a family to think about.”
“Don’t call me Pa. It’s common.”
“We are common. Or had you forgotten?”
“We’re anything we want to be. I told you that. People believe what they see.”
A rock settled in the pit of her stomach. “Things have changed for me.”
She loved Emmett. She desperately wanted him safe. And yet having him here terrified her. She’d started over. She liked the person she was becoming. Emmett brought back the past just when she was creating a new future.
Things between her and Shane were finally changing for the better, but their relationship was fragile. She wasn’t ready to share her past with him. A sharp pain throbbed in her chest. Emmett was her father. How could she ask him to leave? Especially with the Fultons still after him. He knew her too well. If something happened, she’d never forgive herself.
He wasn’t likely to stay long anyway. Especially once the marshal returned. Emmett preferred a fresh audience for his trade, and the marshal was already aware of his proclivities. A little part of her, a hidden part of her, had known that settling in Cimarron Springs had changed their relationship for good. She’d chosen Shane and the future he offered over Emmett, and the decision tore at her.
Making the right decision didn’t necessarily make the choice easy.
Emmett tugged on his ear. “What about this husband of yours? You gonna invite me for dinner? You said he had children.”
Tessa stood and edged toward the door. How did she introduce Emmett without revealing too much of her past? She didn’t want any more lies.
“My husband is a good man.” She rested her hand on Emmett’s sleeve. “Please don’t ruin this for me.”
He grinned, smoothing the creases of worry along his forehead into laugh lines. “When have I ever ruined anything?”
Chapter Sixteen
Shane sensed Tessa’s unease the moment she stepped into the room. Emmett Spencer was tall and leanly built. He appeared at once affable and charming. His grin was wide and his teeth well cared for. He sported dark hair with a feathering of gray at the temples. Despite the difference in their coloring, there was a definite resemblance between the two.
Though Emmett was at least two decades older than Shane, he imagined Emmett still drew admiring glances from the ladies. Dressed in a deep brown suit, he had the easy, self-confident charm of a man used to getting his own way.
The rest of the dinner passed affably. Emmett regaled them with funny anecdotes from his travels. He assumed the air of a charming host, never letting the conversation lag for long, but never really saying anything personal. By the time the evening ended, Shane had developed a grudging admiration for the man.
Tessa was afraid of something, but her father was not the source of her fears.
All of the proper pleasantries were exchanged. Emmett was dutifully invited for supper on Sunday and Tessa promised she’d visit the following day. A perfectly ordinary meeting between a man and his father-in-law, and yet Shane had an uneasy feeling there was nothing ordinary about Emmett.
Despite the success of the evening, his unease grew. Emmett Spencer was very much alive, though Tessa had led him to believe otherwise.
The ride back in the wagon was far colder and quieter than the ride into town.
Shane stared at the top of Tessa’s bent head. “We need to talk.”
“I know. Let’s wait until we’re home and the children are asleep.”
“Fair enough.”
The rest of the ride passed in silence. The children took their time falling to sleep. Once they’d finally quieted, Tessa sat on the floor and gathered the wooden blocks he’d carved and painted for the children into a wire basket.
He lowered himself onto a chair behind her. “Leave that. I’ll clean up later.”
Instead of standing, she leaned back against his leg and rested her temple against his bent knee. “I’m sorry I lied about Emmett. I knew you thought he was dead.”
His hand hovered above her hair. Some of the pieces had loosened from the neat bun at the nape of her neck and he longed to touch them. To feel the silky tresses. “Why didn’t you want me to know about him?”
What are you afraid of? He held his tongue.
He wrapped a tendril of her hair gently around his finger, marveling at the brilliant color. She didn’t flinch or pull away, and her acceptance emboldened him. He let his hand rest on her shoulder.
She rubbed her cheek against the back of his hand. “We all have secrets, don’t we?”
“Yes.”
“Tell me about Abby,” she questioned, her voice soft. “She’s the children’s mother and I know nothing about her.”
Had Tessa guessed about the children? He’d seen her looking between them more than once. Abby had been adamant that no one know he wasn’t the children’s father. She’d been protecting them against gossip.
He’d clung to the secret as penance for his own guilt. Time had mellowed him. Even if they’d got married that first time, he wouldn’t have been able to save her. Abby had always flirted with destruction. She craved excitement. He wasn’t going to save her because she couldn’t even save herself.
If he let go of her secret, he let go of the idea that the past might have been different.
There was no need to protect them against Tessa. “Abby was already expecting when we married.”
“But the children aren’t yours.”
“I didn’t say t
hat.”
“You didn’t have to.” She turned her head and gazed up at him. The lamplight caught her lashes and cast shadows on her cheeks. “I know what kind of man you are.”
If she knew what he was feeling now, she might not be as assured. “Abby and I knew each other when we were young.”
If he wanted honesty from Tessa, then she deserved something from him. He laid out his story, telling her about his own father and the life he’d lived following his absence. He told her about how Abby had wanted them to marry when they were younger and how he’d refused her. He told Tessa about Abby’s return, about how she claimed she’d made a mistake and she’d never stopped loving him. He revealed how he’d foolishly thought they’d go on as they had before.
Tessa listened without interrupting. When he’d finished his story, she was quiet for a moment before asking, “How did you feel about Abby?”
A question he’d avoiding asking himself. “She moved to town when she was eleven. There weren’t many children at the schoolhouse, and we were the same age. We studied together, sat together. Seemed inevitable we’d pair up. Just worked out that way. We were friends,” he said, recalling those days as though looking through someone else’s eyes. It all seemed like a different time and place. “I loved her the way you love someone who’s been a part of your life. But I was never in love with her. I didn’t know the difference. I assumed we’d go on as we had before, with the same easy friendship. Marriage changed everything. I understood that too late.”
Tessa folded her hands on his knee and rested her chin on her knuckles, gazing into the distance. His fingers had tangled deeper into her hair, and he marveled at the springy softness.
“Do you know the identity of their father?” Tessa asked.
“Abby never said.”
“But you suspected.”
“Yes and no.” Tessa was far too perceptive. He’d considered and discarded several possibilities over the years. “Abby had a wild streak. She adored adventure. When we were kids, I’d often catch her too near the train tracks. She’d stand close enough that she felt the wind as they streaked by. She needed danger. She once told me that everything changed when she discovered she was carrying Alyce and Owen. A part of her wanted them safe and secure, but the other part still craved that adventure. She wanted to do the right thing by them, but she was always fighting against herself. Eventually, we all lost.”
