Captivated By A Gunslinger (Emerald Falls Book 3)

by Ivy McAdams

He blinked, yanking his hat free of his head and pressing it against his chest. “Why, I’m sorry, Miss Clara. I didn’t see you comin’. We’ve all been sendin’ up good wishes on your safe return.”

  His kind words eased her discomfort like melted butter.

  She’d made it back. She was safe.

  “Thank you,” she said. A burn of emotion stung her eyes and throat, but she was determined not to cry.

  Clara McGowen did not cry. Even in a bout of relief.

  Jack leaned his rifle against the tree and stepped closer, his fingers bunching the brim of his hat. “Ace’s got everyone on high alert,” he said. “A couple of the boys are out on the north end of town, keepin’ an eye out for you.”

  She glanced up toward the campsite clearing, barely visible through the trees ahead. Ace was over there, worrying about her?

  He was a good leader, she knew, but he was also intelligent. He would know better than to be out looking for her if she’d been picked up by the Law. There wasn’t anything he could do. It wasn’t as if he was going to come bust her out of jail.

  Her lower lip slid free as she concentrated. He hadn’t given any second thought to Tom being incarcerated a few weeks ago, and Tom was one of his top boys.

  “I appreciate everyone’s concern,” she said without tearing her eyes free of the clearing through the trees. “I’ll go let them know I’m alright.”

  Jack nodded in her peripheral. “They’ll be glad to hear it.”

  She urged Ira forward, and they sauntered through the last of the trees and into the clearing. The first of the tents was a stone's throw away, and it didn't take long for someone to spot her.

  “Clara’s back!” Clay’s voice lifted over the campsite, and a scramble ensued.

  Sadie was at his side in an instant, and they ran to her. Behind them, a few more faces popped out of tents. Ace stumbled out of his, eyes wide and staring out into the field.

  Clara tilted her head a little. She’d never seen Ace so disheveled.

  His hair wasn’t as nicely combed as usual. His hat was missing. The red suspenders that usually hid beneath his jacket were hanging down on either hip. His eyes were large and searching.

  “Oh, Clara, I’m so happy you’re here,” Sadie blubbered as she jumped up along Ira’s side and grabbed Clara’s hand. “I didn’t know what to do when that deputy took you away. Once you were gone, I was just stuck, standing there, with no way to get you back. So I came back here.”

  She burst into tears, hugging Clara’s hand to her face.

  Clay rubbed a tender hand on Sadie’s back. The creases in his face leaned more toward amused than concerned.

  “She’s been a little emotional since she got back,” he whispered.

  Clara smiled and turned to slide free of her saddle. Then she wrapped her arms around Sadie. The woman folded into her.

  “It’s okay. I’m fine,” Clara said.

  For the most part. Other than alerting the closest town of her existence. That wasn’t a good move.

  "You did the right thing leaving," she continued. "The last thing we needed was for someone to notice you and start asking questions. We're just lucky Mr. Grayson didn't say anything."

  “Who?” Clay’s eyes narrowed.

  “Mr. Grayson. The mail clerk. He used to tell me he was too old to take up in the town’s gossip, and that was many years ago.” Her eyes widened. “He’s much too old now I take it. He must not have been interested in the money rumors going around, because he didn’t say anything to Sadie.”

  Clay nodded, and the muscles in his jaw eased. “That’s good. She’s done her part. I think she’ll be safest here now.”

  “I’ll help however I need to,” Sadie said, linking an arm through Clara’s roughly. Tear stains streamed down her pink cheeks, but she looked fierce.

  “I think Clay’s right,” Clara said gently, patting her friend’s hand. “You’ve done a great job, but there’s no reason to―”

  “Clara.” Ace pushed through the small crowd of people that had formed along the edge of the campsite.

  She looked up at him. He’d fixed his suspenders on the way over and at least run a hand through his hair.

  “What happened back there? They let you go?”

  “They had no reason to keep me. They had to let me go.”

  His eyes shifted slightly before he leaned closer. “They have no evidence on you?”

  Her chin tilted up an inch. “Nothing.”

  He nodded. “Thatta girl.” Then he motioned at Bridget. “Come get this horse, would you? Miss McGowen needs to take a break and eat something.”

  Clara started to protest―she didn't want to be catered to―but she was tired. And hungry. Taking a break to rest her nerves sounded amazing.

  The tall red-headed Bridget stepped up take Ira’s reins and gave Clara an encouraging smile.

  "Let's give her some air," Ace said, giving Clay and Sadie a subtle send-off with his fingers, before putting his hand on Clara's elbow. "And we'll get her settled at the campfire."

  Everything happened so quickly that Clara found herself just following along as she was requested. Away from the crowd. Over to the campfire and onto a soft bale of hay. All led by Ace himself. He only let her go to fetch her some food.

  His fingers had been gentle but firm on her skin, and she tried to think of all the times he’d ever touched her in the time she’d known him. Not often. What could have possibly possessed him to fawn over her now?

  He’d fretted over her being stuck in town and even sent boys out to find her―a glance around told her it’d probably been Jeremiah and Otis. Then he’d shooed away the rest of the gang to give her some peace. All before touching her arm.

  If she didn’t know any better―

  “You were really worried about me, hmm?”

  Ace paused at the plate of cured meat and cheese he’d leaned over nearby. He cleared his throat as he continued to dump food into a bowl.

  “I try to do what I can to keep all my people safe.”

  “I see. Even when they get thrown in jail?”

  The eyes she stared into were as sharp and cunning as a wolf’s. Dangerous, but intriguing.

  “I was worried about your safety,” he said. “I’m not sure what answer you’re looking for.”

  “None in particular. I suppose I was just curious. You didn’t react in kind when Tom was picked up.”

  His eyes were locked on hard to hers, but the edge of his brow cocked. “Tom deserved to go to jail.”

  A little of the good-humor faded from her spirit. “Ace, I deserve to go to jail. I killed my husband.”

  His body hardened, and the hand that snaked up below her line of vision and touched her jaw surprised her. He took her chin between his thumb and index finger, pinching a slight warning into her skin.

  “You killed him before he could kill you. You’re no murderer, Clara McGowen. You’re a fighter. A survivor. Don’t you ever regret what you’ve done.”

  Her body was frozen, held up by nothing but his strong fingers. Never in her life had she felt so validated and true in her choice that night.

  She knew the truth. Lloyd Martin would have killed her. But growing up in a sheriff family, she’d always beaten herself up over her decision to act. Even living among a group of outlaws hadn’t made that doubt go away completely. It crept up on her when she wasn’t prepared.

  Something about Ace’s words destroyed that feeling like she never could.

  His dark brown eyes were pinned so intently to hers that a blush fluttered into her cheeks.

  “You have amazing gifts,” he murmured, barely over a whisper. “Thank the Lord he didn’t steal you away from the world.”

  A tickle of nerves stretched through her chest and out her arms.

  “We have to make sure none of those deputies get their hands on you again either. Be on the lookout. They know you’re around now. They might come looking.”

  “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to leave c
amp again. They’ll have to hunt me down like a dog.”

  His fingers eased on her chin as his shoulders shook with a quiet chuckle. “That would be a decent plan. Give no exposure. But that won’t happen tomorrow. You and I are going back to Emerald Falls in the morning.”

  Chapter 7

  “This is not going to work. You’re insane.”

  Clara leaned against the exterior brick wall of the Emerald Falls bank. The morning sun was blocked by the adjoining building, casting her and Ace in shadow in the slim alleyway between the structures.

  He cracked a grin at her words. “Maybe so, but you’ll be fine. Your brain is a diamond. I have every faith this will work.”

  Her scowl deepened.

  “Don’t look at me like that.” His deep voice held a warning that was edged with a playfulness she’d never heard from him. “You know there’s no other way. They know he had no children. As soon as they find out he’s dead, this money will be out of here.”

  Clara cursed under her breath.

  She’d read the rest of Jed’s letters after returning to camp, and the State had declared outright that the money would go to him alone, given that he had no beneficiaries of his own. There would be no tricking them into handing any of it over to Sadie, and if they didn’t do something quickly, they’d be no handing over to anyone.

  The date of death mentioned in the letter was over two months prior. Their ninety days were running out.

  They had to act fast.

  So Ace had put forth his backup plan.

  They were going to take the money straight from the bank.

  A robbery.

  A bank heist with a payout bigger than legend itself.

  As much as the thought of stealing from the local bank made her stomach turn, she knew Jed Tanner would hand that money over to Sadie in a heartbeat. She was his daughter in every way it mattered. And with Sadie having a baby on the way, Clara couldn’t stand not to help.

  She looked out the short alley into the main street once again. The sun was bright out there as people and horses moved by. They were all oblivious to her huddled form.

  It had taken some convincing to get her to come back to town though. She wasn’t necessary for the robbery to happen. She most definitely didn’t want to get caught again. She’d tried to tell Ace at camp the night before, and if he’d taken those stupid fingers off her face, it would have been easier to think. Something about his fingertips hard against her skin left her wits all tied up.

  Those eyes had weakened her further, gazing at her as if he’d pour every ounce of hope he had into her. And that mouth? Her heart fluttered at the mere thought.

  He’d somehow charmed her into thinking she was his only hope for a quick and easy map of the bank.

  Her fingers dug into the edges of the brick behind her with an irritated breath. Ace Van den Berg deserved a swift kick in the pants at the end of the day.

  “Go ahead,” he whispered. “Eyes open, mouth shut. Speak as little as possible and get back out here.”

  She drew in a long breath and nodded. Then she stepped out into the sunlight.

  She wore an extra skirt and blouse of Sadie's so she wasn't dressed the same as the day before. Her long blonde hair was pulled up in a messy knot she'd stashed under a wide-brimmed hat. Across her face, she'd secured a small section of thin-thread fishing net she'd spun and decorated to resemble a fashionable French net. It didn't hide her face like a bandana, but it might help distract enough to keep someone from recognizing her.

  The bank was a wide, short building, decorated with white columns on either side of the front double doors. A set of steps led up to the wooden platform that lined the street and sat right along the edge of the doors.

  Clara lifted her skirt an inch off the ground and climbed the steps, then pushed open the doors.

  The inside of the bank was open and airy. A wide hall behind a barred door led down from the spacious foyer to the back half of the building. A few office doors lined the corridor, and somewhere hidden in the back room, she assumed, would be a safe.

  Clara stepped up behind another gentleman speaking with the bank clerk. The woman stood behind a row of bars and a waist-high counter. He was having issues making a payment he owed and wasn’t too keen on it. The clerk was being most gracious, despite his voice growing deeper and more on edge.

  When Clara’s gaze passed a window overlooking the alley, she caught sight of Ace’s head, and for a brief moment, his eyes. Her body went rigid, and she snapped her head forward and away from him. Heat fluttered up her neck and into her cheeks. Completing her job with him watching her made her nervous. He could at least go hide somewhere.

  “The banker isn’t here today to push this through,” the woman in glasses behind the counter divide said politely. “I’m sorry, sir. Mr. Hayes isn’t in on Tuesdays or Fridays. You can come back tomorrow.”

  The customer grumbled, bunching a sheet of paper in his hand.

  When he stomped off, the clerk smiled in Clara’s direction. “Good morning, ma’am. What can I help you with?”

  Clara eased her way up to the counter and cleared her throat. “I’d like to open an account.”

  The woman's eyes narrowed just slightly, though her smile didn't falter. It was a subtle change, but one Clara caught. Apparently, she didn't look competent enough to have her own money. Maybe because she was a woman. Maybe because she had a fake veil draped over her face.

  “Of course,” the woman said. “Right this way.”

  She motioned to a barred door alongside the counter that led into the bank beyond.

  “We’ll get you set up for that right away. Eugene!”

  A spindly man in tight slacks that nearly didn’t reach the top of his shoes and a pair of suspenders that made him resemble a marionette hopped out of his chair and rushed to the door. While he gave the clerk a questioning look, Clara gave the door a subtle nudge. It was locked.

  “She wants an account set up,” the clerk said. “Take her on back there.”

  He frowned at first but then turned to smile at Clara. “Morning, ma’am,” he stuttered as he opened the door. “Right through here.”

  He led her through the hallway, into the belly of the bank, and to a single small desk set up in the back. Small windows overlooked the room on both sides, letting in a dull amount of light. A floor to ceiling safe door was tucked into the corner beyond it. It stood open, and she could see a wall of shelves on one side, stacked with boxes. No wonder Eugene had hesitated to take her back there. If she was armed, she could run straight into the safe right then.

  Of course, she wouldn't be able to get back out most likely. The last thing she needed was her father to come arrest her for trying to rob the Emerald Falls bank, on top of everything else.

  Perhaps she wasn’t as good of a thief as Ace, but she could at least do the job he’d given her.

  While Eugene got situated at the desk, she gave the room another glance around. There were two sets of doors on the wall behind her. An armed deputy sat in a chair next to one. That one, she assumed, must lead outside. A couple small offices were tucked in behind the clerk’s station up front. She’d glanced inside both as they passed them. They were empty.

  All in all, there wasn’t much going on in the bank on a Friday

  “Miss?”

  Clara’s eyes snapped back to Eugene, realizing he must have been speaking to her.

  “Yes?”

  Her hands were clammy in her lap, and she wiped her palms against her skirt discreetly.

  “You can open a normal deposit box with five dollars down. Is that what you need today?”

  "Five dollars?" She pressed a hand to her cheek and feigned as much of a feminine surprise as she could muster. "I wasn't aware I needed money to get started. I thought I'd put in the money my sister was sending me next week. She's got a case of fever at the moment, I'm afraid. She'll be moving in with me so I can nurse her back to health. She was sending that money over before she got
here. Are you sure I can't open that account now? I wanted to drop that money off quick-like later on. I'm sure I won't have time next week to have a sit-down meeting, Mr. Eugene."

  He'd lifted a hand a couple times in an attempt to stop her, but he couldn't manage to break in through her words. When she finally took a breath, he stood from his seat.

  “I’m very sorry, ma’am. Those are the rules. Anything different would have to go through Mr. Hayes, and he ain’t in today.”

  She hopped up to her feet as well. “I see. Then I suppose I will just have to come back another time.”

  "My apologies, ma'am. If you don't have the five dollars today, then we will have to see you back."

  She turned up her chin, and affectively her nose, and marched back toward the front. Eugene hurried to follow, slipping in front of her just enough to pull the barred door open for her.

  “Have a lovely day, ma’am.”

  She gave a soft hmph as she strode out the front door and onto the platform. She was glad not to be running―they hadn’t suspected her―but the excitement sent her straight off the stairs, into the street, and back down the alleyway.

  She collapsed against the wall for only an instant before Ace scooped her up. He lifted her off the ground, pressed her into his chest with his arm at the small of her back.

  “You were magnificent,” he whispered in an excited voice.

  Her eyes flitted to the window at the back of the bank, realizing he must have still been watching her. The blush in her cheeks was quickly overpowered by a new delight. The elation in Ace’s voice tickled her ear. The feel of his hard body against hers as he spun her in a quick circle sent a new exciting heat through her. The warm hand on her back, fingers digging into her skin in a manner that pinched but felt just right.

  Then his face was in hers. His smile was beaming.

  “I knew you could do it,” he breathed.

  Boy, he smelled good, and the sharp edges of his face looked even better up close. She loved the way his brow furrowed even when he was smiling. The smoldering look was alluring, and she leaned closer to it, savoring the way his mouth tilted up on one side, a sly smile that made him look cool and foxy.