“We always have made a good team, and I’ve no doubt we’ll work together again,” Logan grinned, shaking Eli’s hand. “But you’re not leaving yet are you? It’s nearly dark out already.”
“No, but I plan on leaving at first light. The sooner I get back to my own ranch, the better. The man I left caring for it has enough work of his own.”
“I can understand that,” Logan agreed.
“Alright,” Janie said, emerging from the boys’ room, “who wants some tea to finish off the night?”
“Thank you, ma’am, but I need to get my things packed up,” Eli replied, rising and giving her a nod. “You’ve been more than hospitable, and I can’t thank you enough.”
“Nonsense,” she smiled, “it’s been a pleasure having you stay with us. I hope we’ll be seeing you again.”
“I’ll stop by whenever I can,” he promised, giving her hand a squeeze. After bidding everyone goodnight, Eli set out for the bunkhouse.
Logan settled further back into the couch, gazing off into the fire as Janie put water to boil. Tom watched his brother-in-law as his face fell emotionless, and he sank deeper into his thoughts. Tom’s heart went out to him, quickly seeing the pain in his eyes. Would he never reach the point of taking care of himself?
The only reason he was living in such heartache was his loyalty to his sister. This charade had gone on far too long. If Logan refused to come clean with matters, it was high time someone did it for him.
Tom pulled his gaze over to Janie as she carried a tray of teacups into the sitting room. He knew what he might be risking, telling Janie of his gambling and dealings with Moran. This woman meant the entire world to him, and the prospect of having her learn that he had put Logan in danger terrified him. But the lingering feeling of guilt was growing overwhelming. Tom took a breath before speaking up.
“Alright, this has gone on long enough. I can’t take it anymore!” he began. “Janie, there is something you need to know. Logan might try to hide the pain he’s in, but it’s clear how badly he’s hurting, and it’s all my fault. Darling, for your sake, as well as Logan’s, it’s time that you learned the truth.”
Logan instantly snapped out of his dreaming, shooting a warning glare at Tom. He shook his head, urging him to stop, but it was no use.
“I should have told you months ago, but I was hoping that Logan would have told you the truth by now. He’s always so focused on protecting everyone around him, rushing in and saving them any time he can. It is time I returned the favor.”
Janie stared at her husband in shock, frightened over what could merit such an announcement. She set her tray down on the table and slowly lowered herself onto the couch. “Tom, tell me. What is going on?” Her concerned look shifted to Logan and then back again.
“I promised Logan that I would keep it a secret from you, but doing so is robbing him of his chance to find love and happiness with Sara. I can’t deny him that opportunity any longer. I am the real reason why Logan returned to bounty hunting.”
“What do you mean? How could you possibly have caused that?”
“I was so afraid that we were going to lose it all, Janie. So many expenses were going unpaid, and in my mind it was only a matter of time before we would have lost the ranch altogether. I was desperate for quick money, and I only knew of one place to find it…at the saloon. I can’t tell you how long I lingered over the decision to buy my way into that first card game. I knew it was a risky gamble, but I couldn’t see any other option. Yet, one loss was all it took to send me frantically upping the ante in a desperate attempt to come out even. By the time I went looking for help, I was two thousand dollars in debt and in real trouble. That’s where Logan stepped in.”
Janie’s eyes grew wide, and she placed a hand over her mouth. Just hearing the story unfold was finally bringing clarity to the confusion. She hung on Tom’s every word.
“Moran wanted instant payment, which he knew I couldn’t provide. But Logan managed to strike a deal with him. If he allowed Logan six months, he would have every cent of my debt paid. He and I both knew that such money would not be easily obtained, yet he rode out across the plains anyway, determined to keep our family afloat. I wanted to tell you the truth of things then, but Logan feared that it might tear us apart.”
Janie looked at her brother, sensing the pain in his eyes. He refused to meet her gaze, remaining intently focused on the floor. Something in Janie’s heart instantly softened, realizing how wrong she’d been to place such blame on a man she knew would not hurt her.
“Things were finally looking as though they would come together…until Moran set his sights on you. He knew he could force me out of his way with the snap of his fingers. All he had to do was call for payment while Logan was out of town. He threatened to harm you and the boys if I didn’t pay up immediately. As his wicked scheme became clear to me, I tore into his men like a madman. The thought of him hurting you was too much to bear! But my reaction was all he needed to put me in prison, giving him unhindered access to you.” Tom shook his head, thinking of how quickly things had gone wrong.
“His plan worked perfectly,” he continued. “With Logan gone, and me out of the way, he thought he had us beaten. And I was beginning to think so too. Logan made me swear never to tell you because he was afraid that the truth might tear us apart. And I have to admit, I feared the same thing. He chose to take the blame for my mistakes, acting as though he’d returned to bounty hunting under his own will, all in the name of protecting our marriage. But in the process, he denied any chance of happiness with Sara. She knew what had truly gone on, and she felt that you should know too. When Logan refused to tell you, Sara decided it was time for her to return to Baltimore.”
Janie sat in silence for a few moments, struggling to absorb all that had been revealed. Though she was shocked to learn that all of this had gone on, she was not entirely surprised at the motives fueling things. “You never should have hidden the truth from me, Logan. I’m sorry that you felt the need to do so. I love Tom with all my heart, and I would never let something like this come between us.”
Janie moved closer to her brother on the couch, finally bringing him to look at her. “You have spent your entire life protecting me, and for a long time, Mother as well. And now that you’ve taken on the position of deputy sheriff, you’re still doing it. The time has come for you to begin thinking of yourself. You deserve a better life than the one you’ve resigned yourself to.”
The relief in Logan’s eyes was unmistakable. The burden that had been weighing on his shoulders for so long had finally been lifted, and he took his first relieved breath. For a moment Janie could see the years leave him, and the sparkle of a child’s eyes shine in his own.
“You do love her, don’t you?” she asked, studying him.
Logan paused, hesitant to be so bold after all that had taken place. But there was no denying it. Even now, his heart was with Sara, and the mere hope of having her come back into his life was overwhelming. “I do,” he admitted.
Janie smiled and gave her brother a warm hug. Then she turned and whispered in his ear, “then go get her!”
Chapter 22
Sara poured herself another cup of coffee, savoring its warmth as she dreaded the icy wind that awaited her outside. Decembers in Baltimore were nothing short of brutal, and the chill that had lingered in her heart since her departure from Oakmede only made things feel worse. Hearing her mother shuffling down the stairs, Sara quickly rose and poured some coffee for her.
“Good morning, my dear,” Mother greeted. “I was afraid I might have missed you altogether this morning.”
“There’s no need for you to be awake this early on my account,” Sara insisted, taking another biscuit from the pan and smothering it with jam before presenting it to her mother.
“No, I like to see you off for the day. You work long enough hours. You shouldn’t have to prepare your own breakfast, too.”
“Thank you,” Sara smiled, leaning over an
d kissing her mother on the cheek. “Do you want me to kindle a fire in the sitting room before I leave?”
“No, I can manage,” Mother insisted. “Now, don’t walk off without your scarf. Even if you don’t need it this morning, you’ll want it tonight.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sara nodded, pulling her heavy winter coat around her. She draped her scarf over her head, covering her ears before wrapping the ends around her neck. With a sigh, Sara braced herself and stepped out into the bitter cold. The wind whipped against her back, pushing her along as she made her way down North Street. She crossed her arms tightly across her stomach, tucking her hands under her elbows.
Sara’s breath drifted up into the air in little white wisps as she trekked along. The sun had yet to rise over the city, bringing with it the little bit of warmth it would offer. The houses lining the street were just beginning to glow with lamplight through the windows. It seemed that this gloomy, pre-dawn view of the town was all she ever saw of it anymore. It was dark as Sara went to work and would have fallen dark again before she returned home after twelve long hours at the factory.
Despite the harsh conditions, Sara lingered over her walk down the street. These five blocks that she’d traversed time and again had become a brief place of clarity for her clouded mind.
At home, her efforts were focused on her mother and upkeeping the house, as she knew they should be. And even amongst the monotony of the daily tasks at her job, there was something about being so confined that blurred her reasoning further still. But in the crisp morning air, while the town still lay quiet from the night…here she could think.
It had been such a long three months since Sara’s departure from Oakmede. With each passing day, she forced herself a bit further from her dream of a future with Logan. She’d been so sure that his levelheadedness would override his need to maintain his secrets. And yet, no word had come through from him. Slowly, Sara began to refocus on her own future, and whatever that might hold.
A sharp wind blew, catching Sara’s breath and causing her to cover her face. She picked up her step for a moment, knowing that she was unlikely to arrive at any answers before she reached the factory anyway. To be honest, a part of her felt guilty for wanting more than the life she already had.
She had a mother who loved and supported her in anything she put her mind to. She held a steady job that provided for their needs. If she were to deny her own heart, she could even have a husband in Frederick Jenkins. But none of that seemed to be enough anymore. However brief Sara’s stay in Oakmede had been, she feared that it had forever changed her perspective of life in Baltimore.
Finally nearing the factory, Sara caught her breath in the protection of the large building. The wind still howled around her but could no longer whip against her, shoving her this way and that. Her heart sank a little at the prospect of beginning yet another tedious day at her station, but it was her only option. She nodded to herself, struggling to gather the motivation to step inside. Reluctantly she pulled open the door.
Inside the building the protection from the elements was welcomed, but the structure did little to ward off the cold. Sara made her way down the rows of dimly lit stations where other women had already begun their work.
Nearing her own table, she pulled her gloves off her hands, blowing a few hot breaths over her fingers as she took her seat. She kept her coat wrapped tightly around her, but precise measurements were impossible with gloved hands. She stretched out the first piece of fabric in front of her and began marking out her pattern.
By the time Sara reached her house that evening, it was long past supper time. She hurried up the steps, knowing that her mother would not have eaten without her. She swung the door open and breathed a sigh of relief in the warmth of the house before hanging her coat.
“I’m home, Mother!” she called, starting toward the kitchen. But she stopped short at the sight of a pair of men’s boots drying near the fire in the sitting room. Sara turned and approached the room, peering inside. “Mother?”
Sara’s mother quickly rose to her feet from the couch. “I’m glad to see you, my dear,” she smiled. There was a brightness in her eyes that caught Sara off guard. Mother glanced toward the large captain’s chair near the fireplace and stepped aside to give her daughter a clear view of it. “Come in.”
Sara’s heart skipped, and her breath was taken from her. She stepped forward and then stopped, still caught up in utter astonishment. Could it really be him? Her mother gave her a quick hug before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving Sara alone with their visitor.
“Logan…,” she whispered. She couldn’t help but stare at the man in front of the fireplace, sitting amongst the shadows it cast around the room.
Logan rose to his feet, gazing at her in the same way he’d done so many times in Oakmede. It was as if he could see directly into her soul, reading her every thought. She struggled to keep calm as she felt him studying her once more. Instantly her thoughts were transported back to the moment in which she had first begun to fall for him, the first time he’d looked at her in that way…in the wagon on the way home from visiting Tom in prison.
“Sara,” he began. His voice cracked a bit, revealing his struggle to maintain his composure. “You were right to insist that Janie should know the truth about everything. I’m so sorry that I took my fears out on you. I was wrong to insist that it was none of your business. I knew that you only wanted what was best for everyone, I just couldn’t bring myself to fix things.”
Sara clasped her hands in front of herself, fighting the urge to go to him, but hanging onto his every word. Somehow, the shock of seeing him here had melted away her heartache. Nothing in the world mattered but the eyes gazing back into her own.
“Janie now knows the truth,” Logan continued. “I’ll be forever grateful to Tom for that. I was foolish to believe that I could simply go on with my life, ignoring my feelings for you. I can’t, Sara. I can’t go on without you in my life. I’m just sorry that it has taken me this long to realize that. But that brings me to the reason I traveled to Baltimore. I don’t believe that I deserve another chance with you, but I can’t go on without having told you that I’m in love with you. If you’ll give me another chance…I promise to love you with all of my heart, every day for the rest of our lives.”
Sara could hold herself back no longer. She ran across the room, being welcomed into his arms. He embraced her and kissed her deeply, holding her close against himself. Her arms slid up and around his neck as she lingered in his kiss. Slowly, Logan forced himself to pull away, backing only far enough to see Sara’s face. He ran his fingers over her cheek, gently outlining her face as she slowly opened her eyes.
Still trying to catch her breath, Sara smiled at him. “What’s next for us then?”
Logan smiled back at her, enjoying the feeling of keeping a hand around her waist. “Well, your family are missing you terribly, especially Charley and Carter. How does a family Christmas in Oakmede sound?”
Sara’s eyes brightened, and she failed to hide her excitement. “Nothing in the world could sound better!”
The following day, Mrs. Bailey arranged for a coach to take them to the train station, a luxury that had always been reserved for only the most important of occasions. The excitement was palpable in the air of the Bailey family’s home as luggage was packed, and the house prepared for their absence. Logan emerged from the guest room early, surprised to hear movement in the house so long before dawn.
“Good morning,” Sara called from the kitchen. “I was just about to start breakfast. Would you like coffee while I cook?”
“Good morning,” he smiled, joining her near the stove. “Coffee sounds wonderful, thank you. Is there anything I can help you with?”
“Thank you, but I can manage,” she replied, pouring him a cup of coffee. “Enjoy a few minutes to rest. I’m sure you stay busy enough in Oakmede.”
Logan thanked her for the coffee and took a seat at the table. “Yes, things h
ave been a little chaotic lately, but everything should be calming down in the days ahead. It didn’t seem important enough to mention last night, but Levi is finally in custody.”
Sara spun around from the stove with her eyes wide. “Justice at last!” she exclaimed. “How did you manage it?”
Partners in Justice and Love: A Historical Western Romance Book Page 25
