Charlotte saw him try to swallow around the lump blocking his throat. She patted his arm. They had been so afraid but, by the grace of God, had emerged whole on the other side of their fear. “Ethan will be here soon. I’m going to change and wait on the porch. Are you all right with The Boss?”
They returned to the house, Mike holding Liam close to his chest.
“Yes, I’m going to check on Megan. See you at supper.” With that father and son strode with purpose into the house.
Charlotte sat on the porch in her new cotton blouse, the light corset, and a deep blue skirt made of thicker material but so much better than the heavy taffeta and bombazines she had worn from Boston. Boston—the thought of that misty city perched on the Atlantic Ocean focused her mind on the letter she had received the day Ethan spanked her, and Liam was born. It had taken the letter five to seven days to reach her and another seven had passed since then. Two weeks. Time enough for her father or his henchmen to come looking for her. His treasure. Her mouth turned down and her hands fisted in her lap. Treasure. Indeed.
Ethan galloped into the yard and pulled Charlie to a stop. “I passed Marcie on the road. Is everyone all right?” Concern radiated from the big man like the sharp heat of a Texas summer.
“Yes. Megan and baby thrive.” She rewarded him with a brilliant smile.
He swung from his saddle and climbed the porch stairs. Pulling her to his chest, he wrapped strong arms around her body and pulled her close and closer. His hands roved up her back and down, down over her buttocks. He cupped them in his hands and lifted her into him. She felt his desire. She returned it. His mouth crashed onto hers and the kiss was a mashing, teeth jarring, wet hot thing. He sat down and pulled her into his lap. His hand ran up her leg past her stocking to the bare flesh of her thigh.
“Jesus,” Ethan sighed. He squeezed and patted and stroked. “I have to stop,” Ethan groaned as his hand skimmed down her thigh once more and emerged from her skirt. “The hands will be back soon, and I won’t be caught with you like a randy tenderfoot.” He adjusted her skirt and stroked it into place. “Marry me,” Ethan stared into her eyes, at her lips, and pulled her softness into him. “Marry me before I burn to a crisp. I love you, sweetheart.”
Charlotte snugged close into his arms. “I can’t. Not yet.”
“Your business?” His voice held annoyance, and surrender.
“Yes, my business.”
“You still won’t tell me? I only aim to help.”
“I know, Ethan, I do know that. It’s just something I want to work out on my own. But what I said is true. You are my man.” Her voice held a plea.
“Until you trust me enough to share your burdens, it’s a fairly empty sentiment, Charlotte. I want it all. Your trust. Your faith. I’m not a half-way kind of man.”
She considered his words. His precious words. “Just a little time.” She peeked hopefully at his stern jaw.
“Well, I’m not like your father. I won’t beat you to get information. So, I guess I’ll have to be happy with that for now.” He gave her bottom a few swift spanks. “Except I’m not.”
Charlotte nodded her understanding. “I’ll bring you a glass of whiskey. I shouldn’t disappear to the river today. I want to help Sally Ann with supper. The baby has increased her work, too. All those diapers.” She gave a snort. “It’s not fair.” She rose from his lap and with a reluctant smile entered the house.
“Dinner’s ready, Ethan,” Charlotte called. He was still sipping and still staring out across the yard. “Shoot,” she muttered. “He’s not a happy man. Maybe I should just tell him and be done with it.”
Megan and Mike appeared at the top of the stairs. Mike held the baby in the crook of one arm and held his wife’s upper arm with the other. “Megan’s going to walk down the stairs.” He smiled at the determination on her freckled face.
“First time since I went on bed rest six weeks ago.” Megan took a careful step followed by more. Ethan and Charlotte watched until she took her last step and set both feet on the floor.
“Well done, Megan.” Charlotte put her arm around her friend’s shoulder and gave a squeeze.
Ethan clapped his hands in admiration of the feat, and the four sat down to dinner.
“Sally Ann is certainly a good cook.” Megan scooped a tamale onto her plate. “We’ll miss her when she’s moved to the Bar T.”
Mike and Charlotte immediately agreed while helping themselves to black beans and rice.
Ethan grunted. The tone was tense. The mood morose. Lively talk did not go well with sullen silence.
When they pushed their chairs back, Ethan announced, “I better get on back to town. Thank you for the delicious dinner.” He was out the door and half-way to the barn before the three remaining adults managed to snap their mouths closed.
“What’s the matter with him?” Mike’s head swiveled from the door where his friend had disappeared to the two women.
Charlotte blushed. “He’s not happy with me, I’m afraid.”
“Oh,” Mike said and nodded. “A spat. Well, we’ve had a few of those.” He patted Megan gently on her bottom. “I’m headed out to the bunkhouse for a bit. Ray’s horse stepped on his foot today. It was swollen and purple. I want to have a look at it. See if we need the doc. I think I’ll play cards for a bit if you ladies don’t mind,” he paused before continuing, “Will you be all right with The Boss?”
“Of course. Go enjoy yourself.” Megan stood on tip toe to give her husband a little kiss.
“Megan, take Liam and find a comfy seat in the kitchen. I’ll clear the table, and we can chat while I get these dishes done.” Charlotte piled the plates and silverware and headed for the sink.
Charlotte wiped the last dish dry and laid the little towel flat to dry. She added tea to the hot water on the stove and brought two cups to the table. Liam slept in his mother’s arms while the two friends relived the day of his birth—already a memory, history, an anecdote with punchlines and a happy ending.
“Did you hear that?” Megan paused in the retelling.
“Someone’s knocking.” Charlotte opened the kitchen door. “Hello, Nick. Come in.”
The young man held his cowboy hat in his hands and turned it round and round. He surveyed the little room before settling his eyes on Charlotte. “Miss Weaver, I went to town for supplies today.” The hat made another revolution. “There was a man asking about you in the Livery. He said he was a friend of yours. Well, I didn’t say nothing, but the storekeeper didn’t think twice. He told the guy you were out here on the Circle M staying with the Mannings. Said you’d been to town shopping once or twice and what nice a lady you are. The fella left after that, but I didn’t like him. He didn’t look happy at finding you. He looked smug. Sort of like he’d caught the biggest fish.” Nick slapped the hat against his thigh. “I just wanted you to know.” He put the much-abused hat on his head and turned to leave.
Charlotte jumped from her chair with such force it flew backwards. “No. No. No.” With each no, her voice rose higher, her eyes became rounder and her eyebrows soared to new heights. “When was this, Nick?”
“About four this afternoon. I don’t expect he’d make the trip out here tonight. He’ll probably come in the morning,” Nick replied.
“In the morning. Yes, I think you’re right.” She paced the room, hands waving like homeless birds. Stopping in mid-pace, she turned to Megan. “I have to leave. Tonight.”
“Leave? Tonight? But it’s dark, Charlotte. What’s wrong?” Megan stood and put Liam over her shoulder and patted his tiny back.
“My father sent that man. He’s come for me. Oh, Megan, if he gets me, I’ll never get away again. Help me.” Charlotte placed her hand on her bosom and felt the racing beat of her heart. She had to flee.
“Never get away?” Megan repeated.
“Right. I’m his treasure. I have to go. Tonight.” She trapped one trembling hand with the other.
“Where will you go?” Megan wondered.
Charlotte rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. “Mexico.”
“Mexico?” Liam startled at the sharp sound in his ear and gave a little cry. Megan lowered her voice and repeated. “Mexico?”
“My mother’s there,” Charlotte explained.
“Now, Charlotte.” Megan’s voice dropped to a lower beat. “Now, Charlotte,” she repeated. “Your mother is dead. You told me so yourself.”
“But she’s not. She’s in Mexico. I found out. Listen, Megan, I don’t have time to tell the whole story, but my mother is alive and living in Mexico. My grandparents sent me money and directions to get to her. I need to get to Abilene. The first step is for me to take the train to Odessa. Before that man gets me.” Charlotte wiped sweaty palms on her skirt.
“Maybe we should fetch Ethan,” Megan watched her friend’s face.
“I have to go now. I know it might sound silly or careless, but this is something I need to do on my own. After all those years of helplessness, I want to do this one thing on my own. Please, help me.”
Megan continued to pat and rub her son’s back. “All right, friend. I’ll help. Go pack a bag. Nick, go saddle Bunny and a horse for yourself. You are going to see Charlotte safely to the train in Odessa.”
“Mrs. Megan,” Nick began, “I don’t think Mike is going to like it. I take orders from him as a rule.”
“I know. Leave Mike to me. I’ll take all the blame, but Charlotte needs us. You can see that.”
Megan and Nick watched the agitated woman wring her hands.
“Bunny and a horse for me.” The young man repeated Megan’s instructions, and returned his hat to his head with a purposeful thump then marched into the dark Texas night.
Ten minutes later the three gathered in the yard. Charlotte tied a small bag behind her saddle while Nick did the same with a satchel of food Megan brought from the house.
“I have two bedrolls in my saddlebag,” Nick told them. “We can’t ride the horses all the way to Abilene without rest.”
“I understand. Of course, we will need to stop. We need to avoid the well-traveled roads. I don’t know how many men my father has looking for me. Oh, please, get me on the train as quick as you can.”
Nick offered his cupped hands. She set her foot in them, and he boosted her onto Bunny’s back.
“Tonight’s full moon helps. We can travel a little faster with all that light.” He looked at Megan. “Tell Mike I’ll be back as soon as I can.” The two horses set a good pace and in moments they had left the yard and Megan behind.
Megan’s final words echoed in her mind. “Be safe. God speed.” Megan had called the last wish once more as they disappeared into the night.
“God speed.”
Chapter 8
Ethan
Ethan swung his long legs to the ground and approached the porch with caution. Megan sat on the swing with Liam snuggled to her chest and glanced through lowered lashes at her husband’s granite jaw. Mike stood over her, hands on hips, eyes snapping and mouth pressed hard and tight.
“Howdy.” Ethan sent out an opening salvo.
“Howdy,” Mike’s terse response vibrated with mixed emotion. Anger, certainly. Disappointment, maybe.
“Everything all right?” Ethan asked.
“No.” The word was a speeding bullet. “No, everything is not all right. It seems that Charlotte left, no, ran away—with my wife’s help.”
Ethan drew his body to its full height and joined Mike in glaring at Megan. “Ran away? I don’t understand.” He looked around the porch as if Charlotte might appear, beautiful and tempting, at any moment. “I don’t understand. Why would she run away? Where would she go?”
“I’m just about to get answers to those questions. Tell me,” Mike growled.
“All right. All right. It would help if you’d sit and quit glaring at me, Michael.” Megan waited while her husband lowered himself to the porch railing.
Ethan folded his long body onto a nearby chair. Both men stared at her with persistent purpose.
“Last night after supper Nick came to the house. He told Charlotte a man in town was asking about her,” Megan began. “Well, Charlotte was terrified. I’d never seen her so upset and scared, Michael. Never.”
“Who was it?” he asked.
“I don’t know. She said he was sent by her father. She thinks he means to take her back to Boston. Something about her being his treasure,” she paused and pulled at a loose thread on the baby’s blanket. “A man came looking for her this morning. I told him Charlotte wasn’t here. He didn’t believe me. Said that was mighty strange as several townsfolk told him she was here. He didn’t like my answer, but he left.”
Ethan interrupted. “I saw him in town last night asking about her. I planned to tell her today.” He blew out a puff of frustrated air.
“Is he still there?” Mike looked at his friend.
“As far as I know. But where is she? Megan, do you know?” Ethan drummed his fingers on his thigh.
“Yes, at least I know where she’s heading.” Megan nodded her head and patted Liam’s back.
“Where?”
“Mexico.”
“Mexico?” Mike and Ethan spat out the word in unison.
“Yes. She thought her mother was dead, but she’s not. She’s alive and living in Mexico. Her grandparents, who she also thought were dead, sent her a letter. They sent money and directions to find her mother.” She threw a blanket over her shoulder and arranged the baby at her breast.
“That’s a lot of people returning from the dead. How come she didn’t know her mother was alive?” Ethan questioned.
Megan peeked under the blanket before lifting her eyes to Ethan’s face. “She didn’t explain all of it to me. But I think her father kept it from her.”
“Why didn’t you come for me, Megan? I was only in the bunkhouse.” Mike’s voice held hurt.
“I’m sorry, Michael. She was desperate to leave, and she wanted to do this on her own. If I hadn’t helped her, she would have gone anyway. I did what I could to keep her safe. I sent Nick with her to see her safely onto the train.”
“Nick’s with her?” Ethan’s shoulders relaxed infinitesimally.
“When I went to the range this morning, Nick was missing. His brothers said he was on an errand for Mrs. Megan. I was mighty curious since Nick takes orders from me, but I couldn’t come in early. We were branding calves, and I was a man short.” Mike eyed his wife.
“Don’t blame Nick. He was doing what I asked,” Megan said.
“Where did he take her, Megan?” Ethan asked.
“To Abilene. She wanted to take the train to Odessa. Said it was the first step in the journey. I don’t know what her plans were after that. Once Nick puts her on the train, she will be fine. Her grandparents told her the way.”
The heads of both men snapped in her direction.
“A woman alone, Megan?” Mike shook his head.
Megan’s eyes swam in unshed tears. “Please don’t scare me. I did what I could to keep her safe.”
Ethan broke the tension. “No use worrying about the barn door after the horses are out.” He stood with arms akimbo. “I need to go after her.” No question lingered in his voice. It was a stone-cold fact. “It’s not safe for a woman alone. It’s not.”
Mike nodded agreement.
“She’s been gone, what, nearly twenty-four hours?” Ethan’s gaze pinned Megan to the swing.
“Just about,” Megan agreed.
“I have to go to town and talk to the mayor. Bob can take over as sheriff, and his brother might fill in as deputy.” He paused. “Nick and Charlotte will reach Abilene tomorrow morning. I can’t reach her before she gets on the train. Abilene is east. Odessa is west. That works in my favor since the train will pass south of here. I can catch up with the train, follow it, and meet her in Odessa.” His green eyes sparked in Megan’s direction. “You don’t know what her plan was after Odessa?”
“No. She said that was the
first step.” She shook her head so firmly that a pin tumbled to the floor. “Honestly, I don’t know any more.”
Ethan jumped from the porch in a single leap and swung into the saddle. “I’ll find her.”
It was a vow. A promise. A pledge.
He headed for town. The first step in his journey to Charlotte.
“Arnie,” he called into the dust-filled air of the Livery.
“Hello, sheriff. What can I do for you?” The older man appeared in the filtered light.
Ethan explained, “I’m heading out in about two hours. Give Charlie some oats and a rub down. Have him ready to travel.”
He needed to talk to the mayor and Bob. His preference would be to leave the town in Bob’s capable hands with the permission of the mayor. But he was going, one way or another.
Business concluded, Ethan headed back to the Livery. The man asking about Charlotte leaned against a building.
“You the fella looking for Charlotte Weaver?” Ethan enquired.
“Yup.” The man swept a glance over the sheriff.
“Why?”
“Why? Well, her father’s paying me. He wants her back.” The man frowned and snorted his impatience. “I know she’s out at the Circle M. They’re lying to me.”
“Maybe she doesn’t want to return to her father,” Ethan said.
“Not my concern. My job is to get her, and her father isn’t fussy about how I do it.” The stranger viewed Ethan through squinted eyes. “You got a dog in this fight?”
“No. Just don’t want any trouble in my town.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“I don’t aim to cause a ruckus, Sheriff. But I plan on leaving here with Charlotte Weaver.” He pulled his body away from the building. “Think I’ll ask around at the Circle M again. That little red-head was lying to me.”
Ethan gave a brisk nod, held his temper, and strode to the jail. The scum might follow him now that he’d shown interest. He wanted to focus on one person, and one person only, Charlotte.
Treasured: Lonestar Love, Book Two Page 7
