As if he sensed her presence, he turned his head and their eyes met. She gave him an encouraging smile, and gestured with a slight bob of her head to the empty space beside her.
He hesitated for a moment before sliding into the pew beside her.
She leaned a little closer, whispering. “I’m glad you came.”
He smiled but didn’t answer.
Olivia turned her attention back to the pastor at the front of the church. Landry laid his hat on the seat beside him and sat with his back ramrod straight, his eyes focused on something directly ahead.
As if the pastor had somehow known Landry would be in church that particular day, he spoke about sin, about atonement, and about forgiveness. Several times, Olivia cast a sideways glance in Landry’s direction to see how the pastor’s words were affecting him, but his expression was set in stone. And while Olivia usually enjoyed the pastor’s Sunday sermons, she was pleased when this one was over.
As he did every Sunday, the pastor thanked each one of the congregation for attending as they left the church and filed out onto the grassy area outside. Dark clouds had replaced the blue sky, and a breeze had whipped up, rustling the leaves in the trees and forming small whirlwinds of dust.
Landry had walked off as soon as the service was over, and as she stood with a few friends, her eyes kept searching for him. A faint smile she couldn’t prevent tugged at her lips when she caught a glimpse of Grace’s father, the older Doc Leonard, shaking his hand. A few moments later, Landry smiled at something the doctor had said.
Goodness, his smile was intoxicating, she couldn’t help thinking, even when that smile wasn’t directed at her.
“Olivia?” Almira’s voice filtered through Olivia’s brain.
“Hmm? Oh … I’m sorry … what were you saying?”
“Just wondering what it is about that man that has you all aflutter.”
Heat surged into Olivia’s cheeks. “Why … nothing …”
Almira gently patted Olivia’s arm. “You’re a grown woman, able to make your own decisions, but you know how folks will react if you start spending time with him, so consider the consequences carefully.”
“Yes, of course,” Olivia replied as Almira squeezed her hand and said goodbye.
Almira’s warning sat heavily in Olivia’s chest. She was well aware how most of the town felt about Landry, but she couldn’t help being drawn to him.
Taking in another stray, her mother would have scolded. You can’t save everybody.
But it was more than that. It wasn’t just that he needed a friend. She couldn’t define exactly what it was, but even though she’d been warned he was dangerous, he made her feel safe. And wanted. Even when he’d told her to go away, she sensed he didn’t mean it, that he had some unspoken reason for dismissing her.
She caught Landry approaching out of the corner of her eye. She smiled up at him when he stopped beside her. “I’m so glad you came today,” she said, then chuckled. “I said that before, didn’t I?”
“You did,” he replied. “But it doesn’t look like some folks are too happy about it.”
“Some may not be, but I’m sure others will be pleased to see you’re trying to make amends for your past mistakes.”
“Maybe.”
“Be patient.”
He glanced up at the sky. “I’d best be going,” he said, ignoring her comment. “You should be getting home, too. Looks like a storm’s brewing.”
He jammed his hat back on his head, touched the brim with his index finger in a farewell gesture and turned away.
Olivia couldn’t explain it, but something inside her wouldn’t let him leave. She had to try again. “Landry?” she called out.
He stopped long enough for her to step around him and face him. “Would you like to come to supper tonight?”
“Like I told you before, I don’t think it’s a good idea—”
“Why not? Do you have other plans?”
“Well … no …”
“And you do have to eat, don’t you?”
“Sure, but—”
“Unless you dislike me,” she put in, her voice rising a notch. What if that was it? What if he just plain didn’t like her? A heavy weight settled in her stomach at the thought.
“Hell, no … oh, sorry, my mouth gets away from me sometimes … it’s not that …”
“Then what is it?”
“I don’t need your sympathy or your help—”
“Yes, you made that quite clear, but I’m not inviting you because I’m trying to help you. I …” She felt the heat surging into her cheeks and she was sure he could see her cheeks reddening. “I want to get to know you better. Nothing more.” She was being inappropriately forward. Proper ladies did not speak of their attraction to a man, especially to the man involved.
“Is that so?”
Well, she thought, as her mother used to say, ‘In for a penny, in for a pound.’ “Yes,” she said, her lips quirking in a smile. “I realize this is highly improper, but—”
“Okay.”
Olivia had already mentally prepared another argument, so his sudden acceptance rendered her speechless.
A slow grin lifted his lips. “Regretting the invitation already?”
“Oh, no … not at all.”
“Good. I’ll come, but on one condition.”
“Condition?”
He nodded. “You invite somebody else, too. Having me as a guest in your house won’t help your reputation any, especially if we’re alone.”
“I don’t care about—”
He held up a hand to stop her. “I appreciate that, but for your sake, I’m insisting on this. So if you know somebody else who wouldn’t mind having supper with an ex-convict, I’ll be there.”
“That’s silly—”
“That’s the way it has to be.”
For a few moments, Olivia tried to come up with something that would convince Landry he was being overly cautious, but by the closed expression in his eyes, she realized she’d be wasting her time. He’d made up his mind, and it appeared Landry was the type of man who didn’t change it once he’d made a decision.
“Fine,” she said, “but only because it makes you feel more comfortable. I don’t have an issue with you and I being alone. I’ll invite Zane and Priscilla then.”
His brows arched. “The sheriff?”
“Priscilla, his wife, is my best friend,” she said. Then a smile tugged at her lips. “And who’s been around more … men like you … than Zane?”
“I doubt even the sheriff will be happy about socializing with me, but if you can convince him, that’s fine with me.”
She would convince him. And if she couldn’t, she knew Priscilla would. She grinned. A raindrop hit her nose, but she barely noticed. Inside, she felt as if she was suddenly filled with sunshine.
Chapter Four
Landry cursed. Loudly. What the hell had he been thinking? He had no business having supper or anything else with Olivia Harding.
She was one of those do-gooders who wanted to fix everybody. He’d figured that out almost as soon as they’d met. But he couldn’t be fixed. Nothing she could do would erase his past, make folks forget what he’d done.
Maybe he should have gone somewhere else like his brother suggested, somewhere far away where nobody knew him. But Rocky Ridge was home. He’d spent his whole life there, and for some reason he couldn’t define, he wanted to live out his days there. He only wished he knew how to get back to the life he’d had before he’d gotten himself into a situation he couldn’t escape.
His brother had warned him. Before Landry was released from prison, Tobias had told him he could never go home. But he hadn’t listened. Lately he’d been wondering more and more if maybe Tobias was right.
The thought lodged in his brain as he rode to the livery stable and dismounted near the corral. Maybe he should have stayed away from Rocky Ridge.
But it was too late now. He’d spent every cent he’d saved working fo
r Rufus to buy the livery here in town. Even if he could sell it, he wasn’t ready to start fresh somewhere else, back working for somebody else.
He liked working for himself, and even though he didn’t have much business, he had enough to get by. And that was all he really cared about.
He stood for a few seconds, his arm resting on his horse’s neck as he glanced along the main street. People bustled about, wagons rolled by, children played. It was as if he’d never left. Nothing had changed about the town, only the people in it.
And they’d changed because of what he’d done. He had nobody to blame but himself.
The livery was at the edge of town. Behind him, houses had popped up over the past few years as the population grew. Some were grand two-story houses with picket fences and gardens, while others were little more than one or two-room cabins.
He turned and started walking his horse into the livery. Suddenly, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention.
Squinting into the sun, he recognized Curtis Mooney by the limp he’d been left with when he’d been almost crushed to death a few years ago when his horse stumbled and threw him.
Not giving it much thought, Landry took a few steps toward the entrance to the livery, his eyes still on Mooney. The man was struggling to drag a ladder across the space between his barn and his house.
Landry stopped. What was Mooney doing? The man had to be at least seventy and frail as a newborn colt. As Landry looked on, Mooney leaned the ladder against the side of the house and set his foot on the first rung.
“Oh, hell,” Landry muttered as the old man began to climb the ladder. He was half way up when it wobbled, and for a second or two, Landry forgot to breathe, a vision filling his mind of the ladder toppling over and taking Mooney with it.
He should leave Mooney to deal with whatever happened. The man hadn’t so much as said hello to him since he got back home. But Mooney was likely going to break his neck if somebody didn’t step in.
Landry’s conscience wouldn’t let him stand back and watch somebody get hurt when he could do something to prevent it.
And maybe, just maybe, this was one of those opportunities Olivia had been talking about. In an instant, he’d wound his gelding’s reins around the hitching post outside the livery and broken into a run, moving as fast as he could over the uneven ground toward Mooney’s cabin.
By the time he got there, the old man had reached the top rung of the ladder and had stretched one leg out, trying to span the distance between the ladder and the roof.
Landry grabbed the ladder and tried to hold it steady. He hesitated to call out in case it surprised Mooney and the old man lost his balance. But the chances of him getting on that roof the way he was going were a hundred to one.
“Mr. Mooney.” Landry spoke as calmly and softly as he could manage. As he expected, Mooney turned suddenly, the grip he had on the ladder loosening. Realizing he was about to fall, he flailed about, finally wrapping his fingers around one of the rungs.
“What in tarnation you trying to do?” Mooney’s voice was raspy. “Coming up behind a man like that.”
Landry apologized. “Got a leak in your roof?”
“You think I’m up here for the good of my health?” A few seconds later, he added, “Fixing some shingles that came off in the last storm.”
“Why don’t you come down off there and let me fix the roof for you?”
Mooney glared at Landry. “I didn’t ask for your help, so go back where you came from and leave me be.”
Landry bristled, even though he was used to comments like that by now. “Look, Mr. Mooney, I know you didn’t ask. I’m offering.”
“Why? What’s in it for you?”
Tempted as he was to walk away and let the old man kill himself, he couldn’t do it. “Just trying to be neighborly. That’s a big job for one man.” He almost pointed out that Mooney was too old to be wandering around on a roof, but caught himself just in time. He was pretty sure Mooney wouldn’t appreciate being told he wasn’t capable of taking care of his own property.
Landry made a point of looking up at the slate-grey sky. “Looks like that’s going to take a while to fix and even though it’s stopped raining for now, who knows when it’ll start again?”
Mooney glanced up at the dark clouds, but said nothing.
Landry picked up a stack of cedar shingles, set a foot on the bottom rung of the ladder and gave Mooney a questioning glance.
Almost imperceptibly, Mooney nodded.
Less than an hour later, the leak was sealed and new shingles were in place.
Mooney cleared his throat once they were back on the ground. The whole time they were on the roof, no words had been exchanged other than what were absolutely necessary. “Uh … thanks …” he said grudgingly.
“Glad to help any time,” Landry replied. “If you need something else done, you come get me. Will you do that?”
Mooney didn’t answer, but he hadn’t refused. Landry walked away, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. It was a start.
***
Olivia bustled around the kitchen, humming a tune while she trimmed the pastry from the apple pie she planned to bake for dessert. The aroma of roasting beef and vegetables filled the air
The rain had stopped, and now sunlight streamed through the window, brightening her already joyful mood.
She grinned as she cut two slits in the top of the pastry to allow steam to escape then set the plate aside.
She’d just taken off her apron and hung it on a hook when she heard the knock at the door. Her heartbeat stuttered. Even though he’d said he’d come, she hadn’t really expected him to. At most, she’d expected him to send a message saying something had come up.
But he hadn’t. He was here!
Crossing to the door, she smoothed down the skirt of her dress, then tucked a stray curl back into the ribbon holding her hair at the nape of her neck.
Landry was standing on the porch with his back to her when she opened the door. “Afternoon, Landry,” she said softly.
He spun around to face her and returned her greeting.
She opened the door wider to admit him. “You came.”
“I’ll admit I wasn’t going to.”
“What changed your mind?”
He shrugged. “I don’t really know.”
“Well, then,” she said brightly, “you’re here now, and I’m sure Zane and Priscilla will be along shortly. Come inside and let me get you a glass of lemonade while supper is cooking.”
“If it’s all the same to you, can we sit on the porch until they get here? I like to be outside as much as I can, and I miss having a porch.”
Olivia hadn’t thought of what Landry had lost when he went to prison. Friends, yes. But more than that, simple pleasures she took for granted. “Of course,” she said. “Why don’t you make yourself comfortable and I’ll bring us some lemonade?”
“That would be nice.”
While Landry waited on the porch, Olivia hurried inside and put the pie in the oven. Then she poured two glasses of lemonade, put them on a tray and went back outside. Landry was slowly rocking in one of the chairs, so she sat down in the chair beside him and set the tray on a table between them. “Here you are,” she said, handing him a glass.
Her fingers grazed against his as he took the glass from her. Unfamiliar heat and a strange tingling sensation flowed up her arm and through her body. Her breath hitched, and she jerked her hand away from his touch.
Had he noticed? Had he felt it, too? His glance didn’t waver, but his eyes seemed to darken.
For a few minutes, they sat in silence, listening to the birds chirping in the trees beside the house, the perfume of the rose bushes filling the air.
“Nice garden,” he said a little while later.
“I enjoy spending time planting and taking care of flowers.”
Uncomfortable silence fell. Olivia couldn’t remember ever being at a loss for words, and for the first time, he
r brain couldn’t even make polite conversation. Thankfully, she saw Zane and Priscilla rounding the corner of the street. “Oh, good, there they are. And supper will be ready in a few minutes.”
“I’m surprised they came,” he said.
“I told you they would agree to come.”
“You did, but I really didn’t think they would.”
Her gaze bored into his. “What would you have done if they hadn’t come?”
“I would’ve left,” he said. “I told you, I wouldn’t risk you being gossiped about because of me.”
Olivia smiled at him. “I appreciate that, but they are here. Does that make you feel better?”
“Yes and no.”
“Why?”
“It might be awkward. Does that make sense?”
She nodded. “I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
She only hoped she was right.
***
The sun was a golden orb hovering over the peaks of the Rockies in the distance. Landry stood quietly on the porch while Zane, Priscilla and Olivia kept up a running conversation. Zane had been polite, but cool toward him. Priscilla, on the other hand, had been friendlier than he’d expected.
Still, he didn’t belong here, and he wondered if there was some way he could escape without upsetting Olivia.
“Can you give me a hand setting the food out?” Olivia asked Priscilla, then turned to go inside.
Priscilla hurried behind Olivia, leaving Zane and Landry alone on the porch. Once the door closed behind them, Landry moved to the far end of the porch, looking out over the fields behind the house.
Zane straightened from his position leaning against the porch railing. “I’m guessing you’re feeling a bit awkward right about now.”
Landry turned to face him and nodded, but didn’t answer.
“Olivia is important to me and Priscilla. I don’t want to see her hurt.”
“Understood.”
“She told me you wouldn’t come unless we came, too. That you didn’t want to sully her reputation.”
“That’s right.”
“That was good of you to think of that.”
Landry's Back in Town (Rocky Ridge Romance Book 1) Page 4
