Unlawfully Wedded Bride (Love Inspired Historical)

by Noelle Marchand

  “Kate,” Nathan’s voice yelled over the confusion. “Let’s go. This place is burning up.”

  She shook her head and moved deeper into the barn in the direction the sound had come from. “Flick is in here.”

  The meowing was louder and almost incessant as Kate moved closer to the south side of the barn. The fire was already making its way toward her yet Kate couldn’t ignore the cat’s desperate call for help. She came to the last stall yet saw nothing.

  She glanced up. The cat was sitting on the ledge of the wall. The ledge was no more than a few inches wide but somehow Flick had managed to climb up there and get stuck. Kate looked around for some way to reach the cat. Dragging over the ladder, she managed to pull the reluctant cat into her arms. Kate was carefully climbing down the ladder when Flick let out a loud meow. With that battle cry, Flick sprung from her arms and shot out of the stall in the direction of the barn doors.

  Kate stood in disbelief for a moment, then hopped from the ladder onto the floor. The smoke and fire were now making their way toward her. She had to get out. Now.

  She hurried into the smoke making sure to keep her wits about her. There were four stalls before the door. One. Two. Three. Four. She turned to her right and walked through the open space to the barn door. But where was the air? Where was the sunlight? She froze. She’d miscounted the stalls. She glanced around and saw through the smoke barely enough to find that the stall around her was on fire.

  Eyes wide, she turned and stumbled back the way she’d come. This time she went too far. She found herself at the stairs to the barn loft. She held on to the stairs and closed her eyes. Think. If she was at the stairs near the loft, it meant the door was directly behind her. She opened her eyes even as the smoke stung them. The heat was becoming unbearable.

  Nathan couldn’t believe Delilah had thrown him. He barely had time to notice that the roof was on fire before he was on his feet following the horse through the dense smoke. When he spotted Kate struggling to get on the horse Nathan felt a smile touch his lips. So Delilah had had a reason for knocking him flat on his back. He’d been leading her in the wrong direction. Good girl, he thought. Then slipping behind Kate, he lifted her onto Delilah’s back and quickly swung up behind her.

  The steel band of Nathan’s arms was all that kept Kate from tumbling off the horse as it bolted into a strong canter toward the exit. With one hand on Nathan’s arm and the other tangled in the horse’s mane she searched for the rays of sunlight that pierced through the intoxicating smoke. Then she heard it, the moaning and groaning of a roof begging to cave in. Her breath caught in her throat and echoed in her ears as desperation clawed at her chest.

  Nathan’s weight was heavy against her back as Delilah moved into a gallop. They were almost there. Nathan muttered something unintelligible, then placed a heel into the horse’s side. Delilah picked up speed. The barn was nothing more than a blur of smoke and fire. Kate felt her eyes close. The muscles under her tensed as Delilah leaped. Kate bit her lip. With a whoosh, hot air rushed by her ears and was replaced with cooler air.

  Her eyes flew open. Her gaze took in the house, the chicken coop and the barn animals that were milling about where they shouldn’t be. Clean air met her lungs and surprisingly caused her to choke. A stiff breeze fanned the flames behind them. The horse hardly came to a stop before Nathan slipped off. He lifted Kate from Delilah’s back, then glanced toward the barn.

  “We’ll have to round up the animals and put them in the pasture for now,” he said over the roar of the flames. “First, I have to find Fulton.”

  “What about the barn?”

  He shook his head. “There’s no time.”

  She pulled her gaze from his to turn toward the flame-ridden building. She’d worked so hard to maintain everything. She’d spent two years trying to prove to the town that she was able to take care of her siblings and the farms alone. There was no way she would have the money to replace the barn.

  What would they do come planting and harvest time? What would they do when winter set in and they had no place to keep the animals? How would she take care of her family? Visions of her working at the Red Canteen for Andrew Stolvins danced through her mind.

  She shook her head. “No, we have to save it. Help me!”

  “Kate,” Nathan warned but she paid him no heed.

  She ran toward the house and grasped the bucket she kept close to the door. She needed water. She hurried around the back of the house then stumbled into the kitchen. She pushed the lever for the sink up and down as quickly as she could. Precious water gushed into the bucket. She lifted it from the sink then turned toward the door—

  —and came to an abrupt stop as she saw Jeremiah Fulton leaning in the doorway, blocking her way out. He looked ready to collapse. Blood dripped from his shoulder to the floor. He seemed to consider lifting the gun in his hand then dropped it to his side as he met her gaze.

  She stiffened. “Why are you doing this?”

  He shook his head. “The fire was an accident.”

  “I suppose bolting the door was an accident, too.”

  “My brother—”

  She set the heavy bucket on the counter. “He has nothing to do with this anymore, does he? This is about revenge. Killing won’t get rid of that anger you feel.”

  He stared at her for a long moment then dropped his head. “How do I stop?”

  “Pray,” she suggested.

  He glanced up in surprise.

  She smiled. “And give me your guns.”

  He stared at the gun, then turned it over in his hand to grasp the barrel. He lifted his arm to hand her the gun but it slipped from his grasp to the floor. Kate watched a world of pain flash across his face as he groaned from the strain the movement caused on his arm. The man would have collapsed onto the floor had not Nathan appeared in the doorway to keep him from going down. Surprise and agony painted Fulton’s features in a grimace.

  Kate watched him glance at Nathan. Fulton’s other arm began to move. She erased the distance between them with one quick lunge. Her hand made it to the gun still in his holster a second before his did. She wrestled it from its spot at Fulton’s hip then stepped back to point it at him.

  His dazed blue eyes met hers and for the first time since she’d met the man, he smiled. It was a weak smile but a smile nonetheless. “I guess you figured out who to trust after all.”

  She nodded. “I guess I have, at that.”

  Nathan sent her a questioning glance.

  Kate lifted the other gun from where it had fallen and pointed the pair toward Fulton. Both men flinched. Nathan shook his head slightly as if to warn her that she couldn’t shoot two-handed no matter how hard she tried. Her eyes narrowed then she set the hammers of the guns in place. “There. Now, they’re both cocked. Why don’t you tie him up while I hold these on him?”

  Nathan stared at her for a moment then seemed to curb a smile. He nodded toward her. “Hold those guns steady. This shouldn’t take long.”

  Chapter Twenty

  Nathan lifted his hands from the pail of water and splashed the cooling liquid on his face hoping it would rid his eyes of the burning caused by smoke. Wiping his face on the inside of his shirt, he glanced around the barnyard lit by the golden sunset. Everywhere he looked, people gathered in small groups watching the fading embers consume what was left of the barn’s standing structure. Five men circled the fire, throwing buckets of water onto the debris to control what was left of the flames.

  The rocking chair had been pulled onto the lawn of the house. Sean sat there with his arm around his little sister as the chair rocked slowly back and forth. Lawson sat on the ground on the other side of the chair. Doc and Ms. Lettie stood near them. Nathan glanced around for Kate and found her standing nearer to the barn. One arm was wrapped around her waist while the other hand supported her chin as she stared at the fire.

  He was drawn to the sight of her solitary figure standing alone in the midst of all that movement. She gla
nced over her shoulder at his approach and her lips lifted into a small smile. He returned the smile with one of his own. “I’m glad to see you can still smile after a day like this.”

  Her gaze traveled back to the fire and she shrugged. “I’ve realized that no matter how hard you try, there are just some things you can’t control. This fire was one of those things. You were right. I couldn’t have saved the barn. I probably would have gotten hurt trying.”

  He shook his head. “I’m really sorry about that, Kate.”

  A glint of determination lit her eyes. “We’ll just have to rebuild, that’s all. I’m not sure how or when we’ll be able to, but by God’s grace we’ll rebuild.”

  “At least the fire did one good thing by drawing the sheriff over here to check out the smoke. He showed up just in time to take Fulton into custody.”

  “He’ll be going to jail for a long time.”

  “That’s what I’d guess. We’ll know for sure when the judge gets back,” he said. “I still can’t believe you were able to get Fulton to hand over his guns.”

  She met his gaze with a smile. “Neither can I. I’m glad you arrived when you did. I wouldn’t have known what to do with them.” Her smile turned rueful. “Obviously.”

  He tilted his head, considering. “You kept him from killing me. That counts for something.”

  She lifted her chin. “I suppose I did.”

  “I was wondering about that earlier. Why were you hiding in the barn? I thought you were inside resting. Had you already seen him?” He was surprised to watch her eyes widen and her cheeks turn an alluring shade of pink before she turned to stare at the fire again. He stepped closer. “Kate?”

  She frowned at him and glanced around. “You shouldn’t be so close. People will talk.”

  “Will they?” She was trying to distract him but he could play that game as well. He lifted his hand to brush away the black streaks that painted her face. She stilled beneath his touch. “You’re covered in soot.”

  “Nathan,” she said warningly, though it came out a bit too breathless to carry a real threat.

  “Kate.”

  Kate rolled her eyes and stepped away from Nathan’s touch. Of course it would be too convenient for him to have forgotten the small fact that she had been hiding in the barn. She glanced up at his curious gaze. “You really want to know?”

  He smiled. “I really do.”

  “You’ll think it’s silly.”

  “So what if I do?”

  “I was looking for your letters.”

  “My letters?” he asked in confusion.

  “Yes, the ones you sent me before you came here.”

  He took a moment to digest that, then nodded slowly. “Why?”

  “I’d never read them before.” She shrugged innocently.

  The man seemed to have developed an uncanny ability to read her mind, for he inclined his head toward her and searched her features carefully. “Was that the only reason?”

  She couldn’t maintain her flippant attitude another moment. The tension dropped from her shoulders. “When I was with Fulton he made a few accusations about your past. I didn’t want to believe him. At the same time I discovered I hardly knew anything about you in that sense. I wanted to see if you had offered any information about what happened.”

  “So you read the letters to find out about my past,” he said, his gaze intent on hers. “What did you discover?”

  Kate allowed herself a smile. “Nothing. I didn’t read them.”

  “Why not?”

  “I didn’t need to. It was probably very foolish of me not to read them but I decided that I trust you.” She laughed. “Don’t look so shocked. I still wanted to know. I just planned to ask you in person instead.”

  He grinned wryly. “I wouldn’t have blamed you for asking. I should have known Fulton would have tried to make you believe his version of things. I’m sure he said some pretty awful things.”

  “Don’t worry. He did.”

  He tilted his head. “Well, if you have any other questions about my past you just let me know.”

  “Actually, I still have a few and, since your letters are most likely gone forever, it seems you are my only source.”

  He grinned. “Ask away.”

  She bit her lip. “He showed me a wanted poster with your face on it and a pretty hefty award.”

  “That is an interesting story within itself. After everything happened with Eli, I went to the sheriff’s office for questioning. Once he finished, I thought he was done with me. I had a lot of my mind so I wandered here and there for a few days until I ended up at the next town and saw the wanted posters. Apparently, the sheriff had called on me for more questioning. When I wasn’t around, Fulton convinced him I’d run off to Mexico. It kind of shattered his story when I turned myself in.”

  He shook his head. “Things were a mess for a while. I was charged with murder, and there was a trial. But I was found not guilty. I wasn’t sure that I’d ever be free again. When I was let go, I did the best I could to find a new life. It seemed like God was smiling on me again when I saw that advertisement in the paper for a husband.”

  She watched as he seemed to gather his thoughts then he faced her again, obviously in search of more questions. She pursed her lips. “How old are you?’

  He smiled again. “Three years older than you.”

  She did the math. “Twenty-three.”

  He nodded. “You’ve been wondering that the whole time?”

  “No. I just wondered off and on.” She paused, debating whether she should continue. Seeing that he was waiting expectantly, she gathered her courage. “Have you ever been married?”

  He grinned slowly. “Well, now. That depends on what you consider married.”

  She felt her cheeks warm. “Before me.”

  “Never.”

  “Betrothed?”

  “Once.”

  “What happened?”

  “We got married.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Then what?”

  “I don’t know yet.” She sighed.

  He leaned closer. “Mrs. Rutledge, don’t look so exasperated.”

  “Don’t call me Mrs. Rutledge.”

  He tilted his head. “Well, isn’t that like the pot calling the kettle black?”

  “What? How?”

  “You just finished making sure I was as single and unattached as any slightly married man can be.”

  “I assure you, that isn’t at all what I was doing.”

  “Than what were you doing?”

  “I was only making sure that you are the man you’ve presented yourself to be.” She realized how close they were and stepped back. “You are exactly who I thought you were.”

  “Yeah, and who is that?”

  “A good, honest, Christian man and a very trustworthy friend,” she said seriously then smiled at Nathan. Her smile faltered when she met his gaze. He looked completely flummoxed. She frowned. “That was a compliment.”

  He bit off a tight smile. “I understood that. Thank you.”

  She watched in confusion as he gave a brief nod and stalked off to speak to the men controlling the dying embers of the fire.

  Nathan banged his Stetson against his leg in agitation as he strode down the wooden sidewalk of Peppin. He couldn’t get Kate’s words out of his head. Didn’t that beat all? After courting the woman for weeks she still only saw him as a friend. He pulled in a calming breath. Being friends was definitely better than nothing but it was so far from what he wanted to be for her and her family.

  He set his Stetson on his head and tugged it low. His hand immediately strayed to the letter in his pocket—the one he’d reread a thousand times. His pa wanted him to come home. Kate seemed to want nothing but friendship. The children obviously wanted him to stay. What did he want?

  He paused in front of the sheriff’s office and stared at the building. One thing he wanted was to leave the anguish of the past behind him once and for all. To do that, h
e had to talk to the one man who probably never wanted to see him again. Maybe some sort of reconciliation would lead to a complete end to the nightmares that now visited his dreams less frequently. That’s what he was hoping for, but these days he’d take whatever he could get. He removed his hat and stepped inside. Soon he met Jeremiah Fulton’s glare through the harsh metal bars of the jail cell. The man frowned and stepped closer to the barrier between them. “Look, I don’t know why you’re here. I have nothing to say to you.”

  “I’m here because I have something to say to you.”

  “What then?”

  Nathan took a moment to swallow then said, “I’m sorry.”

  Fulton froze. “You’re sorry?”

  He nodded. “I didn’t kill your brother and I think you know that. All the same, I’m sorry for the way things turned out. I’m sorry if I said or did anything that caused you more pain than you were already feeling.”

  “Just leave me alone,” he said, distrust apparent in his gaze.

  Nathan lifted the book in his hands. “I brought this in case you get bored.”

  Fulton backed away from the bars. “Why are you doing this? I am not your friend and you are certainly not mine.”

  “We were friends once.”

  “That was a long time ago.” Fulton sat down on the bunk and wouldn’t look at Nathan. “You should go.”

  “You’re right.” He slid the Bible he’d cleared with the sheriff through the slats between the bars. “I’ll leave this.”

  Jeremiah frowned but otherwise didn’t respond. Nathan left him to his solitude and turned toward the sheriff. The man stood from his desk. “I guess Kate probably hasn’t had a chance to think about a barn raising, but you let me know when you’re ready to put that new barn up. I’ll be glad to hammer a few nails.”

  Nathan agreed and was ready to bid the sheriff farewell when a knowing expression shifted across the man’s features. “By the way, Rutledge, I heard tell Judge Hendricks was looking for you.”