Renee Ryan

by The Outlaw's Redemption

  Nothing.

  Not even a signature.

  She felt the first tinges of an indescribable emotion. Disappointment, perhaps? She bit back a sigh, knowing she was overthinking the matter. From the hastily scrawled words alone, it was clear Hunter had been in a hurry.

  The important point was that he wanted to see her. At a law office. In just over an hour.

  The timing would be tight.

  Regardless, the prospect of seeing him again set her heart quivering with anticipation. She’d spent a sleepless night wondering what their marriage would be like, if they married at all. Hunter had left the matter unsettled by giving her a chance to change her mind.

  Thus, as Annabeth had tossed and turned through the night, her mind had continually returned to a key point of concern plaguing her. Would Hunter grow to love her with the same devotion with which he’d once loved his wife?

  Behind that worry rose another. Would Annabeth and Hunter suit, on an intimate level?

  Sadly, she may never know. Not if he followed through with his vow to her mother to keep their marriage in name only.

  “Let’s save some time, shall we?” Laney placed a hand on her arm, drawing her attention from the paper she’d been staring at with unseeing eyes. “What’s going on between you and Hunter?”

  Annabeth felt her stomach clench. She wasn’t prepared for this conversation. But she needed to tell Laney the truth, in as much as it pertained to her position at Charity House.

  “When he takes Sarah to live with him at the Flying M, I’ll be...” She let her words trail off, wondering why this was so hard for her to say. Swallowing several times, she opened her mouth and tried again. “That is, when Hunter and Sarah leave Denver, I’ll be—”

  “Leaving with them,” Laney finished for her.

  “You don’t sound surprised.”

  “Of course I’m not surprised.” Laney shooed that notion away with a short wave. “Marc and I always knew you were only with us on a temporary basis. Truth be told, we’ve been working on your replacement for some time now.”

  What? “You and Marc aren’t happy with my work?”

  “Oh, Annabeth, that’s not what I meant. You’ve been a blessing to us, truly. But you don’t belong here at Charity House. Your place is with Sarah.” Laney softened her words with a smile. “And with Hunter, as well. Your home is with the two of them, not us.”

  Home. There was that word again, the one that stirred up such longing and hope. Her heart took a quick, extra thump. She’d thought she’d found a home at Charity House. But no. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t grateful for her time here, short as it had been.

  “I’ve been very happy at Charity House this past year.” Happier than she could ever put into words.

  “I’m glad.”

  “However, you’re right. My place is with Sarah and Hunter. Speaking of Hunter. We’re getting married.” She said this in a quiet, calm voice, as if she was speaking of nothing more complicated than two plus two equals four.

  “I’d say congratulations, but...” Laney took hold of Annabeth’s hands and studied her face. “You don’t look like a happy bride-to-be. Do you not wish to marry Hunter?”

  “Oh, I want to marry him.” She inhaled a deep breath, and then let it out again, slower and with more feeling. “But I fear he’s only marrying me because he’s being noble.”

  “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” Laney let her hands go. “He cares about you, Annabeth, very deeply.”

  Yes, he cared about her. But caring wasn’t the same as love. Was it enough to build a future on, to raise a family?

  The question was moot.

  She’d already decided to take a leap of faith and hope that Hunter’s feelings would grow stronger over time.

  If her faith ever waned, she simply had to remind herself that God was in control. The details were in His hands, not hers. Everything had worked well for her so far. She had to believe the future would fall together, as well.

  When she noticed Laney wasn’t speaking, Annabeth sighed. “I know that look on your face. You have something more to say.”

  Laney simply stared at her.

  “What? No rant that I’m marrying Hunter for all the wrong reasons?”

  “Are you marrying him for all the wrong reasons?”

  “No.”

  “Then why the long face?”

  She sighed again, then proceeded to tell her friend about the events of the previous evening, focusing on Camille’s untimely arrival and the very real possibility that her connection to Mattie was no longer a secret. “Hunter has agreed to marry me so he can provide me with the Mitchell good name.”

  “It’s a generous reason, to be sure, but that doesn’t have to mean it’s the only one.”

  “Oh, Laney.” Sudden despair clutched in her heart. “Tell me everything’s going to work out for the best.”

  Laney pulled her into a hug. “Everything’s going to work out for the best.”

  Wrapped in her friend’s comforting embrace, Annabeth resisted the urge to cling. Embarrassed by her loss of composure, but unable to regroup, she held on a moment longer.

  A mistake.

  A loud thud came from inside the classroom, followed by a collective gasp, and then...

  Laughter.

  Annabeth shook her head. “I better get back inside.”

  She stepped out of Laney’s arms and turned to go.

  “Annabeth, wait.” Laney caught her by the wrist. “If you need to talk more about Hunter, or your mother, or anything else troubling you, I’m always here.”

  “I appreciate that.”

  “I mean it. You aren’t alone. I’m with you, and so is the Lord. He already has the particulars of your future worked out. Trust in Him and the rest will come.”

  Annabeth stared into her friend’s earnest gaze. Although she’d said something very similar to herself, hearing the words spoken in her friend’s sure voice calmed her worries. “Thank you, Laney. Truly, thank you.”

  Another thud sounded, this one louder.

  “Really, Annabeth.” Laney gave her a mock scowl. “Quit dawdling and get back to work.”

  Joining in her friend’s laughter, Annabeth hurried into her classroom, and stopped dead in her tracks.

  Molly stood at the front of the class, grinning broadly. She had every student, boys and girls alike, lying on the floor, face up, legs and feet kicking wildly in the air.

  “Simon says...” She took a thoughtful pause. “Roll over on all fours and—”

  “Get back to your seats this instant.” Annabeth pinned Molly to the spot with her best teacher glare. “That means you, too.”

  A mutinous expression crossed the girl’s face. “But, Miss Annabeth, you were taking so long and everyone was getting bored.” She smoothed out her expression to one of complete innocence. “I merely thought—”

  “I know what you thought.” She should punish the girl for her insubordination, but her heart wasn’t in it. “We’ll discuss this later.”

  “You’re angry.” Molly’s voice rose with emotion. “When I was only trying to keep everyone calm and—”

  “I said we’ll discuss this later.”

  Molly obediently clamped her lips tightly shut. Wise girl.

  While the students filed back to their seats, grumbling all the way, Annabeth read Hunter’s message again.

  Why summon her to a law office? Why such cause for urgency? What had happened between last night and this afternoon?

  Eager to find out, she decided attempting to teach algebra to a room full of unruly boys and girls for ten more minutes wasn’t worth the effort.

  “I’ve had an unexpected meeting arise that cannot be put off. Gather your things.” She raised her voice over the chatter exploding in the room. “Class dismissed.”

  She didn’t need to repeat herself. A flurry of activity accompanied peals of delight. Within seconds, a mass exodus ensued. Slightly dumbfounded, Annabeth stepped behind her desk
.

  Shuffling her feet slower than the others, Sarah approached the front of the room. “Where are you going, Aunt Annabeth?” Her eyes glittered with intrigue. “Is it a secret?”

  “Not at all.” Annabeth cracked a smile. The girl did so love her secrets. “I’m heading out to meet your father.”

  “Can I come?”

  “Not this time.”

  “Why not?” The child’s face was so forlorn it made Annabeth’s heart ache a little.

  “Your father and I have adult business to discuss.” She figured this was as good a guess as any.

  Sarah huffed out a sigh, wounded and a little angry. She opened her mouth again, but Annabeth wasn’t finished. “Tell you what. After our meeting in town I’ll ask your father to come back to Charity House with me.”

  After a pause to mull this over, Sarah nodded. “I suppose that’ll be all right. But you have to promise to bring him back with you, no matter what.”

  “I can’t make that promise. He may already have other plans.” Before Sarah could argue the point further, Annabeth continued speaking. “I’ll do my best to convince him. Now, walk with me back to the main house. I have to change my clothes. You can help me pick out what to wear.”

  With Sarah’s help, Annabeth decided on a pale blue dress, the color nearly a perfect match with her eyes. A fresh pair of gloves and her best bonnet completed the outfit.

  One final kiss to Sarah’s cheek and she was off to meet Hunter.

  Despite the clothing change, she arrived outside Bennett, Bennett and Brand Law Firm with five minutes to spare. She paused, collecting herself as best she could, considering she had no idea why Hunter had summoned her here.

  Thankfully, she hadn’t experienced a single scandalized look or hushed whisper as she’d made her way into town, giving her hope that her reputation was still intact.

  That hope was dashed the moment she stepped on the front stoop of the fancy brick-and-mortar building housing the law firm. The door swung open with a whoosh. Startled, Annabeth stepped aside to let a pair of well-dressed ladies exit the building.

  By their similar facial features and distinct age difference the two had to be mother and daughter. “Good afternoon,” she said to them both.

  The younger of the two opened her mouth to reply, but the older one leaned over her and whispered something in her ear.

  Annabeth caught only a portion of the words. But there was no mistaking brothel, madam and, finally...

  Daughter.

  “No.” The younger woman gasped, her features contorting into a look of horror.

  “It’s true,” the other one said with the confidence of a practiced gossip.

  Eyes wide, the girl lowered her gaze over Annabeth. “Are you truly the daughter of Mattie Silks?”

  Refusing to feel a slice of shame, Annabeth lifted her chin at a regal angle. “I am.”

  “Come along, Daisy.” The older woman made a disapproving sound in throat. “We don’t talk to women like her.”

  Women like her? As if Annabeth’s connection to Mattie made her somehow a lesser person than them.

  “You will move out of our way this instant,” the older woman demanded.

  Annabeth held firm. There was plenty of room for the women to pass without her having to step off the stoop. They were drawing a crowd, she knew, but Annabeth didn’t care as much as she would have expected.

  This was the very type of confrontation she’d feared most since leaving Boston. But now that it was here, she felt no embarrassment.

  Yes, her mother was a notorious madam. But Mattie was still one of God’s beloved children. She still deserved His mercy and His love and a chance to change her life.

  “My mother has made bad choices in her lifetime.” Annabeth whirled on the crowd whispering their own opinions on the matter. “But she is still deserving—”

  “Of God’s grace as surely as any of you.” A ruthless, masculine voice finished the sentence for her.

  Recognizing that deep timbre, but unable to see her rescuer, Annabeth lifted on her toes. The crowd parted and Hunter stepped forward. Drawing alongside of her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled.

  That smile. It was like a physical blow to her heart.

  “Hello, darling.” He placed a kiss on her forehead.

  “Hello.”

  He looked over at the two ladies, commanding their attention with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. His dynamic presence had both women blinking up at him, captivated in his stare.

  A hush came over the crowd, every single person poised to hear what he said next.

  Annabeth would like to know herself.

  Although a good dressing-down was certainly in order, Hunter proved himself to be a man of restraint.

  “Ladies, if you would be so kind as to step aside, my fiancée—” he emphasized the word by pulling Annabeth closer to him “—has arrived just in time for our appointment. We don’t wish to be late, do we, darling?”

  Darling. That was the second time he’d used the endearment. The word had never sounded more intimate, or more special. “Punctuality is one of my favorite virtues,” she said, her voice a bit shaky.

  “Mine, as well.”

  Voices erupted from the crowd, some shouting at the ladies to move aside, others telling them to hold their ground. Clearly, sides had been chosen.

  Hunter took charge before the shouts turned to blows. Without another word, he took Annabeth’s arm and guided her around the two women. He didn’t give them a very wide berth, that would have been impossible given the limited space, but the message was the same. We’re done here.

  Once safely inside the building, Annabeth glanced back outside. Mother and daughter had taken their leave, while the crowd had begun to disperse.

  Watching the activity outside, it took Annabeth a moment to realize Hunter was tugging her deeper into the building. She pulled him to a stop. When he turned back to face her, she saw the pent-up emotion in his eyes.

  His jaw set in a hard line, he darted his gaze to the outside stoop. “I’m sorry you had to endure that just now.”

  He was angry. On her behalf.

  She smiled up at him, feeling warm and touched and very much in love. “All you needed was to ride up on a white horse and the fairy tale would have been complete.”

  Instead of lightening the mood, her comment had the opposite effect. Hunter’s gaze turned grave. “Annabeth.” He made her name sound like an apology. “I’m no knight in shining armor.”

  She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Today you are.”

  “Let’s get something straight right now. I’m not a hero, never have been, never will be.” She recognized the pain in his eyes. “I killed a man and went to prison for it and—”

  “You’re the best man I know.” The way he’d pushed through the crowd to get to her and then how he’d stood by her side, defending her honor. “There’s no getting around the fact that I’m the daughter of the most infamous madam in town. You just experienced a taste of what the future holds. Still want to marry me?”

  “Absolutely.” He emphasized the word with a disarming smile. “You know what I bring to the table, too. I have an ugly past. Still want to marry me?”

  “Yes, Hunter. I still want to marry you.”

  Something flashed in his eyes, something new, something real, something that looked a lot like love. “As long as I have breath in my lungs, Annabeth, I will protect you with my life.”

  “I know.” She’d found the place where she belonged. With this man, who thought she was worthy of his protection.

  While he hadn’t given her touching words of love, she hadn’t given him any, either. It was time she surrendered the whole of her heart. “I love you.”

  Eyes shining with emotion, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Annabeth, my darling girl, I—”

  “Mr. Mitchell.” A tentative voice cut him off midsentence. “Mr. Bennett is ready for you now.”

  Chapt
er Twenty

  At some point in the trek down the hallway to Reese Bennett’s office, Hunter looked down at his hand. It was linked with Annabeth’s, their fingers braided together naturally, as if they held hands like this all the time. The most amazing thing wasn’t that she was holding on to him. He was holding on to her, as tightly as possible, never wanting to let her go.

  They were alone, just the two of them in the cavernous hallway, no one to hear them. Yet, he couldn’t seem to find his voice.

  With the interruption from Bennett’s law clerk, Hunter had lost the chance to tell Annabeth what was in his heart. He’d never been good with words, preferring action instead.

  All he knew was that he wanted Annabeth in his life, not only because she was good with Sarah. But because he loved her.

  It should be simple to say. I love you.

  But the emotion was so new, so unexpected. In human time, he’d fallen quickly, though it hadn’t felt quick. It seemed as if he’d loved her all his life, the emotion unraveling in small degrees through the years.

  From their first meeting, when Hunter had barely been off the ranch and Annabeth had been but thirteen, she’d gotten to him. She’d touched the man he’d always been underneath the tough veneer he presented to the world.

  Annabeth saw him for who he really was. She knew the good and the bad and loved him, anyway.

  In the past few weeks, she’d shown him what unwavering courage looked like, and had taught him the definition of family on a whole new level.

  Even outside, she’d remained resolute and loyal to her mother, a woman she could have easily denied in the face of such public humiliation. Annabeth made Hunter want to be a better man. The man he already was in the Lord’s eyes.

  He glanced down at her, then caught her watching him with those big, beautiful eyes of hers. She didn’t voice the silent questions he saw in her gaze, nor did she try to hide them from him, either. That sort of raw honesty was one of the many qualities he loved about her.

  He raised her gloved hand to his lips. “I’ll explain everything shortly, once we’re in Bennett’s office.”