Stetsons, Spring and Wedding Rings

by Jillian Hart

  “Stay here,” Travis told her. “Don’t come upstairs. No matter what, don’t come upstairs.”

  Brynn watched as Travis took the steps two at a time, quickly and silently. Surprising for a man his size. He disappeared down the hallway.

  Several minutes dragged by. Brynn watched the top of the stairs, expecting to see Travis. She was tired and hungry, and she wanted to wash up and get to supper at Mrs. Kimball’s.

  “This is silly,” she murmured, and headed up the steps.

  Chapter Ten

  The door to her room stood open a few inches but that didn’t surprise Brynn. Travis was still inside, presumably. Another hunger pain gnawed at her belly reminding her of the hot meal awaiting them at Mrs. Kimball’s home, making her more anxious to get the book she’d promised the reverend’s wife and leave. She walked closer, intending to insist that they leave right away, but stopped at the sight of her room.

  Through the slice of open doorway Brynn saw the covers stripped from her bed and flung onto the floor. Her bureau drawers stood open, her clothing spilling out.

  Stunned, she pushed the door open and rushed inside. From the corner of her eye she glimpsed Travis across the room. The barrel of his pistol glimmered in the fading light. He saw her, shouted, but his words were lost as someone grabbed her from behind.

  Brynn screamed but an arm closed around her neck, choking off her words. A hand pressed against the side of her head.

  “Back off!” the man threatened. “I’ll break her neck!”

  In the mirror she saw that it was Hiram Smith, still dressed in his suit, holding her captive. She grasped his arm, trying to push him away. He was too strong.

  “Stay back!” he shouted, dragging her toward the door. “I’ll kill her. I swear I’ll kill her.”

  “Take it easy,” Travis said.

  Her gaze met his. He looked calm, almost serene, and he communicated that to her with his eyes. She stopped struggling.

  “Put the gun down,” Hiram said.

  Travis hesitated, taking in the dynamics of the situation, weighing his possibilities. Finally he tossed his pistol onto the bed.

  “Just tell me where they are,” Hiram said to Brynn. He gave her a shake. “Tell me where you put the jewels!”

  She gasped. Hiram Smith had put the jewelry in her bags.

  He’d stolen them in Houston. Travis had been right all along.

  “Let her go, Smith,” Travis said, taking a menacing step closer. “If you hurt her, I swear, I’ll kill you.”

  “Tell me!” Hiram shook her again, harder this time.

  Brynn struggled to draw a breath. His arms pressed painfully around her throat. He sounded desperate.

  She reached up and raked her nails down the side of Hiram’s face. He cursed and loosed his grip. Brynn threw herself away from him. Her feet tangled in the bed covers piled on the floor and she fell into them.

  Travis lurched forward and picked up his gun. He pointed it at Hiram.

  “Put your hands up,” he commanded.

  Hiram froze. His gaze darted to the open door.

  Travis leveled his pistol at him. “You can run if you want, but you’ll only die tired.”

  Hiram didn’t move.

  “Put your hands up!” Travis shouted that with such command, Brynn jumped.

  Hiram lifted his hands above his head. Travis turned him around and slammed his face into the wall, then kicked his feet out from under him and pinned him to the floor.

  “Give me your scarf,” he said to Brynn.

  Stunned, she just stared.

  “Brynn, I need your scarf,” he said, with such gentleness it jarred her into action.

  She unwound her scarf from her hair, as Travis holstered his pistol. He wrapped it around Hiram’s hands, securing them at his back.

  “Are you all right?” he asked her.

  She managed to nod.

  Travis jerked Hiram to his feet and stepped out into the hallway.

  “Pete! Pete, get up here!” he shouted.

  Brynn sat on the floor, unable to get up. She couldn’t quite take in what had just happened. Her mind couldn’t seem to process it.

  Then she heard footsteps running up the steps, Travis’s voice, then footsteps again. He stepped into the room again, dragging Hiram with him.

  “I’m taking Smith to the jail,” Travis said. “Pete’s getting his ma. She’ll stay with you until I get back.”

  Brynn didn’t want Travis to leave, but knew he had to go. She tried to tell him just that, but her throat seemed frozen. All she could manage was a quick nod.

  A few seconds later Mrs. Millburn rushed through the doorway, Pete on her heels, and gathered Brynn into her arms.

  “Oh, you poor dear,” she said. “What you’ve been through!”

  Brynn tried once more to speak, but no words came out. Mrs.

  Millburn didn’t seem to notice as she rattled off rapid-fire instructions to Pete who rushed out of the room. Travis disappeared with Hiram Smith.

  “Let’s get you downstairs,” Mrs. Millburn cooed. “A nice cup of tea will help considerably.”

  Brynn wanted to protest, but didn’t seem to have the strength.

  Mrs. Millburn took her down the back stairway to the kitchen and assisted her into a chair at the table. The room was warm and smelled of apple pie. Just as a hot cup of tea appeared in front of her, the back door opened and in marched a dozen women, Mrs. Kimball leading the way.

  “You dear, sweet girl,” Mrs. Kimball declared. “Pete brought us the news. You can relax now. We’re here to take care of you.”

  The women swarmed around Brynn. Someone put a shawl around her shoulders, someone else lifted her feet onto a stool.

  Her teacup was topped off. Everyone offered a hug, a gentle pat on the back or a hand squeeze, along with words of comfort. The room buzzed with concern. Brynn had never felt more cared for in her life.

  “Thank goodness Travis was there,” Mrs. Prescott declared.

  All the ladies agreed.

  “I shudder to think what might have happened,” Mrs.

  Stanton added.

  Mrs. Kimball pushed her way closer to Brynn.

  “Please, Brynn, promise me that you won’t let the actions of that despicable Hiram Smith drive you out of Harmony,” she said.

  “You’ve brought so much to our town,” Ada Holt agreed. “We couldn’t bear it if you left—”

  Travis marched into the room, his mere presence silencing the ladies for a moment. Brynn’s heart lurched at the sight of him.

  Never had he looked taller, stronger, sturdier. More than anything, she wanted him to hold her in his protective arms.

  “Thank you, ladies, for taking care of her,” Travis said, nodding respectfully to the women. His tone was tight, worried, bringing a new wave of emotion to Brynn.

  “And thank you, Mr. Hollister, for getting that criminal off our streets,” Mrs. Kimball declared, as the women nodded their agreement.

  Travis seemed not to notice their words. All of his attention was focused on Brynn.

  “I’d like to get her upstairs now,” he said.

  The women moved back, allowing Travis to take Brynn by the hand. They called their good wishes as the two of them left the kitchen and headed up the stairs.

  Back in Richmond, this would never have been allowed, and Brynn was glad the women of Harmony didn’t protest. They knew Travis was courting her and understood his concern.

  He guided Brynn into her bedroom and pushed the door closed, then made quick work of spreading the covers on the bed again. Gently, he seated her on the edge of the mattress.

  “Are you all right?” he asked, kneeling down in front of her.

  “Yes, I’m fine,” she said. A knot rose in her throat but she gulped it down. “Really, I’m just…”

  She burst out crying. Travis pulled her into his arms, hugged her to his chest and held her. She sobbed and clung to him, soaking up his strength until she couldn’t shed ano
ther tear.

  Brynn eased away from him. He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped her tears.

  “You were right,” she said and sniffed. “Hiram was a criminal, all along. I didn’t believe you and—and—”

  “It’s okay,” Travis said, and hugged her to him again. “You need to forget about the whole thing.”

  She shook her head frantically and felt tears threaten again.

  “I can’t forget. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget what just happened. We could have both been killed.”

  He smiled gently. “You need to think about life, not death.”

  Travis kissed her gently on the mouth. Brynn braced her arms against his chest, then curled her fingers into his shirt. He groaned softly, causing her to gasp. Then he lowered his head until his lips brushed against her cheek, fluttering kisses across her soft skin.

  Tightening his grip on her, Travis pulled her full against him.

  “What about the cover story you told everyone in town about us courting?” she asked. “Is this real, or just part of your ruse?”

  “I never thought I’d care for any woman the way I care about you,” he whispered. He sank his fingers into the thick hair at her nape.

  Brynn knew she should pull away. She knew where this would end. The young women in her social circle back in Richmond were innocent, but not uninformed.

  But after what had just happened with Hiram Smith, she didn’t want to think about what was right, only about what was real. And Travis and this moment were real.

  Travis deepened their kiss, coaxing her with his lips. He slid his hand down her spine, then brought it forward to cup her breast. She moaned softly and relaxed in his arms.

  Travis scrambled to his feet and lifted her onto the bed. She gazed up at him, saw the passion in his eyes.

  “If you don’t want this,” he said, “just say so.”

  She clung to him, her arms tight around his neck.

  “I don’t want to stop,” she told him. “Please, don’t stop.”

  Travis stretched out beside her, kissing her, touching her as no man had ever done before. Brynn returned his kisses as he worked his way through her layers of clothing, then pulled off his own. A groan rumbled in his chest as he rose above her. He lifted her to him.

  All conscious thought left Brynn, leaving nothing but swirling feelings and emotions. The incredible heat and power of his body overwhelmed her as he slid inside her.

  She locked her arms around his neck, lost in his kisses. He pressed deeper. Desire pounded inside her. Urgency claimed her, stole her breath. His movements mesmerized her, grew more frantic, rose to a pitch until great waves of pleasure broke in her.

  She called his name and grabbed a handful of his hair. Travis shuddered, then collapsed on the mattress beside her, spent.

  “I’m hungry,” Travis said. “How about you?”

  “Starved.”

  Brynn lay in the crook of his arm, the two of them cuddled on the bed together. Moonlight streamed through the window, giving the room an ethereal aura. She guessed that it was well after midnight, but didn’t know for sure. Locked in Travis’s arms, time seemed to stand still.

  “I’ll go down to the kitchen,” he said, “bring us back something to eat.”

  She touched her palm to his bare chest, amazed that he gave off such incredible heat. With him at her side, she’d never suffer through another cold winter.

  “Don’t leave,” Brynn said. “I’ll go with you.”

  He grinned, seemingly pleased that she wanted them to remain together.

  He rose and sorted through their tangle of clothing. Brynn marveled at the sight of him.

  “I should have trusted you,” she said softly.

  Travis looked back at her as he pulled on his trousers.

  “I gave you no reason to trust me,” he said. “Besides, I didn’t trust you either, at first.”

  “And now?”

  “Smith made it clear that you weren’t involved in the jewel theft. He told Rafe at the jail the same thing,” Travis said. He sat down beside her on the bed and took her hands. “The truth is I suspected you of being his accomplice. But it didn’t take long for me to figure out what really happened.”

  “I found the jewelry in my valise the day I got here,” Brynn admitted. “I was afraid to tell you, afraid of what you might do.”

  He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “And how about now?”

  She blushed and whispered, “I like the things you do now.”

  Travis took her lips with his, kissing her deeply. Then he pulled away and drew a heavy breath.

  “We’d better go get something to eat now, or it’ll be a while before we leave this room again,” he said.

  They dressed and crept silently out of the room so as not to disturb the other guests. Slipping down the back stairway, they went to the kitchen. Travis lit the lantern and searched the cupboards.

  “You’d enjoy something made with cornmeal tonight,”

  Brynn predicted.

  He looked back and frowned. “Not really.”

  “Yes, you would,” she told him and pointed to the crock on the top shelf of the sideboard.

  Travis lifted it down. Brynn removed the lid and pulled out the case of jewels.

  “You’ll see that they get back to that Houston couple, won’t you?” she asked.

  Before Travis could answer, voices floated in from the lobby.

  Brynn’s eyes widened. She certainly didn’t want to get caught in the kitchen with Travis in the middle of the night, her hair down, clothing slightly disheveled. While she didn’t regret what they’d done, neither did she want to advertise it.

  Travis crept to the kitchen door. Brynn followed. He slid his arm around her shoulder and held her close as they both peeked out.

  Mrs. Millburn, dressed in a wrapper, stood at the registration desk across from a white-haired gentleman. Beside him was a battered leather valise. They chatted easily as he signed the register.

  “A late guest?” Brynn whispered.

  Travis didn’t answer. She looked up and saw the tight lines in his face.

  “Who is it?” she asked.

  “The circuit judge,” he finally said.

  The realization finally hit Brynn. She was free to leave Harmony. She wasn’t a suspect. Hiram Smith was in custody, so she no longer needed the protection Travis had given her by keeping her in town. She could go back to Hayden, back to her aunt’s tour—anywhere.

  “You’re free to go,” Travis said, as if reading her thoughts.

  “You can head back to Richmond now.”

  Richmond?

  Everything in Brynn rebelled at the thought. In that instant she knew exactly what she wanted. She’d never been more sure of anything in her entire life.

  “I don’t want to go back to Richmond,” she whispered.

  Travis glared down at her, his jaw set. He took her hand and led her to the other side of the kitchen where their voices wouldn’t be heard by Mrs. Millburn or the judge in the lobby.

  “Richmond is your home. Your family is there,” Travis said.

  “Folks have probably already forgotten about what happened.”

  “It’s not that.” Brynn shook her head. “I do owe that woman an apology for the names I called her, and I don’t mind giving her what’s due. But that’s not the reason I don’t want to go home.”

  “Then what is it?”

  She drew a breath, glad to say aloud the realization that had finally come to her, the reason she’d not wanted to return to her home since setting out on Aunt Sadie’s tour.

  “If I go back, Papa will find me a husband,” she said. “And I don’t want that sort of husband. I don’t want that kind of life.”

  Travis shook his head. “That’s a big decision. Are you sure?”

  “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,” she said.

  He studied her for a moment, then said, “Maybe I do need to take you before the judge, af
ter all,” he said.

  Chapter Eleven

  “Take me before the judge?” Brynn demanded. “Whatever for? You told me you believed me, that I wasn’t involved in that jewel theft, and now—”

  “I still believe you,” Travis said, and took her hands in his. A soft smile pulled at his lips. “I want to ask him to marry us.”

  “Marry us?” she gasped. “Marry us?”

  “I love you, Brynn. But until just now, when you said you didn’t want to return to Richmond, I never expected you could be happy in a place like Harmony with someone like me,” Travis said.

  “But what about your job? You told me yourself that you always wanted to move around,” she said.

  “I could stay in one place if I had a good reason to stay,” Travis said. He looped his arms around her and drew her close. “And I can’t think of a better reason to stay than having you as my wife.”

  She shook her head. “You’ll come to dislike me, if you have to change your life that much.”

  “I’m ready for a change. Being here in Harmony, getting closer to the townsfolk, seeing their lives day to day made me realize that I wanted something more than moving around all the time,” Travis said.

  She’d felt the same closeness with the people in Harmony. She understood why he would feel that way.

  “Only thing is,” Travis said, “you’ll have to realize life here won’t be like in your aunt’s book. I can’t make things perfect for you, much as I’d like to.”

  “We have a few things to work on,” Brynn agreed. “Like learning to trust each other more.”

  “So you’ll marry me?” he asked.

  She wanted to say yes and rush upstairs to the judge’s room and have him perform the ceremony tonight. But she knew it wasn’t the right time.

  “Yes, I’ll marry you, but not now,” she said. “We need to get to know each other better.”

  “My feelings for you aren’t going to change,” Travis said.

  “But if you want to wait, we’ll wait. How about spring? How does that sound?”