That fact gave her strength to meet his gaze. “I think my case would be a waste of Mr. Ward’s time. There are a couple of lawyers in Abbeville who could easily handle a property dispute.”
“I believe Matt would be interested. He’s in such demand he can pick and choose his cases, and he likes those where someone is trying to take unfair advantage of another—or being unjustly accused or used.”
“He’ll take the case without pay?”
“Sometimes he does, but I won’t ask him to do that. Your case could cost a lot to prove. Matt has his own team of detectives, former Pinkerton agents.”
Alarm skidded all the way to her feet and made her sit up straight. “Why do I need detectives? All the records are at the courthouse. It would just require a title search, surely.” Her situation wouldn’t bear close scrutiny, especially not if they tried to find Harp.
His next statement made her think maybe he could read her mind. “First, we’ll have to locate Harp Munson, and from what I gather, he may be hard to find.”
That sent alarm belling ringing in her brain, and she had to hold onto the chair arms to keep from bounding from her seat. She felt the blood drain from her face. Would those detectives trace Harp’s disappearance back to their home? “I would prefer we not contact Harp.”
Rhyan’s brows shot up. “Why not?”
She drew in a deep breath.
Jake jumped in to save her. “I think what Juliette means is we don’t want Harp Munson to know where she and her siblings are. It’s possible he’d try to come get them, being their legal guardian and all.”
Rhyan grimaced. “You have a point.” Then he grinned and shifted his glance back to Juliette. “I can see why you wouldn’t want him dug up.”
His choice of words sent her pulse racing, and she was sure they could hear her heart pounding. But what could she say? Both Jake and his boss had more than the average man between their ears and would be suspicious of any flimsy argument she could muster. She tried to speak, but her throat tightened, her tongue sticking to the roof of her mouth.
The men didn’t seem to notice her discomfort. “Well, I’ll write to Matt and explain the situation. He’ll know the best way to handle it.”
She managed to swallow. “I’d just as soon we forget the whole thing. The only reason I wanted to save the house anyway was so—” She cut her eyes to Jake. “I’d hoped to sell it and split the profits between me and Annie and the boys.”
“Speaking of houses, that’s another thing I wanted to discuss, Rhyan. You know that land across the river road on the west? I’d like to build a house for Juliette and me. Would you be willing to sell?”
Rhyan stretched out his hand and tapped out a rhythm on the desktop. “You mean that place where the cows got stuck in the mud so often we closed it off?”
“No, further back some, on the little rise.”
Rhyan’s laughter echoed off the walls, and he spoke directly to Juliette. “What we call a rise is only about two feet high.” He continued rapping the desktop with his fingers, seemingly lost in thought. “I agree the scenery is pretty out there, but we’ll look it over and see where the best building site is. I’m assuming you are going to keep working for the ranch after your wedding, so you wouldn’t need much land.”
“No, not over five acres. Just enough for a house, barn, a corral, and garden.”
“When do you want to start building?”
Jake drew his brows together as he sent a questioning glance Juliette’s way. Everything was moving so fast, she wanted to put a brake on it. “I don’t know, Jake. We haven’t set a date yet, and we’ve agreed you need to get back on your feet first.”
“That’s the truth. I can’t do much work at all until then. Deck says he’s going to send me down to the dairy because I can sit while milking the cows.”
Rhyan moved his head from one side to the other, clearly amused. “No, I wouldn’t put any man in that gaggle of females, especially a man who can’t run, and who’s promised to another.” He pinned Juliette with another teasing glance.
Since the talk had veered away from investigating Harp, she relaxed and permitted a short giggle. “I’m not afraid of other females taking Jake. I’ve worked too hard for him.”
Jake winked at her. “Nothing for her to worry about.” She knew he trusted her as much as she trusted him. Happiness radiated from his eyes and broad smile. How could she ever tell him the truth and lose his trust? She wanted to confide in him, especially her fears this lawyer’s detectives would discover the truth. But she couldn’t crush his happiness. Not now.
Rhyan stood and she took it as a sign he wished to end the meeting. “I can see that. Juliette, I want you to know Carianne and I are grateful to you for taking care of Jake. We were beginning to think he’d never find anyone who could settle him down. We congratulate you both. It might take more patience than either of you want having to wait through these problems, but you’ll have a long and happy marriage. It’ll be worth the wait.”
That magnanimous welcome squelched any further discussion about her legal troubles for the moment.
Chapter 16
The church yard filled with talk and laughter as the congregation spilled out. Not wanting to linger, Jake made his way around the clusters of people trying to catch up on the news of the week before returning home to Sunday dinner.
Myra waylaid him before he got to the buggy. “Good to see you getting around so well, Jake. Thank you for bringing Juliette to church. We thought y’all might go to the chapel since it’s closer to the ranch.”
He had an ulterior motive but didn’t want to divulge it to Myra. Except for Dorcas Wagner, she was the biggest gossip in town. To be fair, both ladies had good reason to gossip. Since Myra ran the mercantile and Dorcas the post office, they were the centers of all town news. They were almost obligated to pass on tidbits of information.
“We probably will next Sunday, but Juliette has met so many townspeople since she’s working in the library, I thought she’d prefer coming here.”
Myra flashed a knowing grin. “So, when are you and Juliette going to get married?”
The same question he’d gotten a dozen times today, and the same nosy folks had pestered Juliette all week. They’d both given the same answer. His leg needed healing time. Juliette was busy learning how to manage the library. They had to build a house.
That’s why he’d wanted to come to town for church today. He intended to show Juliette the land for their building site, and they’d pass right by it on the way home.
He wanted them married right away. Juliette was more hesitant than him to set a date. More patient.
Of course she wanted to wait. He had the reputation of a ne’er-do-well cowboy, wasting his time on mindless pleasures and letting money slip through his fingers as fast as he made it. He had nothing to offer her except his heart. Yet.
“You’re going to be the first to know when we set the date, Myra.” He winked.
She cackled. “You do that. I’m still praying that poor limb of yours heals fast.” She patted his arm as she turned, waved a hand overhead, and headed to waylay someone else before he had time to thank her.
He’d borrowed one of the Sollano buggies because it had a retractable step and plenty of leg room, and a canopy to shield Juliette from the bright sunlight. She’d already told him the one thing she missed most about Georgia was the shade trees.
After placing the crutches under the seat, he grabbed ahold of the rails and, with his good foot resting on the step, hefted himself into driver’s place.
The crowd had thinned, their departing conveyances kicking up a cloud of dust. It hadn’t rained in over a week, and he was glad no one would be ahead of them on the road they’d travel. Juliette hadn’t said so, but he suspected another she disliked about the area was the dust.
He sat, listening to snorting horses and crunching wagon wheels, ruminating the situation until he spied Juliette descending the church steps, flanked by Magg
ie and Katherine. Both of those ladies were pretty beyond the ordinary, but his Juliette was breathtakingly beautiful. Even in this heat, she carried herself like a queen, head held high, kicking out the flounced hem of her summer frock of pale blue calico, dotted with tiny forget-me-nots.
She greeted him with a smile that melted his insides. He wished he was capable of jumping down to help her onto the buggy seat like a proper gentleman instead of offering a hand-up. But any excuse to touch her would suffice.
The locket swung out as she stepped up and leaned in, the sun sparking against the turquoise stone. He knew she wore it every day like a wedding ring, but usually under her bodice. Only they knew the significance of the locket, and that fact bound them in a way that pleased him.
Settling against the leather back, she apprised him. “You look a little pale. Are you feeling well?”
He squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to fuss over me anymore. I’m feeling fine. What did you think of the services?”
She tensed. Something bothered her. He’d noticed it in church—the way she’d gripped the hymnal a little too tight. The way she’d stared at the floor during the sermon, like she wished to sink into it. The subject of the sermon was nothing unusual, just the typical admonishment to confess our sins and God would forgive. He’d be willing to bet the pastor had repeated the same words every service for the past ten years.
Her tension disappeared in a smile. “I enjoyed it. It was good to be in church again, and I love Maggie and Katherine. They’ve become like sisters. Katherine invited us to go riding later today. Will you be up to it?”
“Sure, I told you not to fuss. I imagine Sweetie Pie would welcome the exercise too.” He laid a light tap of the buggy whip on the piebald to get her moving, and they rode in silence until they reached the road to Sollano. Instead of taking that turn, he kept going straight.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to show you a piece of land where we can build, if it pleases you. Clay told me he has a catalog of mail-order houses. I’ll pick you up from the library tomorrow and we’ll stop by Clay’s and take a look over the plans. There aren’t many to choose from.”
“I’ve never heard of mail-order houses.”
“Yeah, you can buy the plans and all the lumber and materials in one package. It takes a while to get the order shipped, so we’ll need to get it off as soon as possible.”
“And Rhyan is going to loan us the money?”
He liked her using the word “us.” Expelling a sigh, he smiled. “He’s agreed to, depending on the cost. I don’t think he’s so much concerned about the cost as he doesn’t want us to bite off more than we can chew.”
“No, we don’t want to do that,” she said. “That’s a good way to get choked. What about furniture?” Juliette was a planner, always looking ahead. Counting the costs. She complemented him perfectly.
“After the settlement on your Georgia house, I planned to bring your furniture out here. Thought you’d want it. I’m no expert, but you have some fine pieces of furniture down there.”
The blank stare she gave him said she hadn’t considered that. “Yes, the dining table, sideboard, and pie cabinet were passed down from my grandparents. The armoire was imported from England.” She shook her head, and a shaft of sunlight sneaked under the canopy to bring out the fire in her hair. “But the cost of bringing the furniture all the way from Georgia would be enormous.”
“Freight would be costly, but we’d have to have any furniture shipped in from back East—or California. And that would cost a lot. Clay told me he paid almost as much in freight for the pieces he’d shipped from Chicago as for the furniture itself. He was lucky to have saved most of their furniture in the fire.”
“Maggie told me about the fire that burned their house and most of Clay’s business. Right before they were to be married. It’s a shame.”
“Yeah, seems like they’ve had more than their share of bad luck.” Was there such a thing as luck, or was God delaying their marriage for some purpose? “I’m praying nothing like that happens to us.”
He wished she’d reassure him nothing would delay their plans. Instead, she looked straight ahead and pursed her lips like she expected some trouble might find them. Considering all the disappointments she’d experienced, that was understandable.
He pulled on the reins and set the brake. “There it is.” He pointed to where two poplars stood alone in the tall prairie grass, their top branches leaning into each other, like lovers. “Wish I could get closer, but the buggy can’t cut through this grass. Neither can I with these crutches, but next time I fetch you from the library, we’ll come this way on horses and go out there.”
“That’s all right. I can see how lovely the scenery will be. I can imagine the sunsets from our porch.”
He put an arm around her, relived that she approved, even at this distance. It looked rather desolate with the virgin prairie stretching all the way to the horizon and it took imagination to see a homestead. “We can plant shrubbery once the house is built. Flowers. A tree-lined path.” She had her face turned from him, gazing at the scenery. He brushed a kiss on her hair she wouldn’t feel.
She turned quickly and he had to jerk back to keep from bumping heads. “Oh, I don’t know. I like those trees already in place. Twin Poplars—there, our home already has a name.” Her eyes sparkled with the enthusiasm he’d been waiting for.
“That’s a fine name.” Squeezing her shoulders, he longed to steal a kiss. “We don’t have to wait to get married, Juliette. Clay told me he wishes he and Maggie hadn’t waited. If Maggie hadn’t committed to teaching, they would have married last year, and now, they could be working together to rebuild.”
She straightened, forcing him to give her space, and holding off the kiss. “I know, but we have the boys and Annie to consider.
He expelled a heavy sigh. “I suppose so. Isn’t Mrs. Darlington helping her any?”
“Maybe. Though I think Annie’s time with Effie and the babies has helped her more than anything.”
He had no rebuttal to offer against her reasons for delaying their marriage, but her hesitancy doused his elation all the same. He patted her gloved hand and took up the reins, clicking to the mare. “Guess we’d better get on home, or we’ll miss dinner. You’ll probably want to spend some time with Annie before our ride.” And he’d have to rest up his leg. The ache in his bones matched the ache in his heart.
***
Getting the new books catalogued kept Juliette’s mind occupied the next day, and that was a blessing. Bits and pieces of the pastor’s sermon flitted through her conscience like the annoying gnats of South Georgia. The gateway to God’s will is confession. She had confessed to God, but the sin still hung before her.
She had to confess to Jake. He was tired of her evasion, that much was evident. He wanted to set a date for their marriage. Make plans. But her secrets affected those plans.
She’d wanted to set up an appointment with the pastor and discuss the sins she’d left buried in Georgia, those that still tormented her by forming a wall between her and Jake. And he didn’t even know there was a wall.
Confessions to pastors were supposed to be confidential, weren’t they? But what pastor would agree to keep a confession of murder confidential, even if she explained it was necessary to protect her sister?
“Time to go, Juliette,” Maggie called from below.
It couldn’t be. Time had flown this afternoon. Juliette set the large tome on the glossy surface of the oak table and looked up. Sure enough, sunlight that normally streaked through the tall windows was waning.
She slid the card tray in place and held her skirt to descend the stairs. The library had three floors, but the third was a loft for children. Maggie waited by the door.
Hooking her satchel, Juliette crossed the marble floor. “I’m ready, but I’m meeting Jake at Clay’s leather shop. We’re going to look at his catalog of house plans.”
“I’ll walk y
ou there. It’s just down the street. Have you and Jake found a building plot yet? Katherine told me y’all had gone riding around the ranch yesterday. I meant to ask you how you liked it.”
“It was wonderful being out in the fine weather. The ranch is vast. Katherine said it goes on for many miles, but we only went as far as her house. The place Jake has staked out for a homestead is closer to town.”
“That will be convenient for you. Did you meet Emma?”
“I did. She’s a lovely lady. I wished we could’ve visited longer, but she invited Jake and me to a fried chicken supper later. He says no one cooks good southern food like Emma.” She slid the satchel to her shoulder. It felt lighter. She slapped her forehead. “I forgot to change skirts.”
When she rode Sweetie Pie, she wore a split skirt like the western women. Back home she wore a full skirted dress and draped it over the horse, but the split skirt made sense. So much lighter and cooler, with no danger of flying up. While working in the library, she changed to the skirt that matched her bodice.
Maggie laughed. “I’ll wait.”
After Juliette changed skirts, they exited the library, and Maggie locked the door. She held out the key to Juliette. “Here, I’m not coming in tomorrow. I have to prepare the schoolhouse for opening.”
Juliette took the key with trepidation. “Are you sure I’m ready?”
“I’m sure. Carianne said learning the Dewey method was harder for her than me because she had to first unlearn the traditional. That’s what you had to do, but you’ve been a fast study.”
“I hope so, but there’s so much to learn.” Not to mention, such a short amount of time to learn it. Everything was happening so fast. It had been three months since she’d shot Harp, and less than two since Jake had come into her life.
They reached the mercantile. Across the street, Clay’s Leather Goods looked pitiful with a gaping hole for the front and scorched lumber piled to the side. Jake’s roan, Dauntless, was tied to the hitching post, and Juliette bunched her skirts to step off the sidewalk.
Escaped (Intrigue Under Western Skies Book 4) Page 14
