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“I’ve got some things I need to do. Part of the plan to mislead the trackers.”
He dismounted, then helped Laura off the horse. Ignoring her still-questioning gaze, Owen began removing the cloth he’d placed around his horse’s hooves. While he was working on the front hooves, Owen used his knife to remove the excess metal around the sides of the horseshoes. If anyone picked up his tracks here, they would assume it was a different horse because the prints wouldn’t match.
Yes, this was costing them precious time, at least in the short run. But hopefully, it would send James and his men on a wild goose chase, searching for Laura in all the wrong places.
When Owen got to the back hooves, Laura knelt beside him. “Can I help?”
Some of the irritation he’d been feeling washed away. One of the things he’d liked about Laura was that she always wanted to help. There were some women he’d had to protect who expected him to wait on them hand and foot. Not Laura. She’d done what she could herself and asked him to teach her the things she couldn’t.
“Thanks, but I’m almost done. Go ahead and get yourself a drink or take care of your needs. The water here is clear and fresh.”
Owen moved to the last hoof and finished the job. He picked up the scrapings to leave no sign of his handiwork. As he stood, he stretched, allowing some of the stiffness to leave his bones. He’d been riding hard most of the day, and it would be another hour to his ranch. Usually, it wasn’t such a hard ride. But he’d like to get Laura there and settled before it grew dark.
He led Troy to the river, allowing his horse to drink. The water here branched off into a small pool where animals could drink, and children could play. Owen smiled as he realized that it would soon be warm enough for the girls to splash in the water. This high up, the water was always bitter cold. But it never seemed to stop the children from playing in it.
Laura came out from behind the brush, holding a ragdoll. “Look what I found,” she said, smiling. “This looks like the perfect place for a picnic. I can imagine some family stopping here. I wonder if there’s a way to find out who the doll belongs to.”
As she got closer, Owen recognized the doll.
“I believe that’s Beatrice. She belongs to my daughter Anna, who lost it some time ago. Anna will be grateful that you found it.”
Laura’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know you had a daughter.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” he said, taking the doll. “I have two daughters. Anna and Emma. They’re twins. You’ll meet them soon.”
“Am I going to your home then?”
Owen took a deep breath. He hadn’t yet told Laura where they were going. A fact he should have rectified long ago, but she’d been irritating him so much that he’d preferred to stay silent rather than snap at her as he’d been doing. It seemed like they’d been communicating poorly this whole time, and Owen had learned over the years that it was better to say nothing than to have to keep apologizing for saying the wrong thing.
“Yes. My ranch.”
“If it’s your ranch, won’t James figure out that I’m there?”
“Only my closest friends know it’s mine. Belonged to an uncle who recently passed away. People don’t know we were related. It’s the last place James will look for you.”
Laura hesitated, and for a moment she looked like she was going to argue with him again.
“He’s not going to find you there.”
She nodded slowly, like she didn’t quite believe him, but had finally figured out the futility of putting up a fuss.
“Why couldn’t you have just told me that?”
“I told you why I couldn’t. Besides, if anyone figures out where we’re going, it doesn’t just put you in danger, but my family, as well.”
Laura gave him a haughty look, reminding him of their very different backgrounds. “Then I’m surprised you are even bothering to take me there at all.”
“It’s the safest place for you right now. I just told you James won’t be able to figure out that you’re there. But for the sake of my family, I have to be extra careful.”
Laura gave a tiny nod, then asked in a quiet voice, “Why didn’t you ever tell me you had children?”
She was hurt, he could tell, and nothing he said would make it better. It shouldn’t matter to him that he’d hurt her feelings, but for some strange reason, it did.
“In my line of work, only my closest friends know about my family. They didn’t sign up for this business, and it’s not fair to put their lives in jeopardy.”
“Oh.” She looked wounded, like he’d hurt her more deeply than just bruised feelings. She’d been acting like that a lot—like their relationship had been something more, something deeper. That was the trouble with being in close quarters with a victim. They often read more into the situation than it was. Which was why getting too close to a victim was dangerous. People mistook the emotions of the circumstances for something lasting and real. But once the danger passed, so, too, did the feelings, and that’s when the real harm happened. Owen knew all about that firsthand.
Which was why he intentionally kept others at a distance. Especially someone attractive as Laura.
“It’s hard for me to trust,” Owen said, giving her a regretful look. “My family is everything to me, and I can’t put them at risk. You don’t know the kind of people who would hurt them if given a chance.”
Owen turned away and brought his attention back to his horse, making sure everything was properly tightened. Yes, bringing Laura to his home was a risk, but they didn’t have any other options. All of the men Will trusted had families in town. It’d be too easy to figure out that Laura was with them. With Owen out of the law business and out of sight, his ranch was the perfect place to hide Laura.
Will used to tell him that he was overprotective of his family. But after everything Owen had been through, he felt like he was entitled to be a little heavy-handed when it came to protecting them. Especially his girls.
“I don’t want to put anyone out,” Laura said, shifting awkwardly. “Your wife won’t mind?”
One of the reasons Owen didn’t like talking about his family. A brief explanation would only give him sympathy he didn’t want or need. But the longer explanation was even worse.
“My wife is dead. My sister, Lena, lives with us and helps me with the girls. Having you come here was partially her idea.”
Will had suggested it. In front of Lena. Who’d gotten extremely excited at the prospect of having another woman around for a while. With Lena on Will’s side, Owen couldn’t say no.
“I’ll try not to be a bother. Please tell Lena that I’m happy to help with any chores. I don’t want to inconvenience her.”
Owen grinned. “I wouldn’t worry about Lena. You’ll get along just fine.”
Being around Lena might be good for Laura. His sister was the finest woman he knew. Not that there was anything wrong with Laura, but she could draw on Lena’s strength as she went through this situation with James. Waiting for a trial had been hard enough on Laura, but waiting for a madman to come after her would be worse.
As Owen scanned the area around them, he felt confident that they hadn’t been followed and that no one was around. But that could change at any time.
“We’d best be on our way,” he told Laura. “We’ve still got a lot of ground to cover before we reach safety.”
He helped her onto the horse; then he tucked Beatrice into his saddlebag. The girls had been mad he’d gone into town without them, but this would ease their disappointment.
However, judging from the still-put-out expression on Laura’s face, dealing with her frustrations over the situation was going to be a lot more difficult.
Chapter Three (#u1dc918ad-233b-5e69-b150-7a2563d7a8ae)
Why hadn’t Owen told her about his family? Even though his explanation about not sharing his family matters in work situations made sense, Laura would have liked to think that their friendship had meant something to him. But, as she’d seen throughout the day, that friendship had only been an illusion. She’d thought of him as a friend; he’d seen her as a case.
How was she ever supposed to trust her feelings about people when she hadn’t been able to get that right?
They approached a sign announcing Fairweather Ranch, hay and livestock for sale, Robert C. Dean, owner.
“Is Robert C. Dean your uncle?” Laura asked when they slowed up.
“Was.”
With Owen so near, Laura could feel his long sigh.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said.
Owen didn’t respond as a house and barn came into view. The occupants of the house must have been watching out the window because the door flew open and two little girls, with hair matching Owen’s but in long braids, came running out.
“Papa!”
The tension in Owen’s body eased, such a dramatic physical change that Laura nearly lost her balance.
“Steady,” he said, a gentler tone in his voice. “Let’s not have you falling off with only a few yards to go.”
Laura almost made a comment about it being the change in him that would have made her fall, but with his obvious happiness, it seemed wrong to spoil things.
They stopped near the barn, and Owen got off his horse. His feet had barely hit the ground when the two girls wrapped their arms around him.
“You kept your promise,” the girl in the green dress said.
The other girl, wearing blue, looked exactly like her sister, and without the different dresses, Laura wasn’t sure she’d be able to tell them apart.
“I always keep my promises.” Owen bent and kissed his daughter on top of the head, then kissed the other one.
Though Laura had always known Owen had a tender side, seeing him greet his girls, and the obvious affection among them, made her realize that there was a great deal of depth to him she hadn’t known. True, she hadn’t known many facts about him, something she was becoming more and more ashamed of, but she’d been so certain of his character.
The harsh way he’d dealt with her earlier today had surprised her. It had seemed so unlike the man she thought she knew. She also hadn’t expected him to be such a doting father. All of her confidence about what a good man he’d been seemed based on her imaginings, not the reality of who he was. Once again, Laura wasn’t sure how to decipher the man.
Who was Owen Hamilton?
And would she even know it was the real him?
“All right, girls,” he said, laughing. “Let’s get Mrs. Booth off the horse, so you can properly meet her.”
His formality was just one more unexpected twist to the man she’d thought she’d known.
When her feet were touching the ground, Laura said, “Please, call me Laura. I don’t want to stand on ceremony here.”
The girls smiled at her shyly, hiding behind their father.
“Girls, please introduce yourselves.”
The one dressed in blue stepped out from behind Owen. “I’m Anna.”
“And I’m Emma,” the girl dressed in green said. “We’re very pleased to have you here.”
Laura gave the girls a friendly smile. They were miniature versions of their father, only in feminine form. She could almost see Owen as a child in them. Though she’d always considered the fact that her and James’s not having children had been a blessing in disguise, something about seeing Owen with his daughters created a longing in Laura that she hadn’t expected.
She would never have children of her own, a fact she’d thought she’d accepted, but somehow, these children reminded her of her lost dream. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to spend too much time with them while she was here at the ranch. She was hoping she wouldn’t have to spend much time here at all. She needed to get back to her boardinghouse. But also, having realized how little she knew about Owen had made her come to see that she was a poor judge of character indeed. People wondered how Laura could have trusted a man like James. She’d thought that her poor judgment had been a onetime mistake. However, Laura was starting to wonder if perhaps she trusted too easily and saw things in people too readily where perhaps she should be more cautious. She’d read too much into Owen’s care for her. And now she felt like a fool.
Owen had turned to the girls and was giving them the doll Laura had found. Her heart ached at the sight, and Laura started to turn away.
A woman came around the other side of the horse and smiled at her. Had Laura not been aware that Owen had a sister, she still would have immediately known that they were related. Lena and Owen had the same sandy shade of blond hair and the same warm blue eyes that made a person want to believe in them. But Laura didn’t know who to trust anymore. Though she still believed that Owen was credible when it came to upholding the law, when it came to their personal relationship, she had to remember that to him it was just a job. A fact she would also keep in mind when it came to Lena.
“Welcome. I’m Lena. You must be Laura. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. We’re very glad to have you.”
Lena’s friendly smile made Laura feel like she’d known her for years. Of course, Laura had felt the same way about Owen.
“Thank you. It’s so kind if you to have me.” Laura returned the greeting with an equally friendly expression. “Owen says I’m not putting anyone out, but please let me know if I’m inconveniencing you in any way. I’m also happy to help with any chores you might have. I like to pull my own weight.”
The girls ran off with their doll, and Owen joined them. The look Lena gave Owen appeared to be one of doubt. She wondered what Owen had told his sister about her. Did Lena think of Laura as the spoiled socialite she’d once been? Or had Owen been more generous in his descriptions of her?
“You’re company,” Lena said. “You just make yourself at home, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Laura smiled pleasantly. “I insist on being helpful. It’s the only way I could possibly feel at home.”
Owen looked at her like she was being difficult again. She supposed that as much as he tried her patience, she probably tried his. Funny that they hadn’t had such a battle of wills before. Perhaps it would convince Owen that Laura was a different woman now. It irritated her that she cared so much. Why should she care when Owen didn’t?
“If that’s what you want,” Owen said. “As long as Lena doesn’t mind. She’s the real boss around here.”
“Ha!” Lena glared at her brother. “Don’t listen to a word he says. Owen never did anything anyone ever told him to do unless he already had it in his head to do it.”
Owen grinned, a carefree expression Laura had never seen on him before. “I learned everything I know about being stubborn from you, big sis.”
Watching the siblings tease each other in such a familiar way made Laura feel even more like an outsider.
“Don’t you start,” Lena said, shaking her head. “None of us have time for your nonsense. You’ve still got the evening chores to do, and I need to get Laura settled. Supper will be ready soon, so stop your yammering and get to it.”
Owen gave Laura a look as if to say, See what I mean? then walked to the back of his horse, where he untied Laura’s small bag from the saddlebags. As much as she’d resented Owen picking over her choices of articles of clothing that he felt were too nice, now that she knew she was staying on a working ranch, she felt a little better about his heavy-handedness.
“I’ll just take this into the house for you,” Owen said, sounding a little gruff.
Laura smiled at him. “I can do it. It’s not that heavy, and Lena says you have work to do. I told you, I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”
He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but Lena shot him a glare, and he closed it again. Laura would have to learn how she did that.
“That’ll be just fine,” Lena said, taking Laura by the arm. “You’ll want to freshen up after your journey.”
They paused so Laura could take her bag from Owen, and Lena led her into the cabin. The porch was wide and inviting, with a pair of rocking chairs and a porch swing that looked like the family spent many pleasant evenings sitting here. Inside the cabin, the space was larger than it first appeared.
With a formal parlor and dining room, the front of the house looked like it would fit in with any of the nicer homes in Leadville or Denver. Certainly, it had the feel of the home she’d grown up in. She hadn’t expected Owen to be so domestic. One more piece to the puzzle.
“What a lovely home you have,” Laura said, smiling as she took it in.
“Thank you. Our uncle built it for his wife, hoping that such a fine place would make her happy, being so far from the city. Plenty of room for entertaining guests.”
It seemed there was far more to the story, but Lena turned abruptly and gestured to the stairs. “Your room is up here.”
Apparently, being close lipped was a family trait. At the top of the landing was a wide window, giving Laura a clear view of Leadville across the flat valley between the mountain ranges surrounding the area.
“It’s magnificent,” she said, staring. “You don’t realize what a beautiful city it is when you’re there, do you?”
