Romancing The Runaway Bride

скачать книгу бесплатно


At the sight of the lanky blond man heading straight for her, Deborah was reminded she had other matters to worry about. Real ones, not possibly-made-up sightings of stowaways.

“Thank you for your time, gentlemen.” Squaring her shoulders, she left the boardwalk and met Preston Wells in the shade of The Cattleman. “Good afternoon, Mr. Wells.”

“Surely you agree it’s time to dispense with the formalities, Deborah.” His eyes bore into her, pleading and needy. “You are the epitome of summertime’s best offerings in that dress.”

She pressed a hand to her stomach and strove for a pleasant expression. Inside, she experienced a strange frisson of unease. A telegraph operator, Preston had become fixated on her shortly after her arrival. She’d been kind but firm in her numerous refusals of his overtures. He’d proven persistent, however. He’d even taken to badgering poor Sadie, who had to work with him, about her.

She had no objections to his appearance. In his midtwenties, Preston wore his light hair cut very short, which emphasized his broad forehead—her great-aunt would call it intelligent—and a rather thin nose. His eyes were an interesting shade of gray, however, and he had a nicely shaped mouth. He took pride in his appearance. It was the hint of desperation in his exchanges with her that put her on guard.

“Er, thank you.” She smoothed the ivory skirt printed with green and yellow flowers.

“It flatters your complexion greatly,” he enthused, moving closer than was comfortable. “And your hair...” He was reaching to cup her cheek when Adam entered her peripheral vision.

“I don’t believe we’ve met.” Adam struck out his hand for Preston to shake.

Thankful for the interruption, Deborah edged out of the way. Preston regarded Adam with a mixture of bewilderment and annoyance.

“Preston Wells. And you are?”

“Adam Draper. I’m staying at the same boardinghouse as Deborah.”

“Pleasure.” His expression said it was anything but. His gaze returned to her. “Would you agree to accompany me for a short stroll? I’m contemplating hosting a small dinner party and perhaps engaging your services.”

“Maybe another time. I have a long list of errands to complete, including picking up a few items for Aunt Mae.”

“Would you believe she asked me to do some shopping for her, as well?” Adam chuckled and produced a folded paper from his pocket. “If you’re going into Booker & Son’s, I’ll join you.”

Preston gave his suit lapels a sharp tug. “I see you’re preoccupied at the moment. I’ll come around the boardinghouse one evening this week.”

Unable to politely decline, she nodded and bid him goodbye. Adam’s light touch against her back was comforting as they entered the mercantile. Navigating the aisles, they found a secluded corner near a window display of gardening instruments.

“Is he one of the men who proposed marriage?” There was a hint of humor in his dark eyes.

“No.”

“But he’s one of the men whose overtures you’ve spurned.”

“Preston is nothing if not persistent.” She made a show of consulting her own list. “What exactly did Aunt Mae send you here for?”

He wiggled his finger. “Uh-uh. You’re not dodging this one. Tell me why you’ve refused to consider any of the interested parties. Were they too young? Too old? Not prone to bathing?”

“They are all decent men.” Deborah inched past him to study ribbons in a variety of colors. “A-and clean.”

“Are you one of those women who has a long list of qualifications a man must meet in order to be considered worthy of your hand?” His breath teased the flower at her ear. Goose bumps raced over her skin.

“What? Of course not.”

“Something is preventing you. What is it?”

Deborah angled her face toward his, startled to find him so close. His nearness didn’t affect her like Preston’s. Instead of wanting to bolt, she yearned to move closer. His shoulders were broad and sturdy, his arms strong and inviting. He’d be a good hugger, she could tell. Someone who would hold her tight and snug for as long as she needed, not pat her awkwardly on the back and shrug free after short moments. Strangely, she was starting to view Adam as someone she could depend on. He radiated honor and goodness. She sensed he was the type of man who’d lay down his life for a stranger’s.

Would it be so terrible to confide in him? Adam would entertain his own conclusions. She’d hate for him to think her snobbish, persnickety or, worse, on the hunt for a rich husband. She could’ve had one of those, if she’d gone through with the nuptials back in St. Louis.

In the end, she chose to tell him a partial truth. “The prospect of marriage is more daunting than I anticipated. To pledge oneself to another forever...it’s a grave undertaking. Not to be taken lightly.”

“You’re not taking it at all, though.” His smile had faded. “Despite having traveled here for the express purpose of landing a husband.”

“Am I not allowed to have a change of heart? O-or lose my nerve?”

“You arrived in your wedding clothes,” he said softly.

“You have the uncanny ability to question me as if I’m on trial. Were you ever a lawyer, Mr. Draper?”

“You revert to formalities when you’re upset with me.” He kneaded the side of his neck. “I apologize for pressing you. It’s none of my business. Although, I will say I understand the locals’ frustration. You’re beautiful, intelligent and talented. Any man with a scrap of sense would make a bid for your attention.”

His praise emboldened her. “You haven’t.”

Adam’s lips parted. His eyes thrummed with emotion quickly squelched. Clearing his throat, he said, “I’m not yet in that stage of my life. There are matters that take precedence over any desire to wed and produce heirs.”

“What sort of matters? Your ranches?”

“My ranches...” His brows drew together. “Oh, yes. My business obligations are many.”

“So you’ve never come close to falling in love?”

He fell silent. Deborah felt as though she were swimming in that endless brown gaze as the air between them thinned. Why had she asked such a foolish question?

“Never.”

“Me, either.”

The bell over the door jangled, dispelling the tension. Adam’s attention went to the entrance and immediately the set of his shoulders changed. She shifted to get a better view. Russell Halloway stood just inside the door, his hat in his hands. He nodded and waved, but instead of coming over, he headed for the sales counter.

“I should let you tend to your shopping,” Adam told her. “I’ll see you later.”

Nonplussed, Deborah watched as he strode for the exit. Not even one minute later, Russell left empty-handed.

The two men had met yesterday for the first time. Why then, did she get the feeling she was missing something?

Chapter Six (#uaf97cdd6-f6d1-529d-b9ed-b8e717b86ba0)

“Before you read me the riot act, stop and think.” Russell held up a staying hand. “You must agree that I had to ask.”

“You asked me a personal question in front of a suspect,” Adam gritted, the annoyance he’d felt at the fund-raiser rushing to the surface.

“I’m a lawyer who specializes in assisting veterans. It would’ve raised suspicions if I hadn’t asked.” His frown became an unhappy slash in his face. “Wait, did you say suspect? Surely you don’t think Deborah Frazier is capable of consorting with a blackguard like Ogden!”

“Lower your voice.” Adam scanned both sides of the alley behind the mercantile and the street running alongside the church behind them.

“She’s not involved,” Russell insisted, his hazel eyes confident.

“I don’t know enough yet to draw that conclusion.”

“You just rode into town. Anna and I have gotten to know her over the course of the last eight weeks. She’s got a heart of gold.”

That had been his impression, as well. His wish. But the fact was he didn’t truly know her or what she might be capable of.

“Three weeks ago, I was wrapping up a case in Centerville when I got a message from one of my closest colleagues. Dayton’s one of the few people I’ve told about our past. While pursuing a lead in a murder, he heard some cowboys grumbling about losing their jobs because their owners had to up and sell at a moment’s notice. The situation sounded similar to Big Bend’s, so he contacted me. Together, we did some digging and learned that an entrepreneur who called himself Thaddeus Jones had been dispensing loans to the locals.”

“Let me guess,” Russell bit out. “Just like in Big Bend, the locals failed to read the fine print. He charged them high interest rates and put their ranches up as collateral.”

“Exactly. He’d already skipped town by the time I got there, but I did manage to locate the house he’d been renting.” The sharp disappointment he’d experienced filled him anew. He’d walked through the very rooms his nemesis had inhabited with the knowledge he’d been a couple of days too late. “In the living room fireplace, I salvaged a scrap of paper that led me to Cowboy Creek.”

When he explained the significance of the signature, Russell gave him a hooded look. “You suspect Deborah because her name begins with D? Couldn’t it be someone named Diana or Desiree? David? Dustin—”

“I know it’s not much to go on, all right? But the people I interviewed insisted he was in cahoots with a female. The description matches. Young and attractive, dark brown hair, elegant clothes. Unfortunately, she didn’t mingle with the locals. She stuck to Ogden’s side like glue.”

Russell’s gaze followed a buggy as it rolled past the church. He shook his head. “I’m aware of the Pinkertons’ reputation. And you’ve proven yourself a worthy detective, otherwise you would’ve been cut loose a long time ago. But I urge you not to rush judgments on this one. Don’t let your obsession with Ogden make you sloppy.”

“I am not obsessed.”

“Aren’t you? Has a single day gone by these past nine years when you haven’t thought about him? Imagined making him pay for what he did?”

His brother was speaking the truth, and it was difficult to hear. The implication was that Seth and Russ had moved on with their lives, while he’d remained stagnant.

Adam ripped off his Stetson and slapped it against his thigh. His older brother taking him to task hauled him back to his adolescent years. Being the youngest hadn’t set well with him. He’d balked whenever Seth and Russell had tried to boss him around. That was one aspect of leaving he hadn’t minded—people had treated him as his own man, not as the youngest Halloway boy.

“Adam, I’ve seen innocent people punished for crimes they didn’t commit. I’d hate for that to happen in this case.”

He met his brother’s solemn gaze. “Believe me, I’m aware of the pitfalls and am making concessions.”

Russell gripped his shoulder. “I want answers, too. I’ll help you any way I can. Come by for supper tonight. Meet Anna proper-like.”

“I wish I could, but I have to stay close to Deborah.”

“You can spare an hour this afternoon, can’t you?”

“I would like to speak to my new sister-in-law without worrying who’s listening. Three o’clock?”

“I’ll close the office early.”

They said their goodbyes, and Adam headed for the Mitchell Coal & Mining Company. Jason Mitchell welcomed him into his office with polite formality. Waving him into a chair, he resumed his spot behind the desk cluttered with papers.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Draper?”

“I promise not to take up much of your time.” He did a quick inventory of the cramped space. “Based on our brief exchange yesterday, I thought you might have insight into the area’s property shortage. I visited the land office earlier and was met with discouraging news.”

Sinking against the dull leather chair, Jason steepled his hands. “It’s like I told you at the fund-raiser. The Maroni brothers are greedier than most. I’ve been in this business a while. Competition’s normal. Even healthy.” He rubbed at a coffee stain ingrained in the desk. “These men are different.”

“How so?”

“First off, I’ve yet to set eyes on them. Only the land office clerk and the ranchers who’ve done business with them have spoken to them face-to-face.”

Adam wet his lips. Ogden could’ve gotten another accomplice, a man this time. “Maybe they like their privacy.”

“Maybe.” Jason’s eyes hardened. “Or maybe they’ve got something to hide.”

“Don’t they have a temporary office set up? Somewhere to conduct business?”

“They were staying at The Lariat, but I haven’t managed to get a meeting with them.” He sighed and drummed his fingers against the wood. “There have been too many ranchers forced off their land. Not a coincidence, if you ask me.”

Adam adopted an expression of disbelief. “Are you suggesting the Maronis orchestrated accidents to get their hands on land they think is rich with coal?”

“I do.”

“Have you gone to the sheriff with your suspicions?”

He rolled his eyes. “The new sheriff is an incompetent oaf. Folks aren’t happy that the previous sheriff, Buck Hanley, abandoned the job to go into business for himself.”

Adam would have to pay the sheriff a visit and make his own observations. “Not what I wanted to hear, but I thank you for your candor.”

“Cowboy Creek’s a fine place to live, but it won’t support an operation like yours. Not with the hunt for coal. You’ll have better success somewhere else.”

Adam stood. “I’ll take what you’ve said into consideration.”

He was at the door when Jason spoke. “One more word of advice. Don’t bother with the Frazier woman. She’ll lead you on a merry dance.”

* * *

Something was bothering Deborah. She’d offered little to the dinner conversation and left much of her meal on the patterned china plate. Afterward, when everyone had migrated to the parlor, she’d declined offers to join in games in favor of standing at the windows and gazing mutely out at the street.