Chapter Twenty-One

Julia was sweeping off the front porch steps when Hannah and her grandmother’s wagon rattled into town. The dust settled around them as they pulled to a halt in front of the Curtis house.

“Hannah!” Julia gave a quick wave. She leaned the broom against the doorframe and went down the steps to greet her visitors. She held open the picket fence gate, swatting at an errant bumble bee that landed on her arm, instead of in the daisies that grew in profusion against the whitewashed fence.

“Oh, Hannah, it’s so good to see you away from the farm.” Julia hugged her close, and then stepped back as she held Hannah at arm’s length. “Just look at you.” She frowned at the fatigue marking Hannah’s face. “You’ve been working too hard, I can tell.”

“There’s so much to be done if we hope to have the barn completed before the cold weather sets in.”

“Let’s go inside. I can show you the new clothes Mother and Father brought me for my wedding trip. It’ll help take your mind off things for a while.”

Julia linked her arm through Hannah’s, as together they walked up the porch steps. The screen door creaked as Mrs. Curtis came out to greet them.

“Clara, it’s about time you dragged this granddaughter of yours off the hill!” Mrs. Curtis gave Hannah a quick peck on the cheek and waited for her grandmother to climb the steps. “Come inside I’ll make us a nice pitcher of lemonade.”

Giving the ties on her sunbonnet a quick tug, her grandmother removed the worn hat. “Lemonade sounds refreshing.”

Before Hannah could accept the offer, Julia chimed in, “We’ll be upstairs in my bedroom. I want to show Hannah my new clothes.”

“You two run along, then.”

Julia tugged at Hannah’s arm, leading her past the two older women.

Once in her bedroom, Julia closed the door and leaned her back against it. “I wasn’t sure we’d be able to suffer through lemonade with my mother. So tell me, how are things really going with you and Chase?”

Hannah ran her hand along the edge of the white eyelet bedspread that covered the mattress on the wide canopy bed. Turning, she sat down on the edge of the bed with her back to Julia. She picked up one of the ruffled pillows that were strewn about on the bed and hugged it close to her. She didn’t know where to begin. After seeing Chase this morning she was reluctant to admit that she had renewed doubts about him.

“Hannah?”

Julia pushed herself away from the door and walked across the thick rose-colored carpet covering the center of the planked floor. Crossing in front of her, she sat down next to Hannah.

“Tell me what’s happened.”

“I feel that Chase is still keeping things from me.”

“What sort of things?”

Hannah shrugged. “That’s just it, I’m not sure. I thought that after the truth about him came out there would be no more secrets between us.”

Julia looked at her, concern marked her face. “You know what he does. Don’t you think that he still needs to keep his cover intact?”

“I suppose.” She turned and met Julia’s gaze. “Why can’t he trust me?”

“Oh, Hannah, it’s not a matter of him not trusting you. Chase wants to protect you. Don’t forget we’ve got a criminal on the loose. I know my father has been working day and night to try and find Amos Smithson.”

Hannah rolled her shoulders once, trying to release the tension that gripped her like a vise. “He loves me and when you feel that way about someone it should be enough.”

“Have you told Chase how you feel about him.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. Not yet.”

“I know you love him, just as I know the two of you can work through this mess.”

“I’ve never felt this way about another man in my life. I was never even courted. What do I know about loving a man?”

Julia smiled. “It will come naturally to you, Hannah.” Giving Hannah’s hand a reassuring squeeze she said, “You’ll see.”

She closed her eyes and prayed that Julia was right. She wanted to be able to declare her love to Chase, but she couldn’t say those words, not until she knew, without any doubts, that he trusted her completely.

She opened her eyes. It wasn’t right to burden Julia with her troubles. Bolstering her mood, she said, “Enough of this talk, show me your wedding trousseau.”

Julia frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I don’t want any of this trouble to overshadow your happiness.” She gave Julia a reassuring hug and then released her.

Julia hopped off the bed and hurried to throw open the doors to her massive oak armoire. Inside were several striped skirts with wide sashes and matching bonnets. There was an exquisitely tailored midnight-blue riding skirt with a matching jacket. Laying her face against a virginal white peignoir, Julia breathed, “Don’t you just love the smell of new fabric?”

Pressing her hand to her mouth, Hannah smothered a laughed. “You are so ridiculous.”

Pulling out the satin nightgown, Julia held it up against her. “I think Stephen will simply crumble when he sees me in this.”

Hannah stared at Julia, speechless. The memory of the day she and Chase made love at Crane Pond burned in her mind. There had been no satiny fabric between them, just the pure blue water of a cool mountain pond. She yearned to be with him once more. Gripping the edge of the bed, Hannah squeezed the cottony fabric of the coverlet between her suddenly sweaty fingers.

Thankfully, Julia was oblivious to her discomfort as she twirled around the room, hugging the garment close, her eyes bright with the anticipation of a bride-to-be. “It’s all going to be so romantic.”

“Julia, Hannah—come join us on the porch for some lemonade!” Julia’s mother called, interrupting their daydreams.

Returning the satin peignoir to the wardrobe, Julia went to peer out the window overlooking the porch. “We’ll be right down, Mother.”

Julia closed the doors and pushed the latch into place. “Come along, Hannah. We don’t want to keep my mother waiting.”

Hannah went down the center hall staircase ahead of Julia. Pushing open the screen door, she stepped out into the warm summer air and found herself face-to-face with Chase.

Julia burst onto the porch two steps behind her. “My, my. Look who’s come calling.”

Even though the words were mumbled, Hannah turned to give Julia a warning glance. It took her a minute to find her voice. “Chase, what a—nice—surprise.”

Beside her Julia squirmed. “I thought he was helping out with the barn today.”

“So did I.”

 

Chase looked past her and said to Julia, “I had some business with your father.” He turned his attention to Hannah. “I saw your rig out front and thought it would be all right to stop by.”

“You can come calling anytime you please, Mr. Malone.” Mrs. Curtis rose from the rocker she’d been sitting in, prepared to offer Chase a glass of lemonade.

He raised his hand. “No thank you, ma’am. I’m afraid I can’t stay long.” He reached for Hannah’s hand. “I need to speak to you.”

Her sapphire eyes met his penetrating gaze sure and steady. Hannah’s sense of pride was what had attracted him to her from the very first day—she wasn’t afraid to look anyone square in the eye, and he knew from experience that she was never the first to look away. He was worried that her sense of pride and duty to her family would serve only to harm her. Somehow he had to convince her to trust him.

He saw the rapid throb of her pulse along the side of her neck. He desired nothing more than to dip his head and kiss that very spot. He remembered how sweetly and trustingly Hannah had given herself to him! He’d known from the start that she was a virgin, and still he couldn’t seem to help himself. He’d never in his life met any woman like her, a woman who knew her mind and wasn’t afraid to speak it. A woman who looked equally as alluring in jeans and a chambray shirt as she did right now in her forest-green riding skirt.

He realized that they were still standing on the Curtis’s porch and blinked away the image of their lovemaking. He turned from the inquisitive gazes of the other three women and pulled Hannah with him down the steps. Chase was unnerved by her deliberate silence. He’d felt her growing distance at the homestead.

“How’s your thumb?” Carefully, he examined her injured hand, noting the bruise underneath the nail bed.

They walked as far as the rig and stopped. The soft drone of the honeybees drifted up from the flower bed behind the picket fence. The gentle breeze carried the cloying scent of Mrs. Curtis’s prized pink roses.

“It’s sore, but I’m sure I’ll hardly notice it in a few days.” She tensed and he turned to look at her. “I have a feeling that you’re keeping something from me.”

The all too familiar anguish appeared in her eyes. Chase realized that in his need to protect her, he was also hurting her. “Is that why you’ve been keeping your distance from me?”

She shook her head, her hair swinging along her back. “I’m trying not to feel that way, but you’re so closed-mouthed about all that’s happened. I don’t know what you’re thinking, or how you expect me to behave when we’re together.”

He ran a thumb along her jaw. “I don’t want you to change anything at all. You’re right, I am holding back information, but not because I don’t trust you—I need to keep you safe.”

“We’ve been through this before. I can take care of myself.”

He took a good hard look at the stubborn woman who stood before him and realized he’d underestimated her strength and determination. It occurred to him that sharing information about the case with her was one way to keep her safe. If luck were on his side, her curiosity would be satisfied.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on. Sheriff Curtis and I are going to track down Amos. We believe he’s hiding out in the mountains behind the mining camp.”

“What about Hank?”

“I think he’s long gone. Hank wasn’t a very smart man to get involved with the likes of Amos and Tyler to begin with, but he seemed smart enough to know when to cut his losses.”

“He wanted to turn Amos in to the law. I can’t believe that he would run away from all that money and the garnets.”

He was tempted to tell her not to worry, instead he reminded himself that being up front with Hannah was the only way to do this.

“He hasn’t turned up here and I doubt that he would be keeping company with Amos.”

“When will you be leaving?”

“We’ll be leaving with the posse at first light tomorrow.”

She walked to him and wrapped her arms about his waist. “I’ll miss you.”

He crooked his finger under her chin and tipped her head back, planting a kiss on her lips. Her mouth felt warm against his. Gently he nipped her lower lip, she responded by running her tongue along the inside of his mouth. He moaned. How he wished they were back at Crane Pond, another time, another day—he vowed to find a way for them to be together, forever.

It took most of his willpower to break away.

“I want you to stay close to the homestead. Promise me you’ll do as I say.”

She rested her head against his shoulder. “I’ll promise as long as it’s not an order.”

He smiled at her tenacity. “It’s not an order, think of it more as doing a favor for a close friend.”

“Fair enough.”

“Hey, city boy, if we’re to leave by morning’s light you’d better get to packing up your supplies and readying your weapon,” Sheriff Curtis said as he strode toward them. “I’m going to put some things together and then check the telegraph office once more.”

Chase moved so that Hannah stood by his side. He gave his attention to the sheriff. “I was hoping we’d have heard something about Hank by now.”

Taking a red handkerchief from his shirt pocket, the sheriff wiped his brow. “Me, too. Looks like we’re just gonna have to be patient a while longer. In the meantime we’ve got us an outlaw to track down.”

Beside him Hannah shuddered. He took hold of her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

She looked from him to the sheriff. “Just come back to us in one piece.”

“Don’t you worry none about us, missy. We’re gonna be just fine. I best be getting on in the house for my lunch. Good day to you, Hannah. Chase, I’ll see you at dawn.”

He stared at the man in stunned silence, it was the first time he’d ever called him by his first name.