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Mark stood like a sentinel—okay, he was really an usher—as wedding guests entered the chapel. A feeling of urgency and impatience ate at him as he scanned the room. They still didn’t know who the culprit was, yet a feeling persisted in his gut that whoever it was would try something here, and soon.
Mr. Baldwin wandered over to him, looking regal in his charcoal gray suit and his hair combed back. Derrick, as usual, was also well put together, if a little antsy, judging by the way he cracked his knuckles. Once again, that familiar feeling of not measuring up nearly overwhelmed Mark. He’d never be as dapper or suave as Derrick, never be able to win the heart of a woman as lovely as Sarah. Not that he would ever want anyone but her, but even if he did, he doubted any other woman would ever give him the time of day.
What are you worrying about that for? It was as if Felicia was speaking to him from across the room. That’s not what you’re here for. You have a job to do. Stay focused.
“Any suspects yet?” Mr. Baldwin asked in a low voice.
“No.” Mark’s answer was equally soft, though he doubted with the noise of the guests shuffling in the room, anyone would hear them. “So far, everything looks fine.”
“You’re not paid to notice things that look fine,” he growled, raising Mark’s alarm.
Mark resisted the urge to punch the guy in the face. Just because he was used to bossing his workers around, it was Mr. Packard who had hired him, and Mark only answered to him. Well, him and Archie.
“I suggest you go back to your seat, sir. I’ll continue to watch—”
“Well, Baldwin, fine day for a wedding, eh?”
Mark turned to see a gentleman standing just inside the doorway of the church. Accepting his handshake with a smile, Baldwin said, “Howdy, Morrison. Glad you made it out today. Didn’t know if the roads would be passable due to the recent rains.”
“Wasn’t too bad through the pass. The earth was so dry, it soaked it right up. Congratulations, by the way, on the telephone contract for Lakewood and Aurora. I’m anxious to get service out there. We like the wide, open spaces, but wouldn’t mind having more means of communication from time to time. Say, uh, I know this is a busy time for you, but could I get you to step outside for just a moment? I was balancing the books the other day and noticed a discrepancy with your account. Could you take a look at it?”
“The wedding’s about to start.”
“It won’t take but a minute. I just need your signature. Here, I’ve got a pen. You can sign right here.”
Baldwin squinted his eyes. “Don’t have my glasses, so I can’t read the fine print. Can we do this next week?”
As the two conversed, Mark noticed the stranger, Morrison, becoming more agitated. Where had he heard that name before? And why did the guy’s voice sound familiar? He’d met so many people in the past twenty-four hours, he could hardly keep anyone straight. This man had a full beard and mustache, and his nose was hooked on the end. His hair was almost as dark as Mark’s, but fuller and longer. The man whose face he hadn’t been able to glimpse a few nights ago had longish dark hair . . .
Just then, Maddie came skipping up to them. “Daddy, Mama told me to tell you that the wedding is supposed to start soon. You’re supposed to be sitting by her.”
Morrison clapped Baldwin on the arm. “Don’t let me keep you. You’ve got an important event happening right now. I guess we can do this later.”
“Mr. Morrison,” Maddie said, looking up at the gentleman, “why did you give Teddy Fielding a nickel at the train station?”
A startled look came over his face. “What?” He gave an uneasy laugh.
“I saw a picture of you handing Teddy a nickel. The man who drew it was asking me why Teddy looked so happy and why you looked so pleased. But I didn’t think you looked pleased at all. I think you were asking him to do something. Weren’t you?”
Train station!
Images of a boy wearing a linen shirtwaist and knickerbockers, his derby cap askew, flashed through Mark’s mind even while Morrison’s face turned ashen.
Unperturbed, Maddie said, “You still do that trick with the nickel, don’t you? Can I see it again?”
“Not now, Maddie,” her father said. “Go sit down. I’ll be there soon.”
“What trick?” Mark asked.
“The one where he rolls it on the floor on its side. He does it really well—”
Tad Baldwin’s eyes bulged, and then he emitted a small gasp. Before Mark could ask him what was wrong, however, Morrison shot his arm out and reached around Baldwin’s neck. Pulling Baldwin to his chest, he said loudly, “Don’t anyone move or Baldwin is dead. You all hear that?”
A collective gasp came from the crowd, with a few whimpers from the women. Then, to Mark’s horror, Maddie spoke. “Don’t hurt my Daddy, pl—”
Morrison reached out and backhanded her. She went flying. Rage like Mark had never known unleashed itself and he plunged into Morrison. His gun went off. Then another shot rang out. Morrison yelled in pain. They went tumbling to the floor and all of a sudden, the crowd converged on them. Someone pulled Mark up and dragged him away. “Don’t let him go!” Mark yelled to no one in particular.
“Don’t worry. I won’t.”
When the smoke from the guns cleared, Mark blinked to identify the sharpshooter.
It was none other than Felicia.
She blew on the end of the gun and then said to Morrison, who was being held by Derrick and Tad Baldwin, “You shot my father in the heart and left him to die.”
Though holding his bleeding arm with his other hand, Morrison responded with a hard glare and said through hissing breaths, “I shoulda shot you, too. But I didn’t know where you went after that.”
“I came back to haunt you.” Her lip curled up in disgust. “Snake.”
“All right, Agent Lambert,” Archie Gordon said as he approached the verbal duelers. “That’s quite enough talk for one day.” Turning and motioning to the marshal, whom Archie had been conferring with on the case since deciding to bring in more security, he told him to take Morrison away. Once Morrison was handed over to the marshal, Archie turned back to Felicia, his eyes appearing bright and his voice carrying a note of pride.
“Superb shot, Agent Lambert.”
Felicia grunted and put her gun back in the pocket of her dress. “Thanks, Archie.”
Archie turned back to Mark. “And you, Agent Wilson. Your bravery and quick thinking saved many lives today.”
Mark’s chest swelled with pride. It felt good to be needed, to know that someone other than Chas or Lyle Packard had confidence in his abilities. At the same time, he was incredibly grateful no one had been hurt—except for Morrison.
“Thank you, sir.”
One corner of Archie’s mouth lifted. “Archie,” he reminded Mark.
“Archie!”
Mark jumped back to see who had called the head agent’s name. It was the other female agent whom Archie had brought in on the case. She was marching down the aisle with the long-nosed woman who had been giving them all such fits.
“What have we here, Agent Sheldon?”
“Mr. Morrison’s accomplice. She says that Morrison wanted to get a carbon copy of Baldwin’s signature and use it to provide authorization for a payment of horses. Horses that don’t exist because he’s up to his eyeballs in debt. And if Morrison couldn’t get it, he was going to use the bride as leverage.”
Sarah, a hostage? Mark tore down the aisle at the same time Derrick did. She’s not your gal.
The reminder slowed his steps, but only for a few seconds. She’s not Derrick’s, either. Yesterday on the verandah they had shared a special moment, albeit surrounded by others. There was no way Sarah could have looked at him like that without feeling something special for Mark. She wasn’t in love with her fiancé and never had been. Why hadn’t he seen it earlier?
“Back off, Wilson. You have no right to go to her.”
“Until Sarah tells me that, you can bet I’ll be at her side.” He might have even emphasized his statement with his fist if the woman he’d loved since childhood hadn’t stepped forward out of the waiting area with her father.
“Mark! I heard the shots. Are you all right?” Her worried eyes darted from him to Derrick and then widened. “Uh, and you, Derrick?”
“Yes,” they both said then glared at each other.
Little did any of them realize they were quite a spectacle for the crowd until Sarah’s Uncle Edwin called out, “Looks like you got two men vying for your hand, Sarah. Which one of ’em are you gonna pick?”
A telltale blush covered Sarah’s face. Mark thought she was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.
Looking first at Derrick and then Mark, his heart sunk. She’d chosen Derrick. But then he rallied. The battle wasn’t over. He’d never been given a chance to say his piece. He was going to say it now.
“I know you love Derrick, Sarah, but I’m not going anywhere without giving you the chance to truly decide. I should’ve spoken up for you sooner, but I was saving money and waiting until the time was right. That time never came. So I’ll have to say it now. I love you with all my heart and soul. These past months have been absolute torture for me, watching you be with this man. And yet I know that I’ll never be worthy of you.”
A smirk found its way onto Derrick’s face.
Mark’s spirits flagged, but he doggedly continued, “When I was asked to watch over you, I could hardly believe my luck. But I still wasn’t at liberty to confess my love to you. If you choose Derrick over me, rest assured, I will walk away and never bother you again.”
“Is that a promise?” Derrick asked, lifting a brow.
Mark’s hand clenched, but thankfully, he kept it at his side. His only concern right now was for his beloved Sarah.
“Please don’t make such a promise, Mark,” Sarah whispered, her eyes looming large. They took on a glossy sheen and Mark knew she was on the verge of tears. “I could never live without you. I learned that the hard way. Please don’t leave me again. I love you and want to be with you always.”
Mark’s heart was scooped up from the floor as she came toward him, still holding her bouquet, and wrapped her arms around his neck. For the first few seconds, all he could do was stand there and revel in the feeling of this woman. Incredibly, wonderfully, she loved him! His fingers tightened on her waist and he brought his lips down to hers for a kiss that was every bit as amazing as her.
To his chagrin, cheers erupted from the crowd and they pulled apart. But not everyone was happy with the turn of events. Derrick looked like he’d just sucked on a lemon and his parents—well, it was hard to tell what Mrs. Baldwin’s face looked like with her hands covering her mouth, but Mr. Baldwin was muttering something and shaking his head.
“I’m sorry,” he told them. “I was a coward and let this go too far.” Turning to Mr. and Mrs. Packard, who had come over to stand by her husband, he added, “But I really do love Sarah and will take care of her all the days of my life if you’ll allow me to.”
“You’re sure?” Mr. Packard asked, one eye narrowing in warning. Mark knew his former boss wouldn’t hesitate to send him packing if he thought he wasn’t earnest.
“Yes, sir. I’m ready to marry her now if she’ll have me.”
A twinkle appeared in Mr. Packard’s eyes. “It just so happens that Sarah and I were having a little talk about that.” Turning to her, he said, “Weren’t we?”
Grinning, she nodded.
Mark didn’t need any further encouragement. Getting down on one knee, he asked, “Sarah Jane Packard, I love you and want to marry you. Will you marry me?” Blushing, he mumbled, “Sorry, I’m not always the most eloquent speaker.”
“I think you did just fine. Yes, I’ll marry you, Mark. Today, if the pastor is agreeable.”
Sarah’s father turned to the pastor and called out, “What say you, pastor? Will you marry these two lovebirds today?”
The white-haired man smiled and said, “I certainly will.”
Twenty minutes later, with Sarah’s hair hastily redone and her crushed bouquet fluffed out as much as it could be, she walked down the aisle to meet Mark. When they both said, “I do,” they kissed as man and wife. Mark would never forget this day. He would ever be grateful for joining the Pinkerton Agency. Who knew? Maybe Sarah could help him solve a few cases before her attention would be turned to, ahem, other responsibilities.
In the meantime, he would focus on being the best husband and agent for her.
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Thank you for reading An Agent for Sarah. Reviews help to spread the news about an author’s work and help readers find new authors to like. Please consider leaving an honest review here.
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Also, don’t miss Amy’s story, releasing on July 10th. Will Derrick be able to recover from his disappointment? He might need a diversion to help him take his mind off things. He’s unprepared, however, when that diversion involves rescuing Amy, whom he doesn’t like, from a nefarious enemy. If they can work together long enough to not kill each other, there may be hope for them after all.
Reserve your copy of An Agent for Amaryllis today!
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