The Bounty Hunter's Redemption (16 page)

Yet he’d made it abundantly clear that once the judge ruled on the shop’s ownership, he’d leave. He’d spent eight years of his life chasing Stogsdill. Until he caught the outlaw, he would never settle down.

“I’m gonna watch the plants. Maybe I’ll see ’em grow.” Henry raced to the garden and hunkered in the dirt, his bare toes digging into the soil.

Nate chuckled. “That should keep him busy for a while.”

And left the two of them very much alone.

Carly stepped behind the clothes, obscuring her view of Nate, or trying to, and fastened Henry’s nightshirt to the line.

Nate stepped to the other side of the damp garment and met her gaze. “If I don’t take care of that plot, the weeds will choke your plants.”

“Thanks for the offer,” she said, fiddling with Henry’s hem. “But Lloyd and Lester Harders are doing chores to make up for damaging my sign. I’ll ask them to cultivate the garden.”

“I’d like to do it. In exchange for
your
help.”

“Has Henry been in the way? If he’s bothering you—”

“No.” He grinned. “Well, not much. Henry’s a special boy. I like having him around.”

Nate behaved like two men housed in one body: ruthless bounty hunter and mild-tempered tutor.

She plucked a jacket from the basket, her hand brushing Nate’s as he bent to assist her. She quickly looked away. “Why do you need my help?” she said, avoiding his gaze, yet his scrutiny made her fingers tremble.

“Morris and Betsy Mood are moving to Arizona in less than two weeks.”

“Oh, that soon?” Carly’s eyes misted. “When the Moods lived in the cabin and Max was off somewhere, they looked after me and Henry.” Betsy had helped with Henry’s birth. “I’m sad to see them go, but I’m worried about Betsy. I hope the drier air will heal her lungs.”

“Morris is leaving the livery in my care.” Nate plowed a hand through his hair, leaving furrows deep enough to plant seeds in. “The arrangement is only till he gets a buyer.”

Why must Nate’s actions chip away at the wall she’d built around her heart? “That’s nice of you.”

When he’d come claiming the shop for his sister, she’d believed him heartless. She’d been wrong. Still, the man wasn’t staying. A knot twisted in her stomach. Most likely he’d wind up dead.

Carly grabbed a kitchen towel and shook it out. “Nobody in town’s been interested in buying the livery. What would change that?”

“Morris is lowering the price. That, along with the repairs I’ve made, should lure a buyer. Until then, I’m responsible. I know horses, but not how to run a business.” Troubled eyes met hers. “I’m hoping you’ll teach me.”

“You expect my help? When you’re bent on taking my shop?”

“Please, Carly, stop blaming me. I didn’t put that deed in the kitty.”

She released a pent-up sigh. Everything always came back to Max. Even dead, the man found a way to hurt her. He’d thrived on the thrill of high stakes. Not giving a thought to what would happen to her and Henry if he lost the wager. Why did the fact Henry had meant nothing to him still have the power to wound her?

“I’ve never ordered supplies,” Nate said. “I don’t know how to keep financial records. If a buyer comes along, he’ll want proof the livery makes a profit. From the run-down look of the place when I arrived, I’d figured the business was failing. Now I realize Morris couldn’t keep up with the livery and a sick wife.”

“Morris will show you what to do.”

“I took a brief look at his books...” Nate shook his head. “To put it bluntly, the records are jumbled. At least, I can’t make sense of them.”

“
If
I were willing, I know nothing about managing a livery.”

“Your shop’s orderly. I suspect your records are as meticulous.” His imploring gaze bored into her. “Running a seamstress shop can’t be all that different. Don’t you order supplies and oversee accounts?”

The disquiet in Nate’s eyes diluted her resistance. He barely knew Morris, yet cared enough to take responsibility for saving the livery. Most folks in town would do the same, if they had the time. Though she couldn’t think who did. Morris clearly saw Nate as his best choice.

Nate shifted on his feet. “I shouldn’t need your help long. Surely the livery will soon sell.”

His words landed in Carly’s stomach with a thud. Why did the possibility disturb her when she wanted him gone? “If it does sell, will you leave town?”

His gaze locked with hers. “I’m staying until the judge rules. I won’t let Anna to go through the hearing alone.”

Yet he had not one iota of concern about what that hearing would do to Carly. Obviously his soft, lingering looks meant nothing. No matter how much the man drew her, no matter how kind he was to Henry, and how often he handled a chore, he didn’t care about her. He didn’t care enough to worry what losing the shop would do to her and Henry.

Why aid her adversary? She grabbed the wicker basket, holding it in front of her like a shield. “Look, I don’t have time. We have two weeks to finish making the garments for the Schwartz wedding.”

“I thought the wedding was in three weeks.”

“It is, but I promised to have the sewing done the week before so they can pack for the honeymoon.”

She heaved a sigh. How hard-hearted had she become? If the livery failed, the Moods would lose money needed to start over in Arizona.

Plus, the desperation riding Nate’s face stabbed at her conscience. When she’d reopened the shop, she’d had no idea how to run a business. The struggle to learn had kept her on edge and on her knees.

“Carly, if you help me with the books, I’ll help you.”

“Cultivating my garden is hardly a fair exchange.”

“I’m offering something that will mean a lot to your son.” Nate took a step closer. “Henry wants to learn to ride. I can teach him.”

“Why would I let you teach him to ride?”

“You know I’m no threat to the boy.”

She’d seen Nate’s gentleness, his patience. Still, he wasn’t accustomed to children. He had no idea how quickly Henry could get into trouble, or hurt. “He’s too young.”

“He’s old enough. But he needs to learn how to care for a horse and tack, as well as how to ride. I’ll keep an eye on him, I promise.” He cocked a brow. “If you know he’s occupied after school, you won’t have to worry about his whereabouts.”

“How will you have time when you have a livery to run?”

“I’ll work with him late in the afternoon when things are slow.” He gave a sheepish smile. “Henry stops by more than you know. He’s fond of the dappled gray, a gentle mare.”

Apparently whether Carly wanted Henry around Nate or not, her son found ways to spend time with him. The poor kid was attracted to the man. Much like his mother.

Where would all this lead? “I don’t want Henry hurt,” she said. “And I don’t mean just physically.”

“I would never hurt him.”

“Not deliberately. But the more time you spend with him, the more likely you’ll leave a hurting boy behind when you ride out of town.”

He laid a callused palm over her hand that was clutching the laundry basket. “I’ll tell Henry I won’t be staying.”

She gazed into his earnest eyes. A man with a good heart, a man with good intentions. But someone who didn’t understand children. Still, Henry wanted to ride more than anything.

“All right. In exchange for teaching him, you can come in the evenings to learn how to handle the livery books,” she said, pulling away from his touch. “To avoid the appearance of impropriety, bring Anna with you.”

Those good intentions of Nate’s didn’t change the fact they traveled a collision course leading to a showdown. One of them would be a winner and one a loser.

This wasn’t a game. This was her life.

Chapter Twelve

H
ow could a man keep his mind on a column of figures when the attractive instructor at his side stole his breath away?

A couple feet from where Nate sat, Carly bent over her account books, her flawless ivory skin aglow in the gaslight. She wore her shimmering black hair pulled back into a sensible bun, exposing the soft curve of her cheek.

Carly turned to him. His stomach did a crazy little flip as his fingers itched to touch the pale skin, to tug her close. More than anything, he longed to kiss her.

Whoa, cowboy, not the reason you’re here.

As if she could read his thoughts, she blushed and looked away, murmuring something about earnings.

Nate shifted in his seat, struggling to focus on her words. What had gotten into him? He couldn’t get involved with Carly. To do so was cruel, would be leading her on.

Yet, despite his intentions to remember all the issues between them, he absorbed every nuance of her expression, of her tone, watched her dainty hand hovering over her financial records.

Did Carly see him as a man worthy of love?

He bit back a sigh. Hardly. She’d insisted on Anna as a chaperone. That had more to do with Carly’s lack of trust than with propriety and was the reason his sister sat nearby running stitches through the handwork in her lap, humming softly with Maizie dozing at her feet.

Could he blame Carly, when he’d swooped in and threatened her livelihood? If not for her desire to see Henry learn to ride, she would not tolerate his presence in her home.

An unbidden image popped into his mind, of coming to this cozy house with the fire crackling in the hearth, a meal simmering on the stove and Carly’s welcoming smile, glad to see him at the end of the day.

“Nate? Did you hear me?”

He jerked, met the baffled expression in Carly’s wide blue eyes. If she’d spoken, her words hadn’t penetrated the fog that had descended on his mind. “I’m sorry. Would you repeat that?”

“I said, ‘I enter sales and expenses every night, then tally the totals each week to see if I made a profit.’”

He rubbed his heated neck, trying to bring his thoughts around to the balance sheet. He’d not only let his mind wander, he’d let it wander into dangerous territory. Wander to a place where he could court Carly. A place where he could put down roots. A place where...he would surely meet defeat.

Carly tapped a pencil on the page. “The first of each month I subtract expenses from the month’s earnings to see if I can afford to order supplies for the shop.”

Nate folded his arms over his chest. “When it comes to the livery, I don’t have much choice. Horses require feed, shoeing, bedding, occasional doctoring.”

“Exactly. Some supplies
are
essential. I’d compare the horses’ upkeep to the upkeep of my sewing machine. I can’t stay in business without it.”

“Of course,” he murmured.

He straightened his shoulders, chastising himself for behaving like a love-struck youth, not a man who’d made the wise decision to go through life alone. Yet when he left town, he’d leave behind not only his sister, but this intriguing, caring woman who made him question his very existence. And her son. A boy whose every word and deed tugged at Nate’s heart.

“Some things are less vital. I can’t order, say, lace and the latest fabrics until I’ve paid the bills,” she said. “For the livery, nonessentials might be, uh, repainting the wagon or enlarging the padlock.”

“Yes, nonessentials.” With every ounce of his will, Nate struggled to keep his eyes off her face and on the ledger she’d parked in front of him.

“I pay myself a weekly salary,” she went on. “Not much, but enough to buy food, clothing and tithe to church.”

Carly tithed her income? Even with the threat of losing her business hanging over her, she remained faithful. Proof she put God first. Proof her actions lived up to her faith. Proof she trusted God with her future.

Nate didn’t match her example. He believed in God, but had his actions lived up to his faith? Instead of trusting God to take care of Anna, he tried to ensure her future himself. Now that seemed foolish. A shop, a calling, friends and family—nothing or no one could guarantee the future.

Only God could.

Yet he’d avoided God. For years he’d been on the move. Even when he’d visited Anna, he’d stayed away from church. Who would want him there? Churchgoers and bounty hunters didn’t mix. God wouldn’t want to hear from a man bent on revenge.

“Folks at Carly’s church are nice as can be,” Anna said. “You were right, Nate. Gnaw Bone’s a good place to settle down.” The eyes she turned on him held no condemnation, only something akin to hope. “For all of us.”

Once again the longing to stay seized him. Could he stop tracking Stogsdill? Run the livery and make a life here? That would make Anna happy. And perhaps for the first time since he’d taken the path of bounty hunter, he’d recover the joy of his boyhood, an innocent time surrounded by a loving family.

“The church was great to Henry and me when...when Max—” Carly cut off her words. “They helped us a lot.”

Nate had been responsible for that need. That truth pressed against his lungs with such intensity his chest ached.

What would happen if the judge ruled against Carly? A town this size couldn’t support two seamstresses. Would she be forced to move, to uproot her son? To lose the support of folks at church? Carly was strong, but even she might be pushed too far, to a point where she couldn’t cope.

Carly rose. “That’s enough for tonight.” She closed the book, staring at the cover as if it held an answer she sought.

Anna struggled to her feet, then hobbled toward them, Maizie at her heels. Each awkward step treaded on Nate’s conscience. To fantasize about life as a family man was foolish. For hanging over this peaceful scene was another entity, unseen, unheard but nonetheless real. Nate had a dangerous man to track. How long before the circuit judge arrived and he could leave?

“Thank you, Carly.” Nate offered Anna his arm. “I’ll expect Henry for his riding lesson after school Monday.”

Carly gave a nod but remained at the table, opting not to accompany them to the door.

As he helped his sister cross Carly’s porch and backyard, the image of a raven-haired woman rose in his mind, a competent shopkeeper, a talented seamstress, a tigress of a mother protecting her son. Carly’s goodness, courage and faith in the face of difficulties affirmed she was as beautiful inside as she was out.