Second Chance Brides (29 page)

Leah wanted to smack the woman off Mark, as if she were nothing but a pesky fly. His discomfort was obvious, but was it because he truly didn’t want to be with the woman or because they’d caught him with her? “We all live in the same town.”

“Oh?” Miss Smith cocked her head. “And where is that?”

Mark’s eyes widened and he shook his head, at the same time Dan blurted out, “Lookout, ma’am.”

“Lookout, huh?” She smiled up at Mark as if she’d won a prize. “Isn’t that east of here?”

Dan shook his head. “No, ma’am, it’s to the west.”

Leah wanted to tromp on his foot or wallop his arm. Couldn’t he see that Mark didn’t want the woman knowing where he lived? Suddenly, she had an urge to check on Shannon. Did she know about the woman? What had happened during her walk with Mark?

“Well, if y’all will excuse me, I’ll retire for the night. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Smith.” Leah knew she’d have to repent from that white lie eventually. “Good night, Dan. Mr. Corbett.”

“I’ll walk you to the stairs.” Dan took her elbow and led her away from the other couple. He leaned down next to her ear. “How do you suppose Mark knows her?”

She shrugged. “Beats me. You’re the one who’s friends with that lowlife Corbett.”

Dan’s expression turned scolding. “Now, Leah, we don’t know what’s going on. I don’t know where Mark would have met her.” He scratched his jawline with his thumb and forefinger, making a bristling sound against his chin that needed to be shaved again. “Mark did leave Lookout several years ago. Could be he met her back then. I know I’ve never seen her in Lookout.”

“Well, I don’t like her.” She stood on her tiptoes. “What’s he doing with her when he was just out walking with Shannon?”

Dan shook his head. “Makes no sense to me.”

“I’m going to check on Shannon. I’ll see you in the morning, dearest.”

He smiled and pulled her to his chest, then quickly released her. “See you at breakfast. We need to get on the road right after that.”

She nodded and hurried up the stairs, anxious to see her friend. When she stepped into the dark room, it took her eyes a moment to adjust. Had Shannon gone to sleep already?

Feeling her way to the dresser, she found the lamp and turned up the flame. The bed was still made, and Shannon wasn’t in it. At first she thought her friend wasn’t even in the room, but then she heard a sniffle, coming from the sitting area.

She crossed the room and found Shannon lying on the settee. Her eyes and nose were red, her face splotchy, and her lashes clumped together. Leah knelt on the floor beside her, rubbing her hand over Shannon’s back. “What happened?”

Shannon sat up and wiped her nose. “Would you, perchance, have a handkerchief I could borrow? I’ve soiled both of the ones I brought with me.”

“Of course.” Leah pushed aside her curiosity and hurried to her satchel. She rummaged around and found two handkerchiefs and brought them to her friend. She sat down beside her. “Would you care to talk about what happened?”

Shannon’s mouth puckered, and fresh tears ran down the side of her nose. She dabbed at them. “I was foolish.”

“How so?”

Shannon stared at her lap and fiddled with the lace edge of the hankie. “I fell in love with a Corbett.”

Leah knew that much already. In spite of her warnings, Shannon had dropped her guard and let Mark steal her heart. Though Leah would never fall for a Corbett, she had to understand what was upsetting Shannon so she could help her. “And why is that such a bad thing?”

Shannon’s chin wobbled. “Because he said he never expects to marry.”

Leah sat back as if she’d been slapped. He was willing to dally with a woman’s affections but not to marry her? Or maybe he preferred a different type of woman than Shannon. Annabelle Smith intruded into her mind again.

“He knows I have feelings for him, and ’tis odd, but I believe he cares for me, though he claims he’ll never marry.” She stared at Leah with a confused expression on her face. “Why would a man not want to marry a woman he has feelings for? ’tis because I’m Irish?”

Leah clutched her friend’s hand. “No, I’m sure that has nothing to do with it. In fact, if he does truly have feelings for you, I’m sure it’s partly because of your alluring accent and lovely auburn hair.” She smiled, hoping to alleviate her friend’s pain, but Shannon scowled.

“Perhaps he doesn’t wish to marry me because he has another woman in his life already. A woman with hair the color of mine.”

Leah gasped. “You saw him with her?”

She nodded. “We had just arrived at the hotel when she accosted him. I was on the stairs already, but I saw her.”

Leah sat back in the seat. “How do you suppose he knows her?”

“I’ve no idea. But I’ve embarrassed myself and made a huge error. I love a man who cares for another woman.”

Shuddering, Leah stared at her friend. “How can you be in love with a Corbett? Just look at how they’ve messed with our lives.”

Shannon lifted her chin. “You wouldn’t be marrying Dan if not for the Corbetts bringing you to Lookout.”

“I suppose you’re right.” She leaned her head back and stared up at the ceiling. How could she be so happy when her friend was so miserable? “I wish I knew what to say to make you feel better.”

“There’s nothing anyone can say. I must set aside my feelings and move on. It’s not like I haven’t had my choice of men to marry.”

Leah chuckled. “How many proposals have you had so far?”

“Twelve. An even dozen. Just not the one I longed for.” Shannon sniffled, and the tears flowed again.

Leah tugged her into her arms and rubbed her back. “Everything will turn out fine. You’ll see.”

Shannon pulled back. “But how can it? I can no longer work for the Corbetts. And if I don’t, how will I get by?”

Leah thought a moment and then brightened. “I know! You can come to live with Dan and me. There’s an extra bedroom.”

Shaking her head, Shannon stood. “Thank you, but I’ll not live with a newly married couple, and I’ll not work with a man who’s spurned me.”

“Don’t be hasty. Let’s not make a decision in anger that you may live to regret.”

Shannon ducked her head. “Aye, you’re right. I should pray about these things, but I fail to see how I could ever work with Mark again.”

Jack ran all the way home, threw open the front door, and ran straight to the kitchen. When she didn’t see her ma, she panicked. Where was she? What if the outlaw that had kidnapped her had broken out of jail and come for her again?

Tears blurred her sight and burned her eyes and throat. She dashed into the bedroom, but she wasn’t there. “Ma!” she screamed.

“Jacqueline?” Quick footsteps sounded overhead, and Jack raced for the stairs as her ma reached the top steps. “What’s wrong? Where have you been?”

Footsteps sounded on the porch, and Jack froze. Would Luke be even more angry since she’d run away from him?

If she bolted for her ma, he’d catch her before she could get up the stairs. She turned and ran into the parlor, searching for a place to hide. She was much bigger now than when she’d hid from her other pa, but she dove behind the far side of the settee. Her heart beat like an Indian’s drum she’d once heard.

“What is going on, Luke?” Her ma’s voice sounded closer, as if she’d come down stairs—and it sounded angry.

“I have no idea. I found Jack locked up in my jail.”

“ What? Who would do such a thing?”

Jack took a deep breath and peered around the edge of the couch. Her ma looked madder than the chicken she’d dunked in the water barrel once.

Luke shoved his hand to his hips. “I’m pretty certain it was that Laird boy.”

“Why would he do such a thing?”

“I don’t know, but first thing in the morning, I’m riding over to find out.”

Jack sucked in a breath. What if Butch told Luke what she and the boys did? Would he believe that bully?

Her ma held up her hand. “Hold on a minute. What does that have to do with Jacqueline’s behavior just now? What is she afraid of?”

Luke shrugged. “I have no idea. One minute she was explaining what happened, and when I turned my back, she charged out of the jail like she was runnin’ a race.” He shook his head, looking perplexed, not at all mad.

Jack leaned back. Maybe she’d gotten things wrong.

Footsteps came her way, and she slinked back against the couch. “Come out of there, Jacqueline. You’re perfectly safe now.”

She swallowed hard. Luke was a big man, and if he decided to hurt her, her ma wouldn’t be able to stop him. Why hadn’t she considered that before?

“Let me talk to her, Rach.”

Luke stooped down in front of her. She had nowhere to go. Her breath caught in her throat. “What’s wrong, half bit?”

He reached out for her, but she turned her face away. She didn’t like seeing the hurt in his eyes. “Did I do something that scared you?”

She nodded but didn’t look at him.

“I’m sorry. Truly I am. Don’t you know I’d never hurt you?”

She turned and looked at him with one eye. She’d never been afraid of him before, at least not after she’d gotten to know him. His kind, brown eyes looked pained.

“I’m not like your other pa, and I wasn’t angry at you earlier. I was upset because of what that boy did to you. I love you, Jack. Don’t you know that?”

She did, and now she felt foolish for her behavior. What had gotten into her? “I’m sorry, Luke. I just saw you punching your hand in your fist, and it reminded me of when my old pa would hit me. I just got scared.”

“Come here, sweetie.” He held out his open hand. She stared at it a minute and then took it, and he swung her up into his arms. He nearly squeezed her guts out. Then he set her back down and stared at her.

“I’m telling you here and now, I will never hit you or purposely do anything to hurt you. Ever. So help me, God. Do you believe that?”

She glanced at her ma and saw the gentle smile on her face. Her mother nodded, and so did she.

“Good. I will tell you that there are times I’ll get angry”—he glanced up at her ma—“and maybe even at your mother, but I will never lose my temper to the point of hitting one of you. I don’t hit women, and I never will. Do you understand?”

Jack nodded, and knew he spoke the truth. “Sorry, Luke. I guess I was still upset about bein’ locked up.”

He smiled and stood, lifting her clear off the floor. Then he pulled her ma into his arms, and they all hugged. “We’re a family, half bit, and families stick together. I know that wasn’t how it was before your other pa died, but that’s the way of things now. Right, Rachel?”

“Yes, it is.”

“And whenever you’re ready, it would please me greatly if you’d called me pa.”

Jack scowled. She didn’t want to call him the same thing as her old pa.

“You don’t have to if it bothers you.” Luke’s eyes took on that worried look again. “It ain’t that.”

“Don’t say
ain’t,”
her parents said in unison.

She grinned. “I just don’t want to call you what I called
him.”

Luke smiled and nodded. “I understand that. It’s perfectly fine if you just want to call me Luke.”

She could tell by his expression that it wasn’t really fine to him. “What about Dad? Or maybe Papa?”

“I’d like that…but only if you really want to.”

She nodded. “I think you look like a papa.”

Luke’s smile warmed her insides. “That sounds fine. Just fine and dandy.” He picked her up and swung her around in a circle. Laughter bubbled out of her, and she couldn’t remember ever being so happy.

C
HAPTER
22

A
knock sounded on Shannon’s open bedroom door, and she glanced up to see Rachel standing there. “How are you feeling this morning?”

“My head is throbbing in tune with that hammering.” She offered a weak smile as she stared out the window and down the street where the men of town were erecting the new store.

“It is loud with so many men pounding, but having a store again will be wonderful.”

“Aye, a town needs a store.” Shannon fingered the edge of the curtain, wanting to talk to Rachel about what had happened, about her feelings for Mark.