Chapter Thirteen
LINA BARELY SLEPT Awink. So many worries crowded her mind she could hardly decide which one deserved precedence.
As she rose and dressed in the morning, the look on Hawk’s face the night before haunted her thoughts. He’d been angry, as she’d expected. But then they’d come home, and he’d gotten that concerned look and asked if she needed some kind of help. The words had pierced straight through Lina’s soul. She had to look away because half of her wanted to spill everything about Papa right at that moment, and the other half wanted to reach up and run her fingers over the lines that had formed around his worried eyes.
The only reason she hadn’t confided in him was the thought of his reaction. That loving expression he’d held would turn horrified, and then cold. He’d know she hadn’t come here for the reasons she’d professed, and that would be that. He’d send her back on the first stage out.
Although, given his reaction when she hadn’t confessed her reason for following him, she wondered if he hadn’t decided late last night to have their union annulled. No man as good as Hawk would tolerate a liar and a sneak under his own roof.
And so as she descended the stairs, Lina prepared for the worst. But Hawk was nowhere to be found. His hat and gunbelt were gone from the parlor, the blanket on the settee neatly folded. Lina exhaled. Surely if he meant to end their marriage, he’d have waited around until she arose to inform her of that decision. Now she only had to wait until the noon hour to see his disappointed expression when she delivered him lunch.
Lina rubbed her hands together. The early mornings here held a chill, despite the fact that it was late August. As she lit a fire in the stove and warmed her hands, she contemplated the other worry that had invaded her sleep—the men she’d met in Mad Dog Gulch.
The fact that they’d essentially tried to kidnap her was terrifying enough, but what was almost worse was the knowledge that they were looking for the exact same thing Lina was—Papa’s missing money. In an odd way, she almost wished she could have heard more. For instance, where they had already searched. But thankfully Hawk had shown up and—
Lina covered her face with her hands as she remembered the incredulous look he gave when he saw her there. Her plan had been to return to Perseverance before he’d ever even left Mad Dog Gulch for home. But that wasn’t how it worked out. Instead, he’d saved her from those men.
Her cheeks grew warm as she remembered Hawk’s bravery—all for her. No wonder he’d tamed this town. And no wonder he was the one who’d put an end to her father’s robbing and stealing. And yet . . . he was also the one who’d gone up to talk with Papa. Most lawmen would’ve shot first, and forgot the talking altogether. But not Hawk.
Lina stood up and assembled a hasty breakfast for herself. The sooner she discovered Papa’s money, the faster she could end this deception. And if she did it all quickly and quietly, Hawk might never need to know.
She paused, her knife held just over the loaf of bread. Was it possible? Could she finish her work here, find the money,andremain married to Hawk?
Lina’s heart beat faster at the thought. If Matthew received the treatment he needed, he could potentially live a normal life. He could find work, get married, and not need his sister to look after him and ensure he didn’t smother himself in the pillow when a convulsion came on. And that meant Lina herself could remain married.
She could have a life here with Hawk.
Her hands nearly shook at the thought, one she’d never truly considered possible and one she realized she desperately wanted. She hadn’t expected to come here and fall in love with Hawk, and yet that was exactly what was happening.
But first, she needed to find the money.
Lina ate as quickly as possible and set out into the morning. It was an overcast day, one that threatened rain that may or may not come. But Lina barely paid attention to the clouds. She had one goal on her mind.
She needed to find out what precisely happened before the shootout that killed Papa. Specifically, what did Papa tell Hawk? And Hawk was not the person she could ask, not after last night. He’d come so close to telling her before, but if she pressed him to continue the story now, he might grow suspicious, particularly after what she’d done and her reticence to tell him the truth.
Instead, she’d ask one of his men. After considering the possibilities, she’d decided upon Billy Morrell. Not only was he the youngest, but it had been quite clear that he’d been taken with her upon her arrival. Lina felt a twinge of guilt at the thought of using that to her advantage, but she was desperate. Shehadto find that money before those men in Mad Dog Gulch did, and before Hawk could grow more suspicious and decide his feelings for her weren’t worth the hassle of keeping her around.
