But Ruthann’s mind was on Nate. He needed to know. He deserved to know.
“I’m going to Nate,” she announced as she was halfway out the door.
Chapter Thirty
SISSY FLAGLER DID NOTlook well.
That was all Nate could think when she burst through the studio door, her eyes wild and her hair falling down from under her hat. She shut the door behind her and pressed a hand to her chest as she caught her breath. It appeared as if she’d been chased here.
“Miss Flagler? Did you—” Nate moved to the door and looked out the window. Nothing looked out of place on the street outside. He took a few steps back again. “Did you run here?”
She nodded, drawing in great gulps of air.
As much as Nate didn’t want her here—or anywhere near him again—it was clear something was amiss, and he wasn’t about to toss her onto the street without hearing it.
“Mr. Harper,” she said finally, her voice still breathy. “I owe you an apology, but there isn’t time for that right now. Please . . . does that door lock?” She nodded at the studio door.
Nate raised his eyebrows. “It does.” He said the words carefully, the memory of how she acted the first time she was here all too fresh in his mind. “I can’t say I’m comfortable with—”
She shook her head so vigorously that another lock of dark hair escaped its pin and tumbled down her back. “Please, it isn’t that. You must lock the door, for your safety.”
Nate looked at her curiously, but moved back to the door to do as she suggested. He reached for the bolt, but before he could grab hold of it the door burst open again. A familiar-looking man who lacked a significant amount of hair atop his head stood in the doorway. But it wasn’t anything about the way he looked that gave Nate alarm—it was the pistol in his hand.
“Paul, please. You don’t need to do this,” Miss Flagler said.
Nate looked between her and the man with the gun, who had already shut the door behind him, and he realized where he’d seen the man before.
He was Miss Flagler’s new beau. The one who had been with her at the church dance Nate had attended with Ruthann.
“On the contrary, Sissy, I do. I won’t let any man make my intended look anything less than virtuous.” His dark eyes glinted with malice as he looked at Nate. Then they narrowed before he turned his attention to Miss Flagler again. “Why are you here?”
Miss Flagler straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin before saying, “I overheard you speaking with the Sergeant.”
The man called Paul shook his head. “You ought to be happy I’m doing this for you.”
“I’m not, though. Don’t you see?” She sounded as if she were on the verge of tears. “I don’t care about him.” She flung out a hand to indicate that she was speaking of Nate.
