“No.”
Chapter Thirteen
MARK WITHDREW THE HANDhe’d placed on her arm with some effort. He didn’t know how his mind went immediately to pulling her close for a kiss, but creating a little space between them helped him wrench his thoughts back to the question at hand.
“How do you know this is from Mrs. McNab? It’s unsigned,” he asked.
“I can’t be certain, of course, but it must be from her. Who else would send me such a message?” Charlotte twisted her hands together. “I’m worried about her. What if something terrible happens before we can get there?”
Mark glanced down at the note again. It didn’t appear hurriedly written, which felt odd for a note that conveyed such urgency in its words. Yet every letter was carefully created, without a single stray splotch of ink, smudge, or mistake.
Something about it felt . . . off.
When he looked back up at Charlotte, she was biting her lip as worry darted across those big brown eyes.
“Let me look into it first. I’ll get the sheriff and go to the church. But I need you to remain here.” He folded the note and handed it back to her.
“You keep it,” she said. “The sheriff may wish to see it.”
Relief at her words washed through him. He’d thought for certain Charlotte would insist upon coming, and the last place he wanted her was headed into what could be danger. But for all of her brazen acts upon arriving in Cañon City, she did have a good head on her shoulders, and for that, he was thankful.
“You’ll stay here?” he asked, just to make certain.
She nodded, then gave him a little smile. “I suppose we’ll have our dinner another evening.”
“Of course.” He paused, holding her dark eyes with his own as affection surged through every bone and muscle in his body. “I look forward to it.” All of his hopes for finding out more about her feelings toward him, his yearning to discover even more about her, and his desire to simply spend time looking into those eyes and imagining all the possibilities the future had would simply have to wait.
She pressed her lips together as if she were nervous before taking his hands. “Please be careful, Mark. I believe this is Ruby, and I believe she truly is in trouble, but if it isn’t her . . .” Her fingers tightened around his.
Glancing around to find no one nearby and the ladies in the parlor hidden from their view, Mark leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Don’t fret about me. I’ll be just fine.” He let a hand linger on her cheek. She closed her eyes, and it took all of his self-control to pull his hand away.
“Have some dinner here,” he said as he opened the door. “I’ll return soon.”
She watched him as he stepped down to the street, and when he turned again, the door was closed with Charlotte safely inside.
