Cole shook his head. “It’s impossible to know. I’ll pay him a visit. And I’ll be at the schoolhouse each morning and each afternoon. You’ll need to cease having children stay after school hours.”
“I can’t do that. They’ve come so far, and Jessilyn has enjoyed helping. They’d all be so very disappointed.”
His heart tore a little more at her words. She was dedicated to this work. Which meant there really was no room for him. He forced himself to take a breath to quell his own disappointment before responding. Why he thought he still stood a chance with her was beyond his own comprehension. “Why don’t you ask them to come to your home instead? You and Miss Scott could work with them there, in safety.”
But even as her face lit up at the suggestion and she spoke words of agreement, Cole’s thoughts spun into a new set of worries. What if Mr. Hardison and everyone else bent on shutting down the schoolhouse carried their grievances to Marian’s home?
“Cole?” she asked carefully when he didn’t respond to her.
He forced a slight smile to his face. He’d simply have to ensure the Scotts’ house was watched carefully, if not by him, then by someone else he trusted.
He refused to let any harm come to her.
The thought grew, and he was utterly certain of it. He would lay down his own life to prevent any harm to this woman. Keeping her safe was his sole priority, and nothing would get in his way.
He’d never been so certain of anything in his life.
“I’ll ensure someone keeps an eye on your home,” he said. “It might be wise to speak with Miss Weatherspoon. Ask her not to bring the boy to school any longer.”
The fear in Marian’s face smoothed into determination. “I refuse to deprive a child of an education simply because his father sees no future for him.”
Cole shook his head as pride bloomed in his chest. “I shouldn’t have expected anything else from you, Marian.”
She closed her eyes when he said her name. “Please don’t call me that.”
“Marian? It’s your name,” he said, even though he knew precisely what she meant. “I don’t know what else Ishouldcall you. I hardly think you’d answer to Agnes or Sarah.”
“Don’t make light of this. Please, Cole. It’s hard enough.”
He bit his tongue to keep from pointing out that she continued to use his Christian name. Instead, he gave in and reached for her hand as he’d wanted to do from the moment he’d seen her enter the room.
“Cole,” she said hesitantly as his fingers wrapped around hers.
“Shouldn’t you be calling me Deputy or Mr. Robertson or some such?” He held fast to her hand, but there was no need. She didn’t pull away.
And she didn’t answer. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. He’d made her uncomfortable. He hoped he’d made her think again about her decision.
She lifted her eyes then, hesitation sparking between longing. Cole thought he might forget how to breathe as he began to lose himself in their blue depths. He never wanted to look at any other woman like this. He wanted Marian, and only Marian, for the rest of his life.
Something akin to recognition flared in her gaze, and Coleknew.
“You feel the same.” His voice was barely a whisper, but somehow she heard it over the shouts of the men in the middle of the room.
A shadow fell over her face then, and she quickly pulled her hand from his. “Thank you,” she said quickly. “I must go now.”
Those words startled him back into the present. The shouting grew louder in his ears, and colors brightened around him. “Not alone.”
She was already halfway to the door. “It’s still daylight. And I hope I never see the day I can’t walk the streets of Last Chance safely while the sun is up.”
A smile creased Cole’s face as she shut the door behind her. He hoped she was right, but he wasn’t about to take that chance. He’d follow her, just to ensure no harm came to her.
She glanced behind her a couple of times, but she said nothing. And as he watched her enter her home from across the road, he knew one thing for absolute certain.
Marian Scott would be his wife, whether she knew it yet or not.
