The sick feeling in his stomach gave way to unadulterated joy. She must have moved just in time. “Marian,” he said again, and this time she opened her eyes. “You’re all right. You’re safe.”
She gasped, and he reached for her hands to pull her into a sitting position. “Cole,” she whispered.
That was all he needed. He crushed her to him. She was here. She was safe. That was all he’d hoped for. As her arms found their way around him, he knew he would love her forever—whether or not she acknowledged her own feelings.
“Thank you for coming,” she said in a barely audible voice against his ear.
He held her closer. Neither of them said a word, until, finally, Marian began to pull away. It felt as if she was taking his heart with her—but she didn’t move backward, and she didn’t protest when he took her hand.
“Miss Scott.”
Cole looked up to find the sheriff standing over them.
“Are you hurt?” Granger asked.
She shook her head. “No, thankfully.”
He nodded. “We’re going to take Mr. Hardison to the doc’s, and if he’s in good enough shape, on to the jail.” He turned exhausted eyes to Cole. “I’m glad we came looking for you. Take your time.”
“I’ll be by as soon as I get Marian settled.”
They watched in silence from the floor, Marian’s hand in Cole’s, as Granger, Chatham, and another fellow carried Hardison out the door.
Shadows cast from the lamp danced on the walls of the schoolhouse as Cole turned back to Marian.
“How did you know to come here?” she asked.
“I didn’t. I’d been out with the sheriff all night and wanted to ride by your home to ensure all was well. I thought I’d come by the schoolhouse on my way.”
She bit her lip and looked down at the floor for a moment before lifting her eyes to his face again. “You were out working all night and the first thing you did when you returned was to come to my house.”
“Well, I didn’t quite make it there,” he said with a soft chuckle.
She smiled just a little. “I don’t deserve you, Cole Robertson.”
Her words ate at him. With his other hand, he gently lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “You deserve better than me. But all I have to offer you is myself.”
She blinked at him, and he thought he saw tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “Marian?” A tiny tear began to trace its way down her cheek, and he caught it with his thumb, wiping it gently across her skin.
“I’ve fought so hard not to love you,” she said.
Cole’s hand stilled against her cheek, but his heart leaped. He barely dared ask the question, but he had to know. “And now . . . ?”
“I can’t.” Her voice was ragged, and she paused. When she spoke again, it was clear and without hesitation. “I love you, Cole. And I don’t know what to do about it.”
There were no words he wanted to hear more than those. “I love you, too. I want you to marry me, Marian. But I know you have your school, and . . . I don’t want you to give that up for me.”
She lifted a hand to cover her mouth as her eyes widened. Then she softened and wrapped a hand around his wrist, and he dropped his hand into hers. “I’ve thought so much about that. Even if you were amenable to your wife teaching school, I doubt others would feel the same way. The one good thing about Mr. Hardison coming here tonight was the clarity I found in some of the words I spoke to him. There can be other teachers.”
Cole wanted so badly for her to agree to be his, but not at the expense of her desire to teach. She would never be truly happy with him if she were always thinking about what she could have had instead. “I can’t ask you to give up your school. You’ve worked so hard to make this happen.” He nodded at the schoolhouse around them.
“But, Cole, I don’t have to,” she said, her eyes shining with joy in the lamplight. “That’s the other thing I realized tonight. I don’t have to receive pay to enjoy helping children learn. I thought perhaps I could continue to help out in some way, as Jessilyn helps me now.”
“But who would take your place?” He almost didn’t dare hope the solution was this neat.
She gave him a broad grin. “Jessilyn. I haven’t mentioned it to her, of course. But she so enjoys working with the children, and I think she might like to have the chance to help our family through the pay she would receive.” She paused. “It would make me feel better to continue having that weekly payment to help our father.”
Cole’s smile matched Marian’s. “It’s a perfect idea. And selfishly, I hope she agrees.” Looking down at both of Marian’s hands in his, he took a second to appreciate how incredibly blessed he was. When he looked up again, he found her watching him. Waiting.
