Deirdre swallowed. “Yes . . . Liam showed me last year, before we came here. I think I remember.”
“Have him show you again. I would but . . .” He gestured to the livery. “Perhaps you should stay here? Or with Roman and Clara? I’d feel better having you away from him, for now.”
“No. Jeremiah, I can’t leave him alone.” Seeing how broken he looked this morning when he slipped out the livery door to return home had hurt her more than she ever could have imagined.
“Then bring him with you.”
“He would never agree to that.” Deirdre closed her eyes, wishing this would all go away.
Jeremiah pressed his lips together. “You’re my wife. I’m supposed to—“ He let out a breath as Deirdre’s heart warmed at his words.
“I won’t sleep knowing you’re in danger. I know you don’t want to leave him, but . . .” Jeremiah shifted his weight and returned his hat to his head. “I insist you stay here. Go home, make sure he eats, and then come back here for the night.”
Deirdre wanted to protest, but the fear she saw in Jeremiah’s eyes made the words die on her lips. If she insisted on staying with Liam, she’d drive Jeremiah mad with worry. But if she left Liam alone—
“Your brother created this situation. It’s up to him to handle it, and it shouldn’t hurt you in any way. I won’t let it,” Jeremiah said. “Do you understand?”
He was right. She knew he was. What good was she against these men Liam met in Denver? One young woman, even with a pistol, was likely no match for them. “All right.”
He rested a hand on her arm as he gave her a smile filled with relief. “Thank you for not fighting me on this.”
As she returned his smile, the first customer of the day arrived. From that point, she worked with barely a break to nibble some of the food she’d brought for their lunch. She found a few spare minutes in the afternoon to visit with Clara, who was looking much better, and before she knew it, the sun was hanging low in the sky.
“Jeremiah?” She found him brushing down a horse in the rear of the stable. “I’m leaving now. I’ll return as soon as possible.”
He caught her wrist as she turned to leave. “Hurry back,” he said, his eyes searching her face.
Her heart swelled. Even if they would be spending the night in the stable, she had to admit she was happy to be in the same place he was. “I will.” She stood on her tiptoes and placed a light kiss on his stubbled cheek.
His hand tightened around her wrist as he held her to him. His eyes blazed, and for a moment, she was certain that he was finally going to take advantage of the opportunity to kiss her.
But then he groaned under his breath and let her go. “I want to kiss you, but I fear I wouldn’t be able to stop. And then we’d all starve.”
Deirdre’s face went warm. She wasn’t certain she cared about food so much at that moment, but she did care about her brother. And she needed to check on him. “I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she said, her voice a whisper.
She felt Jeremiah’s eyes on her as she left, and she resolved to cook as quick a meal as she possibly could.
The town was still bustling as she made her way back home. Normally, she enjoyed walking the streets of Crest Stone. There was always a friend or two to see, and plenty of interesting new faces to wonder about. But tonight, it seemed everyone she knew was indoors, and all the new men seemed vaguely threatening.
She tucked her head and walked faster. Liam had to find a way to pay these men back. Even if it meant selling the hotel’s land and whatever had been built so far, or perhaps the house. He could start again, from scratch. It was hard, but not impossible, and he was determined enough to make it happen.
His life was far more important than anything else.
The house was dark and cold when she entered. A quick search told her that Liam wasn’t around. She hoped he was out figuring some way to come up with the money he needed and not drowning his woes at the saloon again. He had a little time before those men he’d borrowed from could possibly arrive in town—he needed to make good use of it.
Deirdre hung her coat and set to work lighting the stove. She had some sausage she’d purchased the day before from Sam Mahoney, who kept a butcher shop at the far end of town. She could mix that up with some potatoes and the remainder of the green beans for a filling—and quick—supper.
She tapped her fingers on the table as the mixture simmered. As eager as she was to get back to Jeremiah, she also wanted to see Liam before she left. Mostly to reassure herself that he was actually doing something about his situation, and not wandering about hopeless and aimless.
A noise at the front door made Deirdre jump up. It had to be Liam. She ran to the parlor as he twisted the doorknob. He must have forgotten his key. She laid a hand on the doorknob—and paused.
What if it wasn’t Liam?
Don’t be silly. Those men from Denver wouldn’t be here this quickly. But her heart thumped harder. It was better to be cautious than not, and it had grown too dark to look out the window. “Who is it?” she called.
“Liam.” His voice sounded odd, but it was most definitely her brother.
Deirdre truly hoped he hadn’t been drinking again. She twisted the key in the lock, and then turned the knob.
