The next week that followed was rather pleasant for Chauncey. With Elise at his side, they had fallen into a routine of chores and duties that felt almost…natural. It was almost as if the heartache he’d endured for all of these years was finally starting to fade away.He would always mourn the loss of his wife and son, but the pain was bearable now, and he had Miss Erindelle to thank for helping to lift that weight of guilt that had been his constant companion for the pastseveralyears.
Of course, Beau was more than enamored with his hostess, for it had been something of a nightly routine for Chauncey to read while Elise petted the hound on the sofa and hummed a light tune.
During the day, it was just as harmonious. She generally headed to the hothouse in the mornings while he took Beau to the woods to shoot something for dinner. He was glad that she’d trusted him enough to offer the use of her rifle, for his knife wouldn’t do that well when it came to trying to get a deer.
After luncheon, they generally played a round or two of poker, and thenshe would straighten up the house, doing odds andendslike shining the silver or dusting, as he gathered water, took care of the firewood, or anything else that might need fixing or repaired. One day, he’d found that the chair she liked to sit in was slightly off balance.He quickly went to work on it, and by the time he was done, it sat as evenly as the table.
Elise had put her hands on her hips and smiled at him with a flash of her even, white teeth. “That’s bothered me for years.”
After that, she had set aside a number of other tasks. He had looked at the list with a lifted brow, but he was glad to do them all the same.
As the second week began to dawn bright and cheery the Sunday morning after those seven remarkable days, there was a knock at the cabin door. Elise had been in the process of making more bread, while he was fixing a loose floorboard, but instantly, all action ceased.
“Go to my room and shut the door!” She instructed him in an urgent whisper. Chauncey hesitated, for he didn’t want her to face whatever might be outside on her own, but as he stood immobile, she gave him a gentle shove. “Go! I’ll be fine.”
He gave a curt nod, but walked over and grabbed the rifle and the priming implements. He met her gaze. “Just in case,” he said grimly, and then shut the door.
He wanted to bang his head against the wood as he heard Elise greet whoever was out there. He’d never felt like much of an outlaw until that moment. He regretted that he’d put her in this situation, but hehad beentoo selfish to leave.
Now he realized how terriblygreedyhe’d been. He had easily putElise’s life in jeopardy, and for what? The honor of her company? What a joke that was.He was not fit to shine her shoes,let alone continue allowing herto harbor a man on the run from the law.He’d been a fool todeludehimself for so long. He’d imagined that they had built some sort of comfortable home together, but it was nothing more than a fantasy world he’d desperately clung to in order to recover some of the companionship he’d been denied.
With Miss Erindelle he’d found a certain kinship, even if the thoughts he harbored about her where anything but familial. And the longer he stayed, the harder it would be to leave her when the bounty hunters caught up to him and dragged him away.
He refused to put her through that sort of agony. He’d dealt with it before, and he wasn’t inclined to do it again.
Chapter Seven
Elise’s heart was pounding so hard that she had to put a hand on her chest before she opened the door. However, when she revealed who was on the other side, profound relief flooded her. “Mr. Miracle!” she breathedand opened the door wider for him to enter. “You must be freezing! Please, come by the fire and warm yourself.”
She led him across the room and urged him to sit in a nearby chair. “Let me fix you something warm to drink.” She shook her head. “Whateverbrings you all the way up the mountain in this weather?”
The shorter, middle-aged man with balding, black hair and spectacles was the owner of the Miracle Mercantile in Charming. Together, with his freckled-faced blond wife, they made adelightful couple that always seemed to know whatcustomersneeded the momenttheywalked through the door. However, it was his presence here that puzzled her the most.
“Grannie tasked me with delivering a message to you.” He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a slightly crumpledpiece of paper.
Curious, she took the item. But when she unfolded it, her lungs froze and she could feel the blood recede from her face. She wavered on her feet and stumbled to a nearby chair to sit down. Her gaze was fixated on the wanted poster, which boasted a price of two thousand dollars. “Where did you get this?” She could hardly speak.
“Some men passed through on the train a few days ago and stopped at the inn.They warned the residents of Charming to be onour guard, as he’s considered to be armed and dangerous. Apparently,” he added grimly. “He was responsible for the deaths of several Canadian officialssome years ago, and they’ve been looking for him ever since.They received a tip that he was heading this direction,andthey arelooking to extradite him for atrial.”
More like an execution,Elise thought with a queasy sensation in her stomach. She had no doubt they wouldn’t even try to hear Mr. Cade’s side of the story, but ratherwoulddrag him straight to the noose.She glanced up to see Mr. Miracle looking at her rather expectantly. She forced a tight smile. “Thank you for the cautionary, Mr. Miracle. I will be extra vigilant.” She hoped her next query sounded merely curious. “Have the men already moved on?”
“Not as yet,” he returned. “They seem to have taken a particular liking to our little village. They might even stay a while.”
The weight of a stone settled in the pit of her belly. “I see. That’s good for the people of Charming,” she murmured.
Mr. Miracle smiled as hegot up. “Thank you for the offer of a warm drink, but I believe the fire has done the trick. Your hospitality is without fail as ever, Miss Erindelle.My wife and I, and I’m sure I speak for Grannie as well, would all like to see you move down to the valley. We worry about you up here all alone.”
“I’m perfectly fine, Mr. Miracle,” she attempted to reassure him. “Besides, I feel a closeness to my parents up here.”
He nodded and headed out the door. Before he left, he turned back and said, “If you need anything, don’t be hesitant to ask.”
“I will be certain to let you know if I need anything.Thank you.”
When Elise shut the door behind him, she closed her eyes and released a heavy breath.The door to her bedchamber opened and she rushed over to Mr. Cade. “It was only Mr. Miracle from the Charming mercantile. You’re safe.”
His dark eyes were flat; his mouth tight, as he reached out and took the poster that she still held in her grasp. She watched as he looked down at the likeness, although the man depicted on the paper looked wilder and more threatening than Mr. Cade had ever appeared. “Two thousand dollars now.” He looked at her. “You could turn me in right now and gain a fortune.”
Her mouth fell open. “As if I would ever do such a thing! I thought we were friends.”
