“I’m supposed to be a man, remember?” she whispered.
Nodding, Denton chuckled and backed away. “Sheriff, keep an eye on her. I’ll be right back.”
Once Denton walked up the wooden porch and into the building, Courtney slowly moved away from her horse. Her legs ached, and her bottom felt bruised. Oh, heavens... how was she going to get back home now? She almost hoped they didn’t find Terrance right away and that they would have to stay in Stumptown. The hotel they’d passed looked like a decent place to stay. And so far, the town was nice.
For a moment, she pictured herself living here – with Denton as her husband, of course. They would have four or five children. She wanted more boys than girls, only because she wanted them to look just like their father.
Sighing, she leaned against her horse. She really shouldn’t do this to herself. Although she’d tried to get Denton to tell her how he felt, all he could say was that he liked her. That didn’t tell her much at all.
Courtney rubbed her forehead. Perhaps she would have to be the one to say it first. Then, maybe, just maybe, he would have the same feelings for her. A man couldn’t kiss as passionately as he had without having his heart involved.
Or could he?
THIRTEEN
THE NOISE FROM THEsaws in the back of the building was overwhelmingly loud. Denton was sure the saws weren’t going all the time. A person could become deaf from hearing that day after day.
He walked from one aisle to the other but didn’t see his friend, Bryan Easton. The Easton family was probably the wealthiest in Stumptown, but only because the brothers’ grandfather owned many of the sawmills and the logging camp. Thankfully, the old man allowed his three grandsons to run things. Bryan was the oldest, then Joel, and Maverick was the youngest.
The last time Denton had talked to Bryan, Maverick had married a lovely lady – who apparently was supposed to be Bryan’s mail-order bride. Denton chuckled. What an odd story that was. But Bryan admitted that he wasn’t ready for a wife and that Maverick and Hannah were perfect together.
Finally, the saws in the back stopped running, and Denton listened for any sign of the workers. After a few moments, he called “Bryan Easton?”
The floor squeaked as the shuffling of footsteps was heard from the back room, growing louder as they came closer. A tall man with sandy-brown hair held a box against his chest. Sawdust coated the man’s hair and mustache. His eyes widened, and he grinned.
“Reed? Is that you?”
Denton smiled and walked toward his friend. Being a bounty hunter, he made sure to make friends in almost every town he visited. He and Bryan had been friends for four years. “Yes, it’s me.”
Bryan set the box on the counter and moved toward Denton, brushing his hands along his saw-dusted covered clothes. When he reached Denton, the two men shook hands.
“What in the blazes are you doing in Stumptown?”
“I’m on a case.”
Bryan rolled his eyes. “You never come out to just visit anymore.”
