Chapter 13
A week had passed since Chloe brought Eliza home from the orphanage. Home. Well, while it wasn’t exactly her home, not permanently, but it was for a little while at least. She would never be able to repay the Cross family for what they’d done for her and Eliza.
She’d arrived here an injured stranger and they’d taken her into their home and given her a job.
Every day she grew more attached to Dalia and Lillian.
As for Nathaniel, well, that was another matter entirely.
She was drawn to him and found herself often casting glances his way.
She’d never felt this kind of attraction before.
Every so often she found herself glancing out the window of her room in the boarding house.
Sometimes she saw him making his rounds up one side of Main Street and down the other.
He walked with such confidence in his role, but stopped to talk to business owners, neighbors, even to the kids playing on the dirt streets.
Occasionally he headed to the boarding house from the jail to speak to his mother about something or, as he had a couple of nights ago, to come for supper.
He walked with confidence, shoulders broad and relaxed, his long legs striding with confidence, ever watchful, serious though friendly.
She did notice that he usually wasn’t the one to initiate conversations but when spoken to would pause, offer brief replies, and then move on.
Once or twice she’d caught him giving her a sidelong glance as well. She wasn’t certain what that look meant, but assumed it was curiosity. She knew he wanted to know more about her and her history, but for now he didn’t pry.
She found herself wishing that things could be different, that she could make a place for herself here in Cedar Bluff working for Dalia at the boarding house or perhaps find a job in town.
There wasn’t a schoolhouse in town yet, but perhaps someday there would be and she could maybe teach, or even work at the orphanage.
Either would be a good way to make a living, wouldn’t it?
Such thoughts and more flitted through her mind on a nearly constant basis. Even so, she kept a constant watch for any sign that Everett or Silas just might be in the area, a habit formed years ago that she’d never forgotten.
Of course such diligence left her constantly wary that one of these days, she would turn around and find Everett standing behind her with that grin on his face.
Had the Blackwell gang been behind the stagecoach attack?
It seemed unlikely, but was there a chance Everett had managed to track her down?
She tried to push those thoughts from her head and continued with her work. Though worry blossomed anew, she dunked the rag once more into the small bucket of water and lifted the dripping cloth to swipe at one of the cabin’s side windows.
“Almost done?”
She bit back a startled gasp and spun around, flinging the rag away with one hand and releasing the bucket with the other.
The bucket landed on the dirt on its side with a dull thud, water puddling around her feet.
Heart thundering in her chest, she stared wide-eyed, a hand pressed to her mouth as Nathaniel gaped.
“I’m sorry, Chloe,” he murmured, taking a quick step back, hand over his heart. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” He bent down to snatch the now dirt-encrusted rag and bucket from the ground.
Heart still pounding, she recognized his regret and sought to shove down her fear.
“It’s … it’s okay, Nathaniel. I should’ve heard you approaching but I …
I was wool-gathering.” She reached for the bucket and cloth he held.
Their fingers touched and she felt a slight shock as her heart leapt again, but not with fear this time.
Her cheeks burned and she quickly glanced down.
“Things coming along all right inside?”
“Yes,” she replied, her heartbeat and sense of calm slowly returning as she looked back up. “Yes, I’ve scrubbed the floors and am just finishing with the windows I didn’t finish earlier.”
He glanced around. “Where’s Eliza?”
“She went to the orphanage with Lillian this morning.” She looked off to the northeast, her gaze skimming the scrub-dotted landscape. “She said she missed a couple of her friends and wanted to spend some time with them while Lillian was over there for the morning.”
He nodded and shifted from one foot to the other as he eyed her, as if he wanted to say something. She felt suddenly shy around this man who’d saved her life and given her shelter and safety, the one in whose arms she felt so safe and secure.
“Anything I can do to help?”
Her eyebrows rose. “Aren’t you busy enough as it is? And you’ve already done so much for us … I can never repay you, Nathaniel,” she said softly.
“Don’t expect you to,” he replied. “Just been helping out a little, that’s all.”
She almost snorted but covered it with a little laugh.
“A little? Do you know the things you’ve brought to the house are the nicest things I’ve ever had?
And I’d venture to say the mattress you bought for Eliza is the softest she’s ever slept on.
” Her cheeks warmed again. “And that goes for me as well. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to repay you—”
“I’m not keeping track, Chloe. You don’t owe me anything.”
“Why?”
She couldn’t help blurting the question out. No one had ever been so nice to her like this, well, except for Maggie.
Thoughts of her friend sobered her. She would have to write to her, tell her where she was and what she was doing, that she’d found her daughter and a job, and that she was staying for the time being with kind people.
She missed Maggie, the only person she’d ever considered a true friend until now.
She wondered if she’d be here long enough to become good friends with Lillian and Dalia.
“Why do I want to help you?” Nathaniel asked with a lifted eyebrow. “Because it’s the Christian thing to do.”
Chloe blinked. She’d forgotten things like kindness and compassion.
All she’d experienced in life until recently was work, fear, and worry.
Those emotions had eased somewhat in the Black Hills, but it was always a part of her, a burning ember ready to flare into flames at the slightest hint of danger.
“I … I suppose so.” She looked up at him, startled to find his gaze locked on her own. “But even so, I’ll never be able to repay your family’s kindness—”
“Stop,” he frowned, holding up a hand. “None of us expect repayment. What you can do is someday help someone else who’s in need. That’s all.”
She thought about that and gave him a small nod. “Yes, I can do that.”
“You already have, you know,” he murmured. “With Eliza.”
She looked up at him, confused. “What do you mean? She’s my daughter. She needs me.”
“Yes.” He looked off into the trees behind the stable and then turned back to her with a sigh. “I’ve got a couple of questions for you.”
He hesitated once more, glanced over his shoulder toward town, then back to her, his expression rather grave.
Her heart skipped a beat as she waited, a chill racing down her spine.
Had he discovered the truth about her and her background?
Her mouth dry, she waited. He shifted his stance, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked her in the eyes.
“I’d like to know more about your husband.”
Her heart sank and a tingle of fear raced down her spine.
She took a step away from him but her back pressed against the side of the cabin as she stared up at him, wide-eyed.
“Why?” she gasped, her voice little more than a squeak.
He said nothing. She shook her head, stammering.
“I … I don’t have anything to do with him anymore.
I … I’ve not laid eyes on him since … since the day I ran away from him. ”
He heaved a sigh and gave his head a slight shake. “I’m not trying to scare you, Chloe. Quite the opposite.” He pressed his lips together before he spoke again. “I was thinking I could search around a little bit, find out where he is.”
“Find him?” she gasped. “No!” A hand over her heart, she shook her head. “No … I mean … no, you don’t have to do that.” Her heart pounded as she lied. “I mean, to be honest … I’d rather not know.”
“You said he was a bad man, so he might be in jail. Or he could be a thousand miles away.” He paused, eyeing her thoughtfully. “Wouldn’t it give you some peace of mind to know that kind of information?”
She didn’t want to lie to this man who’d been so kind to her, but the thought of Nathaniel deliberately hunting for her husband terrified her. What if he got hurt? It would be her fault. “No,” she said, her voice whispery soft.
“I don’t want to even think about him.” That was the truth.
It took everything she had not to search the woods behind the stable or glance beyond the cabin and searching the landscape beyond.
He could be out there somewhere, she knew it, but prayed he wasn’t.
She felt Nathaniel’s eyes on her and glanced up to find his gaze riveted on hers.
They stared at one another for several uncomfortable moments.
“All right then, could you at least tell me more about him? After all, it is my job to arrest outlaws.” He paused. “Or he could be in prison somewhere. You don’t want to know?”
She shook her head, heart pounding harder.
She felt a throbbing in her temples. “It’s …
it’s been a long time, Nathaniel.” Her voice shook.
“Any information I could give you is seven years old and won’t help you a bit.
” She fought back rising fear, the hair on the back of her neck standing up on edge while a hollow feeling grew in her stomach.
“Besides, you don’t have any jurisdiction beyond this county, do you? ”
He frowned. “Not usually, no. I’m not a bounty hunter, but I can telegraph other sheriffs in other counties, just like they’d send word my way if they needed information from my county.”