The Lady and the Lawman (20 page)

Grant
looked to Margaret, hoping she didn't mind the interruption in their
day, but work called at odd times and in odd ways.

She
smiled at him and nodded. “I’ll wait right here. Don’t worry,
I’ll be fine.” She tilted her head toward a wooden bench where
she could watch the comings and goings of the townspeople.

“
All
right, I won’t be long,” he followed Mr. Hodges into the store.

***

Comfortably
seated, Margaret closed her eyes to the hot sun and relaxed. Grant
had warmed her heart when he’d splurged on her at Mrs. Daley’s.
No one had ever given her a gift, one offered so generously. Without
a care to her social status or the size of her bank account, Grant
had thought of
her,
and
that had never happened before.

He’d
shown her a new way of life, a new sense of compassion and caring she
hadn't known. Constraints of Philadelphia society had been lifted
from her shoulders. The pressure to be perfect and well-mannered was
exhausting. Listening to idle gossip and having people preen because
of your money left one wary.

She
hadn't met one person interested in just her. William certainly had
proven her point on that one. He'd been so self-centered and
egotistical that he took the one thing she couldn't get back, and
couldn't give to the man she really loved.

Grant
could have done the same as William had, taken her in the small line
shack. This time, she'd been more than willing. But he hadn't. He'd
said he wanted her, there was no doubting that. But Margaret knew
he'd have her only when she belonged to him. With there already being
a line for her hand in marriage, she wasn't so sure if it would
happen.

Her
thoughts shifted to the town of Cranston and its people. They
followed a different pace, a different way of life than what was
familiar to her. There was a different code of conduct in the West, a
casual relaxed atmosphere, and she felt it suited her. Freedom.
That’s what it was. There was space to breathe, to reinvent
yourself, to make your mark for who you were.

Considering
the unusual, if not dangerous, start to her visit in the area, she
was actually enjoying herself. She didn’t think about William as
often as she used to. Perhaps she was free of him, of his
guardianship, his engagement, once and for all. Grant and Tom gave
her the confidence to hope.

Now,
with her marriage to Tom only a week away, she had a sense of
security, as well. Security, she thought with dread. Was that what
she'd dreamt of as a little girl about her husband? Was the first
word that came to mind…
security
?

What
about love? She was well aware that she didn't love Tom, but he was a
nice man, a good choice.
Secure
.
There it was again.

A
sense of dread settled in her stomach at the thought. Was that
enough? Would she be content with just security for the rest of her
life?

After
the passion she felt at Grant's touch only hours before, she wasn't
so sure.

Long
shadows appeared behind her closed eyelids. Opening her eyes, she
gasped at the surprise appearance.

“
Wondered
where you’d gone to.” Dalton propped his foot up on the bench
next to her with a loud
thunk
,
dust rising around it, his forearms resting on his knee. He was
backlit by the sun, his face in shadow, but she could still see the
sneer, the anger in his eyes. Startled, she tried to slide away from
him across the bench, but he was fast. His tight grasp sank into her
shoulder, yanking her back in front of him. His fingers dug in
unmercifully and she winced at the pain. Frantically, she looked
toward the door of the Mercantile, hoping Grant would emerge. Hoping
anyone would come and help her.

“
I
don't think I'm finished with you yet,” Dalton said, a sly grin
spreading across his face.

“
Leave
me alone!” she tried to work out of his
tight
hold.

Dalton's
grin switched rapidly to a harsh frown. The man was pure evil, hatred
written across his face. “I don't think I will. I didn't get what
should have been mine last week.”

Dalton
took her arm and pulled her closer so she was able to see the
darkness of his eyes, feel his fetid breath against her cheek.

“
Take
your hands off her, Dalton.”

The
blessed words came from over her shoulder. There, in the doorway of
the Mercantile, was Grant, hand on his hip next to his gun. Dalton's
grasp on her shoulder tightened and Margaret cried out in pain.

“
I
said let...her...go!”

Grant
moved and stood two paces from Dalton, his jaw set, murder in his
eyes. Dalton released his grip and Margaret rubbed her arm to get the
blood flowing again. She quickly moved to stand behind Grant. She
felt safe in her position, his large body, his very presence
protecting her.

Dalton
gave a menacing laugh, his face turned up toward the bright sun, and
she could tell this fight might be about her, but the battle between
the two men had started long before. Tom had been right. She was just
a pawn in the men's lifelong game. He was toying with Grant and her
like a cat holding a mouse by the tail.

“
She
must have been damn good that night at Croft’s for you to keep her
this long. Must be nice having a whore to keep you warm at night.”

She
clamped
her mouth
shut in a thin line. She was nothing like the lurid picture he
painted!

A
nerve ticked in Grant’s jaw. “I don't want to see you anywhere
near her, understand?” he ground out like glass beneath a boot.

Dalton
held up his hands in a placating gesture, clearly knowing when he'd
pushed far enough, but not too far. “Sheriff, she’s the key to
your big investigation. I want to see Cawley’s killer found as much
as you do.”

Even
only knowing the man a short time, it was clear to Margaret that
Grant wasn’t buying a word out of Dalton’s mouth. His tone, his
demeanor, everything about the man screamed defiance, not compliance.
He was the kind of man who wasn't interested in anyone but himself.
Quite like William.

“
That’s
very thoughtful of you, Dalton, but I think I’ll do the
interrogating around here.”

“
She’s
the only witness! The whole town wants to find those who did this.”

She
gripped the fabric of Grant's shirt. It was
soft,
warm and comforting to her.

“
I’m
well aware of that. But this conversation is over as far as I'm
concerned.” With those final words, Grant took her hand and left
Dalton standing on the boardwalk.

She
kept her head down as she followed Grant. He was going to be mad at
her for the confrontation with Dalton. But it hadn’t been her
fault! He’d just appeared from nowhere, silent and very dangerous.
Since she didn’t know what to say besides being sorry, she remained
silent. The sun was warm and her skin was coated in a sheen of
perspiration. Her nerves jangled and she took a few breaths in an
attempt to calm them. Deep in her worries, she bumped into Grant’s
hard back when he stopped in front of the jail.

“
Are
you all right?” he asked as he turned, grabbing hold of her to keep
her balanced.

“
Yes.
Grant, I’m...I’m—” A lump of unshed tears lodged in her
throat.

He
cut her off. “I’m sorry he got near you, that he touched you. I
should have been with you.”

She
looked up at him in surprise. “You’re...you're sorry?”

“
Hell,
yes.” He stared down at her with a questioning look.

“
I
thought...I thought you’d be mad at me.” She finally was able to
swallow that lump down.

“
Why
on earth would you think that?” His hands moved to her shoulders,
keeping her from turning away from him.

“
He
approached me and I—”

“
Woman,
you're out of your right mind if you think that way.” He smiled at
her and squeezed her shoulders gently. “Come on, we’ve got a lead
in our investigation.”

Confused
and at a loss as to where the first clue came from, she followed him
into the jail.

CHAPTER
NINE

“
Now
will you tell me what’s going on?” Maggie demanded, settled in a
chair next to Grant’s desk, a cup of coffee in hand. She'd waited,
rather impatiently, as he poured them both some hours-old brew.

He
carefully lowered himself into his chair, the throb in his leg almost
gone, but he still wanted to be careful. He took a sip of his coffee
but blanched as he looked at the black swill. He couldn’t imagine
how long ago it had been made, and it could certainly put hair on a
person’s chest. Before she could put her mug to her mouth, he took
it from her.

“
Dalton’s
behind the whole thing.” He smiled, just thinking about how much
fun it would be to arrest the bastard.

“
What?”
She shook her head as if to shake a thought loose. “How do you know
that?”

“
First,
I want to thank you for being outside at the Mercantile earlier.”
She continued to stare, but she nodded absently, so he continued.
“Your little encounter with Dalton gave us all the information we
needed to get this mystery solved.”

He
was so pleased with the turn of events, he could kiss her. Hell, any
reason would do to feel those lips beneath his again. And he just
might do that. He smiled like a randy teenager at the thought. He was
still hard from that morning.

“
Will
you take that silly look off your face and tell me what’s going
on?” She strummed her fingers on the desk. She looked so appealing
with her feathers all ruffled. A long tendril of hair had fallen down
and stuck to the damp skin at the side of her neck. It was amazing
how one dark curl could sidetrack his thoughts.

“
Dalton
knew you were an eyewitness to the robbery.”

She
blinked. No other sign of understanding appeared in her dark eyes.
She still hadn’t pieced it together.

“
I
didn’t tell anyone you were on the stage.”

Confusion
turned to clarity in a matter of seconds. Tilting her head back, she
laughed out loud, in a deep, rich tone. “So someone must have told
him, and the only other person who knew I was there was the man who
killed your friend and kidnapped me.” She stood up, paced the room
a few times as she rubbed her small hands together. “Dalton has no
idea he let that slip.”

“
Nope.”
He shook his head and smiled. Her enthusiasm was catching. He stood
up as well, too antsy to sit any longer.

“
Now
what do we do?” she asked, pacing directly in front of him. Close.
Almost too close.

He
looked down at her and saw the sparkle in her green eyes. “We need
to tell Miss Lorena you won’t be staying with her.”

One
of her pretty brows lifted. “Why?”

“
You’re
the only one who can connect the robbery and murder back to Dalton.
He wants you.”

And
I want you too
,
he wanted to say, but didn’t. His eyes darted to her full pink lips
and remembered what they felt like. “He probably wants you dead.”

She
paled so quickly, he became scared. He pulled her into his arms and
looked down into her eyes. She felt good there. A perfect fit. He
tried not to think about how her full breasts pressed into him. “I’m
sorry I was so blunt, but it’s the truth. The only way I can
protect you is if you stay with me. If you’re with me at all
times.”