The Reluctant Outlaw (Love Inspired Historical) (10 page)

“At first she was adamant about staying in North Carolina, but when she realized how important it was to him she agreed to come.”

“Do you think she ever regretted the move?”

“Mother loved the valley, but I think she was lonely. She missed her friends. Since she was an educated lady, she assumed responsibility for our lessons. Of course, James and I weren’t too pleased. Neither one of us were that interested in learning.”

Juliana watched as Evan’s attention turned inward, obviously remembering better times. She tried to imagine him as a carefree and happy young teenager. His parents sounded like such nice people. Perhaps their untimely deaths, combined with the loss of his brother, were the reasons Evan had turned to a life of crime.

Rising to her feet, she approached the fire and sat across from him. His blue eyes, darkened with sorrow and regret, fastened onto her face. He seemed a million miles away.

“Evan, do you have any living relatives? Grandparents? Aunts or uncles?”

Her question brought him back to the present, and he nodded. “My aunt and uncle live in Raleigh, and their son Lucas owns the land that adjoins mine. He’s watching over my place and tending to my animals while I’m gone.”

Surprise rippled through her. “That’s wonderful! Are the two of you close?”

“Yes, of course. He’s a good man.”

“You’re not alone then, Evan. You should be thankful that he lives nearby. He sounds trustworthy, too, considering that you’ve left your home in his care.”

“I am thankful,” he retorted, removing the meat from the fire and setting it aside to cool. “We’ll stop by his house on the way home.”

She digested that information. Did he know about Evan’s illegal activities? “And where does he think you’ve been all this time?”

“Luke respects my privacy,” he said without meeting her gaze. There was an unspoken warning for her to do the same. She watched his nimble fingers carefully remove the meat and place it in their trenchers. She admired his strong, capable-looking hands.

Adding a couple of biscuits, he handed the plate to her.

“Don’t burn yourself. It’s still hot.”

“Thanks.”

Sensing his reluctance to continue the conversation, she ate in silence.

When they finished, she wiped the grease from the trenchers and wrapped them in a towel while Evan cleared their belongings out of the shelter and readied the horse for travel. Determined not to wear his clothes any longer than necessary, Juliana went inside the cabin and changed into her damp dress.

His look was questioning when she stepped out. “Is it dry already?”

“Not completely, no.”

He stood next to Lucky, watching her approach. “Are you sure you want to risk getting sick?”

She stopped in front of him. “In this heat and humidity, I’m sure it will dry soon enough.”

He studied her before lifting a shoulder. “It’s your decision.”

He helped her into the saddle and, vaulting up behind her, grabbed the reins and signaled Lucky. Without conscious thought, Juliana leaned back against Evan. In response, his arms tightened around her waist. She could feel his heart beat through the thin material of her dress. It took all her concentration to keep her breathing even. She could not deny that she was thrilled to be close to him once again.

Juliana,
a voice inside her head warned,
guard your heart. Evan Harrison may be attentive and attractive, but he’s not for you. If he’s ever captured, he could very well spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The prospect sickened her, and she knew without a doubt that her heart was in danger. She had to wonder where her good sense had gone. Attracted to a criminal! What would her mother say?

Despite everything, he mattered to her. His future mattered.

“How long have you been living like this? And don’t sidestep the question, as you did before.”

A sigh rumbled through his chest, stirring her hair. “This isn’t a career choice, if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s simply a means to an end.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I have no other choice,” he asserted, his voice hard.

Juliana sensed the heaviness in his spirit. “Everyone has a choice—a choice to do right or to do wrong. There is no joy in a life of sin.”

“I can’t expect you to understand,” he said, guiding Lucky around a rotten log blocking their path.

“Enlighten me,” she implored, twisting her face around. “I want to understand.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I—” She hesitated, reluctant to admit her feelings. “I don’t want to see you spend the rest of your life in jail.”

“I don’t plan to.”

His complacency stirred her irritation. “Surely you don’t believe that you can dodge the law forever! Aren’t you tired of running? From your past? The law? God?”

He was quiet a long time, and she wished she could see his expression. “Don’t worry about me. Concentrate on getting home to your family. Once you’re home safe and sound, you won’t spare me another thought.”

Juliana knew that would never happen. Evan Harrison wasn’t a man easily forgotten.

“I’ve heard it said that you can run from God, but you can never
outrun
God,” she said quietly. “One of these days you’ll grow tired of all this.”

“You might be right,” he quipped. “For now, why don’t we agree to have this conversation another time?”

Far from ready to end the conversation, Juliana quashed her irritation.

Since she couldn’t talk to Evan, she talked to the Lord. As the pair rode through the forest, she poured out her concerns to God. The tension gradually eased.

God is in control,
she reminded herself.
In the heavens above He hung the moon, the stars, the planets. He created the Earth in six days. Working a miracle in one outlaw’s heart was by no means out of reach. With God, all things were possible.

E
van’s thoughts were not as upbeat. If he were completely honest, he’d acknowledge his growing attachment to Juliana O’Malley. She was beautiful, yes, but it was her sweet spirit and compassion that touched his soul.

The knowledge that she cared about him while thinking he was an outlaw both thrilled and frightened him.

Of course, he told himself, her only concern was for his spiritual welfare. She couldn’t possibly be interested in him as a man. And even if she were, his hands were tied. Evan had a job to do—self-appointed, as it were—to bring to justice the men responsible for James’s death.

Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord.

The still, quiet words crept into his mind, catching him by surprise. There it was again. The Lord’s voice, so long silent.
But, Father,
he argued,
those murderers took an innocent life—my only brother. They must pay.

Then Evan remembered another verse he’d learned at his mother’s knee.

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and evil speaking be put away from you. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Forgive those monsters? Impossible!

And yet, deep down, he knew if he would but ask, God would help him do just that. Question was, did he really want to? He held on to his anger so the grief wouldn’t bury him.

With each passing day Evan missed James a little more. Instead of lessening, his grief only deepened with time. More than brothers, they’d been best friends.

From his earliest memories, their mother had encouraged teamwork. Margaret Harrison had instilled in her sons a sense of responsibility for one another. If Evan needed help milking the cows, James was expected to pitch in. If James was having trouble learning his letters, Evan tutored him.

Left alone after their parents’ death, he and James had relied on each other even more. Four years of pouring all their sweat, energy and resources into the farm had paid off—it was now a profitable, well-kept spread.

But because of a senseless act of violence, James was no longer around to enjoy the rewards of their labor. Dead at twenty-one. Evan’s saddest moments were when he allowed himself to think about all the wonderful experiences James would miss. Falling in love. Getting married. Babies.

No, he couldn’t dwell on that now. Juliana’s safety took top priority.

Straightening in the saddle, he focused once more on their surroundings. Juliana was so quiet she must have dozed off. He allowed himself to enjoy her closeness, knowing it would soon be over. He dreaded leaving her. He’d miss her and worry about her every minute they were apart.

She might be able to forget him, but he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he’d never forget her. Evan sucked
in a swift breath, amazed suddenly at how quickly she’d turned his life upside down.

Four days ago, he’d been consumed with thoughts of revenge and strategy. All his energy went into maintaining his masquerade as a low-down thief. He’d ignored the Holy Spirit’s subtle nudges.

Then Juliana walked into his life.

Not only had his quest for revenge been pushed aside, his mind was consumed with thoughts of her. And he’d actually talked to God. A little.

A flash of white darted across the dirt path, spooking Lucky. The horse sidestepped. Tightening the reins, Evan spoke in low, soothing tones in an attempt to calm him. Juliana gripped the saddle horn.

“What was that?”

“Probably a rabbit. Whatever it was, it’s gone.”

She kneaded the back of her neck. “Can we stop at the next stream? I don’t care how deep it is. I need to get clean somehow. I feel as though I haven’t bathed in a month.” She twisted her face so that he was presented with her profile. “I suppose it isn’t proper to speak about such things in front of you. You’ll have to excuse my frank speech—I’m used to being in the company of women.”

“I’m not so easily offended. Besides, it’s only you, me and the animals out here. I figure the rules of proper society don’t apply.”

“That’s a relief.” She laughed. “Because I believe I’ve broken almost all of them.”

Juliana thought she might melt. The humid air pressed against her, and her clothes clung to her damp, sticky skin. A cloud of gnats hummed about her head.

They’d been hiking for miles, it seemed. Her calves
and thighs were burning with exertion, and of course her toes ached from rubbing against the inside of her boots. Her way of coping was to clamp her mouth shut and focus on placing one foot in front of the other.

Evan wasn’t speaking, either. His lips pressed in a harsh line, he didn’t appear to be any happier than she was with the situation. When they crested the largest of the hills and Juliana spotted a patch of sparkling blue in the valley below, she wanted to jump for joy.

“Is that a lake?” she huffed.

He paused beside her, his gaze following the direction of her outstretched finger. “Sure looks like it.” He tipped his black hat up. “Let’s go check it out.”

Two hours later, they stood on the grassy banks of Lake Restawhile. Someone had erected a rough, handmade sign proclaiming the name. The name fit.

Weeping willows spilled their trailing pale green branches onto the water’s crystalline surface, and larger, more massive oaks rose majestically to the sky. Clusters of bright red poppies dotted the fields. Cheerful blue and yellow forget-me-knots brightened the water’s edge. Swans glided in serene splendor across the water.

Juliana glanced at Evan. “I’m going in.”

He grinned boyishly. “Me, too.”

Her heart leapt at the eagerness in his eyes. Gone were the shadows and weariness.

“I’ll unload our stuff over there.” He pointed to a nearby oak. “While I’m doing that, you can go on in. I’ll keep my eyes averted while you ready yourself.”

Juliana felt her face heat. Her sisters would be scandalized…it wasn’t proper for her and Evan to swim together unaccompanied. Nor spend the night in each other’s company without a chaperone, but it wasn’t as if they’d had a choice. Under normal circumstances, they would be ex
pected to marry. However, she wasn’t there of her own volition. And he was a criminal. Not exactly normal circumstances at all.

The reminder darkened her mood a bit. If she wasn’t careful, she was going to start thinking of this as an adventure with Evan as the dashing hero.

Marching over to the nearest weeping willow, she swept aside the thick veil of branches and stepped inside the natural enclosure. The branches fell back into place with a soft swoosh, effectively cutting off her view of the pond and the surrounding trees.

She undid the buttons on her bodice, stepped out of the dress and folded it in a neat square. Underneath she wore a white cotton camisole, nipped in at the waist with a drawstring, and white knickers trimmed with lace ruffles. They were dingy from dust and sweat. A dip in the pond would take care of that.

Untying her boots, she set them beside her folded dress and hurriedly peeled off her knee-high stockings. The moist, cool dirt felt good against her bare feet, and she wiggled her toes. A sigh escaped her. Finally, release from those stiff boots! Peering through the leaves, she monitored Evan’s movements.

His back was to her, his attention on his horse. Praying that he wouldn’t turn around and see her unmentionables, she sprinted to the shallow end and waded in. The cool water enveloped her body in a soothing embrace. She dove underwater, darting down deep and back up again for air. After about five minutes of this, she came up for a rest and stifled a scream when she bumped into something solid.

Warm fingers closed over her shoulders.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Evan’s husky voice sounded above her. “Are you all right?”

She shoved her hair out of her eyes and stared at him. He was too close for comfort, water droplets clinging to his golden skin. His jet-black hair was slicked back away from his forehead. All that was visible above the water were the tops of his powerful shoulders.

Juliana’s mouth went dry. Evan’s dark blue eyes roamed her face before zeroing in on her lips. Water gently lapped their bodies. The air hummed with electricity. In a desperate act of self-preservation, Juliana splashed water into his face and slipped free of his hold. As she darted in the opposite direction, a spray of water rained down on her head.

His deep-throated laughter broke the tension. They splashed each other until, tired and lazy, they agreed to a cease-fire. Floating in the water, Juliana couldn’t recall the last time she’d had so much fun. Evan had enjoyed himself, too. His laughter made her heart soar.

“Can we camp here for the night?” Juliana asked hopefully.

Evan scanned the area. “We can stay until after supper, but we’ll bed down a ways out. I don’t want to be here after dark. That’s when animals will come looking for a drink.”

“You’re suited to this life, aren’t you?” she said. When he looked at her askance, she amended, “I meant you’re at home in the outdoors. You were a farmer, right?”

“I
am
a farmer,” he insisted, “always will be. I’m just…sidetracked at the moment.”

She really wanted to ask him about that wanted poster. And the mysterious object in his boot. Instead, she said, “Do you like being a farmer?”

He thought for a moment, bobbing up and down in the water. “It never occurred to me to do anything else. I like caring for the animals. I like workin’ with my hands. I
have an area in my barn where I tinker with tools. I’m always trying to figure out new ways to do things.”

“So you’re an inventor of sorts.”

“I guess you could say that.” He nodded. “I’ve come up with a few handy gadgets over the years—even sold a few to the neighbors.”

“That’s impressive. Have you thought about selling your gadgets in the mercantile? You could pay the owner a small percentage in exchange for shelf space.” And it’s legal, she added silently.

He shrugged. “I don’t have time to make many extra. It was hard enough to keep up with all the chores when James was alive. After his death, I decided to hire someone to help. Before I could do that, I went to see the sheriff—” He stopped and clamped his lips together.

“And?” she prompted.

“Forget it.” He pushed his fingers through his damp hair, and Juliana tried not to stare at his carved biceps.

“Have I given you any reason not to trust me?”

One black eyebrow quirked up. “Hmm, wasn’t it just yesterday that you stole my horse and left me stranded in the middle of nowhere?”

“
Stole
is such a strong word.” She adopted an innocent expression. “I prefer the word
borrowed
and only for a short time.”

He tilted his head to study her. “You’re something else, Irish.”

“Don’t try to distract me, Evan. It won’t work.”

“I’m trying to protect you.”

“From what?” She threw her hands up. What was he hiding?

“From information that could get you into trouble. Let’s face it—the less you know about me, the better.”

“I don’t agree.”

“You don’t have to.” He straightened to his full height and stared down at her. “Doesn’t change anything, though.”

Juliana averted her eyes from the sight of all that male skin. She was beyond frustrated—why did he have to be so stubborn?

“Juliana.” Evan’s hard, low voice snagged her attention. “Go and get dressed this instant.”

Her head snapped up, alarmed at the urgency in his voice. “Why? What—”

“We’re about to have company.” He was already striding to the shore. “Do it now,” he barked over his shoulder.

Juliana hesitated for an instant, her eyes scanning the fields. There, in the distance, she spotted the approaching riders. There were at least three horses. Evan and she were outnumbered. Her heart leapt into her throat.

In her haste, her legs seemed sluggish in the water. At last she reached the shore, and she dashed to her hiding place behind the curtain of branches. Loosening the drawstring, she ripped her wet camisole up and over her head and pulled off the knickers, not taking the time to dry herself before hurriedly pulling on her navy calico. The sound of horses’ hooves grew louder. Her trembling fingers fumbled with the buttons. Stuffing her feet into her boots, she burst out of her hiding place in time to see Evan withdraw his weapon.

Evan assumed an air of calm. Not an easy task considering that he was sopping wet and half dressed. He had no idea what to expect from the approaching trio. Could be normal folks. Or they could be outlaws like Cliff Roberts and his gang. If that was the case, he was at a disadvantage.

Gripping the revolver, he kept his gaze on the riders.
When they got close enough, he was able to see that the lead horse carried a clean-shaven male, the second, a female, and the third a young boy. A family. Evan relaxed his stance, but his gaze remained sharp.

Thank You, God.
The thanks were heartfelt and spontaneous. He admitted to himself that he couldn’t protect Juliana without help from God.

“Howdy,” the man greeted cautiously. He appeared to be older than Evan, possibly in his mid-thirties. All three horses halted. “Mind if we stop and rest awhile?”

Evan smirked, thinking of the handmade sign Juliana and he had seen on the other side of the lake. “Fine with me.”

The man’s attention volleyed between Evan and Juliana, who stood waiting by the trees. He was assessing the situation, of course, just as Evan had done. With instructions to the woman and boy to stay put, he dismounted and approached with an outstretched hand.

“The name’s Henry Talbot.”

Evan shook the man’s hand. He’d learned to distinguish honest men from the corrupt over the course of the last few months. This one appeared to be on the up and up. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Evan Harrison.”

Mr. Talbot’s gaze slid to Juliana once more, then to Evan’s haphazard attire. “I hope we aren’t disturbing you.”

Knowing what he must be thinking, Evan felt heat creep up his neck. “No, no…we were swimming, is all.”

The man hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “My family and I’ve been traveling since this morning. We need a break, especially the little ones.”