The Reluctant Outlaw (Love Inspired Historical) (17 page)

It was plain to see that he was upset and trying to conceal it. “When we get back to Gatlinburg, there are going to be a lot of questions. Your family will expect me to marry you and rightly so.”

Juliana opened her mouth to speak, but he held up his hand to forestall her. “I don’t want your reputation to suffer, Juliana. I don’t want you to be treated like a social outcast just because you unwillingly spent a couple of days and nights in my company. You don’t deserve that kind of treatment. You’ve done nothing wrong.

“I can shield you from all that by marrying you. I know it’s not the best situation. I’m certain you pictured your life turning out a different way, but I’m willing if you are. The truth is I wouldn’t mind being married to you.”

Juliana couldn’t speak. The man who had captured her heart was offering to marry her. That meant living together as husband and wife, day in and day out, sharing life’s ups and downs, trials and blessings. Perhaps they’d even have children some day.

Oh, she was tempted. In time, she reasoned, he could grow to love her.

Or he could end up resenting her.

Did she dare take that risk?

Tears threatened, and she blinked them back. Squaring her shoulders, she dug down deep for the courage to say what was in her heart. “Thank you, Evan, for your kind offer. But you see, I don’t want a man who simply doesn’t
mind
marrying me. I want a man who
yearns
to be with me, whose utmost desire is to make me his bride. A man who believes life isn’t worth living if he can’t share it with me. Call me romantic or even foolish, but I’d rather face the disapproving stares and whispers of the townspeople than a loveless marriage.”

Evan closed his eyes, as if her words caused him pain. “Love opens you up to a whole world of pain, my dear. I should know. I’ve lost every single person I’ve ever loved. Let me tell you, I wouldn’t wish that kind of grief on anyone.”

“It was good while it lasted, though, wasn’t it?” she countered, desperate to make her point. “Isn’t it better to experience love and joy for a little while than not at all? Yes, it hurt when I lost my father, but do I wish I’d never known him? Of course not.” Juliana approached him and slipped her hand into his. “Evan. Do you honestly want to spend the rest of your life all alone? With no one to care for you?”

His eyes roamed her face, questions lurking in the dark depths. “I don’t think I could endure another loss, Juliana.” Lifting his hand, he gently cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking her skin. “A lot of marriages are built on friendship alone and are very successful. I may not be able to offer you my heart, but I can give you my friendship. Isn’t that enough?”

His words stabbed at her. Pulling his hand away, she stepped back. “I’m afraid not.”

His shoulders slumped in defeat, and she almost
changed her mind. Instead, with a look at the setting sun, she muttered, “I think we’d best be getting back. There’s a lot to do before we leave tomorrow.”

Evan turned away, oddly defeated. He cared more for her than he knew was wise. Why else would he be pushing her to marry him? Of course he understood what she was up against if she didn’t, and he didn’t want to see her hurt. Especially because of something he’d done.

He fell into step beside her, his gaze on everything
but
her. He was afraid that if he chanced a glance at her now, he would kiss her again. And that would be a huge mistake.

Kissing Juliana was dangerous. It had taken every ounce of his willpower to stop. He’d wanted to go on holding her forever. If they were husband and wife, he reminded himself, he wouldn’t have to stop. He could kiss her whenever he liked.

The thought kicked his heart into a wild gallop, and his stomach did a flip-flop.

Juliana was a beautiful, desirable young woman. He couldn’t deny that he was attracted to her. When she was near, he was lucky if he could put two words together. With those innocent green eyes and sweet mouth, she had the power to drive all rational thought from his mind.

He didn’t necessarily enjoy not having control over his emotions like that.

Camp came into view then, and they parted ways without a word. It was just as well. He hadn’t a clue what to say.

B
reakfast was a solemn affair. After prolonged goodbyes, they finally hit the trail. Juliana didn’t seem inclined to talk, which suited him just fine.

He glanced upward, pleased to see not a single cloud in the vast blue sky. Anticipation bloomed in his chest. Soon he would be home.
Home.
It seemed like a lifetime had passed since he’d seen the place. He was eager to see for himself how the animals and crops were faring under his cousin’s supervision.

In hindsight, Evan realized that he hadn’t really handled the whole situation as well as he could have. His letters home had been few and far between. And he hadn’t told Luke how much he appreciated everything he’d done since James’s passing.

Well, he would have a chance to correct his wrongs that night. By suppertime, he fully intended to be sitting at his cousin’s table.

“You weren’t exaggerating, Evan. It’s absolutely breathtaking.”

Standing on the ridge overlooking his beloved valley, Juliana surveyed the scene.

Far below, encircled by majestic blue-green mountains, lay his home. Fields and fences, cabins and barns crisscrossed the verdant valley basin. Even the white clapboard church, with its white cross reaching toward the sky, was visible from the mountaintop. Shimmering ribbons of blue cut large swaths across the valley.

Evan appeared pleased by her declaration. He grinned at her, and she could see the excitement in his eyes. “Shall we go?”

Their descent took just under two hours. Evan halted Lucky near the first homestead.

At the mix of emotions crossing his face, Juliana asked, “Is that your cabin?”

“No, this is Luke’s place. My land starts on the other side of that tree grove.” He pointed to a spot about a mile distant. “We’ll have supper with him first.”

Apprehension warred with curiosity. She could only imagine the man’s reaction when Evan showed up on his doorstep with a strange woman.

Juliana spotted a large dog on the front porch. He noticed them at the same time and let out a warning. The animal’s noisy barking alerted Lucas Harrison, because almost immediately the front door swung open and a man appeared in the doorway.

Evan tipped his hat back and waved. “Hello, cuz,” he called. “I sure do hope you’ve got supper on the table ’cause I’ve been dreaming of a home-cooked meal for days!”

A wide smile broke out on the stranger’s face. With a word to the dog to stay put, he leapt off the porch and strode quickly across the grass to meet them. “My eyes must be deceiving me! I was beginning to wonder if you were ever coming home.”

Evan held out his hand, which Lucas accepted only to
tug Evan close for a quick but enthusiastic hug. Releasing him, Lucas turned his attention to Juliana.

Her cheeks burned beneath his scrutiny. He was obviously curious as to her identity but too polite to question her.

“Hello,” he offered with a kind smile. “I’m Lucas Harrison. But my friends call me Luke.”

Evan stepped closer to her, and she caught the warning glance he shot his cousin. “Luke, this is Juliana O’Malley.”

He tipped his head. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss O’Malley.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Harrison.” Evan’s cousin was handsome and charming, although not quite as striking as Evan.

“Please, call me Luke. Whenever someone calls me
Mr. Harrison,
I automatically look around to see if my father’s nearby. Can’t seem to get used to it.” His gaze volleyed between the two of them. “You both look parched. How does a glass of lemonade sound?”

“Wonderful,” Evan huffed. “Juliana?”

“I’d love some.”

“Evan, why don’t you show Miss O’Malley to the house? I’ll see that Lucky gets a drink, and then I’ll be right in. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” He clapped Evan on the shoulder. “Think you can remember where everything is?”

“I’ll do my best.” At Evan’s dry response, Juliana hid a smile. She sensed the two cousins teased each other often.

Inside, the smell of meat roasting in the stove tantalized her nose. They’d had a light lunch of beef jerky and hard biscuits hours ago, and she was hungry.

A glance around revealed a home that was neat and
tidy, if sparsely furnished. The windows were bare and the only touch of color in the room came from the blue settee sitting in front of the fireplace. Gauging from his home, Luke Harrison struck her as a man of simple tastes.

“Here you go.” Evan appeared at her side with a tall glass of lemonade.

She sipped the cool, tart liquid and sighed. “That’s delicious.”

“We’ve been walking for hours. Why don’t you have a seat? If you don’t mind being on your own for a few minutes, I’d like to have a word with Luke before supper.”

“I’ll be fine.” Placing her glass on the oval coffee table, she sank down onto the settee and untied the strings of her bonnet. “He must have a lot of questions.”

He drained the remainder of his drink and set it on the table next to hers. “Juliana,” he began, his eyes searching, “I plan on telling him the truth about our situation. Do you mind?”

“As I see it, we have no other choice.”

He cocked his head to one side. “I could tell him it’s none of his business.”

Juliana could tell by his serious demeanor that the decision was indeed hers to make. Clearly, Evan wanted to tell his cousin everything, which meant he trusted him to keep it quiet.

“If you trust him, then so do I.”

“I do.”

“Who is she?”

Leaning against the stall door, Evan stroked the mare’s nose and tried to formulate an answer. No matter how he said it, his cousin wasn’t going to be pleased.

“I’m not going to like what you have to say, am I?” Luke said finally.

Evan decided to be blunt. “I kidnapped her.”

“
What
did you say?”

“She walked in on a robbery. I tried to get her out of there, but my
colleague
had other plans.”

Feet planted wide and arms folded across his chest, Luke leveled a steady glare in Evan’s direction. “Do you realize how outrageous that sounds coming from
your
mouth? Those words don’t even begin to match up with the man I know you to be. Explain yourself.”

“I realize this is hard for you to swallow. Believe me.” He thrust his fingers through his hair. “I’m having a hard time understanding it myself.”

“Juliana didn’t appear to be here against her will, however. In fact, the two of you seem to be on friendly terms.”

“Yeah.” Evan’s mind drifted to the kiss he’d won and how it felt to hold her in his arms. Many times today he’d been tempted to do it again, but had resisted.

“Evan,” Luke prompted sternly, “you look like a man in love. Tell me, how could that be?”

In love? With Juliana?
He cared about her, of course. Surely he wouldn’t have been foolish enough to let himself fall in love with her.

“I didn’t come out here to talk about my feelings.”

“So you admit to having feelings.” He cocked an eyebrow. His lips tugged upward in a teasing grin.

Evan shot him a warning glance, but said nothing.

“Fine, I’ll drop it. For now.” Luke turned serious once more. “So why didn’t you let her go? Why bring her here?”

He told him everything that had happened, including his belief that Fitzgerald had been trailing them.

“Oh, this is getting better by the minute,” Luke groaned.

“I know I’m out of favors, but I need you to promise me that you’ll keep an eye on her while I’m gone.”

“You have my word,” he agreed. “You look peaked. Have you been taking care of yourself?”

He really didn’t want to go into his illness at that moment. He was bone-tired. Maybe he’d pushed himself too hard. He’d be hitting the hay early that night. Literally. “You know how life on the trail can be. Not the best of conditions.”

“Let’s go eat then, so you can go home and get some rest.” He started for the barn door.

“Luke?”

He paused and looked back at Evan. “Yeah?”

“Thanks.” Gratitude overwhelmed him, making it hard to speak. He’d missed him. “I owe you.”

Understanding dawned, and Luke smiled. “Who knows? One day I may need a favor from you.”

“All you need to do is ask.”

As they waved goodbye to Luke Harrison, Juliana felt content. The meal, while nothing fancy, had been delicious—the tender beef roast dripping in rich gravy had melted in her mouth and the biscuits slathered with freshly churned butter and a touch of honey made her moan in delight. She grinned, remembering how surprised both men had been at the number of biscuits she’d consumed.

She’d enjoyed the lively conversation as well. Evan and Luke had entertained her with stories of their childhoods and teenage years. It was obvious the two men shared a close friendship, and she could tell both were pleased to be in each other’s company once again.

As they left the front yard, Evan urged Lucky into a canter. His arm held her fast, securing her against his muscled body. She reveled in their closeness, knowing it would soon come to an end. He would take the next day to do errands in town and check on his animals and garden, then leave the following morning. How long it would be before he returned she hadn’t a clue.

He slowed the big black when they emerged from the trees. They were on his land now. Crossing a shallow stream, they intersected a field with knee-high grass and entered another small cove before emerging beside long, even rows of plants. In the distance, a one-story cabin stood in the midst of several apple trees, the profusion of pink blossoms shining in the sun. Chestnut trees with spotted trunks lined the drive. A tall barn rimmed with animal pens stood just beyond the cabin.

Lush and green, with rounded blue mountain peaks in the near distance, his home took her breath away. With its tranquil scenery, she thought it even more beautiful than her beloved childhood home.

His cabin faced the mountains, with a wide porch on which to relax and enjoy the view. As they neared, she noted a glass-plated window on each side of the front door, as well as two rocking chairs. Stacked stone, likely from the nearby river, formed the foundation.

Halting Lucky directly in front, Evan jumped down and helped her out of the saddle. For the briefest of moments, he gazed down at her, his hands a warm weight on her waist. When he stepped back, she tried to hide her disappointment.

“Well, what do you think?” He swept his arm in a wide arc, his excitement showing in his sparkling eyes and bright smile.

She quashed her sense of loss. “It’s beautiful, Evan.
You must be so proud. Did you and James help your father build it?”

“Yes, we did.” He nodded slowly, his gaze moving along the roofline of the cabin, lost in memories. “Took us a month, only because we had a few locals helping. Otherwise, it would’ve taken longer.”

“Where did you live during that time?”

“Live?” His black brows winged up. “Here. Under the stars.”

“Your mother must’ve liked that,” she responded in a dry tone. A few days sleeping outside was tolerable, but an entire month? Mrs. Harrison would’ve been itching for a stove to cook on and a nice soft bed.

“She didn’t complain, but I’d catch her watching us at odd times during the day while we worked, as if she could somehow will the house to go up faster.”

Juliana smiled at that but said nothing.

“Once the cabin was finished, we had a barn raising. That took three days because the entire community came out to help. Despite the hard work, it was fun. Everyone brought food and we ate under those trees yonder.” He pointed to the sugar maples and oaks beside the barn. “When the sun went down, we had bonfires and music and dancing. Momma was thrilled to meet the other women.”

“How long did your parents live here?” she asked gently.

He turned to her, a bittersweet expression stealing across his face. “Not nearly long enough. Four years.”

“They were happy here? They didn’t regret leaving North Carolina?”

“Very happy.” Again, his gaze roamed the landscape. “We all fell in love with this place. About a year after we moved here, the tract next to ours came up for sale and, at
my father’s urging, my Uncle Clarence and Aunt Willa— Luke’s parents—bought it sight unseen. The three of us grew up together.”

In her mind’s eye, she imagined the three boys racing across this land. “So when James died, in a way Luke lost a brother, too.”

It was clear the notion hadn’t occurred to Evan. He was quiet a long moment. “Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I’ve never thought about it, but Luke was like a brother to us. I left immediately after the funeral. We never talked about our loss.”

“It’s never too late, you know.”

“You’re right. I might stop by his place before I head out in the morning.”

Juliana gave him an encouraging smile. “I think that will help the both of you.”

He held out his hand. “Come, let me show you inside.”

Juliana took his hand and allowed him to lead her inside the cabin. Standing inside the front door, she scanned the spacious living area and kitchen. Considering the sparseness of Luke’s cabin, she hadn’t expected Evan’s to be any different. But here there were cheerful yellow curtains adorning the windows, crocheted pillows piled on the sofa, and hand-stitched samplers hanging on the walls. Then she remembered that this had been his parents’ home, and his mother had likely added the feminine touches.

“There are two bedrooms down here.” He pointed to a ladder lying against the wall. “And as you can see a loft up there. That used to be my room when my parents were alive.”

“I see.”

Still holding her hand, he urged her toward the largest bedroom. A pretty blue-and-white wedding-ring quilt
covered the wide bed. She wondered if his mother made it. “This is mine now.” He ran a finger along the dresser and scrunched up his nose. “Sorry about the dust. No one’s been in here to clean while I’ve been away.” He turned to face her. “You’ll sleep in here tonight and the remainder of the time I’m gone.”

She opened her mouth to protest, but he raised a hand. “No arguments. I’m sleeping in the barn tonight and tomorrow tonight, so you don’t have to feel uncomfortable.”