Margaret Brownley - [Rocky Creek 02] (24 page)

Finally, Mary Lou took the lead. “We’re getting ready to leave town.”

He stared at them. “You’re . . . leaving? Already?”

Mary Lou nodded. “Jenny is at the train station purchasing tickets as we speak.”

He narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t know you’d be leaving so . . . What about Jenny’s plan to find you both husbands?”

“Her plans haven’t changed,” Mary Lou said.

“She’s very determined,” Brenda added.

“She thinks she’ll meet with more success in Rockland Creek.”

He sat back. The news was like a bullet to his heart. Knowing Jenny, it should have come as no surprise. If it hadn’t been for that misprint in the newspaper, she and her sisters would never have come to Rocky Creek in the first place. Still, he hadn’t expected her to abandon the town so quickly. Especially since she had Hampton on a hook.

“When . . .” He cleared his voice and started again. “When are you leaving?”

“Soon,” Brenda said. “Probably on the next train heading that way.”

“The next—” Jenny sure didn’t waste time. “That’ll be tomorrow morning.” He drummed on his desk. He regretted telling Jenny about the misprint, but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Now he wasn’t so sure.

Since both women were staring at him as if they expected him to explode or something, he forced himself to sound happy for them. “It was nice meeting you both. I wish you the best.” The words felt like rocks in his mouth.

Neither sister made a move to leave.

“Is there something else?” he asked.

Mary Lou moistened her lips. “Jenny would kill us if she knew we were here.”

Brenda nodded and made a slicing motion across her neck with her hand.

He frowned. “Are you saying she doesn’t want me to know you’re leaving?” he asked, confused.

“It’s not that,” Mary Lou said quickly.

He lifted a newspaper and waved it once before letting it fall back on the desk. “I know about the misprint. I’m the one who told your sister.” His voice grew husky. “I’m sure she’ll find the men in Rockland Creek more . . . to her liking.”

“That’s just it,” Mary Lou said. “Jenny likes the men here just fine.”

“
Some
men,” Brenda amended.

“
One
man,” Mary Lou added.

Rhett scratched his head. “I’m not sure what you mean. Are you talking about Mr. Hampton?”

“No!” both women exclaimed in unison.

“Then who?” he asked, more confused than ever.

“She means that Jenny likes
you
,” Brenda blurted out with such force that even Mary Lou looked taken aback.

“
Likes
me?” he asked, aghast. Thinking he’d misinterpreted what they were saying, he decided to ask for clarification. “When you say she likes me, do you mean—”

They both nodded.

“That’s exactly what we mean,” Mary Lou assured him.

Rhett couldn’t believe his ears. Jenny
liked
him? How could that be? Except to question him about Hampton’s character, she’d all but ignored him since her release from jail. Liked him? Not possible. Was it?

Mixed feelings welled up inside. He didn’t want to know this, he didn’t. Still, some uncontrollable, rebellious part of him wanted it to be true.

He regarded the women with narrowed eyes. “If Jenny . . .” He shook his head in disbelief. “How come I don’t know about it?”

“Jenny would never admit such a thing,” Mary Lou said.

“Never,” Brenda concurred.

Mary Lou leaned forward. “She’s really very shy.”

Jenny, shy? What a laugh. Only he wasn’t laughing. Not laughing at all. Instead he sat forward. He had to make certain there was no misunderstanding.

“How do you know she . . .
likes
me?”

“We just do,” Mary Lou assured him in the mysterious tone women used whenever they discussed feminine matters.

“We just thought you’d like to know,” Brenda added.

The two women stared at him.

Finally Mary Lou pushed her sister toward the door, and they walked in tandem like they were attached at the hips. “We won’t take up any more of your time.”

After they were gone, Rhett sat at his desk in a state of confusion. She
liked
him. He shook his head. Not possible.

He didn’t meet her standards. His bank account was pitiful. What extra money he had, he sent to Leonard’s elderly parents. It was the least he could do for killing their son.

Her sisters were simply . . . what? Confused? Misinformed? Imagining things!

And what did it matter if she liked him or not? She’d been nothing but trouble since blowing into town. Thumbing her nose at his profession. Stirring up the men. Riling up the women. Now that she was leaving, maybe the town could get back to normal, and he could concentrate on restoring order.

Yes, it really was for the best, Jenny leaving and all.

He stood and paced around his office. Of course, Rocky Creek would never be the same once she was gone. Big blue eyes that seemed to change color at the drop of a hat. Yellow hair that turned to liquid gold in the moonlight.

He shook the thought away. Maybe once she left town the annoying memory of her sweet lips would go away. Perhaps then he could concentrate on work instead of wasting time watching for her to pass by his office.

The last thought struck him like a bolt from the sky. He hadn’t really thought about it, but that’s exactly what he did. He stopped pacing. He smiled at the memory of her walking by in that determined way of hers, shoulders back, head held high. His smile faded away. No denying it; he waited for her to walk past his office. Now why would he do that? To make sure she stayed out of trouble? Or . . . ?

He shook his head. There was no other possibility. He was simply doing his job and that required him to watch her like a hawk.

It didn’t matter that she was leaving town. Didn’t matter at all. He didn’t care if she stayed or left. Made no difference to him either way.

Oh, but it did. It did.

No matter how hard he tried to convince himself he wanted her to go, he couldn’t ignore the pain that ripped through him. Mary Lou’s words continued to claw at him and refused to go away. Jenny
liked
him.

And he
liked
her.

Blasted!

He’d denied it, ignored it, and pretended it wasn’t true, but no matter how hard he fought his feelings for her, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. It started with a simple kiss—a kiss meant to disarm her, nothing more. Instead, it broke through the guilt and grief that had encased his heart all these years. He had killed his best friend. He didn’t deserve to love or be loved. He didn’t.

And yet . . .

He couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving town.

Leonard, will you ever forgive me, my friend? Will you ever, ever forgive me for wanting what you can no longer have?

With quick, determined movements, he plucked his hat off a nail and pressed it hard on his head. He had run his share of misfits and troublemakers out of town since taking over as marshal, but never had he wanted anyone to go as much as he wanted Jenny to stay.

Twenty-one

The trick to chasing a man is knowing when to let him catch you.

— M
ISS
A
BIGAIL
J
ENKINS
, 1875

J
enny couldn’t make heads or tails of the railroad schedule posted outside the waiting room. Why did timetables have to be so downright complicated?

Sighing, she headed for the ticket booth to ask for information only to find a dozen people in line ahead of her. She took her place behind an elderly woman. Though it was late afternoon, it was still in the eighties. Nevertheless the old woman was dressed for winter in a gray wool gown and knitted shawl. A walking stick in one hand, she held up her lorgnette and gazed at Jenny through tortoise-rimmed lenses.

“I got off the train too soon,” the woman muttered in a crackling voice. “I thought this was Rainbow Springs.”

Jenny gave her a sympathetic smile. The woman wasn’t the only one who ended up in Rocky Creek by mistake.

The line grew longer, but the people ahead of her didn’t seem to move. Fanning herself against the heat of the late afternoon sun, Jenny tapped her toe and glared at the man in front of the ticket booth who seemed to be holding up the line.

At this rate, she’d be there all night. She had so much to do. If she didn’t get started, she’d never get everything done in time to board the morning train. She couldn’t leave without saying good-bye to Sarah and giving her darling little girl one last hug. And Scooter. She wanted to see him one last time.

She caught a glimpse of Rhett from the corner of her eye. What was he doing here? She strained her neck to get a better look and followed his progress until he disappeared behind a knot of people. Losing track of him altogether, she turned her attention back to the ticket booth. Rhett suddenly appeared by her side and she cried out in surprise.

“You startled me,” she said, her hand on her chest.

“Hey, Marshal,” someone called from behind. “Get in line and wait your turn.”

“I’m not staying,” Rhett called back, his gaze never wavering from her face.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

His eyes were dark beneath the brim of his hat, but no amount of shade could hide their intensity. “You’re leaving town,” he said, his voice thick.

Not sure how to decipher his tight expression, she frowned. “How did you know where to find me?”

“I have my ways.” His flippant answer was at odds with the serious tone of his voice.

“So which one was it? Mary Lou or Brenda?” she asked lightly. As much as she hated to admit it, she would miss bantering with Rhett Armstrong. The truth was, she would miss everything about him.

“Both. How did you guess?” he asked.

She pressed her lips together. If her sisters were so readily spreading news of their departure, they must be more eager to leave Rocky Creek than they let on.

“It was either them or Mr. Hampton. No one else knew of my plans. So why
are
you here?” she asked. “Did you come to say good-bye or good riddance?”

He studied her face with such intensity, she found herself blushing. It was as if he were trying to look into her very soul. “The question is why are
you
here? What about Hampton? I thought you’d settled on him.”

“Neither Brenda nor Mary Lou wish to be courted by him.”

“Your sisters show good judgment.”

She looked for teasing lights in his eyes, but none of his usual humor was evident. “Since I have been their sole caretaker these last several years, I’ll take that as a compliment. You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here.”

“I came to give you a reason to stay,” he said his voice low.

Her mouth went dry. Her heart thudded. He wanted her to stay? He couldn’t possibly. She must have misunderstood. To cover her confusion, she laughed.

“This should be interesting,” she said, her voice deceptively calm and lighthearted. “Do you plan to put me in jail again?”

“I hope that won’t be necessary.” He took a step closer, forcing her to look up at him.

Without another word, he slipped his arms around her waist and crushed her to him. Too shocked to protest, she unwittingly melted against him. His lips gently brushed hers before completely covering her mouth. With a soft groan he deepened the kiss, and currents of desire raced through her.

Oblivious to the gasps from stunned spectators, she kissed him back, savoring the sweet passion that flowed like music between them. Time and place had no meaning. All that existed were his lips, his arms, his all-encompassing embrace.

He pulled away, looking nearly as surprised as she felt. Her mouth still burning from his touch, she gazed at him, not knowing what to say. Her legs trembled and she feared they would buckle beneath her.

He looked deep into her eyes. As if he was suddenly aware of his surroundings, he glanced around before turning back to her.

“Meet me at my office,” he said softly. “I’ll be waiting.” Then quickly and, without further ado, he walked away.

Jenny couldn’t move. Her senses wouldn’t stop spinning. What in the world had possessed him to—? Possessed her to—?

The old woman in front of her let out a long lingering sigh, her eyes huge behind the lens of her lorgnette. A smile lit her weathered face, hinting at the pretty young girl who once resided there.

“That would make
me
want to stay,” she said.

Jenny left the railroad station in a hurry, cheeks burning. She tried to ignore the stares but there was no way to ignore her quivering limbs. What
was
that? Rhett Armstrong said he wanted to give her a reason to stay. He then kisses her and, without so much as an explanation, takes off?

She raced along the boardwalk, looking neither left nor right. Men scampered out of her way. Women stepped to the side. She hardly noticed any of them.

I came to give you a reason to stay
.

But why? Because he was interested in Mary Lou? Isn’t that what he once told her? Then why didn’t he just say so?

Oooh. The nerve of the man. How dare he make a spectacle of her? Who did he think he was? And what was the matter with her, getting all weak-kneed and shivery just because a man kissed her.

Not just any man. Rhett.

I came to give you a reason to stay
.

Her steps faltered. He sounded sincere. And the way he looked at her . . .

He wanted to protect you
.

She shook her head and picked up speed. He was playing games with her.

But the kiss, the kiss . . . This time she came to a complete halt. She took a deep breath and willed her heart to stop pounding. The last thing she wanted to do was let him see how much his kiss affected her.

Could it be that he—? No, no, she wouldn’t allow it. If perchance he had . . . feelings for her, it was because he didn’t know who or what she was. If he knew the truth, knew how another man had had his way with her, Rhett would most certainly want nothing to do with her.

He’s a good man
.

Yes, yes, he was. But God knew she was not a good woman.