The Runaway Bride (9 page)

Lorelei was grateful when Sean’s tour ended moments later on the porch. His voice droned on in the background about how he planned to update the house, but she’d stopped listening to his words in the bedroom upstairs when reality had come crashing down around her. She braced her hands on the porch railing and pulled in a deep breath.

Foolish. Foolish. Foolish. I should have known. Of course, he would expect a real marriage and he’d want to have children. What man wouldn’t? Why didn’t I ever think that far? Why am I even surprised?

The truth was frightening. She’d been living in denial. The world she’d carefully constructed by avoiding her problem and stuffing her feelings as deeply within her as possible was nothing but sham. This was reality. A mirthless smile tilted at her lips.

How ironic that in running from a marriage with a man I couldn’t love, I will find myself bound by that same union to a man who will never love me. Every day I’ll have to live in his house, eat at his table, be the mother of his children and never know his love. What I spared Lawson in marrying me, I condemned myself to through my own willfulness.

She felt Sean’s comforting but fleeting touch on her back and jerked away from him in surprise. He settled his forearms on the railing. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”

She refused to respond, but the silence worked against her fervent feelings. It lengthened between them until Lorelei felt her shoulders begin to relax and her fingers loosened their anxious clasp on the railing. Sean looked up from his relaxed stance to try to capture her gaze. “I know we said we’d pretend to court. I guess you thought we’d feign a marriage, too.”

“I certainly did,” she stated unapologetically. “I just don’t understand why you’d want to bring children into a situation like this.”

“That isn’t something we have to decide today or even next year, but I guess I’m just hoping it won’t always be like this.” He turned to her. “As for feigning a marriage, we may not have much of a choice in this situation but we can choose to go about it the right way or the wrong way. The wrong way is letting this turn our entire lives into a lie.”

She turned away from the truth of his statement to stare toward the fields. “What’s the right way?”

“The right way is to do our best to fulfill your father’s expectations while putting aside our past and trying to create a friendship, if nothing else.”

She stilled. “Friendship?”

He stepped closer. “I know we were practically enemies as children, but when we grew up we were friends for a while, weren’t we? What happened at the Harvest Dance a few years ago that suddenly changed that?”

She could hardly believe they were having this conversation now after so many years had passed—but wasn’t that event what had fueled the last sparks of animosity in their relationship? She shrugged lightly. “You showed up with another girl. What was I supposed to think?”

“I did it as a favor to Chris. He was sick and didn’t want Amy to miss out. Besides, I never thought you’d immediately start courting my best friend.”

“You hadn’t said anything definite up to that point. I thought it meant you didn’t like me after all. Lawson saw that I was upset, though I wouldn’t tell him why. He walked me home. He offered to be my beau.” She smiled wryly. “Looking back, I think he just offered out of sympathy, but I said yes.”

“Why?”

She confronted his intense stare with the truth. “I didn’t think you’d care.”

“I did.”

“You cared.” She turned away from his quiet words with a laugh. “Oh, sure.”

He caught her arm and gently tugged her so that she faced him again. “Why are you laughing? Don’t you believe me?”

“I believe you cared. You cared enough about Lawson to carefully explain all of my faults to him when he told you he wanted to court me.”

His eyes narrowed. “Did he tell you that?”

“No, I overheard you. I was supposed to wait in the buggy, but I didn’t.” She’d wanted to see his face when he heard the news. She’d wanted to know if it would matter to him. He’d answered that question for her pretty quickly.

“You weren’t supposed to hear that.” His hand loosened on her arm. “I didn’t mean it.”

She wanted to believe him, but his every action after that moment called him a liar. She let out a sigh and shook her head. “That was ages ago anyway. What does it matter now?”

“You’re right,” he said seriously. “We’re adults now. We should be able to put all of that behind us. Do you think we can?”

She glanced up at him to search his face and found nothing but sincerity. “I suppose we’d better. After all, I’m supposed to marry you and live here with you and possibly have your children. I should probably at least consider you a friend, first.”

Relief at her agreement played at his features. He leaned his shoulder onto the porch post and nodded seriously, but a hint of amusement played at his lips. “I know. It’s a pretty raw deal, isn’t it?”

Was he trying to charm her? It was almost working. She leaned her back against the railing and shook her head in disbelief. “You have to admit it sounds a little crazy.”

“It is,” he agreed. “But, I think we can do it.”

I guess I’ll have to try the whole “love your brother” concept.
She gave a nod of agreement. He gave her a hopeful smile as if he was truly inviting her into a friendship with him. Her heart gave a rebellious jump. She bit her lip and glanced away with one thought echoing through her mind.
He certainly is
not
my brother.

Chapter Ten

S
ean slid into the chair across from Richard as the man searched through his large mahogany desk. “This should explain all of the safety procedures we use at the bank. I go over this with each of my employees when they begin working for me.”

Sean perused the paper he’d been handed. “I see you have information here regarding what to do during a bank robbery.”

“Of course, but thankfully, we’ve never had to use it.” Richard watched Sean carefully. “Is there a specific threat to my bank that I should know about?”

“Not at this time,” Sean said. He couldn’t pass along any specifics because he didn’t have any yet. His investigation on Calhoun had only revealed that the man had a penchant for drinking and gambling. The telegrapher hadn’t seen hide nor hair of the man since the news of Frank Bentley’s escape from jail. There were no indications that the outlaw was heading to Peppin, but Sean continued to be watchful for any man who bore a resemblance to the wanted poster now hanging in his office.

He’d also surreptitiously learned as much as he could about Smithson after Lorelei’s tip. From outward appearances, the man seemed above suspicion. He lived at Bradley’s Boardinghouse. He’d seemed to have taken an interest in Bradley’s eldest daughter, Amy, and was well liked by the other boarders. So far, there was nothing to connect him to Calhoun besides the fact that they both had rather vague sources of income. No one had mentioned seeing the two of them together, and there was no crime record for either man with the state.

Unfortunately, at this point a general warning was all he could issue. “I’m just asking several of Peppin’s businesses to make sure that they have adequate security measures in place to ward off criminals. I don’t want people to become complacent just because we haven’t had trouble yet.”

Richard nodded thoughtfully. “Now that you mention it, with that railroad coming through town, I’m surprised we haven’t had more of an increase in crime during the last five years.”

“Yes, well, the sheriff’s department is always looking for preventative measures we can put in place to deter that kind of activity.” He lifted the paper. “May I keep this?”

“Certainly.”

He folded the paper and placed it in his pocket just as a knock sounded at the study door. Richard called for the person to come in. Lorelei leaned inside. Her eyes met his for an instant, then she glanced toward her father with a teasing grin. “Are you two going to sit here all afternoon? Sean and I are going to be late if we don’t leave soon.”

Richard sent Sean a wry smile. “I think that means she’s finally ready to go.”

Lorelei smiled and lifted one shoulder in a playful shrug. “Well, a girl has to look just right for her first official evening as part of a couple.”

Sean was surprised by the complete lack of sarcasm in her tone. Was she really committing to the friendship they’d agreed to? When she caught his gaze and properly read his surprise, a smile tilted at her lips. Lorelei hardly waited until they left the study to whisper, “Were you talking about the bank? Did you find out some new information?”

He shook his head. “Just safety procedures. Have you heard from Smithson?”

She handed him his Stetson from the hat rack. “No. I would have told you if I had.”

He opened the door for her, then followed her out. “Maybe he believed that you hadn’t heard anything after all.”

“I hope not.”

He sent her an exasperated look which only caused her to widen her eyes innocently. He shook his head as he closed the front door behind them. When she turned toward him, he didn’t move but inclined his head toward her and looked deep into her eyes, hoping that he might be able to discern some of her emotions. Things between them had been going more smoothly since their truce at the house, but he couldn’t let himself get complacent yet. Her behavior could be so hard to predict. He was half waiting for her to suddenly change her mind about their agreement. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

She lifted her chin. “Entirely. Why? Aren’t you?”

He suddenly felt more nervous than he had in a long time. He lifted his shoulders in a shrug and gave a curt nod. “I’m ready.”

“Then let’s go,” she said. She turned away but not before he saw a slightly victorious smile tug at her lips.

He stifled a groan. As long as she cooperated they’d be just fine. Now, if he could only figure out what exactly she thought she’d just won.

* * *

Lorelei pulled in a deep breath of country air as the horses in front of her father’s buggy trotted along the well-worn road toward the O’Brien farm. A satisfied smile settled at her lips. She’d done it. She had managed to be nice to Sean while being herself. Of course, it hadn’t been entirely easy. She’d felt her heart nearly jump out of her chest when she realized he wasn’t stepping away outside the front door, but she’d firmly reined in that silly impulse. So there. She could do this after all.

Suddenly Sean pulled off onto the side of the road toward the shade of an oak tree. She clenched the wooden seat in alarm as the wagon bounced over the uneven land. “What are you doing?”

He parked the wagon under the tree, then hopped out and rounded the buggy. “I just thought of something we need to do before we join my family.”

“What is it?” she asked as he lifted her from the buggy to settle her on the ground in front of him.

“This.” He reached out to take her hand, and she immediately tugged it away. “You always withdraw from me when I touch you.”

“I don’t
always,
” she began, then stopped herself when she realized they both knew he was right.

“We need to be comfortable with each other. People notice when others are on edge. You, Lorelei Wilkins, are definitely on edge. We have to fix that.”

He held out both of his hands to her in a silent challenge. She looked at them for a moment, then placed her hands in his. He seemed to wait for her to withdraw. When she didn’t, he clasped her hands and let them fall casually between them.

“Much better,” he murmured. “By the way, if I happen to say something you think is funny, go ahead and laugh. Or if you’re happy, smile. Don’t hide what you’re feeling from me or others.”

“Are you abiding by these rules, too?” she asked, wondering how long he was planning to hold her hands. She was pretty sure this was a test and refused to be the first to pull away.

He winked. “Sure, but you have to say something funny first.”

Her heart jumped in her chest at his wink, dislodging an almost reluctant laugh in the process. He nodded in approval at the sound. “You should probably know my family has very little sense of personal distance. They also tend to hug a lot, so expect that.”

“It might take me a while to get used to it,” she admitted. “My family doesn’t particularly emphasize that sort of thing. Neither did Lawson.”

“I’ve noticed that your family is more formal than mine. Lawson has always been that way. I think it has something to do with whatever happened before he came to Peppin.” He finally released her hands and stepped back. “Now you reach out to me. You can’t hold my hand. We already did that. Do something else.”

She stared at him blankly as butterflies began to dance in her stomach. She didn’t like this game. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her skirt. “I can’t.”

“You can.” He smiled in what must have been an attempt to put her at ease. It only increased her nervousness. “You’re overthinking it.”

She pulled in a deep breath. “You said your family hugs a lot.”

He nodded.

“All right then,” she breathed. Stepping forward, she reached around him to give him a light hug, then immediately stepped back.

He chuckled. “What was that?”

“A hug.”

His chuckle changed into a full-grown laugh. “That was the poorest excuse for a hug I’ve ever experienced.”

She stared at him in shocked amusement, then shook her head. “When I see your family I’m going ask them why you’re so mean. Just you wait and see if I don’t.”

“Tut, tut. Friends, remember? Try it again.”

She crossed her arms and just looked at him.

He grinned. “I’m sorry for laughing. Show me you forgive me.”

She let out a long-suffering sigh as she realized he wasn’t going to leave well enough alone until she complied. It had nothing to do with how nice it felt to laugh with him or have him smile at her like that—even if it had scarcely ever happened before. She slipped her hands around his waist, intending only a slightly prolonged repeat of her last hug. But just as she was about to step away, he swept her into his arms, nearly lifting her feet off the ground. She stumbled slightly as he set her back on her feet, then murmured in her ear. “That’s what I call a hug.”

“For goodness’ sake. Do your sisters do that, too?” She threw back her head to see his face. He was already bending down, so they found themselves so close their noses nearly brushed. His eyes captured hers, causing them both to still. She swallowed. She could have sworn his eyes dropped to her lips, then immediately danced away. He released her. “No. Not exactly. We’d better get going. We don’t want to be late.”

* * *

Sean couldn’t help stealing a sideways glance at Lorelei as the buggy approached his family’s farm. She’d hardly spoken since their hug. Perhaps that was for the best. He wasn’t sure what to say, either. He’d wanted to make sure she was comfortable with him before they faced their first test as a couple. He hadn’t planned on the sudden vulnerability their closeness unleashed in her eyes. In that moment, he’d wanted to assure her that everything would be all right. That he’d never hurt her. He’d wanted to kiss her.

He pulled in beside the other vehicles and set the brake with a bit more force than necessary.
Keep yourself in check, O’Brien. You can be her friend. You can protect her. You can even marry her, but don’t start letting your heart get in the way of your head. Remember who she is and what she’s like. If you let yourself care for her too deeply, she’ll only let you down.

Ellie must have spotted them coming because she hurried across the yard toward them. As soon as he helped Lorelei down from the buggy, his little sister embraced her in a hug. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

Lorelei managed to give her a decent hug in return. “Thank you! So am I. I hope we aren’t late.”

Ellie waved away her concern. “Oh, don’t worry about that. There is no real time structure to this. We just wanted to give everyone a chance to socialize with each other.”

Ellie promptly turned to give his chest a playful little punch in greeting. He absorbed the harmless blow by pulling his sister into his arms for a quick hug. “Is everyone here?”

“No, we’re still waiting on a few others to arrive.”

Lorelei glanced at Sean then cleared her throat. “Ellie, there is something Sean needs to tell you.”

He placed a stilling hand on her shoulder. “It’s all right, Lorelei. My family knows the truth about us.”

Ellie nodded. “We certainly do. I told him I think it’s romantic.”

Her gaze flew to him in surprise. “Romantic?”

“There’s no accounting for taste,” he said with a shrug.

Ellie only smiled in response to their protests. “Lorelei, now that you’re practically family, you’re welcome to come here anytime you like. There’s always plenty to do. We can go riding, wading, anything you like.”

“Thank you, Ellie. Maybe I will.”

“I hope so.”

Sean and Lorelei followed Ellie through the few people who stood outside the house in groups of twos and threes. He felt tension rise in Lorelei’s shoulders as they drew nearer to the door. His hand landed in a proprietary touch near the back of her waist. She stiffened for a moment but managed to relax by the time they stepped into the house. He glanced around and was relieved to find that since the house was crowded no one seemed to notice that they entered together. He smiled wryly.
Honestly, did I expect the entire room to stop what they were doing to gasp and stare?

Someone called Ellie’s name. The girl sent them an apologetic smile and promised to return quickly before she set off across the room to a group of young women. It took him a moment to realize that he was practically pushing Lorelei along because she’d stopped moving forward almost completely. He glanced down to find her worrying her bottom lip as she scanned the crowd with a slightly lost look on her face. He pulled her closer to ask at a volume only she could hear, “Are you all right?”

She straightened. “Yes. I just got a little intimidated for a moment. I haven’t seen some of these people since the wedding. Now I’m showing up here with you only a month later. What will they think?”

“We can’t control that. We can only control what we do. We said we were ready. Now we have to prove it. All right?” He waited until she nodded before he ushered her toward the kitchen. “Come on. Let’s find Kate.”

Sean immediately spotted his cinnamon-haired older sister laughing with Mrs. Lettie as the two finished preparing the food. He snuck up beside his sister, then darted around her to kiss her cheek. Kate jumped, then grinned at him even as she shook her head in exasperation. “What if I’d accidentally stabbed you with my knife?”

“You would have sewn me right back up. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Lettie?”

The doctor’s wife who’d been their mother’s closest friend barely glanced up from playing with her three-year-old honorary grand-niece. “I learned a long time ago not to get drawn into sibling squabbles.”

Kate set aside her knife to welcome Lorelei with a smile. “Lorelei, Ellie told me you were coming. I’d hug you but my hands are a bit messy. I’m glad you came.”

“Thank you for inviting me,” Lorelei said graciously, then greeted Lawson’s adoptive mother, Mrs. Lettie Williams, with an easy familiarity. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“There isn’t much left to do, but if you want to wash your hands and put on an apron I certainly won’t stop you.” Kate nodded over to where a spare apron hung on a hook. “Sean will tie it for you, won’t you, Sean?”

Before he could respond his nephew tugged at his arm. Sean glanced down, then sent Kate a sly grin. He caught the boy by the waist and threw him up into the air before catching him and setting him safely on the ground. The little boy let out a whoop of joy and begged Sean to do it again.