All the same, she can't help thinking of Logan every time that Humby mentions love. She is frustrated at being held up. She has run across the street to try to catch Logan and every moment she spends now talking to Humby seems like a moment when Logan gets further away.
'I'm not staying here,' she says, 'I'm going to sell the ranch and you can be the one to buy it if you want, but don't think you'll get any more of me than that. Who knows, maybe if you'd said those things to me a few months ago when you were sober you might have stood a chance with them, but not now, not after what you've done to me.
'You know, I think I want you to buy the ranch. I want you to have it to remind you of what you could have had. Then maybe you might realize that you can't always get what you want by force.'
'Where will you go?'
'I'm not going to tell you that. But I'm leaving right now. You can put the money for the ranch into the bank for me. We can agree the price of your most recent offer.'
'Whatever you want Emily. I'd give you everything I have if you'd stay here and marry me.'
She pauses for a moment doubting that she has heard him correctly. He's offering her the whole of Walkers Creek. But this is Humby, a man you wouldn't trust to keep his word when he was sober. He could easily claim not to have remembered this conversation at all in the morning. What would she do then? Does she really find the idea of owning so much of the town that attractive?
It occurs to her that even if she convinces him to buy the ranch that he might still feign forgetfulness once he sobered up.
'I'll bet you already have the paperwork drawn up for purchasing the ranch from me.'
'I wouldn't presume to be so forward or to take so much for granted.'
'You really think I'm a fool don't you? You took it so much for granted you kidnapped me. I'm right though aren't I? You've got those papers ready?'
He nods, swaying a little.
'Fine, well maybe we go and get your signature on those papers and pay a visit to the bank.'
'And then you'll marry me?'
'One step at a time. You buy the ranch first. I want to see you keep your word just once.'
Of course she won't marry him but if it helps to motivate him then she'll happily dangle that carrot in front of him for a bit longer.
A sound behind her makes her turn hoping to see Logan coming down the stairs. It is only the barman coming back. She steps over to him and asks him quietly if he has seen Logan.
'Yes, he was just leaving the back way with his saddlebags and everything. If you ask me, he looked to be leaving town right away. I guess if you're quick you might catch him.'
She doesn't want to miss the chance to speak to Logan.
'Come on,' she says to Humby, 'let's go and take a walk. You could use the fresh air.'
He steps forward, lurches and catches himself. Then he steadies and walks out of the hotel with her beside him but not touching him.
On the steps of the hotel she looks across at Mannion's store and her heart sinks. There is only one horse tied up there now. Logan has already gone.
She looks up and down the street looking for him, straining to see the road beyond the creek but she cannot see him. He has gone and what is she left with? She has no home any more, her house and her belongings are all burned. She has lost her best friend, killed on an errand that she sent him on. All the loyal men that worked for her have shown her they have no loyalty at all. Logan or no Logan, she cannot stay in Walkers Creek. She will leave the town, even if it means riding out on her own. Even a lonely, dangerous journey will be better than staying here and marrying Humby.
Missing Logan makes her feel bitter and spiteful and she hurries the drunk Humby up the street, hoping that everyone sees what a fool he looks as he staggers. In his office, his assistant, Haskins, quickly produces the paper and Humby signs without complaint. Haskins looks uncomfortable with the fact that Humby is so clearly drunk, but he doesn't dare comment on it.
Haskins accompanies them to the bank where the manager greets them cordially and then cautiously when he smells what Humby has drunk.
He asks him several times if he is sure this is what he wants to do, but Humby insists and the transaction is complete.
She walks out into the street. She has money now, enough to last on a trip. Can she really face heading out alone? Who would ride with her? All her friends are gone. All but Mannion and he won't ride anywhere. She knows that she must go. She doesn't admit it to herself but she hopes to overtake Logan on the road, even though she doesn't know where he is headed. If she's going to do this, she must do it alone.
She squares her shoulders and puts a hand on the reassuring handle of the little derringer. She has a chance for a new life now, a chance to repent from the sins of her past. It is time to start anew.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Logan leads the horses up the narrow alley alongside the hotel. It seems too good to be true that he will get out of this town without any more trouble so he is still being cautious.
His arm throbs constantly from the exertion of loading up his horses. Being unable to use the arm makes him feel vulnerable, his gun hand is constantly needing to be occupied with other things like holding the reins of his horse.
'Deputy Tanner. I do hope this doesn't mean that you're leaving us.'
Logan whirls round to see the Sheriff stood behind him with the pearl-handled revolver held casually in his hand.
'Ah, I was just on my way to see you,' he lies.
'Really? And did you lose your badge?'
'No, I have it here.' He flicks the reins over the pommel of the saddle and reaches into his pocket to retrieve the badge.
'Why don't you wear it? Don't you want to be a deputy?' There is a bite of sarcasm in the Sheriff's voice.
'I don't think I'm cut out for it.'
The Sheriff takes the badge that Logan offers to him, all the while keeping the gun pointed at Logan's guts.
'That's really quite disappointing you know. I had hoped that making you a deputy would keep you out of trouble. I guess it hasn't worked out like that. Come with me.' He waves the gun 'I've got something to show you. It turns out there was more to McLaren's house than a bit of dynamite.'
Logan considers making a swipe for the gun or making a run for it but one-handed he'd have no chance. It was all going wrong again. His hopes of escaping the town are receding again. The Sheriff is going to lock him away for the dynamite and for killing the Mexican. He wonders if they'll try to pin Lake's death on him too.
The Sheriff ushers him to the end of the alley where they stop. A distant rumble from the bridge over the creek signals the arrival of several horses. Logan is confused, unable to fathom what the Sheriff wants to show him. Why aren't they just going straight to the jail? He wants to escape and ride away but there is still the problem of the gun pointed at him.
Rather than watching the riders coming up the street, Logan is looking at the front of Mannion's store. There is only one horse tied there now. Emily's horse has gone. She hasn't waited for him. He has missed his chance. She must have gone already. She has left without him. He tries to tell himself that he understands that she finds it difficult to forgive him for killing her friend, but it still hurts him. It hurts him more than his wounded arm. More than ever he wants to get away from Walkers Creek, if only for the chance of overtaking Emily on the road.
The riders come closer and Logan realizes that it is a posse of deputies. His last remaining chances of getting out of town are slipping away by the minute. Then he starts at the realization that there is a prisoner on a horse amongst this group. Could that be Emily? Have the deputies caught her? His emotions are torn between upset that she has been caught and delight at the chance to speak to her again.
This is all replaced with disappointment at seeing that the prisoner is not Emily at all. The deputies pull their horses to a halt alongside the Sheriff. Logan can see clearly that it is McLaren who sits bare headed on the horse
