Tightening his hold on her, he murmured, “If I had only known what you had planned, I would…” His voice trailed off.
Rosalie looked up at him. “You would have what?” she asked in disbelief. “Talked me out of it? Or come along with me?” She knew that Paden would have never left his responsibilities behind to become a bounty hunter.
He closed his eyes, but she could see the disappointment on his features.
“It’s better this way,” she spoke quickly, fearful of his response. “I am no longer the girl you grew up with.”
Paden opened his eyes, and she swore they glistened with unshed tears. “I’m starting to recognize that.”
No other words could have pierced her heart as deeply as Paden’s words just had. She had not prepared herself for the overwhelming heartache that came with his rejection. But it was for the best. He deserved to be happy…. just not with her. She wasn’t good enough for him anymore.
“The client was the embezzler?” Rosalie asked with fascination.
Paden nodded. “The client had hired the Pinkerton Detective Agency to throw off his law partners’ suspicions.”
“What did you do once you discovered the truth?”
Adjusting the reins in his hands, he replied, “We turned over the proof to the police and removed ourselves from the case.” He smirked. “The other partners were so pleased with our work that they paid our fee and then some.”
“Who knew being an agent was so exciting?” Rosalie teased, retrieving the basket from the back of the wagon.
For the past hour, Paden had filled the time by regaling Rosalie with stories of his previous assignments as a Pinkerton agent. He wanted to lighten up their conversation and attempt to show his wife that she wasn’t as different as she led herself to believe. His wife. That was something he could get used to.
“Would you like a sandwich?”
“That sounds delightful.”
Holding up two sandwiches, she joked, “You have a choice of ham or ham.”
“I suppose I will go with ham,” he responded, matching her jesting tone.
Rosalie handed him one of the sandwiches and asked, “Do you prefer working as a Pinkerton agent over being a deputy?”
Paden had just taken a bite, and he took a moment to chew as he considered his answer. “I enjoy working as an agent, but I also enjoyed working as a deputy, partially because I worked under your father. He was a dang good sheriff, the best, in fact.”
Glancing over, he saw Rosalie’s shoulders had slumped slightly, and he kicked himself for upsetting her.
“He was a good father too,” she murmured. “It had been just me and him for as long as I remember. I only have brief memories of my mother. I was so young when she died.”
The sadness in her voice was unmistakable, and he decided to liven up the mood… again. “Did I ever tell you about the time your father put a snake in the jail cell with a prisoner?”
“No. I haven’t heard that story before,” she said, angling her body toward him.
“The good sheriff arrested an inebriated man for drunk and disorderly conduct when he was running up the center of town in just his long underwear,” Paden shared.
Rosalie laughed, as he had hoped she would. “Oh dear.”
“On his way to jail, this man let it slip that he knew about a bank robbery that was going to take place,” he started. “However, once the guy had slept it off, he claimed he knew nothing about a bank robbery, and he had just been making stuff up.”
Taking the last bite of her sandwich, she wiped the crumbs off her hands. “I take it this is where the snake comes in?”
“Smart girl!” He nodded, giving her a wink. “Somehow your father knew this man was scared to death of snakes, and he went out into the woods, found a bull snake, and placed it in a bag. He released it into the cell and told the prisoner that it was a rattlesnake.”
“Didn’t the man notice that the bull snake lacked a rattle?” she asked, incredulously.
“He wasn’t that smart,” Paden remarked. “After only a few minutes with the snake, he divulged all the information about an upcoming bank robbery in town.”
“Allow me to drive the wagon while you eat,” she offered, holding out her hands for the reins.
He relinquished control, leaned his back against the bench, and lowered the brim of his hat. “I’m glad I went and got myself a wife. Now I can eat in peace when I’m traveling in a wagon.”
Rosalie laughed. “Does that happen often?”
“Shhh… woman. I’m trying to eat. Stop your nagging,” Paden jested, taking a large bite of his sandwich. Fearing he might have gone too far, he glanced over at her and saw a smile on her lips.
A short time later, he heard his wife say in a subservient tone, much to his amusement, “Husband, dear, we are coming into a town.”
Paden tipped his hat back. “That would be the town of Four Horses.” He held his hand out for the reins. “I can take it from here.”
With a playful smile on her lips, she remarked, “That’s not necessary. I am perfectly capable of driving a wagon into town.”
He shrugged. “Suit yourself. Just don’t run over anyone.”
Leading the wagon into the center of town, Rosalie stopped the team in front of the livery stable and set the brake. Paden jumped down, walked around to the other side, and assisted his wife to the ground.
“Can I help you?” a man’s voice asked from inside the livery.
Paden stepped closer to the burly man dressed in overalls. “Yes, I was hoping to store this wagon here for the day. Someone from the town of Silver Creek will be by later
