Amalie’s face burned red with embarrassment as every person, including the waiter, watched the two of them.
“Please, Deke. Everyone is watching,” Amalie pleaded. “Let me sit down.”
When she sat, Deke sat across from her and said, “Finish your supper. I just want to sit here and look at you to be sure you’re unhurt.”
“I’m all right, I assure you. You must be hungry. Please, have something to eat.”
Deke nodded to the waiter and said, “Bring me what my wife is having.”
Amalie ate slowly, waiting for Deke to get angry, but after the waiter had set his plate in front of him, Deke asked quietly, “How did you get here? You certainly didn’t ride all this way. Speaking of riding, where is Honey?”
Amalie blew out a breath. “I didn’t ride all the way. I took the stage from the first town I came to, and that’s where Honey is. I paid the man at the livery to take care of her, and when I told him you would be in to get her, he seemed to want to do whatever he could to help me. Your name certainly impresses people. I was going to send you a telegram, letting you know where she was. I didn’t steal her.”
Deke chuckled. “You can’t steal what belongs to you. The marshal told me you were worried you’d be arrested for horse thievery.”
“Please, don’t laugh. I thought they might hang me as a horse thief.”
“In civilized towns, they don’t hang horse thieves until after a trial,” Deke said, keeping his tone light. “No judge would find you guilty of taking Honey.”
Amalie mumbled, “I am sorry.”
“It’s all right. I understand,” Deke told her.
Amalie continued, “I couldn’t see any way out. Laura’s cousin said there was a bounty on me, and she was going to write to Rex and tell him where I was. Laura said that she could use the money, and I deserved it for taking you from her. I knew she loved you, but she frightened me, and not just for me—Rex might hurt you and Nate, too. I can’t have either of you hurt on my account.”
“We won’t be, and Laura needs to learn that I’ll never love her. What she did is unforgivable. This goes far beyond jealousy. She has to understand what could have happened to you by writing to Rex Horrison,” Deke said.
“What if she already wrote to him? He’ll let his people know, and someone may come after me,” Amalie said, and she shuddered.
“That’s another good reason for you to come home. You’ll be safe on the ranch. If anyone takes Rex up on his offer, they’ll look for you in town, and you won’t go into town alone. The marshal sent a telegram to the marshal in St. Louis to have him look into Caldwell to see what Horrison is doing about that supposed bounty,” Deke explained. He reached out to hold Amalie’s hand.
“Will anyone be able to stop Rex? I don’t know why he’s doing this,” Amalie answered, wondering if her fear showed on her face.
“He may feel as if his pride has been injured. I suppose it depends on how much he talked about auctioning you off at his saloon. The marshal’s also sending out a telegram to every telegraph office from here to St. Louis regarding the bounty. It won’t take long for word to get around that the woman Rex put a bounty on is my wife,” Deke said.
“That will help?” Amalie questioned. “How?”
“Knowing that you’re my wife will hopefully be enough to stop them, but any man who thinks he can come after you will know that I will find him and there is no place for him to hide. If nothing else, it may buy us some time. Only a fool would consider going after the bounty, and the foolish seldom know what they’re doing. Please, don’t worry,” Deke said.
“I’ll try,” Amalie said.
“Good. Now, I want you to get some sleep, and we’ll head for home tomorrow. I had the hotel give me the room next to yours. One scream and I’ll be in your room before you can scream a second time,” Deke assured Amalie.
Deke held out his hand, Amalie took it, and he walked her to her room. She said good night at her door, and threw her arms around him and whispered, “Thank you for caring enough to come after me and keep me safe.”
~ * ~
Before Deke had the chance to respond, Amalie slipped into her room and closed the door. He stood there for several moments staring at the door. She had thanked him for caring. Of course, he cared. He’d have done the same for anyone—did she think that he wouldn’t do the decent thing and treat her differently?
He remembered the fear that had coursed through him when he’d found Amalie’s note, saying she was leaving and that she was sorry she’d caused him trouble.
Trouble? How could she ever think she was any trouble? She’d brought more sunshine into his life than he’d known over the past five years.
Did he care? Yes, he did, but he questioned how deeply.
~ * ~
The stagecoach ride home seemed faster than when Amalie had left, but she assumed it was because she and Deke spoke most of the way. He told her of his future plans for the ranch and asked her opinion on various topics. He didn’t mention their marriage or an annulment, but he also didn’t drop any clues to say he wanted her to remain as his wife.
She said a prayer that she might be in his future since she had already lost her heart to her handsome husband.
Nate met them at the stagecoach stop with the wagon, happy to see Amalie back safe and smiling.
