“Engaged to be married.” Charles quipped as he opened his door and slowly made his way to the table. “If you’d wanted privacy, Danny, you should’ve taken a walk. I heard every word through my window.” He flashed them a sheepish look. “I apologize for not alerting you to that fact. Meredith, I consider Daniel my brother, so that means you’re to be my sister-in-law, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Welcome to the family, lass.”
“Thank you, Charles. I’m proud to call you kin.”
Daniel stirred the fire embers in the cook stove and added wood. Just as Charles lowered himself onto a chair, he heard the sound of a rider out front, followed by stomping feet on the porch and a knock on the door.
“What now?” Daniel said as he crossed the room and opened the door. “Bill, come in. What brings you out our way?” He stepped back to give the sheriff room to enter.
“I have news, and I thought I’d look in on Charles.” He stepped inside. “It’s good to see you up and about, Charles.”
“I’m healing well thanks to Meredith and Dan’s ministrations.”
“Good to hear. Smells good in here. I hope I’m not interrupting your supper.”
“Not at all.” Daniel gestured to the table. “Join us for tea?”
“I appreciate the offer, but I can’t stay.” Bill surveyed the room. “Where’s Oliver?”
“He’s on his way home,” Meredith said.
“Without you?” Bill’s brow rose a fraction.
“Meredith and I are to be married in a few weeks, and Oliver had obligations back home,” Daniel said, unable to keep the wide grin from his face. “He couldn’t stay.”
“I can’t say I’m surprised you two are getting hitched,” Bill said, taking a seat. “I’m happy for you both.”
“Thank you.” Daniel leaned against the kitchen counter. “So what’s the news?”
“Turns out there are bounties on all three of our outlaws. I had the barber take a picture of their corpses before burial, and I’m applying for the rewards. I’ve already talked to the rest of the men, and we’ve agreed to split the money equally among us. It’ll likely take months before we receive the funds though.”
“Meredith and I will likely be in Ireland by the time the money arrives. Charles, will you divide my share among the widows in town? I know for a fact Mrs. Jenkins and Mrs. Sanderson would love to return to their kin in the East if they had the means.”
“Aye, Danny, and I’ll add my share to the pot as well.”
“That’s generous of you,” the sheriff said. “I’ll see that the ladies have an escort to Hellgate. There they can catch a coach heading East.”
“Thank you for everything, Bill,” Meredith said. “I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am that the threat is behind us.”
“About as relieved as I am I’d imagine. I’m beholden to you and your brother.”
“What about Joe Biggs? What will happen to him?”
“We questioned him. He swears he had nothing to do with the robberies. Without evidence or witnesses, we don’t have a case against him. We had to let him go.” He shook his head. “He disappeared in the dark of night, probably with a fortune that didn’t belong to him. The mayor sent word to the company that placed Biggs here, alerting them we need a new assayer.”
The sheriff rose from his chair, looking from him to Meredith. “The wife and I will be looking for an invitation to your upcoming nuptials. A wedding is just what we need in Garretsville after all the drama.”
“You’ll have it,” Daniel said as he walked Bill to the door.
After the sheriff left, Daniel turned to her. “I realize now I should’ve consulted you first before giving away our share of the reward. After all, you’re more entitled to the money than I am.”
“As your equal partner, I agree,” she said, walking toward him. She put her arms around his neck and went up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “However, I approve wholeheartedly with your decision, so I’ll forgive you.”
“Mmm,” he hummed, drawing his fiancée closer for a thorough kiss.
“I’m still in the room, you know,” Charles grumbled.
Laughing, Daniel let her go. “Ah, it’s good to be alive and in love. You should give it a try, Charles.”
18
Meredith held a ribbon-tied bouquet of wildflowers against her midriff. Dressed in her Edwardian walking suit and wearing a new bonnet, she stood just outside the small log church. Not exactly the ensemble she’d imagined wearing for her wedding day, but she didn’t mind. The morning couldn’t be any more perfect. A cloudless, brilliant blue sky provided a marvelous canopy for their wedding, and the air had hit that sweet spot where a body was warm but not uncomfortably so.
The only fly in her soup bowl of happiness was that her family wasn’t here to see her marry the man she loved. Okay, maybe there were two flies. She might never see her mom, dad, sisters and extended family again, and that put a permanent ache in her heart. She frowned as a third fly took a nosedive into her metaphorical soup.
For all her family knew, she’d been stranded in the past against her will—which was true—and they’d be determined to bring her home. Her family would ask for help from Boann and Alpin, and the Tuatha dé Danann were unpredictable. The possibility existed one or the other would come for her, snatch first and ask questions later.
The strains of a fiddle began, and Meredith’s heart and stomach flipped in tandem. Prudence Klein, who’d agreed to be her attendant, leaned close.
“It’s time, Meredith. If you aren’t certain, this is your last chance to back out,” she admonished.
“I’m certain,” she said, lifting her chin and throwing back her shoulders. She loved Daniel
