“We can,” Blake stated wrapping an arm around Darcy and pulling her close. “You just keep us safe and we’ll bring this whole thing crashing down.”
Chapter 24
The drive to the court house was tense, but Blake never let go of Darcy for a second as they were hustled through the noisy crowd of onlookers and reporters.
Beckett lived up to his promise and provided tight security for his star witnesses. When Hawkins was brought to the dock, his steely eyes landed on Blake and his glare of pure hatred nearly reached the young man’s soul.
“Are you ready?” Blake asked Darcy when she was called to the stand.
“I’m ready,” she said, squeezing his hand and rising to her feet.
The whole experience was a whirlwind of words, pictures, statements, and arguments. The jury looked torn between disgust at the behavior of a man like Hawkins and fear of reprisal.
Blake feared that if the gang had gotten to any of the men in the box all he and Darcy had suffered would have been for naught, but when the verdict was returned a resounding guilty verdict finished off the master mind of the outlaw gang.
Blake sagged in his father’s arms as the verdict came in and together they exited the court house.
“I was worried there for a while,” he admitted on the drive back to the boarding house. “Darcy, you were great.” The young lawman lifted her hand brushing it with his lips.
“Thanks Turnip,” Darcy said, her voice droll. “Now that this is over, I guess I’ll be going.”
The car came to a stop at the house and Blake climbed from the back seat reaching in to help Darcy out then hobbling up the stairs to their rented rooms. “What do you mean going?” he asked, his voice low so only Darcy would hear.
“You don’t think I’m hanging around here do you?” Darcy said, her shoulders where stiff as they walked into the house. “I have my freedom, and I plan on making the most of it.”
“But where will you go?” Blake turned the woman to the side of the porch as his parents walked past them. “Will you go home? Where can I find you if, if we need something?”
“Turnip, don’t worry about me. I’ll go somewhere quiet. Find a job or something. There’s honest work out there if I look.”
Blake pulled the hat from his head and ran a hand through his dark hair. “Your picture has been all over the newspapers. How do you think you’re going to find work when everyone knows who you are?”
“I’ll leave the state.”
“Do you think that will make a difference? This was a major case. You won’t find a job out there.”
“What do you expect me to do?” Darcy growled. “I can’t just go home like you. No one there will want to see me. I have some money, I’ll start a shop, or something.”
“Come back to the Broken J with me,” Blake said, his heart burning with sorrow at the thought of her leaving. Darcy was smart, brave, and full of love if only she would let it in.
“Come back and have a rest there for a while before you decide what to do.”
“That’s not my home, it’s yours.” Darcy turned away looking out over the street. “You go home, get better.”
Blake huffed, a derisive sound. “Darcy I might never get better. Reese thinks this limp is permanent. I’m not even sure I’ll be able to return to the force after this. I’m no good for undercover work now since everyone and their brother knows who I am, and what I did.”
Darcy spun around, her dark eyes full of compassion. “That isn’t fair,” she gulped. “You did your job, and they won’t keep you on. You’re a great lawman, a good person, it isn’t right.”
Blake smiled. “No one said life was fair Darcy, it can be hard, but your attitude can make all the difference. If I can’t work in law, I can work on the ranch. I love raising horses and working with my father to make sure the best horses possible come from the Broken J. Come back with me. Just for a little while. Take some time before you decided what you’ll do next.”
Darcy shook her head, but her eyes couldn’t leave his. She wanted to go with him. She wanted to stay with Blake. His big heart had somehow opened up hers, and she knew she loved her hopeless Turnip. He deserved better than this though, and she knew she had to go.
“I can’t.”
“You can.”
“No,” Darcy turned away again, her heart breaking. “You have a future there, and there’s no part in it for someone like me.”
Blake felt his chest constrict and grasped Darcy’s arms turning her gently to face him once more. “You already have a place in it,” his words were soft. “Darcy, you need to realize that whatever your past God can wipe the slate clean. You’ve been given a second chance, maybe more than one,” he grinned and Darcy’s lips twitched. “What can it hurt to come to the Broken J for a couple of weeks?”
It could break my heart Darcy thought but felt herself weakening. Wouldn’t a couple of weeks to pull herself together be a good idea?
“Why?”
“Because you’re my friend,” Blake persisted. “Besides, who’s going to keep me out of trouble,” he added with a laugh.
“You do seem to find it fast enough don’t you Turnip?” Darcy grinned. “I guess I could ride along to see you get home safe, but I’m not staying.”
Blake smiled, his heart soaring with hope. Maybe once he got Darcy back to the ranch, he could get through to her. Maybe, surrounded by people who he loved and trusted, she could see who he really was and understand that he saw the woman she could be, if she would only surrender her will to a loving God.
“You won’t regret it,” he grinned. “I’ll even take you riding
