Page 30 of The Sheriff and the Outlaw

Josey shook her head. “No, we just met.”

“Lillian, could you take Hannah for me please and go into the living room for a moment?” Ella asked as she quickly adjusted herself, never taking her eyes off Josey.

“Yes, ma’am.” Lillian walked around the table and held her hands out to Hannah. “You want to come with me?”

Hannah cooed as she happily held out her hands to her. Lillian gave the ladies one last glance over her shoulder and then walked out.

“Josey, are you all right?” Ella asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Josey nodded, still dazed, and then remembered the fish. “Oh, no! The fish!”

“It’s okay.” Ella pulled the skillet off the stove. “Josey, what’s wrong?”

She forced a smile, quickly recovering herself. “It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

“It’s not ‘nothing’.” Ella looked into her eyes, but Josey was careful to reveal nothing. “Josey, listen. We’ve all been somewhere. I was a dancehall girl before I married Colton. Now, we’re happily married and have twins.” Ella bit her lower lip, choosing her words carefully. “You don’t have to tell me, but whatever it is, you can tell Daxton. He’s a good man, Josey, understanding, and kind.” She rubbed Josey’s arm. “Give him a chance.”

Josey shook her head. “It’s not like that. He’s just helping me out—”

“Do you care for him?” Ella asked.

“I’m not sure. We just met—”

Ella nodded, understanding. “Well, whatever it is… whatever you’re hiding… you can tell Daxton… and you can tell me, too. The people here in Whiskey River will accept you for who you are now, not for your past.”

Josey stared at her in disbelief. “He’ll never forgive me. I can’t tell him… I can’t tell anyone.” Then she ran outside toward the barn and fell to her knees. “Why? Why did I have to meet Daxton now? Why didn’t Logan not stop when I told him to? Why?” She buried her head in her hands and sobbed, lettingout the years that she had spent as a victim at Logan’s hands... letting out the guilt over what she had done... everything.

“Josey?” Daxton’s voice was merely a whisper behind her. “What’s wrong?”

Josey hurried to dry her tears. “Go away.”

The crunching of leaves resonated behind her, louder. “Josey talk to me. What’s wrong? You can tell me anything.”

She turned her head in his direction without looking at him. “Then why didn’t you tell me you were the sheriff?”

The ground crunched again as he took another step closer. “I didn’t think it mattered.”

Josey wheeled on him. “If you didn’t think it mattered, then why didn’t you tell me?”

A crease formed between Daxton’s eyes. “I didn’t want to scare you.” He took another step closer to her, just an arm’s length away.

Josey laughed without humor. “Well, you were right about that.”

Daxton let out a deep breath. “I’m sorry, Josey. I just thought that after all you’d been through, you didn’t need any more pressure.”

“And why did you think it would pressure me?”

Daxton motioned toward the bruises in the shape of a man’s hand and cuts on her arms. The bruises had been from Logan, but the cuts she got on the run for a week. “This is why.” Daxton closed the gap between them. “Josey, no one here is going to hurt you. And if I have my way about it, no one will ever hurt you again.” He pulled her into his arms and let her cry on his shoulder. “You can talk to me. I won’t judge you.”

As the tears ran down her cheeks and onto Daxton’s shirt, she wished she could tell him everything… what she had done. But it was something she didn’t think she could ever tell anyone. Not if she wanted any kind of a decent life for her child.

“Josey, come inside,” Daxton whispered into her hair. “Please. Everyone’s in there waiting.” He pulled her back to look in her eyes. “Just promise me that you won’t leave without telling me.”

Josey thought for a moment. “That’s the least I can do for all you’ve done for me.”

Daxton took a step back as if she had just slapped him. “You don’t ever have to go, you know. I’ll take you to Laramie… help you to get a divorce—”

“I know,” Josey cut him off, not wanting to be tempted to stay. She could never endanger him like that. Who was she kidding? She could never have a nice life. Never again. “But I know you also have to do your job.”

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