Page 201 of Conveniently Wed
Ol’ Mose gave him a look full of mystery, like he knew a secret. “I’m talkin’ about yer namesake from the Bible, son.”
Then the man’s gaze drifted to Leah and a fatherly smile touched his face. “What say you two young folks drive this wagon of vermin into town, and I’ll follow in my rig with me ol’ Blunderbuss trained on ‘em.”
Gideon nodded. “Is that what that thing is? I’ve never seen a gun quite like it.”
Mose held the squatty gun out like a royal crown. “Yep, my pa passed it down to me, and it’s served me well all these years. It sprays lead so it’s not so good fer huntin’ dinner, but awful good fer huntin’ scoundrels like these.” He gestured toward the three men tied in the wagon.
“Let’s get ’em back to the sheriff then.” Gideon kept his arm around Leah’s tiny waist as they moved to the front seat of the wagon. She fit so perfectly next to him. He lifted her up, then climbed beside her while she scrambled over to make room. She didn’t go very far, though. Good thing.
He gathered the reins in one hand, flicked them to move the horses forward, then slipped his arm back around Leah.
Leah would have been content to ride nestled under Gideon’s arm until the wagon drove off the face of the earth. Her hands had finally stopped shaking, but her muscles still hadn’t regained their strength.
“You up to tellin’ me what happened?”
The vibrato of Gideon’s voice rumbled against her ear, sending a purr of contentment through her. She drew in a deep breath, then released it in an unsteady whoosh. A little of thetension left her chest with the spent air. At last, her mind drifted back to the beginning of the terror.
“I was on my way to inquire about a job, but Mr. Jenson gave me bad directions.” She told about the run-down part of town she’d been sent to, and Gideon asked several questions about the specific location.
“When I woke up, I was already in the cave. It was so dark and cold, and they kept me tied and gagged the whole time.”
Gideon’s shoulder tensed under her cheek. “They didn’t…hurt you or…anything else, did they?”
She knew what he was asking. She pushed the memories back. “No, they didn’t touch me like that. The other men wanted to, but Jenson kept saying the boss wanted me clean.” She snuggled deeper into Gideon, and he wrapped his arm tighter.
“Did they say who the boss was?” His voice held a touch of steel, like he was trying to keep it corralled.
“Simon.” If the man had been there, she would have spat in his face.
“The man you were going to marry?”
“Yes.” Was that bitter voice really hers?
His thumb stroked her side, and the coarse stubble on his chin brushed her forehead as his lips touched her skin. “I’m sorry, love. I won’t let him hurt you again.”
Snuggled under his protective arm, she could almost believe him.
They rode that way for several minutes while her nerves eased. A few buildings appeared ahead, and soon the town filled in around them. Gideon seemed to know where he was going, though, and the wagon soon pulled to a stop in front of a single-story block building. It had bars on the windows, and the hand-painted sign overhead proclaimed it as the sheriff’s office.
Gideon climbed from the wagon and reached for her with both hands. “We can go in and talk to the sheriff first. He’ll probably send someone out to get these three.”
She gripped Gideon’s shoulders and allowed him to lift her down. The craving to lean into his chest and feel his strength around her again was so powerful, she had to grip the side of the wagon to hold herself back.
With a hand at the small of her back, he guided her around the horses and up the few stairs to the wood door. He stuck his head in the building first, then steered her inside. It had been so long since she’d been able to simply follow—have someone else lead and make decisions and do all the talking.
She allowed him to take over now, speaking to the sheriff, relaying the day’s events—including the run-in he’d apparently had with Jenson the night before. She didn’t have to say much until the end, when the sheriff turned his bushy gray brows on her.
“And, Miss Townsend, do you have any idea why these men kidnapped you?”
She hated this part of the story, but it had to be told. Nodding, she summoned moisture into her dry mouth and started from the beginning—the point when her father signed a contract to marry her off to seal a business partnership with Simon Talbert, the owner of the largest oil distillery in the southeast.
It felt good, really, telling her side of the story at last. She’d not even told Gideon or Miriam all the details before now. A glance at Gideon as she finished, though, revealed a firm jaw and a prominent blue vein running down his temple.
“If you need to confirm my story, Sheriff, you can wire my father’s steward in Richmond.” She paused. “I’d rather you not do that unless you must, though. I’m sure Simon knows I’m in Butte City from his friends, but I’d rather not open thepossibility for any more information about me to get back to him.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary. I should be able to get what I need from the sheriff in Richmond. He’ll be takin’ Talbert into custody soon, I’m sure.”
He turned to another man sitting behind the wood desk. “Tommy, you wanna help me get these jailbirds unloaded?”
