Page 79 of Charlotte's Reckoning
Stunned, he would ask, she sputtered, “I, um, don’t do that sort of work anymore—”
His lips tightened, impatience coloring his tone. “I didn’t mean here, at the Red Eye.”
“What did you mean?”
“Dinner, perhaps? Or the barn dance?”
She shook her head. “That’s not possible.”
“It is. I have strong feelings for you, Charlotte. Because of our history, and because I’m drawn to you. I think you feel it too.”
“I do, but—”
Before she could finish, he leaned down, and his mouth covered hers. Soft at first, but then his passion ignited. Charlotte responded with equal fervor, her lips eager and hungry against his. She heard a soft thud then both his hands slid into her hair to cradle her head as he deepened the kiss.
Eager to touch her, he’d dropped his hat.
A shout from the other room penetrated the headiness of his kiss. “Stanley! I got a wagon full of liquor out front to sell you.”
“It’s Morgan on duty today,” her guard replied, his boots clicking on the bare floor as he went to take care of the order.
Charlotte’s thoughts snapped back to reality. She pulled away, noticing Seth’s low growl of impatience.
“We can’t. You know that. The townspeople would never accept their sheriff with a woman from Sixth Street.”
Seth’s hands slid slowly out of her hair and down her back, holding her close. “I don’t give a damn what others think or accept,” he declared.
“If not now, you will. When tongues start wagging, and they paint you with the same tainted brush as me, it’s inevitable.”
Filled with a profound sense of sorrow, Charlotte’s hand trembled slightly as she gently touched his cheek, the softness of his beard unexpected. She wanted to linger, and make the moment last but couldn’t. She also couldn’t resist one more kiss. Rising onto her tiptoes, she touched her lips to his in a bittersweet moment of longing.
“You don’t know how much I wish things were different. Thank you for all you’ve done, Seth. You’ll forever be the hero in my heart.”
She broke free of his embrace and left him before she couldn’t, without looking back. When Patsy and Vi asked what had happened, she didn’t stop. Instead, she climbed the stairs with an iron grip on her emotions.
Somehow, she didn’t shed the tears that stung her eyes until she was inside her room with the door locked. Then they came in a torrent of broken dreams, cursing fate between sobs for what might have been.
Chapter 19
Justice Often Must Wait
The time since Fen’s death seemed like an eternity. His closed door served as a stark reminder of his absence. No one could bring themselves to enter. Her appointment with Mr. Bennett first thing Wednesday morning left Charlotte with no choice.
With trembling fingers and a heavy heart, she opened the door. A wave of tobacco and sandalwood hit her immediately, the familiar scents like a physical blow. Her gaze swept across the rumpled bed, her copper tub, and, on a nearby table, a half-smoked cigar. All stirred memories and emotions she wasn’t ready to confront.
Taking a deep breath only made it worse; the smell of Fen was overpowering.
“Stick to business,” she cautioned herself. “That’s what he’d do. And he’d expect nothing less from you.”
She crossed to his desk, the most probable spot to locate what she had come for. Each drawer revealed a peculiar mix of items, some valuable and some not. She found what looked like an antique timepiece, a man’s ruby-and-diamond ring, and the deed to a cabin west of town. It was a fascinating assortment, all won at cards, no doubt, each with a backstory that was forever lost with Fen. None of it was what she searched for, however.
Charlotte rose from his chair and looked around the room for where else he might store his important papers. She searched his armoire and a nine-drawer dresser, both filled to overflowing with clothes but nothing else. Kneeling in front of the chest at the foot of his bed, she sifted through more garments. These were what he wore as master of the Red Eye, all in rich colors, especially the brocade vests he favored. She swallowed down tears as she continued to search. Nestled at the bottom, she unearthed a plain wooden box.
Opening it, she breathed a sigh of relief, finding their partnership agreement and the deed to the saloon, along with cash—just under $2000.Not a fortune, but any little bit would come in handy until she resolved her banking situation.
A soft knock on the door broke the silence, followed by Morgan’s voice calling out, “Miss Charlotte, you have a visitor downstairs.”
A thrill ran through her as she stared at the closed door. Could it be Seth here to persuade her that a romantic entanglement between the man charged to uphold law and order in their town and a saloon owner and madam was feasible? He was fooling himself, and she had to stay away from him and his irresistible offer.
