Page 32 of The Marshal's Bride
“Thank you for standing with me today,” she whispered as the first horses appeared from around the wooden building.
“Honey, Flat River always takes care of its own. You’ve been here long enough to know that. We will always stand with you.”
“No one else has ever done that before.”
“We aren’t everyone. You’ll learn that.”
The horses ran by the mercantile at full gallop towards the livery, lanterns swinging from their saddles. Justine swallowed hard. “Why aren’t they stopping?”
“Because he thinks you’re at home.” Sheriff Hartman’s voice cut through her panic, as he pulled his horse to a stop in front of his office. “Sam headed to your house. Go.”
“Did he find her?”
Whitney nodded and Justine’s eyes widened. Grasping her skirts in one hand, she fled the porch, racing toward her apartment.Hope. He’d found her. That thought drove her forward.
“Sam!” she yelled, seeing a figure at the bottom of the apartment stairs. He turned then, and someone raised a lantern nearby.
“MAMA!” Hope shrieked, trying to get down, and Justine ran faster. She could see Sam start to run.
Soon!
Soon they would be together.
Justine crashed into them, Sam’s arm catching her, taking the impact of her body against his while she grasped at each of them.
“Mama,” Hope cooed, kissing her face. “Papa.” She turned, giving Sam’s cheek the same treatment.
Justine lifted her fingers to her mouth in disbelief. “What? What did she say? Hope!”
“Mama.” Hope poked her nose before taking her other hand, and poked Sam’s nose. “Papa.”
Tears streamed down Justine’s face.
“I’m so glad you came home to me,” she whispered before going up on her toes, one hand gripping Sam’s head and pulling his head down to hers.
The kiss was forceful. The feelings of the day leaving her as his hand gripped her waist and he pulled her tightly against him. When she went to pull away, he held her tighter, deepening the kiss for a moment before letting her drop back to her flat feet.
“That is one welcome home, I wouldn’t have missed for anything in the world.” He grinned at her.
“Then why don’t we get Hope washed up, get you both something to eat, and then put her to bed? We can revisit that once she’s gone to bed.”
“I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I need you to be sure, Justine. If we cross this line, I can’t just pretend like it never happened.”
“I realized today that I do love you. I think I loved you the first time I saw you. I might not have known it then, but I know I have never trusted anyone like I do you. I don’t want to face a future without you.” She wrapped her fingers around his, knowing he would have to make his own choices, but she was willing to wait.
His eyes searched her face, and she could see the moment that it was settled inside him.
“Never doubt that I love you, Justine. I think it is time for me to take my wife and daughter home. We have a busy day tomorrow.”
“What are we doing tomorrow?”
Sam kissed her nose. “My wife is buying a building, because I heard that the sheriff’s office and the livery have the worst coffee around.”
Justine laughed. “I look forward to it. Only if you are by my side.”
Putting his arm around her shoulders, he led her to the stairs going up to the apartment. “There is nowhere I’d rather be.”
Epilogue
