Page 49 of Redeeming the Outlaw
“It’s alright, Esther. Let me deal with this.” Whit moved closer to Reverend Billings. “I know Esther is your daughter by all rights, and I know as a father, you want to protect her in every way possible. If I had a daughter, I’d be tearing apart anyone I thought might harm her.”
Reverend Billings lifted his hand. “God says turn the other cheek.”
“This is your daughter you are talking about. Your precious girl. At some point, someone is going to come along and will want to take the responsibility from you.” Whit turned around and flashed a smile at her, causing her toes to curl inside her boots with pleasure. “You’ve done a fine job raising her. It’s now my job to protect her for the rest of her life.”
“What about her virtue? She’s ruined.” The reverend pointed to people who were staring as they walked by the churchyard. “They are already talking about her in town.”
“It’s just small-town gossip. Tomorrow they’ll talk about something else. I swear, Reverend Billings, I’ve never laid a hand on Esther.”
Reverend Billings frowned, clearly torn between disappointment and begrudging respect. “While I appreciate your efforts to protect my daughter, I cannot condone this deceit.” He sighed heavily. “Regardless, we have already decided for her. Esther will marry a God-fearing man and go with him to Virginia.”
“Papa, no!” Esther cried, heart shattering. “I can’t just leave...”
“Reverend,” Whit interrupted, his voice rough with emotion. “I didn’t protect Esther out of some misguided sense of duty. I did it because I love her. She’s the only good thing in my life. If I were to marry her, it would be the most righteous decision I’ve ever made. She may think I saved her from the outlaws, but she saved me. She makes me want to be a better man.”
Whit took a step closer to Esther, his hand cupping her delicate face. “I’ll be back to marry you, darlin’. I’d like your papa’s blessing, and if he’s willing, I’d be honored to have him perform the ceremony.”
Esther leaned into his touch, her heart swelling with abittersweet mixture of hope and trepidation. “If he won’t?” she whispered, voice trembling.
“Then we’ll find somebody who will,” Whit declared, determination etched in every line of his handsome face. “There is nothing in this world which is going to keep me from making you my wife. I want you to spend time with your ma and sisters. I’ll meet you after church on Sunday, you hear?”
Esther nodded, a single tear slipping down her cheek. “I’ll be waiting,” she promised, her words a solemn vow.
With a final, searing look, Whit pulled her into his arms and kissed her with a passion which stole her breath. His lips moved over hers with a desperate intensity, as if he were trying to pour every ounce of his love and devotion into this one moment.
Around them, the townsfolk openly gawked and whispered, but Esther paid them no mind. She could hear Papa talking in the background and she ignored him, too. In this instant, there was only Whit, his powerful arms around her, and the promise of a future together.
All too soon, he released her, stepping back with visible reluctance. “I’ll be back for you, Esther. I swear it.”
Turning on his heel, he strode away, leaving her standing alone on the sidewalk, her heart racing and her lips still tingling from his kiss. As she watched him go, Esther sent up a silent prayer, begging the Lord to keep him safe and bring him back to her so they could start their new life together.
Chapter Thirteen
Whit’s boot heels echoed against the weathered boardwalk as he made his way to the marshal’s office.The town looked the same, but why did it feel different?People were standing at the livery talking to Hiram. They saw him and waved. Whit lifted his hand in greeting.
“Morning, Mr. Hartman,” a group of young girls said as they walked past him, before they ran away giggling.
“Mr. Hartman! Mr. Hartman!” Whit turned around to see Bobby Fairfax running from the mercantile steps toward him.
“Hey, Bobby. Shouldn’t you be helping Mr. Arden with his deliveries?”
Bobby worked for the Ardens, boxing orders and making local deliveries in town. At only twelve years old, he was the solesource of income for his sick mother.
“Is it really true you were part of the Richards gang?” The young boy’s eyes were wide at the thought. “How exciting!”
Bobby brandished an imaginary weapon as he battled invisible foes. Then he mounted an invisible horse and galloped in circles around Whit, who watched with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. As the boy made another circle, Whit reached out and put a hand on the boy’s shoulder, stopping the gallop.
“No, Bobby. I wasn’t part of the Richards gang,” Whit said firmly, looking the boy straight in the eye. “I don’t want you thinking there’s anything exciting about an outlaw’s life.”
Bobby’s face fell a little, but Whit wasn’t about to let the boy’s imagination run wild with tales of outlaws and adventure. He kneeled, so he was at eye level with the young lad.
“Listen to me, Bobby. The outlaw’s life ain’t nothing but misery and heartache. Those men, they’re not heroes or legends. They’ve turned their backs on what’s right, and they live each day looking over their shoulders, never knowing if it’ll be their last.”
Whit’s voice was low and intense, his blue eyes boring into Bobby’s. “I’ve seen firsthand the destruction they leave behind. They are evil to the core, and I don’t want you thinking about them.”
Bobby’s eager expression faltered slightly, but he persisted. “You were so brave, fighting against the law and living free. It must have been exciting!”
“It’s better to be fighting on the right side of the law, Bobby.” Whit rolled back on his heels and stood in a fluid motion, patting Bobby on his shoulder.
