Page 52 of Texas Splendor
She jerked away and stared at him, fear reflected in her eyes. “What?”
“I thought it would put your mind at peace if the man was found and hanged for what he did to your family. But I couldn’t give the detective enough information. If you tell me what you know about him—”
She shook her head violently. “No, no, I don’t want him looking.”
“Sugar, I’m not gonna let the man hurt you—”
“No!” She buried her face against his chest. “It’s been over five years. Please just let it be.”
“It’s not right that he murdered three people and got away with it.”
He felt her tense within his arms as she shook her head. He drew her closer. “I won’t press you on this, Loree, but think about it. What if he’s out killing others?”
Loree squeezed her eyes shut. She should have told Austin everything before they were married even though she might have sacrificed any affection he held for her. But she’d wanted what he was offering for her baby.
Strange how a little one, not yet born, could bring so many responsibilities with him. She had to do what was best for the baby. She had to put him first. So she held her silence.
A detective searching for the man who had killed her family was a worse nightmare than the one that had woken her up screaming. If anyone tracked down the man who had killed her family, he’d no doubt discover things about her father that Loree wanted to remain a secret.
The only peace of mind she found resided in the fact that she knew the murderer wasn’t going to kill anyone else.
“Loree? Is that short for Lorena?” Dallas asked.
Austin watched his wife jerk to attention and glance down the breakfast table at his brother. Shadows rested beneath her eyes. He wished he had the power to rid her of the nightmares.
“Yes, it is,” she said. “My father told me it was a favorite song around the campfire during the war.”
“Not in my unit,” Dallas said. “I forbid my men to play it, sing it, or think about it.”
“How come?” Rawley asked.
“Because it made the men miss home so much that they’d end up deserting. Can’t tolerate a man shirking his responsibilities.”
Loree flicked her gaze to Austin, and he noticed the crimson fanning her cheeks. He gave her wink. Dallas tolerated less than most men, and Austin was glad Loree hadn’t shared her father’s military history with his brother.
“Can I add taking care of Aunt Loree’s dog to my list of chores?” Rawley asked.
Austin sipped on his coffee, watching Rawley wait expectantly for his father’s permission.
“Don’t you think you got enough chores?” Dallas asked as he scooped up his eggs.
“But I like taking care of dogs, and I don’t have one to watch over since Ma’s went to live with her friends.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Austin saw his wife lean forward and glance down the table at Dee.
“While she carried her litter, she got a bit testy, so I thought it was best to set her free. She still comes up to the house, but not as often,” Dee said.
Loree shook her head. “I don’t understand why you set if free—”
“It was a prairie dog,” Dallas said with disgust.
Loree blinked, confusion mirrored in her eyes. “You had a prairie dog as a pet?”
“Yep,” Austin said, grinning broadly. “Dallas even made it a leash. Carved the dog’s name right into it.”
“Me ‘n’ Wrawley wanna dog,” Faith piped in from her high chair beside Dee.
“Maybe you can borrow your Aunt Loree’s for a spell,” Dallas suggested.
