Page 90 of Inventions of the Heart

She couldn’t help smiling back. “You wanted to something fierce, huh?”

“I absolutely did.”

“Do you think we should bring Jilly back here? Is she safer here than at the ranch, now that everyone knows she’s hiding there?”

Caleb lifted one shoulder. “I know Jilly well enough to be sure no one’s going tobringher anywhere.”

“I have to give you that.”

“And,” Nick said, “no one’s going to marry her without her full permission and cooperation.”

Laura studied him again. “You could try to convince her.”

Nick politely stood from the table. “I’m going to go try to convince Old Tom to teach me about running a logging camp.”

Old Tom already taught Nick all day, every day. When he could get Nick away from guarding Mama.

Laura sniffed. Caleb laughed. Nick left.

“OURTROUBLES AREN’T OVERuntil Jilly gets married and Mama makes sure Edgar isn’t able to harm her,” Michelle said. “But we’ve come a long way.”

Nodding, Zane said, “Do you think we can get Josh to marry Jilly?”

They were riding to town with their moaning, wounded prisoner in tow.

Michelle and Zane in front. Shad and Neb behind with Horace between them. Someone had put his arm in a sling, but it sure hadn’t been Michelle.

Michelle had preferred to get back to work, but Zane convinced her the sheriff would want her to stand as witness to all Horace had said and done.

It probably wasn’t true. Horace was a wanted man, after all. But Zane couldn’t stand to be separated from her right now. When he thought of her being in Benteen’s clutches, alone, helpless, he nearly started to howl with anger.

Well, not quite helpless as it turned out.

“No,” Michelle said.

“Why not? He’s right here handy.”

Michelle gave him a strange look that told him her thoughts toward his brother might be ones he didn’t want to hear. Unfortunately, they probably followed along with his own thoughts.

His brother did tend to bore everyone senseless.

Jilly, bright and energetic and fascinated by most everything, tended to wander off when Josh started in on his stories.

And since his stories were of exotic places and far distant lands, wicked weather at sea and dastardly pirates ... it wasn’t that easy to bore everyone into going to bed just to escape him.

Josh could manage it with no trouble at all.

Zane rode up close to her as they walked their horses toward Dorada Rio. He reached across the space separating them. She took his hand, and they rode along in harmony.

“When you told me you loved me, I didn’t say it back.”

Michelle turned to him, her hand tightening on his. “Can you say it now?”

That got a smile out of him when he was feeling mighty solemn.

“When I saw a Benteen brand on that horse, well, it could have been someone he sent, but I knew it was him. I was in a flat-out terror racing to you. All I could think was that ifI lost you, that would mean I’d lost the love of my life. The fear told me more than anything that I loved you. I reckon I have almost from the start. I feel blessed by a loving God to have ended up married to a precious, brilliant, strong woman. You saved yourself, and knowing you can do that gives me peace. Yes, Michelle. I love you.”

And they rode along to town to put one of their biggest troubles behind them, knowing that whatever came, they’d face it together.

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