Cassandra Austin - Flint Hills Bride

Jake closed his eyes, trying to block the pain. He ought to warn Christian about the letter, but that would betray Emily’s trust. Or was he simply unwilling to accept the blame for his part in sending it. He hoped it was the former.

“I’m betting he’ll come for her,” Jake said.

“Why?” The question was sharp with speculation.

Jake’s hand stilled on the horse’s flank. “Because I would.”

Christian laughed. “Don’t use your own sense of honor to guess this fella’s behavior. Chances are he was out celebrating with someone else the first night he was out of jail.”

“The first night who was out of jail?”

At the sound of Emily’s voice, Jake spun around. The movement momentarily startled the horse. By the time he had him calmed again, Christian had moved to his sister’s side. Jake joined him slowly, waiting for the older man to speak.

“What are you doing out in the cold, muffin?”

Emily ignored the question and turned instead to Jake. “Was he talking about Anson?” she asked.

The dark brown eyes glaring at him made it impossible to lie. He cast Christian a glance before he nodded.

She turned to her brother. “When would you have told me?” There was enough accusation in the tone for Jake to guess she was asking “if” rather than “when.”

“Tonight,” Christian said quietly. “As soon as I got in.”

“Then it’s fine,” Emily said. “He’s out because he’s innocent of the charges.”

Christian shook his head. “His parents paid off the victim.”

“That’s ridiculous. Even if his parents paid the damages they wouldn’t drop the charges unless he was innocent.”

“You’re not being reasonable, Em,” Christian said.

“You’re not being fair!”

Jake watched the exchange from a distance. After the initial question she seemed unaware of his presence. She tried to stare her brother down, but Christian was too confident. After a long moment she spun on her heel and left the barn.

He watched after her, wishing he could offer her something—comfort, understanding, anything. The problem was he completely agreed with her brother, and she knew it.

He finally remembered the grooming brush in his hand. He turned back to the horse only to discover Christian’s appraising eyes on him.

“You really think he’ll come for her?” Christian asked.

“Yes, sir. Or she’ll go to him.”

“Why is she so stubborn? Why can’t she see what he’s really like?”

Jake didn’t think Christian expected answers, but he responded anyway. “She’s stubborn because she’s who she is. We wouldn’t want her any other way. And maybe we’re the ones who don’t know what he’s really like.”

“You’re taking her side?”

Jake shook his head. “I said maybe. But why should she listen to us when we’ve never met him? He’s the only one who’s going to convince her, and he’ll hurt her in the process.”

Christian was silent, and Jake finished caring for his horse. When he left the stall, he found Christian still waiting. “Help me watch her,” Christian said. “She trusts you more than me, right now. Don’t let him take her away where I’ll never see her again.”

Jake considered just how much he should tell his friend. Finally he answered softly. “That’s why I’m here.”

Emily knew it was panic that made her so sharp with her brother and shame that kept her from looking Jake in the eye. Neither of them were to blame for her predicament, and Jake had even tried to help.

She sat on her bed in her room, staring at the moonlight that filtered through the curtains. It was funny how quickly she went from irritated to furious these days. Or from disappointed to fighting tears. She had heard that expectant mothers were emotional; she had witnessed it to a small degree in Lynnette. But it wasn’t proof, she told herself. The strain of worry could have the same effect. And worry could make her feel sick to her stomach.

She lowered her head to her hands. By the time she knew for certain, it would be too late to marry discreetly. Anyone who could count would know that she had fallen.

She sat up straight again, taking a deep breath. Anson would come for her. He loved her. She refused to believe anything else. Her hands shook and she clutched them in her lap. She needed sleep, for herself and for her baby if there was one. All she needed was a good night’s sleep, and she would be fine.

After a light breakfast the next morning, Emily bundled up to take a walk. She knew it was too early for Anson to have gotten her letter and come to meet her, but she decided it would be good to establish a habit of walking every day to avoid arousing anyone’s suspicion.

Martha had been alone in the kitchen when she had gotten a slice of toast, and she assumed Lynnette and the children were downstairs. She was happy to slip out the back door without having to tell Willa she couldn’t go along.

She headed toward the trail on the far side of the barn and suddenly found Jake walking beside her.

“Good morning,” he said, as if there hadn’t been a sharp word uttered the night before. “Mind if I join you?”

“Well, actually—”

“It’s a pretty day for a stroll. Cold but sunny. Are you warm enough?”

“I’m fine. But I really—”

“Good. We wouldn’t want you getting chilled. Don’t you miss these wide-open spaces when you’re in town? I know I do.”

Emily gritted her teeth. He had taken her arm and was walking slowly beside her as if he were her escort. “No,” she said. “What I miss is the solitude.”

“Really? I’m surprised. I never figured you for someone who wanted to be alone a lot. But the country’s good for that, too.”

He was being deliberately obtuse. The only way to get rid of him would be to flat tell him to leave. Of course with Jake, even that might not work.

“I’d like to be alone now, if you don’t mind,” she said. His fingers tightened on her arm when she tried to pull it free.

“We are alone, sweetheart.” His voice was low, almost a seductive whisper.

“Very funny. You know what I mean.”

“Yeah,” he said, continuing to walk beside her. “I know. But you might get lost…”

Emily pointed ahead at the path that wrapped around the hill. It was white where the thin soil had worn away from the limestone and stood out in sharp contrast to the brown and gold grass. “I’m not going to get lost!”

“Or fall and turn your ankle,” he went on as if she hadn’t spoken. “I wouldn’t get anything done for worrying so I might as well come along.”

Emily had to laugh. She wasn’t sure if it was at him or at herself. Well, he could come today, since there was no chance that Anson was waiting. She would have to figure out some way to elude him in the future. Or perhaps he would get used to seeing her walking every day and stop playing the big brother.

“There’s another thing I’ve missed,” he said. “Your laugh.”

“Don’t go getting serious on me, Jake. I get enough of that from everybody else. Little lost Emily who needs to be straightened out.”

“You’ve got a deal. I promise never to be serious.”

If she had hurt his feelings, she couldn’t hear it in his voice. He walked on at the same slow pace, his hand lightly holding her arm. She was about to venture a look at his face when she heard him chuckle. “What?”

“I was just remembering when you were little and came for the summer. Your pa and brothers in the mansion, me and my pa in the little house with Ma the only woman on the place. You turned everybody on his ear. The first time, you were a little bitty thing, about like Willa. Ma wanted you to stay with us. She was sure you’d miss your ma in the night and none of the men up here would know what to do for you. She had Arlen convinced right away, almost convinced your pa. But Christian wouldn’t hear of it. He barely let you out of his sight.”