An Unforeseen Match by Regina Jennings

Author:Regina Jennings [Jennings, Regina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042040, FIC042030, FIC029000
ISBN: 9781441263391
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2014-03-28T00:00:00+00:00

Grace reached, but Clayton had fled before she could touch him. The scorching wind blew through the open door, carrying the sound of the wind chimes angrily crashing into each other.

“I don’t understand,” Grace said. Had Clayton changed for the worse as much as Brian had turned toward good? How else could she explain the furious man who’d threatened Brian and stalked out?

“I told you that I’d played a hand in brutality.” Brian’s chair creaked as he lowered himself into it. “Well, the man we cornered, he was a lad, more like.”

Grace’s heart dropped. She fell into her chair, nearly missing the seat. “Clayton?”

Brian cleared his throat. “When we got our horses at the livery that night, the stable owner had words for us. Called us drunken Paddies and hooligans. We were seeing red, we were.

“We stumbled to the stables, and there was a lad with the horses. I didn’t recognize him, but someone claimed he was a known horse thief. That’s all it took. We couldn’t strike at the livery man, but this boy was defenseless. They got ahold of him and took their turns beating him. I spurred them on, feeling good that finally I’d found someone who was even lower than I was. But then they held him down while Kennedy got a riding whip. He said he’d mark him so everyone who saw him would know what kind of criminal he was. That’s when I lost the stomach for it. I slunk away, but not before I heard the blows.”

A sob wrenched from her chest. She could picture the young man, her young Clayton, and his surprise, his frustration at the unwarranted attack. “What a shock for him to find you here.”

Brian grunted in affirmation. “I wish I would’ve found him after, but I fled. Never thought I’d meet him like this.”

Grace had no answers. She’d seen evidence of Clayton’s scar. Emilie had mentioned it, too, but she hadn’t guessed how it represented a wound much deeper.

“I thought I’d finished causing you pain, and here I’ve hurt you again.”

Grace stood. She couldn’t reassure Brian, not yet. First she had to look after Clayton. Her loyalty was with him.

She motioned Brian to the door.

“I’ll be back in the morning.” He huffed as he pulled himself into the saddle. “My offer of a place still stands.”

And she must consider it. It was perhaps her only option.

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