Anora's Pride by Kathleen Lawless

Author:Kathleen Lawless
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

* * *

Chapter 13

It was the smallest funeral service Jesse had ever attended. Only he didn't actually attend. He more like skulked in the background, telling himself he just wanted to make sure Anora was holding up all right. Except he might as well have saved himself the bother. He didn't catch even a glimpse of her face behind the concealing black veil. Lettie hovered over her like a mother hen, while the schoolmarm defended her from the other side. There were few other townsfolk in attendance, no one Jesse recognized.

He also hadn't seen hide nor hair of Rosco. In deference to Anora, Jesse had his deputies keep their knowledge of Ben's dealings with Rosco to themselves. All the townsfolk knew was that there'd been an explosion and Ben King had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Lettie had come around to his office, taking up a collection to bury King, stating in her no-nonsense way that Anora didn't have the means. Jesse knew that he'd made far too generous a contribution. He kind of figured, seeing the way Lettie widened her eyes and gave him a scrutinizing look, that she'd keep the fact to herself.

The service was blessedly short, the casket lowered into the ground, with Jesse backing up out of range of vision a split second too late. The schoolmarm spotted him. He was too far away to hear what was said, but he knew, from the way Anora angled her gaze directly at him, that it concerned him. The others in attendance followed her lead.

Nothing for it, Jesse knew, but to offer the widow his condolences. Removing his hat, he faced the approaching group and waited.

“Sorry for your loss, Mrs. King.” Even to him the words sounded stiff, as if his throat had rusted shut.

Anora bobbed her head curtly as if they were nothing more than strangers, her eyes unreadable behind the black veil.

“If you need anything...”

Anora turned to Penny. “Kindly tell the marshal that, should I have need of anything, he's the last person on earth I'd go to.”

Jesse winced at the coldness in her tone.

“Anora says—”

“I heard her,” he said shortly. “Loud and clear.”

Wheeling about, he headed to where Sully stood waiting.

After the funeral, Jesse fell into his more familiar role as an outsider. It struck him how folks seemed to look at him from the corner of their eyes, not straight on; he swore he could hear the buzz of conversation behind him the second he was out of earshot. Were they speculating about him and Anora? Wondering what he had to do with King's getting killed?

Jesse knew he was making mountains out of molehills yet was powerless to control his thoughts as summer's gauzy heat gave way to autumn's riotous colors. The days cooled, the nights grew longer, and Boulder Springs saw little in the way of new developments. It seemed as if Rosco had ceased to exist.

Days melted into weeks and Jesse chafed at the lack of action. He packed

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.