Wild Rose Summer by Jo Grafford

Author:Jo Grafford [Grafford, Jo]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: JG Press
Published: 2019-09-13T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7: Corrected Assumptions

Rose

Rose followed Sheriff Knight and Deputy Barges to the Sheriff’s office to give her statement and file her charges. Mr. Knight invited her to sit with him at a chair beside his desk. Throughout the interview, she relaxed in slow degrees. It was so good to feel safe again. But by the end of their interview, she was dismayed to discover she was trembling all over.

“What is wrong with me?” she cried, holding out her arms.

“It’s the shock setting in.” Sheriff Knight stood to pour her a cup of coffee. “Here you go, Miss Addington.” He set it on the desk beside her. “Be assured I’ve sent word to your aunt. She’ll be on her way soon to take you home.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“My pleasure.” He gave her a sympathetic smile as he hitched a hip on the edge of his desk. “You’ll be pleased to know Mr. Tittle was waiting in the warehouse right where you left him.”

Her lips twitched. “Tied up, you mean?”

He chuckled. “You put the fear of God in him, for sure. I’ve never seen anything like it. He couldn’t rat out Mr. Eastman fast enough to the deputy who went to collect him. Apparently, he’s more afraid of the loan sharks catching up with him than going to jail.” He shook his head. “An all-around pitiful fellow.”

The door to the sheriff’s office flew open. “Rose!” her aunt called brokenly. “Oh, my dearest niece!”

Rose swiveled around in her chair and caught her breath at the sight of her aunt hobbling across the sheriff’s office on Lancaster’s arm. “Aunt Flo! Thank God you’re alright!” She flew in their direction, arms outstretched.

Aunt Flo stepped aside and watched in tremulous silence as Lancaster swept her up in his arms. He twirled her around several times before setting her back on her feet. “I heard you found my gift.” His eyes were suspiciously bright.

“I did. Thank you.” She reached up to touch his cheek. “Things might not have turned out so well without your quick thinking.”

“Or your bravery.” He turned his face to press a kiss to her hand. “All the same, I may never forgive myself for allowing you to leave my shop alone with that animal.”

“Neither of us had any reason to suspect he was up to no good,” she protested.

“But I did,” her aunt confessed in contrite tones. “I’ve had a pair of detectives sniffing through my records for days to investigate my concerns about him. I should have said something to the sheriff sooner. This is my fault.”

“No, it’s Mr. Eastman’s fault. He is the only one to blame here,” Rose corrected firmly. “Though I’m happy to say he sorely miscalculated when he chose to kidnap a woman courting a gunsmith.”

The moment Lancaster’s arms tightened around her waist she realized her mistake. “Oh, dear,” she murmured, blushing as she tipped her face up to his. “I reckon that means the cat is out of the bag about us?”

“Out of the bag and at least

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