Running From Forever by Cat Cahill

Author:Cat Cahill [Cahill, Cat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Cat Cahill
Published: 2019-06-02T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Thomas stood rooted to the cabin’s wooden floor. It couldn’t be.

“He doesn’t know you’re here,” Caroline said. She still held on to the back of that chair like it gave her the strength to tell him such news. “I don’t know if he’s following a lead or if he’s simply moving from town to town. He was on his way to speak with the sheriff in Cañon City.”

“What did he look like?” Thomas finally said.

“He was tall and broad. Short hair that was something of a rusty color. He was quite imposing.”

Deputy Frank Rayburn. Sheriff now, he supposed. And not elected, as sheriffs should be. The mining company hired him directly to keep order in Barrett Mountain. They simply borrowed the title to make him look legitimate. He’d had no beef with Rayburn as a deputy. In fact, he’d never had trouble with Sheriff Ratterman either, until Ratterman had attempted to steal the entire town’s pay from him.

“Do you know him?” Caroline asked tentatively. She’d stepped away from the chair and was now standing before him, her small hands clasped tightly together in front of her.

“I do. He was the deputy in the mining town. Barrett Mountain.”

“The one who came with the pay clerk the day the sheriff tried to steal the money?”

“The very one.”

“What should we do now?”

“We?” He laughed, and then immediately wished he hadn’t when he saw the wounded look that crossed her face. He reached for her hand, allowing himself to make the contact he’d been wanting to all night. When she didn’t protest, he took both her hands in his and looked down into her face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be cruel. I just don’t want you hurt.”

“How would I get hurt? All I want to do is help you prove your innocence.” Her hands shifted in his as she took a hesitant step forward.

He kept his eyes on her face, trying not to think about how close she was to him for the second time that night. He could barely think at all as they’d ridden down here, her small body cocooned in his on the saddle. He closed his eyes for a second to keep his focus. And in that moment, he never wanted to run again. Not if it hurt her, because if there was anything he wanted even more than his own freedom, it was to make this woman happy. But how could he do that as a wanted man? Especially now that the man who was searching for him was so nearby? A frustrated sigh escaped his lips.

“I still believe we can prove to this sheriff that you were defending yourself and the company’s money.” Caroline looked up at him with all the hope in the world in her eyes.

“But that’s the problem. I’ve been around this so many times, and I can’t think of anything. And before you suggest it, yes, I have thought that Rayburn was the one who stole the money. And the pay clerk, too.

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