Walk Softly On This Heart Of Mine
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“I think we should be getting back,” Susan said. “It’s going to get dark.”
He nodded and led the way back to the main street where several of the men waited for them. They all had their guns drawn in preparation for an attack, but no one fired a shot or yelled out any threats. The town was still too quiet about what they’d seen at the barn, but there were whispers among some of those who came up to thank John.
The women seemed more subdued as they walked back to the hotel; they kept glancing around like something bad was following them. He wanted to ask if anything else happened while he was gone, but he decided not to press the issue.
There wasn’t much more he could do. It would take a few days before word spread throughout the territory that he’d been in their midst, then the stories would start to appear in the newspapers and it wouldn’t matter anyway because the newspapermen would be looking for someone with a scandalous past.
That was why he didn’t tell anyone his name and left quickly after the shooting stopped.
Susan had been silent all the way back to the hotel, her thoughts clearly preoccupied with her sister’s condition. Her eyes looked sad, almost lost as she stared into the distance, thinking about something other than him. She was so pretty and kind-hearted that he hated that he couldn’t protect her from everything.
“Are you all right?” he asked when he reached the hotel’s front porch.
She blinked away the sadness and smiled. “Yes, I’m fine now. Thank you for asking. What are we going to do about this place? Will we have to leave soon?”
He shook his head. “No, not until things settle down. We’ll stay here another couple of weeks, then decide our next step.”
“I want my sister to come home,” she said. “What if someone tries to kill us again, or even worse, kills her? What will happen to the baby…to us?”
A lump formed in his throat when he thought of how close he’d come to losing his own family today. His first impulse was to say nothing about it, but he knew Susan needed some reassurance. So he told her exactly what had happened, hoping it wouldn’t upset her too much.
“We’ll have to wait it out then. Maybe it won’t take very long for people to realize they can’t harm the children.”
When they reached the hotel, Susan went inside while he mounted the horse and rode out onto the street where a group of men had gathered to see if there really was such a thing as ghosts in New Mexico.
He listened carefully for any news concerning the murder and robbery but heard no reports on either. He also saw two of those who had witnessed the attack at the barn waiting patiently for answers. After he returned the horse, he took his time talking to the men.
Most of them had been friends of the victims, which meant they weren’t pleased to hear about their deaths. They were also concerned about the threat to Susan’s life. The sheriff, whom everyone called “Slim,” was a friend of Jim, and he’d assured them that he would send out a search party and catch whoever had done this terrible deed.
Slim had already taken fingerprints and collected bullet casings, and the coroner would be able to determine whose bullets killed their friends. He hoped that would satisfy these men enough to keep them quiet for a little while.
Susan came outside when she heard him approach the door, and the moment she stepped off the porch, he pulled her into his arms. She put her hand to his cheek and kissed him gently, then rested her forehead against his.
He stroked his thumb along her cheekbone and then brushed his lips over hers. For a minute he thought about staying with her tonight, but he knew that if he did, he would lose his resolve to help her get her sister home safely and permanently.
If he got close to her, she would eventually discover the truth about herself, and then she would never trust him again. She had so much to deal with already, without having a man involved in her life. But it made him sick that she was putting on airs just because of who he was. He wanted her to know him better before she accepted anything else.
“I need to go now,” he said.
She nodded and gave him a final hug. As she watched him mount the horse, she felt empty inside. It hadn’t sunk in yet that John wasn’t coming back. She turned toward the hotel, wanting to talk to the others about her sister, but a loud shout from behind startled her.
A gunshot rang out as it hit the front steps. Susan screamed as she started running toward the sound, but Jim was suddenly there, blocking her path.
“Don’t look, don’t turn around,” he commanded softly. “You’ve seen enough today.”
His voice broke through her denial and she obeyed, keeping her face straight ahead when he walked her into the hotel lobby.
Jim waited at the desk, pretending to read his newspaper when the clerk hurried in and whispered that a man named Jack had shot at Susan. When he didn’t respond, she ran to the stairs. “Is she all right?”
Jim handed her the paper. “Look for yourself,” he said curtly. He followed the woman up to her room and then knocked on the door. When Susan opened it, he pushed her inside and closed the door behind them.
The moment the lock clicked into place, Susan gasped for air. Then her heart pounded so hard she thought it might explode out of her chest. How could this have happened? Was it possible that the killer was still loose?
She looked at Jim who seemed oddly calm, but his eyes were wide open. She couldn’t read his expression and she found it odd that he wasn’t rushing downstairs to investigate further. She turned slowly away from the door and stood motionless until finally, she noticed that Jim’s gaze was locked on her, and his mouth hung slightly open in surprise.
“Did you think I would do something foolish like go outside alone?” she asked. “I’ve seen enough death today.”
When he moved closer, she backed away and bumped against a chair. He took hold of her hand and lifted it to his lips, then pressed another kiss onto her palm. His gaze met hers and held, neither speaking or moving.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she demanded.
“Like what?”
“As though I’m some kind of criminal. Did I say something to make you think—”
“Stop saying whatever it is that’s making you uncomfortable with me being here.” He released her and walked away, pacing around the small room. “This isn’t easy for me either, Susan. Don’t think for one second that I’m not affected by all this. That means you shouldn’t feel ashamed that you’re afraid of someone seeing your sister.”
It took her a moment to understand his words. “But why should I be?” she asked.
He stopped walking and faced her. “Because you’re my client,” he explained. “That makes you guilty before you even enter a courtroom. No one will believe you innocent when they think of me as the man who put you here.”
“How can you say that? It sounds so ridiculous!”
“It’s the truth.”
“What are you trying to imply? That you’re responsible for sending me to jail?”
“No, I never sent you to jail,” he replied calmly. “If you hadn’t lied and tried to kill my wife, you’d still be there.”
Her head spun with confusion. “Then how did I end up in prison?”
“It was your choice,” he told her. “Remember when we were talking about the letter you received? You said that when you read it, everything changed. Well, it seems that the same thing happened to the judge and the prosecutor who decided to charge you with murder instead of kidnapping. Your attorney, however, didn’t see things quite the way you did.”
Susan shook her head, wondering where this conversation was going. But Jim wasn’t finished explaining. “Your sister killed that girl, Susan. It was an accident. We both know that you were forced into doing something you had no control over.
That’s why she never confessed to what really happened. The real reason she wanted the letters destroyed is that she didn’t want her husband to find out about the affair she was having with that man—the man you accused of being in league with your brother-in-law.”
“But why would I lie?” she cried. “My whole life has been ruined because of this man. What difference does it make if I’m telling the truth now or lying?”
“A lot of difference,” he said. “Because if you’re innocent, I won’t be here. And that means I’ll never get my money back, and your sister will die in prison.”
“But I am innocent! Why else would the judge release me?”
“I don’t know,” he snapped. “But if you aren’t lying, I’d rather have my daughter back than get my money back from the murderer you accuse of killing my wife.”
“She never killed anyone!”
“Who was that man?” Jim asked, leaning against the wall. “The one who showed up in town with your sister, the one who was waiting for her when you went home? He must have known where you lived, right? That’s why he came after you.
Because he knew you were in danger, he knew what your reaction would be when you found out about your sister. It was only natural that you would call the sheriff and ask him to arrest me.”
“How could you possibly know any of this?” she asked. “You weren’t even there!”
“Of course, I wasn’t there,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean that someone else couldn’t have come forward to testify.”
“And who exactly is this man?”
“I don’t know his name or his face. All I know is that he’s rich. Rich men hire good attorneys just like anyone else.”
Susan stared at him in disbelief. “That’s all you’ve got to say to me? You’re leaving?”
“I’m done talking to you.” He turned and strode across the room to open the door. Then he looked back and gave her a sad smile. “But I’ll remember the time we spent together.”
“Jim—” She started after him but couldn’t take her eyes off the floor. “I need to talk to you.”
He didn’t respond, but she heard the creak of wood as he sat on the bed again.
When he finally spoke, he sounded very serious. “Don’t let your sister go free because of this man. Tell me the truth, Susan.”
“What do you expect me to say?” she yelled. “Are you expecting me to confess to something I didn’t do?”
“You know what I want,” he said quietly.
His last words hung in the air between them. She didn’t move for several minutes, trying to figure out what he expected her to do. But as much as she hated to admit it, he had a point: Susan couldn’t allow her sister to walk away from the crime.
If she didn’t tell the truth about the letter, then her sister would spend the rest of her life in prison. It was true that it might not be the most honorable solution. But justice had nothing to do with the outcome.
Susan closed the door behind Jim. Then she walked over to the bed and sat down beside him. She held his hand gently and stared at him, knowing that this was probably her final chance to convince him.
“Look, I didn’t know what I was saying, Jim,” she began. “All I knew was that my brother-in-law had murdered my mother and framed my father for the crime.”
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because I’m innocent,” she said. “There’s no way my sister would murder anyone. I know her better than anyone. She wouldn’t hurt anyone. She loves her children more than anything.”
“Then prove it,” Jim demanded. “Tell me what the letters say.”
“It’s too late for that,” she replied. “I burned them years ago.”
He nodded. “I see.”
But he wasn’t satisfied with her answer; it seemed that he still wasn’t convinced. “Do you really think that you can hide in my house forever? How long until your sister figures out how to leave these mountains and go back to Chicago?”
“As long as I stay hidden, nobody will ever find out about the letter.”
Jim shook his head. “Your sister may have a good lawyer, but if they find out what you did to the sheriff, then she’ll have two strikes against her. One strike is the crime itself, and the second strike would be that you lied and tried to protect her.”
“I didn’t lie about anything!”
“I don’t care whether you lied to save your own skin or because you were protecting your family honor, Susan. It doesn’t matter to me anymore. What matters is that we get your sister off death row.”
“She’s innocent, Jim! How many times do you think I had to repeat that before I believed myself? And don’t forget that I was married to the man who killed your wife—if it weren’t for me, your son would be alive today!”
“Yes, I suppose that makes sense,” he muttered.
He leaned toward her again. “The only thing left to decide is whether you’ll help me or not. I can’t afford to waste time. So which way is it going to be?”
***
Jim watched Susan pace the floor, searching for something to say that would make him change his mind. His heart went out to her, and he felt terrible for putting her through such an ordeal. But it was also clear that she’d never give up on getting her sister freed, no matter what happened next.
He could see it in her face; she was determined to do whatever it took to keep her sister from being put to death by the state.
So far he’d been able to avoid making any decisions. He hadn’t wanted to force Susan into a corner, forcing her to choose between helping him or her sister. The thought of losing Susan made him feel guilty, but he refused to allow it to sway him.
“I can’t believe that your sister would ever murder someone,” he said slowly, “but if there’s any chance at all, then we have to try.”
“There’s no chance whatsoever,” she cried. “My sister is innocent—she loved those children more than anything!”
Jim sighed, realizing that it was useless trying to convince Susan of anything else. It would take a miracle to get her to stop believing in her sister’s innocence.
“Well then, we’ve got some decisions to make,” he told her.
She turned around and glared at him, clearly upset that Jim was so certain about his sister’s guilt.
“We’re going to use every means possible to get her off death row,” he said. “And I need you to do whatever it takes.”
“What do you mean?”
“Whatever it takes,” he repeated. He glanced down at his watch and stood up, then walked out the door.
Susan heard him lock the front door and walk over to where he kept his guns and rifles. When she entered the room, she saw that he had his pistol in his hand. But instead of shooting her, he aimed it at the floor beside the window.
“If I catch you talking to a lawman without my permission,” he said, “then you’ll be shot dead. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.” She swallowed hard, knowing that he meant exactly what he just said. “How will I know when you want me to talk to a sheriff?”
He smiled grimly. “I’ll tell you. If I hear a sheriff approaching the ranch house, then you’ll know it’s safe. We won’t risk our necks for nothing. You’ll wait till you see me before you approach the sheriff, and I’ll be standing right behind you. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.”
He looked down at her again, shaking his head. He knew that her stubbornness was only adding to their problems, but he didn’t have much choice since she refused to accept the truth. Then he walked away and locked the door. Susan stayed in the bedroom for another hour before she decided that it was safe enough to come downstairs and start supper.
She cooked a simple meal, figuring that Jim wouldn’t want her to do anything fancy. While they ate, they talked little about Susan’s past or Jim’s life in prison—he preferred to focus on how best to rescue his sister. They finished eating and washed dishes together as usual, but after she cleaned up, she went to bed early to prepare herself for an upcoming confrontation with the sheriff.
“Don’t be surprised if Sheriff Anderson comes knocking tonight,” Jim warned. “It wouldn’t hurt to leave the back door unlocked so that I can slip inside if I need to.”
“Do you really think he’ll do that?”
Jim nodded. “He knows about this place already. He might try to scare you, but don’t let him push you into doing anything that you’re not comfortable with. Just ignore him and keep on talking until he gives up.”
“That doesn’t seem very likely,” Susan said glumly, “since he seems to hate me from the moment he sees me.”
“That’s true,” Jim admitted. “But even so, we’ll play it by ear. There are other ways to handle things besides threatening each other with weapons. Sometimes a well-placed bullet works better than an argument.”
Susan frowned. “Is it worth the risk?”
“You’d be surprised.”
As the night wore on, the tension in the air grew thicker. At times they both stared at their plates, unable to look one another in the eye. Each time either of them tried to say something, their voices became louder.
Finally, Jim couldn’t stand it anymore.
“I’m going upstairs,” he announced, “and I’m locking myself in my room.”
He headed straight to his bedroom door, which was closed, but he stopped short when he noticed that there were no lights on upstairs. Had Susan gone to bed? Or did she refuse to sleep alone?
Then the thought occurred to Jim that she might have followed his advice and locked the back door. That way she could sneak out of the house anytime she pleased. It wasn’t unusual for her to wander the ranch grounds at night, often walking along the fence line or sitting on a rock, gazing out across the valley.
But he hadn’t seen her for two days, so it was entirely possible that she was out here now, waiting for him to return.
“Wait!” Jim shouted. “Where are you?”
Susan! His heart raced as he rushed through the house and up the stairs. He ran down the hall to the bedroom and opened the door to find her lying on top of the bed covers in an ivory white nightgown. For some strange reason, his gaze was immediately drawn to her legs.
The soft skin of her thighs and calves seemed like velvet under his fingers; the more he imagined running his hands over her flesh, the faster his heartbeat became.
The End