Chapter Three

Laura

Over the next two days, Laura tried to forget that Seth Travis wanted her to leave Colter Canyon. She vowed to stop searching for him when she looked out the window. She pushed thoughts of him from her mind. She tucked the money he’d given her under the mattress, determined to give it back to him one day.

On the third morning, she woke to hear that he’d been arrested for the robberies. The news had shocked her to her core. She knew he hadn’t robbed anyone. The arrest was a farce but the thought of him in a cold jail cell made her want to cry all over again.

She tried to collect her thoughts, so she could make breakfast for the girls. Amidst the clatter of pans and potatoes sizzling in bacon fat, Laura didn’t hear anyone enter the kitchen, but she did hear Clarice’s words loud and clear.

“What the hell do you want?” Clarice demanded.

She whirled from the stove to see a man standing in the doorway. In an instant, she knew he had to be a Travis, but why he was here she couldn’t imagine.

A small murmur of distress rippled across Laura’s throat. She clasped her hands silently as she gazed at Seth’s brother. The questions she’d yearned to ask him lodged like a lump in her throat. While she couldn’t imagine asking this man about Seth, she prayed Clarice would at least ask about Seth, and if he would get out soon.

“Why, nothing’s wrong with me, Clarice,” he said easily. “Other than the usual ailments. Ornery. Recalcitrant.”

Even though it had been Clarice that asked the question, Nick addressed Laura with the answer.

“When is Seth getting out of jail?” she asked softly, unable to resist. Her normal fretfulness outweighed by her fear for Seth.

Nick took a few steps closer, removed his hat and stood silently for a long moment. His eyes were etched with worry. His Adam’s apple bobbed a few times.

“They think my brother robbed those girls. And now they’re talking about some girls who got killed in Laredo. My brother’s never stepped foot in Laredo.”

Laura listened in disbelief. It wasn’t possible he was a suspect for robbery, much less murder. Not Seth. He’d come to her room, uninvited, and been domineering and impossible. She’d felt both angry and hurt too, but she’d been pleased in a way. It felt nice that Seth noticed her and cared about her safety.

“They’re thinking about having a trial. Maybe next week,” Nick said. “If they do, they’ll bring in a judge from Austin or Houston. A man who doesn’t know Seth.”

Laura lifted a trembling hand to her mouth.

Clarice cursed under her breath.

“I’ve come up with a plan that might help my brother. It came to me right at dawn.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Couldn’t sleep a wink last night.”

Laura nodded. She understood a little of what he felt. Bile burned in her throat. Nick’s words frightened her. Could it be possible that Seth would be sent to the gallows?

Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. His hand shook as he set it on the table. "It’s a marriage proxy.”

Clarice scoffed and shook her head. “You can’t be serious.”

Nick went on. “If he had a wife sitting in the courtroom, it would make him look a little more sympathetic.”

Clarice peered at the paper. “Seth already signed it?”

Nick shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Not exactly.”

Laura flinched. “What do you mean by ‘not exactly’?”

“I forged my brother’s signature,” Nick said.

Laura drew a sharp breath and crept closer to look at the paper. Scrawled along the bottom was Seth Travis’s name.

“I hate to trouble a girl Seth hardly knows, but I wanted to ask anyway. I know he gave you money to leave town. I know he’s worried about Melvin and I wouldn’t blame you for saying no, or leaving town. But I had to ask. In the last two days, things have gone from bad to worse.”

He kept his gaze fixed on Laura.

Her mind spun. Seth was in trouble. She’d hardly been able to breathe thinking about him in any sort of peril. Now a chance to help Seth was put in front of her. She didn’t like the idea of supporting a falsehood, not at all. But to help Seth, a man she loved and a man she knew was falsely accused, why… she was certain she’d do anything to help Seth Travis.

“I’ll sign,” she whispered. And in a voice that was a little stronger, she added. “I’d do anything to help your brother.”

Clarice said nothing.

Nick nodded and set a pen on the table. “Me too.”

As Laura signed her name below Seth’s, her hand shook, but just barely. A strange calm settled over her. She felt certain he’d be freed, but if she could do some small thing to ensure that or to shorten his stay in jail, she would do it, whole-heartedly. She felt not even a glimmer of hesitation.

She set the pen down and lifted her gaze to Clarice. “If I’m playing the part of a married woman, I should take my husband lunch, shouldn’t I? The food in the jail can’t be worth eating.”

Clarice stared at her, a smile slowly curving her mouth. “I suppose,” she said slowly. “That’s what a wife would do for her husband.”

Nick cleared his throat. “I’d be much obliged, Laura. I don’t mean to put you out.”

Laura felt a surge of pleasure. She didn’t relish the idea of visiting a jail, but she’d see Seth. Talk to him and perhaps even be able to offer a little comfort. The idea made her almost giddy.

“It’s no trouble,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound completely delighted.

Nick went on. “Still, I’d like to point out that Seth doesn’t know all the details of this marriage just yet. I aim to tell him soon. But he might be a tad irritated when I do.”

Clarice snorted. “A tad irritated. Damn, Nick, you wily fox. I thought I was a good matchmaker. Look at you, marrying off Seth Travis without his knowing it. I’m impressed.”

“This is just temporary, Clarice,” Laura said. “I’m doing this because I care about Seth’s welfare. Once the problem is resolved, we’ll get the marriage annulled. I’ve heard of mail-ordered brides canceling their marriages,” she added.

She couldn’t help feeling a little wistful. This arrangement was a sham but so were the charges against Seth. One day the proxy would be canceled, but for now she had a job to do. A part to play.

Nick gave Clarice a weak smile. “I just hope the judge looks kindly on my brother.”

“What are you going to do when Seth gets off and finds out he’s married?”

“It might be me leaving town for a few days,” Nick muttered. “Hiding.”

He gave her a wistful smile.

“It can be undone,” Laura said quietly. “Seth can deny having any part of the arrangement.”

Clarice turned to her. “Wear the burgundy dress I gave you. It’s somber, but pretty. Leave your hair down. I’ll finish lunch.”

Laura spent the next half hour changing out of her simple muslin frock and putting on Clarice’s dress, one she’d never worn before. Clarice had given it to her, explaining that she’d only worn it once, to a holiday party in Atlanta. The dress was pretty without being ostentatious. She studied her reflection, wondering what Seth would think when he saw her.

She wore a cloak and walked the quiet streets of Colter Canyon, carrying a basket of food. She entered the jail with a purposeful step and stopped at the desk. The front entrance was sparsely furnished beyond the worn desk and a few chairs. A deputy sat at the desk and worked on a report.

Men’s voices echoed in the halls behind him. Two men argued, and another told them to shut the hell up. She didn’t hear Seth’s voice. Her heart stuttered. Was he even in there? Would he be angry with her?

The deputy, gray-haired and balding, looked up at her in confusion. “Ma’am?”

Laura wondered if she would be able to say the words. Steeling herself against the lie, she drew a deep breath for courage. “I’m Mrs. Travis. I’ve come to bring my husband his supper.”

She half-expected him to laugh or shout at her to get out of the jail. He’d expose her lie and run her off. But he did none of those things. He grunted, took a ring of keys from a hook on the wall, and shuffled out of the room.

With her breath ragged in her throat, Laura followed. The odor of sweat and other vile smells greeted her. A twist of pain made tears burn in her eyes. Seth Travis had spent the night in this wretched place and might spend a number more. She might be terrified by what she was doing, but the sacrifice was worth it, if she could spare him even a single night in this place.

Men leered at her as she passed, but they seemed too shocked to see a woman in the jail to make any sort of crude remark. She held her chin up, and fixed her gaze on the back of the deputy’s head as he walked in front of her.

He stopped at the end of the hallway, and shoved the key in the lock. The door swung open, squeaking on rusted hinges. Laura froze, keeping back a few paces from the door. A man’s growl rumbled from the depths of the cell. It sounded more beast-like than human and for an instant, Laura considered turning on her heel and fleeing the jail.

She gripped the basket. Her knuckles whitened and her hand shook. Inside the basket, the plates rattled, giving away her trepidation. The deputy nodded, waiting for her to enter the cell.

She stepped past him, over the iron threshold and came face to face with Seth. His eyes widened. His mouth twisted. His gaze swept over her and another growl sounded in his chest.

Behind her the door slammed shut and the lock turned.

“One hour for conjugal visits,” the deputy muttered.

The man’s words shook her to her core. Suddenly the entire plan seemed even more reckless. Perilous. She knew Seth was innocent, but here in the depths of the jail, standing in a shadowed cell, he looked dangerous. He was unshaven. His clothes rumpled. He eyed her with a hungered, predatory look.

“Conjugal visit?” Seth asked, his voice rough. “What the hell is he talking about?”

“I think…” Laura’s words faded. Her heart hammered. “He presumes we’re married because I’ve brought you supper.”

She set the basket down on a table and tugged the linens back.

Seth moved behind her, his boots scraping on the gritty floor. He stood behind her. “Clarice sent you?” he asked.

She coaxed a breath into her lungs. “I wanted to come.”

Behind her, he was quiet, but she felt his presence, nonetheless. She knew he was head and shoulders taller than her and could sense him looming over her.

“You don’t think I killed anyone?”

His mocking tone made her skin tighten with goosebumps. With shaking hands, she set out the plates. “Of course not.”

“You don’t even know me. Maybe I did.”

She said nothing as she unpacked the basket of food. She spread a tea towel on the table, unwrapped a plate and set it down beside the cutlery.

He remained behind her, speaking softly. “You shouldn’t be so trusting. A girl like you needs to be careful. Lock your door. Stay out of men’s jail cells. Leave town when you’re told to.”

“I care about what happens to you, Seth.” She moved to the chair and sat down. “You should eat. You need to keep up your strength. I made you fried chicken. There’s lemonade in the jelly jar.”

He sat across from her, arched a brow and took a bite of the food. “You’re mighty brave now, aren’t you? Venturing into the town’s jail to visit a man accused of terrible things.”

“I’m not brave. If I thought you did those things, I wouldn’t have come.”

“That might be, but you’re still leaving Colter Canyon. I told my brother to make sure you got on that train tomorrow.”

She bit her lip.

“And you don’t know Nick. You have no idea how ornery and persuasive he can be.”

The memory of Nick standing in the kitchen just that morning made her worry climb. She’d never done anything remotely deceitful and a rush of self-doubt assailed her. A breathless, nervous laugh fell from her lips.

Seth frowned. “You think that’s funny?”

“No. Not at all,” she stammered. “I just like to see a man with an appetite.”

“That so?” His tone softened. “What about Melvin’s appetite. Did you like that?”

Sitting across from him made her feel a little braver than a moment before, or maybe it was hearing Melvin’s name on his lips. “It’s not very nice to bring up Melvin’s name when I’ve brought you supper.”

She went on. “Besides,” she said softly. “I don’t know the first thing about that man’s appetites.”

She tugged the cloak’s tie and pushed it from her shoulders. Seth’s gaze roved over her dress and while nothing about his expression suggested interest, she felt her skin heat. If anything, Seth looked angered. What was it about her that put the man in a perpetual bad mood?

He narrowed his eyes. “You don’t?”

She shook her head.

He stared at her for a long moment. “I don’t want you to come back here. This is no place for a slip of a girl like you.”

“I’m not a girl.”

“You are a girl, Laura. An impossible, stubborn girl, and if you don’t mind me, I’ll give you a trip across my knee.”

She frowned. “Why would I trip over your knee?”

For the first time since she’d arrived, Seth’s lips curved with the hint of a smile. “If you don’t mind me, Laura, if you don’t get on that train tomorrow, I’ll show you what I mean about a trip over my knee.”

She gave him a prim look. “I’m not sure what you find amusing.”

His smile faded. He finished his supper and pushed the plate aside.

“This jail is no place for a girl like you. Colter Canyon is no place for a girl like you and if I’m locked up, I can’t do much to protect you from Melvin, can I? I want you gone. I’d hoped to take you to the train station and see you one last time, but that’s not possible.”

She shook her head. “I’m not leaving. Not when you’ve been falsely imprisoned.”

The hard look he gave her made her want to confess what she and Nick had done. I can’t leave because I’m married to you…

Wouldn’t that shock him. She shivered, recalling that she was locked in the cell with the man. Perhaps it would be best to leave that confession for another time. If she had to tell him, one day, if it came down to that, she’d be certain to have Clarice nearby.

“I’m not a child, Seth,” she added. “I’m nineteen.”

He waited a long moment before speaking “And I’m thirty-five.” He said slowly. “A lot older than you. I’m trying to protect you.”

His imperious glare upset her.

“I’m trying to protect you, Seth. To help you. If you hadn’t been imprisoned I might never have even spoken to you. Knowing you’re in this cell troubles me more than I can say.”

She thought her words might appeal to him and soften his attitude, but he hardly seemed to notice the extent of what she was saying. The admission of her feelings for him had simply tumbled from her lips, but he maintained the hard, cold look in his eyes.

“Time for you to go, Laura.” He got up and called for the deputy.

She was being dismissed. Her heart sank. She wasn’t sure what she’d been hoping for but anything other than a cold, ‘time for you to go’. Gathering the plates, she wondered what would happen if she came back the next day. He would be furious, but how furious?

The deputy unlocked the door.

Seth stepped aside and fixed his gaze on her, his eyes narrowed. “You get on that train, Laura.”

Why did her foolish heart yearn for such an uncaring man? She gave him a brittle nod and left the cell. The door clanged behind her. She walked down the hall past the other cells and the inmates gaped as she passed. Without a word to the deputy, she exited the Colter Canyon Jail, and in the waning light of dusk, turned for the Magnolia.