Chapter 3
How could she have been so careless? No regard for her own life whatsoever. Edward hadn’t known anger like this since he was a young man cutting a swath of vengeance across the territory. With his brother at his side, they’d hunted down the men who’d attacked their homestead. His father had gotten a swift death at the end of a blade, but his momma—his poor momma—had endured the kind of torture no woman should have to. At a tender young age, Edward had learned what it meant to be tortured. It was knowledge he’d put to use for years afterward.
Then after their vengeful hunt was complete, he’d learned to put his knowledge of the human body to good use. Turning his skills from hurtful to helpful, he’d found a certain kind of peace and turned himself into the gentleman his momma always wanted him to be. But now all he felt was that old anger rising up to take hold of him. Grace, his Grace, had put herself in danger one too many times. He’d been stupid to let her continue. Hunting down banditos with the Suttons was no way for a lady to live. Yet here she was on the horse next to him, riding in uncomfortable silence.
For the tenth time, she sighed with a huff. Normally he’d ask her what was wrong, but today, he wasn’t going to say another word. Not after what she’d done, and not until he’d regained control of his anger. Instead, he clicked his tongue at his stallion, urging him to move faster. The stallion glided in front of Grace and Luke, giving him the space he needed. The clomping of hooves warned him he wouldn’t be alone for long. He looked to the horizon. When he saw their destination come into view, relief washed over him. The white church steeple rose up at the end of the main road like a beacon.
“What is wrong with you?” Grace steered her horse so close to his, their legs nearly brushed.
“Nothin’.” He ground his teeth together.
“Nothin’? Really? You’ve barely spoken to me, barely looked at me.”
How could he not look at her? Grace’s beauty eclipsed all other women. She wasn’t dainty, in need of rescuing. No, his Grace was everything strong a man could need in the West. A no-fuss kind of woman, she wore her long dark hair in a braid that ran down the side of her body, stopping at her hips. Standing only half a head shorter than Edward’s six-foot, four-inch frame, she towered over other women. Yet her curvaceous figure gave her a welcoming softness he’d recognized the moment he’d seen her. With each of her movements, it was as though her body swayed to a hidden melody only he could hear. So how could he not look at her?
He slid her a sideways glance. “I’ve been lookin’ at you plenty.”
“Ugh.” She pulled her horse away from his. “Men.” With a huff, she dug her heels into the stirrups, spurring the animal into a gallop, leaving Edward behind.
Luke steered his horse beside Edward, giving him a long look, but he said nothing.
Why was everyone looking at him like that today? Annoyance ate at him. “What?”
“Life ain’t easy out here.” Luke motioned to the land around them.
Edward followed his hand, knowing how harsh this land could be. At every turn there could be drought, flooding, extreme heat or cold. If the weather didn’t kill a body, the banditos or Comanche would. Images of his mother’s ravaged body played in his mind. Though he was young at the time, it wasn’t something he’d ever forget.
“You think I don’t know that? Hell, I still see things in my sleep no boy should never witness.”
The unspoken past hung over them while they rode in silence.
Luke sucked in a deep breath. “You know, when I first met Eliza I thought she was reckless and maybe a bit crazed. It wasn’t until later that I saw how strong she was. That kind of strength is what the Sutton men need. And, brother, Grace has it.”
“I know.” He ran his hand over the back of his neck. “It’s just, well, she…”
Luke tilted his head back and laughed. “You are too much.”
“What?”
“You can ride all over tarnation, getting shot at. But she can’t?” He shook his head. “You got some things to work out between those ears of yours.”
They pulled into town in time to see Grace standing on the front steps of the jail house, nose to nose with the mayor. Judging from her body language, Edward could tell a fight was brewing. She stood with her back ramrod straight, each of her hand movements was sharp, and her voice rose above the crowd.
He pulled his reins up short and tossed them to Luke. “I’ll be right back.”
He quickened his steps, letting his long strides eat up the distance between him and the crowd forming around the jail house. Though he could only see her from the side, he could tell by the ticking in her jaw she was gritting her teeth.
She fisted her hands at her hips and raised her voice over the crowd. “You’re telling me there’s no way for that to happen?”
The mayor, a small, simple man with round spectacles and combed-back hair, stood red-faced across from her. “This here’s a serious matter.”
She threw up her arms. “You think I don’t know that?”
“Now, now, Gracey.” He held up his hands, motioning for her to quiet down.
Edward snickered under his breath, knowing that would just add fuel to her fire.
“This here’s a man’s job. Perhaps one of the Suttons?” The mayor motioned to Colton, who had drifted to the front of the crowd.
Colton shook his head. “The Suttons aren’t interested.”
What the hell was going on? Pushing forward, Edward wound his way through the townsfolk, getting ever closer until he came up to stand beside Colton. “What’s goin’ on?”
Whispering low enough for only Edward to hear, he said, “Town needs a new sheriff since your woman killed Tully. By the looks of it, she’s fixin’ to take the position.”
“She’s not my woman.”
Colton turned to face him, his brows drawn low over his blue eyes, the same color their momma used to have. He chuckled lightly. “Oh, she will be.”
“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about. And she can’t do this.” Wasn’t it enough that she put herself in the line of bullets riding alongside him? Now she was going to add more to it by trying to clean up the town. Hell, even the Suttons ignored the small-time criminals who drank too much and got too rowdy. But he knew Grace wouldn’t; she’d take up any challenge thrown at her. It wasn’t that he didn’t think she could do it. No, he just didn’t want her taking too many steps toward an early grave. His Grace could do anything she damn well set her mind to, but this was too much.
He stepped up onto the wooden-planked porch. “What’s the problem here, Mayor?”
Without missing a beat, Grace spun around, giving him a killing look. “This here pig says a woman can’t run for town sheriff.”
The mayor cleared his throat. “I-It’s not that I think she can’t do it. I just think it’s better suited for men’s work.”
Edward looked down into her fiery emerald eyes. “What are you tryin’ to do, jump in front of every bullet comin’ your way?”
She sucked in a sharp breath. “I’m doin’ what I need to.”
“Gracey!” Bart Newton, local general store owner and Grace’s father, shoved his way through the crowd. “What are you doin’?”
“Pa, stay out of it.” She slashed her hands through the air.
“Now, Gracey, this is gone too far.” Bart, a normally quiet, reserved man, stood red-faced and shaking. “It’s bad enough you’ve taken up with the Suttons, huntin’ down outlaws. It’s high time—”
“High time I settle down? You said it yourself, I’ve been huntin’ down criminals with the Suttons. I’m more than qualified to do this.”
Edward wanted nothing more than to keep her safe, keep her from the life he’d lived. Yet here she stood, demanding to be a part of it.
“Grace.” He leaned in closer to her. “Don’t do this.”
With a sound of disgust, she threw up her hands. “You of all people should know I can do this, and I will.”
“Riding with the Suttons for a few weeks isn’t the same as livin’ this life.” He tried to speak low enough for only her to hear, but the whole crowd seemed to be hanging on every word he said.
“And that’s right.” The mayor stepped between them. “I’d like to thank Edward Sutton for tossin’ his hat in and puttin’ his name up for sheriff.”
“What?” Edward’s jaw dropped.
Colton stepped forward. He was a man of very few words but when he spoke, people listened. “I think Grace Newton should be on that ballot, too.”
The mayor nearly choked on his words. “W-what?”
Grace crossed her arms over her chest. “That’s right.”
How the hell had things gone so wrong? Edward had gone from trying to protect her to putting his own ass in the fire. “I don’t want none of this.”
“Well, it seems you don’t have a choice.” Grace glared at him.
“That settles it. One month from this day, the town will take a vote to see who our new sheriff will be.” His voice grew louder. “Edward Sutton.” Then not as loud. “Or Grace Newton.”
The townsfolk clapped and cheered for their two candidates. All the while, Edward stood still as a statue, hating every single moment. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Colton moving away from the crowd toward where Luke waited. The two seemed to be sharing a joke at his expense.
The mayor turned and shook his hand. “Pleasure to have ya, Sutton.”
Was it just the name that had the mayor itching to make him sheriff, or was it that fact he didn’t want a woman representing this town? Either way, it didn’t sit well with Edward. He dropped his hands to his sides, about to turn to Grace to speak to her just once more. But before he could out get a word, she’d stepped off the porch and headed down the street without a glance back.
This wasn’t anywhere near finished between them. He followed closely behind her. When he caught up to her, he leaned in to whisper in her ear, “We need to talk.”
“I don’t have anything left to say to you, Edward.”
Wrapping his hand around her elbow, he steered her toward an alley between two buildings. “Well, I’ve got plenty to say to you.”
Once they were out of sight from prying eyes, she yanked away her arm from his grip and rounded on him. “Oh, now you want to talk?”
“Grace.” He softened his voice the way he did each time he tried train a wild stallion.
“Don’t you use that tone on me.” She stabbed him in the chest with her finger. “You’ve spent the whole day not talkin’ to me, and now you want to act like I’m some wild animal who needs calmin’ down.”
At that, his temper flared to match hers. “Maybe you are. Did you ever think of that? You’ve been hell-bent on pickin’ up a gun in every fight, and today you were about to step into a field of dynamite to light a fuse. I can’t decide if ya want to meet your maker or if you think I’ll just always be around to patch you up.”
She arched her eyebrow. “So that’s what this is about?”
“What?”
“You don’t like me puttin’ myself in danger?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Edward ran his hand over the back of his neck. “I can’t say I’m fond of it. Just once I’d like you to stop and think about what the heck you’re doin’.”
Narrowing her eyes, she spoke through gritted teeth. “I know what I’m doin’.” She took a step back out toward the street.
Edward reached out and pulled her back. “I don’t think you do.”
As he held onto her, the heat of her skin seeped through her cotton shirt into his hand. A breeze drifted toward him, carrying her heady scent, a mix of fresh rain and sunflowers. It drove him mad.
Once again, she pulled free of him. “Is that why you’re staying in this race to become sheriff, because you don’t think I know how to handle myself?”
When he ground his teeth together, he felt the muscle in his jaw tighten. How could he explain he didn’t want to see her hurt, couldn’t bear the thought of anything happening to the one woman who’d finally brought him back from the brink? Words had left him. All he could do was take in her heart-shaped face, sunkissed skin and silky black hair.
The corner of her mouth tilted up in a sassy half smile. “And here I thought you were different.”
With a sweep of her dress, she walked away from him, back out into the bright sunny street, leaving him alone in the dark. Hadn’t it been that way before he’d met her? Him, lost to his inner devil, and her, a perfect ray of light, guiding him out. Now, she’d left him back where she’d found him, only this time he craved what he knew only she could offer.
“Grace!”
Her shoulders stiffened but she didn’t turn back toward him.
He called after her once more, “Grace.”
It was too late. She left him in the shadows while she walked away in the mid-afternoon sunshine.