Chapter Nineteen

"What took the two of you so long?" Rose asked as they pulled up to the house. "I was getting worried."

"We had business to take care of," Langley replied, clutching his sack and disappearing quickly inside.

"What kind of business?" Rose asked Marston but he just shrugged and removed his saddlebags from the cart.

"Man business," he said, pressing a tender kiss to her brow as he stepped onto the porch. "You were supposed to be resting."

"I have been," Rose promised. Marston let his gaze roam across her body. She had showered and her red hair showed evidence of that as it hung in damn curls down her back. She was wearing the blue checked dress with a lower neckline that gave him a good view of that mole on her collarbone. It was his favorite dress.

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

She flushed red. "Did I look that terrible before?"

Marston laughed. "I'm not gonna dignify that question with an answer."

Rose wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned her body into his chest to hide her blush from him. "Did you send the money to the bank?"

"Yep," Marston replied quickly.

Rose pulled away and studied him closely. "Something's wrong," she firmly stated.

Marston's brow rose. "What?"

"I don't know," Rose admitted. "But something happened while you were gone—something to do with that money. What happened?"

"What makes you think something happened?"

"Don't lie to me," Rose snapped. "I can't tell when I look at you that something is wrong."

"How can you tell?" Marston grumbled. He had always prided himself on his ability to hide emotions and lie well.

Rose glared up at him and put her hands on her soft hips. "I can see it in your eyes, Marston, so you might as well tell me."

"You're the first person to ever be able to read something I want to keep hidden," Marston complained.

Rose smiled. "That's good. You're not supposed to keep secrets from your woman. Now tell me."

Marston stooped low and kissed her ear, causing Rose's legs to very nearly buckle. "My woman? I like the sound of that."

Rose squirmed out of his grasp. "Stop trying to change the subject, Marston."

He sighed and sat down in the rocking chair, grabbing her by the hips and pulling her down onto his lap. She shook her head. "You really are trusting this chair more than you should," she warned as it creaked and moaned beneath them.

"If it breaks I'll catch you."

Rose feigned breathlessness. "My hero... now what happened in town?"

Marston's smile quickly became a frown. "I sent your payment and a letter directly to the bank in Millerton and they sent it back. Apparently your account has been paid in full for nearly four years and Winston Meade has not worked for them for a while."

Rose couldn't believe what she was hearing. Surely there must have been a mistake! "But I've been sending payments directly to Winston Meade! Not to mention the times that he's come here demanding money and I've given him what little I had..."

Marston nodded, anger clenching his jaw. "He's been lying to you and stealing your money.. .not to mention the threats Langley told me about."

Rose gasped and her eyes grew wider. "Langley knows about those?"

"He doesn't understand completely but he knows enough to know that Winston means to hurt you. He made me promise to keep you safe and that's what I intend to do."

"Winston is due back any day," Rose replied. "What are we going to do, Marston?"

Marston shrugged. "We let him come. How much would you say you've given him over the years?"

Rose tried to push back her fear and think hard. "Close to... close to three hundred dollars...." Rose's fists clenched as she thought about the money she'd saved for Langley's clothes, his food, his shoes and his books all going to that banker.

She felt anger well up inside her. "I'll go to town and send word to the marshal in Millerton. He's the closest law and he'll come handle things."

"I'll take care of things," Marston argued firmly. Marston was accustomed to dealing with his own problems and didn't want the help of a lawman.

"What exactly are you going to do?" Rose whispered.

"Deal with it," came Marston's short reply.

Rose's stomach flopped. "Marston...."

He kissed her head. "I'm just going to deal with it, Rose, so don't worry."

Marston gently sat Rose on her feet before getting to his own feet as well. With a trembling hand, he reached in his pocket, pulled out the three hundred dollars the bank had refused and held it out to Rose.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked. "That's your money, Marston."

Marston shook his head and was more terrified than he could ever remember feeling before in his entire life. He'd made an impulse decision just now and he knew that he might end up regretting it until his dying day.

"No it's not, Rose. It never was," he replied quietly.

"Then who's is it?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she stared up at him.

Maston swallowed hard. "It's yours."

"I don't have three hundred dollars," she assured him.

Marston turned his gaze out toward the barn. He knew his next words could earn him Rose's distrust and rejection and they were the hardest words he'd ever had to utter in his life. "I stole it from you and Langley. There was six hundred dollars in that bag from Langston and I kept half."

When silence followed his emotions, he slowly snuck a peek at Rose and found her smiling from ear to ear. "What the hell is the matter with you, woman? Why are you smiling? I just admitted that I stole money from you. Money that you needed! You should be furious with me."

The smile never left her face. "Marston I need to show you something." Rose disappeared into the house and Marston, unsure if he was meant to follow or not, stood awkwardly upon the porch.

Rose returned a few moments later with a piece of paper which she placed in Marston's calloused hand. Marston frowned as he realized it was a letter. A letter from Langston. It was made out to Rose and it said right there in writing that he had been released from prison and was returning home with six hundred dollars.

"When did you get this?" Marston whispered.

"Shorty after you left in September," Rose replied. She folded the letter gently and slipped it into her skirt pocket.

"Rose.. I'm sorry..."

Rose cut off his apology by pressing her fingers to his lips. Marston's eyes darkened at the contact and Rose trembled. "Don't you see?" she asked. "This just proves how good a man you truly are. You could have kept all the money and not brought any of it to us but you didn't. You could have spent this three hundred and never told me about it, but you didn't."

"Don't make me out to be something I'm not, Rose," he warned. "I'm no hero."

Rose just smiled and threw her arms around his neck. "I'll see you however I choose to see you." She pulled away slowly. "Now go get Buck put up and bring in some wood. I have some chicken cut up for soup but need to get the fire going."

Marston was grinning as he quickly went off to do her bidding. 'If only the men could see you now. Proud as hell because that woman thinks you're a good man and following her orders like a little puppy.'

Marston rolled his broad shoulders. "Little?" he mumbled aloud.

'Okay then. A really big puppy.'

***

Marston was awake an hour before dawn the next morning. It was cold when he stepped out onto the porch and his breath froze in a thick fog around his head when he exhaled. A light frost coated the land and buildings and Marston knew that when the sun began to rise it would be a beautiful sight to see.

Marston rolled out his shoulders and was stretching his aching back when a twig snapped and instantly his every sense was on high alert. His guns were inside but Marston quickly pulled his knife from its sheath.

Another twig snapped and Marston's head snapped to the right to discover that the source of the sound was nothing but a few deer grazing at the edge of the woods. He let out his breath and holstered his knife.

Venison would make a real nice addition to the smokehouse and Marston could use the hide to make a hat and gloves for Langley. Once he lined them with rabbit fur, Langley would have the warmest head and hands in the state.

The deer disappeared into the trees and Marston walked back in the cabin. He went to Langley's bedroom door and quietly pushed it open. "Hey kid?" he whispered.

Langley groaned. "What?" he mumbled from beneath the covers.

"I saw some deer. Why don't you get dressed and come hunting with me?"

"Really?!" Langley was hopping out of the bed instantly. "Yeah! That sounds fun!"

Marston's eyes narrowed. "Quiet now," he scolded. "You'll wake your mama and she needs to rest."

Langley' grin turned guilty. "Sorry. I've never been hunting. Is it fun? Can I shoot the deer?"

"Do you even know how to aim a big rifle?" Marston questioned.

Langley laughed. "No, but that didn't stop me from shooting you."

Marston grumbled under his breath but found his lips twitching as he left the boy to get dressed.

He made his way to the sofa where his gun belt was resting. That sofa was still serving as his bed each night much to the displeasure of his back and another vital part of his anatomy. He wanted Rose more than he had ever wanted any other woman. He longed to hold her against him skin on skin and bury himself so deep in her scent he could never rid himself of it.

But Marston wasn't going to push her. He could only hope that eventually she would trust him enough to invite him in.

Marston was fastening on his gun belt when Langley emerged from his bedroom dressed and ready to go. Marston pulled some paper and a pencil from a drawer beside the door and jotted down a quick note to Rose letting her know they'd gone hunting.

He checked the rifle to ensure it was loaded and smiled over at Langley. "You ready, kid?"

Langley bounced out the door. "Sure am!"

Marston was laughing as he grabbed his coat off the hook and followed the boy outside.

***

"Are we ever gonna see some deers? I want to see a deer."

"What did I tell you was the first rule of hunting?" Marston grumbled as they hid among the trees beside a well-used game trail.

"To be quiet," Langley replied, clearly proud that he'd remembered.

Marston's gaze became pointed. "Exactly."

Langley flashed a guilty grin and began to chew his lip. They sat there for a while longer in silence before Marston finally began to hear a rustling in the dead leaves on the forest floor.

Langley's eyes were wide as he looked at Marston questioningly. When Marston nodded, Langley nearly leapt with excitement. Marston laid the rifle in Langley's hands and showed him how to hold it to his shoulder. The deer entered the slight clearing and Marston could feel Langley trembling with excitement as he pulled the bolt back and readied a shell.

"Do you see that doe? The third one back?" Marston whispered close to Langley's ear.

"Yessir."

"She's the one we want. Her meat will be real good."

"Okay," Langley's voice was shaking as Marston released the gun and allowed Langley hold the weapon on his own.

"Now, you wait until you feel like you're ready, keep the gun tight to your shoulders, put them sights right behind her shoulder and squeeze the trigger good and slow."

Marston realized that he was just as excited and nervous as the boy was. Langley licked his lips and focused on the deer. The sound of the gunshot reverberated through the early dawn air causing birds to take flight and the deer to jump.

Marston realized that Langley had hit the doe but not lethally. Not wanting to miss out on the meat, Marston drew his revolver and fired off a shot, blowing out the doe's lungs and heart.

"Did I do okay?" Langley asked as the deer fell dead to the ground.

"You did real good, kid," Marston assured him. "After a few lessons you'll be as good a shot as me."

"You're just saying that," Langley grumbled as Marston led him to the deer.

Marston simply shrugged and took out his knife. "What are you doing?" Langley asked. "We already killed her."

"Yeah, but now we gotta cut her guts out before we take her home. We'll leave them here and some critter will come along and have a nice meal."

Langley nodded but when Marston slid his knife into the doe's belly and slid the blade up, he noticed that Langley paled and turned his head. "You gotta get used to seeing this, kid. Meat has to be gathered somehow and you might not always have a neighbor that'll slaughtered a cow to see you have meat."

Langley grumbled under his breath but turned his gaze back to the deer, his skin taking on a green hue. Marston finished with his task before wiping his knife off in the grass and tossing the gutted doe over his shoulders.

Marston felt warm blood running down the back of his shirt and he knew he'd be blood soaked by the time they returned to the cabin. He glanced down at the front of himself and realized he had the substance splattered across his front as well. He hoped Rose wasn't squeamish.

"Let's get her home now," Marston urged. "We'll skin her and cut the meat there."

"Oh yay," Langley muttered.

The two began the trek back to the cabin on foot. Marston glanced up at the sun and guessed the time to be about nine in the morning. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut and he couldn't help but think that something wasn't right... the sooner he got back to Rose, the better.