Page 40 of The Gilded Lady
“It doesn’t matter. We’ve already been vigilant.” Zane folded up the paper and handed it back to Hunter. “We still have to get the children and Clara to safety. The men are still at the ranch, we need to bring some of them into town and have someone at the train station so we know if Dubose comes in that way. The rest we need outside Victoria House. We’ll make sure no one gets in or out without us knowing.” He was thankful the gang had decided to wait out Castillo’s recovery at the ranch instead of going their separate ways.
“Let’s go back and talk with Glory and Able and see what they think. But first…” He paused as if uncertain how to say whateverit was he wanted to say. “You and Glory…you seem to have gotten closer.”
Zane gave a nod. “We have. She’s a special person.” The words were benign, lacking even a modicum of the depth of what he felt for her, but he couldn’t put it into words yet. After last night…
Hunter grinned. “That’s good. I’m glad to see you moving on. What happened with Christine was horrible, but you deserve to find happiness.”
Maybe he should stay away from Glory, but maybe it was already too late for that. Dubose could be the end of him. Either way he wasn’t leaving until she was safe from the madman.
He shrugged and tried to act like it didn’t mean anything. “It’s not like that, brother. She tolerates me being in her space, and I happen to like being in her space. We both know the future isn’t certain.”
Hunter frowned, his brows drawing together over his eyes. “Are you sure that’s all it is?”
Zane swallowed, very uneasy with the direction of this conversation, especially after what had happened between them last night. “What do you mean?”
Hunter shrugged. “You look at her like you looked at Christine, that’s all. I assumed it meant that you had something…well, special.”
Zane was very much afraid that they did. No, terrified. He never wanted to feel that way about anyone again, and he’d thought he’d made himself immune to that vulnerability. Despite his own experience, somehow Glory had found a way in through all of his defenses. He’d be damned if he knew what to do about it.
“It could be, if we let it.” His answer was as honest as he could make it.
“But you don’t want to let it?”
Zane shook his head. No, Glory wasn’t Christine, but his heart was still the same one Christine had torn out and stomped all over that night back on the Reyes hacienda. It wasn’t willing to forget or to even believe that love was worth the pain all over again.
“Does Glory know you feel that way?” Hunter asked.
Guilt and anger collided within him, swirling together in a storm that begged to be let out. He knew that Hunter was right. He needed to have a serious talk with her to let her know that whatever was happening between them couldn’t go any further. He’d thought they’d been on the same page about that, but after last night…Hell, he’d gone and messed that up when he’d held her. The worst part was that he couldn’t even regret doing it.
Shaking his head, he said, “Let’s go make a plan for dealing with Dubose.” He led the way back across the hall feeling, for the first time in his life, like he was in over his head.
Chapter Seventeen
The rest of the day was a whirlwind of preparations. Glory barely had time to think much less dwell on the fact that Justin was coming for her. She and Charlotte spent the day packing up the women and children in the boardinghouse. The two women and children were booked for the first train out the next morning. Sarah and her mother would be going out to the Jameson ranch with Clara, Emily, and Edward. Glory had hoped to get them out on the first night, but everyone had agreed that leaving in the morning was best. No one wanted to travel at night, not with a threat looming over them.
It turns out they needed the extra time to pack their trunks anyway. Glory stayed up late into the night to help Clara get her household packed. Since no one knew how long they’d be gone, it was best for her to pack up everything she might need for the baby. It had been midnight when Able escorted Glory back to her room.
She said good night at the door and closed it softly, only realizing in that moment how much she’d missed seeing Zanethat day. She’d become accustomed to having him shadow her throughout her day. It hadn’t made sense today though with Able needing to help with packing.
The only light in the room came from the street lamp outside. It cast a soft glow that barely reached the sofa where Zane was lying. A part of her had hoped he’d be awake so they could talk, but she knew that he needed his rest. She’d get the details tomorrow, but she knew that he’d coordinated a round-the-clock watch with the men that had come into town from the Jameson ranch. She’d see less of him now as he took his scheduled shifts. Her heart clenched at the thought, as if she was already beginning to lose him.
“Hey.” His sleep roughened voice surprised her. He didn’t sit up, but she could just make out his features in the shadows. “Did you get finished packing?”
“Yes, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to find a buckboard or two to rent. Clara has insisted on taking everything.” She kept her tone light because for some strange reason she was feeling very insecure with him. He hadn’t been avoiding her. Well, not exactly. They’d simply been too busy to see each other, but no matter how many times she told herself that, she couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that something had changed. Even though she hadn’t been particularly sober last night, she remembered how gentle he’d been with her and how he’d held her. She could use a little holding tonight, but it seemed inappropriate to ask.
“It must be hard to have to pack up and leave on short notice, especially when she’s so close to having a baby.”
“I’m sure it is.” Glory stood there, wanting to bring back the intimacy of the previous night but feeling too awkward to accomplish it. She was being silly. He was probably as tired as she was, if not more so, and standing here bemoaning the fact that they’d barely touched all day wasn’t doing anything but putting her in a bad mood. “Well, good night.”
“Night.”
She let out a breath, feeling the slightest bit defeated and walked to her bedchamber. She’d almost closed the door when he called out, “What time do we leave for the train station?”
“Six thirty,” she answered, silently chastising herself for expecting anything more.
The next morning was full of goodbyes. Glory said goodbye to the boarders at the train station, only to return home in time to help load the children and Clara off to the ranch. It had taken her carriage along with the Jamesons’ carriage and two buckboards to get everything loaded. Hunter and two of his men with big guns strapped to their hips and rifles fastened to their saddles were to ride mounted alongside. She didn’t know why it hit her so hard, but as she watched the small caravan pull away she had to blink back tears.
Castillo rode in one of the carriages with Clara, Sarah and her mother. From the other, two pairs of chubby arms waved enthusiastically at her, the twins riding with Emmy, Caroline, and Charlotte—Glory had begged her to go at the last minute so the children would have someone with them who was familiar with their routine. They hadn’t wanted to leave her, but when she’d told them about the horses and rabbits waiting for them there, they’d become excited and hadn’t stopped talking about which horse they wanted to ride. It didn’t matter that they’d never seen the horses. They had a whole herd of them in mind.
