Page 62 of Montana Lawman Rescuer
“I know.” She trailed her fingertip along his jawline, enjoying the raspy sound. Tomorrow could well bring a new chapter inher life. Or perhaps a return to the old one. But she would not let the future or lack of a past rob her of enjoying the present.
Jesse had never feltsuch fear as he had when he realized he was about to go over the edge. The relief when he’d found solid footing had left his knees weak. If anything happened to her?—
He couldn’t finish the thought.
Kissing her seemed the best way to assure himself she was okay. He shouldn’t have done it, knowing she would move on once she remembered who she was, and even if she didn’t, she would eventually realize he was only a sheriff, and it would begin to dawn on her what it meant that he was a man whose mother had lived a sordid life and who didn’t know who his father was, leaving him feeling rootless. No one cared about that in a sheriff. But to a man, especially a man who longed for a wife and children of his own, it had proven to be a hindrance. But they had agreed to put aside the reality of their lives and make this a day to remember.
He knew he wouldn’t ever forget a single detail of the afternoon.
Neither of them seemed ready to leave this spot, and they sank to the ground beneath the trees, their shoulders pressing together. She told him of the outing with Mikey. “He’s such a special boy. I hate to think of him having to wait months to join his adoptive family.”
“Me, too. I’ve grown very fond of him.” Jesse would hurt when the boy left. His house would seem empty. Would Mikey return to wherever he’d come from to wait for the Newmans? Would they cross the mountains again to get him, or would they change their mind about adoption? Then what would happen tohim? Would Emily leave, too, to go with Mikey? Or would she remember a family she would return to? His heart echoed with loneliness.
A sad silence filled his heart and then he realized she, too, had grown quiet. Was she feeling the same as he? He shifted to face her.
“I wish we would hear from the Newmans. I can’t see myself going to Oregon with Mikey, but they’ll know who Aunt Hilda is and where she lives. Once I know, it seems to me the best thing to do is go there. She’ll know who I am. I’ll be able to pick up the pieces of my life.”
“That makes sense. And if you don’t like the life you discover, you can always come back here.”
She studied her folded hands.
He had to ask. “Don’t you think you could have a good life here?”
Her gaze came to his, full of longing and uncertainty. “If I couldn’t remember the feelings of the past, I expect I could be very happy here. But something troubles me, and until I can learn what it is, I can never feel free to belong anywhere.”
He took her hands between his. “Then I hope and pray you will get your memory back and learn your fears are groundless.” Even if remembering made her forget him, her peace of mind was far more important.
A sharp crack jolted them both to look around.
“What was that?” she asked.
He knew the sound. “Someone is shooting nearby.”
She started to scramble to her feet.
He pulled her down. “Don’t move. Stay low.” He studied their surroundings, his thoughts racing. He couldn’t see any wild animals being hunted nor any puff of smoke to indicate the shooter. Were he and Emily targets? His first thought was of the three men responsible for robberies and murder.
If he and Emily edged back into the trees...
He signaled her to follow him and stay low. They crept deeper into the shadows. When he deemed they would be impossible for anyone at a distance to see, he signaled her to stop and pulled her close to protect her.
“Who would be shooting at us?” she whispered.
“I don’t know that they are, but it’s better to be overcautious.” Than dead. But he wouldn’t share that concern.
They sat in strained silence. He heard a sound far to his right. Couldn’t tell if someone moved through the trees. It could be an animal. Or just the wind. But at least it wasn’t between them and the buggy.
“I don’t think we’re in any danger,” he said after a few more minutes, and he got to his feet, keeping Emily close. He had no intention of leaving her vulnerable.
He stood for several seconds, and when nothing happened, he slowly made his way to the edge of the trees. They would be in the open until he reached the trail through the woods. Why had he gone so far downstream?
She clung to him and perhaps wondered why he didn’t go faster, but he had no desire to risk going over the edge because of haste. She chuckled softly. “I feel like we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, only it’s truly rocks and trees.”
There’d been no more shooting, no movement through the trees that he could detect. His tension eased marginally. “I think someone must be out hunting.”
“So long as they’re not hunting us.”
He smiled. “Nice to know you can joke about it.”
