The Heart's Pursuit Read online

  The instant her head and shoulders rose above the ridge, Jared grabbed hold and hauled her the rest of the way up. Then he pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair.

  “I knew you were coming,” she whispered. “I knew you’d find me.”

  His hands cupped the sides of her face, forcing her head back so he could stare down into her eyes. His left hand slipped forward to tenderly touch the bruised and swollen skin on the right side of her face. “He hurt you.”

  “Only that. Nothing more.”

  “When I saw he’d taken you—”

  “I knew you would come. I knew you wouldn’t rest until you found me.”

  He kissed the wound above her eye. He kissed her forehead. He kissed the tip of her nose. “I never should have left you alone. I should have known you couldn’t follow orders.”

  “I knew you’d come. I wasn’t afraid as long as I remembered that.”

  “He could have shot you. He almost did.”

  “You shot him first.”

  And finally, he kissed her mouth, a lifetime of loving promised in the touch of his lips. “Why did you let him loose, even for a moment?”

  “He was covered with ants. I couldn’t leave him like that. I thought—”

  “You promised you wouldn’t.”

  “I had to.”

  “Why are you always so stubborn?” He offered another gentle kiss. “Look what almost happened. Look what did happen.”

  “I’m sorry you lost the reward because of me.”

  “Do you think it’s the reward I care about?” His arms tightened around her, pulling her against his chest, one hand moving up and down her back, the fingers of the other twining through her hair. His next kiss branded her as his.

  Silver melted into his embrace.

  He withdrew slightly and stared down into her face. Then, with six simple words, he changed her world forever. “I love you, Silver. Marry me.”

  CHAPTER 39

  Matt Carlton didn’t escape justice. They came upon his body before they’d traveled more than a couple of miles. Although no one could say for certain what had happened, it appeared he’d fallen and struck his head when attempting to jump his horse over a tree that lay across the trail, barring his way. They found the sorrel gelding not far beyond, its reins tangled in the branches.

  Jared wrapped Carlton’s body in a blanket and draped him over the horse’s back. Then they set off for the nearest town with a sheriff to whom they could tell their story, leave Matt Carlton to be buried, and go on their way.

  There wouldn’t be a trial. There wouldn’t be a hanging. There wouldn’t be a reward. And oddly enough, none of it mattered to Jared. All that mattered was the woman riding beside him. She and the boy too, surprising as that was.

  The ragtag threesome arrived in Twin Springs in early August. The main street of town was dry and dusty, baked beneath the summer sun. A few horses stood outside the Mountain Rose Saloon, their tails flicking at persistent flies. Laundry had been strung up to dry behind the Mitchell home, and the Pearson boys were splashing in a tub of water while their mother rocked her new baby in the shade of the side porch.

  All the familiar sights looked good to Silver. It felt as if she’d been gone years instead of not quite three months. Still, as they approached the mercantile, anxiety balled in her stomach. She’d sent her parents a telegram, letting them know she was okay and on her way back. But how were they going to receive the rest of the news she had yet to tell them? On the trail, it had been easy to think only of Jared and their love, but that interlude was over. She must tell her father and stepmother that the store and house were lost. She must face their disappointment.

  She glanced toward Jared. He met her gaze and offered a reassuring smile. He was with her, the look seemed to say. What more could she need? Nothing. That was enough. She looked to her opposite side and found Dean watching her too. His eyes were filled with uncertainty, and it was her turn to offer encouragement with a confident nod.

  They reined in their horses in front of Matlock Mercantile. Silver stared up at the bold lettering across the false front. It seemed a lifetime since she’d last looked upon it. Maybe it had been a lifetime. She’d been another person. She had left Twin Springs a wounded woman in pursuit of a thief and had returned with her heart made whole again. More than whole. Made new.

  The store door flew open, and her father stepped outside. “Silver! Thank God.”

  Her trepidation vanished, and she vaulted from the saddle, flying into his waiting arms. “Papa. Oh, Papa, it’s good to be home.” She buried her face against his burly chest.

  “We’ve been worried about you, daughter.”

  She stepped back and looked into his eyes. She saw tears glimmering there and felt her resolve not to cry weaken. “I haven’t brought good news, Papa. I wasn’t able to get the money or Mother’s jewelry back. It’s all gone.”

  “You’re home safe. That’s all your mother and I wanted. Just that you would return to us unharmed. When we learned you didn’t go to stay with Rose—” His words broke off, choked by emotion.

  Jared stepped onto the boardwalk, and her father released his hold on Silver’s arms.

  “Mr. Newman. Silver was with you all this time?”

  “Yes. Most of it.”

  Her father’s gaze returned to her. “If anything had happened to you, Silver, it would have broken my heart. You shouldn’t have gone the way you did. The store and house mean nothing compared to you. Don’t you know that?”

  “I had to try to get your money back, Papa. It was my fault.”

  “It wasn’t your fault. Don’t ever think it again.” Once more he looked at Jared. “Thank you for bringing her home safe and sound, Mr. Newman.” He offered his hand. “Thank you is a mighty small reward for bringing Silver back to us.”

  Jared shook the proffered hand, surprise written in his eyes. Neither of them had anticipated he would receive a warm welcome from her parents.

  “Papa, there’s something—”

  The door opened a second time.

  “Look, Marlene. Mr. Newman has brought Silver back to us.”

  “Silvana.” Her stepmother came out onto the boardwalk. “At last.”

  Silver kissed her stepmother’s cheek. “I’m back, Mother, but without the money. By the time we found Bob, it was already gone, and he was dying. We . . . we had to bury him in Nevada.”

  Her stepmother didn’t seem to hear her last words. “We? You and this man found him?” Her complexion turned ashen.

  Jared stepped to Silver’s side, placing the palm of one hand against the small of her back. “Mrs. Matlock, I don’t know if you remember me.”

  “I remember you, Mr. Newman.”

  “I want to reassure you that your daughter’s reputation is intact. Nothing inappropriate passed between us. But it is our wish to be married.”

  “Married?” Her stepmother’s exclamation brought color back to her cheeks. “You must be joking.”

  Silver stood a little straighter. “We are not joking, Mother. We love each other.”

  “Love? What do you know of love?”

  Her father laid a hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Marlene. Be quiet. This isn’t the time or place.”

  “I will not be quiet. I will say what I—”

  “Not another word, Marlene. I mean it.”

  Never had Silver heard such an authoritative tone when her father spoke to his wife. It surprised both women.

  Jared cleared his throat in the awkward silence. “Mr. Matlock, I have come to love your daughter very much. I promise you, she won’t marry a bounty hunter. That part of my life is behind me. She will have a home. We may never have much in the way of material things, but we will find a place to build our life together.” He looked at Silver. “A place to raise horses or cattle. A place to raise our children, God willing.”

  Silver felt as if her heart had taken wing. Being cherished by Jared made her strong and courageous. She turned ar
ound and motioned Dean toward her. He came nervously, hands shoved into his trouser pockets.

  “Dean, Jared and I have been talking, and we have something we want to ask you. After we’re married, we would like to adopt you. We want to be a family, the three of us. What do you think?”

  “Who is that boy?” her stepmother whispered.

  Silver ignored her, intent on getting Dean’s answer.

  At last he spoke. “You want to be my ma?”

  “Yes.” She smiled.

  “I’d stay with you and Mr. Newman for good?”

  “Yes.” Her smile broadened.

  Dean glanced at Jared and then back to her. “I’d like it, Miss Silver. I’d like it a lot.”

  The wedding was a quiet affair held in the Matlocks’ front parlor with only the family present. The bride wore a gown of pale pink with a garnish of rosebuds in her hair, which was worn loose about her shoulders. The bride’s stepmother wept softly throughout the ceremony. Her father, on the other hand, beamed with joy. Rose and Dan Downing stood up with the couple, and Dean, with the air of authority of an older cousin, kept an eye on the two Downing boys.

  Jared—feeling uncomfortable in the suit, white collar, and necktie—took it all in, memorized it, treasured it. His new life had begun in earnest this day.

  “You may kiss your bride,” the minister said at long last.

  Jared turned toward Silver, but he paused before taking her into his arms. Instead he withdrew something from his pocket and held it toward her.

  Silver’s eyes widened. “Great-Grandmother’s locket? But you sold it.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I never sold it. I couldn’t. It meant too much to you.”

  “Oh, Jared.” She spoke his name in a whisper. “Thank you.”

  He stared down into her beautiful face and knew that God had blessed him above all men on earth. When he leaned in and kissed her, he hoped she might know the depth of his love for her. “Hello, wife,” he said when he ended the kiss at last.

  She smiled. “Hello, husband.”

  Then they turned to face their witnesses. That was when Jared saw Rick Cooper standing near the parlor doorway. When had he slipped into the room? How had the sheriff known about the wedding? Not that it had been a secret, but a wedding in Twin Springs wasn’t exactly news in Denver.

  Rick grinned and moved toward the couple. “Couldn’t you let a friend know when you do something like this?”

  “Sorry, Coop. It all came together rather fast.”

  “Could I talk to you in private a moment?”

  “Now? This is my wedding, you know.”

  “It’s important, and I think you’ll want to hear it.”

  “Well, if you say it’s important.” Jared turned and kissed Silver again. “Coop, you remember my bride.”

  “I sure do.” Rick nodded his head. “How do, Mrs. Newman?”

  Silver’s smile seemed to brighten the entire room. “I am well, Sheriff Cooper. Thank you for joining us.”

  Rick said, “I won’t keep your groom more than a few minutes. I promise.” He turned on his heel and led the way out of the parlor.

  Jared followed close behind, wondering what had brought the sheriff all this way.

  Rick stopped on the front porch and turned toward Jared.

  “What’s wrong, Cooper?”

  “Nothing’s wrong, but I have something for you.”

  The Lute Peterson reward. The paperwork must finally have been untangled.

  Rick Cooper reached into his breast pocket. “This came for you to my attention.” He pulled a folded slip of paper from his pocket. “It’s from a Mr. Harrison in Fort Worth. When you telegraphed him about Matt Carlton’s capture and death, you didn’t tell him where you could be reached. You only said you were headed to Denver. So he arranged for this to come to the sheriff’s office in hopes someone would know where to find you.”

  “Owen Harrison sent something to you?” Jared took the paper, unfolded it, saw what was inside. His jaw dropped. “But this is a bank draft for five thousand dollars.”

  “That’s right.”

  “But I didn’t bring Matt Carlton in. He didn’t have to stand trial. I didn’t prove he was the one who—”

  “Maybe not, but Harrison wanted you to have the money anyway. He believes you caught his wife’s killer. The sheriff in Utah confirmed the man’s body had a crescent-shaped scar. That was proof enough for Mr. Harrison.”

  “But—”

  “Just be thankful for it, Jared. You earned it.”

  “There’s trouble of some sort, isn’t there?” Silver’s stepmother twisted a handkerchief in her hands. “I knew it. I knew something would go wrong if you married a bounty hunter. What else could you expect when—”

  “Marlene,” her father said. “Enough.”

  Her stepmother pressed her lips together, forming a thin line.

  Silver was thankful for the cessation of her stepmother’s comments, but she did wonder why the sheriff was there. Did he have a job for Jared, another criminal for him to track down? Jared had said he was giving up that way of life. He’d talked of heading north into Montana, but they had no money to speak of. If he took one more job, then he might take another and another. If he—

  The door opened and Jared strode inside. Without a word he picked her up in his arms and spun around several times. When he set her down again, he kissed her. Thoroughly, enthusiastically kissed her, leaving her breathless.

  “Jared, what on earth?”

  “This! This is what on earth.” He held out a bank draft. “Look at it.”

  It wasn’t the size of the draft she noticed so much as the sense of relief that flowed through her. He wasn’t going to buckle on his gun belt and ride off after another killer or bank robber.

  Jared turned toward his in-laws. “Mr. and Mrs. Matlock, we have enough money to pay your mortgages. You won’t have to leave your home or give up the store.”

  Stunned silence gripped the parlor. Her father and stepmother stared at Jared, then at each other, then back at Jared again.

  Finally, her father said, “We can’t ask you to do that. We have no right to it.”

  “You haven’t asked. I want to do it.” Jared put his arm around Silver’s shoulders and drew her against his side. “We want to do it. There’s enough to clear your debt and to set us up in a place of our own with a bit left over for the future.”

  “I don’t know how much that reward is, son,” her father continued, “but it could make your life much easier if you kept it for yourself and your family. We can’t—”

  “Mr. Matlock, there’s something you don’t understand. You’re my family now. And besides . . .” Jared faced Silver again and stared into her eyes. “I’ve already got my reward.”

  Something warm and wonderful blossomed in Silver’s chest as she returned his gaze.

  Jared gathered her close, so close their two hearts seemed to beat as one. “I’ve already collected the greatest bounty of all. I’ve got my bounty of Silver.”

  A NOTE TO READERS

  Dear friends:

  The Heart’s Pursuit is a departure from my usual Americana settings where most of my historical romances take place. And though my regular readers will find it a different style, I hope, whether you are a new reader or someone who has read all of my books, you’ve enjoyed the chase across hundreds of miles with two people who needed to find each other far more than they needed to catch a fugitive.

  Please note that the term bounty hunter was not in use at the time of this story. The first known use of the term was in 1930. But Hollywood started using the term in movies many of us watched as kids, and because of it, bounty hunters and Westerns became entwined in our collective minds. The bounty hunter became a part of folklore. I decided not to fight what felt so natural and so took creative license when writing this novel.

  I would love to hear from you. Please join me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/robinleehatcher) or Twitter (h
ttps://twitter.com/robinleehatcher) or some of the other social media. For readers who sign up for my newsletter, sent four to six times a year, I offer a free PDF of my short story “The Huckleberry Patch.” Just visit my website at http://www.robinleehatcher.com to sign up.

  And if you like the book enough to take a moment to leave a review on Goodreads or Amazon or some other book site, please know how much I appreciate it. Also, please know that I’ve prayed for you—that what I’ve written will entertain while at the same time draw you one step closer to an awesome God who loves you with an extraordinary love.

  In the grip of His grace,

  Robin Lee Hatcher

  READING GROUP GUIDE

  1. Which character in The Heart’s Pursuit do you most relate to, if any? Why or why not?

  2. What is the major theme of the book? What is it you will remember most about this story?

  3. How did the Civil War, which ended eight years before this book opens, impact Jared’s and Silver’s families? In what ways were the protagonists still carrying the weight of those experiences?

  4. Jared has to let go of the need for revenge. Have you ever desired revenge? If so, how did you move beyond that desire?

  5. Silver has come to believe she isn’t deserving of love. Have you ever felt that way? What does God say about His love for you?

  6. Jared and Silver meet many different characters during their journey. Is there one you wish you could have known more about? Who is it and why?

  7. The Heart’s Pursuit takes place over a couple thousand miles, a very different setting from the usual small-town settings favored by the author. Did you feel like you were crossing the country with the characters? Are you familiar with the parts of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, and/or Nevada where the book takes place?

  8. Are you familiar with other Robin Lee Hatcher novels? How does this novel compare? Can you name a favorite Hatcher novel?