Honor-Bound Lawman

With Owen so near, Laura could feel his long sigh.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said.

Owen didn’t respond as a house and barn came into view. The occupants of the house must have been watching out the window because the door flew open and two little girls, with hair matching Owen’s but in long braids, came running out.

“Papa!”

The tension in Owen’s body eased, such a dramatic physical change that Laura nearly lost her balance.

“Steady,” he said, a gentler tone in his voice. “Let’s not have you falling off with only a few yards to go.”

Laura almost made a comment about it being the change in him that would have made her fall, but with his obvious happiness, it seemed wrong to spoil things.

They stopped near the barn, and Owen got off his horse. His feet had barely hit the ground when the two girls wrapped their arms around him.

“You kept your promise,” the girl in the green dress said.

The other girl, wearing blue, looked exactly like her sister, and without the different dresses, Laura wasn’t sure she’d be able to tell them apart.

“I always keep my promises.” Owen bent and kissed his daughter on top of the head, then kissed the other one.

Though Laura had always known Owen had a tender side, seeing him greet his girls, and the obvious affection among them, made her realize that there was a great deal of depth to him she hadn’t known. True, she hadn’t known many facts about him, something she was becoming more and more ashamed of, but she’d been so certain of his character.

The harsh way he’d dealt with her earlier today had surprised her. It had seemed so unlike the man she thought she knew. She also hadn’t expected him to be such a doting father. All of her confidence about what a good man he’d been seemed based on her imaginings, not the reality of who he was. Once again, Laura wasn’t sure how to decipher the man.

Who was Owen Hamilton?

And would she even know it was the real him?

“All right, girls,” he said, laughing. “Let’s get Mrs. Booth off the horse, so you can properly meet her.”

His formality was just one more unexpected twist to the man she’d thought she’d known.

When her feet were touching the ground, Laura said, “Please, call me Laura. I don’t want to stand on ceremony here.”

The girls smiled at her shyly, hiding behind their father.

“Girls, please introduce yourselves.”

The one dressed in blue stepped out from behind Owen. “I’m Anna.”

“And I’m Emma,” the girl dressed in green said. “We’re very pleased to have you here.”

Laura gave the girls a friendly smile. They were miniature versions of their father, only in feminine form. She could almost see Owen as a child in them. Though she’d always considered the fact that her and James’s not having children had been a blessing in disguise, something about seeing Owen with his daughters created a longing in Laura that she hadn’t expected.

She would never have children of her own, a fact she’d thought she’d accepted, but somehow, these children reminded her of her lost dream. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to spend too much time with them while she was here at the ranch. She was hoping she wouldn’t have to spend much time here at all. She needed to get back to her boardinghouse. But also, having realized how little she knew about Owen had made her come to see that she was a poor judge of character indeed. People wondered how Laura could have trusted a man like James. She’d thought that her poor judgment had been a onetime mistake. However, Laura was starting to wonder if perhaps she trusted too easily and saw things in people too readily where perhaps she should be more cautious. She’d read too much into Owen’s care for her. And now she felt like a fool.

Owen had turned to the girls and was giving them the doll Laura had found. Her heart ached at the sight, and Laura started to turn away.

A woman came around the other side of the horse and smiled at her. Had Laura not been aware that Owen had a sister, she still would have immediately known that they were related. Lena and Owen had the same sandy shade of blond hair and the same warm blue eyes that made a person want to believe in them. But Laura didn’t know who to trust anymore. Though she still believed that Owen was credible when it came to upholding the law, when it came to their personal relationship, she had to remember that to him it was just a job. A fact she would also keep in mind when it came to Lena.

“Welcome. I’m Lena. You must be Laura. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. We’re very glad to have you.”

Lena’s friendly smile made Laura feel like she’d known her for years. Of course, Laura had felt the same way about Owen.

“Thank you. It’s so kind if you to have me.” Laura returned the greeting with an equally friendly expression. “Owen says I’m not putting anyone out, but please let me know if I’m inconveniencing you in any way. I’m also happy to help with any chores you might have. I like to pull my own weight.”

The girls ran off with their doll, and Owen joined them. The look Lena gave Owen appeared to be one of doubt. She wondered what Owen had told his sister about her. Did Lena think of Laura as the spoiled socialite she’d once been? Or had Owen been more generous in his descriptions of her?

“You’re company,” Lena said. “You just make yourself at home, and we’ll take care of the rest.”

Laura smiled pleasantly. “I insist on being helpful. It’s the only way I could possibly feel at home.”

Owen looked at her like she was being difficult again. She supposed that as much as he tried her patience, she probably tried his. Funny that they hadn’t had such a battle of wills before. Perhaps it would convince Owen that Laura was a different woman now. It irritated her that she cared so much. Why should she care when Owen didn’t?

“If that’s what you want,” Owen said. “As long as Lena doesn’t mind. She’s the real boss around here.”

“Ha!” Lena glared at her brother. “Don’t listen to a word he says. Owen never did anything anyone ever told him to do unless he already had it in his head to do it.”

Owen grinned, a carefree expression Laura had never seen on him before. “I learned everything I know about being stubborn from you, big sis.”

Watching the siblings tease each other in such a familiar way made Laura feel even more like an outsider.

“Don’t you start,” Lena said, shaking her head. “None of us have time for your nonsense. You’ve still got the evening chores to do, and I need to get Laura settled. Supper will be ready soon, so stop your yammering and get to it.”

Owen gave Laura a look as if to say, See what I mean? then walked to the back of his horse, where he untied Laura’s small bag from the saddlebags. As much as she’d resented Owen picking over her choices of articles of clothing that he felt were too nice, now that she knew she was staying on a working ranch, she felt a little better about his heavy-handedness.

“I’ll just take this into the house for you,” Owen said, sounding a little gruff.

Laura smiled at him. “I can do it. It’s not that heavy, and Lena says you have work to do. I told you, I don’t want to be an inconvenience.”

He opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but Lena shot him a glare, and he closed it again. Laura would have to learn how she did that.

“That’ll be just fine,” Lena said, taking Laura by the arm. “You’ll want to freshen up after your journey.”

They paused so Laura could take her bag from Owen, and Lena led her into the cabin. The porch was wide and inviting, with a pair of rocking chairs and a porch swing that looked like the family spent many pleasant evenings sitting here. Inside the cabin, the space was larger than it first appeared.

With a formal parlor and dining room, the front of the house looked like it would fit in with any of the nicer homes in Leadville or Denver. Certainly, it had the feel of the home she’d grown up in. She hadn’t expected Owen to be so domestic. One more piece to the puzzle.

“What a lovely home you have,” Laura said, smiling as she took it in.

“Thank you. Our uncle built it for his wife, hoping that such a fine place would make her happy, being so far from the city. Plenty of room for entertaining guests.”

It seemed there was far more to the story, but Lena turned abruptly and gestured to the stairs. “Your room is up here.”

Apparently, being close lipped was a family trait. At the top of the landing was a wide window, giving Laura a clear view of Leadville across the flat valley between the mountain ranges surrounding the area.

“It’s magnificent,” she said, staring. “You don’t realize what a beautiful city it is when you’re there, do you?”