A Question Of Honor

“I mean it,” he stated firmly. “I was distracted by...” He shrugged, his smile fading. “I feel it’s my duty to make sure a visitor’s stay in Wolf Lake is a pleasant one.”

She was thankful her mouth didn’t drop open with surprise that he’d spotted her as a visitor so easily. “How would you know that?”

“Easy,” he said and that dimple was gone.

Faith felt her anxiety rising. Enough was enough. She quickly took the coffee he offered her, ignoring the warm touch of his hand, and said, “Thank you.”

He inclined his head slightly, looked past her and his brows knit together questioningly. She turned to see he was checking out her car. “You’re from Illinois?”

She nodded as she opened the car door and slipped inside. She set her things down, wanting to close the door, but the man was still there, blocking her. “Yes, from Illinois.”

“You’re a long way from home,” he said.

In that moment, she felt intensely her total isolation, and she almost hated him for saying it out loud to her. “A long way,” she echoed.

He had his hand on the top of the door frame. “I’m Adam,” he said, expecting her to give him her name, but she didn’t.

“And you live here,” she finished for him.

“Used to. Right now I’m just home for Christmas.”

He wasn’t aware of her situation, thankfully, but everything he said made her feel sad. He was home for Christmas, and she knew she wouldn’t be. She wouldn’t be home for her birthday or New Year’s Eve, and probably not for a long while. She felt the heat of tears stinging her eyes and quickly said her thanks.

He drew back, and she slammed the door shut with more force than she intended to. Without looking at him again, she pulled onto the street and drove back to the inn. She was worse off than she thought she was if a total stranger could make her feel this way just by making innocent conversation. She really needed to relax and calm down for more than a few days.

But she couldn’t and she hated that. The tears came silently. She hated tears, too, but couldn’t stop them, either. Like so much else in her life...

CHAPTER FOUR

ADAM WATCHED THE WOMAN with the soft dark curls, amazing blue eyes and a voice that was slightly breathless drive away and he felt stunned. First by her, then by the car she was driving.

When he’d turned into her, so angry at Jack that he could barely see straight, he’d stopped dead. In front of him was a woman with delicate features, incredible eyes and a creamy complexion. He had to admit that just then he’d all but forgotten about Jack.

Their fight was nothing new. His brother had always been stubborn, not one to accept help, and Adam had figured out ages ago that going head-to-head with him was a mistake. But he’d forgotten that earlier and regretted it now. He’d try again. He wasn’t giving up, nor was he going to give up on the small but smart-looking woman he’d towered over.

Tiny but resolute when she’d tried to refuse that replacement cup of coffee. And even when he’d persisted and won, he hadn’t felt he’d had a victory as much as she’d allowed him to do it to stop any argument.

Then the car. The blue compact with Illinois plates on it. The same car John had stopped on the road to Wolf Lake. John had had a feeling about her, a hunch, and Adam had seen something himself in her expression. It wasn’t really fear, maybe anxiousness—something he was having a hard time defining anyway. Uncertainty, impatience? He could usually read people quite easily, but not her.

He finally headed down the street toward where he’d parked his truck and gone looking for Jack. He pushed his hands into his pockets and hunched into the wind. The blue car was gone, the red taillights swallowed up by the night. Running into that woman had cut through his frustration with Jack, easing it briefly, but now it was back. He loved his brother, but his resistance had stunned him. No, he didn’t understand losing someone like that, but he wanted to help and he would.

He got to his truck, climbed in and went directly to the family ranch, where he was staying in the guesthouse. “Welcome home,” he said to the emptiness around him. He had the crazy image of a woman waiting there to greet him; she had dark curls and a smile he wished he hadn’t seen. “Stupid,” he muttered, but that didn’t blot out the memory of those blue eyes.

* * *

INCREDIBLY, FAITH SLEPT well that night, no dreams, no nervously waking only to realize that no one was pounding on her door wanting to arrest her. It was just past eight, and she got up right away, dressed and glanced at the paper sack that still held the untouched sandwich from the night before.

She felt better, and she had a feeling it was time to just go and not stay a second day. Wolf Lake was nice but so small, and she knew she’d be conspicuous. The man the night before had spotted her for a visitor, and others would, too. The visitor who wasn’t doing any sightseeing, she thought and knew it was time to drive on.

She got her things together and arrived at the registration desk an hour later. The couple from the night before were helping themselves to coffee and Danish pastries. Mallory was behind the desk.

“Good morning,” the woman said, eyeing Faith’s bags in either hand. “You’re not leaving, are you?”

“Yes, I need to check out.”

Mallory frowned with concern. “You aren’t happy with the room? I told you, I could move you—”

“No, it’s not that. I had a good rest and really need to get on the road again.”

“Oh, okay,” she said, then her smile flashed. “Well, if you’re ever near Wolf Lake again, come on back and stay a bit longer.” She counted out Faith’s refund for the unused second night.

Faith wished she could stay, but she knew she’d never be back to this town. “Thanks,” she said again, collecting her things and heading for the door.

The morning was gray and cold. Snow from the night before covered everything, and only a couple of cars were driving down the recently plowed street. She spotted patches of ice on the black asphalt.

The interior of her car was freezing. Quickly, she pushed the key into the ignition. The engine turned over and she flipped on the heater. She was thinking about heading north to Colorado as she reached for the gearshift. Everything came to a stop as she caught a whiff of something burning followed by a sudden sputter of the engine right before it died. She stared at the gauges, saw a check-engine light was on and noticed the acrid smell in the air.

This couldn’t be happening. This car was everything to her. She couldn’t rent one and risk leaving a trail for the authorities to find. There was no bus or train service handy. And she couldn’t walk. The best-laid plans never worked out, Faith thought, trying the key again. Nothing. Not even a click.

The temperature was bitter cold. She just shook her head. So many things she hadn’t taken into consideration. The car was used. Because it had been running so well for the past two weeks, the thought of it breaking down hadn’t even entered her mind.

She grabbed her wallet and got out of the car, locking it. It took a full second before she realized she’d just left her keys in the ignition. She wanted to scream or maybe laugh at the absurdity of the moment. Instead, she made herself breathe evenly and think. A mechanic. Surely Wolf Lake had an auto repair shop somewhere.

With a heavy sigh, she returned to the inn. Mallory was still behind the registration desk. She looked up as the chime sounded and saw Faith. “Hey, did you forget something?” she began, then her smile faltered as she saw Faith’s expression. “What’s wrong?” she asked, quickly coming around the desk.

“My car won’t start. I just wanted to know where I can find a mechanic.”

“Sure, of course. Just farther down the street.” She motioned to the west. “Manaw’s Garage is on the other side of the street, three or four blocks down.” She gestured at the phone on the desk. “Let me call him,” she said, reaching for the receiver.

“Oh, no,” Faith said quickly. She didn’t want the woman involved any more than she already was. “I can walk down there.”

Mallory hesitated. “You sure?”

“Absolutely. I appreciate the offer, though,” she said to soften her refusal. “I’ll get going.”

Mallory called after her, “Ask for Dent.”

Faith waved a hand and stepped back outside. She got to the street, headed west, and after a couple of blocks, she spotted her target. She crossed the street and arrived at Manaw’s Garage.

The building looked old and settled, with none of the cuteness of faux adobe or Old West touches. It was weathered wood and stone, with twin gas pumps standing by the street in front of the two service bays. As she approached the closest one, she spotted the mechanic, a short, stocky man with a shaved head wearing an oil-stained denim jacket over equally stained orange overalls.

He stood under an ancient truck raised on a lift and turned when her boots hit the cement floor with a dull thud. He came out from under the truck and smiled. “How’s it going, little lady?”

Little lady? She almost smiled at that. Wolf Lake could be quaint. “My car broke down. The battery, I think. It won’t start.”

“The make and year?”

She told him and finished with, “It’s over at—”