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"Luke," the sheriff acknowledged the other man's presence without releasing her.
"Let her go," Luke reiterated in a menacing hiss that promised retribution if not immediately obeyed.
The other man dropped her hand, stood to his full height, faced Luke and questioned in a gravelly voice, "It's like that?"
"Yeah," Luke answered in a single, harsh syllable that gritted from the back of his throat, and then turned to her. "You all right?"
Emma felt the pulse in her neck begin to quiver under his direct gaze. "Yes," she answered him simply.
His eyes ran over her, observing her closely, no doubt taking in her flushed features, the different dress she was wearing, and the soft-soled slippers encasing her feet. He stood tall and straight before her with a nonchalant grace that was frightening in its deception. The look he was giving her was stamped with a stubborn streak that was rigid in its intensity, as if he was staring at something he owned, something that was his, and his alone.
The moment in time was interrupted when Maria cleared her throat. Her shiny old face was marred with tension as she looked from Luke to the sheriff and then back again. She held a box in her hands and said simply, "I'm going to the cabin, I'll be back directly." She glanced at Emma once and then quietly left the room and the two men that were facing off inside of it.
Emma shuddered slightly and wished she could make her get away as easily as Maria had. The tension was thick in the air as Luke cut his eyes away from hers and faced the sheriff fully. "You get 'em yet?" His voice rang out in the quiet room as he referred to the apprehension of the stagecoach robbers.
"No, not yet," the other man admitted.
Luke's face was a mask that hid his emotions. His lips tightened, his skin pulled taut over his cheekbones as he questioned with accusation, "Why are you here, then? Seems your time would be better spent some place other than my kitchen."
"I needed to ask Emma a few questions. See what she could remember while it was still fresh." The sheriff gritted his teeth as if he wasn't used to being under interrogation while Luke grew even more rigid.
"She answered your questions?"
"Yeah."
"All right then. I guess you'll be heading back now." Luke's voice was dark.
"I think she should go with me, Luke." The other man said it as if he knew he would get an argument, if not a flat-out rejection.
"No." Luke's answer was firm, spoken in a voice filled with denial, contempt, and irrefutable authority.
"You can't just keep her here," the other man's voice was filled with dismay and disapproval.
"Yeah, I can."
"It's not right."
"My land, my ranch, my decision." Luke's voice had turned sinister.
"It's her decision, Luke."
Luke didn't answer that but his gaze landed briefly on Emma's white face.
His eyes devoured hers and there was a subtle softening in his features that turned back to stone when the sheriff began speaking again.
"You're not thinking straight, man. She needs to be in town, where she has access to a doctor. She's had a shock and that ankle needs attention."
Emma held her breath while the two men discussed her as if she wasn't in the same room.
She'd heard the sheriff's arguments before; he'd done nothing but try to convince her to come back to town with him. But he'd admitted another stage wouldn't be coming for awhile. The telegram he'd received from the Denver office issued the news that until the robbers were apprehended, the stage wouldn't be making it that far down south for awhile. It would continue along a more dedicated, safer route to Denver.
The sheriff had given her that information and even offered an armed escort to the next large town on the stage route, but had admitted to her that it couldn't be organized for a few weeks.
She was stuck and she only had to decide if she wanted to be stuck in town or here on this ranch. She knew no one in town except for the sheriff, she didn't have the funds for an extended stay in the hotel, and besides, she felt comfortable on the ranch with Maria.
But deep inside her conscience, she knew the reason she wanted to remain here.
And the reason was looming large and menacing a few feet from her.
"She stays here." Luke refused the sheriff in no uncertain terms.
Reed Elgin turned and cursed under his breath. "Luke, be reasonable. She doesn't belong to you, man. Think with your head."
Luke sucked in oxygen through his front teeth with a hissing noise and pierced the other man with a look that almost made Emma light-headed. Ropes of tension coiled through his steely muscles and his chin jutted out as he answered, "I never claimed she belonged to me. But she damn sure doesn't have to go with you. I'm saying her ankle will heal on its own, she doesn't need a damn doctor, and I can protect her better here than you can in town."
"This isn't your decision to make. She's a grown woman. She can think for herself."
Luke's eyes chilled on the other man before they whipped around to land on her.
"Tell him you want to stay here, Emma." His voice was confident, slow and sure, with not a bit of doubt that she would agree coming from his tone.
And Emma wasn't about to disagree. As uncomfortable as he made her, it wasn't an altogether bad feeling. It was different from anything she had ever known, and it was something she wanted to explore further. If she went to town she might never see him again, and she wasn't prepared to let that happen yet.
And added to all those emotions running through her brain, was the added distress of going to an unknown place, with unknown people, and not having a source of income when she got there.
True, the thought of Denver was still a scary one, but it was something she'd had time to grow accustomed to. And she had a position secured there already.
The town of Burnet held no such comfort for her. She was quite ready to accept that staying here for awhile longer was what she wanted to do.
"I want to stay here with you." Her eyes stayed glued on Luke's. "I've already explained that to the sheriff," she said softly.
Her eyes clung to his as he gave her a short nod of approval and a shaft of incendiary heat passed between them. Emma savored the small moment until his eyes left hers to move to the man standing behind her.
"That right, Reed? She already told you she doesn't want to go with you?" The tic in his cheek was indicative of the anger that glinted from his eyes.
The sheriff wasn't prepared to let it go without an argument. "You can't expect her to know what she wants. She's alone and she's still in shock. Out here in the back of beyond isn't any place for a single woman."
"Maria's here to keep her company all day and trust me when I tell you I won't let any of the hands within fifty feet of her." Luke's eyes were hard, flat, and held an expression Emma couldn't decipher.
"I'm not concerned with the hands, Luke." His voice paused as he seemed to get up his nerve to continue in the face of the rugged rancher's anger. "I'm more thinking of you."
"You don't need to worry about what I do." Luke watched the other man like a snake about to strike. "It's none of your business what goes on here," His voice was as sharp as nails while his words seemed conciliatory enough. "I appreciate you coming out here to check up on her, but it won't be necessary again." The threat was cloaked in words of gratitude, but they were just a façade covering up his true meaning.
The sheriff held Luke's gaze for the count of five uncomfortable heartbeats until he turned and picked his hat up off the table and shoved it back on his head.
He took two steps toward the door and then turned one last time and faced Emma.
"You sure about this, Ma'am?"
Emma hesitated only momentarily. "I'm sure. Thank you for your concern."
Sheriff Elgin looked between the two of them one last time before he shook his head, opened the door, and walked out.
Luke glanced at Emma and gave her a pointed look that meant she was to stay where she was. Then he turned an
d followed the sheriff out the door.
Luke followed the lawman out of his house both to make sure he left, and so they could have words without Emma hearing. He wasn't wrong. The other man again began arguing.
"You're not using your brain, man."
"Not your concern," Luke responded sharply.
"She's too soft, Luke. She needs people around her, not just a bunch of rag-tag ranch hands. I'll keep her safe, I'll see to it that Emma has--"
Luke cut the other man off. "Stop talking," he growled in a hiss. "She's not up for discussion. You lost your chance to keep her safe when you sent me out there to find her. You need to forget she's here. Emma doesn't exist for you anymore. Don't say her name, don't even think about her."
"Jesus Christ, Luke. You're not even acting sane."
