She searched his face, reminding herself that he wasn’t Tom, and admitted. “I’m afraid, Jake, that you’ll lie to me again and hurt me. Or end up like Tom. I don’t know if I could bear that.”
He reached across the table and laid his hand over hers, squeezing her fingers ever so slightly. “I promise, I’ll never lie to you again, even if it’s a lie of omission. I’ll tell you anything you want to know.” His eyes held a slight sheen of moisture. “I love you, Evie. Please say you forgive me. If you can’t, I’ll go, but I don’t want to. I’d much rather stay and spend the rest of my life proving to you how much I love you.”
Her heart hitched with longing and tears blurred her vision. He was promising forever, and he meant it. Every word. She could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice, and the vision of them sitting together when they were old and gray, watching the sun sink into the horizon, flashed through her head. He would leave Montaña del Trueno and take that dream away if she asked him.
She couldn’t do it, couldn’t say the words. The simple truth was that she loved this man, loved him with all her being, faults and all, but still, there was one more thing she needed to know. “What about King? What if he should come here?”
“I would give my life before I allowed him to hurt anyone on this ranch, Evie. You have my promise.”
Yes, she believed him. He’d never let any harm come to them. She twisted her hand beneath his, weaved her fingers between his strong digits, and whispered, “I want you to stay.”
CHAPTER 19
“Miss Evie, you have a visitor.” Ana strolled into the kitchen, a wide smile on her face. She held a dust rag in one hand. In the other was a bottle of lemon oil, and the faint aroma of citrus filled the air to mix with the chickens roasting in the oven.
Evie put the carrot and the peeler down on the butcher block table. Another of Lucy’s mail-order husbands? She hoped not. “Thank you, Ana.”
“Do you want coffee?”
Evie shook her head. The sooner she got rid of this visitor, the better she’d feel. It shouldn’t take long, either, just long enough to tell whoever it was that he was too late. She loved Jake.
She turned to Felicity and gestured to the bowl of vegetables on the table. “Would you mind terribly finishing these?”
“Not at all. Go see to your guest.”
“Thank you.”
She washed and dried her hands, then untied the apron and laid it over the back of a chair. After leaving the kitchen, she stopped briefly at the mirror in the hallway to check her appearance. Staring at her reflection, a terrifying thoughtskipped into her head, and immediately, her stomach clenched with fear. What if her visitor wasn’t another suitor at all? What if it was Erik King finally tracking Jake down? What if…she forced the thoughts away, but her stomach remained knotted. She took a calming breath, forced a smile to her lips, and stepped into the parlor but didn’t move from the doorway as she sized up her visitor.
A black-suited gentleman stood in front of the table, admiring the photographs lined up there. He didn’t touch them or move them around like Mr. Ambrose had. Indeed, he stood with his hands folded behind his back, leaning forward a little so he could see each one clearly. He chuckled low in his throat and nodded his head full of silver hair at a few of them, as if he could see beyond the angelic faces in the pictures. He looked harmless. Then again, what would a ruthless man look like? Still, she was prepared to deny Jake was at the ranch.
She cleared her throat. “Hello, I’m Evie Miller.”
Her visitor turned around and the first thing she noticed was his kind eyes and beaming smile. The second thing she noticed was the white clerical collar at his throat. This was no gambling kingpin or a prospective husband, but a man of God.
He moved forward, his step spry and agile as he reached for her hand. She noticed right away the air of comfort surrounding him. There was something so pure, so loving, in both his countenance and demeanor that she felt instantly at ease.
“Miss Miller!” he exclaimed, the faint traces of an Irish accent complementing the comfort of his touch somehow. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I’ve heard a great deal about you.”
Evie blinked as he released her hand, taking that feeling of solace with him.
“Forgive the intrusion, but I’m looking for Jake Hannigan.”
Understanding dawned and she sighed with relief. “You must be Father O’Malley.”
He gave her a beaming smile. “That I am.”
“I’ve heard a great deal about you as well. Jake speaks of you often.”
“Does he now?” His merry blues eyes were kind. “That maverick.” He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “I prayed harder for that boy than anyone else, but I always thought my prayers did little good. Until now. I can tell you, with the utmost authority, as a man who’s known Jake most of his life, he’s very happy. Finally.” His rocked back on his heels, his smile widening. “God works in mysterious ways, doesn’t He?”
She returned his smile. She couldn’t help herself. Father O’Malley was extraordinarily charming, though she didn’t doubt he could be a taskmaster when he chose to be, at least according to Jake. “Yes, He does.” She tilted her head as she looked at him. “Is Jake expecting you?”
“No, he’s not. I thought I’d surprise him.” He smiled, and once again, that feeling of ease swept over her. No wonder Jake was fond of this man. “He doesn’t know I’ve been transferred from St. Anselm’s to St. Gideon’s in Santa Fe. I didn’t want to tell him until I was sure.”
There was more, Evie suspected, but she didn’t know what. She didn’t know the man except for what Jake had told her. As she gazed at the priest, she found herself under the most intense scrutiny she’d ever received, even more intense than any look Teddy had given her. After a moment, he gave a slight nod, as if she’d passed some kind of test.
“You love him.”
