Evie moved a step closer and slipped her hand into his. She squeezed a little and gazed deeply into his eyes, butshe addressed her statement to Father O’Malley, even as her stomach knotted and her mouth went dry. “And whatever it is, Jake and I will face it together.”
Jake gave a slight nod then squeezed back. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, struggling for calm, though Evie could clearly feel the tension in the hand holding hers. Indeed, it looked like every muscle in his body was as taut as the strings of a violin. “It’s about King, isn’t it? Is he on his way here now?”
“He might be. Or he might be here already. I don’t know.” He looked away then turned his attention back to them, as if he didn’t like what he needed to say. “He came to see me.”
The panic that flashed in Jake’s eyes was undeniable and he squeezed her hand a little tighter. “How did he know about you? I’ve kept that part of my life hidden. No one knew about the boys’ home. I thought I made sure of that.” He drew in a shaky breath, then let loose with rapid-fire questions, his voice as tense as his body. “What happened? How did you know it was him? Did he threaten you? Did he try to hurt you? What did you tell him?”
“He didn’t threaten me at all and I didn’t tell him anything.”
The tension in the air was so oppressive that even Cinnamon nickered and stomped her hoof against the dirt. “So how do you know he’s coming here?”
“Are you going to let me tell you or are you going to keep interrupting me?” Father O’Malley huffed, his face turning slightly red, impatience flashing in his eyes.
Jake quickly apologized, though Evie could tell how anxious he was for answers. It was there in his expression.
“About a week ago, I was upstairs in my room packing for my move here, when Sister Agnes fetched me. She said I had a visitor and that he was waiting in my study. When I went downstairs, he was sitting in that old wing-back chair—you know the one—and looking as innocent as a newborn babe.” Hisbody trembled slightly with what Evie assumed was anger and disappointment in himself.
“He introduced himself as bold as you please. Said he was wanting to make a donation to the home. If I hadn’t heard his name before or knew what I did about him, I never would have suspected him of being anything other than a distinguished, wealthy gentleman. He gave me an envelope filled with cash—to my utter disgrace, I accepted it—and then he left. It wasn’t until after his carriage pulled away that I realized he saw your last letter to me. It was sitting on my desk along with the money you sent, but it wasn’t in the same place as I’d left it. I know he read it though I have no proof.” Tears of regret and shame clogged the man’s voice. “I’m sorry, boyo. He knows where you are because I was careless. It’s my fault.”
Sympathy for the older man flashed through her. She could see it was the same for Jake as he reached out and laid his hand on the man’s shoulder. “No, Father, it’s mine. I…I should never have put you in that position to begin with.” He let out a long sigh. “I’m just glad he didn’t hurt you. He would have, regardless of the fact that you’re a priest. I know you wouldn’t have told him anything.”
“And I’m sure if I hadn’t come down from my room when I did, I would have found my study ransacked.” He reached down and grabbed the handles of valise and lifted it, a frown drawing down his bushy white eyebrows. “I thought you might need this. Now that he knows where you are, I have no doubt he’ll insist on another chance to win back what he lost.”
Evie studied the valise as Father O’Malley handed it to Jake. She noticed how soft the leather seemed to be, as well as the initials emblazoned on it. She also became aware of how heavy it appeared. “What’s in there?”
“It’s the money I won from King. Every cent of it.” He accepted the bag, then glanced at her. She couldn’t read theexpression on his face. There was love there, certainly, but there was also dread and sadness.
“What are you going to do?” she asked, even though she was afraid of the answer.
He didn’t respond, but he did look at her. Tears stung her eyes and a lump lodged in her throat. He’d leave…to protect her and the family. He’d face King, knowing that he might not survive the encounter, and she’d lose another person she loved to a gambler. Well, she wasn’t going to stand for it.
“You’re not leaving,” she said, her voice filled with conviction. “Don’t even think about it, Jake. Whatever happens, we will face it together.” She looked at him, her gaze roaming over his face. “I will not lose another person I love.” She held up her hand, even though he had yet to say a word. “Don’t even try to argue with me.”
“We’ll talk about it later.”
She shook her head, adamant. “No, we won’t.” Despite the bitter ache in her throat, she turned to Father O’Malley, forcing a smile to her lips. “Please stay for dinner, Father.”
“I’m afraid I can’t, my dear, but thank you for the invitation. I really need to get back to the boys’ home.”
“At least stay for coffee or a glass of lemonade before you go.”
He accepted her invitation with a request. “Lemonade, please, if you don’t mind. I really can’t stay long.”
“If you’ll excuse me then?” She walked away, anxiety, fear, and heartbreak making each step agony.
“Extraordinary,” she heard Father O’Malley exclaim.
“Yes, she is,” came Jake’s quick response.
Jake watched her walk away, admiring the grace of her stride he always did. His heart swelled with the love he had for her even as it broke, shattering into a million pieces. It amazed him how fast he could go from being happy to being filled with dread. How quickly his dreams of the future—with her—could die.
“What are you going to do, Jake?”
Unable to speak for a moment, he simply shook his head. “I was going to ask her to marry me.”
“And now?” Father O’Malley asked, the concern in his voice nearly Jake’s undoing.
Again, Jake shook his head. “I can’t.”
