Page 42 of More Than Meets the Eye

Eva, on the other hand, forfeited her edge without hesitation. Despite her ingrained insecurity about her eyes and a history of outsiders devaluing her because of them, she openly professed her brokenness and offered it as a gift to a stranger.

Not only that, but she offered home and family, too.

Logan rubbed a hand against an odd tightness suddenly pressing against the inside of his chest, one that felt uncomfortably like envy. Would Eva be as accepting of his flaws and secrets when he finally revealed them, or was her generosity reserved only for those in immediate need?

Why did he care so much? It wasn’t like he wanted to be fostered into the Hamilton family. They were the enemy. Or at least one of them was the enemy. He couldn’t paint Eva with that brush, not even to protect himself from the doubts and inconvenient longings that cropped up with alarming regularity while in her company.

She couldn’t have been more than twelve when her brother stole Logan’s home. Too young to be culpable, too innocent to recognize the sin that had been committed. She’d probably never questioned how her brother had provided their little ragtag family with a home and security. Logan couldn’t hold her accountable for her brother’s actions.

Yet neither would he absolve her brother of guilt for her sake. Logan had family, too. A mother who depended on him. One who hadn’t been the same since the day she found her husband dead, which would never have occurred had Zacharias Hamilton not cheated Rufus Fowler out of his land.

“You got something you want to say, Logan?” The low, rumbling voice of his nemesis snatched him from his thoughts.

Logan jerked his gaze right, accusatory words clawing at his throat for release. However, the man beside him looked merely curious, not antagonistic. Logan bit his tongue.

Hamilton raised a brow. “Your face went dark all of a sudden. Do you have concerns about the girl staying with us? See any threats she might pose to Evie?”

The girl from the river. Right. Logan gave himself a mental shake. Focus, man. With his gambling background, Hamilton could probably read posture and expression as well as Logan. He needed to tread carefully.

Scrambling to come up with a sufficiently dark alternative thought to explain his lapse, Logan glanced at the females, who were clasping hands in silent solidarity. Fortunately—or unfortunately, as the case might be—coming up with a substitute worry was all too easy.

Pitching his voice to match Hamilton’s quiet timbre, Logan murmured, “It all depends on how determined that fella is to see this girl dead. If he just wanted to rid himself of her, he might not care where she ends up. But if he needed her dead for some other reason, he might come after her. Though I doubt he has any better idea of who we are than we have of him. She should be safe here for the time being.”

“The thought occurred to me as well.” Hamilton pushed to his feet and gestured for the ladies to resume their seats at the table. “Why don’t we start with something easy,” he said as the two females settled themselves. He lowered himself back into his chair, then leaned his forearms on the table as he peered at the girl from the river. “What’s your name?”

The girl darted a glance at Eva, who gave her an encouraging nod, then turned back to Hamilton. She hesitated, though, looking down at her hands folded on the table in front of her. She nibbled her bottom lip as if weighing her options. After a moment of mental calisthenics, she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin.

“Christie Gilliam.”

Hamilton dipped his head. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Gilliam.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “I’m Zach Hamilton.” He stretched his arm out to grab Seth’s shoulder. “My brother, Seth.” He nodded toward Eva. “Our sister, Evangeline, and our, uh, neighbor, Logan.”

Logan ignored the less than enthusiastic introduction and smiled at Christie.

Her pale green eyes met his. “Thank you for saving my life.”

Uncomfortable with her gratitude, he shrugged. “I just pulled you out of the water. Eva’s the one who realized you were in danger. She’s the one who deserves your thanks.”

Christie reached for Eva’s hand. “Thank you.”

“I’m glad we reached you in time.” Eva held her gaze. “Who was it, Christie? Who tried to drown you?”

The girl’s chin tilted downward again, and her teeth emerged to bite the corner of her lip. “I don’t know. Not for sure.”

But she suspected someone. Logan frowned. Who? And why didn’t she want to name him?

“I was hit from behind,” she explained. “It’s the last thing I remember before waking up on the riverbank. I never saw my attacker.”

“Were you at home when it happened?” Seth asked.

Christie didn’t respond. Eva squeezed her hand to get her attention, then nodded toward her brother. Seth repeated his question.

“No.” Christie shook her head. “I was walking home from town after making a delivery for my stepfather.”

Seth leaned forward to place himself directly in her line of sight. “Which town? Ben Franklin?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“Were you carrying money?” Zach probed after wagging a finger at her to get her attention.