Page 62 of In Honor’s Defense

He was off his horse in an instant and leapt onto the boardwalk to wrap an arm around her. “I’m here.”

“Thank God,” she whimpered right before she buried her face in his chest and wept.

Luke cupped the back of her head and held her against him, not caring one iota about who might see them or what they might think. Damaris needed him, and not even a Texas twister would pull him away.

A handful of minutes passed before she lifted her head from his shirt and inhaled a long, shuddering breath. He reached into his trouser pocket, pulled out a handkerchief, and pressed it into her hand. She wiped her eyes and blew her nose, her movements rushed and impatient.

After tucking his handkerchief into her skirt pocket, she grabbed his hand and started marching as if a bugle had just sounded the advance. She descended the stairs to the street at the end of the boardwalk, then turned right on Trinity. Luke shot a look at Titan over his shoulder and clicked his tongue. The horse obediently followed.

“They’ve arrested Nathaniel for rustling.”

The words punched him like a hidden jab right as they rounded the corner.

“On what grounds?” He lengthened his stride to move in front of her, then reached for the basket she carried in her far hand, taking the burden from her. He wished he could do more.

“They found the missing cows in a canyon on the northern section of our land. I reminded Sheriff Conley of your testimony about the rustlers and your certainty that Nathaniel was not among them, but he wouldn’t be swayed. He insisted that since Nathaniel bore a grudge against Oliver Grimes and had been seen in the company of the rustlers that night, he was a viable suspect. Finding the stolen cattle on our land sealed the deal and provided the evidence he needed to make the arrest.”

Luke frowned. Those longhorns showing up out of the blue on the day he left town seemed suspiciously convenient. He’d ridden Titan around the north end of the property a few times while building up his stamina, and he’d never seen so much as a single steer.

“Someone must’ve driven the rustled cattle onto Baxter land during the last day or two,” he said. “I’ve been to that canyon as recently as three days ago. I can testify there were no beeves there then. Someone is trying to make Nate look guilty.”

But why? To shift blame off of themselves? Or for some bigger reason?

“I don’t think your testimony will help.”

“Why not?”

Damaris made a left at the boardinghouse, still holding his hand. A fact that did not go unnoticed by the ladies on the porch.

Unable to tip his hat to the busybodies with one hand captive and the other fit around a basket handle, Luke settled for a smile and a nod. He’d seen Wallace deploy that technique with great success, distracting women with a flash of charm. But the porch ladies didn’t appear charmed. Or distracted. If anything, their interest seemed to heighten. One even rose from her chair to shadow him and Damaris around the porch corner until she finally hit a railing that halted her progress.

Despite his companion’s unwavering focus on the road in front of her, Damaris must have been aware of the ladies and their straining ears, for she didn’t answer his question until she was a good half dozen yards past the boardinghouse.

“I spoke to a lawyer. He thinks your testimony will not be viewed as reliable due to your . . . closeness with Nathaniel and myself.” As if just realizing she still held his hand, she released him and ducked her chin. “He told me that a judge might be swayed to believe that you would lie to protect us. I told him you were too honorable to do such a thing, but he didn’t think it mattered.”

Luke wasn’t quite as certain of his honorable nature as she seemed to be, but it didn’t matter in this case because no bending of the truth would be required.

Damaris slowed as they neared the jail, then turned to face him and halted. “Mr. Mullins wired the circuit judge and preemptively worked out a deal. The judge agreed to dismiss any charges brought against Nathaniel if we remove him from the area. I would have to take him home to St. Louis. Then, to ensure he didn’t return to threaten Mr. Grimes again, we would have to sell the land as well.”

Luke frowned. “That’s a strange proposition.”

And mighty convenient for the company wanting to buy the Baxter land. A company who just happened to broker its sales through the same lawyer giving Damaris advice.

“I don’t know what to do.” She looked up at him as if he had the answers. He didn’t. But he had plenty of questions poking holes in his brain. “I’ll talk things over with Nathaniel, of course. I intended to do so over supper.” She nodded toward the basket Luke had confiscated. “But ultimately, I have to make the decision.” She shook her head. “I can’t let him go to jail, Luke. Not when it’s in my power to prevent it.”

“We don’t have to make any decisions tonight.” He took her hand and pressed a quick kiss to her knuckles. “If I’ve learned anything from Captain Hanger, it’s that there are always more options than you see at first glance. You just might have to get a little creative in where you look for them.”

“But Mr. Mullins said—”

“I’m not so sure you should be listenin’ to Mr. Mullins.”

Lines appeared in Damaris’s forehead. “Why not? Douglas trusted him.”

“With drawing up his will, yes, but I’m not so sure he’d trust him with his son’s defense.”

She tugged her hand free of his hold and wrapped her arms around her midsection as if she felt attacked by his lack of faith in her judgment. But it wasn’t her judgment he didn’t trust. It was the slickness of this lawyer who seemed to have his thumbs in too many pies.

“He can keep Nathaniel out of prison,” she insisted, desperately holding on to the only thing that mattered to her—protecting her nephew.