AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She cursed at him under her breath, and he blinked in surprise at her, opened his mouth to say something before snapping it shut, and then just blinked again before finally turning back to the sheriff.
“I didnotsteal anything. I won the property in a card game.”
The sheriff’s eyes widened and turned to her father. Unfortunately, once relieved of his weapon, all the fight had gone out of him and he lay slumped against the table, soft snores emanating from the recesses of his folded arms.
The sheriff shook his head and looked back to her. Nora’s heart dropped at the look of pity in his eyes. “Your father put up the land in a card game? Is this true?”
She reluctantly nodded, her stomach twisting in a knot at the sheriff’s deep sigh.
“I’m sorry, Miss Schumacher. But there isn’t a law against doing something monumentally stupid. If Brady here won the game fair and square”—he paused and looked over at Preacher, who gave him an equally reluctant nod—“then I’m afraid there is nothing I can do about it.”
Which meant the property was now Adam’s. And if he wanted to, since they weren’t legally wed, he could kick her out. Even sell it off if he kept it private. She didn’t think he’d do either of those things. The man who had held her with such passion and tenderness wouldn’t put her out on the street. Might put her in the chicken coop, though…
She tried to keep all that in mind. What she knew about Adam. How he was when they were together. But the fact that her future now depended on him… She closed her eyes against the panic that sent her head spinning.
Then she looked around, her frantic gaze taking in the pitying looks of those surrounding her, and she straightened her backbone. She wouldn’t let them see her fall apart. She spared one glance for her father and, for a brief second, hoped he’d pull one of his disappearing acts—and not return.
She didn’t mean it. She closed her eyes again, her hand pressing against her stomach in an effort to keep it from revolting.I didn’t mean it. She loved her father. But what she wouldn’t give to see him at least pull together a shred of the dignity he once possessed and walk out of there with her. So she didn’t have to walk alone. Having just lost everything.
But he was too far gone to even notice she stood there.
Sweet angels in heaven, ever since her mother had died, he’d done nothing but make their lives more difficult than necessary. Drinking away the profits from her seamstress jobs. Being little to no help at home or with her business. Being forgetful, belligerent, embarrassing. But he had never done something so outright destructive before. Even with all their hardships in the past, she’d at least had some hope for the future.
Was this because of Adam? Because she’d married him, brought him into their home? Was being so blasé with their property her father’s way of getting revenge? If so, he’d chosen well.
They didn’t have much, but their small homestead was everything to her. Without it, she had nothing. No home, no place to work, no means to support herself, let alone her father.
She turned her furious eyes toward Adam. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t his fault. Not really. Her father was the one who put up their home, and if it hadn’t been Adam who’d won, someone else would have. But at that exact moment, she didn’t care. All she could think of was that her home, her livelihood, her security…it was all gone. All her plans ruined. Because ofhim.
He stared back at her, but not with pity like the others. She couldn’t read the expression on his face. She didn’t even want to try and guess what he was thinking. But at least he didn’t look at her like she was some helpless puppy who’d just been kicked.
She closed her eyes for another moment and then turned to leave.
“Nora…wait,” he said, trying to stop her.
She didn’t listen but pushed her way through the crowd and out into the street. He followed her, reaching out to grasp her arm.
She shook him off. “Don’t touch me.”
He held up his hands. “You’ve got to let me explain. I didn’t plan any of this. I know you’re upset, but—”
“You have no idea what I’m feeling right now. And don’t pretend you care.”
His jaw dropped with a pained grunt, like he’d just been socked in the gut. “How can you say that? After everything we’ve shared…do you really believe that?”
She slapped her hands over her face to muffle her scream of frustration, and then she dropped them, rounding on him. “I don’t know what to believe anymore! Being with you has been…it’s been…”
His face grew hard, the muscles of his jaw popping. “It’s been what, Nora? A mistake? Is that what you were going to say?”
Her eyes searched his and her shoulders sank. She couldn’t regret what they’d done. No matter what. “No. It wasn’t a mistake.”
His gaze locked with hers and held for a long moment before he nodded. “All right, then. Let’s go home. We can talk there, away from prying eyes,” he said, jerking his head at where most of the town were pressed against the windows and doors of the tavern not bothering to pretend that they weren’t eavesdropping.
She didn’t answer but followed him as he rounded up their horses. They rode home in silence.
Once they were inside the house, he tried to pull her into his arms, but she kept her body stiff and unyielding. She also didn’t pull away.
He sighed. “I know what this looks like, but ending up with that deed wasn’t my intention. I’ll swear it on anything you wish. But if it hadn’t been me, it would have been someone else,” he said, echoing her own thoughts.
