Because of Rebecca - By Leanne Tyler Page 0,61
remember where you were from.”
“Neither my wife nor I want anything to do with the man,” Jared said firmly. “Is that clear?”
“Y-yes, sir. Bu-but you won’t have to worry about Mr. Delaney bothering you. He checked out this afternoon.”
“He did?”
The clerk nodded.
“Did he say where he was going?”
“No sir, but he did say something about going to collect on a debt owed him.”
Any sense of relief knowing Delaney wouldn’t bother them further vanished, and Jared swallowed the bile rising in his throat. Good God, if Delaney was headed to Oak Hill, he had to get there before the man arrived. He didn’t trust him to do the honorable thing anymore than he trusted Rory not to gamble the money away before he paid his debt.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, sir?” the clerk asked.
Jared grabbed the pen and drew a line through his signature. “Change of plans. I need to settle my bill. Do you know when the next train to Mississippi leaves?”
“Sir, did I say something wrong?” The clerk asked. “I never meant to make you want to leave the Exeter.”
“No. I thank you for telling me that Delaney left.” Jared tried to put the clerk’s mind at ease. “It’s where he’s headed that concerns me. I need to get there before he does. Now, about the train schedule? When is the last train leaving Memphis today?”
The clerk opened a drawer and fumbled with its contents before holding up a railroad timetable. After glancing over it, he said, “It left at four-thirty this afternoon. There isn’t another one until noon tomorrow.”
Damn. If Delaney was on that train then he’d have high tailed it out of town after he learned Rory was at Oak Hill with the money. Jared never should have told him that. “Is there a stage?”
“There is, but it won’t leave until morning. But if you must leave tonight, you can hire a coach to take you as far as Grenada where you can catch the connecting train to Jackson. That should get you there before Mister Delaney if that is your intent.”
“Where can I hire such a coach?” Jared asked.
“Let the Exeter arrange it for you while you pack your bags. It’s the least I can do, sir.”
“All right. I’ll be ready to depart in half an hour. Will that be sufficient?”
“Yes.”
He paid his bill and headed upstairs to pack. He arrived at his door at the same time as Rebecca. “Perfect timing, Mrs. Hollingsworth.”
She smiled. “I like hearing you call me that.”
“I like saying it.” He took her bag from her, opened the door, and sat the bag inside the room. Turning back to her, he grinned because she hadn’t moved an inch. Before she could protest, he swept her up into his arms and carried her into the room.
“Jared!”
He kicked the door closed with his foot and leaned against it. She kissed him and he wanted to carry her over to the bed and make love to her, but that wasn’t going to happen. He put her down, breaking their kiss. “We have to go back to Jackson tonight.”
Alarm widened her eyes. “Why? What’s happened?”
“The clerk told me Delaney checked out this afternoon to go collect a debt,” Jared said grimly. “That means—”
“That means he’s headed to Oak Hill,” she finished for him.
“But how did the clerk know all of this?”
“Delaney boasted about it.” Jared went to the closet and got his bag from the top shelf. Putting it on the bed, he quickly packed, and shut it. “I’m afraid our wedding night will have to wait.”
Her cheeks pinked, and he went back where she stood at the door. He pulled her close and kissed her until she sighed.
Closing his eyes, he slowly breathed to regain his composure. “I promise to make it up to you.”
“I’ll hold you to that, Mr. Hollingsworth.”
Chapter Eighteen
In the early morning light, Josephine rocked Lucas and thought about when she’d held Mariah like this many years ago. It had been difficult at the time having given up the child as her own at birth, but she’d been grateful to her brother and sister-in-law for taking her to Europe during the pregnancy so no one at home knew of the transgression. She leaned her head against the back of the rocker, closed her eyes and sighed. She hadn’t allowed herself to even think about that time, even after Mariah’s death. She’d stayed away from Lucas as much as possible even though she wanted to hold him, to