she swiped them away. Morgan. Uncertainty was all she could muster. He’d spoken honestly. “My family, my friends are precious to me.” She didn’t know him at all, and always the unanswered questions plagued her like a case of poison ivy. He’d hated Jenkins and trailed him into the snow-covered mountains to find him. Then when danger struck, he’d led Casey away from the outlaws.
Morgan hinted at feelings for her, but what about those he loved? What about those she loved? The tears flowed more swiftly, and her stomach knotted. All of her reflections brought her to the same question. Should she leave and find another town to start over, save some money, and find a lawyer she could trust?
Oh God, I don’t know if You’re listening, but please tell me what to do. I’ve lost hope in trying to figure out what is going on here. Sometimes I wonder if I’m to turn myself in to Sheriff Kahler and face whatever a judge says. My life is a pigsty, and I keep wallowing in it. All I’ve ever known is running and hiding. I think it’s what I do best, but I despise it.
Casey opened her eyes from her prayer and blinked away the wetness. Did the urging inside her spirit mean God had provided an answer? It didn’t make sense, but she was fresh out of finding answers on her own.
Chapter 14
Morgan couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t said the right things to Casey, and he wasn’t sure he could if he started all over. The wounds of his life weren’t healed. They still seeped with bitter memories. He craved a complete cleansing of his soul, but obviously God wanted him to learn something along the way. Every day he braved forward with one hand in God’s and the other grasping for peace. Forgiving Jenkins was the hardest thing he’d ever done. No longer did he burn with a passion to kill the outlaw, only that the man be stopped.
“God either takes away the ugliness in our lives or walks with us through it,” Mama had said on many occasions. For the first time, Morgan understood, and he firmly believed his spiritual journey included Casey.
What were the chances of the two of them ending up in the same place? He wasn’t a gambling man, but he understood the odds. God had purposed this for something, but what?
God, what do You want me to do? I beg You to stop Jenkins. I beg You to keep Casey safe. I beg You to guide me through this.
Casey would leave Kahlerville, and he’d never be able to find her again. His feelings for her made no sense, but they were there just the same. He craved the sound of her voice, to touch her red-brown hair and gaze into her wide blue eyes. A part of him longed for a life with Casey, no matter how crazy the thought.
The clock in the parlor chimed twice. He had to stop her, and that meant riding into town and keeping vigil over the parsonage. She’d leave before dawn—a remnant of her past.
Morgan swung his legs over the side of the bed and ran his fingers through his hair. If she stayed, he could protect her from Jenkins and the law without folks finding out her identity.
“I want to clear my name, prove I didn’t do all those things slapped across those wanted posters.”
He had the resources to help, and it was about time he turned his profession into something good.
*****
Casey lit the lantern on the kitchen table. Soft shadows reached to the ceiling and cast a warm glow about the kitchen, as though welcoming her to the morning. She added kindling to the cookstove, then struck a match against the side. A small flame came to life, and she laid it atop the kindling. She blew on it gently, causing it to lick at the dry wood around it. The small task reminded her of the reverend’s Sunday evening sermon. He’d compared sin to a small fire that raged out of control.
Within minutes, the comforting scent of burning wood and the nutty aroma of coffee filled the room. She lifted the heavy iron skillet onto the stove to fry up bacon and eggs, and this morning she’d try her hand at biscuits. The reverend’s tasted wonderful, and he’d showed her how. This morning, she wanted to try mixing them herself. Besides, the sun hadn’t risen, and she needed to keep busy.