Out of the Storm (Buckhorn, Montana #1) - B.J. Daniels Page 0,50
was hoping this guy was legit and that she would marry him.”
“Were you?” Earl Ray asked, an edge to his tone.
“You’re barking up the wrong tree, my friend. I’m not her husband.”
The older man sighed. “So, what are you going to do with this information?”
He ran a hand over his face. He hadn’t slept well in years. But last night the nightmares had been worse. All the explosions and fires had felt so real as if they were burning him all over again. He feared they were premonitions of something worse that was coming.
“I just wanted to make some furniture, keep my head down, put in the rest of my time,” he mused, knowing that everything had changed now.
“You don’t have to get involved,” Earl Ray said. “You could make an anonymous call to the feds and let them pick him up at the border. Of course, if she decides to go with him, she’ll be an accomplice, but she’ll probably get a lighter sentence at least.”
Jon let out a bitter laugh. “You think I won’t make that call? I told you. I don’t know this woman. None of this has anything to do with me.” Earl Ray said nothing on the other end of the line, as if he knew that when Jon wasn’t having nightmares about explosions and fire, he was having sweet dreams about Kate.
“Then, do the sensible thing,” Earl Ray said. “Leave and don’t look back. Let her make the decision to go or not go with Matthews.”
He shook his head, not even registering his friend’s words. “You ought to hear the way she talks about her husband. You’d think Daniel Jackson was a saint. Nothing like me. Hell, no man could fill her husband’s shoes. Certainly not me.”
“Or Collin Matthews,” Earl Ray said. “But like you said, it doesn’t have anything to do with you.”
* * *
COLLIN HAD APPARENTLY woken in a great mood, because when he came to her door the next morning, he was all smiles. Kate figured it was because he was planning to leave today. Yesterday he’d said he would go alone if she was staying behind. She hoped he hadn’t changed his mind.
“I need to run a few errands this morning,” he said. “Mind having breakfast without me?”
She hoped that her relief didn’t show on her face. As he started to leave, she stopped him, realizing she wouldn’t be able to eat a bite without getting this over with. She wanted him to know for certain that she wasn’t leaving with him.
“Collin, I’m sorry you have to go alone,” she said and braced herself for his angry response. “But as I told you, I’m staying.” To her surprise, he smiled.
“I know, Kate. It’s all right. You can stay here as long as you want. I wish you were going with me, but it appears you have made up your mind.”
She hadn’t expected this and felt choked up. “Thank you.” It came out on a croaked whisper. “I’m sorry.”
“No reason to be sorry. Sometimes things just don’t work out like we planned them.” He gave her a sad smile before turning and walking out the door.
She stood, still shocked and so relieved that she wanted to sit down and cry. She’d expected a huge fight and had been dreading it. Now she just felt weak and tired. Maybe once Collin left, she would be able to sleep again.
But she knew that he was only part of the problem. How long was she going to stay in this town and keep trying to reach the man who called himself Jon Harper? Eventually she would have to go home. She would have to go back to work. She had a book to write, and she missed her daughters.
For now, though, she would stay. She began to dress in her winter wear, her decision made. She would stay as long as she could. Maybe he would never remember her. Or maybe one day she would stop by his workshop and he would be gone.
Maybe she was being a fool, she thought as she finished dressing. She probably was, because if Jon Harper wasn’t Danny, then she was in love with a complete stranger. And she could not explain that even to herself. It just was. And it scared her and exhilarated her and made her happier than she’d been in a very long time as she headed for his workshop.
* * *
BESSIE CAME OUT of the café’s kitchen with two orders that hadn’t been