Something in prison or something before? Or both? Since she’d called an immediate halt to his questions about family, he suspected they played a big part. If he could find out, he’d try to fix the problem—either by talk or with a bullet. For her not to speak seemed to suggest something very sinister had taken place.
He could protect her better if she’d tell him the nature of the threat that followed her. All he knew was that men were hunting her. He had no descriptions, no names, nothing.
Moonlight through the window shone on the clock on the wall. It was just past midnight. He threw back the covers and reached for his trousers, then padded quietly to the stairs in his bare feet.
The door to Addie’s space was shut, but the knob turned when he tried it. She had the lamp lit but the wick turned low, and the weak light revealed her asleep on the bench, the kitten in the crook of her arm. Mama cat stirred in her box and blinked up at him. They eyed each other for a full moment before the feline gave him a look of disdain, stood, and promptly turned her back on him.
For a long moment, he stood staring down at Addie, admiring the dark lashes resting on her high cheekbones like black fringe on a shawl. At times she seemed shy and afraid, but he knew that was simply a smokescreen, for he’d glimpsed passion inside her and more than a little anger when she’d beaten the drunk with her shoe.
And despite the strange new surroundings, she’d made him coffee without being asked. Just figured it out. Yes, Adeline Jancy would turn out to be a good wife. He’d stake his life on it. Tucking the quilt around her, he touched her cheek with the pad of a finger. “Sleep, my lady. You’re safe from harm.”
Six
Adeline wasn’t surprised that Luke and Josie decided to leave for their home on the Lone Star Ranch the day following the wedding. They’d missed their small daughter terribly in the two weeks they’d been away.
Luke turned to Ridge before climbing into the wagon with Josie. “Be careful, amigo, and keep your guard up at all times. Those men will track Adeline here eventually. I guarantee it.”
Ridge clasped Luke’s hand. “They’ll have to go through me to get to her.”
Addie listened to the two men and watched their interaction, her heart swelling to see the admiration they had for each other. She curled a hand around Ridge’s elbow, giving the couple a send-off. Although she hadn’t known them long, she hated to see them go. They were her closest friends. But life had to go on. Nothing stood still—not time, problems, or the stars.
Josie had said something very profound that morning. Rise above the dark clouds and you’ll find golden sunshine. It’s there. You just have to look for it. And remember, life must be lived fully—no matter the trouble that comes, the season, or condition of the trail.
At the moment, Addie’s roads were washed out and littered with holes. Still, in spite of everything, hope lived inside her.
As they struggled to adapt to marriage and each other over the next three weeks, Addie soon learned Ridge’s likes and dislikes, his moods and the things he valued. He loved meat but picked at vegetables. Blessed with a strong sweet tooth, he wanted dessert at every meal if possible. He tried never to curse around her, but she often saw the strain it took on his face. Sometimes she smelled whiskey on him after he’d spent time with the men, but never saw him drunk or wobbly.
Of all his qualities, she loved the way he made her feel, like she was the most cherished woman ever born, always seeing to her needs. He’d tabled questions about her family and previous home, for which she was glad. She still wasn’t ready to tell her story, but she knew she would have to do it soon.
He deserved to know the kind of woman he’d gotten.
All in all, Addie was happy with the new life she’d chosen. Ridge was gone much of the day, which left her on her own to do housework—or nothing at all, if she so desired. She always kept the doors locked in case of intruders, made a habit to check the windows, and listened for anything that signaled danger.
Each time she thought about the men hunting her, pain throbbed in her chest and took