Once Upon a Mail Order Bride - Linda Broday Page 0,94
nail by the door. “I’m sorry for losing my temper.”
Shiloh lifted her face. Under the light, he saw her greenish black eye and the dark bruises along her jaw.
When she spoke, her words came out quiet and raspy. “You don’t need to apologize, preacher. It’s me who owes you. I shouldn’t have come without word, especially not at this late hour, but I needed to talk to you. I wanted to tell you that I wish I could go back to that night and set things right. My life was already ruined, but I didn’t need to let them ruin yours too.”
Ridge pulled out a chair. “I see you haven’t had it any easier than me. Who hit you?”
“My pa, but it was the last time I’ll take a beating from him.” She blinked hard. “A week ago, I killed him. I’m used to fists, but when he reached for the gun, I knew he was going to kill me this time. So I grabbed it. We struggled, and it went off. I took what money he had and ran.”
Good riddance. Ridge doubted anyone would mourn the man.
Addie patted her hand. “We do whatever we must to survive.”
“That night you came upon us, he’d given me to Beau Calder and his rowdy friends to pay off a gambling debt. You killing Beau was a pure accident, but Pa said I’d not live to see morning if I didn’t say you struck Beau then attacked me.”
“Why? I had no clear notion of what was happening. I could’ve ridden on.” Only he’d made the mistake of getting off his horse.
“No, preacher. They wouldn’t have let you. No matter what you did or didn’t see, they knew that you being a man of God, you’d’ve brought the law down on them. It was looking out for their own necks that made them accuse you.” Shiloh finished her glass of milk. “This food is mighty good, ma’am. There’s been little of that where I came from.”
“I’m happy I could feed you. Would you like more?” Addie asked.
“No, ma’am. I’ve put you out enough. I’ll just be going now that I’ve done what I came for.”
Addie put a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Wait. I wonder if you’d do something for us.”
“Anything I can.”
“Would you be willing to write down everything you just told us and sign it? Maybe Ridge can get those charges dropped. You’d really help us out a great deal.”
That Addie would think to do this before Shiloh disappeared into the wind amazed Ridge, but she was dead right. The girl’s own words might get him a clear slate. Except he’d killed Tom Calder’s son Wes. Still, Wes had come hunting him down, and returning fire was self-defense, long as the law saw it that way.
Shiloh smiled for the first time since she’d arrived. “I’ll be more than happy to do whatever you need, if that will fix the wrong.”
“It might and it might not, but it really will give me hope, Miss Duke. I have a friend who’s studying to be a lawyer, and he’ll know exactly what to do.” Ridge stuck out his hand to her, and she shook it. “Thank you for coming. This means more than you know. Now, you’re welcome to stay the night with us.”
“I couldn’t. I’ve been enough bother. I’ll just make camp close by.”
Addie put an arm around Ridge. “We have a perfectly good spare room that’s never been slept in. We insist.”
Shiloh stood for a moment, weighing everything. “How can I refuse? Thank you both.”
“I’ll see to your horses.” Ridge started for the door.
“Actually, they’re mules, and they’re a mite cranky, I hate to say.”
“They haven’t met my husband yet.” Addie smiled sweetly at Ridge. “Dear.”
Laughter rose as he went out. The light from the kitchen window cut through the blackness, and Ridge felt real promise for the first time. He laughed so hard, tears rolled from his eyes. The mules stared like he’d eaten locoweed. Ridge couldn’t remember feeling this hopeful, this blessed, in a very long time.
Twenty-Six
Ridge snuck out of bed before dawn, made coffee, and sat on the back steps with the cats to watch the sunrise. This one was a beauty.
The creak of the screen door met his ears, and Addie sat next to him, clutching a shawl around her nightgown. “Isn’t that a pretty sky, dear?”
“One of the best I’ve seen.” He put an arm around her and kissed her temple. “It seems different somehow this morning—more special.”