Anyplace But Here (Oklahoma Lovers Series Book 5) (5 page)

He stood and stripped off his clothes, dropping them where they fell. After a quick sponge bath at the washstand, he climbed back into bed, and massaged the sore muscles in his wounded leg. His limp was barely noticeable now, but the constant ache when he used the leg was a reminder why he was no longer able to ride with the Rangers.

He’d adjusted much better than he’d expected when he first arrived home, aside from trying to find decent employment. He was not dwelling on his injury as much as he’d thought. Then again, he’d been fooling himself if he didn’t give credit to meeting Emily. Knowing her had definitely been a balm to his spirits.

Over the years, he’d cheered for each of his siblings as the occasional letter caught up with him, relating news of the latest marriage in the family. However, he’d never felt the need to have a woman of his own.

Until now.

He wanted Emily. And not just for sex, although images of them naked in each other’s arms brought his cock to a full salute. There were many layers to Emily Cabot. He wanted to reveal them all, strip them one by one the way he wanted to do with her clothes. He yearned to know her thoughts, feelings, what she loved, what she hated.

But most of all what—or who—she was running from.

Galveston, Texas

“We found her.”

Louis’s head jerked up at the words from the latest in a string of detectives he’d hired to find his wife. His heart thumped, knowing soon she would be back under his control. She had a lot to make up for. Images of her—naked—on her knees begging for her life gave rise to the part of his anatomy that never seemed to rest.

He leaned back in his chair and smiled. “So where is the bitch?”

The man drew out a small pad from his inner pocket. “She’s working at a Harvey House in Guthrie, up in Oklahoma Territory.”

So the little rabbit hadn’t gone very far. He should have known she’d be too timid to make a decent run. With her being so damn close, it irritated to no end that it had taken almost five months to find her. She would receive a suitable punishment for each month she had eluded him.

“What the hell is a Harvey House?”

Since Louis had not invited the man to sit, he continued to stand as he read from his notes. “It’s a restaurant chain. They have eateries all along the Santa Fe line. From what I’ve discovered, they only employ young women to work as waitresses.”

Louis gripped the edge of his desk as anger swirled through him. “Only young women? Do they do anything besides wait on customers?” If Emily was out there selling her body he would have to do a lot more damage to her than he’d planned. No one—absolutely no one—touched his woman. If the slut had been spreading her legs to keep food in her pathetic body he might just have to kill her. After he punished her.

The man shook his head. “No. All these girls are kept in a boardinghouse where they have a strict curfew. They sign contracts for anywhere from three months to a year. The Harvey people only hire girls from good homes who are smart, educated, and well-mannered. Apparently, it’s not too easy to get a job with these folks.”

Louis tapped the end of his pencil on his desk. How he would love to show up at this Harvey House and watch Emily’s face blanch white when she spotted him sitting right there waiting for her to bring him his dinner. At the thought of her fear, a thrill of excitement shot through him, going right to his groin. Yes, that was exactly what he would do. Then he would drag her by her hair to his automobile and hustle her home.

“How long of a drive is it to this Guthrie?”

“From Galveston to Guthrie, it’s a little more than five hundred miles.”

Five hundred miles would give him a lot of time to impress upon his wife what a very bad girl she’d been. His stomach muscles tightened at the thought of how he would punish her night after night on their return trip. He didn’t trust his automobile for such a long journey since gasoline was not easy to come by everywhere, so they would need train tickets for a sleeper car.

“Mr. Smith. Did you want me to go after her, sir?”

Louis stretched to relieve the tension in his muscles that this news had brought him. “No. I will take care of it from here. Thank you for your services, and see my secretary on the way out for payment.” He nodded at the man’s pad. “Leave that.”

He spun around in his chair and gazed out the window. Sanders would have to take care of business while he fetched his recalcitrant wife home. Thinking of business, he was forced to admit things were getting disturbing. This house of cards they’d built was about to collapse if he didn’t get fresh money into the scheme—and soon.

But right now he had another problem to deal with.

Emily, sweetheart, have no fear. Your loving husband is coming for you.

Chapter 5

Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory

“This is such a wonderful idea. I haven’t been on a picnic in years.” Emily quickly tied her bonnet ribbons and grinned, feeling like a small child.

“That makes two of us. I can’t remember my last picnic. I thought this was the best way to spend your one day a week off.” Hunter shifted the picnic basket—full of delicious treats from the Café—from one arm to the other so he could take Emily’s hand.

She’d been unable to sleep since the first rays of sun had peeked over her windowsill. When he’d walked her home the night before, Hunter had told her that he would pick her up around ten o’clock in the morning for a day of fun. He wouldn’t tell her anything else and she’d been as excited as a young child for hours.

They made their way to a lovely automobile parked in front of her boardinghouse. After helping her into the vehicle, he dropped the basket on the back seat and slid behind the driving wheel. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, I am.” It took all of her control to keep from bouncing up and down on the seat. Instead, she smoothed out her skirt, crossed her hands demurely on her lap, and looked around at the scenery they passed by. The dark green leaves on the trees indicating the end of summer, provided them with shade, and when mixed with the breeze from their movement, made for a pleasant ride.

“Where are we going?”

Hunter slowed down for a horse and carriage in front of them before turning to her. “There is a place outside of town that my sister, Ellie, told me about. It’s not exactly a park, but it’s unclaimed land with trees and a small lake. She and her husband, Max, have been there for picnics several times.”

“Tell me about Ellie. And Max.”

He returned his attention to the road. “They have quite a story, although I wasn’t around when this all happened. It was near Christmas last year. Ellie is a high school teacher and Max was the new principal. From what I understand,” he stopped to chuckle, “Max was introducing Ellie to several men in the hopes she would marry one of them and leave her teaching position.”

“I guess they didn’t get along?”

“From what I’ve been told, sparks would fly every day at the high school.”

“Oh, dear. So how did they end up married to each other?”

“Apparently, it came to Max’s attention that no one he introduced to Ellie was ‘good enough’ for her.” He turned to her once more. “They got married back in January and expect their first baby in October.”

“What a wonderful story!” Indeed the tale had almost brought tears to her eyes. To have someone who held you in such high regard that no one else would do . . .

She gazed at the passing scenery, thinking about her pathetic life. Who was she fooling in going about with Hunter? She wasn’t stupid; she knew he was attracted to her in the way a man showed interest in a woman. No matter how hard she tried to excuse her actions, in her heart she knew she was being very unfair to him. Depression overwhelmed her at the mess of her life.

Hunter reached over and laid his hand on hers. “What’s the matter, honey? You look so sad all of a sudden.”

She brushed a few tears away and smiled. “Nothing. I’m just touched by your sister’s story.”

“I’ll have Tori invite you for dinner one Sunday when the entire family gathers. That way you can see for yourself they’re all not as wonderful as you might think.”

Within minutes Hunter braked in front of a spot that could only be described as a slice of heaven. The sun peeked through the leaves, covering the ground with a dappled pattern. Wildflowers grew over the area, and the sunlight on the pond sparkled like bits of diamonds.

They strolled hand in hand until they found a nice quiet spot under an oak tree near the pond. Once the blanket was spread out they relaxed against the tree, still holding hands. They shared an apple, the sweet crunchiness in her mouth adding to the perfection of the day.

Hunter tossed his apple core toward the pond. “I have a surprise for you.”

Emily’s heart jumped. A good surprise or a bad one? Had Hunter been asking questions about her?

“What?” She hated the uneasy sound of her voice.

He winked. “I’ll be right back.” He rose and walked to the blanket, then pulled up the edge. Underneath was a brown bag that he withdrew and handed to her, a shy smile on his face. “For you, Miss Cabot.”

Taking the package from his hand, her heart contracted as she watched him. Her face flushed and she laughed when she opened the bag. A sketch pad and several well-sharpened pencils filled the space. “How did you know?”

Sitting back down alongside her, he said, “A few times you’ve mentioned you like to draw and since I’ve never seen you do it, I thought you might need supplies.”

“Yes. I do like to draw, and you are right, I have no supplies.” She hugged the pad to her chest. “Thank you so much. This means a great deal to me.”

He drew his knees up and rested his wrists there. Looking out toward the pond he said, “Did you leave your drawing materials at home in Louisiana when you came to Guthrie?”

She immediately went on alert. “Yes. I didn’t have much room in my suitcase so I didn’t bring them with me.”

He plucked a piece of grass and brought it into his mouth, chewing on the end. “I understand. Travelling with a heavy suitcase can be a problem.”

She flushed, knowing he didn’t believe her.
Of course not, how much does a sketch pad and a few pencils weigh?
She’d been so focused that day in just running, she’d left everything behind that she couldn’t fit in her reticule. Which meant she’d escaped with nothing more than the clothes on her back, the letter from The Harvey House, and her money.

Hunter continued to chew on the blade of grass. He really didn’t want to make Emily uncomfortable, and he loved buying her the sketch pad and pencils, seeing her eyes light up that way. If only she would confide in him.

He pulled the grass from his mouth and waved at the pad. “I’d love to see you draw something.”

“I don’t know. I’ve never drawn in front of anyone, except my parents.”

“Do they encourage your artwork?”

Emily shook her head. “They died over three years ago.” She seemed to pull herself back from the brink of something unhappy when she forced a smile and looked at him. “They loved my drawings. Once Mama recovered, she hung them all over the house. Even the ones she missed from when I was very young.”

“Recovered? Was she ill?”

She looked taken aback as if she hadn’t meant to say that.

“Um, she suffered from melancholy for a few years.”

“And your father?”

“Papa loved my artwork, too. He would boast about my talent to all his friends. It was quite embarrassing actually.” The warmth and animation on her face when she spoke of her father was the first genuine emotion Hunter had seen from her. No clues there. Both parents dead. Another blank wall.

Emily, what are you hiding from me?

“I promise I won’t insist on hanging your drawings all over the walls at Jesse’s house if you allow me to watch you work.” He shifted over toward her, and handed her the pad. “Go on. Enjoy yourself.”

She took a deep breath and opened the pad. “All right. But it’s been a long time.”

Talent didn’t even begin to describe the way the pencil skimmed over her pad, creating a picture of the view right there in front of them. On the paper, the pond glistened and he could almost feel the slight breeze rippling the leaves in the drawing. Although he hadn’t seen one since they’d arrived, she sketched in a bunny rabbit, his eyes wide as he stared in their direction from the page.

“Honey, you are amazing. That’s wonderful.” Hunter rose to his knees, and resting his hands on her shoulders, gazed down at her sketch pad. “I’ve always admired people who could create beautiful things from nothing more than their imagination.”

She turned to him, her eyes bright with excitement. “Do you really think it’s good?”

“Of course I do. Didn’t you just say your mama and papa loved your drawings?”

“Yes, they did, but I thought perhaps they only said that because I was their daughter. That’s what . . .”

“What?”

She clamped her mouth closed as if afraid she would say more than she should. A little bit of a clue there. Someone after her parents had disparaged her art work.

Hunter removed the pad from her hands and drew her into his arms. “I think you are a talented artist. And anyone who’s told you otherwise didn’t know what they were talking about.” His fingers played with the tendrils that had escaped her bun and danced around her face in the slight breeze. The flush on her cheeks told him her thoughts were going in the same direction as his. Slowly, he lowered his head and took her lips in a soft caress. He moved his mouth back and forth, brushing his lips over hers. When she sighed he pulled her closer and took her with a savage intensity.

The next morning Hunter strolled into Jesse’s office. His uncle looked up as Hunter approached. “Did you see this morning’s paper?” Jesse held out the copy of the Guthrie Sentinel.

“I did.” Hunter settled into the chair across from Jesse’s desk. “I’ve had some tips about who is on the receiving end at the newspaper. Hopefully that will help lead me to whoever is feeding the information to him.”

“There are days when I see what’s happening to Franklin, and I ask myself why I even want to be involved in politics. I’ll be facing another election for my territorial senate seat in a few months. I have a nice law practice, my children are doing well, and my lovely wife is one in a million.” He stabbed the paper with his index finger. “I don’t know why I bother with this nonsense.”

“And the answer is?”

Grinning, Jesse leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. “I love being part of the early stages of Oklahoma statehood. We have a golden opportunity here to make our state one of the best in the nation. We have such a diverse population of Indians, Mexicans, easterners, and northerners that we can be dynamic and do great things for our people.”

He turned and swept his arm toward the window behind his desk. “Look at the vast land we have here, and the resources. Ranching is keeping food on the table for a large part of our population. And oil. Mark my words, son, with automobiles becoming more popular and affordable for the average man, our oil industry will boom.

“One day I hope to see Oklahoma use all this wind we’re troubled with put to good use. There’s just so much we can do . . .” He looked at Hunter. “What? Why are you grinning?”

“I’m grinning because like it or not, Jesse, politics is in your blood. You just gave a great campaign speech.”

Jesse gave a slight cough. “You sound like Tori. She always accuses me of using her as an audience of one for my next speech.”

Hunter stood. “I have a few leads to follow up today.” He still contemplated looking into Emily’s background, but his sense of honor told him to wait for her to tell him. Hopefully, she would trust him enough sometime soon. All his protective instincts welled up to add to the niggling fear that she was in dire need of help, but either too stubborn or too scared to ask for it.

He also needed to get back to his own search. Ten years with the Rangers hadn’t uncovered the information that drove him, and that still had the ability to keep him awake some nights. He’d been too distracted by one lovely blonde, blue-eyed angel.

“Good. Stop back here later today because I have a couple of other clients who need some undercover work done.”

At Hunter’s raised eyebrows, Jesse continued, “Wipe that look off your face, I’m not talking about spying on someone’s wife or husband.”

“Whew. That is not something I want to get involved in.”

“Me neither.”

Hunter rested his hands on his hips and cleared his throat. “Before I go I wanted to ask a favor. I’ve been seeing a young lady.” He flushed at Jesse’s smirk. “She is alone here in Guthrie, works for the Harvey House. I thought Sunday I could invite her to dinner with the family.”

“Sounds serious.”

He shrugged. “Truthfully, I’m not sure. There are issues.”

“There generally are. Especially in our family. Of course you can invite her. What’s her name? Or is that one of the issues?”

“No.”
At least I don’t think so.
“Her name is Emily Cabot.”

“We’ll look forward to meeting Miss Cabot on Sunday.”

With a slight salute, Hunter turned on his heel and left the office.

Every time Emily thought about dinner with Hunter’s family the next day, she broke into a cold sweat. How could she sit there with all those nice people and pretend she was someone other than Emily Smith, runaway abused wife of a lying, cheating bastard?

Supposed they started questioning her? Would they be able to tell she was lying? Wasn’t his Uncle Jesse not only a Territorial Senator, but also a lawyer? Didn’t they tear people apart on the witness stand because they saw right through their lies?

Stop it.

Hunter would not be as wonderful as he was if he’d come from a family who would make her feel uncomfortable. She tamped down her fear as she finished putting the last of her hairpins in to anchor her bun. Stepping back from the mirror, she viewed herself. Dress and apron clean, starched, and ironed. Her hair was tucked neatly at the back of her head. She checked her hose for runs and shoes for a shine. She was ready to go.

Saturday nights were the busiest for the Harvey House. Since word had spread about their delicious food, ample portions, and modest prices, a lot of the locals came to dine, along with the travelers. She would be quite tired by the end of the evening, and since Hunter was calling for her tomorrow at the boardinghouse for his family’s dinner, he would not stop by tonight.

Satisfied with her appearance, she left her room and met the other girls in the lobby as they gathered to make the trip to the restaurant. It was another beautiful day, with a touch of impending autumn in the air. The girls chatted and bemoaned how busy the coming evening would be. With Sunday being a somewhat light shift, several of the girls were off, and they shared plans for the next day.