Betrayal by Robin Lee Hatcher Read Free Book Online Page A

fears get the upper hand.”
    “ ‘For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.’ ”
    “Second Timothy 1:7. You know your Scriptures.”
    “I’m doing my best to know them.” He shrugged. “Traveling alone, a man’s got time to do plenty of reading.”
    A puzzled frown furrowed her brow. “I’m not quite sure what to make of you, Hugh.” Her gaze returned to the road ahead, and she slapped the reins. “Get up there, boys.” After a moment’s silence, she added, “We’ll be to Pine Creek in another hour.”

SEVEN
    Julia supposed Pine Creek was like a thousand other small towns west of the Mississippi. It had its Main Street and its First Street. It had a doctor and pharmacy, two churches, a general mercantile, a feed store, and a sheriff’s office and jail. It had its one-room schoolhouse, the pride of the town council. It had its lawyer and its blacksmith and its livery and its saloons; two of the latter — plenty enough for a town of its size. Two too many, Julia would have said. She’d never seen anything but heartache come out of drinking establishments.
    As the wagon pulled past Lucky Luke’s and the tinkle of piano keys spilled from the saloon, she felt a sting in her chest, a sudden longing for her mother. It still hurt, five years after she’d written her mother a letter filled with hateful words. She’d tried to apologize, of course. She’d written a number of letters after that one, asking for her mother’s forgiveness. But Madeline Crane had returned Julia’s letters unopened, and finally Julia had ceased to write. She supposed she couldn’t blame her mother. If only —
    If only … if only … if only … Thinking those horrid little words changed nothing. She couldn’t undo the past. She couldn’t go back and refuse to marry Angus and stay in Grand Coeur. She couldn’t bring her babies back from heaven. She couldn’t —
    She pushed away the memories as the wagon arrived at the mercantile. “We’ll pick up supplies here first, then go to the feed store,” she said to Hugh, wrapping the reins around the brake handle.
    “All right.” He hopped to the ground.
    She did the same from her side of the wagon. “Bandit, you wait here.” The spaniel lay down, head on paws, giving her a doleful look, and Julia reached over the side of the bed to give him a pat on the head. “I know, but I won’t be long.”
    Hugh observed her and Bandit from the boardwalk, the hint of a smile once more in the corners of his mouth. Something pleasurable curled in her belly. An unexpected sensation. One she didn’t welcome.
    Flipping strands of hair behind her shoulder with one hand, she moved toward him, studiously avoiding his gaze. “Come along, Mr. Brennan.” She stepped onto the boardwalk and lowered her voice. “I reckon it would be better not to use our given names when we’re in town.”
    He gave a brief nod as she walked by him.
    The mercantile was a large, rectangular room filled with merchandise on shelves and tables. As always, it seemed to Julia that almost any possible thing a person might want could be found in this store, and what things couldn’t be found could be ordered. Not that her needs were great. A good thing since neither were her funds great. She walked to the counter where Nancy Humphrey, the proprietress, stood.
    “Mrs. Grace,” the woman said, a genuine smile brightening her face. “How good to see you. It’s been a long spell since you were last in town.”
    “Yes, it has.”
    “Everything all right at your place?”
    Julia nodded.
    Nancy’s gaze shifted beyond Julia’s right shoulder.
    She didn’t have to look to know that Hugh stood not far behind her. “Mrs. Humphrey, this is my hired hand, Mr. Brennan.”
    “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Brennan.” Nancy nodded in his direction.
    Julia pulled the slip of paper from the pocket of her skirt. On it she’d listed the items she most needed to see her through