Love in Disguise (40 page)

He looked up when she entered. Before she could say a word, he sprang to his feet and circled around his desk.

The nearness of him made her catch her breath. Squaring her shoulders, she lifted her chin and stepped toward him, extending her hand. She felt the familiar tingle run up her arm when he clasped her fingers. “I thought it was time we were properly introduced. My name is Ellie Moore.”

Instead of releasing her, he tightened his grip and sandwiched her hand between both of his while he stared into her eyes. A look of wonder spread across his face, and his lips curved up in a slow smile. “Ellie Moore. That’s a beautiful name.”

Ellie tugged at her hand, but his fingers only increased their pressure. She stared back at him and frowned. Had the man taken leave of his senses?

He pulled on her hand, drawing her closer to him. His eyes wandered over her face as though taking inventory of every feature. “I like Ellie. It fits you even better than Jessie did.”

She felt as if she’d just stepped off into a mine shaft. “You couldn’t possibly have recognized me. How did you know?”

Steven raised one hand and traced his finger along her brow. “Those eyes, those amazing eyes. I’d know them anywhere.”

Lord, why are you making this so hard?
Ellie bit her lip. She was doing all she could to be obedient. She’d think the Lord would at least meet her halfway.

If she was going to complete her mission, she needed to keep her distance. Standing so close to Steven was throwing her senses into a muddle. Pulling her hand free, she moved away from him toward the desk.

He closed the distance between them with one easy stride.

Ellie sidestepped, putting the desk between them. If he kept on looking at her with that burning gaze, she was going to forget why she was there.

She caught a quick breath and tried to maintain her focus. “I came here to apologize . . . and say good-bye.”

“Apologize for what?” He advanced to the left side of the desk.

Ellie retreated three steps to her right. “For deceiving you. For not letting you know who I really am.”

“It was part of your job. I know that now. I’ll admit it took me a while to understand that, but you were only using an assumed name. That was just a pretense to help your investigation. You weren’t misleading me about who you really are. You’re part Lavinia, part Jessie, and totally wonderful.”

He leaned across the desk and reached out as if to touch her cheek. “It’s like I tried to tell you the other night. Something in my soul seemed to recognize you the moment we met.”

Ellie backed up again and bumped against the office wall. Her breath came out in a sob. “How can you say that? I don’t look a thing like her . . . like Jessie. You can’t possibly know who I am.”

“You’re wrong. And I can prove it.” Rounding the desk, he took her by the arm and led her to the window. “Look out there. What do you see?”

Ellie twisted around to look up at him over her shoulder. “What do I see? You mean the clouds? The sky? The mountains?”

He pressed closer to her, his sleeve brushing her cheek when he pointed at the rolling landscape before them. “Right out there in front of us. Tell me what you see.”

Ellie turned back to the window, more mystified than ever. “Dirt. Trees. Shrubs. Cactus. Is that what you mean?”

His voice held a smile when he spoke. “Let me tell you what a miner sees. Over there is an outcropping of quartz. To me, that indicates an uplift that has probably caused a fault line under the surface. And that could be a sign that precious metals are present.”

He took her shoulders with a light touch and turned her to face him. “A trained eye knows how to look below the surface to see the treasure that lies beneath.” He gazed at her with an intensity that made her shiver. “Do you know what I see when I look at you?”

Tears brimmed her eyes, and she shook her head wordlessly, afraid of what he was about to say.

He leaned so close that his breath caressed her cheek. “When I look at you, I see your determination, your selflessness. I see a person willing to put herself at risk for people she doesn’t even know.”

His hand cupped her chin and lifted it so that she stared straight into his eyes. “I see the beauty of your character—and it takes my breath away.”

Ellie listened in disbelief. Could this be happening? For her—for Ellie—this time? Her entire body began to tremble.

Steven took her right hand and cradled it against his chest. “Don’t go back to Chicago, Ellie. Not right away, at least. I have a feeling God has something special in store for the two of us, and I can’t bear the thought of letting that slip away.”

She couldn’t hold her tears back one moment longer. They spilled down her cheeks, and her shoulders shook with sobs. “I can’t believe . . . I never thought . . .” She covered her face with her left hand and tried to regain her composure. “I’m sorry. I just can’t find the words.”

She heard the scrape of Steven’s boot against the plank floor. The next moment, his arms wrapped about her and pulled her close. “Stay in Pickford, Ellie. Give us a chance to find out if we’re meant for each other. I think I already know the answer, but I want to give you time to be sure.”

She flung her arms around his neck and let her kiss answer for her. His arms tightened as his lips pressed against hers. When she could breathe again, she looked up at him and gave a shaky laugh. “Just in case I didn’t make myself clear, that was a yes.”

Steven pulled back and gazed down at her, his eyes full of laughter. “I rather thought it might be.”

She squealed as he tightened his arms about her and whirled her around the office. “What are you doing?”

“Celebrating the beginning of something wonderful.” He set her down on the floor again and rested his forehead against hers, his breath teasing at her cheek. “With all the uncertainties the future may hold, one thing I’m certain of—life with you will never be dull.”

A
UTHOR
N
OTE

Dear Reader:

As a third-generation Arizonan, my love for this state and its history is deeply rooted, first through countless hours of listening to stories told at family gatherings about the “old days,” and later through my own explorations along any number of highways and byways. As newlyweds, my husband and I lived in Sierra Vista, which became our base for making weekend forays, including my first visit to Tombstone. What an experience to walk the streets made famous by Old West figures such as Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday! That fascination with Tombstone and the surrounding area stayed with me over the years, and I was thrilled to share my enthusiasm for that corner of Arizona by using it as the background for Ellie’s adventures.

I’m often asked if my books are set in real places, and the answer varies. Sometimes an actual town provides the perfect location, but other times the story demands a special setting all its own.
Love in Disguise
is one of those books. You won’t find Pickford on any map of Arizona, but in my imagination it’s alive and thriving only a few miles away from Tombstone along the San Pedro River. I took the liberty of borrowing some elements from Tombstone—the mines located just outside the town and the layout of some of the streets—then rearranged them to suit this story. Oh, and there’s the portrait of Fatima. That painting—complete with numerous bullet holes—hangs in Tombstone’s Bird Cage Saloon. I invited Fatima to put in a guest appearance in my book, and she didn’t seem to mind.

Like most of you, I wear a number of hats as I go through my daily life. I’m a pastor’s wife, homeschool mom, grandma, writer, church pianist, Sunday school teacher, women’s Bible study leader, co-director of our local historical society . . . The list goes on and on. Like Ellie, I sometimes feel I’m constantly switching from one role to another. If I don’t watch out, it’s easy to forget who I really am. How grateful I am that my true identity doesn’t have to be defined by my success—or lack of it—in any of those areas, but in my relationship to the King of kings!

Thank you for taking time to read this book. Wherever you go and whatever you do, may you find your true identity and purpose in Him!

Carol

Philippians 4:4

Author of nearly 30 novels and novellas,
CAROL COX
has an abiding love for history and romance, especially when it’s set in her native Southwest. As a third-generation Arizonan, she takes a keen interest in the Old West and hopes to make it live again in the hearts of her readers. A pastor’s wife, Carol lives with her husband and daughter in northern Arizona, where the deer and the antelope really do play—within view of the family’s front porch.

To learn more about Carol, please visit her at:

Her Web site:
www.AuthorCarolCox.com

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www.AuthorCarolCox.com/journal

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