Payton's Woman (33 page)

“I was never involved in
any of his illegal activities.” She moved her hand from her face so she could see
him. “How will I be hurt?”

“I don’t know, but you
could.”

His eyes wouldn’t meet
hers, causing her to think he wasn’t truthful. “You know something. What is it?
Was it because I worked for his mother?”

Her eyes opened wide as
her mind soared in another direction. She’d witnessed so many deaths. Betsy,
Ritter, and Hennigan; she’d watched them all die. “Do you think I’ll be
implicated in someone’s death?”

“No, it’s nothing like
that, but I want you out of San Francisco. Will you do this for me?”

A knot twisted in her
stomach. Her chest ached. She took a steadying breath. “If you want me to go
without a fight, then you’ll have to give me the reason you’re sending me away.”

When he didn’t answer, she
studied him carefully. The muscles twitched in his jaw. His eyebrows furrowed
together as if deep in thought.

“You can’t give me a
reason?”

“I can give you a very
good one.” He leaned farther over the table. “You said you’d know by now if you
were with child. Nothing has happened yet, so you must be in that condition.”

“It might be true, but I
don’t know for certain.” She looked down at her belly. “I told you I’m not always
on time. Something could happen in the next few days.”

“And if nothing happens,
doesn’t that mean you’re carrying a baby right now?”

Reluctantly, she nodded
her head. This is what she’d feared the first time she’d thought about being
with child. If Payton discovered her condition, he’d set her up in a home
somewhere, and then he’d sail away. Except he wasn’t the one leaving. She was being
sent away to live at the Baxter’s secluded ranch.

“So you’re making me go away
because I might be with child?” Her anger boiled up. “You knew how to prevent
this. You could’ve done something to keep me from getting this way. Now you’re
punishing me for something that wasn’t my fault.”

“This isn’t a
punishment.”

“It feels like it.” Her
mind grasped for a logical reason. “Is it because you don’t want the
responsibility of a wife and child? Or perhaps it’s the lack of money? When I
first got here, you weren’t prepared for me to show up so soon—certainly not
with a child on the way.”

“There isn’t any other
reason. I’m sending you away for your own protection. Please, don’t make this any
more difficult than it already is.”

There seemed to be no
way to convince him to let her stay. Since he wanted to be rid of her, nothing
she could say would make him change his mind.

She pressed one hand to
her belly. Payton wanted to send her away because she might be pregnant. Could
it be he wasn’t ready to be a father? Her hand rubbed at the spot where a tiny
infant might be growing at this moment. If she did carry his baby, she would
love it. She only hoped Payton would love it as well. “I’ll write Olivia and
tell her to expect me next weekend.”

“I want you to leave tonight.”

Her head jerked up. She
stared at him in opened-mouth shock. “Tonight?”

“The steamer for
Sacramento leaves at dusk. As soon as we finish eating, we’ll leave here and
head back to town. That should give you plenty of time to pack. I’ll send a
telegram to the Baxters and arrange for them to meet you in the morning at the
dock in Sacramento.”

Her lower lip quivered. “Tomorrow
we were going to be married in a church.”

“That will have to wait.”

“I don’t want to wait—particularly
if I’m carrying a child. I’d like to be married in a church. After that, I’ll
go wherever you want to send me.”

“I’m sorry, Julia, but
we’ll have to plan that for another time. It shouldn’t matter, though. We’re
legally married.”

“You’re the one who suggested
a church wedding.” She swallowed down the lump that formed in her throat. “Now
you’ve changed your mind. You’re suddenly determined to get rid of me.”

“I don’t want to get rid
of you.” He squeezed her hand tightly. “I love you, Julia. No matter what
happens, or what you hear, you must remember that.”

She looked into his eyes
and knew he spoke the truth. “I love you, too.”

“No matter what?”

“Of course.”

Instead of releasing her
hand he held it tighter. “I mean it. Will you love me always? Or is there a
limit to your love?”

“You’re questioning my
love for you?” She wiped away the gathering tears so she could see him more
clearly.

“No, not now, but there
may come a day.” He looked down so she couldn’t see his eyes. “Some day you may
learn something about me. Something so terrible that you’ll hate me forever.”

Her mind fumbled with
thoughts of wrongs he may have committed. She couldn’t conceive of anything
that would make her love him less. “What could you have done that would make me
hate you?”

He gazed into her eyes. A
mist clung to his dark eyelashes as if he’d blinked back a tear.

“Let’s hope you never
have to find out.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

The streets were
generally quiet on Sunday afternoons, and today was no exception. The driver made
good time traveling through town. They arrived at the Golden Eagle Shipping
Company too soon to suit Julia. She’d hoped the trip would take longer. Then
she would miss the steamer leaving for Sacramento tonight. Reluctantly, she
climbed from the carriage and waited for Payton to unlock the front door.

“I’ll leave your bag
here.” He dropped it inside the door. “If you want anything else, you’ll have
to be quick. The steamer leaves the dock in about an hour.”

“I’m not taking the
steamer.”

“We’ve already discussed
this.” He planted his fists on his hips.

“I know, but I’m not
taking the steamer. You know I get seasick. I’m not spending the entire night aboard
a ship even if it’s just on a river and not on the ocean.” He might be sending
her away, but she’d choose the method of travel. She imitated his defiant
stance. “I’ll take the ferry across the bay to Oakland, but that’s about all I
can handle. The train will take me the rest of the way to Sacramento.”

His hands slipped to his
sides. “I don’t care how you get there as long as you leave tonight.”

“Why can’t I leave in
the morning? Are you in that big of a hurry to get rid of me?”

“I’m not trying to get
rid of you. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Her shoulders slumped as
her posture eased. She blinked rapidly to prevent the tears from gathering. He
wanted her to go away without causing a scene. If that’s what he wanted, she’d leave
quietly. She steeled herself so she wouldn’t cry in front of him, but her chest
ached from holding back the sobs.

“How long will I have to
be gone?”

“Not a moment longer
than necessary.” He put his arms around her and pulled her to him. The edge of
his finger pressed under her chin, and he tilted her face up to him. His mouth
covered hers in what would perhaps be their farewell kiss.

To Julia, it felt as
though he intended their separation to last for a very long time. She wrapped
her arms around him and hugged him tightly, not wanting to let him go.

“Let’s get you packed.” His
arms slipped away as he took a step back. He headed down the hallway to their
bedroom.

Reluctantly, she
followed after him. One more night with him was what she desired. Her heart
ached so much she feared she wouldn’t keep her promise not to cry. She bit on
her lip to still the quivering.

He opened the door and
peered in. “It’s too dark in here with the curtains closed. Let me get the lamp
before you come in. I don’t want you tripping over anything.”

She waited by the door and
used the brief reprieve to wipe at her tears. A dull thud echoed from the room.
She heard him groan just before a heavy object fell on the wooden floor.

“Payton?” She walked
into the dark room. “Did you fall?”

Someone grabbed her arm
and flung her across the room. She stumbled over what felt like a body crumpled
on the floor. Her hands went out in front to brace her fall, and she landed on
the floor next to the bed. She glanced behind her just in time to see the
silhouette of a man flit across the doorway.

A clammy sweat broke out
on her skin, and her insides twisted into a knot. She clenched her hands into
fists as a rage built inside her. The man didn’t bother to say his name, but there
was no need; she already knew.

Lawrence Dunbar struck a
match and lit the lamp on the dresser.

She tugged her skirt
aside and crawled on her hands and knees to Payton. He lay sprawled out on his
belly, his face turned to one side. She put the back of her hand to his lips.
His warm breath washed over her knuckles. Just to be certain, she looked at the
side of his body. His ribcage expanded each time he inhaled.

Payton lived. She sighed
with relief.

Her gaze darted to
Dunbar. If she thought she could kill him with her bare hands, she’d leap across
Payton’s body and attack him this very moment.

“Who are you?” His
eyelids squinted as he studied her.

She glared at him
without speaking.

“You must be Tyler’s
whore.”

The urge to leap grew
stronger.

Payton groaned. Dunbar
pointed his weapon at him.

“Leave him alone.” She
covered his body with her own.

“He always did have the Devil’s
own luck.” A sneer spread over his face. “He found himself a good looking woman
to protect his back.”

While she hovered over his
body, she noticed the disarray around her. Their clean clothes were scattered around
the room. Dresser drawers were broken, the wooden pieces strewn across the
floor. The washstand was knocked over, and the floorboards where it had stood
were ripped up. “Why are you here? What do you want?”

“Other than to kill him,”
he pointed his revolver at Payton, “I’m looking for the money I left with
Hennigan.”

Her breathing halted. Payton
had found the hidden gold and given it to Mrs. Hennigan a few days ago.

She let her breath out
slowly while trying to gather her wits. If she acted shrewdly, if she kept calm,
she might be able to distract Dunbar with the lure of money and allow Payton
time to recover.

“I could help you look
for it, but you’ll have to promise not to kill Payton.”

His mouth curled into
what he probably thought passed for a smile. “It’s a deal. Help me find the money,
and I’ll let him live.” He held up his hand, palm outward, as if giving an
oath. “I swear.”

His words curdled her blood.
She’d never trust him to keep his promise, but she’d let him believe that she would.

“You’ve pretty much torn
up this room. Let’s look in the front office. I believe there’s a safe out
there.”

His amusement subsided
as he gave her a suspicious look. “And leave him alone so he can come to and
jump me when I’m not looking?”

“He’s not going to wake
up for a while.” She stroked the hair back from his forehead. “You hit him pretty
hard.”

“I didn’t hit him that
hard. Move away and let me see.”

She leaned back onto her
heels.

Dunbar took a few steps
toward them. He grimaced in pain with each step. He motioned with his revolver
to the handcuffs that hung from the headboard. “Shackle him to the bed.”

She glanced at the iron
chains that held the cuffs to the headboard, and then at Payton sprawled out on
the floor. Mentally, she calculated the length of the chain and the reach of his
arm. She couldn’t shackle him while he lay on the floor. She’d have to lift him
onto the bed in order to fasten the cuff around his wrist.

A plan hatched in her
brain. She needed to get Dunbar’s weapon before he shot Payton. That wouldn’t
be an easy task. She’d have to make him trust her first. Dunbar didn’t strike
her as the trusting kind. That meant she’d have to be very clever—and cautious.

She rose to her feet and
stepped across Payton’s body. With one hand, she picked up his arm. With her
other, she grasped the cuff and tried to pull them together.

“I can’t. The chain’s
not long enough.”

“Put him on the bed.”

He expected her to lift an
unconscious body from the floor by herself? Even if she could pick him up, she
wouldn’t let Dunbar know it.

She rolled Payton over
so he lay on his back. She grabbed his hands and pulled his limp body into a
sitting position. Holding him steady, she got behind him and slipped her hands
under his arms. She made an exaggerated effort to lift him.

“He’s too heavy.”

“Then I guess I’ll have
to shoot him after all.”

To save Payton’s life,
she had to outwit Dunbar and make him let down his guard, but she couldn’t be
obvious about it.

“Let me try again.”

This time, she put all
her effort into hoisting Payton from the floor. She struggled with his weight
until she got him off the floor, but she couldn’t maneuver his body. Lifting
him higher while holding him tight, she collapsed backward on to the bed. His
unconscious body fell on top of her.

She glanced at the
manacles to her left. She rolled Payton off her to the right.

“You almost had it,” he
shouted. “You should’ve rolled him the other way.”

She got up and
straightened her clothing. Squirming around on the bed had pulled the combs
from her hair. She pushed the loose strands back from her face.

“Haul him up to the
headboard,” he ordered.

Payton lay face down. She
slipped one arm around the crook of his elbow and pulled at him until she turned
him onto his back. His body sprawled out in the middle of the bed.

She sat on the edge next
to the footboard and put her hands against Payton’s side. “I’m worn out from lifting
him. Can you stretch out the cuff so I can see how far I have to push him?”