Owen had been through, he felt like he was entitled to be a little heavy-handed when it came to protecting them. Especially his girls.
“I don’t want to put anyone out,” Laura said, shifting awkwardly. “Your wife won’t mind?”
One of the reasons Owen didn’t like talking about his family. A brief explanation would only give him sympathy he didn’t want or need. But the longer explanation was even worse.
“My wife is dead. My sister, Lena, lives with us and helps me with the girls. Having you come here was partially her idea.”
Will had suggested it. In front of Lena. Who’d gotten extremely excited at the prospect of having another woman around for a while. With Lena on Will’s side, Owen couldn’t say no.
“I’ll try not to be a bother. Please tell Lena that I’m happy to help with any chores. I don’t want to inconvenience her.”
Owen grinned. “I wouldn’t worry about Lena. You’ll get along just fine.”
Being around Lena might be good for Laura. His sister was the finest woman he knew. Not that there was anything wrong with Laura, but she could draw on Lena’s strength as she went through this situation with James. Waiting for a trial had been hard enough on Laura, but waiting for a madman to come after her would be worse.
As Owen scanned the area around them, he felt confident that they hadn’t been followed and that no one was around. But that could change at any time.
“We’d best be on our way,” he told Laura. “We’ve still got a lot of ground to cover before we reach safety.”
He helped her onto the horse; then he tucked Beatrice into his saddlebag. The girls had been mad he’d gone into town without them, but this would ease their disappointment.
However, judging from the still-put-out expression on Laura’s face, dealing with her frustrations over the situation was going to be a lot more difficult.
Why hadn’t Owen told her about his family? Even though his explanation about not sharing his family matters in work situations made sense, Laura would have liked to think that their friendship had meant something to him. But, as she’d seen throughout the day, that friendship had only been an illusion. She’d thought of him as a friend; he’d seen her as a case.
How was she ever supposed to trust her feelings about people when she hadn’t been able to get that right?
They approached a sign announcing Fairweather Ranch, hay and livestock for sale, Robert C. Dean, owner.
“Is Robert C. Dean your uncle?” Laura asked when they slowed up.
“Was.”
With Owen so near, Laura could feel his long sigh.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” she said.
Owen didn’t respond as a house and barn came into view. The occupants of the house must have been watching out the window because the door flew open and two little girls, with hair matching Owen’s but in long braids, came running out.
“Papa!”
The tension in Owen’s body eased, such a dramatic physical change that Laura nearly lost her balance.
“Steady,” he said, a gentler tone in his voice. “Let’s not have you falling off with only a few yards to go.”
Laura almost made a comment about it being the change in him that would have made her fall, but with his obvious happiness, it seemed wrong to spoil things.
They stopped near the barn, and Owen got off his horse. His feet had barely hit the ground when the two girls wrapped their arms around him.
“You kept your promise,” the girl in the green dress said.
The other girl, wearing blue, looked exactly like her sister, and without the different dresses, Laura wasn’t sure she’d be able to tell them apart.
“I always keep my promises.” Owen bent and kissed his daughter on top of the head, then kissed the other one.
Though Laura had always known Owen had a tender side, seeing him greet his girls, and the obvious affection among them, made her realize that there was a great deal of depth to him she hadn’t known. True, she hadn’t known many facts about him, something she was becoming more and more ashamed of, but she’d been so certain of his character.
The harsh way he’d dealt with her earlier today had surprised her. It had seemed so unlike the man she thought she knew. She also hadn’t expected him to be such a doting father. All of her confidence about what a good man he’d been seemed based on her imaginings, not the reality of who he was. Once again, Laura wasn’t sure how to decipher the man.
Who was Owen Hamilton?
And would she even know it was the real him?
“All right, girls,” he said, laughing. “Let’s get Mrs. Booth off the horse, so you can properly meet her.”
His formality was just one more unexpected twist to the man she’d thought she’d known.
When her feet were touching the ground, Laura said, “Please, call me Laura. I don’t want to stand on ceremony here.”
The girls smiled at her shyly, hiding behind their father.
“Girls, please introduce yourselves.”
The one dressed in blue stepped out from behind Owen. “I’m Anna.”
“And I’m Emma,” the girl dressed in green said. “We’re very pleased to have you here.”
Laura gave the girls a friendly smile. They were miniature versions of their father, only in feminine form. She could almost see Owen as a child in them. Though she’d always considered the fact that her and James’s not having children had been a blessing in disguise, something about seeing Owen with his daughters created a longing in Laura that she hadn’t expected.
She would never have children of her own, a fact she’d thought she’d accepted, but somehow, these children reminded her of her lost dream. Hopefully, she wouldn’t have to spend too much time with them while she was here at the ranch. She was hoping she wouldn’t have to spend much time here at all. She needed to get back to her boardinghouse. But also, having realized how little she knew about Owen had made her come to see that she was a poor judge of character indeed. People wondered how Laura could have trusted a man like James. She’d thought that her poor judgment had been a onetime mistake. However, Laura was starting to wonder if perhaps she trusted too easily and saw things in people too readily where perhaps she should be more cautious. She’d read too much into Owen’s care for her. And now she felt like a fool.
Owen had turned to the girls and was giving them the doll Laura had found. Her heart ached at the sight, and Laura started to turn away.
A woman came around the other side of the horse and smiled at her. Had Laura not been aware that Owen had a sister, she still would have immediately known that they were related. Lena and Owen had the same sandy shade of blond hair and the same warm blue eyes that made a person want to believe in them. But Laura didn’t know who to trust anymore. Though she still believed that Owen was credible when it came to upholding the law, when it came to their personal relationship, she had to remember that to him it was just a job. A fact she would also keep in mind when it came to Lena.
“Welcome. I’m Lena. You must be Laura. I’ve heard so many wonderful things about you. We’re very glad to have you.”
Lena’s friendly smile made Laura feel like she’d known her for years. Of course, Laura had felt the same way about Owen.
“Thank you. It’s so kind if you to have me.” Laura returned the greeting with an equally friendly expression. “Owen says I’m not