Love on the Range (Brothers in Arms #3)(51)

Wyatt rested the tips of his fingers on her lips. After a long moment of silence, he tore his gaze from hers and looked at the witnesses all around them.

“Can you let me talk to Molly alone for just a few minutes?”

“Why?” Kevin’s brows lowered into one straight line.

Cheyenne grabbed him by the arm, nice and tight, but Molly knew there would be no bruising. Cheyenne dragged Kevin out of the room. When he resisted, Falcon helped by shoving him, then muttering something to him Molly couldn’t hear.

Kevin stretched to look over Falcon’s broad shoulder and gave her a shocked look, then he was out of the room.

She turned back to Wyatt.

Still holding the wrap on her arm, he slid his hand along her back and urged her toward the table. “Sit down. Please. I had no idea he’d hurt you so bad, Molly.”

She sat, and Wyatt crouched beside her.

“You’re not really going to kill him, are you?”

Wyatt’s jaw went tight. “No man should harm a woman. In the West, we know that a woman is a rare and wonderful thing. A precious thing. That he would do this to you—” His chin moved as if the words he wanted to say were fighting to get out.

“I want the law to handle this, Wyatt. And not just because I don’t want you killing anyone, but because Hawkins deserves to be punished by the law for his crimes.” She rested her palm on his cheek. “And killing someone leaves a scar on your soul, Wyatt. I don’t want that for you.”

Wyatt leaned his head to press his cheek to her hand and closed his eyes. She saw him battle to control his anger, and she saw him win.

Finally, he opened his eyes. He looked calm and kind. “Molly, I’ve come to your bedroom window night after night.”

“Knowing you were coming made the days bearable.”

A faint smile curved his lips, but his expression remained solemn. “I’ve wanted to talk to you of how I feel.”

“I know you’ve wanted to find proof against Hawkins. You didn’t need to tell me.”

“Hush.” He kissed her. It shocked her into silence, which was no doubt his goal.

“Not how I feel about the investigation, or Hawkins, how I feel about you.”

She thought of the kiss they’d shared. Thought of waking up in his arms.

She had feelings, too.

“It wasn’t right. It wasn’t proper to have such a talk when we were, well, when we were—were there . . . alone . . . in the night. With you taking such risks, and me just leaving you there in danger all day.”

“I wasn’t in danger, not really. Not until today. Rachel lived there much longer than I did, and he didn’t leave a mark on her. I wonder why he hurt me so much sooner?”

“I think he was getting scared that after she left his home and found Amelia Bishop, the truth of Amelia’s fear of him had come out. Then somehow he found out Rachel came back. He must’ve known, or that lawyer from Casper wouldn’t have waylaid her. Hawkins is cruel to women all the time, but it just came out meaner and faster when he was under so much pressure.”

Wyatt leaned close and kissed her again.

She really had to tell him to stop doing that. But maybe not just now.

“Every night I controlled the urge to speak of how much I care about you.”

“You did?” She cared so much it was frightening, and wonderful.

“Yes, but you can see it was impossible at night, alone as we were, can’t you? I didn’t want to treat you so disrespectfully.”

Molly’s heart was feeling as warm as her poor bruised arm. But with her heart, it was a nice kind of warm that she didn’t ever want to go away.

Wyatt leaned forward and dropped to his knees. He might have lost his balance just a bit, but he seemed like he was coming to her as a humble man, a man who wanted something desperately.

“Molly.” He was close enough he could have kissed her, but instead, he asked, “Will you marry me?”

She gasped. After a wild surge of hope, common sense returned. “No. I’ve decided to never marry.”

“You said your pa was unkind to your ma, and you didn’t want a man to rule over you. But, Molly, I would be good to you. You’ve known me long enough to believe that, don’t you? And if I ever overstepped into unkindness, well, Kevin’s right here to beat on me until I behave better.”

A laugh escaped her lips, which trembled with the longing to say yes.

“And if I ever overstep into unkindness toward you”—Molly reached out and took his hands—“Cheyenne is here to beat on me until I behave better.”

Wyatt grinned.

Their smiles matched for a time, then Molly’s faded. “You don’t know me, Wyatt. You don’t know the woman you are proposing to.”

“I don’t believe there is anything I could find out about you that would make me change my mind.”

She reached a hand to brush the dark hair off his forehead. Her fingers shook. “There are things you should know about me before we decide to marry.”

“I’ll listen. We can talk about anything you want.”

Closing her eyes, Molly drew in a deep breath, let it out, and looked at him again. “Now isn’t a good time to talk with everyone one room away and probably listening at the door.”