Her Montana Man by Cheryl St.john Page B

seemed curious, but who had politely looked down to study his plate.
    Luther stood waiting.
    Royce knew she wouldn’t refuse. He was still controlling her, even though she’d moved from the house.
    She couldn’t defy him. The secret he wielded like a loaded gun had the power to destroy her life. He’d
    become a man of influence in this town, the man holding the Sutherland purse strings. He reveled in the
    power it gave him. “Tell him I’ll be waiting at seven.”
    Luther turned and headed for the door.
    Eliza placed the note in her pocket. “My brother-in-law will be joining me for supper.”
    “He probably misses his boy.”
    She said nothing, but noticed Jonas had only picked at the steaming chicken and noodles on his plate.
    Eliza reached over and placed the backs of her fingers against his cheek.
    Jonas glanced up in surprise.
    “You’re warm,” she told him. “You should be resting.”
    “I do feel a mite tuckered, that’s for sure,” he replied.
    “Why don’t you go lie down after lunch? Lock the door,” she added.
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    After a halfhearted smile, he drank from a glass of water and glanced around the room at the serving
    girls and the customers. “Solid idea.”
    Eliza finished her meal, and then the two of them left the room, Jonas heading for the stairs.
    Her reaction to that note or invitation or whatever it had been was disturbing. Her demeanor had
    changed the instant she’d seen Vernon. Jonas grew increasingly curious about Eliza Jane every time he
    observed something like that. She’d been wary around him at first, but he liked the fact that she seemed
    comfortable now. She even teased and occasionally stood up to him. It bothered him that there were
    things he didn’t know about her. He had no right to pry, but he could sure observe. He planned to keep
    an eye on her and on all the activities going on around here…but for now he needed to rest.
    Eliza asked Ada if Tyler could spend an hour or so with her boys that evening, and the woman was glad
    to accommodate them. “How far do you live from the hotel?” Eliza asked.
    “Our house is behind Doc and Etta’s,” Ada told her.
    “It faces east on Birch Street. But Daniel can see he gets home.”
    “No, I’m sure a walk will do me good after supper.” Once she was certain that sending Tyler home with
    them would be no trouble, Eliza thanked her.
    For the rest of the afternoon, whenever Eliza thought of Royce, she felt sick. The hotel dining room was
    a public place, she assured herself. Her brother-in-law cared about appearances, and he would use this
    opportunity to make them look like two people sharing their grief.
    “He’s not worth the nickel it would cost to put a bullet in his head,” she said aloud, shocking herself with
    her train of thought and her fierce animosity. For Tyler’s sake, she had to control her feelings.
    She was still telling herself that a few hours later, as she stood brushing out her hair while Tyler sat at the
    desk. He finished adding the numbers on his slate and turned it so she could see the sum.
    “You’re such a bright and clever fellow,” she told him, walking over to cradle his chin and rub her thumb
    against his freckled cheekbone.
    “Mama always said that,” he told her. He laid down the slate and chalk and stared at the desktop. “I
    miss Mama. An’ I miss my room.”
    Eliza knelt where he sat and urged him to turn and face her. She placed her hands on his knees and
    looked into his blue eyes, now swimming with tears. “I know you do, sweetie. I miss her, too.”
    A tear rolled down his cheek and sliced another shred from her already-ragged heart. “You won’t get
    sick, will you, Aunt Liza?”
    His fear of losing her made her all the more determined to see that he didn’t. “You don’t have to worry
    about that. I won’t get sick, and I won’t leave you. Not ever.”
    He leaned forward and wrapped his