head.” She tenderly pressed her hand to her bruised forehead. “I take it you shot Culpepper?” She stared up at Dalton.
Dalton frowned. “I should have killed the bastard.”
Pushing up into a sitting position, Rosalyn looked around. “Where is he?”
James brushed a stray hair back from Rosalyn’s temple, careful not to touch her bruise. “The marshal arrived seconds after your daring escape. He took charge and hauled Culpepper off to jail.”
Rosalyn sighed. “Culpepper killed those soldiers.”
“We know,” Dalton said.
“And the detective you hired to find me,” she added.
Dalton’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “I’d wondered where he’d gone after he’d reported his findings to me. We’ll need to tell the marshal. I’m sure Culpepper hasn’t volunteered that little tidbit. The bastard.”
Rosalyn turned toward Dalton. “So, your name is clear of murder charges?”
Dalton grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” The sheer relief of not being on a wanted poster made him feel downright giddy.
She nodded. “Good. If you’ll excuse me.” Rosalyn swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, swaying. “I’ll be leaving. Have the porter send my trunks to the Rose Palace.”
“What?” Both James and Dalton spoke at once.
“You heard me. I’m moving back to the Rose Palace.” She adjusted the front of her dress and pushed her hair out of her face. “You gentlemen have a good life. I want no part of it.”
Dalton leaped from the bed and blocked Rosalyn’s exit. “You can’t mean that.”
“I most certainly do.” With her fists propped on her hips, her blue eyes blazing, Rosalyn was even more beautiful than Dalton had remembered during those long months apart.
He ached with the need to hold her in his arms…for the rest of his life. “Please, Rosalyn, don’t go. I want to marry you. I’ve wanted to marry you ever since the day we met.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t.”
James shoved Dalton aside. “Then marry me. I’m better husband material than Dalton. I’ll be good to you, give you everything you want or need.”
Rosalyn cupped James’s chin and smiled up at him. “I can’t marry you either, James.”
“Is it because you don’t love me?” James grasped her hand in his. “You could learn to love me. I’m sure of it.”
Dalton wanted to slug his friend for trying to take his woman. He pushed his sleeves up his arms, ready to pick a fight.
“No, James.” Rosalyn’s softly spoken words cut through Dalton’s anger. “I love you.”
The knife in Dalton’s gut twisted. “And you don’t love me?”
“I love you both.” She stepped away from James, keeping her distance from Dalton. “I just can’t stand the thought of watching you die. You two were nearly killed because of me. If anything had happened to either of you, I don’t think I could go on living.”
Dalton stared at James. “I don’t understand. You won’t marry either of us because you love us? What kind of cockamamie thinking is that?”
James’s lips twisted in a sad sort of smile. “That’s female thinkin’, if you ask me.”
“Whatever it is, I’d rather not be near either of you when you’re shot and killed by some disgruntled gambler. My heart can’t stand losing you again.”
She retrieved her reticule from the floor, plunked a hat on her head and tried to step around Dalton.
Dalton wouldn’t let her. He gripped her arms and held her tight. “No. I won’t let you walk out of my life.”
“It’s not your choice. It’s mine.” She stared up at him, eyes swimming in tears.
Hope filled Dalton’s chest. “If you didn’t love me, I’d let you go.”
“Okay, I don’t love you.” She sniffled, a tear slipping out the corner of one eye and trailing down her cheek.
“Liar.” Dalton captured the teardrop with his lips, pressing a kiss to her skin. “If you love James more than you love me, I’ll let you go to him, no argument. He’s a
Dalton frowned. “I should have killed the bastard.”
Pushing up into a sitting position, Rosalyn looked around. “Where is he?”
James brushed a stray hair back from Rosalyn’s temple, careful not to touch her bruise. “The marshal arrived seconds after your daring escape. He took charge and hauled Culpepper off to jail.”
Rosalyn sighed. “Culpepper killed those soldiers.”
“We know,” Dalton said.
“And the detective you hired to find me,” she added.
Dalton’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “I’d wondered where he’d gone after he’d reported his findings to me. We’ll need to tell the marshal. I’m sure Culpepper hasn’t volunteered that little tidbit. The bastard.”
Rosalyn turned toward Dalton. “So, your name is clear of murder charges?”
Dalton grinned. “Yes, ma’am.” The sheer relief of not being on a wanted poster made him feel downright giddy.
She nodded. “Good. If you’ll excuse me.” Rosalyn swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood, swaying. “I’ll be leaving. Have the porter send my trunks to the Rose Palace.”
“What?” Both James and Dalton spoke at once.
“You heard me. I’m moving back to the Rose Palace.” She adjusted the front of her dress and pushed her hair out of her face. “You gentlemen have a good life. I want no part of it.”
Dalton leaped from the bed and blocked Rosalyn’s exit. “You can’t mean that.”
“I most certainly do.” With her fists propped on her hips, her blue eyes blazing, Rosalyn was even more beautiful than Dalton had remembered during those long months apart.
He ached with the need to hold her in his arms…for the rest of his life. “Please, Rosalyn, don’t go. I want to marry you. I’ve wanted to marry you ever since the day we met.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “I can’t.”
James shoved Dalton aside. “Then marry me. I’m better husband material than Dalton. I’ll be good to you, give you everything you want or need.”
Rosalyn cupped James’s chin and smiled up at him. “I can’t marry you either, James.”
“Is it because you don’t love me?” James grasped her hand in his. “You could learn to love me. I’m sure of it.”
Dalton wanted to slug his friend for trying to take his woman. He pushed his sleeves up his arms, ready to pick a fight.
“No, James.” Rosalyn’s softly spoken words cut through Dalton’s anger. “I love you.”
The knife in Dalton’s gut twisted. “And you don’t love me?”
“I love you both.” She stepped away from James, keeping her distance from Dalton. “I just can’t stand the thought of watching you die. You two were nearly killed because of me. If anything had happened to either of you, I don’t think I could go on living.”
Dalton stared at James. “I don’t understand. You won’t marry either of us because you love us? What kind of cockamamie thinking is that?”
James’s lips twisted in a sad sort of smile. “That’s female thinkin’, if you ask me.”
“Whatever it is, I’d rather not be near either of you when you’re shot and killed by some disgruntled gambler. My heart can’t stand losing you again.”
She retrieved her reticule from the floor, plunked a hat on her head and tried to step around Dalton.
Dalton wouldn’t let her. He gripped her arms and held her tight. “No. I won’t let you walk out of my life.”
“It’s not your choice. It’s mine.” She stared up at him, eyes swimming in tears.
Hope filled Dalton’s chest. “If you didn’t love me, I’d let you go.”
“Okay, I don’t love you.” She sniffled, a tear slipping out the corner of one eye and trailing down her cheek.
“Liar.” Dalton captured the teardrop with his lips, pressing a kiss to her skin. “If you love James more than you love me, I’ll let you go to him, no argument. He’s a
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