hip.
"Charlotte," his voice was soft. "Lay your head here
and rest a bit."
Charlie turned and blinked owlishly at him, but then
did as he bade. Once her head was settled on the pillow,
she picked her feet up off the floor and curled her legs on
the seat.
Sean gently tugged her hat off and smoothed her hair
as she fell into slumber. He sat looking down at her for a
long time.
"Sleep well, Charlotte, because tomorrow I'm going to
start teaching you to read."
The words were whispered, but Sadie, who had
finally finished her dinnertime cleanup, heard every
syllable. She didn't enter the room as planned, but
turned and went to her sewing room where she pulled a
hankie from her sleeve and wiped her suddenly wet
eyes.
twenty
Cooper's Livery had opened before 7:00 every morning for as long as anyone could remember, but this was
the second day since Charlie Cooper had become Charlie Donovan that the doors remained shut.
Sean and Charlie made a point of being on time to the
sheriff's office, and they found both Duncan and Witt
waiting.
Witt seemed to be good at his word and did not do
anything to put Sean under pressure. Witt was silent as
the four adults were seated, but then Sean remembered
Charlie's comment about Witt using people, and decided
to keep his guard up.
Duncan opened. "Thanks for coming in, Sean and
Charlie. Though this discussion was not my idea, I'm not
against it. I think I'll just stay quiet while Witt here asks
his questions."
Witt's manner was very sedate as he began to question
Sean. His voice seemed almost gentle to Sean, and then
he realized the older man was in deep thought.
'Are you certain you don't know where Hartley's
cabin is?"
"Very certain. I spent some time last night thinking on the terrain, and I know we were in the hills to the east,
but beyond that, I haven't a clue."
"Has Hartley contacted you?"
Sean look so surprised that Witt nearly told him to
forget the question.
"No, not once. If he did though, I would come to
Duncan immediately."
They talked for a while longer, and then Witt surprised Sean by standing and offering his hand. Sean
stood also, and they shook hands. Witt thanked everyone in the room and left quietly.
"Well," Charlie breathed after the door shut, thinking
maybe she had misjudged the man. He hadn't been at all
the tyrant she'd expected, and she said as much to Duncan.
"I've been telling him that Sean is not the man he
believes him to be. Maybe he's starting to see that for
himself."
"I really wish I could have been more help," Sean
admitted.
"You did fine. I know you need to get to the livery, but
I need to talk with both of you." Duncan hesitated,
praying as he had been for days, about what needed to
be said.
"It's time, Sean, that you establish yourself as a lawabiding citizen in this town. Now I don't want to completely upset your life, Charlie, although you did that to
some extent when you married Sean. What I'm trying to
say is-get involved. Start attending a church, our social
events, anything this town has to offer. The townspeople will be watching the way you treat each other. I've
already heard about the tongue-lashing you gave Pete
the other day. He was stunned that you defended Sean,
but also fascinated since your relationship is a curiosity.
"Sean, you need to be in touch with your family and
ask them to write you. It would go a long way toward the
good for you to get mail. I'm sure most people think you
have no previous home or family. They seem to think
criminals crawl out from under rocks."
Duncan stopped talking and stared at the thunderstruck couple who both craved privacy in the new and
uncomfortable marriage in which they found themselves.
"Why?" Charlie finally asked in a small voice.
"Because," Duncan said gently, "if Hartley hits the
bank again, and Sean has stayed aloof and separated
from the community, no one will believe he wasn't
involved in some way. Your testimony would be
"Charlotte," his voice was soft. "Lay your head here
and rest a bit."
Charlie turned and blinked owlishly at him, but then
did as he bade. Once her head was settled on the pillow,
she picked her feet up off the floor and curled her legs on
the seat.
Sean gently tugged her hat off and smoothed her hair
as she fell into slumber. He sat looking down at her for a
long time.
"Sleep well, Charlotte, because tomorrow I'm going to
start teaching you to read."
The words were whispered, but Sadie, who had
finally finished her dinnertime cleanup, heard every
syllable. She didn't enter the room as planned, but
turned and went to her sewing room where she pulled a
hankie from her sleeve and wiped her suddenly wet
eyes.
twenty
Cooper's Livery had opened before 7:00 every morning for as long as anyone could remember, but this was
the second day since Charlie Cooper had become Charlie Donovan that the doors remained shut.
Sean and Charlie made a point of being on time to the
sheriff's office, and they found both Duncan and Witt
waiting.
Witt seemed to be good at his word and did not do
anything to put Sean under pressure. Witt was silent as
the four adults were seated, but then Sean remembered
Charlie's comment about Witt using people, and decided
to keep his guard up.
Duncan opened. "Thanks for coming in, Sean and
Charlie. Though this discussion was not my idea, I'm not
against it. I think I'll just stay quiet while Witt here asks
his questions."
Witt's manner was very sedate as he began to question
Sean. His voice seemed almost gentle to Sean, and then
he realized the older man was in deep thought.
'Are you certain you don't know where Hartley's
cabin is?"
"Very certain. I spent some time last night thinking on the terrain, and I know we were in the hills to the east,
but beyond that, I haven't a clue."
"Has Hartley contacted you?"
Sean look so surprised that Witt nearly told him to
forget the question.
"No, not once. If he did though, I would come to
Duncan immediately."
They talked for a while longer, and then Witt surprised Sean by standing and offering his hand. Sean
stood also, and they shook hands. Witt thanked everyone in the room and left quietly.
"Well," Charlie breathed after the door shut, thinking
maybe she had misjudged the man. He hadn't been at all
the tyrant she'd expected, and she said as much to Duncan.
"I've been telling him that Sean is not the man he
believes him to be. Maybe he's starting to see that for
himself."
"I really wish I could have been more help," Sean
admitted.
"You did fine. I know you need to get to the livery, but
I need to talk with both of you." Duncan hesitated,
praying as he had been for days, about what needed to
be said.
"It's time, Sean, that you establish yourself as a lawabiding citizen in this town. Now I don't want to completely upset your life, Charlie, although you did that to
some extent when you married Sean. What I'm trying to
say is-get involved. Start attending a church, our social
events, anything this town has to offer. The townspeople will be watching the way you treat each other. I've
already heard about the tongue-lashing you gave Pete
the other day. He was stunned that you defended Sean,
but also fascinated since your relationship is a curiosity.
"Sean, you need to be in touch with your family and
ask them to write you. It would go a long way toward the
good for you to get mail. I'm sure most people think you
have no previous home or family. They seem to think
criminals crawl out from under rocks."
Duncan stopped talking and stared at the thunderstruck couple who both craved privacy in the new and
uncomfortable marriage in which they found themselves.
"Why?" Charlie finally asked in a small voice.
"Because," Duncan said gently, "if Hartley hits the
bank again, and Sean has stayed aloof and separated
from the community, no one will believe he wasn't
involved in some way. Your testimony would be
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