Page 63 of In Honor’s Defense

“But don’t you think it odd that his method of doing so also gets him what he wants?”

“The land?”

“Exactly.”

Plodding hooves and creaking wood signaled the approach of a wagon. Luke glanced behind him, then placed a hand on Damaris’s back and steered her to the edge of the road, taking care to keep himself between her and the vehicle. The farm wagon passed without incident, but Luke made no effort to reinsert distance between himself and Damaris. He wanted her close. Wanted her fingers on his arm. Even if she didn’t particularly care to hear what he had to say.

“You’re not his only client, Damaris. He works for Harbinger, too. He probably gets a percentage of every sale he brokers on their behalf. Who’s to say he didn’t suggest the land sale to the judge in the first place? He might’ve even sweetened the pot with a bribe. Promising the judge a share of his cut in exchange for making the land sale a condition of the boy’s plea.”

“Surely a judge wouldn’t agree to something so . . . unethical.”

Luke loved her innocence. The way she believed in people. In their capacity for good. Especially when it came to her belief in him. But one couldn’t effectively fight the darkness if he didn’t know where it lurked.

“In my line of work, I’ve seen a lot of corruption. The more power a person holds, the easier it is to succumb, since few, if any, will challenge them. Judges, politicians, cattle barons—I’ve seen plenty of those types choose greed over morality.”

She shook her head slightly, wanting to deny his claim. She looked so lost, as if she were drifting on the open sea, only to have him start dismantling her boat, board by board.

Needing to shore her up somehow, he cupped her cheek and stilled her wagging head. Her gaze lifted. Met his. Pleaded for something solid to hold on to. Never had his towering frame felt quite so flimsy.

“I don’t know anything about this particular judge. He might be a straight arrow. I hope he is. But the more I hear about this Ronald Mullins fellow, the more he strikes me as a slippery sort. I’m not suggesting you turn down his offer to work a plea for Nate.” Not yet, anyway. “But I am asking you to give me some time to look for another way out of this mess. One that doesn’t entail selling Nate’s land.” He stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Can you do that?”

She held his gaze for a moment, then pressed her lips together and nodded.

“Thank you.” He tugged her against his chest and hugged her close. “We’ll get through this, Damaris,” he murmured against her hair. “All of us. Together.”

She pressed her palm against his shirt, directly over his heart. Then she leaned into him, giving him not only her agreement, but her trust. The most precious thing he’d ever owned.

Now he just had to find a way to prove himself worthy of the gift.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-NINE

Luke held the jailhouse door open for Damaris to pass through, then followed her inside.

“Davenport. You’re back.” The sheriff didn’t look terribly pleased by that development. Probably figured Luke wouldn’t be as easy to push around as an inexperienced woman who knew little about the law.

He’d be right.

Luke tipped his hat, acknowledging the lawman’s authority even as he pinned him with a glare that made his opinion of the situation clear.

Conley pushed up from his chair and met Luke’s stare with one of his own, making his claim to the righteousness of the arrest clear in his bowed-out chest and jutting chin. He stood a good six inches shorter than Luke, but he held his ground well.

The sheriff lifted a hand to stave him off, even though Luke hadn’t said a word since entering. “I don’t need you to remind me about the night you were attacked, Horseman. Your woman done wore my ear off already repeatin’ the tale multiple times. I got cause to hold the boy, and I ain’t changin’ my mind.”

His woman? Luke’s collar heated at the implication even as his chest expanded. Man, but he liked the idea of Damaris belonging to him. He’d been careful thus far not to let himself think of her in those terms. Not consciously, anyway. He admired her, respected her, and would gladly sacrifice himself to protect her, but he’d turned the key against considering anything further. Hearing the claim shoot off the sheriff’s tongue as if it were a done deal busted through that locked door like a shotgun blast, sending splinters every which way and leaving Luke off balance.

Forcing his mind back to the lawman in front of him instead of the pretty lady at his side, Luke thanked the Lord for the military training that kept his thoughts from showing on his face.

“I’m not here to argue with you, Sheriff. Miss Baxter filled me in on today’s events, and I agree that the arrest was justified based on the evidence available to you at the time.” He dropped the food basket onto the lawman’s desk with a thump. “You want to look through this before letting Miss Baxter into the cell to share the meal with her nephew?”

The touch of relaxation that had slid into the sheriff’s posture when Luke supported the arrest tightened at the insinuation that Conley wasn’t in possession of all the evidence. It didn’t slacken any when Luke made the presumption that Damaris would be allowed into the cell, either. Allowing family visitors in the cells was a common practice, but each lawman had the power to decide what would or wouldn’t take place in his jail.

Luke had calculated the risk entailed in asserting himself and decided it was worth it to let Damaris know she had options as Nate’s next of kin. And if the sheriff decided to deny her meal privileges with her fourteen-year-old nephew, Luke wanted Conley to know that word would get out about his callous treatment of his boy prisoner.

After glaring for a good, long minute at Luke, Conley snatched the basket handle and rifled through the contents. “You can have twenty minutes with the kid,” he groused as he shoved the basket toward Damaris. “No more.”

She collected the food and dipped her head. “Thank you.”