The Outlaw of Cedar Ridge. Lori Connelly

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СКАЧАТЬ before he disappeared into the cabin. Although she wasn’t looking forward to his reaction, her conviction remained solid. The time had arrived for a tough discussion.

      Nerves stretched taut, she waited for him to come to her.

      Clear blue sky peeked through tree boughs that provided a generous amount of shade. She had rinsed her last item for several unnecessary minutes when the dull thuds of footsteps broke the peace. When he sounded close, she glanced back. The sight of him walking through the shadows of the trees caused a sweet flash of memory.

      Ben had coaxed their wedding party outside that glorious spring day, with everything green or blooming. His good humor infectious, he’d claimed that nature’s beauty would bless their marriage. Eager to take on the world, life to him had been a grand adventure. As she walked to where he waited with the minister, beneath a canopy of branches, she’d fallen in love with him even more.

      Ben stepped out of the shadows. The bittersweet echo of what had been faded. The years had fashioned clear changes. Scarred by hardship, his current expression was typical of the man she lived with now, hard and defensive. Pale from a certain hangover, his steps slow and measured, the contrast to the past wasn’t kind.

      “Hey.” His voice was low and tense as he greeted her, stopping about a foot away.

      Her fingers curled up in the soaked material she’d been washing. Ben stood so close if Evie stretched out an arm, she’d touch him. Emotions twisted in a knot, each breath shallow, painful, her head throbbed. She felt every inch of the small but deliberate distance he placed between them. The wounds of recent years were raw and her anger at his absence the previous night so fresh that for a second she had a childish urge to ignore him.

      Instead, knowing that would solve nothing, she lifted her chin. “Benjamin,” she acknowledged, stating his name stiff and formal.

      “I’m sorry.”

      His gaze focused past her, his tone flat, the muttered apology didn’t move her. Evie looked down at the shirt in her hands. She twisted it, wringing out water. “No, you’re not.”

      “You’re upset.

      “Shouldn’t I be?”

      Silence, heavy and expectant, hung between them. She didn’t offer her standard angry accusations or tearful pleas. They hadn’t made a difference before. The pattern remained the same. Her husband refused to alter it. She looked back up at him. Now, for better or worse, things would change.

      Ben shrugged. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I mucked out the stalls.”

      “Good.”

      “And put the saddle in the barn.”

      “Fine.”

      “Brought in some firewood.”

      “Okay.” Impatient, irritation crept into her voice.

      “What do you want from me?” His gaze met hers for a split second before looking off into the distance again. “ You want me to say I’ll stop drinking?”

      “No.” Ben looked back at her, his eyes wide, shocked. Pleased to have his complete attention, Evie was blunt. “I want you to not drink yourself into a stupor whenever life gets a little hard.”

      “A little hard,” Ben bit out.

      “Yes, like when we lost-”

      “I’m not talking about our son now.”

      Evie held his gaze, silent, until the ache in her chest subsided. “I wasn’t referring to James.”

      “Good.”

      “I meant when the Blakes’-”

      “Stole my horses.”

      “Well, you did catch them on their ranch and-”

      “I didn’t know I was on their land.”

      She gave him a soft-spoken reassurance. “I know.”

      “Months of hard work gone.”

      “I know.”

      “Then you should understand.” Anger made his words harsh.

      “I know it’ll be a struggle to recover, but it’s doable.”

      Ben snorted. “Impossible.”

      “As long as you continue down the path you’ve chosen, I agree.”

      “What do you mean?” Tone wary, his eyes narrowed.

      “Well, for one thing, you shouldn’t cheat our neighbors.”

      “Excuse me.” His face a study of outrage but in his voice notes of defiance and satisfaction rang clear.

      Evie stood. “You sold Spice.”

      “We needed the money.” His gaze shifted, wouldn’t quite meet hers.

      “You didn’t say he was only green broke and needed more training. That horse was nowhere near ready for a young rider to handle.”

      He lifted one shoulder. “Let the buyer beware.”

      A sick feeling settled in her gut. Evie shook the shirt she held out hard. To have a moment, steady her thoughts, she moved over to where the rest of her wet clothes hung and threw it over a free branch to dry. She drew in a breath then turned to face him again.

      “Eddie Talbert was thrown.”

      His face impassive, Ben didn’t say a word, showing no remorse. Her heart sank, but hope died hard and Evie prayed that some remnants of the man she’d married lay hidden under that brittle shell.

      “He broke his arm.”

      “He didn’t die.”

      Stunned, she couldn’t hide her shock. “Ben.”

      “What? I should feel sorry some little rich boy took a tumble?”

      “Yes, you should, and accept responsibility for your part in it.”

      “I didn’t put him on the horse.”

      “No, but you didn’t tell-”

      “Drop it.” His tone was now stone cold.

      Evie held her temper in check, just. Her fingers curled so her nails bit into her palms. “Some of Talbert’s hands were here last night.”

      “Oh?” He angled his face away. “What did they want?”

      “A pound of flesh? I don’t know exactly but I think you should return Mr. Talbert’s money.”

      “Too bad.”

      “Ben they were six men - angry, armed, men. Nothing I said СКАЧАТЬ