Twice Blessed Read Free Page B

through his russet hair. “You don’t live above the store?”
    â€œNo. Mr. Baker lives up there. That was part of the deal when I bought the store from him. I got it lock, stock, and Mr. Baker. He claims to be half deaf, but he doesn’t, I assure you, miss a thing that happens in the store. No one could sneak in without him hearing.”
    â€œThat protects you—”
    â€œIt protects all of us.” She folded her arms over her blouse, which was probably as dusty as his shirt. “Let me give you some advice, Mr. Sawyer, whether you want it or not. You’re new in town, and this isn’t the best way to make a good impression on your neighbors.”
    â€œSo you think I should just let the kid go without punishment? Is that how you do things here?”
    â€œHe’s far from home, whatever it was, and in trouble. Isn’t that punishment enough?”
    â€œIf someone does something criminal, he should have to pay for it.”
    â€œHere in Haven, we help each other instead of trying to make trouble for each other.” She faltered, then hurried to say, “Mr. Sawyer, trust me on this.”
    When his eyes widened, she knew her request had startled him. He jammed his fists into the pockets of his denims and nodded with reluctance as he looked back to where Lewis was talking quietly to the boy.
    â€œIt seems,” Mr. Sawyer said, “I’m in the minority on this. All right. I’ll give the kid this one mistake this one time.”
    â€œThat’s all I ask. Simple justice.”
    He laughed tersely. “You’ve got a strange idea of justice, Miss Delancy. A real strange idea. I’d be right interested in knowing why a shopkeeper is so generous with a thief.”
    She knew she should say something, anything, but every word vanished from her head. A single wrong word might reveal what had happened before she fled Kansas.
    When she did not reply, he tipped his hat to her. “If you’ll excuse me, Miss Delancy, I think I’ll retrieve my hammer and nails and be on my way.”
    As he walked back to the sheriff, Emma wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly as cold as if a blizzard were sweeping along the street. A panicked laugh tickled her throat. Once she had shared Noah Sawyer’s opinion about those who broke the law. Punishment should be as heinous as the crime.
    That had been before she learned how many victims a crime could truly have.

CHAPTER TWO
    Emma was not sure why she agreed to walk with Lewis over to the Grange Hall to return the lad to the chaperones who had brought these orphans on the train from the east. Maybe it was as simple as wanting to avoid speaking with Mr. Sawyer again.
    She could understand his irritation at having young Sean O’Dell poking through his tools in the back of his buckboard. That his anger had come first from his fear for the child’s well-being, rather than the theft of his tools, had unsettled her. It had been easy at first to be aggravated at him. When his concern for the boy had proven he was not a cad, she had not had her anger to keep her from realizing how his eyes suggested he was thinking of things far different from a mischievous lad.
    â€œHope he won’t be trouble,” grumbled Lewis.
    â€œI’m sure he has learned to be more careful,” Emma said, giving Sean a smile.
    The lad looked away, glowering. She had never guessed such a young child could wear such an aged expression.
    â€œNot the lad. Sawyer.”
    â€œWhy do you think he’ll be trouble?” She wondered what the sheriff had noticed that she might have missed. Had she let Mr. Sawyer’s concern about Sean dupe her as she had vowed never to be duped by a man … again?
    Lewis shrugged. “Just a feeling. He shouldn’t come into town and give orders as if he owns the place.”
    Emma hid her smile as she twisted her hair into a single braid so it did not fly about her face. She