“You couldn’t have known what your uncle would do,” he said.

“What he did to you and the others…” Her voice wavered. “The town has every reason to hate me.”

“They don’t know you.”

“They knew me in Boston and—” She shook her head.

He drew in his breath. “What…what about us?”

Her eyes widened. “Us?”

He frowned. “After last night, I thought—”

She looked away. “Last night was a mistake.”

“Because of your uncle?”

“That and…” She shook her head.

“Emily.” He reached for her hand, but she pulled away.

“I’ll stay if you want me to. Like…like before.”

“Like before?” He frowned. “You mean before last night?” Before he’d kissed and held her in his arms?

“I don’t want you to lose the ranch. But…already it’s started. The town… I’ll stay as long as I can. I can’t promise any more than that.” Tears glittered in her eyes. “I can’t go through what I went through in Boston. They even tried to set my uncle’s house on fire. If it comes to that, I’ll leave. I can’t put the ranch in danger.”

“I don’t give a fiddle about the ranch! Without you—”

She held out the palm of her hand to stop him. “Don’t say it,” she whispered, and it sounded like a plea. She shook her head. “I-I saw you—”

He stared at her in confusion. “You saw me what?” He moved toward her. “Emily…”

She backed away and, without another word, threw herself into her horse’s saddle and rode away.

37

Two days later, Emily stood on the veranda waiting for Alice and the twins to arrive.

Never had she felt so miserable or had the future looked so bleak. How foolish of her to think that she and Chase could go back to the way things were. Go back to their marriage in name only. What an impossible task she had set for herself!

Keeping busy with classes and bookkeeping chores didn’t help. Nothing she did could wipe out the memory of seeing Chase and Cassie together.

In her more rational moments, she hated Chase for what he’d done to her. For making her love him. For making her think that he loved her in return.

Somehow, he had left an indelible mark on her that made her feel restless and bereft. His absences commanded her thoughts every bit as much as his presence once did. When she wasn’t staring out the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of him, she wandered through the house.

Ginny had taught her the importance of touch. For that reason, Emily habitually trailed her hands along furniture, doorknobs, and porch railings, hoping against hope that Chase had left something of himself behind.

The few times she’d accidentally run into him, the air had crackled between them with unspoken words and unvented feelings. Each encounter had left Emily feeling emotionally drained.

Chase had done his part to make their sham marriage work. He no longer slept in the little room next to hers. No longer teased her about her Boston accent. No longer asked her about her day. Instead, he left the house before dawn and didn’t return until long after dark.