COWBOY ROMANCE: Justin (Western Contemporary Alpha Male Bride Romance) (The Steele Brothers Book 1) (194 page)

Chapter 10

By the end of the month, Stina and Gloria had become quite good friends. Stina found Gloria entertaining, and the workdays seemed shorter with somebody to talk to.

Mike came to see her either at home or work daily, but Stina couldn’t tell him that Lars had threatened him. Always charming, Mike impressed Gloria to the point that Gloria was pushing for them to get together as a couple. As much as Stina wanted to tell her that she and Mike were courting in their own way, she couldn’t. She was afraid that word would get to Lars and cause more friction.

On his weekly day off, Lars visited Stina at her house or at the washhouse, but they had no more cross words. Stina assumed that Lars was finally accepting her friendship with Mike. If he knew, though, that Mike always kissed her hello and good-bye, he would be furious. And he would be even angrier if he knew that she and Mike did more than kiss on occasion. They never actually consummated their relationship, but they came close a few times.

Then came the day when Mike didn’t show up at her work or at home, and she worried that Lars had carried out his threat against Mike.

About 10:15 p.m. by the clock on the fireplace mantle, Stina still paced the house. Karin had gone to bed earlier, but Stina knew she wouldn’t sleep until she was sure that Mike was safe. Finally, a knock on the door startled her, and she raced to answer it.

“What are you doing here?” she asked Lars, who stood on the porch.

“Did you hear that there’s been an accident at the lumberyard?”

Her heart seemed to stop for a moment. Had Mike been there and been injured? Is that why she hadn’t heard from him? She questioned Lars in a voice that she wasn’t sure how she controlled.

“What happened?” she asked as calmly as she could.

“A large plank fell on Rollie Parker. He was lucky he didn’t get hit in the head.”

“Is he all right?”

“Not really. Doc said he has a couple broken ribs, and he thinks Parker might have a broken back, too.”

“Oh, no!” she said. “That’s terrible. He won’t be able to work with those injuries.”

“I don’t know, but somebody will help him.” Lars paused to let his gaze run up and down her nightgown-clad body before asking, “Aren’t you going to let me come in?”

“It’s late, Lars, and I want to go back to bed.” She hadn’t been to bed, but she wasn’t about to tell him that she’d been up worrying about Mike.

“Can you believe,” Lars said, “that I found Moya after having been hit by a limb, and I found Parker today? What are the chances?”

Stina froze. Was Lars insinuating something? Or was it just a coincidence that he found Rollie Parker today?
Or
was Lars sending her a message to keep away from Mike? Either way, she didn’t see how she could dismiss this matter. If he’d actually come upon Rollie today, he could be using the information to remind her that he had hurt Moya, and he could just as easily hurt Mike. Her mind was swimming with concern, but she wasn’t about to ask Lars what he meant.

“That is odd,” she finally agreed. “Now if you don’t mind, I need to go back to bed. It’s late, and I have to be up early in the morning. Good night.”

Shutting the door, she slid the bolt over to lock it from the inside. She definitely didn’t want Lars to force his way in. As his footsteps faded down the walk from the house to the street, Stina went to the window to make sure he left. Finally, she went to the couch and lay down to get some rest. She left the lamp burning, however, in case Mike stopped by later.

All she could do was assume that he was covering Rollie’s injuries and accident for the newspaper. Why else would he not have visited her? It wasn’t because he’d been injured himself, that was for sure. But she did wonder why he hadn’t sent somebody to tell her that he had to work. He’d done so other times. Then again, this wasn’t the same as him working to finish the next edition. This could be an extra edition that he wanted to print. If only he would come by or send someone so she knew why was happening.

She closed her eyes and tried to clear her mind so she could get some sleep. At least, she knew that he was safe and unharmed.

A knock on the door woke her with a start. She scrambled to answer it. After a glance out the window to make sure it wasn’t Lars, she unbolted the lock, flung open the door, and flew into Mike’s arms.

“
Tack, Gud
!” she exclaimed as she hugged him tightly. “Where have you been?”

“Working. I know it’s after midnight, and I’m sorry I’m so late getting here,” he replied, returning her embrace and gently pushing her into the house and closing the door. “Now tell me what’s wrong.”

With his arm around her shoulders, he escorted her to the sofa, where they sat down before she replied. “I was worried about you. The next time you need to work this late, you should send someone to tell me.”

He pulled her closer, and she laid her head on his shoulder. It felt so good to be back in his arms. Even though she knew she was worried, she hadn’t realized the extent of her concern until she was in his arms again.

“I’m sorry, my dear,” he said before he kissed the top of her head. “I thought Karin would tell you what happened.”

“I don’t think she knew.”

“Well, the next time something like this happens, I’ll definitely make sure you know what’s going on. Rollie Parker was seriously injured today.”

“I know. Lars told me.”

“Olson, huh? That doesn’t surprise me. The man hates that I’m courting you. He probably wanted you to think that I abandoned you so he can make you distrust me. Who knows? Maybe he even wanted to use the incident to his advantage and threaten me.”

How had Mike known that? Actually, though, Lars hadn’t made any threats. Maybe now was the time to tell Mike that Lars had threatened him a while back.

Chapter 11

Before Stina could say anything, though, Mike explained why he’d come by so late. “I was at the office with Dr. Frey for quite a while, getting information and just talking to the man. Parker hadn’t regained consciousness while I was there, and Dr. Frey felt free to explain the injuries.”

“Which were?” she prodded when he paused.

“Extensive. Broken ribs and a broken back, and Dr. Frey thinks he might have a collapsed lung, whatever that is. Palmer is going to need a lot of care. Anyway, after that, I went to the office to start the story. Moya, Jared and I sat there waiting for a reply from Frank Harris on how to proceed with the story and investigation.”

“Investigation?”

“That means …”

“I know what it means. I meant what kind of investigation?”

Mike went on to explain how Frank Harris owns the town, and how Jared needed to know how to handle investigating a second injury in just a couple of months.

“Jared thinks it’s too much of a coincidence that Lars Olson found both men,” Mike said, “and I agree. I was trying to get permission to do an investigative story on what’s happening?”

Stina listened in disbelief when Mike told her that the doctor believed that Rollie had been attacked, not injured in an accident—just as Moya had been and just as that poor prostitute had been. Then Mike admitted that they thought Lars was behind the injuries since he found both men.

Unable to speak, Stina thought back to the night when Gloria had come to her looking for a job. She wanted to get out of the business of prostitution because it was too dangerous. She’d already been beaten up once, and she didn’t want it to happen again. Should she mention this to Mike? Should she mention that she had seen Lars come out of the alley where Gloria had been found the next day? No, not yet, Stina decided. First, she needed to see if Gloria would tell her who had beaten her.

“Does the doctor think Lars did these things?” she asked.

“The doctor doesn’t know. All he knows is what he told us—that Lars Olson was at both sites when the accident occurred or shortly after. We know that much because he found both men before anybody else got there.”

“I don’t know what to say, Mike,” she replied. “You know that Lars was a friend in Bishop Hill, but I can’t say whether he’s involved with these accidents or not.”

“Right now, it doesn’t matter, Stina. Harris has told me that I can’t write any stories on this, anyway. I’m supposed to let it go.”

“Maybe you should then.”

“Oh, I will because I don’t want to lose the newspaper. Harris owns fifty-one percent of it, so I have to follow his orders.”

With his hand under her chin, Mike lifted her head slightly, and his lips met hers. As much as Stina wanted to give herself over to the moment, she couldn’t stop thinking about what Lars had said.
Can you believe that first I found Moya after having been hit by a limb, and then I found Parker today? What are the chances?
The chances were very good if he had attacked Rollie like he had Moya.

After only a few moments, Mike pulled back and broke the kiss. “I should leave. I know you have to work tomorrow, and I’ll have a lot to do at the newspaper.”

Stina followed suit when he stood and walked him to the door. “I’m sorry about the kiss, Mike.”

“Don’t be silly,” he replied with a smile. “None of us can enjoy it every time. You’re obviously tired, and I didn’t let you know that I was working late so you were worried about me. That won’t happen again. I promise.”

He opened the door and stepped onto the porch. “Bolt that door again—and do your best not to be alone around Olson. I don’t trust him. If I could do a story about the coincidences of his being around those two men, I would in a heartbeat. I know there’s more behind this than just the coincidences. I just can’t prove it.”

As she bolted the door shut, she considered his words. If he knew that she hadn’t trusted Lars for quite a while now, would he ban her from seeing Lars? The only reason she let Lars come around at all was because she was terrified that he would hurt Mike. But she was also afraid to tell the sheriff about what she heard Moya and Elise talking about.

At first she’d wanted to be with him, wanted him to court her, wanted to lie in his arms. Now, though, she truly wanted nothing to do with him other than having a secret that he didn’t want revealed to the sheriff. He kept coming around to make sure that she didn’t tell, and she kept letting him to make sure he didn’t bother Mike. The situation was out of control now, and she didn’t know how to stop it.

She had no idea what she should do next. One day, though, she would need to make a decision because she couldn’t live with this fear every time Mike didn’t appear when she expected him.

Chapter 12

The next day Lars appeared at the washhouse in the middle of the day. Stina was glad that Gloria was in the building with her, and she could follow Mike’s instructions and about being alone with Lars.

“What can I do for you, Lars?” she asked as she studied Gloria’s reaction to his presence.

Her employee focused on the pair of denim dungarees she was scrubbing on the washboard. Gloria didn’t look up from her work and, in fact, made a more concerted effort to get the pair of pants clean. Stina had watched Gloria many times when Lars came into the laundry, but she’d never noticed a reaction from the woman, probably because she hadn’t paid attention. Stina was sure of it now, though. Something had happened between the two of them.

“I just came to let you know that Palmer is in a lot of pain, but Doc is letting him go home. I guess he’s got a few friends who agreed to stay with him in shifts.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Last night you seemed concerned about him not having a job. Now you don’t need to wonder. He’s in good hands.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Is there anything else?”

“That was it, except it gave me an excuse to see you again.”

Despite the warmth of the washhouse, Stina shivered. She could no longer bear to be in the same room with Lars, and she couldn’t wait until he left the building.

“We’re really busy today, Lars,” Stina said. “If that’s all you have to say, you may as well leave.”

“You don’t have to act like that, Stina,” Lars said. “I was just trying to do something you would appreciate.”

“I do. Now go find something to do because we’re busy.”

Lars stormed out of the building without another word. Beside Stina, Gloria released an audible sigh. It was almost as if Gloria was afraid of Lars and was as glad as Stina to see him leave.

Stina picked up a fancy blouse and began to work a spot in it with a bar of lye soap. Trying her best to be casual, she questioned Gloria.

“I know you don’t like Lars,” Stina said, “but you seem extra nervous around him today.”

“Did you know that he found Rollie Parker yesterday?” Gloria asked. “Did you know he found Moya Sten, too?”

“He mentioned that to me last night.”

“Do you think he could have been behind their accidents?”

Stina tensed, unsure how to answer. Yes, she did think so, but she didn’t want Gloria to know it until she was sure Lars had attacked Gloria. She didn’t want to spread rumors about him that might not be true because she knew what it was like to have rumors spread. That’s what had happened in Bishop Hill, and it was why she’d left there. The rumors and Lars were why she left, anyway.

To avoid answering Gloria’s question, Stina asked, “What do you mean behind their accidents? How could that be possible? Hasn’t Lars always been at work when they happened?”

“Do you know that he paid me for sex a few times?”

Stina gasped, feigning a surprise that she didn’t feel. “I had no idea.”

“He was too rough, and I refused to let him near me after the fourth time. He was livid!”

“Livid? What is that?”

“Really angry. I was afraid he was going to beat me up.”

“But he didn’t, right?” Stina prompted.

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore,” Gloria said. “I don’t even like to
think
about him.”

“Then I’ll tell him not to come here anymore. I don’t want him upsetting my employee.”

“Look, Stina, I know he’s an old friend of yours from back in Illinois, so I can’t ask you to do that.”

“We weren’t that close, so it won’t bother me to have him come here only when he’s dropping off or picking up his laundry.”

With those words, they dropped the subject. Stina didn’t want to push too hard to get answers from Gloria, and Gloria was obviously glad. The time could come, Stina decided, when Gloria would need to unburden herself of her past with Lars, and Stina would be there to help her through it.

***

With Thanksgiving Day upon them, Stina went to Elise’s house to help her prepare their portion of the meal everyone was having at the Coleman residence with Jared, Bridget, Emily and Mike. Even though it wasn’t an official holiday, President Lincoln had declared the fourth Thursday of November a day of thanksgiving several years ago, and the people of Forestville wanted to observe it.

As Stina and Elise worked in Elise’s kitchen, Stina decided to broach the subject of Lars and his possible involvement with Rollie Parker’s accident.

“Can I ask you a question, Elise?” Stina said to begin the conversation.

“May you ask,” Elise corrected, “and of course. You may ask me anything, but I may not be able to answer.”

“Or you may not want to,” Stina admitted. “I need to know what happened between you and Lars. You were really close in Bishop Hill, but after you moved here, that changed.”

“I learned that he isn’t the person I thought he was. I don’t know if coming here changed him or if he had been that way all along and not shown it.”

“How did he change?”

“I trusted him in Illinois. Here I don’t. That’s all I can tell you. Are you still interested in him courting you?”

“May I tell you something and you won’t tell anybody else?”

Elise looked up from the potatoes she was peeling and smiled at Stina. “I don’t think you have to. Mike is courting you.”

Stina’s face heated. “Yes, and I’m really glad.”

“I know you always wished that Lars would court you. Back in Bishop Hill, he thought of you as a young girl. Now he thinks of you as a young woman, and he wants to be near you from everything I’ve seen. Is he causing you and Mike problems?”

“Not really. He doesn’t like me seeing Mike? Do you think he’s jealous?”

This time Elise frowned. “All I can say is that you have to be very careful. Don’t let Lars intimidate you.”

“Intimidate?”

“
Skrämma
,” Elise translated into Swedish.

With a grimace, Stina cut the potatoes already peeled into smaller pieces. When she glanced over at Elise, she saw the expression of suspicion on her friend’s face.

“Sti-na,” Elise said in a sisterly tone. “
Has
he been intimidating you?”

“He tries, Elise, but I try not to let him do it. Mike still comes to see me, and I won’t stop him.”

“I didn’t stop Moya, either. Just be very careful. You don’t want to make Lars angry with you—or Mike.”

“Mike can take care of himself. Have you seen him without a shirt? I’ve never seen a man who looks like him.”

“I hope that’s not the only reason you’re letting him be your suitor.”

“Oh, no!” Stina said quickly. “I truly like him. We have long talks, and he’s quite the gentleman.”

“He’s definitely that,” Elise agreed. “We need to finish this food and get it over to Bridget’s house. You can spend Thanksgiving Day with Mike and not have to worry about Lars.”

Obviously, Elise wanted to say nothing more on the subject of Lars, so Stina dropped the subject. She would enjoy the day and not think about Lars for another moment. Unfortunately, she didn’t get an answer to the real questions she had: Was it true that Lars had attacked Moya? Did she need to worry that Lars might attack Mike?