A Long Way to Love: A Historical Western Romance Book Read online

  “Don’t you want to stay and have a few more drinks?” A woman’s voice made Ronan turn. The young woman standing in front of him looked well dressed, kind even. But he shook his head in disinterest. If she was at the saloon, seeking a man to get to know, she was clearly not his type of company.

  “No, thank you.” Ronan stepped past her. Even if she had been the perfect woman, he still wouldn’t have been interested in her. He had no interest in that sort of thing anymore. It had only taken him one terrible experience to convince him that marriage, relationships, and anything that had to do with either of those were a terrible idea. He remembered Veronica and the lesson he’d learned from her quite clearly.

  When he got out of the saloon to the cool air of the street, he took in a few big breaths. He stared up at the sky for a second. The light of the full moon cast a silver glow over everything. The shadows and light were almost as bright as daylight.

  He ran a hand through his hair and then headed a couple of buildings down the street toward the hotel. When he arrived, he stepped inside. Mack was there, counting money behind the counter. As soon as he spotted Ronan, he grinned.

  “How did the interrogation at the saloon go?” he asked.

  “Well, not so good. I didn’t get anywhere yet. You were right about Andrew. He isn’t exactly forthcoming with information.”

  “No, he’s not. He really likes his secrets and likes to know he can trust someone before talking to them. He knows me a bit better. The next time you go searching for information, you should take me along. I also have heard he hates bounty hunters. I’m thinking he might have been into some bad doings sometime back.”

  Mack was a big man; he stood a bit taller than Ronan, even though in most crowds, Ronan was considered tall.

  “That isn’t a terrible idea.” Ronan shrugged and then pulled up a tall chair and sat down across the counter from Mack.

  “How was business today?”

  “Decent. It’s always better when there are plenty of people like you, people willing to spend on a hotel on their way through town. My mother is starting to get worried about not earning enough from the place. She has been talking about turning my grandfather’s old house into a boarding house.”

  “It might not be a terrible idea. I’ll stay around another week before I have to move on. I’ll pay you the tab when I leave, or if you need it, I can pay now.”

  “No, whenever you leave is fine.” Mack finished counting the money and placed it safely back in its box. “So, what’s the plan for this latest criminal you are tracking?”

  “Nothing super different. He just seems to be harder to track regarding clues. No one seems to know him or where he is from. But I’m sure with a bit more time, and the more Andrew trusts me, I’ll find what I need.”

  “I hope so. Even though you get paid for the criminals, you are still doing everyone in this town and surrounding areas a favor.”

  “I try. Besides, it’s nice to get paid. I’m not sure I would be cut out for a normal job.” Ronan didn’t add that he didn’t exactly have the education or the past to have a normal job.

  Mack’s father had owned the hotel and left it to him when he died. Mack made a good hotel manager. He took great care of the place, and half the people who stayed there came for the people and not only for the actual place to stay.

  “You know, if you ever want to work in a hotel, I’ll give you somewhere to work.”

  Ronan shook his head with a grin. “No, thank you. I’m good. If I were to find a job, it would not be at a hotel. No offense.”

  “None taken. I love my job, but it’s not for everyone.” Mack grinned.

  “Do you want to go to the diner down the street and get something to eat?” Ronan had eaten at the hotel since he had arrived in Faircrag for three meals a day, and he was ready for a change of pace.

  “You know what? That actually sounds like a decent idea. Let me tell Maria.” Mack disappeared into the back. Maria was the woman who helped him run the place and who also took care of things whenever Mack stepped out.

  Ronan tapped his foot as he waited, taking in the changes Mack had made around the place. He had redone the windows and added another section to the dining area. The windows were larger, and the glass was clear. Ronan was glad that Mack didn’t really like saloons any more than he did. Most hotels or boarding houses he stayed at were connected to a saloon.

  Mack came back with a light coat on and an eager look on his face.

  “Okay, let’s go. Maria says she’s got everything under control. Not that there are many people here tonight to take care of.”

  “You’re lucky, you know. To have a business that is already established and that you can leave and come back to.”

  “I am. My father did me a real favor by getting the hotel up and running.” Mack’s eyes filled with sadness. “I miss him, though. Things aren’t the same without him.”

  Ronan nodded. He couldn’t relate to missing a parent. His parents had left him in front of an orphanage when he was a child. There was a man he did think about that had filled the role of a father in his life for a short time, but he didn’t like to talk about that man.

  “I’m sure he would be proud of what you have done with the place. It’s nearly grown twice its size, and you have plenty of business.”

  “I know. I always try to do my best with the hotel. I would like to think that I am growing my father’s legacy.” Mack stuffed his hands into his coat pockets and led the way down the street to the simple little diner. Two older ladies in town ran the diner. They were sisters and never had any children. It was both what they loved to do and also how they served the community.

  Mack had told Ronan that there was never someone hungry who couldn’t depend on a free meal from the sisters at the diner.

  When they arrived, Ronan was almost surprised to find it was open. It was pretty late and almost time for dinner time to be over. He pushed through the door and saw two other tables with people at them, enjoying a hot meal.

  He and Mack sat down at a table near the back. They ordered their food and then talked while they waited for it to come.

  “So, how long are you planning on staying in town this time?” Mack asked.

  “I don’t know. I plan to get the rest of the info I need for this criminal I’m looking for. He’s been a hard one to track down.”

  “What was his name again?” Mack asked.

  Ronan pulled out a crumpled poster from his pocket. He spread it down across the table, pushing out the wrinkles the best he could. “Hank Bowen.” He has a decent bounty on his head. I think he’ll be worth it.”

  “I would say he would be worth it. But are you sure the information you are looking for is here in town?”

  “I honestly don’t know. I’ve been tracking him for a while, and it’s led me here. I was hoping I could get a clue about where he’s gone or where he’s staying.”

  Mack smiled. “I’ll try to ask around for you. Maybe I can find something since I know people here better than you do.”

  “I hope so. If I don’t find Hank soon, I’ll have to go after someone else. It isn’t worth it to follow a trail for too long when it’s gone cold. Then it just costs me money instead of earning it.”

  “Enough about your job.” Mack set his hands flat on the table as if he meant business and wanted to discuss something important. “Tell me about you. Have you found a woman yet? Someone you want to marry and settle down with?”

  “No. You know that I am not a family man.” Ronan made a defeated gesture. He had told Mack about his incident with Veronica. Ronan was sure that Mack remembered, but Mack seemed convinced that a woman and family were something everyone should strive toward.

  Besides the terrible experience with Veronica, Ronan had his own parents to look back on. They hadn’t exactly instilled a love for marriage in him. He couldn’t even remember them. They had abandoned him, and it was hard to imagine they would have done that if marriage and family life had b
een something wonderful.

  “Everyone is a family man. You know, my father used to say that he wasn’t a family man.”

  “Your father was definitely a family man.” Ronan knew as much from the stories Mack told about his father.

  “I know. I just hope you can find someone to make you happy one day. You deserve it. Especially after what happened with Veronica.”

  “Don’t get your hopes up.” Ronan shook his head. He wasn’t going to be finding anyone soon. He was certain of that because marriage and love were not things that he was ever going to let himself fall to.

  Chapter 3

  When Elise woke up, she knew something was wrong. She could feel it in the air, like a hand squeezing her heart. She didn’t know what was different yet; she just knew something had changed.

  She leapt from her bed, and her hands shook as she put on her clothes. She rushed out of her room and into her father’s room. It was still early; the sun was just peeking up over the horizon.

  Her father didn’t move when she stepped up to his bed.

  She reached out and touched his hand, starting a bit when she felt how cool it was.

  “Pa? Are you all right?”

  Elise let out a soft breath of relief when her father stirred slightly.

  “Elise, there you are.” Her father’s voice was weak, barely there.

  “Why do you feel so cold? Just wait, I’ll start a fire and get you some blankets and tea.”

  Her father gripped her hand a little tighter, keeping her from leaving. “No, Elise. It doesn’t feel cold in here to me.”

  “Then what is wrong? How can I help?”

  “I think … I know something is different. Elise, just stay with me.” Her father’s breath was labored, and Elise noticed how his eyes drooped, and his chest rose slower and slower. Something was definitely wrong.

  “I need to get the doctor. He can do something to help you. Pa, I’ll be back straight away.”

  “No. It’s too late. Elise, I don’t want to be alone when I die.”

  “No, don’t say that. You can’t die. You just can’t.” She began to cry and felt panic rising in her heart.

  “We’ve known this was coming for a while, Elise. It’s all right. You don’t have to feel sad. I will be going to a better place. I’ll finally see your mother again.” A smile graced his lips, and his old tired eyes lit up for a brief second.

  Elise knew that he loved and missed her mother. He constantly spoke of her and the love they had shared with one another before she was born, and her mother was taken away by death.

  “I am not ready to lose you, Pa. I need you.” Elise’s voice broke. How could she let her father go? She wanted him there. She needed him there to care for, to laugh with, and to talk with. What would she do without him?

  “I know you aren’t ready. I wasn’t ready to lose your mother. But sometimes, we have to say goodbye to people we care about.” Her father’s voice was so soft she had to strain to hear it.

  She swallowed hard. She couldn’t stop the overwhelming sadness or the tears that insisted on streaming down her cheeks.

  “Promise you won’t stay here alone. Promise you will at least try to get to your aunt’s in California. I don’t want you to live alone.” Her father’s voice brought her back to him, her eyes locking with his.

  “I won’t stay here alone, Pa. I will figure out a way to get to my aunt’s in California. I promise. I love you, Papa.”

  “I love you too, Elise. Remember how much I love you and your mother too; she would have been so proud.”

  Elise nodded. She couldn’t make herself say anything.

  “If you ever see Ronan again … tell him that I am proud of him. I am glad he made something of himself.” Her father’s words surprised Elise. Why was he talking about Ronan when this was their last moment together?

  “You don’t know if he did make something of himself.”

  Her father smiled, and his eyes twinkled, a shadow of what he used to be. “Ronan was a smart kid. He made something of himself. I just wish I had been able to see it.” Her father took a ragged breath. “You’ll do all right, Elise. I know you will.”

  Elise clutched her father’s hand. She almost felt like if she held it tight enough, he wouldn’t slip away from her. But he did. A moment later, he took his last breath. It was a strange sensation, but she felt the life slip away from him.

  “Pa,” Elise sobbed out the name, but her father didn’t hear her. He was gone; she hoped to a better place.

  She closed her eyes as the tears escaped, one after another. Her father was gone. Maybe he was with her mother now. Maybe they were embracing and sharing stories, and he was telling her mother about their life and what they had been through during the last twenty years.

  The image made Elise smile through her tears. She could almost bring her mother’s face into focus. She had never seen her mother’s face in person, but she had created a picture from what her father told her.

  Despite the happy memories she was imposing on her mind, she couldn’t remove the sadness that was wracking through her body. She couldn’t keep herself from the sadness overtaking her.

  Her shoulders shook, and the sobs tore through her, leaving her exhausted and drained, but she couldn’t stop.

  Every day she had spent with her father since her first memory bombarded her. Those memories were with the man lying in front of her on his bed. He looked like he was sleeping, like he would wake up and ask for some coffee or tea, but instead, she knew he would never wake up again.

  She sagged against the bed and forced herself to breathe. She needed to go to town to get the doctor and the sheriff.

  She needed to tell people what happened. But she couldn’t make herself leave. She needed to be there with her father as long as she could.

  ***

  Elise watched as her father’s body was taken from the cabin. She was devastated and numb, and every emotion all at once and didn’t know how to deal with any of it. Her father was gone, and now she was all alone. She had nowhere to go. She had no one to talk with.

  She wiped a stubborn tear from her eye. She had made herself stop crying, forcing the panic and devastation back to the crevices of her mind, telling herself that she would deal with it later when she was alone and in control of her surroundings.

  Elise was starting to doubt that it would happen. She had so much to do. She needed to speak with the minister. She needed to arrange for a burial and funeral for her father. She had already spoken with the undertaker who was helping her now. There was so much for her to arrange, yet she felt like she wanted to go back to bed and curl up in a ball and never get up again.

  “How are you doing, child?” The seamstress, Carol, was standing beside her, a soft hand against Elise’s arm.

  “I- I don’t know. I guess I’m all right.” Elise forced a sad smile. She didn’t want the townspeople to see how badly she was taking this. She felt like if she were vulnerable, if she let people see what was really happening inside her head, she would break down and lose every semblance of control she had.

  “Are you sure? We understand that this was your father. We all loved him very much. Your father was known even in other towns. He was a great man.”

  Elise nodded. She knew her father was well-known. He had loved to make his journeys between towns. In fact, she was certain he had friends all over Texas. She was constantly asked about his health and how he was doing when caring for him. She hadn’t minded then, but now, it almost felt like an invasion of privacy that others wanted to know how she was and knew how much he meant to her.