Greta paused.
He wiped at his eyes.
Was he crying? And if so, why?
“Mr. Hallock? Is something wrong?”
“What?” He blinked rapidly. “No, no, no. Of course not.”
“Are my plans to leave hurting you—?”
“That’s not it at all.”
Was it because of Wyatt? Was Phineas upset she and Wyatt had lived together and grown close? Her throat clogged again just thinking about losing Wyatt.
She twisted her hands together tighter and fought against her longing for Wyatt. She didn’t want to love him. But the simple truth was that she did. She loved Wyatt McQuaid, and the need for him welled up so strong and hard she could barely breathe.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hallock.” She couldn’t go through with marrying Phineas. It wouldn’t be fair to be with him when she was in love with another man, even if he was a man she couldn’t have. “If I’d known you were still alive, I never would have married Wyatt, never would have allowed myself to care for him. I know it must hurt to think about me being with him—”
“That’s not what’s bothering me.”
“It’s not?”
“No, no, no. Indeed not. Wyatt’s a good man for his willingness to take care of you in my stead.” He removed his handkerchief from his vest and blew his nose, the noise loud enough to catch the attention of people passing by.
“What is it then, Mr. Hallock?”
He tucked the cloth back into his pocket and stared at the stagecoach for a long moment before he dropped his head. “It’s nothing, Miss Nilsson. Nothing at all. We shall get married as planned.”
Chapter 27
Wyatt’s boots slapped against the plank sidewalk as he exited the general store. At the sight of Greta’s horse still tied outside Hotel Windsor, his hands closed into fists. The thought of her sitting with Hallock made him so mad he wanted to knock someone or something into next week.
He’d gone out to the mining camp, sold the beef, then come back into town. And she was still yammering away with Hallock. He had half a mind to go over and interrupt them.
Halting at the edge of the sidewalk, he glanced in the direction of Steele’s house. He’d put off going for as long as possible. The thirty minutes had turned into close to an hour, and Steele was sure to be blazing mad at him by now.
Yet at the prospect of meeting with Steele, past insecurities rolled through him like tumbleweed blowing down the street, tempting him to turn tail and run off after the next big dream.
But he wasn’t that man anymore, was he? He couldn’t quit just because the going was getting real tough. He had to stick to his guns and learn to persevere. But at what cost? Would he have to let go of Greta in order to stay at the ranch and see it through?
Giving her up would be a fiery trial. The hardest yet. But through it, he couldn’t forget God would be walking beside him and helping him to the other side.
With a silent prayer for strength and wisdom, he forced himself to start toward Steele’s house, but then he halted in the middle of the street, turning and staring straight at Hotel Windsor.
What if he only had to release her temporarily? Their parting didn’t have to be forever, did it? He wanted Greta to do anything she could to save Astrid’s life. He’d support her and provide as much as possible to help her. And when she was done fighting to cure Astrid, the two of them could come back. He’d be here waiting for them. For her. For as long as it took.
Could he wrangle her into considering that option?
With his pulse picking up speed, he aimed for the hotel, jogging the last few steps. He threw open the door and spoke the first words that came to mind. “I’m sorry, Hallock. I love Greta. And I’m not giving her an annulment.”
Silence descended over the room, and every man present halted midmotion to gape at him.
With all the attention upon him, his insides curled up with embarrassment the same as the first time he’d barged into the hotel today, but he spoke again anyway. “I’ll help you find another bride. We’ll write letters and get someone else to come west for you. But the fact is, Greta is my wife, and I’m aiming to keep her.” He glanced at the corner tables, looking for Hallock and Greta.
“They’re not here.” Mr. Fehling stood in the middle of the dining room, coffeepot in one hand and a mug in the other. “They were sitting on the bench out front, and then the next thing we knew, they were walking down the street toward Mr. Steele’s house.”
Panic twined around Wyatt’s middle. There was only one reason the two would have gone to Steele’s—to get the annulment papers so Greta could sign them.
Wyatt spun, a fresh sense of urgency prodding him forward. He raced out the door and down the street. If she signed for an annulment, he wouldn’t touch a pen to the paper.
As he arrived at the front door of the modest two-story clapboard home, Wyatt stopped short. What if Greta didn’t love him enough to fight for their marriage through the obstacles and hardships? He hadn’t been wrong in sensing her attraction or that she cared about him. But did she care enough? After all, she hadn’t said anything about loving him.
Drawing in a steadying breath, he opened the door and stalked into the hallway. At the sound of voices coming from Steele’s office located in the room across from the parlor, Wyatt crossed to the doorway.
Surrounded by a haze of cigar smoke, Steele sat at his desk with his assistant next to him. The young man was bent over and writing something on an official-looking document. And Greta and Hallock stood on the opposite side, watching him while Steele instructed his assistant.
“Might as well tear that thing up,” Wyatt said.
Everyone swiveled in his direction, including the assistant, who straightened, ink dripping from his pen and leaving splatters across the sheet.
“I’m staying married to Greta. And that’s all there is to it.” He crossed his arms and spread his feet, daring anyone to defy him.
Greta stood stiffly, her shoulders straight, her chin high. And though her eyes flashed to him for an instant, she focused back on the sheet on Steele’s desk. The flash was long enough, however, for him to see her inner turmoil. He still had time to sway her.
If only he could get Hallock to understand and accept his marriage to Greta, then Wyatt might have a fighting chance of keeping her. “I’m mighty sorry things had to turn out this way, Hallock. But what’s done is done. I love Greta. She’s my wife. And I ain’t giving her up.”
Hallock released a long exhale, and his shoulders seemed to relax.
At the unexpected reaction, Wyatt paused for a second but then pushed on. “I’m fixin’ to reimburse you for everything you paid for Greta and Astrid to come west. I might not be able to right away, but you know I’m a man of my word and I’ll do it.”
“Indeed you are.” The worried lines in Hallock’s forehead smoothed away. “But it isn’t necessary.”
“Sure as a gun is.”
“No, Wyatt. I’m the one who started this whole process of sending away for Miss Nilsson. It’s my responsibility to cover the costs.”
“Listen, Hallock, I don’t care what you say. I ain’t signing an annulment.”