Heart of Gold by Lacy Williams

needed. Too tied up in the ranch work to see she was unhappy. It only took her a few days to decide she couldn’t live out here without more folks close-by. She broke off our engagement.”
    “I’m sorry,” Opal breathed when he paused.
    She felt the movement of his shoulders in a shrug. “It wasn’t meant to be. If she was unhappy after two days, she would’ve been unhappy the whole rest of her life. And I’m not cut out to live in the city…” He sighed. “I dunno. Maybe I shoulda tried harder to be what she needed.”
    Again, he paused, as if the telling was painful for him. “She intended to leave on the next train, but before it came, she’d run away with my brother, who also worked on the Circle B.”
    Opal tried not to react, but her surprise made her inhale sharply. Charlie squeezed her close, as if he appreciated her indignation.
    “He was more exciting than I am. He rode in cowboy exhibitions, roped and whooped it up and had a way with the ladies. Had a certain flair about him.”
    Opal thought Charlie was plenty exciting, at least for her tastes. Before she could vocalize that thought, he spoke again.
    “About a year later, Edith came back to the Circle B. Without Pete, but carrying his child.”
    Opal could only imagine how much that must’ve hurt Charlie. She noticed he hadn’t said they’d married.
    “Would you have married her?” she asked softly.
    “I dunno. It was only a couple of weeks before Carl arrived and she didn’t survive the birth.”
    “And your brother?”
    Charlie hesitated once again. “I’ve had a couple of letters from him. He’s been in some trouble with the law. Did a short stint in the penitentiary. Doesn’t want to take responsibility for Carl.”
    So Charlie had. Because that was the kind of man he was. Maybe it wasn’t too much of a stretch to believe Charlie really wanted to help her with the orphans. She’d realized while under duress that she was in love with this cowboy with a heart of gold, but she still wasn’t entirely sure if she could trust him…
    “Perhaps…” she started slowly, “…when we get back to the Circle B, you and I could sit down and talk to my father together? About the orphans?”
    He brushed a kiss to her temple. “Yes.” Squeezed her once more. “You should really try and sleep for a bit. Are you warm enough?”
    Snuggled against him like this? “Mmm, yes.”
    The moment was enough to give her hope for her future and that of the children back in Omaha. Hope would have to be enough for now. Because like it or not, morning was coming.
     
     
    ~~~~
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
    The sun was rising.
    Right now only a thin silver band lit the horizon, but Charlie knew it wouldn’t be long until it was light enough for the cutthroats to see the entrance to the mine shaft.
    They’d taken turns spelling each other during the night—he’d checked frequently—and he hadn’t had a chance to escape with Opal.
    This failure left a bitter taste in his mouth. It was worse than not being able to make Edith love him. He’d promised Frank to take care of Opal. Promised himself a new future if they got out of this alive.
    But he didn’t hold out much hope with only a one-shot derringer and a knife between the two of them.
    There was only one thing left to do. If he waited until the last moment, when the men were entering the cave, he might have a chance to take them out. Likely he’d be shot in the process, but if he could get Opal out of this without her being hurt, that was all that mattered.
    His life for hers.
    A week ago, before he’d really known her, he would have bitterly regretted it. But now that he knew her true self, how much she cared about those kids, he couldn’t help but love her, and he refused to let her be hurt by those scoundrels.
    He returned to where he’d left her sleeping, slumped against the wall. Even though the sky was lightening outside, it remained dark in the mine shaft. Charlie knelt on the packed dirt