The Lawman Claims His Bride (Love Inspired Historical) by Renee Ryan Page A

still basing his assumption on what he thought he knew about her.
    Before she could press him for more information, for anything to give her a sense of the truth hidden deep within her mind, he steered the conversation in a different direction. “As soon as I make the arrangements I’m going to take you home.”
    Home? No. No. They couldn’t take that risk. “I can’t go to Charity House,” she said in a panicked voice. “We can’t put the children in danger.”
    “That’s not what I meant. I’m taking you to my home, where I grew up.”
    His words took a moment to settle over her. “You want to take me to your family’s ranch?” Pure joy spread through her. Logan came from a large, happy family with a mother. And a father. And lots of siblings.
    “It’s the best solution,” he said. “The only one.”
    Glory.
    “Will that be all right with you?” he asked.
    She wanted to jump off the cot and fling herself into his arms. She wanted to tell him, yes, yes, yes.
    But reality held her back. She was the daughter of a prostitute, raised in an orphanage with children from similar backgrounds as hers.
    His family might never accept her.
    Then again, surely the people who’d raised this wonderful, kind, godly man would have equally gracious hearts.
    “I...” Not sure what to say, she lifted her arms in the air and he immediately tugged her into his embrace.
    She rested her cheek against his hard, muscular chest and breathed in his scent.
    For the first time since she’d walked into Mattie’s brothel yesterday Megan felt at peace. “Yes, Logan, I want to go home with you.”
    “Good.” He blew out a long breath then set her away from him. “We’ll leave immediately. We’ll—”
    “Logan, no.” Sheriff Scott slammed into the jail cell, his lips twisting at a furious angle. “You can’t take her away.”
    At the sound of those five angry words, spoken with such conviction, Megan’s hope shattered.
    Sheriff Scott wasn’t going to let her leave with Logan.
    That meant she would have to spend another night in jail, alone, with no relief in sight.
    How would she ever bear the torment?

Chapter Six
    L ogan had been shot once. In his leg. The bullet had seared through his flesh with a burning agony he’d never experienced before that moment. Yet compared to the pain sweeping through him now as he stared at the anguish on Megan’s face, the bullet wound seemed a mere pinprick.
    A fierce, almost primal urge to wipe away her suffering nearly brought Logan to his knees. The sensation was so sharp, so raw, he had to fight for outward control.
    He slowly released his hands from around Megan’s waist, sucked in a quick breath, then shifted her behind him, literally shielding her from Trey’s angry glare.
    Logan slid his gaze across both men in the cell. “Who’s going to stop us from leaving town? You?” he demanded of Trey. “Or maybe, you?” He stabbed a finger in Shane’s direction.
    Neither man appeared in a rush to answer him. After a moment, Shane broke eye contact. Trey, however, continued staring at Logan with an all-too-familiar look in his eyes. Trey wasn’t going to back down anytime soon.
    Neither was Logan.
    Flattening his lips in a grim line, he dug in his heels and held his ground.
    After another moment of silence, Trey finally looked away. “Logan,” he said with unmistakable frustration. “You have to be smart about this. You have to think through every possibility. You—”
    “We’re done negotiating.”
    “Are we now? There’s still the pesky matter of the law.” Trey casually stuffed his hands in his pockets. He looked deceptively nonchalant. “You can’t just whisk Megan away. She’s a suspect in a murder.”
    “She’s innocent.”
    Trey shook his head sadly. “We’ve been through this before. Until her memory returns, or until we can prove her innocence, she stays put.”
    “I have the evidence we need.”
    Trey’s eyes narrowed. “What evidence?”
    While Logan