been introduced. My name is Richard Madden.”
Clayton’s brother slurred his words as he staggered toward the chair Sophie had just exited. He tried to sit, but managed to trip and fal instead. He righted himself and then leered at her. Emma swal owed her fear—tried to, anyway. “Good evening,” she squeaked.
“You must be Sophie’s sister…Emma, is it?”
Emma nodded.
“You’re beautiful.” Richard crossed one leg over the other. “I think it’s safe to say you’re prettier than your sister.”
“Thank you.” She wiped her palms on her skirt. “I don’t think you should be here.”
“We’re just havin’ a conversation, beautiful Emma.”
She forced a deep breath. “I would appreciate it if you would leave…or get Daniel.”
Before Richard could respond, the parlor door opened, and Clayton stood in the doorway. “Emma?”
Richard laid his hand on Emma’s arm. “Now, look who’s come to ruin the evenin’?”
Emma pul ed away with a grimace. Richard’s hands were dirty and the smel of alcohol permeated his breath and clothing.
“Richard.” Clayton closed the distance between them. “You need to go home.”
Richard staggered to his feet and cackled. “I’m not goin’
anywhere! ’Special y when I’m right in the middle of getting to know this beautiful creature.” He leaned down and grinned at Emma, his face inches from hers.
Emma wrinkled her nose and swal owed the bile threatening to spil . Before she realized what had happened, Richard was no longer standing in front of her.
He was on the floor in a heap. It took a few seconds to register that Clayton was hitting him—over and over.
“Clayton, stop. You’l kil him!” Emma pleaded.
Clayton stood and took a deep breath. He pushed Richard’s unconscious form with his boot and then rushed to Emma’s side. He knelt beside her and took her hand.
“Emma, are you al right? Please tel me he didn’t hurt you.”
Tears slipped down her face as she shook her head. “He just scared me.”
Clayton handed her his handkerchief. “I am so sorry.”
Emma was humbled by the concern in his expression. She couldn’t stop herself from stroking his cheek, gently tracing the bruise around his eye. “Did he do this?”
Clayton nodded and laid his hand over hers.
“Does it hurt?”
He shook his head.
“What happened?” Jamie demanded from the doorway of the library.
Clayton squeezed his eyes shut briefly and then stood. He nodded toward the form of his brother unmoving on the floor.
Sophie pushed Jamie out of the way and rushed to her sister. “Emma? What happened? Are you okay?” Sophie frantical y ran her hands over her sister’s extremities, checking for injury.
“I’m fine, Sophie.”
Jamie advanced on them. “Did Richard hurt you?”
Emma shook her head. “No. Clayton stopped him from doing anything.”
doing anything.”
“Thank you, Clayton,” Jamie said.
“I don’t know that I’l have time to talk to Joe.” Clayton dragged his hands down his face. “I may just have to drop in tonight.”
Jamie stood over Richard and scowled. “You’re probably right. I’l come with you.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow in question. “Sheriff Joe?”
Clayton nodded. “Jamie thought it might help if we lock Richard up and dry him out.”
As Jamie and Clayton discussed the plan for Richard, Emma heard Sophie’s sharp intake of breath. “Soph? Are you okay?”
Sophie gripped the back of the chair and began to take quick shal ow breaths. She groaned and fel to the floor, wrapping her arms over her stomach.
“Sophie?” Emma squealed in fright.
Jamie’s head whipped up. “Honey?” Sophie whimpered in response and he rushed over to her. “Baby? What’s wrong?”
Sophie grasped his arm. “I don’t know.” Tears poured down Sophie’s face as she gripped her stomach. “Something’s wrong.”
“I’l get Michael.”
Clayton bent down and lifted his brother over his shoulder.
“Jamie, I’l take
Clayton’s brother slurred his words as he staggered toward the chair Sophie had just exited. He tried to sit, but managed to trip and fal instead. He righted himself and then leered at her. Emma swal owed her fear—tried to, anyway. “Good evening,” she squeaked.
“You must be Sophie’s sister…Emma, is it?”
Emma nodded.
“You’re beautiful.” Richard crossed one leg over the other. “I think it’s safe to say you’re prettier than your sister.”
“Thank you.” She wiped her palms on her skirt. “I don’t think you should be here.”
“We’re just havin’ a conversation, beautiful Emma.”
She forced a deep breath. “I would appreciate it if you would leave…or get Daniel.”
Before Richard could respond, the parlor door opened, and Clayton stood in the doorway. “Emma?”
Richard laid his hand on Emma’s arm. “Now, look who’s come to ruin the evenin’?”
Emma pul ed away with a grimace. Richard’s hands were dirty and the smel of alcohol permeated his breath and clothing.
“Richard.” Clayton closed the distance between them. “You need to go home.”
Richard staggered to his feet and cackled. “I’m not goin’
anywhere! ’Special y when I’m right in the middle of getting to know this beautiful creature.” He leaned down and grinned at Emma, his face inches from hers.
Emma wrinkled her nose and swal owed the bile threatening to spil . Before she realized what had happened, Richard was no longer standing in front of her.
He was on the floor in a heap. It took a few seconds to register that Clayton was hitting him—over and over.
“Clayton, stop. You’l kil him!” Emma pleaded.
Clayton stood and took a deep breath. He pushed Richard’s unconscious form with his boot and then rushed to Emma’s side. He knelt beside her and took her hand.
“Emma, are you al right? Please tel me he didn’t hurt you.”
Tears slipped down her face as she shook her head. “He just scared me.”
Clayton handed her his handkerchief. “I am so sorry.”
Emma was humbled by the concern in his expression. She couldn’t stop herself from stroking his cheek, gently tracing the bruise around his eye. “Did he do this?”
Clayton nodded and laid his hand over hers.
“Does it hurt?”
He shook his head.
“What happened?” Jamie demanded from the doorway of the library.
Clayton squeezed his eyes shut briefly and then stood. He nodded toward the form of his brother unmoving on the floor.
Sophie pushed Jamie out of the way and rushed to her sister. “Emma? What happened? Are you okay?” Sophie frantical y ran her hands over her sister’s extremities, checking for injury.
“I’m fine, Sophie.”
Jamie advanced on them. “Did Richard hurt you?”
Emma shook her head. “No. Clayton stopped him from doing anything.”
doing anything.”
“Thank you, Clayton,” Jamie said.
“I don’t know that I’l have time to talk to Joe.” Clayton dragged his hands down his face. “I may just have to drop in tonight.”
Jamie stood over Richard and scowled. “You’re probably right. I’l come with you.”
Sophie raised an eyebrow in question. “Sheriff Joe?”
Clayton nodded. “Jamie thought it might help if we lock Richard up and dry him out.”
As Jamie and Clayton discussed the plan for Richard, Emma heard Sophie’s sharp intake of breath. “Soph? Are you okay?”
Sophie gripped the back of the chair and began to take quick shal ow breaths. She groaned and fel to the floor, wrapping her arms over her stomach.
“Sophie?” Emma squealed in fright.
Jamie’s head whipped up. “Honey?” Sophie whimpered in response and he rushed over to her. “Baby? What’s wrong?”
Sophie grasped his arm. “I don’t know.” Tears poured down Sophie’s face as she gripped her stomach. “Something’s wrong.”
“I’l get Michael.”
Clayton bent down and lifted his brother over his shoulder.
“Jamie, I’l take
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