Love on the Line - Deeanne Gist [104]
“I am him. I don’t know why you think I’m Comer. Is it because our builds are somewhat similar? Does he have the same color hair? Same color eyes?”
“Not the same color eyes. The same eyes. It was you. I know what I saw. Just like I know you were the one to burn my hats.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sorry about the hats. And about tying you up. It was never my intention, and I only did it to protect you.”
She looked at him as if he were daft. “You really must think me an utter and complete fool. Not that you don’t have reason, but honestly. The game is up. It’s insulting, these stories you’re coming up with.”
He lowered himself onto the log, careful to keep several feet between them. “I’m Lucious Landrum. I was assigned to find Frank Comer and his gang. We know they’re in the area, so they had me go undercover as a troubleman.”
Crossing her arms, she drummed her fingers, trapping the binoculars against her. “Fine. You’re Lucious Landrum and I’m Annie Oakley. Can I go now?”
He rested his elbows on his knees. “What do you know about Lucious Landrum—other than he has a ‘ridiculous’ name?”
With a put-upon sigh, she lifted her face to the sky. “He’s a fancy dresser. He’s been in vain pursuit of you for over a year. He holds some kind of record for being a fast draw. He carries two bone-handled pistols. A boy carved on one, a girl carved on the other. He’s named his pistols after Odysseus and Penelope—the most romantic couple of all time. And he keeps Penelope on his left hip, closest to his heart.”
Widening his knees, he rummaged through the brush, then picked up a small brown rock, smooth on one side, rough on the other. “That’s because she’s known for her faithfulness. Even though she hadn’t seen Odysseus for more than twenty years and even though she’d been relentlessly pursued by other suitors, she remained loyal to him.”
He waited, but Georgie made no snide comment in response. He looked over. She studied him, her green eyes uncertain.
“I’m going to remove my left gun from my holster.”
Her gaze fell to his hip.
“Before I hand it to you, I’m going to take the cartridges out so you don’t hurt yourself by accident. All right?”
Biting her lower lip, she nodded, never taking her eyes from his left hip.
He pulled Penelope from his holster, emptied the cartridges into his hand, snapped the cylinder back into place, and extended the pistol, grip first. Her hand dipped, as if she hadn’t expected it to be so heavy.
She cradled the Colt with both hands, studying the woman carved into its handle and the steelwork, clear down to the muzzle, which was inlaid with gold in intricate patterns. She ran a finger over the inscription just ahead of the trigger. Never Draw Me Without Cause or Holster Me With Dishonor.
“Can I see the other?” she asked, her voice soft, subdued.
He emptied Odysseus, then handed him to her.
Stretching her legs out to make her lap level, she set the pistols against her thighs. “They’re lovely.”
“Thank you.”
“How do I know you haven’t simply killed Ranger Landrum and absconded with his guns?”
“I have a Warrant of Authority and a badge hidden in my room at the boardinghouse. I can fetch them if you’d like.”
She returned Odysseus. “Also items which could have been stolen.”
He placed the cartridges back into Odysseus’s cylinder, then holstered it. “No one but me would know about my brother Alec’s past.”
“Unless he was part of Frank Comer’s gang.” She handed him Penelope.
Taking it, he shook his head. “He wasn’t. Frank Comer wasn’t around back then. Besides, if Lucious Landrum had met with foul play, the papers would be filled with the news.”
The forest creatures remained still, but three black-throated birds winged past, cheeping and trilling.
Drawing up her knees, she wrapped her arms around them. “I want to believe you.”
“I’m not lying.”
“But everything’s been a lie.”
“Not everything. Not how I feel about you.”
She searched his eyes. “How do you feel about me?”
Swallowing, he knew he had no choice but to tell her the absolute truth. Studying her face,