Free Tara's Gold by Lisa Harris Page A

Miss Tara Young.”

Seven
    Aaron automatically reached out to shake her hand while his mind fought to make the connection. “I’m very happy to make your acquaintance, Miss Young.”
    Tara Young?
    Aaron felt the muscles in his jaw tense. Surely he had misunderstood the elderly gentleman.
    He caught her gaze. “It is Miss Young, isn’t it?”
    She pulled back her hand. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
    Aaron frowned. This couldn’t be Tara Young, fortune hunter and gold digger. This woman was too beautiful and cultured to have traveled to Iowa simply to track down the government’s lost gold. It just didn’t make any sense.
    “Is something the matter?” Her eyes darkened, seemingly as unsure at his reaction as he was by the news he’d just been handed.
    “Of course not, it’s just that—”
    “You’ll come back to the farm for lunch now, won’t you, lad?” Mr. Carpenter saved Aaron from having to come up with a response. “It’s the least we can do for your having saved Miss Young’s life.”
    “Twice.” A smile lit up her face, causing his pulse to hammer.
    Aaron forced a smile in return. He had no desire to deceive her, but the only way he was going to find out her source of information was to learn what he could about her. There was no time like the present to follow this unexpected lead, and he’d just been given the perfect opportunity. It also didn’t hurt that the woman of his current inquiry happened to be beautiful and engaging. A far more interesting task than the majority of his assignments.
    “Lunch would be nice. Thank you.” Aaron nodded and followed beside the wagon at a slow pace.
    He also wouldn’t mind a home-cooked meal. Not that the meals at the hotel under the watchful eye of Mrs. Meddler hadn’t been acceptable, but nothing surpassed a real home-cooked meal.
    Aaron rested his hands on the leather pommel and let the rhythmic motion of the saddle take away some of the tension that had formed in his shoulder muscles. “Do you know the owner of this farmhouse? I’m assuming you had planned to pay a visit on the proprietor.”
    She flashed him a coy smile. “I admit I thought the same about you. Strange we would happen to visit the same farm-house on the same day. It’s too bad no one was home.”
    “It is quite a coincidence, isn’t it?” Aaron adjusted the brim of his Stetson, wondering how to explain why he was here if asked directly.
    Miss Young swatted at an insect buzzing around her head. “I was intending to speak to the owner. A Mr. James Martin. Do you know him?”
    “No, but I was hoping to meet him. Why did you need to speak to him?”
    “It’s a bit of an involved story, since I’ve never actually met the man.” She leaned back against the buckboard and let the parasol block the sun from her face. “My aunt knew the previous owner of this land, and I was hoping Mr. Martin might know where he lived now. I’d like to find the man.”
    “A close friend of your aunt’s, I assume then?”
    “They were. . .acquaintances.”
    He watched out of the corner of his eye as she pressed her lips together. Obviously the woman had some secrets to hide. He turned his attention to the horizon as they headed west toward the Carpenter farm. She didn’t trust him. Yet. And rightly so, because he was a complete stranger. The fact he carried a badge might help, but he needed something more. Something that would help shed light into his character of being one who was both sympathetic and trustworthy. Not simply a tough, rugged lawman.
    “And what about you, Mr. Jefferson?” She eyed him skeptically. “Why did you need to see Mr. Martin this morning?”
    “I’m considering buying a farm in the area.” The words tumbled out before Aaron had considered the consequences.
    Her eyes widened. “This land’s for sale?”
    “I’m not sure about this farm, to be honest.” Aaron stumbled over his words, wishing he could erase his previous statement.
    The muscles in his back tensed.