Caleb stood by the hearth, watching the fire lick the walls as it grew, heating his office. After standing in the snow, trying to convince those foolish people to go home, he'd gotten damp since he hadn't taken a coat. He might be the one to catch a chill. But once he walked back into the saloon and shut the door, Nicole collapsed. Everyone ran to help her, but Caleb pushed them aside to assist. Her face was pale, and her skin was cold.

At first, he'd panicked, thinking that maybe the unknown killer had targeted her with poison. Then, when his brain started working, he realized she'd been with him this whole day. There was no way she could have been poisoned.

After lifting her in his arms and carrying her to his office to lie her on the couch, he'd started adding more wood to the fireplace. He didn't like the coolness of her skin, and the thin blanket over her wasn't warming her fast enough.

Nicole had been unconscious for a good fifteen minutes already. He glanced at her and his gut twisted. Why had she collapsed? If this had happened at his ranch, he would have had some smelling salts to bring her awake. But now, all he could do was wait to see if she'd open her eyes on her own.

Timothy had brought a cup of warm tea in for Nicole about five minutes ago. The piano player was as worried as the rest of them. Caleb had thanked his friend and told him to go back out to comfort the girls.

Caleb moved to the couch and squatted beside it. He touched his hand to her cheek. It wasn't as cold as before. That was a good sign.

He brushed a lock of hair away from her face as he studied her lovely features. She was one beautiful woman, and as much as he had tried to stop it, his heart was getting involved. He didn't want her to be his saloon girl any longer. Just thinking about other men touching her or having her sit on their lap... or kicking up her heels as they watched her shapely legs dance to the Can-Can, anger rose inside Caleb. He was possessive, and he wouldn't have any other man looking at her with lust-filled eyes.

Yet, had he known her long enough to make her his wife? Really, he still didn't know much about her or where she grew up. Before he offered a proposal, he wanted to know everything. No secrets could be between them. He'd already told her most of his secrets, and the other things in his life that he didn't want to say to her wasn't worth the pain of reliving, anyway.

Moaning, she turned her head toward his hand that continued to stroke her hair. He smiled, happy to know that even asleep, she still searched for his touch.

"Nicole? Can you hear me?"

Her eyelids fluttered, and soon she had opened her eyes. She groaned again as her forehead creased. "What happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know, my sweet Nicole. You passed out."

"I did?" She lifted her hand and rubbed her forehead. "Why?"

He chuckled lightly. "I was hoping you'd tell me. As soon as I walked back inside after talking to Reverend Higley, you fell to the floor."

Confusion stayed on her face, but then seconds later, she gasped and sprang to an upright position. She clutched Caleb's arm and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Nicole? What is it?" He shifted and sat on the couch, pulling her against him. "Your face is pale again."

Her breaths were ragged at first, but then soon she breathed slower, and her body relaxed. She licked her lips and met his gaze.

"Nicole? Are you going to tell me what that was all about?"

She shrugged. "It was nothing."

Caleb huffed and rolled his eyes. "Nicole, my sweet darling, the panic I saw on your face a second ago was not nothing. Please tell me."

"Caleb, really. It's nothing to worry about."

"Oh, but it's all right for you to worry?" He shook his head. "We're in this together, remember? I've shared my heartache with you, and now it's my turn to listen to yours. I'm not leaving until you tell me what I need to know."

Tears coated her eyelashes, and she blinked several times, but the liquid kept coming. "I can't tell you, Caleb. You will hate me."

His mind tried to piece together why she would think he'd hate her. As he started putting things together in his head, ending with her passing out earlier, a sickening thought struck him. "Nicole? Are you... pregnant?"

Gasping, her eyes widened. "Pregnant?" She shook her head. "Wouldn't I have to be married before that happened?"

He loved her innocence. "No. You would have to be... intimate with a man, though."

Suddenly, her cheeks reddened. "Do you mean like... Brenda and the other girls?"

He nodded.

A darker shade of red spread across her face. "Heavens no! Caleb, don't you recall when I told you that I've never been with a man before?"

Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. "Then why would you think I'd hate you?"

Shaking her head, she turned toward the back cushion. "Please, Caleb. Don't make me say it."

It ripped his heart to see her like this. He shouldn't force her to tell him, but whatever was wrong had shredded her dignity and happiness. Helping her overcome this fear was the only way he'd feel at ease.

"Promise me something, Nicole."

"What?" She peeked at him over her shoulder.

"Promise me you'll tell me. If not now, then tomorrow or the next day." He gathered her in his arms. "But know this now. I'll not judge. I'll listen and understand." He shrugged one shoulder. "Out of everything you know about me, haven't you realized that yet?"

She bit her bottom lip as it trembled. Her answer was to give him a nod.

He leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Stay on the couch until you feel better. I'm going back out to see if I can get the girls to talk about what they know."

He stood to move, but she grasped his hand, stopping him.

"Caleb, I think the other women know something about what man Brenda or Patsy were seeing."

He arched an eyebrow. "You got that impression, too?"

"But it makes me wonder if they just don't want to talk to you. Maybe they will talk to me."

"My sweet Nicole." He cupped the side of her face, smiling. "I worry they won't talk to you, either. You're too innocent."

She sighed heavily and frowned. "I might be naïve in some things, but I know too much about the real world to be completely innocent."

The more she hinted about her past, the more intrigued he became. If she didn't tell him soon, he might go crazy.

He smiled at her and bent to kiss her lips briefly. "I can't wait to hear what's bothering you." He winked, turned, and opened the door. Timothy stood in front of him with his hand raised to know.

"Uh, Caleb? I think you should come out here. The girls may have discovered something."

Finally! Caleb closed the door behind him and walked with Timothy back to the table where the girls sat. They all wore anxious expressions. His hopes lifted. He prayed they were going to be open with him now.

"All right, I'm here." He sat and folded his arms across his chest. "What have you discovered?"

"Caleb," Mary said, "the girls and I were comparing memories of what happened yesterday with Patsy, and we have been able to link one man with both Patsy and Brenda."

Hitching a breath, Caleb sat forward. "Who?"

"The reverend's oldest son, Levi."

Caleb gritted his teeth and bunched his hands into fists. "Are you sure? If I give this information to the sheriff, is he doing to find some proof?"

"Think about it," Timothy took over. "Levi's father was outside trying to get you to shut down. Why else would he make such a display if his own child wasn't involved?"

Doubt clouded Caleb's thoughts. "Because he's a preacher. All preachers think saloons are Satan's tool."

"But it wasn't until today – in the snow, no less – when the man of God and a few of his followers decided to make a protest. The preacher must have known his son killed both Brenda and Patsy. That's why the old man is adamant about closing you down now. For some reason, his son is only killing saloon girls."

"And," Amber said, touching Caleb's arm, "we did see Patsy with Levi last night. She was sitting on his lap, having drinks with him. Not much later was when she disappeared for about thirty minutes or so. When she came back, and we danced, that's when she started feeling sick to her stomach."

"Not only that," Timothy added, "but Levi is a strong man. He would have been able to carry Brenda and Patsy to lay them in the woods after killing them."

Releasing an aggravated breath, Caleb nodded. "That's good enough for me to take to the Sheriff. At least it's more than they had before."

He stood and walked back toward his office.

"Caleb? Where are you going?" Teresa asked.

"I'm fetching my coat. It's in the office. Then, I'll ride out to pay a visit to the sheriff."

He opened the door and walked inside. Immediately, he knew something was wrong. The room was cold because of the opened window.

And Nicole... was gone.