Courting Kate (29 page)

“Right in here, sheriff.” Chauncey escorted the lawman into the room.
 

“My God! Who is it?” The sheriff stared down at the prostrate miner.
 

“Toddy Dobbs,” Chauncey answered. “He and his brother have a claim out on Sterling Creek.” He knelt and lifted the man’s eyelid. “Still alive, but I don’t reckon he’ll be pestering any more women anytime soon.”

“You all right, Tanner?” Mark asked, coming to stand beside him.
 

“Yeah.” He was covered with blood, but it wasn’t his. He was shaken by the realization that if he had continued the way he was going he would have beat the man to death.
 

“Jeanne’s coming to take Kate home with her,” Mark said solemnly. “I think it might be best if we headed home ourselves.”

Tanner turned toward the lawman. “Sheriff?”
 

“Go along, Tanner. While I can’t legally condone what you did, I can certainly see your reason. If the mangy curs had tried something like that with any of my womenfolk, I probably would have killed them.”

Tanner looked at Kate, but she seemed to be in a daze. He couldn’t blame her for being shocked. Most women would have fainted.
 

He nodded to the sheriff and Chauncey, then followed Mark out the door.

* * *

The next day, Tanner, unable to face Kate, had stayed on the mountain. Mark rode into Jacksonville alone.

When Mark returned that night, Tanner, noting that Luke and John were engaged in a game of checkers in the front room, motioned the older boys into the kitchen.
 

After pouring himself a cup of coffee, Mark began to relate the day’s events.

He told Tanner that the sheriff had reported that he and his deputy were keeping an eye out for any more trouble. Not that they expected any. The men in town seemed to be giving Kate’s place a wide berth.

Doc had returned Kate’s dog to her and Fluffy was already up and around. Doc also said that it would be some time before Toddy Dobbs would be going anywhere, even if he could get out of jail.

Madame Jeanne insisted that both Kate and her pet spend their nights at the Franco-American, at least until things were back to normal.

Mark also said that when he went to talk to Kate, he was told she had been given a sedative and was asleep.
 

Then he had hung around town until he had talked to Chauncey. It was only after the old miner promised that he wouldn’t let Kate out of his sight that Mark had decided to come home.
 

Mark told them that apparently Chauncey had embellished the tale of the night before until Tanner appeared like an avenging angel. Knowing how miners’ gossip traveled, not a soul in the whole country wouldn’t hear about what had happened to Dobbs. Mark said he could guarantee that anybody who cared about his hide would be certain to treat Kate with nothing but the greatest respect.

“And don’t forget, she’s got Fluffy back,” Matt added. “I don’t imagine he’s likely to forget that somebody shot him.”

“If that dog ever got ahold of anybody else bent on mischief, there probably wouldn’t be a greasy spot left,” Mark said with a laugh.

Tanner stared at each of his brothers in turn. “Mark, I want to thank you for being there last night. And Matt, I want to tell you that I appreciate your holding things together here at home. I know I haven’t been the easiest person to live with lately.”

“Heck, Tanner, we know you’ve got a lot on your mind. ‘Bout time we grew up and helped out a bit,” Mark said, holding out his hand. “Right, Matt?”

“Right.” Matt held out his hand as well.

Tanner shook their hands, then much to their embarrassment he pulled both his brothers close and gave them a hug. “God, I’m proud of you. Maggie and Pa would be, too.”

“Aw, cut it out, Tanner,” Mark said, blushing crimson.
 

Tanner laughed and ruffled his hair as he’d done so many times when Mark was little. “Don’t let it go to your head, boy.”

“I think it’s time I scared up something for supper,” Matt said gruffly, rising to stoke up the stove.

“I’d better tend to the stock,” Mark said.

Tanner watched him stride from the room. It might have been his imagination, but it looked like his brothers walked a little straighter, held their heads a tad higher. He was proud of them. They would be fine men some day.
 

A few minutes later, catching wind of the squabble going on in the front room, he wondered if the other two would ever grow up. Shaking his head, he reminded himself that they were young yet. They still had a few years to go. He only hoped he’d live through it.
 

* * *

The ordeal of the last couple of days and nights only enforced Kate’s determination to leave Jacksonville. Even though she knew no one would dare try anything after learning how Tanner had dealt with the intruder, she found it difficult to feel secure in her own home. And as ferocious as he was, the dog had been no deterrent to the men who had terrorized her. Fresh tears welled as she thought of what had befallen her poor pet.
 

She had wanted to be independent, had thought she’d reached that goal. Instead, once again, she had men looking after her— the sheriff, the deputy, Chauncey, the doctor, and Tanner— men that had better things to do with their time.
 

Tanner. She would never forget the stricken look on his face when he realized how near he had come to killing a man with his bare fists. Would he ever forgive himself? Could she ever forgive herself for being the cause?

Yet, she’d thought about it long and hard and knew she couldn’t have done anything different. She certainly hadn’t given the Dobbs brothers any encouragement. And the pie shop was her home.

Jeanne had told her to put the incident out of her mind, and Kate had tried. But even though the present danger had passed, how could she ever be sure that someone wasn’t lurking around the corner, waiting for the chance to get her alone?

She couldn’t, but she could take precautions. She had a gun now. Two guns, she amended. The boys and Chauncey had insisted on it. And they also had made sure that she learned how to use them. She had the dainty, but deadly, Colt derringer that she had seen in the display case at the mercantile, a present from Chauncey. She also had a long-barreled Remington .44, compliments of Dr. Thomas.
 

Even though she could now hit a target with a degree of accuracy, Kate knew she could never bring herself to shoot a man. The idea of taking a life... She shuddered. Not only did she consider it a mortal sin, she wouldn’t be able to do it.
 

But to put her friends’ minds at ease, she continued to take her daily shooting lesson.

* * *

“She’s still set on leaving town,” Matt said, staring at Tanner across the table he was clearing.

“Well, she can’t go,” Tanner stated. He thought he’d already settled the matter, but apparently he hadn’t.

“There’s only one way you’re going to keep her here,” Mark replied from his place at the sink. He lifted his hand from the dishwater and pointed at Tanner. “And you know what that is without me saying.”

Tanner stared at the coffee grounds floating on the surface of his brew. He knew, all right. He’d just hoped to have a little more time. He glanced up at Matt. “Do you know when she’s planning to leave?”

“She didn’t say for sure. But I got the feeling she’s anxious to get on her way. Maybe as soon as next week.”

“What?” He hadn’t expected her to go so quick. That put a different light on the matter. As long as she remained in Jacksonville, she had him and his brothers and her friends to watch over her. Dobbs and his brother were still in jail and would be for some time to come. Since there hadn’t been any more trouble, Kate had insisted on moving back into her shop, but the sheriff and his deputy, upon Tanner’s and the doctor’s insistence, continued to patrol her house every night.
 

But if Kate moved to Portland or Seattle—or anywhere else, for that matter—anything could happen to her, and he wouldn’t even know. He scowled.

He couldn’t just let her wander off and get into no telling what kind of trouble.

What if she left, and he couldn’t find her?

What if she liked it up there?

What if she found somebody else?

He thought about Kate and some other man. She had no sense when it came to men. She came all the way across the country to marry somebody she had never even met. What if it hadn’t been him? What if it had been somebody like Toddy Dobbs, or worse—if that was possible. Even if she met somebody decent... That’s what he wanted, wasn’t it?
 

No, dammit. That wasn’t what he wanted. That wasn’t what he wanted at all.
 

Tanner shoved the cup back. He needed to get his financial responsibilities squared away before he could think about committing to anything. But it didn’t look like he was going to have that option.

“Since I’m the one who caused the problem, I should be the one to pay the price. I guess I’d better marry her. I think that would be the right thing to do.” He looked at them, expecting their approval.
 

Matt looked at Mark and rolled his eyes.
 

“We wouldn’t want you to put yourself out, or anything,” Mark replied dryly, vigorously scrubbing at a dirty spot on the table.
 

“I thought you wanted me to marry her.”
 

“Tanner, if you go into town with that attitude, I can guarantee she won’t have anything to do with you,” Matt said.

“Yeah. To hear you tell it, you’re doing her a favor by marrying her. She sure ain’t gonna stand for that.”

Tanner mulled that over. Maybe they were right. “What do you think I should do?”

“The same as anybody else. You have to court her. Bring her presents. Quote poetry and stuff.”

“Presents? Poetry?” The only kind of poetry he knew he’d learned from the working girls at Madame Jeanne’s. Sure wasn’t fit for a lady’s ears. “I don’t know....”

“Do you want to marry her or not?” Matt asked, shooting him a look of disgust.

“Yeah, but...”

“We may as well forget it. Besides, somebody else is sure to beat him to the punch.” Mark hung up his dish towel and started to leave the room.

Tanner moved in front of him. “Hold on, now. What somebody else are you talking about?”

“You think you’re the only man around?”

“Has she been seeing somebody else?” Tanner thought she didn’t want to be courted. He’d heard her tell them that.
 

“Could be.” Mark smothered a yawn with his hand. “I’m going to bed.” He darted from the room.
 

Tanner whirled. “Matt, is she?”

“Come on, Tanner. Courting Kate has been every bachelor’s goal for months now.”

“Is that right?” Apparently she had changed her mind.

Matt looked him up and down, then shook his head. “You need a haircut.”

“Anything else wrong with me?” Tanner asked dryly.

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt if you tried asking her something, instead of trying to boss her around all the time.”

Tanner opened his mouth, then shut it.

Matt had already escaped from the room.
 

Had Kate told Matt about the kiss that night at the door? He didn’t think she would, but... He rubbed his chin, then ran a hand through his hair. It had grown some.

The boys said he should court her. The problem was, Tanner didn’t know how. He had brought her flowers—once. That hadn’t worked out too well.

Court her?

Every time he got near her, they ended up in a fight. Mostly it was his fault. He’d always ended up kissing her even when she didn’t want to be kissed. Thinking back on it, she hadn’t complained much. In fact, as long as they were kissing, they got along fine. It was the talking that always got him into trouble.

If he could get to the kissing without having to say anything... then he could explain the rest of the stuff later, why he’d rejected her and such. Kind of ease into it....
 

Pondering the strategy of that, he headed off to bed.
 

* * *

After quitting work early and going to the barber shop, Tanner went to Kate’s only to find she wasn’t there. She also wasn’t at Madame Jeanne’s. He strolled down Main Street, thinking he might run into her.

He didn’t.

And now, hours later, she still wasn’t home.

Tanner paced in front of her house, sat on her doorstep, then got up to pace again.

Where was she?

Who was she with?

He lit a match and checked his pocket watch. It was way past her bedtime. Didn’t she know she had to work tomorrow?

When he finally heard a buggy approaching, he sprinted for the toolshed. He didn’t want her to think he had nothing better to do than stand around and wait for her.
 

Dr. Thomas pulled the horse up in front of the house. Then he hopped out of the buggy and went to help Kate down. He walked her to the door. “Thank you, Kathleen.”