In a Cowboy’s Arms (19 page)

“How dare he make such a derogatory assumption,” she said, her fervor surprising and pleasing him.

He smiled, feeling oddly warm inside. It’d been a long while since anyone had stood up for him.

“It’s Payne’s right to believe what he will,” he said. “As for the marshal, he’s just doing his job.”

She rubbed her arms and stepped away from the window. For the first time he noticed she wore one of the straight plain skirts he’d seen ranch women wear of late. Noticed too the way it nipped in at her waist, flared over her womanly hips, and fell in gentle folds to her feet.

“So what is the marshal going to do?” she asked, drawing his attention back to why he’d come up here.

“Nothing he can do,” he said. “He did impart news about Allis Carson. Seems he was hauling my uncles to Denver for the reward.”

“But he’ll return to Placid,” she said.

He nodded. “Marshal figures Allis Carson will head back here tomorrow. I’m thinking he’ll do it sooner if he can.”

The color left her face. “We have to get out of here.”

“Before dawn.”

She took a shaky breath, no doubt fretting about setting off riding when she’d only been on a horse once. “I’m nearly packed.”

“Good. One other thing. You know how to handle a gun?”

He hadn’t thought she could get any paler, but right now her face looked colorless. He took a step toward her, fearing she was about to swoon.

“No,” she said, her voice so small he barely heard.

Damn! “Don’t tell me you’re afraid of guns too.”

“All right, I won’t.”

Just what he didn’t want to hear. He didn’t have time to teach her how to shoot, and he couldn’t trust her to keep a sidearm on her for fear she’d shoot herself, her horse, or him.

“We’ll get you used to one in a day or so.”

The tight set of her narrow shoulders relaxed a smidgen. “How long will it take us to get to Kansas?”

“Longer than usual,” he said. “I told the marshal I was taking my sister to Maverick, Wyoming. So we’ll head north out of here until we find a trail that we can take east.”

The lips he longed to possess again parted. “We’re riding toward Denver? Toward Allis Carson who is on his way here?”

“Folks will see us head that way, and when the marshal tells Carson I’m taking you to Wyoming, he will be obliged to follow.”

She rubbed her arms and paced to the other window, and he took a step toward her before bringing himself up short. Now wasn’t the time to try to comfort her.

“We stand a chance of riding right into the bounty hunter,” she said.

No hysterics or pleading, just rational fact. He damn sure appreciated that about her.

“That’s why we’re leaving before dawn. By the time the sun is up, we’ll be on the trail that’ll angle us east again.”

“Why can’t we leave now?” she asked, her eyes sparking with fear.

“You need your rest tonight,” he said.

She crossed to him and stared him down. “I can’t afford

the leisure of rest, not when I need to get away from here before that bounty hunter returns.”

Dammit, she was right, and he’d already seen that their provisions were at the livery, ready to stow on the pack-horse. They could reach the trail and find a spot to camp for the night well before darkness fell. But they’d have to move soon.

“I have to meet with Mayor Willis before we leave.” He fingered the tin star and felt a moment’s hesitation over handing it and the safety of this town into the hands of such a young man.

“How long will that take?” she asked.

“Thirty minutes at the most.” He’d already stowed what he owned in his saddlebags.

“I’ll ask Mrs. Gant to prepare us a basket dinner and meet you at the livery.”

He pointed to her satchel. “If you’re done packing I’ll take it now.”

She gave her clothes a critical look, and he hoped she wasn’t one to spend hours deciding what to wear. They’d not have that luxury traveling the routes he aimed to take. Hell, there’d likely be days when she’d be obliged to wear the same clothes night and day.

“This will do,” she said at last.

Still she went around the room opening drawers and the wardrobe, likely checking to ensure she hadn’t left anything behind. She made to close her satchel.

“Take a wrap,” he said. “Soon as the sun sets the temperature will drop. I don’t aim to unpack our provisions until we set up camp for the night.”

Maggie nodded and dug through the satchel again. She pulled out a short jacket that looked more fashionable than serviceable, but it was clear the lady didn’t own anything suitable for rough traveling. Nothing, that is, except the riding skirt that hugged her behind when she bent just so.

Yep, that wasn’t bustle or padding of any sort. Just firm, rounded womanly flesh.

He took the satchel she’d secured again and backed to her door. The tightness that settled below his belt was a distraction he couldn’t afford.

“I’ll meet you at the livery,” he said, and hightailed it before his discomfort became obvious.

Focusing on what he had to do in short order doused any lingering desire. He fetched his saddlebags and bounded down the steps.

But instead of heading out the door, he ducked into the kitchen. As expected Mrs. Gant was at the stove.

He set down his bundle, reached into his vest pocket for the money he’d counted out earlier, and handed it to her. “Much obliged for all you did for me over the winter.”

Mrs. Gant fingered the wad of greenbacks. “There’s more here than needed.”

“Keep it. We’re leaving today.”

She stared at him a good long time. “You’re a good man, Dade Logan. Take care of yourself and your sister. See that your past doesn’t ruin your future.”

He smiled at that. “Maybe it isn’t my past that’s casting a pall over things.”

“I think you both have ghosts,” she said. “Most folks do.”

It was what a person did with them that made the difference. He brushed two fingers over his hat brim and left the boardinghouse.

He squinted up at the sun that was dipping toward the horizon. It shouldn’t take more than thirty minutes to get things squared away with Mayor Willis.

If they could get on the road then, they’d have three hours of good light left before they had to make camp. That’d get them far enough off the trail so they could find a place to hole up for the night.

Just him and Maggie.

He blew out a rough breath. It could be one helluva long night for him.

Twenty minutes later, Dade stood in the jail with his arms crossed and his temper simmering at a slow boil. Mayor Willis had wasted no time coming to the jail to relieve Dade of his duty, give him his severance pay, and swear in the deputy under the watchful eye of Marshal Tavish.

The whole thing shouldn’t have taken more than ten minutes to complete. But somehow Payne got wind that a new sheriff was about to get sworn in and barged in to give his two cents, which with a banker’s inflation cost twice as much time and wasn’t worth the air it took for Payne to spew it out.

In short, Lionel Payne was an obnoxious son of a bitch.

“I maintain it is highly suspicious that Logan chooses now to leave town,” Payne said.

“What in blazes are you getting at?” the mayor asked.

“The robbery. Logan is curiously absent the one day outlaws ride into town. Why, for all we know he intends to meet up with his father as planned and divide his take of the money.”

“Be careful what you accuse a man of,” Dade said.

Payne took a step back from Dade, his gaze slewing to the marshal’s in what looked like mock fear. “Did you hear that? He threatened me.”

“Didn’t sound that way to me,” Tavish said. “But then I’m not the one trying to make a mountain out of a molehill.”

Payne’s florid face purpled. “His father is an outlaw. The same outlaw who rode into town and robbed my bank. Had I caught the connection in his name six months ago, I would have refused to accept him as our sheriff.”

“It wasn’t your sole decision to make,” the mayor said.

Shit, at the rate they were going, they’d argue the night away. Dade had had more than enough.

He tossed his tin star on the desktop. “Do what you wish with it. I’m moving on.”

“You can’t let him just ride off,” Payne told the marshal.

“There’s no reason to hold the man,” Marshal Tavish said, which made Payne grump all the more.

“He’s a Logan!”

“He’s done nothing wrong,” the marshal said.

“We knew from the start that Dade would leave once he found his sister,” Mayor Willis said as he handed Dade an envelope. “Now that he and Daisy have been reunited, that day has come.”

Dade stared at his last pay as sheriff, then did a quick thumb through the greenbacks to ensure it was all here. It was, plus a few dollars more.

He folded the envelope in half and stuffed it in his pocket. “Thank you, mayor.”

Dade crossed to the gun rack and grabbed his rifle. The banker fumbled in his coat pocket and produced a Derringer.

“Come closer, and I’ll shoot,” Payne said, sweat beading on his brow.

“Put the gun down,” Tavish said, but the banker seemed frozen to the spot.

So was Dade. Last thing he wanted was to get shot. But he wasn’t about to waste time here either at the whim of the banker.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dade caught a blur of movement. A heartbeat later the banker’s Derringer clattered to the floor.

Duane leveled his rifle on the banker, who’d gone white around the gills. “I won’t hold with trouble in my town, Mr. Payne. You, sir, are causing trouble.”

“If I’m right–” Payne began.

“You’re not,” Dade finished, and gained a nod of agreement from the mayor. He scooped up the Derringer and handed it to the marshal. “Swear in the deputy. He’ll serve this town right.”

The ghost of a smile played over Tavish’s face. He nodded to Willis. The mayor wasted no time making Duane the new sheriff of Placid, Colorado.

Dade gave the room one last glance and walked out the door. A mountain of worry lifted off his shoulders then and there.

He was Dade Logan again, and the only thing he’d sworn to do was find Daisy. And keep Maggie Sutten safe.

The last could take every bit of cunning he possessed. He settled his hat on and started down the boardwalk with his senses tuned to trouble, just like he had every time he’d made his rounds the past six months.

Nothing seemed off. Folks went about their business like they always had. A few paused to nod at him. Some just stared. He wondered if the town was divided in their loyalties with some backing the banker and some firmly on Mayor Willis’s side.

Not that it mattered now. When the bounty hunter arrived tomorrow or the next day, he’d no doubt get an earful from Lionel Payne.

But he’d also get a sane version of why Dade had left town and his destination. He just hoped to hell that the man believed it and set out for Maverick.

The time it would take Allis Carson to get there and realize he’d been had would put that much more distance between them. It wouldn’t be easy picking up their trail then.

Yep, only one person knew that wasn’t so. Doc surely wouldn’t do or say anything to jeopardize Maggie’s safety. He couldn’t see Mrs. Gant sharing her suspicions with Carson.

But then, he’d been wrong before about the brother he’d trusted with his life. Even Trey hadn’t bothered to look Dade up in well over a year. Sad to say he wouldn’t know where to begin looking for Trey March.

He strode past the saloon and lifted his gaze to the livery at the edge of town. Maggie stood right outside the big doors talking with the blacksmith, giving her full attention to the man who likely reeked of sweat and hot steel.

She was as composed and fetching as ever. A hat that was more stylish than practical covered her wealth of hair and barely–just barely–shaded her face.

He wanted to kick his ass right here and now for not thinking of what the sun would do to that delicate skin after riding all day. Now that he had, there was only one recourse left to him.

Dade backtracked to the general store and pushed open the door to the tinkling of a bell. The owner perked up at the sound and came toward Dade, a smile wreathing his face.

“Afternoon, sheriff,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

Time was just too valuable to waste explaining he wasn’t the sheriff any longer. He had jingle in his pocket and an item to purchase as quickly as possible.

“I need a hat for Ma–, my sister,” he said.

The old man scratched his mutton chop whiskers. “The missus usually sees to the women’s frippery and such.” He glanced at the feminine side of the store with what Dade could only call repulsion. “You know what your sister wants?”

Long gone out of here, he reckoned. “She needs a wide brimmed hat that’ll shade her face.”

“Let’s see what we got.” He ambled into the ladies’ section of the store and led Dade straight to the hats. “See anything there you want?”

Yep, his gaze fell on a sassy little hat that had a wide blue ribbon band that would match her eyes and bit of a brim that tipped up like her nose. He’d surely give a second look to any woman he passed wearing such a hat. But it was as impractical as all get out.

He pointed to a wide brimmed straw hat that would do a farm wife proud. “Let me see that one.”

The storekeeper fetched it from its hook and handed it to Dade. “The missus sells a lot of these each year.”

That was all he needed to know. Women would spend their meager stipend on the things that served them well. Those who minded their pennies couldn’t worry about what was fashionable or just plain pretty.

“I’ll take this one,” he said, and pressed his fist against the low crown to test if it was sturdy.

His gaze flicked back to the jaunty hat with the wide blue band that hung on the peg. He could damned near see Maggie wearing it at a jaunty angle with a kiss-me-quick look on her face.

But would she wear it? Would she offer up a kiss?

He wouldn’t know unless he bought it for her.

It was an extravagance for sure and one he could ill afford. But he wanted to buy something nice just for her. For the first time in his life he wanted to buy a lady a gift.