Texas Twilight (24 page)

Horses stopped in front of the office.
Moments later Dustin strode in the door. “John,” Dustin said,
looking Brandon up and down. Chaim followed.

“Dustin. Chaim.” John stood and shook their
hands in welcome. “Guess you heard about the excitement in town
tonight. The woman’s dead and the man will most likely make it.
These are my cousins, the Texas McCutcheons, Dustin and Chaim,” he
said to Brandon. “Brandon is our sheriff back home.”

The men pulled out chairs after shaking hands
and John went for two more coffee cups.

“We came into town as soon as Pete Miller
left our house,” Dustin said. “He’s riding out to all the ranches.
It’s been some years since there was such a brutal killing in town.
I’m not speaking of the atrocities committed by the Comancheros in
the Bad Lands. This is different.”

Chaim took a sip of coffee, then set his cup
on the wooden tabletop. “Ma sent us into town. She’s worried about
Charity staying at the hotel alone. Said she’d never forgive
herself if anything happened to her.” He removed his hat and pushed
his fingers through his shaggy brown hair, placing the Stetson on
his knees. “She wants her to stay at the ranch with us, where it’s
safe. At least for a while, till all this passes.”

“I had that same thought, actually,” John
said. “Originally, she wanted to stay in town to be closer to me,
but under the circumstances, I think that’s a reasonable idea.”

“Good. We can collect her up and take her out
later today. After school,” Dustin added quickly.

“So, you’ve heard,” John said.

He nodded and shrugged. “You’ll come to find
Rio Wells is pretty small. News travels fast. She can use the buggy
to go in and out of town and we’ll send a ranch hand along to
escort her. She’ll be safe.”

“You have a man to spare?”

He nodded.

“Thanks.” John smiled and was surprised when
Dustin returned it. “I’m wondering something else.”

Dustin sat back, relaxed. “Go ahead. I’m all
ears.”

“Is there room at the ranch for someone
else?”

Surprised, Dustin looked at Brandon.

“Not me,” said Brandon grumpily.

“Emmeline is here. She arrived today.”

Both his cousins’ brows shot up in surprise,
followed by a smile.

“Your fiancée?” Chaim asked, surprised.

“That’s right. I don’t want her staying at
the hotel alone either. She and Charity could share a room.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Chaim said. “The
house is big enough to fit all of us and then some. Of course she
can come. Why, she’s practically family.”

Dustin’s eyes were expectant and his smile
broadened. “I do have to say that things have sure gotten more
interesting since you’ve come to town, cousin.”

Brandon almost spit out the coffee he was
sipping. “I think that goes along with the McCutcheon name. A
never-ending rollercoaster of fun, fun, fun.” He wiped his arm
across his mouth.

A horse nickered outside and soon there were
more footsteps on the boardwalk. Several men’s voices rumbled in
conversation, and Chaim got up and looked out the window.
“Sheriff’s back.”

Dustin stood. “Tell Charity and Emmeline to
get packed. We’ll bring the buckboard into town later on today and
pick them up. Ma’s going to be delighted.”

“Thanks,” John said. “I appreciate this. I’m
glad you two dropped in, even if it is before dawn.” He followed
the men out and watched them mount up. There was a lantern burning
next door in Lily’s shop, but he’d not bother her now. Feeling
confident she was safe and sound, he headed back to check on his
patient.

I
t wasn’t even
seven in the morning when Charity came into his office, looking
around.

Dawn was just breaking outside, and John was
surprised—and more than a little annoyed—that she’d walked the
short distance from the hotel alone.

“Good morning.” Her gaze went around the room
and out the door, toward the stairway. Surely she hadn’t dressed so
carefully today for her three students. She was looking for
Brandon.

“You’re up early,” John replied before taking
a sip of his coffee. “Were you able to get any sleep last night?”
Before she could answer Emmeline appeared and came over and gave
him a small kiss on the cheek. Her eyes were red and a little
puffy.

“Good morning,” she offered.

He was taken aback by her melancholy. He’d
understand if she’d acted frightened from the killing, but other
than that he didn’t know why she’d be upset.

Before he could say anything Charity asked,
“How is the man and the woman from last night? Did either of them
make it?”

Guilty for feeling relieved to get back to
footing he knew, he answered, “The woman died soon after they
brought her in. There was...” He stopped, a bit overwhelmed by
frustration. So far, he wasn’t doing a good job of paying back his
debt. Nothing he and Bixby had done to try to save the woman’s life
had made the slightest difference. She’d slipped away right before
their eyes, just as Bob Mackey had. He shook off the morbid
thoughts. “…nothing we could do to save her. But, Mr. Reece looks
like he’s going to make it. That is, barring any new complications
setting in.”

Charity shook her head. “It was frightening
last night. We didn’t know what was happening. The scream woke me
up and I ran over into Emmeline’s room since it’s just across the
hall.”

Worried about Emmeline, he took her hand and
was just going to go into the other room for a little privacy so
they could talk when Chaim came through the front. He was clean
shaven and bathed and smelled better than he had a few hours
before. “Mornin’, all.”

John nodded.

“Came early into town on an errand. Wanted to
see if the ladies want me to pick up their things now.”

“John?” Emmeline looked at him in
confusion.

“For the time being, Emmeline, you and
Charity are going to go out to the Rim Rock Ranch and stay with my
relatives. Until the killer is caught and things settle down in
town.”

Charity stepped forward. “I’m not going out
to the ranch.”

John knew she’d put up a fight. He could see
her mind going a mile a minute. Of course, she’d want to stay in
town to be closer to Brandon. Well, she was headed for a shock when
she learned Brandon had already left, ridden off to San Antonio
around five this morning.

“Charity, I hope you’re not going to make a
big fuss about this. Aunt Winnie really wants you and Emmeline to
come out and stay with them. It will be one less thing for us to
worry about with all these new faces in town, and now the stabbing.
Can you please just say you will, and we’ll talk about the details
later? Chaim here is good enough to take your things now, if you
want.” He turned to Emmeline, who was standing by his side. “Is
that okay with you, Emmeline?”

She nodded, but he could see there was still
something troubling her. “I’ll go pack my things and be ready in
just a few minutes,” Emmeline said. Before John could stop her she
let go his hand and breezed past his cousin and went out the
door.

“I’ll pick you up in a few minutes,” Chaim
called after her. His cousin hitched his head. “That must have been
Emmeline.”

John wanted to follow after her and see what
was troubling her so much, but he needed to stay with Mr. Reese
today and monitor his progress. With all the blood he’d lost it
wouldn’t take much of a setback to hamper his recovery and put his
life into jeopardy.

Charity’s face was red, but she looked like
she was going to comply as she watched Emmeline go. “I’ll go pack
my things too, before I have to head over to the school and leave
them in Emmeline’s room.”

“That’ll be perfect. I’ll get them when I get
her.”

“I’m going to want to spend a little time
down here after class before heading out to the ranch. Will that
also be okay?”

“You just give me a time and I’ll make sure
our man picks you up here at John’s place.”

Charity gazed out the schoolhouse window deep
in thought. She hardly noticed Theodore, across the street at the
livery, pushing a wheelbarrow in and out as he cleaned out the
stalls. How could Brandon have ridden off this morning without
giving her a chance to explain her motives for running off? Just
thinking the words made her cringe inside, now seeing well the
thoughtlessness of her actions. But couldn’t he have given her a
chance to clarify?

He’d be back, she reminded herself for the
thousandth time. John had assured her of that. And when he was he’d
be less mad now that he knew that she was safe, and he’d had some
time to cool off. Oh, how she missed him.

Jane’s hand went into the air and Charity got
up and went to her side. “Do you have a question?”

“No matter what I do I can’t get this to
cipher right. Every time I try it comes out different.”

“Let me see.” Charity pulled up a vacant
chair next to the little girl and looked at the numbers on her
slate. “You’re not carrying over the two in the third column. Watch
how I do it.” With her finger, Charity smudged out the four-digit
answer that Jane had and started figuring the problem slowly,
explaining what she was doing as she went. When she looked up, the
four other children were watching her.

Two new children had shown up today. Candy
Brown, the little girl John had performed an appendectomy on, and
Mark Miller, the deputy’s son. Both children were ten years
old.

When she was done Jane’s face brightened. “I
see now.”

“Good. Do it again for me three more
times.”

Charity stood and noticed Mark looking over
Harland’s shoulder at something he was drawing on his slate. Both
boys were whispering behind their hands. Charity moved quickly and
Harland didn’t have a chance to cover it before she looked over his
shoulder too. She snatched up the slate angrily. “How can you be so
mean, Harland? You too, Mark. Have you no empathy for others at
all?” On the slate was a picture of a boy with only one hand and it
looked like he was falling out of a tree onto his head. There was
no mistaking who the banker’s son was making fun of.

Harland sat back and crossed his arms
defiantly. “Ain’t no harm done.”

“Yes there is. You’re making fun of someone
behind their back. When they’re not even here to defend
themselves.” She looked at the new boy who at least had the decency
to look ashamed. “And you, Mark. What would your father think?”

Harland stood as if to leave. “He’s just a
dumb, one-handed gimp no-account. Why are you getting all riled up?
The doc just feels sorry for him and took him in. I don’t see why
he don’t have to come to school too.”

Charity’s
back went straight, bringing her eye to eye with this bully.
Probably because of
shortsighted, ignorant people like you.
“That is none of our business. Now, sit down in
your seat or suffer the consequences.”

Harland’s face contorted into a sneer. “And
just what consequences do you have in mind?”

“Don’t cause more problems, Harland,” Mark
said. He was smaller and two years younger than Harland, but was
stockily built. His voice wobbled. Jane looked like she was about
to cry.

Being this close to Harland, Charity was all
too aware of the boy’s size. The last thing she wanted to do was
get into a fight. “You can be sure I’ll be speaking with your
father today! The moment class is over.”

“Come on, Harland, sit down. You run off the
last teacher and my pa said it was shameful,” Mark said, standing
as he took Charity’s side. He only came to Harland’s shoulder, but
anger had won out over fear and bravery shown from his eyes. “Quit
being so mean.”

“Either sit down this instant and be quiet,
or leave,” Charity added pointing to the door. “The choice is
yours.”

“No. I don’t have to sit down or leave or to
do a thing you say.” There was a satisfied smile on his face now
that he was sure she didn’t have any means to back up her words and
discipline him in earnest. With his foot he shoved over Jedediah’s
chair and the boy fell hard on to the wooden floor. He gave the
young boy a kick in the side and shoved Mark before anyone saw it
coming. The deputy’s son tripped by his desk fell, striking the
back of his head.

F
ear welled
inside Charity. She fought the urge to step back. To give him room.
Harland laughed, pointing at Mark, who sat curled on the floor,
holding the back of his head in stunned silence. With Harland’s
next step toward Mark, Charity whirled and ran up to the
chalkboard, snatching up the yard stick that leaned against the
wall. In an instant she was back and with a mighty swing, slapped
Harland on the side of his face so fast nobody knew what she was
about to do. Tears gushed from Jane’s frightened eyes as a big red
welt formed on Harland’s left cheek.

“Get out,” shouted Charity. “You’ve hurt
Jedediah and Mark and made Jane cry. I won’t stand for your
ugliness, you bully. Get out now before I smack the other side of
your face. I don’t care where you go as long as it’s out of my
schoolroom.”

For a moment Harland stood transfixed, his
fists clenched by his side. His cheek puffed up right before
Charity’s eyes, and she realized this would most likely be her last
day as teacher. Still, she wouldn’t take her action back even if
she could. It was plainly apparent the banker’s son had been
getting away with murder for some time, even running the former
teacher off. Everyone was afraid of him. It was time someone took
him to task, even if she had done so in a shockingly juvenile way.
Her mother would probably be stunned with her way of handling the
situation, but her brothers wouldn’t. They would be proud of
her.