The Marshal Meets His Match (20 page)

The starting bell sounded, and Meri gripped the top of the rough burlap, hopping frantically in the direction of the finish line.

Don’t fall. Don’t fall. Don’t fall!
The words accompanied the beat of her frenzied jumps.

Wyatt’s long legs carried him past her, but Meri kept hopping, trying to avoid those that fell and took others down with them.

The finish line grew closer. Wyatt was hot on the heels of the young man in the lead, and Meri was behind Wyatt. She would have laughed at the sight of the marshal leaping like a gigantic jackrabbit, but she needed all her breath to catch up.

Suddenly the young man slipped and went down right across Wyatt’s path. This time Wyatt was unable to avoid the fallen contestant and toppled to the ground over the poor fellow. Meri hopped as swiftly as she could, crossing the finish line a mere breath ahead of the remaining contestants.

A familiar arm snaked around her shoulders as she accepted her ribbon, and Wyatt pulled her into quick side hug. “I knew you could do it.” Wyatt’s flushed face beamed at her as he released her.

“Champeen potato-sack racer, huh?” Meri felt another giggle bubble up. Good grief. She sounded like those silly females earlier.

He shrugged, unperturbed. “Did I mention I was only ten at the time?”

“Laaaadies and gentlemen! The egg race!”

Wyatt grabbed Meri’s hand and led her to a table holding spoons and eggs.

“Don’t tell me. You signed us up for that one, too,” Meri groaned dramatically.

“Yep.”

“I don’t want egg on me.” A protesting laugh accompanied the words.

“O ye of little faith. They’re hard-boiled.”

Mr. Hubert explained the rules and handed each team a spoon and an egg. “This is a relay race. The team that crosses the finish line first without dropping their egg will win the blue ribbon. There are several flags between the starting line and the finish line. One team member will go to the first flag. When the bell sounds the team member at the starting line will place the spoon in their mouth and their egg on the spoon. They will then carry the egg to their partner at the first flag and pass the egg to them, without dropping it and without using their hands. The new egg holder will head to the next flag, where their partner will meet them to pass the egg off again. And so on and so forth until they reach the finish line. First team across with an undamaged egg still on the spoon wins. Drop the egg, and you’re disqualified. Touch the egg with your hands, and you’re disqualified. Take your places!”

Wyatt thrust the egg at Meri and jogged to the first flag. Accepting the inevitable, Meri put the spoon between her teeth and laid the egg in the bowl of it. When the bell sounded she carefully made her way toward Wyatt. She reached him with little trouble, and by concentrating on the spoons instead of the nearness of his face, she was able to exchange the egg smoothly. Racing to the next flag, she watched as Wyatt carried the egg toward her on the next leg of the relay. He moved quickly, but the journey and the exchange again went smoothly.

This was easier than she’d thought it would be! She set off for the next flag, balancing the egg easily and moving quicker. Just as she reached Wyatt, her toe connected painfully with a rock hidden in the grass. She pitched forward.

“Mmph!” Her teeth clamped hard around the spoon handle as her hands flew out. She closed her eyes tight, bracing for the impact.

Solid hands caught her shoulders and stopped her descent toward the ground.

The egg wasn’t so fortunate.

She heard a dull smack, and the sulfurous odor of rotten egg filled the air. Wyatt looked down, nose wrinkling at the smell emanating from the slimy mess dripping off his shirtfront. He gingerly pulled the fabric away from his body, leaning over to swipe the worst of it off into the grass.

Meri was helpless to stop the laughter that erupted at the look of disgust on his face. He pulled out his handkerchief to wipe his hands free of the odiferous slime. “I appreciate your concern.”

“I thought you said they were hard-boiled.” She gasped breathlessly.

“Apparently I was wrong,” Wyatt replied dryly.

A fresh round of giggles choked her. “Looks like the yolk’s on you.”

Wyatt rolled his eyes and groaned. “I think now would be a good time to take Jonah some food and change into a fresh shirt.”

“If I’d known all it took was a little egg to get out of all these games, I’d have tossed it a little sooner.”

“You little imp. I think you did this on purpose.”

Meri escaped the yolk-soaked handkerchief that threatened retaliation, and hurriedly retrieved the basket of food Ms. Maggie had put together for Jonah.

“Hurry back, Marshal,” Mrs. Van Deusen called out. “The dessert auction starts as soon as the horseshoe tournament ends.”

“I wouldn’t miss it. I can almost taste those desserts I’ve been hearing about all day.”

Wyatt took the basket of food from Meri. “I’ll return shortly.”

“Watch out for bad eggs, Marshal,” she warned, tongue in cheek. It was absolutely ridiculous that a man covered in rotten egg should look so attractive.

“Next time, warn me a little sooner.” With a wink, he spun on his heel and jogged away.

* * *

Wyatt whistled as he changed into a fresh shirt. He was dangerously close to becoming attached to Miss McIsaac, but he didn’t care when he remembered her slender arm around his ribs, her delight when she’d won and her spontaneous laughter at the egg mishap.

He tucked his shirt in and swung his holster back around his hips. He might have let his guard down around Meri—that only had the potential to damage his heart—but he refused to let his guard down when it came to protecting the town. He was keeping his eyes open and his gun handy to ensure everyone had a memorable, safe picnic.

“Someone sounds awfully chipper today. Might it be due to a certain young lady?” Jonah looked up from his plate of food as Wyatt came out of the back room.

“Evidently you weren’t as hungry as you professed, if you have time to talk instead of enjoying that pile of food the ladies sent you.”

Jonah grinned and changed the subject. “I took a turn around town a while ago. Looks like ever livin’ soul is at the picnic. I didn’t find a thing stirrin’.”

Wyatt opened the front door and settled his hat on his head. “Thanks. I think I’ll take a quick look around myself before I head back.”

“Glad to do it. Don’t take too long. Miss McIsaac’ll get tired of waitin’ around and find some other good-lookin’ fella to share dessert with.”

“Go back to your food, you old coot, before I regret making you my deputy.” He grinned, removing any sting from the words.

Jonah’s laugh followed him down the boardwalk.

Wyatt strolled around the different businesses lining the main thoroughfare through town before heading back to the picnic grounds. Jonah was right. Little Creek was as quiet as a graveyard.

The games were over and picnic goers were slowly gathering around the table that held the decorated dessert baskets, but Wyatt didn’t see Meri. He glanced around, searching for her. Had she left?

A waving figure caught his eye. Naoma Van Deusen grinned widely and pointed to the tree-lined stream bordering the picnic grounds. Maybe he should have made her the town deputy, the way she managed to keep track of everyone’s movements. Tipping his hat toward her, he followed the sounds of voices and splashing coming from the creek. Quietly slipping through trees, he paused to watch, unnoticed.

A barefoot Meri was wading in the creek alongside Danny and Billy. He grinned, appreciating the glimpse of slim ankles as she held her skirts above the water. The woman wasn’t afraid to get dirty, and when she relaxed, she wasn’t afraid to have fun. She’d make a good mother.

The thought startled him. Thoughts like that were dangerous territory for a man who had nothing but dreams on which to build a future. A family needed more than dreams to survive. A family needed a home, security.

Then maybe it’s time you take that money you’ve been squirreling away and stop planning and start doing.

He shoved aside the frighteningly intriguing thought. He was simply enjoying a picnic with a pretty girl while keeping an eye out for trouble.

He stepped onto the creek bank toward the slender woman who was bent over intently watching something in the water flowing around her ankles. She sure made a fetching picture.

Stop it,
he commanded himself. Even if she
was
the first woman that made him want to, he wasn’t ready to plan a future around her.

So why was it impossible to walk away from her?

Chapter Fourteen

T
he day wasn’t overly warm, but the exertion of the games made the cool shade and running water of Little Creek look especially inviting. Plopping down on the bank, Meri watched Danny and Billy try to capture a school of minnows with their pails while her thoughts wandered to the dessert auction.

She’d evaded Wyatt’s question earlier because she
had
prepared a dessert last night but was now regretting it. She only had herself to blame. In trying not to compete with the town girls, she’d gone totally in the opposite direction. Take her outfit today, for example. It was neat and functional, but painfully plain compared to the bows, ruffles and frills on the bright colorful dresses the other young women wore.

Her dessert was another attempt at self-sabotage. Not that her dessert would taste bad, she’d made it plenty of times and father and Franks liked it, she’d just never prepared a dessert for the auction before. The desserts on display today would be fancy pies, luscious cakes and other dressed-up treats designed to make an impression, but what did she bring? A pan of plain-and-simple boring old gingerbread.

Oh, it would make an impression all right. She could hear the snickers and see the looks of pity now. She dropped her head into her hands.
Ugh!
She’d never particularly cared before what people thought of her. Why was she so worried about it now?

Because you’re not worried about what
people
think. You’re worried about what
Wyatt Cameron
will think.

“I am not!” Meri’s head flew up as she uttered the words aloud.

“Aren’t what, Miss Meri?” Danny asked from the edge of the creek.

“Nothing, Danny. Just arguing with myself, I guess.”

“Miss Meri, you told
us
it was an honor to cease from strife. Isn’t arguing with yourself strife?” Billy spoke up, a rascally look on his face.

Meri grimaced as her words returned to haunt her. Mother had always said to season your words with a little salt because you might have to eat them someday.

“Yes, it is. So I’m going to cease right now.” Discreetly removing her boots and socks, she stepped into the icy stream, holding the hem of her riding skirt clear of the running water as she waded.

So she was different from most of the young women in town. They weren’t enjoying the cold water flowing around their ankles or seeing silvery flashes of tiny fish dart over their feet. She was glad she’d given in to the urge to join the children in the water. It was relaxing and relatively peaceful as Billy and Danny moved upstream to investigate the tadpoles the other children had found.

Standing motionless in the ankle-deep water, Meri bent over to watch little creatures swim out of hiding. A variety of aquatic life, that had found it advantageous to hide from inquisitive little boys, now returned to their various underwater tasks around Meri’s bare feet.

“I was beginning to think you’d run off and left me again.”

Meri straightened and spun around, but the slick stones under her feet shifted at her sudden commotion, and she lost her balance. With a startled cry she sat down hard—chilly ankle-deep creek water splashing upward as she landed.

Drops were still falling from the splash when she surged to her feet, streams of water pouring off the soft leather skirt. A hand reached to assist her to the creek bank, but Meri’s hands were busy shaking the water out of her clothing as she waded out of the streambed. A quick glance showed Wyatt biting his lip and struggling not to laugh. “For the luv’ a— Is this gonna’ be a habit?”

“What, you falling for me?” He cocked his head innocently.

“No!” Embarrassment scorched its way across her face.

“Me sweeping a beautiful woman off her feet?”

Meri couldn’t have looked at the man if her life depended on it, and she retreated into silence. She was digging herself deeper every time she spoke. She dripped her way over to her boots and stockings. Sitting down with her back to Wyatt, she quickly pulled on the dry footwear. A hand cradled her elbow as she stood, and Meri pulled away from the disconcertingly welcome contact, heading downstream away from the picnic.

“Where are you going? The dessert auction is just starting.”

“I’m going to get Sandy and go home. I’m all wet, in case you forgot.” Falling into the creek might not be such a bad thing after all. It gave her an excuse to leave before her dessert came up for auction.

Hands halted her escape and turned her back toward the picnic. “You’ll dry quickly in this warm sun, and everyone will be too busy with the auction to notice a little damp clothing.”

“I want to go home.” Meri hated the whine she heard in her voice.

“Come on. I’ve got my mouth all set for dessert,” he coaxed as he inexorably drew her along with him up the creek bank into the sunshine to a blanket just on the edge of the picnic area.

It was the blanket they’d sat on for lunch, but it had been moved to a new location farther away from the other scattered picnic blankets. Meri sat reluctantly. At least no one seemed to have noticed her dripping emergence from the trees. Everyone was already gathered around the dessert table where Mr. Hubert was explaining the rules of the auction.

Wyatt dropped down alongside her, leaning back on his elbows, legs outstretched.

“Aren’t you going to go bid?” And leave her to her embarrassed misery, free to slip away when he purchased a fancy dessert and the baker claimed her good-looking prize?