Way Out West (11 page)

* * *

Rand
waited a few minutes outside the saloon until
the Sheriff made his entrance. From what he could see through the window, Tyler
Thornton didn’t even flinch when Clayton made his way around, but his gaze
followed the Sheriff’s back until he sat at a table on the far side of the
room.

Rand finally went in,
walked close to Tyler’s seat and signaled to the Sheriff with a slight nod. He
then continued to the piano where Becky leaned, overseeing the activity.

With his back against
the wall, Rand spoke in a low voice. “I was right. He’s Kyle Thornton’s brother
and he has a reputation as a small-time criminal.”

Becky raised an eyebrow.
“What are you going to do?”

“Wait. Watch. Not much
else I can do. I’m afraid there’s one small complication to consider though.”

“What’s that?”

“Callie.” Rand shuffled his feet and blew out an exasperated breath. “He’s seen us together too
often. I’m afraid he might use her to get to me. I’m going to do my best to be
with her as much as possible. But when I’m not, you’ve got to watch her for me,
be my eyes and ears. You can’t let him near her.”

Becky nodded. He knew he
could trust her. Besides Sheriff Clayton and Abe, she was the only other person
in Way Out West who knew who he was and she’d never let it slip out.

He then eased over to
the bar to be close to Callie while watching Tyler Thornton. Rand would stay
until the skunk left.

* * *

Callie had been eyeing
the clock. Ten minutes until closing. She hadn’t had more than a minute or two
to exchange a smile or quick word with Rand since he’d posted himself at the
bar. She smiled at him now, slumped over, head on his arm, hat tipped to one
side. The day had just been too much for him.

She put her tray down
and touched a hand to his shoulder, shaking it slightly. “Hey, Maverick.
Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in your bed?”

“Huh?” Rand raised his
head, heavy lids fought against the light of the lamps.

“We’re closing in ten
minutes. You can’t sleep here.”

“No. I’m not leaving
until—“ He looked around the room, his head jerking from left to right.
“Where’s Tyler?”

“He left a while ago.
Why?”

Relieved, he slumped
back on the bar until Callie’s hand took hold of his chin and forced his gaze
to meet hers.

“Why?” she asked
adamantly.

“I’m just making sure he
doesn’t cause any more trouble.”

Callie squinted at the
sleepy gambler. “Do you mean with you or me?”

“Am I that transparent?”
he asked with a yawn.

“Unfortunately, no. I’m
just very perceptive.” She put a hand under his arm trying to get him up from
his seat. “Now, I want you to get on out of here and get some sleep. We still
have to clean up and we don’t need to be cleaning around you.”

Rand
struggled to his feet. “Okay, but one more
thing.”

“What?”

He removed his cocked
hat with one hand and with the other pulled her close to his chest. He propped
the hat in front of their profiles so their kiss was hidden from others in the
room.

Callie couldn’t help but
giggle against his lips. He looked at her, puzzled.

“Are my kisses that
funny?”

“No, but if you didn’t
want anyone to see,” she bobbed her head toward the back of the bar, “you
should have covered the mirror, too.”

Staring at the mirror as
though it had just appeared out of nowhere, he shrugged. “Oh well.” Then he
took her fully into his arms and planted a wondrous kiss upon her waiting lips.

From all around the
room, the throat clearing and sniggles grew louder and louder until the couple
broke their kiss. Undaunted, Rand pecked the tip of her nose.

“Church services,
tomorrow morning, ten-thirty. Right?”

She’d forgotten.
“Ten-thirty? That’s awfully early.”

“Ten-thirty,” he
repeated with emphasis.

* * *

A persistent rapping at
the door roused Callie from the dregs of sleep. With one eyelid cracked, she
noted that it was daylight and a bright day at that. The pillow beneath her
head soon made its way over her head to block the invading daylight.

But not before she
mumbled, “Go away.”

More knocking made her
grind her teeth. Suddenly the knocking stopped and the door flew open. Becky’s
voice boomed like a fraternity mother’s.

“It is of no consequence
to me if you sleep the entire day away. However, I seem to recall someone
asking me to be sure she was up in time for church services.”

Callie groaned.
“Already? I just got to bed.”

“That was more than six
hours ago. Now, if you’d like, I can send Rand up to fetch you when he gets
here.”

She threw the pillow off
her head. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Try me.”

Having seen the rapport
between Rand and Becky, Callie feared the taskmaster just might carry out her
threat, for her own amusement if nothing else.

Willing her legs to
slide off the bed, Callie managed to sit up and rub her bleary eyes. “Okay. I’m
up.”

Becky smiled. “Good, now
get a move on. You’ve got less than an hour to get ready.”

She moved in a slow kind
of hurriedness. Her body did what her brain told it to, but her brain was slow
to give any instructions. What she did, or how she did it was a mystery.

When the clock struck
ten, Callie had just finished dabbing on some lipstick. She checked her
reflection in the mirror: hair tied back with a black velvet ribbon; snug
fitting gray dress with black and white trim around the high collar; high-ankle
boots with all their discomfort.

Dignified and proper, if
she said so herself.

Descending the stairs
and making her way to the kitchen, she rummaged the sideboard for something
quick to eat. A plate of biscuits called to her. She broke one open, drizzled
on some honey, and devoured it before she realized how dry it was. Pouring
herself some coffee, she drank heartily, not minding the hot liquid on her
throat.

Becky poked her head in
the door. “You have a gentleman caller, Miss Callie.”

As Callie left the kitchen,
she saw Rand standing near the bar looking nervous as a colt. When he saw her,
he removed his hat and smiled a sunshine smile.

“Good morning, Miss
Callie. If you don’t look as picture perfect as this beautiful day, no one
does.”

“Why, thank you, sir.
Flattery will get you...well, we’ll see what it gets you,” she said in a
lowered voice.

Rand
raised an eyebrow. “Shall we go?” He lifted his
arm for Callie to take.

The muscular forearm
belied his gentle manner and Callie sensed it was just one of many paradoxes
about this man. Oddly enough, she liked the mystery of the complexity. She
liked knowing there was always something new to discover about him.

“Just a minute,” Becky
reprimanded. She hurried toward them with some sort of white, frilly hat in her
hands. “A proper lady wears a hat to church.” She handed Callie the hat.

“But I hate hats.
They’re so...so restricting.”

“Stop whining and put it
on. You don’t want everyone in church staring at you.” With a relenting sigh,
Callie mashed the hat atop her head and allowed Becky to pin it in place.

They left the saloon and
strolled leisurely down the street. Rand seemed to be in no hurry to get to the
services. On both sides of the street people were dressed in their Sunday best
and heading for the church. Callie felt a kind of kinship as folks nodded and
bid them good morning.

“Everyone is so
friendly. I feel like I belong.”

He patted her hand on
his arm. “That’s what’s so great about Way Out West. The uptight modern world
is far behind. Here we get back to when people enjoyed each other and the
simple things in life.” He stiffened. “Most of us, anyway.”

Callie followed his
stare. Up ahead, coming out of the general store, was Tyler. He headed straight
for his horse hitched to the front post and stuffed his purchase into his
already laden saddlebag. As he untied the reins, he spied Callie and Rand
approaching on the boardwalk.

“Well, well. Look what
we have here. Mr. Tough Guy and his saloon girl out for a Sunday stroll.”

With his eyes straight
ahead, Rand whispered to Callie, “Ignore him,” and kept walking.

Tyler
mounted his horse and prodded it down the street
close to the boardwalk, keeping pace with Rand and Callie. “I missed being able
to sit in on your game last night. I did pretty well, but it would have been a
whole lot sweeter if I’d taken a share of your money.” When Rand didn’t answer,
he continued. “Maybe another time. Will I see you at the tables tonight? Or,”
an indecent snicker salivated out of his mouth, “have you two got
other
plans?”

Callie took in a deep
breath and opened her mouth but Rand pressed her hand against his rib cage.
“Ignore
him.”

“Well,” Tyler shifted in his saddle, adjusting his dirty hat, “if we can’t sit together, maybe I’ll
at least have the pleasure of Miss Callie waiting on me. If I didn’t know
better, I’d think she was avoiding me last night. But I’m sure it was just a
coincidence. A woman with that kind of spunk is just itching for the right kind
of man to tame her.”

Rand
jumped from the boardwalk and grabbed the
horse’s bridle, stilling its forward movement. With teeth clenched and hatred
burning in his eyes, Rand spoke low but distinctly.

“I’m warning you, Tyler. You stay away from the lady.”

“Or what? You’ll sic the
Sheriff on me? Yeah, we had a nice chat last night. Seems he’s got some
unfounded suspicions. Now I wonder where he could have gotten them?”

“If you’ve got a bone to
pick with me, deal with me. Just leave the lady out of it.”

Rand released the bridle
and Tyler quickly pulled on the reins to steady the horse. With a sinister
grin, he raised his hat to Callie. “Have a nice day, ma’am.” An evil chuckle
roared from his throat as he spurred the horse down the street. It echoed in a
cloud of dust at the outskirts of town.

Rand
rejoined Callie on the boardwalk. She noticed
his tightened jaw and pulsing temple as they continued their walk toward the
church, but at a faster pace.

“Why do I get the
feeling there’s more between you two than just some bad blood from a card
game?” she asked.

Rand
took a deep breath. “It’s a long story, but
nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“Oh? Then why were you
warning him to stay away from me?”

He stopped and turned to
her. “Because I care for you, very much. He sees that and he’ll try to use it
to get to me.”

“And why is he trying to
get to you? Maybe I can help.”

He touched her face with
the back of his hand and she inclined her head to soak in his gentleness.

“I’m not altogether sure
what he’s after. I need some time to sort it out. In the meantime, it’s you I
want to think about and be with. Now let’s get to church and enjoy our Sunday
together.”

Chapter Eight

Inside the quiet little
church, simplistic with its pale blue walls and pecan colored pews, Rand struggled to collect his thoughts. Now that he knew who Tyler was, he had to figure
out how to deal with him. He had to get to the bottom of this.

Yet what he knew didn’t
amount to a hill of beans. For certain Tyler was up to no good, with Rand the
likely target, but until he had proof, Tyler would remain a guest at Way Out
West.

The churchgoers joined
in the hymns with the small choir of four. Beside him, Callie lent her sweet
voice to the melodic swell of each refrain, drawing Rand closer to her side.
Though Rand did his best to sing along, his mind wandered back to Tyler and the scene outside the general store. Something screamed for Rand’s attention but
damn if he could put his finger on what.

The man had been dressed
in work clothes and his saddlebags stuffed. With what? Where could he be going?
There was nothing outside of town except a few working farms and miles of open
range, which buffered the town from the real world.

What could Tyler
Thornton possibly want in the desert-like land?

The preacher’s voice
seeped into Rand’s subconscious. “Even unto death, our souls live on. Our
bodies may be buried beneath the earth, but our souls shall rise in
celebration.”

Buried.
Rand sat up straighter. A shovel. That’s what
he’d noticed sticking out of one of Tyler’s saddlebags! What did he need a
shovel for? There was nothing out there worth digging, nothing between here and
the way station. Unless...

Callie shifted beside
him. He patted her hand assuredly while his mind raced forward. A plan quickly
formed. His week of quiet rest in the one place in the world where he found any
peace at all was about to take a dramatic about-face.

He had no choice. If
this town he’d worked so hard for was to remain intact, he needed to stop the Thornton brothers before it was too late. And he had to be sure Callie was safe.

* * *

Leaving the cool of the
little church and stepping out into the warm sunshine, Callie wished she hadn’t
chosen the high-collar, dark-colored dress. But before she could think about
finding some shade, she found herself in front of the preacher greeting his
congregation.

“Rand! Nice to see you
again.” The preacher, a tall man with thinning hair, pumped his hand
vigorously.

“Thank you, Reverend.
Just had to come see the new cross. It looks great. Just what the newly painted
steeple needed.”

“Ain’t it the truth.
Without the generosity of some dedicated members, none of it would have been
possible.” The preacher smiled and adjusted his spectacles. “And who might this
lovely lady on your arm be?”

“Reverend Simms, I’d
like you to meet Miss Callie.”

The Reverend reached for
her hand. “It’s a distinct pleasure to meet you, Miss Callie. Are you a friend
of Rand?”

Callie hesitated, unsure
how to answer. Up until Friday, she’d never set eyes on Rand.

Rand
jumped in, apparently sensing her uneasiness.
“She’s a very special friend.” He squeezed her hand at his elbow.

“Well! I can see that
you both have very good taste. Miss Callie, you won’t find a better man in
these here parts. I’m sure those who know you would say the same about you.”

Callie blushed. “Why,
thank you. It’s very comforting to know Rand comes so highly recommended from a
man of the cloth.”

“Oh, you’d hear the same
from anyone in town.”

“Thank you, Reverend,
for pleading my case,” Rand said, “but I’m afraid it’s I who’ll have to
convince her in the end.”

They both laughed.
Callie laughed hesitantly, unsure about what Rand had to convince her of.

“Well, good luck, my
friend,” said the Reverend, “and Miss Callie, you’re welcome to visit any
time.”

They moved along away
from the milling congregation. The heat of the sun penetrated Callie’s dark
dress and she looked around for something that would provide shade. There was
none. Just the church, the small grass lawn and the dirt road.

She looked up at Rand in his black suit and noticed tiny beads of sweat forming on his forehead. But even in
the heat, he seemed cool, collected. A man of control, a man in charge.

She began to unbutton
the tiny pearl buttons of her collar when she felt Rand’s strong hand cover
hers. Their eyes met. She noticed the warmth in his brown eyes, eyes that
caressed every square inch of her face.

“You should leave it
buttoned. It’s only proper.” Before he removed his hand, he fingered the gold
heart and chain beneath the placket and smiled. “Why keep it hidden?”

She dropped her gaze.
“It didn’t exactly go with my dress, but I couldn’t bear to take it off.”

“I’m glad,” he said,
removing his hand and taking hers. He tugged, leading her behind the church.
“Follow me.”

A small grove of trees
shaded a garden area fully overgrown with the summer’s bounty. Black-eyed
susans, wisteria, roses. All vied for top billing. A narrow walking path seemed
even narrower with the bulging beds of chrysanthemums and marigolds. The
mixture of sweet scents changed with each step forward.

Hand in hand they walked
to a wooden bench just big enough for two at the center of the garden. Rand urged her to sit before taking a seat beside her. “A little cooler?” he asked.

“Yes. This is very nice,
and so beautiful.”

He nodded. His eyes
searched hers yet he seemed distracted. “Callie, I’ve only known you three
days, yet I feel a strong bond, something bigger than I’m sure either of us
expected.”

Callie’s eyes grew wide
and her pulse raced. Why the serious tone? What was he about to do? Propose to
her? Tell her he couldn’t see her again?

Rand
gripped her hands, the tension in his voice
moving through his fingers. He rolled his thumbs along the backs of her hands
raising goosebumps up her arm.

“I wanted to spend the
better part of the day with you, but something’s come up and I need to check it
out. Can I ask you to join me for dinner later?”

His serious tone chilled
her skin. “Yes, of course.” She noticed how his shoulders slumped and again, he
looked at her through distracted eyes. “Rand, what is it? There’s something
you’re not saying.”

He squeezed her hands as
though afraid to let her go. “Ah, Callie, you’ve come to mean so much to me,
the last thing I want is for us to be separated.”

“Separated? You said
you’d be back for dinner.”

“I may have to leave
tomorrow.”

“But you said you were
here for a week.”

“There’s something I
have to take care of on the outside.”

“Tyler,” she said,
tugging her hands free. “It has to do with Tyler, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, but please don’t
ask me to explain. If I do leave, you’ll be well protected while I’m gone. I’ve
given Becky and Sheriff Clayton instructions. You can trust them.”

“Rand, I’m not
helpless.” She turned to face forward. “I can take care of myself.”

“No. Tyler is very
dangerous and there’s no telling what he might do. Becky and Clayton will be my
eyes while I’m gone.”

To her surprise, tears
filled her eyes and a lump formed in her throat. As he said, they’d only just
begun to know each other, now she feared losing him. And she didn’t even know
why.

He drew her into his
arms, letting his strength support her. “Callie, Callie. Why couldn’t I have
met you six years ago? Just when I’d given up hope of ever finding any
happiness in life, you came along and lit the way.” He moved back to look into
her eyes. His thumb wiped a rolling tear from her cheek.

“Six years ago I
wouldn’t have been ready for someone like you.”

“And now?” His tone was
heavy with anticipation.

She smiled sheepishly
through tears. “Now, I’m afraid my disappointing past has left some ugly
scars.”

“Maybe we can heal them
together.” Rand’s mouth took hers in a promising kiss.

* * *

Callie paced in front of
the saloon door, then back to the large window looking out onto the busy
street. She’d been like a sentry for the past hour but had no idea why or what
she waited for. Until she saw Rand again, she couldn’t keep still. He’d tried
to allay her fears, but he’d only managed to stir them even more. If Tyler was up to no good, what would happen when Rand found him?

After their talk behind
the church, he’d walked her back and left her at the saloon entrance. Anxious
to get out of her hot clothes, she’d quickly changed into a comfortable skirt
and a white cotton blouse before stationing herself by the door to wait.

Although much cooler now
than in her church dress, she felt a rush of heat wash over her whenever she
thought of Rand’s kiss. It’d been full of promise, yet if he left in the
morning, there was no guarantee she’d ever see him again.

Callie swiped away a few
stray hairs that had fallen in her face and remembered how Rand’s gentle fingers
had smoothed her hair behind her neck yesterday. Closing her eyes, she saw the
field once more and relived the closeness they’d shared.

As she opened her eyes
and gazed out the window again, she noticed a man leading a horse down the
center of the street. Her heart stopped. It looked like Rand, yet his clothes
were all awry and dirty and he walked with an odd sort of limp.

She stared, waiting for
him to get closer, looking for some sign of recognition. Slowly, he doffed his
hat at someone on the boardwalk, an act she’d seen him do a number of times,
and knew without a doubt it was Rand.

“Becky, he’s back! I
think he’s hurt.” She ran out to the street to meet the bedraggled gambler,
rushing into his arms, not caring who watched.

“You’re hurt! What happened?”

Rand
eased an arm around her shoulder, brushing aside
her long hair and resting his cheek on the top of her head.

“I’m a little bruised,
but nothing a hot soak won’t cure.”

“Why are you limping?
Did you meet up with Tyler?” She had a million questions, but couldn’t get them
out fast enough.

They’d reached the
saloon and Rand stopped to hitch the horse. Becky, waiting at the steps, took
the reins from him.

“No. I rode out about a
mile. In the distance I could see a horse but no rider. I decided to move in
and investigate, but I didn’t see the wire until it was too late. My horse
spooked and threw me, I’m ashamed to say.”

“It’s nothing to be
ashamed of, Rand,” Becky blurted. “Even the best riders get thrown when their
horse is spooked.”

“Thanks, Becky. Unfortunately,
right now I don’t feel like one of the best riders.”

“What wire?” Callie
asked, confused.

Rand
grunted as he tried to find a comfortable
stance. “Someone, probably Tyler, apparently strung a wire across the road to
trip up any surprise visitors.”

“Well, come on in and
sit down,” Becky urged. “You don’t look like you could stand another minute. By
the way, why didn’t you ride back? Your horse looks okay.”

His eyes downcast, he
shuffled his boots in the dirt. “Thanks for the offer, Becky, but I really need
to get back to the hotel.”

Callie, who’d been
silently inspecting the tall proud man, realized he was hiding something. She
noted small tears in his pants on the leg he favored. His coat had bits of
greenery and what looked like brambles stuck to it, and dried blood spattered
his hand.

“Rand,” she said, “do
you need medical attention?”

He ran his hand over his
face. “No. I just need to get to the hotel.” Then, as though coming to a
decision, he shook his head back and forth and let out a pathetic little
chuckle. “I got myself into a bit of a sticky situation. Or maybe I should say
it got me.” He turned to her, eyes pleading for understanding. “When the horse
threw me, I landed on the side of the road on a cactus. I have spines stuck in
me from the back of my thigh on up to my rump and they ain’t comfortable.
That’s why I couldn’t ride.”

Callie gasped. She
grimaced at the thought of what it must have felt like, what it must feel like
even now.

Becky placed firm hands
on her shapely hips. “Well, shoot, what do you think you’re going to do at the
hotel?”

“I was planning on a
good soak in a hot tub for one thing.”

Becky snickered. “Rand, honey, you’re not as smart as you look. Those cactus spines need to be
pulled.
No amount of soaking will get them out.”

He hung his head, “I
suppose I could see if the Doc is available.”

Without a pause, Becky
grabbed his arm and tugged him into the saloon. “Get yourself in here. No need
to be bothering the Doc for such a piddly thing. If I can pluck eyebrows, I
sure as tootin’ can pluck cactus spines.”