Loving a Lawman

by Kristen Iten

  “Sorry, partner, I’m plumb out. That sweet tooth of yours is going to do you in one day.” Micah chuckled and offered Sky a seat. The sheriff was all business when he sat down and watched the other man sip the steaming liquid. “Well?”

  “Bitter.” Sky puckered his lips and spoke with squinted eyes. “You always used to blame your horrible coffee on that old tin can we used to brew the stuff.” He tapped his index finger to his forehead. “But now we know different.” He took another sip and grimaced.

  “That’s not what I’m talking about. What’s the word on the Garret boys?”

  “They’re as stupid as ever.” Sky reached into his vest and produced a curved, metal object. He tossed it on the desk in front of Micah. “One of their animals threw a shoe.”

  “So they’re either planning to steal another horse—”

  “Or they’re planning to stick around here for a while. Their trail makes no sense. They’re not going anywhere but around in circles. They seem to be heading back this direction in a roundabout way, but they’ve changed course so often, who can say?”

  Sky ran his finger along the edge of the eagle feather on the hat sitting in his lap. He looked Micah dead in the eyes with a rare serious expression on his face. “Something about those boys isn’t right. That’s why I came here to warn you. You need to be real careful, old man.”

  Sky stood and downed the remaining coffee in his cup. He smacked his lips and set the cup on Micah’s desk. “Thanks for the horrible coffee. It was just like old times.” He placed his black hat back on his head. Its wide brim cast a shadow over his caramel colored skin.

  “You moving out already?”

  “Yeah, even a Cherokee tracker like me doesn’t like to let the trail get too cold. I just wanted to let you know that they don’t seem to have any plans to move on to the next town.” A gust of wind blew fallen leaves swirling through the door when Sky opened it. “Keep your eyes open and your guns cocked.”

  “Hey,” Micah called out as Sky stepped through the door. The Marshal stopped and looked over his shoulder at the sheriff with shining brown eyes. “Keep those conchos polished,” he said.

  Sky reached down and rubbed his sleeve over one of the silver conchos adorning his black leather chaps. “Always.” The hint of a smile crept back into his face before he disappeared through the doorway.

  Rosie hadn’t been able to calm her nerves ever since a messenger boy delivered a telegram that morning. She stood on her front porch clutching a small, folded piece of paper. Concern pinched her face as she absently twisted a loose curl around her finger. Her weight shifted to the balls of her feet as she stretched to her full height and leaned over the railing as far as she dared.

  She strained forward for the tenth time, hoping to catch a glimpse of Carson returning to town, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  Grabbing two hands full of her skirt, she plopped heavily into her rocking chair. The nervous energy coursing through her body wouldn’t let her sit still for long. The porch creaked beneath her with the rhythm of her rocking chair.

  She opened the telegram once again and studied the words scrawled on the paper.

  Cousin deathly ill. Come now.

  The words caused her blood to run cold. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, but it did little to settle her nerves. So many questions filled her mind, but there was one thing she was certain of; she had to set off for her cousin’s home today.

  Carson should have been back hours ago and truth be told, this was the first time that his tardiness had ever bothered her. Today was different. She needed him to get back, so he could drive her to go see her cousin. Where is that man? She only had one living blood relative, and she wasn’t about to let her down.

  Her fingertips trailed across a horizontal plank of wood on the front of her house as she looked into the distance. The events of the past two days played over in her mind. She hadn’t felt so lost since the day her father passed away. Few things in life had turned out the way she had hoped. Now, everything dear to her seemed to be broken beyond repair.

  She paused when her fingers came to rest on a nail in the wood. Her father had hammered it into place many years before. Her chest tightened as tears welled up in her eyes once more. Touching it was as close as she would ever come to touching him again in this life.

  After all these years, the head of the nail was still flush with the surface of the wood. Her father knew his craft. When he built something, it stayed built. When he fixed something, it stayed fixed.

  “If only you were here now, you’d know what to do.” The soft tone of Rosie’s voice was overpowered by the relentless wind whipping down the street.

  She swiped at a single tear trailing down her cheek when she heard the clatter of Carson’s rig approaching. The rocking chair slammed into the porch railing when she leapt to her feet and rushed into the street to meet him.

  “Don’t get down. I’m coming up there with you,” she said.

  “Your exuberance takes my breath away. I’ve missed you, too.” Carson’s jovial expression melted into a soft gaze. “I’m beginning to see why men marry. It is a wonderful feeling to know that a beautiful woman is pining for your return.”

  Rosie heaved herself into the carriage unassisted and dropped breathlessly onto the seat beside him. “Carson, it’s about time you learned that not everything in this life is about you.” The words came out sharper than any she had ever spoken before. It hadn’t been her intention, but there was no time for apologies. “We need to leave now.”

  “What?” Carson’s brow was thick with confusion. “I just got back into town. I have a lot of work—”

  “That can wait. I need to you to drive me to my cousin’s house right now.” Rosie laid a hand delicately on his forearm. “She’s at death’s door. I have to go see if there is anything I can do for her.”

  “I see.” His voice was flat. Rosie looked on as his calculating mind thought the situation over for a moment before he spoke again. “What’s wrong with your cousin?”

  “I don’t know. I receive a telegram this morning telling me to come quickly because she’s deathly ill.”

  “Is it contagious?” The velvety tone of his voice did little to conceal the underlying selfishness of his last statement.

  “How should I know?” Rosie stood and pointed down the road. “All I know is that it’s a long ride over, and I’ve been waiting to leave all day.”

  Rosie startled at the sound of a man clearing his throat on the ground behind her.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she gasped, “Micah.” The breathless word was barely audible. Her pulse raced faster than her mind when their eyes locked.

  His mustache shifted uneasily as his fingers turned his hat round and round in his hands. He cleared his throat once again. “I’ve got news of the outlaws. What’s going on here?”

  “Good to see you, Sheriff.” Carson hopped to the ground and patted his horse’s rump.

  “Carson, we need to leave quickly. Where are you going?” Rosie sat back down, exasperated with her future husband.

  “You know, Rose, this demanding side of you is not all that attractive. You should take a lesson from me.” He closely inspected the sleeves of his jacket and brushed at the dust that had gathered there during his ride. “You’d never catch me demanding so much of another person.” He rearranged the reins and handed them to Micah. “Take care of this for me, will you, Sheriff?”

  Rosie’s mouth hung open in shock. She spoke up one final time, her voice thick with emotion. “She’s the only family I’ve got left, Carson.”

  He sprung onto the porch with one leaping bound and spun around to face her. He flashed a bright smile with arms outstretched. “Nonsense, my dear. You’ve got me haven’t you?” Carson chuckled to himself. “Women and their emotions, am I right, Micah?”

  The anger that flashed in Micah’s eyes surprised Rosie. Every muscle in his body was rigid. His left eye twitched as he glared through narrowed eyes
at the man looking down on him from the porch. “I don’t reckon there’s anything wrong with Miss Rosie that a little understanding from you wouldn’t cure.” His demeanor softened when he turned to face her. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “It’s just awful, Micah. I got a telegram this morning saying that my cousin is seriously ill. I’ve got to go to her—”

  “Rose, you must understand my position,” Carson interrupted. “The election is a mere two weeks away. You can’t ask me to put my health at risk when so much is at stake.”

  Micah reached up and squeezed Rosie’s hand. “I’ll take you,” he said.

  Rosie looked at the large, tan hand enveloping her own. Her skin tingled at his reassuring touch. Warmth flooded her body as her anxiety melted away. A flush of pink rushed into her cheeks when she lifted her gaze to meet his eyes.

  Carson clapped his hands together. “Perfect! It’s just like I say, things always have a way of working out. Take good care of my girl, Sheriff.”

  “It’s a long ride.” She searched Micah’s eyes for any signs of regret but found none.

  “Then we best be on our way.” He took his seat next to Rosie and gave the reins a gentle flick. “There’s something I need to grab at the jail, and then we’ll be on our way.”

  Rosie turned to wave goodbye to Carson, but he’d already gone inside. She sighed. Till death us do part was a very long time.

  Chapter 10

  Micah dried his sweaty palms on the front of his pants before taking hold of the repeater rifle resting in the gun rack behind his desk. The sinewy muscles in his long arms tensed as he chambered a round. He stuffed an extra box of shells into one of his saddle bags and slung them over his shoulder.

  He paused at the door and blew a long breath past his shaggy, russet mustache. The weight of his predicament had sunken in the second he sat down next to Rosie in the carriage.

  Only yesterday afternoon, he had decided it would be best to steer clear of her as much as possible; it would make things easier for the both of them. But for the first time in his life, he had spoken before thinking, and now he was about to hit the trail with her.

  His stomach did a flip when he thought of the warmth that radiated from her when they were seated next to each other in the carriage. It had sent a surge of excitement through his body like nothing he’d felt in years.

  Even though he was still angry about Carson’s selfish display, he was relieved that she wouldn’t be out on the trail alone with him. Between Sky and Cole, he knew the town would be in good hands, but he didn’t trust Carson as far as he could throw him when it came to protecting Rosie.

  He pushed his way through the door and out into the open air.

  “Oh my, what’s all that for?” Rosie asked.

  Micah placed the rifle on the floorboard of his side of the carriage. “You know me. I don’t feel properly dressed without my guns.” There was no need to worry Rosie with his concerns. She had enough on her mind as it was.

  He flopped the heavy leather saddlebags behind their seat. “And these are my travel bags. I packed them the day after those outlaws hit your place. I wanted to be ready to hit the trail at a moment’s notice, if necessary.”

  “Aren’t saddlebags meant to be used with a saddle?”

  It warmed Micah’s heart to see the familiar playful glint in Rosie’s eyes. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever see it again after what had happened between them.

  “I reckon I’m more of a maverick than I realized.” The corner of his mouth pulled into a smile.

  The carriage jostled as Micah climbed in and took his seat. He snatched up the reins and clicked his tongue at the horse. Rosie grabbed his arm to steady herself when the carriage lurched forward.

  He looked down at the slender fingers wrapped around his arm, placing his hand on hers. They gazed into each other’s eyes for a few moments as if yesterday had never happened. Once again Micah was lost in Rosie’s clear blue eyes. He snapped out of his trance when her face suddenly clouded with uneasiness. Her cheeks filled with color, and she released his arm, folding her hands in her lap.

  “I-I hope you packed some snacks in those saddlebags,” Rosie stammered. “It’s about a four hour ride.” The quiver in her voice betrayed feelings bubbling up just beneath the surface.

  “It wouldn’t be a travel bag without jerked beef and hard tack.” He forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

  The carriage stopped just outside the general store. Micah whistled loudly and called out, “Deputy Cole Barton.” He looked at Rosie. “If I were a bettin’ man, I’d be willing to lay good money down that he’s in there.” He gave her a knowing wink.

  Cole appeared on the raised sidewalk outside the store. “What’s up, boss?”

  “I’m driving Miss Rosie to her cousin’s house. You’ve got the town ‘til I get back. Can you handle it?”

  “Yes, sir. I wouldn’t want to let this here badge go to waste.” Cole polished his badge with the cuff of his sleeve.

  “Sky came back this morning. Says one of the Garret boys’ horses threw a shoe. It don’t look like they’re planning to move on. Keep a sharp look out.”

  Cole’s expression turned serious. “Will do, boss.”

  With one flick of the reins, the carriage was rolling once again. Even though Rosie was seated right next to him, she felt farther away than ever before. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for a long, lonely ride.

  The sun was lowering in the western sky. Soon, it would sink beneath the horizon completely. Rosie and Micah had barely spoken a word in the last hour. The silence stretching between them tugged at her heart. Her stomach knotted inside her as she struggled to find the right words to say. How do I tell the man I love that I’m engaged to somebody else?

  She sat restlessly in her seat, weaving her finger into a ringlet that had fallen out of her bun. The fiery colors of the evening were just beginning to show in the clouds above. A mixture of glowing salmon and orange illuminated the billowy contours of the cloudy sky.

  Rosie rubbed her arms and hugged herself, warding off the chill of a strong gust of wind. Micah pulled a blanket from behind them and draped it around her shoulders for warmth.

  “Thank you.” The words sounded thin as they left her mouth. No matter how snug she held the blanket around her body, she couldn’t find relief from the cold. It was as if the warm light of love that had existed within her had been put out, leaving behind a cold, empty shell of her former self. She let out a long, shaky breath, feeling as broken as her front window.

  “It’s going to be all right, you know?” Micah’s voice cut through the silence. “No matter what happens, you’ll come through it.”

  The kindness in his deep, bass voice tore at her heart. She swallowed hard before speaking barely above a whisper. “I said yes.” She hadn’t looked Micah in the eye since they left town, and she couldn’t bring herself to do it now. She chewed on the inside of her cheek for a moment before feeling compelled to fill the silence. “To Carson, I mean.”

  Micah’s chin wrinkled as he pressed his lips together and gave a slow nod.

  “I’m going to marry him.” Another long silence passed. “I guess I just figured I ought to tell you.”

  The carriage jolted and lurched to the side as one of the wheels hit a good sized bump in the trail. Rosie lifted her eyes to the horizon once again. She watched the black silhouettes of a flock of birds as they flew as a single unit. The ever changing shape of their formation appeared to be chaotic at first glance, but the longer Rosie watched, the more she saw it for the purposeful, fluid dance that it truly was. She wondered if there was any purpose behind the chaos of her life at the moment.

  “Will that make you happy?” Micah rested his elbows on his knees as he spoke the words.

  Rosie gazed over her shoulder and watched the tall, dried grasses as they swayed in the wake of their carriage. Though it was a simple question, she didn’t know how to answer. If she went away with Carson
, would she spend the rest of her life looking back? Regret stalked in the back of her mind.

  “It will be nice to be needed again,” she said. “I haven’t been truly needed since my father passed away.”

  “Is that all you want out of life? To be needed?” The wind had died down as the sun continued to sink lower, nearly touching the horizon. “You deserve more.”

  “Maybe I do, but when am I going to find someone who’ll be willing to give it to me?” Rosie suddenly looked up into his eyes. “I’ve spent a lifetime waiting, Micah. I waited for my father to get well—he never did. I waited for my first love to come back for me—he never did. I waited for…”

  Rosie’s cheeks flushed, and she glanced quickly away. “Well, I’ve waited for a lot of things. Now, I finally have a chance at something real. It may not be perfect, but it’s all I’ve got.”

  She couldn’t be sure in the dim light of early evening, but she thought Micah’s eyes turned glassy. “As long as you’re happy …” His words trailed off into another long silence.

  They rode on for some time in the deep blue-gray light of a fast approaching night, listening to nothing but the sound of squeaking harnesses and the plodding of hooves.

  “Is that it?” Micah pointed to a far off house in the distance with tiny points of warm light streaming from the windows.

  “I don’t know. Margaret just moved back to Texas with her husband less than a month ago. I haven’t seen her in years. The house is along this road, but I’m not sure which one it is. I’ve never been here before.”

  “Let’s ride on over and see about getting some directions.” Micah steered the horse off the main road and toward the homestead.

  Rosie laid a hand on his forearm. “Thanks for this, Micah. You really are a true friend.” She gave his arm a light squeeze before placing her hand back in her lap. Friend. If that was all he had to offer her, she’d rather have that than nothing.