by Amy Field
Slowly wrapping the cat into the shawl she carried was wearing, and hurried through town to her office. She didn’t see Cole come through the door, or register the fact that he was watching her.
Laying the cat onto the table, she quickly went to work and gave it something to help it sleep. She was just starting to stitch up the large cut in its leg when she heard the door open. Jumping, she looked up.
“Oh, it’s you.”
“Yeah, It’s just me. What you got there?”
“Sorry, I thought you were him.”
“Him who? What’s going on Ruby?”
“Well, I was coming to the office to get something when I heard a loud screech then when I came around the corner I saw this cat, then a man running away.”
“Ruby, what did I tell you about going and investigating stuff?”
“First of all, I wasn’t investigating nothing. Second, I didn’t hear you tell me anything.”
He shook his head at her as his eyes clouded with anger. “The doc just went out to the Wilson farm. It seems that they and the two farms next to them have come upon some dead cows in their herds. This guy... this stranger, whoever it is doing this to animals isn’t too stable. Who knows what he’ll do next? I would tell you to stay put, but you wouldn’t listen to me if I told you to. Would you?”
He could tell by the way her hands lifted to her hips, and her head cocked to the side that she wasn’t doing any of his biddings.
He sighed and rolled his eyes.
“Fine then. Let’s find out who this cat belongs to and then I’ll find Steven to take you home and keep an eye on you for a while.”
Ruby's voice rose in indignation.
“I don’t need anyone to look after me. Besides, I have some other information on this guy that I want to look into.” Her eyebrow rose slowly towards him.
“What information, Ruby? If you stick your nose into this investigation, then I will throw you in jail for tampering with what is going on.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she replied cockily.
Chapter 7
Shotgun Wedding
Ruby and Cole stood eyeing each other for a few seconds at arm's length.
She could tell by the smile he gave her that it would give him immense pleasure to do just that - throw her over his shoulder and carry her off to jail.
“Try me,” Cole challenged her.
“Oh!” She stomped her foot on the ground in frustration. She knew she looked like a little kid, but she couldn’t help it. She was so mad at him she could spit fire.
“Fine. The guy that ran away today had a limp. I noticed that new guy that took a job at the Wilson farm had a limp as well, and I remember seeing him at the picnic. He was heading towards Mabel’s.” Her arms folded in front of her. She knew what was coming from his mouth before he made an attempt to say it even.
She was already shaking her head defiantly before he started talking. “Thanks for the lead, now you need to go home. You cannot go into Mabel’s. It’s not proper. I will get Steven to help me.”
“If it isn’t proper for me, then it isn’t proper for him.”
Cole’s burst of laugh vibrated off the walls.
“Honey, if you think that Steven Jacobs has not been into Mabel’s then you are plum crazy. He’s been there almost double the amount I’ve been there which has been plenty.”
“You are despicable!”
“Yep.” He laughed as he turned on his heel and made his way away from her. “Go home.” He said over his shoulder.
Home was the last place that she was going. She needed to find the culprit and see to it that he was punished. She waited a little bit after he left before she made her way to the front of the building. Seeing the doctor's spare coat and hat, she grabbed them and ran home to change into the breeches she had brought from home. Tucking her dark strands into her hat, she slipped on the coat and then made her way to Mabel’s place, disguised.
The place was loud with music and laughter, but then again it always was, especially at this time of night. She slowly crept into the building, and what she saw left her wide-eyed. Young women were walking around in nothing more than their underwear, which left nothing to the imagination. She looked down instantly as a busty blonde come over to her.
“Hey, sugar. You new here?”
“Yeah.” Her voice came out gruffer instead of deep, and she grimaced inwardly. It took her a few tense seconds to finally got rid of the girl she made her way upstairs, her cover still intact.
At the top of the stairs, she saw the man she was looking for limp down the hallway. She quietly made her way behind him, careful to be discreet. He went into a room, and then left again a few moments later. He was coming her way then, and she felt herself become nervous as she quickly hid her face. He brushed past her and went down the stairs, so she made her way to the room he was occupying at the time. Slowly she slipped inside. She was standing by the bed, not sure what to do next, when the door opened, and someone grabbed her from behind. The grip on her arm was painful.
“Alright, buddy. I have some questions for you.” Cole’s voice came to her in a harsh whisper.
Her small foot came down hard on his instep, catching him off-guard as he yelped. She came around to push her fist into his stomach causing him to double over. The last thing she needed was a lecture from Mr. High and Mighty, so she turned and started making her way away our of the room before he could identify her. He grabbed her just as she reached the door and spun her around to look at him.
His eyes widened in shock when he saw her. She hadn’t noticed that her hat had fallen off, and her hair tumbled down to her waist. Her head raised a notch.
“If you don’t’ let me go then I’m going to scream!” she whispered.
“Go ahead. What do you think the people are going to think of you when they find out you frequent Mabel’s?”
She stomped her foot at him again and began to yell. “You are such an insufferable and obnoxious…” Her words were cut off with his lips. She felt the warmth of his lips touch hers, and all thought left her mind.
The door suddenly swung open wide, and light flooded the room. She gasped as she looked up at the handful of people who walked into the room. Mabel led them as well as the man she had been following. She grimaced as she saw the doctor and Steven come up behind them. She realized that they were in a compromising position and immediately pushed away to put space between them.
“Oh, there is the man.”
“I think we have other problems to deal with.”
“What?”
She looked in the direction he was pointing. There, through the railing, were all of the town's population of single men. The music had stopped, and all eyes were gazing their direction.
Steven spoke up first.
“Well, Cole, you know what this means,” he said angrily.
“What?” Cole said defensively as he threw his hands in the air.
“It means you’re now off the table sugar. I’ll go give Mabel the bad news.” He sighed as she gave him a woeful look before leaving, followed by the others.
Ruby looked from one man to the other. “What are you talking about? What is he talking about?”
Cole ignored her.
“You have got to be kidding me, Steven. Really?” He shouted after the disappearing men. Cole began to pace before he went to slam the door shut, then opened it back up. “You think it is necessary, don’t you?”
“I do. You have to do what’s right by her,” Steven stopping on the staircase.
“Just a minute. Can someone tell me what’s going on here?” Ruby stomped her foot again. She looked over to see Cole make his way to her and glare in her direction.
“We are getting married. That’s what.”
Chapter 8
I Do
Ruby turned to glare at Steven. She gestured in Cole's direction.
“What in the world is he talking about?”
“You have to get married, Ruby. I
t’s the only way.”
“The only way for what?”
“For you to continue being the doctor here.”
“I don’t understand. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Because if you want to be the doctor, and for people to trust you then you have to be a well-respected woman. I’m sorry to say, Ruby, but finding you in the arms of a man alone in a bedroom doesn’t look very trustworthy. What in the world were you doing? No, never mind. I don’t want to know.” He shook his head at her with a look of disbelief on his face.
“I do recall this being my life, Steven,” Ruby said defensively.
“And I do recall you being under my care.”
With a glare, she stomped from the room and down the stairs. There was no way she was marrying that insufferable man. NO way! She made her way across the street to the jail and stormed inside. The investigation and everything involving it disappeared from her mind at that moment.
Cole stood against the back wall of the room with his ankles crossed and his hands over his chest. His hat was low over his head as he spoke.
“I told you I would marry the she-devil. What else do you want, Steven? I’m giving up my life here for you.” His head came up, and his eyes widened. He apparently wasn’t expecting to see Ruby there.
“For your information, you rake, I am not going to marry you.”
“Yes, you are,” Cole stated matter of factly like there was no more room for discussion.
“No, I am not!”
“You will marry me or I will lock you up in that cage right there and refuse to let you out until you do.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you marry me? It apparently is going to ruin your life. Why do it then?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do. And because I would do it for Steven.”
She was shocked by the sincerity in his voice.
“You respect him.” It was more of a statement than a question.
“Yes.” He turned from her, and she thought he had dismissed her until he started talking. “Long ago, Steven found me on the side of a remote track in a bad state and got me back to the doctor. If it weren't for him, the Indians would have finished me off, but even though he could see the cloud of dust of approaching Indians, he got me to safety. When I came to town I had been with the Indians going on for six years, and yet it was Steven who got me hired as sheriff. I owe him everything. Everything I have and my life. I would do almost anything for him including marrying some loudmouth woman who can’t keep her mouth shut.”
“Wow, that’s… " Ruby started, but then caught herself.
"I do not have a loud mouth, and furthermore, if you think I’m loud now, then you haven’t seen nothing yet.”
“Remember how I silenced you last time,” he said with a wicked grin. Her face flamed when she thought of how he had kissed her.
“No-one will come in here.”
“Yes, but you will be my wife soon so…” He took a step forward then. Ruby started.
“No, I won’t!”
She ran from the building. She heard his laughter from behind her. Just then a group of women came up to her laughing and giggling about her wedding coming up. Word got around this town fast, she thought to herself, reluctantly stopping to listen to them. They were all so excited for her and babbled on about how they made such a wonderful couple. She looked back to see him sitting in the chair on the porch of his office. The smile he sent to her signaled many things, but most of all it said that there was no way out of it. They would be married, and she would be his.
Finally, she made her way towards her house to think about what was going to happen next. She reluctantly admitted to herself that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't make such a bad couple but at the moment she couldn't face the idea of marrying a man who frustrated her so much.
The rest of the week flew by, and she didn’t see Cole at all. Finally, Friday came around. Their wedding was planned for the following day. The wedding was beautiful - the whole town had pitched in to make it a fairytale affair - and everything she could have asked for. But no-one from her family was there, and she missed them. They should be there. She should have had her father walk her down the aisle, not the doctor, although she was grateful to him. She refused to cry, and as she walked forward, her eyes met Cole's. They were shining with something more than laughter. It was closer to awe, she thought. Perhaps it was because of her stunning dress. The ladies had stayed up for the past two nights putting the final touches on her dress. It was soft and marvelous, and she lovingly petted it as she walked down the aisle. The ceremony went by too fast and the kiss he gave her at the end was little more than a peck on the lips.
She felt his arms come around her as they danced. They made small talk, neither wanting to believe that it was real, but there were moments when she would catch him looking at her, or she would look at him. While she felt happy, something bothered her, but she couldn't place her finger on it. She brushed it aside, deciding that it must be a result of the stresses she'd recently experienced.
Steven seemed overcome with happiness as he sauntered among the wedding guests, and his smile never faded.
When the sun began to set, she made her way away from the party. She was just going for a walk for a moment. Just a moment of silence.
“You really shouldn’t take off like that. Especially when I’m around.”
She turned to see the newcomer that she learned was named Will, standing on the other side of the building from her. She tried to make her escape, but he sidestepped her and blocked the exit. She could smell his bad body odor. Her head came up as she glared at him.
“Let me go!”
“Well now, as I see it, you got in the middle of me and some fun.”
“What you did was stupid and cruel is cruel. Hurting animals like that. Why would anyone get any pleasure from that?”
“Well, you see it was a dog like that one over there that cost me my walking. You see this mangy mutt came out of nowhere. Took hold of my leg and wouldn’t let go.” He lifted his trouser leg and revealed a huge scar. Ruby gasped.
“Not all animals are like that.”
“Yeah. I know. Call it a sickness.” He laughed sarcastically.
She looked over where he had just indicated and saw a lump of fur laying in the hay. She felt her breathing hitch and then her breathing slowly completely at his next words.
“Seems I need to get you out of my way,” Will said menacingly.
A voice behind them spoke up.
“Or you could just go to another town. Or I could lock you in the cell for a very long time.” She looked around to see Cole standing behind them. She watched as his eyes turned dark and he glared at Will.
“Oh, what do you care about her anyway, Sheriff?”
“A lot, Will. She’s my wife.” Now...
Chapter 9
The Rescue
Before she knew what was happening, Will lunged for her just before a shot rang out. The next moment she looked down and saw him on the ground, screaming in pain. There was blood coming from his arm. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Cole.
Shrugging, Cole made his way over to her, his revolver still in his hand.
“Are you ok?” he asked Ruby.
“Yes, but you shot him,” she said with wide eyes.
“It’s just a minor graze. All he needs is a bandage, and he’ll be fine. Promise.”
He smiled at her, and she went into his arms. She realized that Cole was more than she thought he was. He's just saved her from a vicious and vindictive character. Any doubts about how he cared for her faded, and she realized that somewhere along the way she had fallen in love with him.
Her heart thudded against her chest when she thought of what would happen later that night once they were alone in their bedroom. She knew about it but she worried too. She knew there would be pain. Her momma had also said that it was the most amazing thing in the world as
well.
Then, suddenly, she was back in the reality of the moment. With a gasp, she rushed over to the large pet laying in the hay. She was thankful that the puppy was still alive.
It took a good part of the evening and night to nurse the puppy back to health. That night she passed out on the sofa in the office with the puppy while Cole slept at the jail with Will. He would have a couple of men take turns watching him. He thought now that he was married, it might be good to hire a few deputies to take care of the jail.
The next day, they met up at Ruby's home and together took off to take the dog to its owner. Cole held the large dog in his arms as she walked beside him. They had found out the dog belonged to one of the boys in town and were on their way to where he lived. It was apparently an only child, and his mom had found him the puppy to keep him company while she worked at the diner waiting tables. They made their way to the front door, but before they could reach the porch stairs, the door swung open. A little boy no more than eight years old ran from the house towards the dog. The dog whined excitedly, and Cole put him down as they watched him limp to the little boy.
"Aw, Peaches, look at you. Come on boy!” the boy exclaimed. He held the dog in his arms for a moment. Then, as if he remembered something he turned and ran to Ruby wrapping her as tight as he could in his little arms.
“Thank you, Doc. I missed my doggie so much!”
“Your welcome honey," Ruby smiled.
She turned then as she saw a woman come from the house. She had the same sandy blonde hair as the little boy. The woman was beautiful. She had long hair and bright blue eyes. Ruby instantly felt shabby in comparison.
“Hi, Cole! Oh, it is so good to see you!” She ran up to Cole standing beside Ruby, hugged him tightly and planted a kiss firmly on his lips. The woman finally sat back from him but she kept her hands on him like she couldn’t’ touch him enough. “I’ve missed you. What happened?”
Ruby realized then that the woman and Cole were apparently quite close. She felt uneasy, like she didn’t belong there and she fidgeted on her feet hopping from one to the other almost. She watched as he smiled down at the woman and then looked to Ruby.
