Theo Edwards needed to speak with his landlady. She had lived in the area long enough to know about the Snap family. Perhaps, she might even know some of the people Mr. Snap claimed Melvin Edwards had cheated.
Heading toward the kitchen, he called out for her. The woman poked her head out of a small room situated behind the staircase.
“In here, Mr. Edwards. Join me.”
Moving around the back of the stairs, he ducked his head to enter what must have been meant as a storeroom. A dressmaker’s form stood in one corner, wearing a ruffled dress. Miss Mary Lisa’s, probably. That woman never appeared without a sea of ruffles surrounding her.
“I’d like to ask you about the Snap family, ma’am. Have you known them long?”
The woman wore a secretive smile as she looked beyond his shoulder. “Funny that you would mention them.”
Theo looked around. There, in the doorway, stood a vision in green. The day before, she’d attracted him while hidden in a blanket. Now, in a gown, she took his breath away. Literally. He stared, mouth agape.
Ginger wrung her hands as he stood, struck dumb. When she turned to run away, Mrs. Hooper stopped her.
“Ginger, come in here. We need to adjust the bodice, I think.” Her words pulled Theo from his bemusement.
“Miss Snap, you are lovely. Might I hope you’re preparing for next week’s celebration?”
At her small nod, he grinned. “Please save me a dance.”
Turning to his landlady, Theo smiled weakly. “I don’t believe now is the time for my questions. Perhaps after dinner this evening?”
She bobbed her head with a giggle before giving her attention to any alterations the vision in emerald might need. With a last look at the shapely young woman, Theo left the room.
Once the women were alone, Ginger sagged onto a stool. “I—I, uh, think this was the perfect dress for you to give me. He seems, well, interested.”
The older woman looked at the door Theo had just closed before answering. “Entranced is the word, not interested. You should reconsider his idea of the Lord bringing you two together. Seems to be quite a draw between you.”
Reddening, Ginger ducked her head and pulled at the bodice. “We maybe should start with this area.”
Clucking, Mrs. Hooper picked up her pin cushion with a shake of her head. “Alright. I know when someone wants to change the subject.”
Then she laughed, “Time for me to play fairy godmother, Cinderella.”
If she hadn’t ridden the saddle horse in that day, Ginger’s life would have been routine. She did ride the horse, and that was why she happened to be in the livery at the wrong time.
After leaving Mrs. Hooper’s, Ginger rushed through the streets. The afternoon sun was waning. She hadn’t meant to stay so long. It was only Mrs. Hooper’s offer to stay for the evening meal that alerted Ginger to the time. She had cows to milk and needed to rush back to the farm.
At the livery, Whitey didn’t appear. He must be out at her farm, starting early on Step Pappy’s brew.
Shrugging, she grabbed her tack and pushed into Red’s assigned stall, at the rear of the building. The gelding blew her a welcome and she patted his neck as she slipped the bridle over his head. Something in the sudden voices she heard near the front kept her from speaking to the horse.
“—couldn’t bribe the guards, so we’ll have to snatch the shipment here in Kearney.” A cold, deep voice detailed a plan. Suddenly, Ginger realized she was listening to a band of outlaws.
“But, what about the guards? Won’t they stay with it until it’s on the train?”
She heard a derisive snort. “That’s just the thing. They leave it for the railroad then. We can get at the gold easier than up in The Hills or on its way to Kearney.”
An evil laugh sounded. “Anyways, we got an ace in the whole with our man in Kearney.”
Hills. The man must mean the Black Hills, where a sort of gold rush was happening. Red shifted next to her and nickered. At the noise, the discussion halted.
Footsteps sounded close to the stall, causing Ginger to hunch into a ball. Hopefully, the dark corner and Red’s bulk would hide her.
The sound moved away from her again. Still, she didn’t raise her head.
“Just a horse. Morely, you ride up to The Hills and watch that Chicago shipment. We need to know a date.”
A whiny voice spoke up. “How come you know ‘bout the shipment and you don’t know no date?”
A cry and then a board of one of the stalls groaned like someone had been thrown against it.
“Got a partner who has eyes up there and here in Kearney, don’t I? You jest shut up and do what I says, Jessup.”
So, it was more than just this gang. Someone in Kearney was behind this gold robbery. But who?
“Curly, you stay with Jessup out at the farm my partner got for us. Morely’ll come out one night when we need you. Otherwise, stay outta sight, both of you.”
Mumbles and grumbles slowly faded. Soon, the livery was silent again.
Ginger waited. After several minutes, she uncurled and finished saddling Red. Leading him quietly out of the stall, she breathed a sigh of relief to see the livery empty.
Gripping the saddle’s pommel, she raised her foot into the stirrup. The heavy hand on her shoulder caused her to yelp.
A deep, cold voice sounded in the darkness of the livery’s interior. “Thought so. Good thing I stayed behind to see who was listening.”
Caught!
A beefy paw settled on Ginger’s shoulder. The odor of sweat and tobacco radiated from the man behind her. It had to be the one in charge.
Ginger thanked God for her disguise as a boy. At least, the person wouldn’t try to harm her in that way. Then, she sent up a silent prayer for help.
She turned slowly under the pinching grip of the fist. In the weak light of the lantern, Ginger looked up into a face that should have been her answer to the prayer of protection.
Sheriff Riley!
The lawman spoke over his shoulder. “Collins, what you want to do with the boy?”
So, the sheriff wasn’t in charge. Why would the lawman want to be a part of this gang? Didn’t sheriffs take an oath to uphold the law or something?
“For the money, stupid. No oath’s worth more than this gold shipment.” Scorn had Sheriff Riley spitting as he said those words. Then he chuckled and spoke with a low, humorless voice. “Did you hear his voice, Collins? Must be scared to sound so much like a girl?”
Ginger hadn’t realized that she spoke out loud. She’d failed to disguise her voice. Thank goodness the man assumed her real voice had been a result of fear.
After all, she truly feared what would happen to her! Strangely, out of the hundreds of verses she’d memorized with her mother, one came to her mind. It ran like a current of water from her head and through her whole body, bringing an unexpected peace with it.
Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. This verse, the first one in Isaiah 43, rolled through her mind, echoing its promise.
She had committed her life to the Lord as a young girl. Today, she lived a lie. No matter, she felt as if a voice inside her reassured Ginger that she still belonged to the Lord.
The two men talked in low tones between themselves. After a moment, the man named Collins drew his gun and approached Ginger.
The end of the gun barrel gouged into Ginger’s temple. The metal felt cold, even with the warmth of the June night. “Boy, you want to die?”
At Ginger’s silence, the man snorted. “Sheriff here gave me another idea. Seems your pa’s always on the lookout for a quick way to make money.”
She nodded nervously. The gun rubbed painfully into her skin as she made the gesture.
“We’re a man shy after I got rid of Meyers.” Collins ran a finger suggestively across his throat in a slashing motion. It told Ginger that he hadn’t fired the man. She faced a confessed murderer.
Hard, cold words came fro
m Collins. “You can take care of our horses and do other small things I need. Or--” He paused to let Ginger understand his offer. “—you can join Meyers.”
This was the help and protection she’d prayed for? An offer to join a gang of murderers and thieves would be her salvation from death?
Rather than answer the man, Ginger looked heavenward and whispered, “Lord, have you forgotten that I’m yours? Jesus, help me!”
A voice suddenly called to Collins. He turned, shock whitening his face. At that same moment, each lantern in the stable flickered and went dark. A curtain of heavy blackness fell.
Their prisoner didn’t hesitate. Like Paul and Silas being delivered from the jail, she ran from the stable and no one tried to stop her. Though she expected shouts, at least from Sheriff Riley, Ginger raced to Mrs. Hooper’s home unimpeded.
She was free of them. But, for how long?
Chapter 8
The conductor smiled up at Miss Ginger Snap and took her hand. She stepped carefully down from the train, returning his smile. Actually, her smile hid a great deal of trepidation.
Once on the platform, Ginger glanced around. Seeing the sheriff lounging against the depot, she stiffened. Before she could duck her head, she mentally cautioned herself.
Remember, you’ve never been here. One more lie to act out. Will there ever be an end to these falsehoods?
Her name floated across several heads and reached her ears. Turning, she saw him wave at her. With great will, she held herself back from rushing to Theo Edwards.
She’d only been gone a week. How could she have forgotten how handsome he was?
Now that he stood in front of her, his gaze warmed her. Did his glance give away that they knew each other?
Sheriff Riley’s voice called Theo’s name. They both looked in the direction of the lawman. He crooked a pointer finger at them, willing them to make their way over to him.
The sheriff stood silent while his gaze wandered over Ginger. “Who you got here, Edwards?”
Theo smiled a carefree grin, as if Ginger’s very life wasn’t at stake, and introduced her. “Miss Ginger Snap, meet Sheriff Riley.”
Allowing her Tennessee drawl to slow even more, Ginger drew out her words. “How wonderful, Sheriff, to know such a strong man protects us women.”
She knew she should extend her hand for the sheriff to kiss. The thought of his touch repelled her so she kept that hand hidden in her skirts.
The man rubbed a hand along his jowls, under his chin, and grunted. “Don’t know of anything you women need protectin’ from. Might be newcomers like you are a threat.”
Ginger allowed a shocked expression to show while pretending she didn’t understand what the man had meant. After all, she’d never been in Kearney. Safety meant convincing everyone of that.
He eyed her face closely. “You look mighty familiar. Must be related to that Snap family what came from Tennessee.”
Forcing herself to relax, she beamed a smile at the sheriff. “Why, yes. Do you know my brother and family?”
Here came the hardest part. She’d brought the mention of Guy into the conversation. Would he believe that she and Guy were two separate people?
That night, nearly a week ago, she’d darted from the livery and ran for Mrs. Hooper’s. In her overly large boots, Ginger had tripped more than once. By the time she made it to the back door of the home, blood trickled from her nose and ran from her left knee.
Behind her voices shouted. She waited in the shadows behind a large maple her friend had planted. Thank the Lord it had been a fast-growing tree.
On the street, Collins stopped. Holding his lantern high, he looked toward the house. When he made his way past the gate and up the walk, Ginger shifted out of his line of sight.
She peeked around the other side of the tree, placing herself behind him by doing that. The man pounded on the door, his fist hammering the wood.
Before anyone answered, Collins let loose a string of curses that ended with a promise. “The kid’s dead when I catch him.”
Ginger swallowed her gasp. She tried to meld her body into the tree, wanting to disappear into the shadow. Carefully, she let out a soundless sigh.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty. While the tree certainly wasn’t the Almighty, He had provided it for her that night as a hiding place. She clung to the tree, silently repeating the verse from Psalm 91.
“You’ll be comforted by these scriptures one day, my dear one.” Her mother had a knowing look in her eye as she cupped her daughter’s cheek with a work-roughened hand. “The Lord’s spirit works through them to reach you.”
The memory came to Ginger as she waited. Someone had opened the door. She didn’t dare look. Instead, Ginger heard voices and then it closed. With no sound of boots on the walk, she decided the person had allowed Collins inside.
Around her, crickets chirped. Otherwise, no sound accompanied them, not even the rustle of leaves. The wind and everything else was still.
The door opening penetrated the hush. Calm vanished as both Mouse’s whine and Theo’s confident baritone echoed in the night.
“You’ve no right to search someone’s home. Go on before Mrs. Hooper has you arrested.”
Collins threw back a retort. “Not likely. Sheriff and I sort of run this town. We’ll do what—"
A metallic sound stopped Collins’ bravado. The hammer of a pistol had been pulled back. Since the outlaw sounded shocked, he couldn’t be the one holding the gun.
“Get away from my house, else I call for my cousin to bring her shotgun.” Mrs. Hooper’s no-nonsense tone split the heavy stillness.
“I’m going. People with nothin’ to hide don’t act like you two.” A growl floated on the air. “I’ll get the sheriff and be back.”
Minutes hung like hours around her as Ginger waited. When Collins’ bootsteps sounded distant in the hushed night, she slipped up to the door. Without knocking, Ginger stepped inside the house.
A flutter of wings brought cool air near her face before Beauregard landed. Perched on her shoulder, the parrot rubbed his beak into her hair.
Any other time, she’d have giggled and spoke softly to him. Tonight, time was precious. She needed her friends’ help before Collins returned with the sheriff.
Across the kitchen, Miss Mari Lisa held Mouse tightly. The dog strained to run. She looked at Ginger and smiled vaguely. “He wanted to run out the door and find you.”
Maybe the woman wasn’t as scatterbrained as Ginger believed. She’d protected Ginger’s hiding place. Thank God!
The woman released Mouse. He ran across the kitchen toward Ginger. At the last moment, he veered away and ran to the hall. The bong of the grandfather clock echoed through the house. Even his excitement over Ginger couldn’t overcome his obsession with the clock.
Shaking her head at the dog, Mrs. Hooper stepped forward. She still clutched the gun and waved it while she spoke.
“No sense wasting the good food on the table. Let’s eat while we talk.” She emphasized her words by pointing the gun toward the dining room.
Both Theo and Ginger chorused, “No.” Ginger looked at him in surprise.
Theo’s baritone whisper sounded loud in the sudden quiet of the room. Even Beauregard looked his way with dark, beady eyes. “Collins is coming back. He has to be hidden. Guy’s in a lot of trouble.”
Ginger smiled sadly. “Hiding won’t work. I have to be gone from town.” A shudder raced through her. “They’re going to kill me.”
The words propelled Mrs. Hooper into action. “Theo, dear, go buy a horse from Mr. Roper next door. Saddle and anything he has to go with it. And hurry.”
Before Theo left, she cautioned him. “Tell him it’s a special favor for me. That needs to be a part of his price.” She shoved bills at him as he moved to the back door.
Ginger warned, “Move in the shadows. They may be watching the house.”
Theo nodded before
rushing off. That left the women alone in the softly lit kitchen.
“No time for you to tell me what you’ve gotten into. Here’s what you’ll do.” Then Mrs. Hooper outlined the plan.
Riding off within ten minutes, Ginger kept to the dark alley behind the houses on this side of Kearney. From between two homes, she spied the sheriff and Collins headed to the house whose white paint seemed to glow in the darkness.
Just in time!
A carpet bag with women’s clothing and grooming items had been hastily packed. Mrs. Hooper stuffed additional funds into it. “Buy decent clothes at Fort Kearney. That is, if you can. Talk to the men there about the situation. After all, the army seems involved with the gold shipment.”
The bag now lay against the sorrel she rode. Theo had quickly tied it onto the saddle. He’d wished aloud that he could go with “the kid”. If he’d realized she was a girl, Ginger suspected nothing would have stopped him.
Today, she stood on the platform with her gloved hand in the crook of a handsome man’s arm. The lace on the sleeve of her new light green traveling suit waved in the soft early July breeze. One of the wives at the fort took pity on her and sold her the outfit.
She’d been able to find sturdy calico dresses at the fort’s outpost. It had nothing as fancy as what she now wore so Mrs. Atkins had kindly offered a traveling suit, one she could no longer wear after the birth of her fourth child.
Still standing in front of her, Sheriff Riley turned his head and spat a stream of brown juice to the side of her skirts. Ginger quickly pulled cloth away from the shower of tobacco juice and scowled.
“Sir, really!”
He grinned. “I’m lookin’ for Guy Snap. You heard from him?”
Ginger felt the intensity of his eyes on her, measuring her slightest reaction. Keep calm. Smile.
“I’m only now arriving, Sheriff. How would I know anything about my brother? He’s no letter writer, you know.” Her tone was light and high. Almost shrill. Hopefully, he would believe she was an empty-headed female.
“Sure enough, you look a lot like your brother.” He turned to spit again. At the movement, Ginger took a step away. It was enough of a signal. Theo moved them on, away from the sheriff.
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