Truman rested his hands on his hips and watched her walk up Angus’s porch steps, wiggling her little bottom as she went. He had half a mind to follow her in and ask her some more questions-like why she wore her hair down long and loose like that without a single pin, much less a hat or a bonnet.
Or why she always bit her lower lip just before she lifted her right hand to push her hair behind her ear. He’d seen her do it at least four times since he’d met her.
And what a mouth on her….
The things she said….
Truman exhaled sharply when the front door slammed shut behind her.
If he had any brains in his head, he’d beat himself to a jelly for getting all hot and bothered by her cute little backside, because the last thing he wanted to do was get all tangled up with a tempting fireball like Jessica Delaney and repeat past mistakes.
If he was ever going to heed his own advice and avoid getting into a barrel of trouble, now was the time, because this particular fireball was quite possibly a killer, and at the very least, a liar.
Lucky for him, she was a lousy one.
Bringing his fingers to his lips, he whistled hard. A few seconds later, Thunder came trotting up the street.
Chapter Six
* * *
THE NEXT DAY, Jessica walked into Sheriff Wade’s office and dropped the Wednesday issue of The Dodge City Chronicle onto his desk in front of him.
“Miss Delaney,” he drawled. “What a surprise.”
He sat with his long legs stretched out on the desk, a battered tin coffee cup in his hand. The instant Jessica met his devilishly handsome blue eyes, she forgot the function of that important organ inside her head and had to work hard to remember the reason for her visit.
Ever since yesterday’s titillating encounter by the gate, she’d been in a constant state of frustration, for immediately after learning that Sheriff Wade had killed six men in cold blood, all she’d been able to think about were the naughty little thrills that had wracked her body when her rear end collided with his manly parts.
How could she blame herself, though? Really. He was a gorgeous hunk of manhood, in every sense of the word–a hottie from all perspectives, and he had a way of switching on her engine lights every time he spoke.
He lifted the paper and read the headline aloud. “The Shocking True Tale of Junebug Jess, Famous Gunslinger and Killer of Soft-shelled Insects.” He set it down again and inclined his head at her. “Let me guess. You’re here to file a complaint.”
Jessica–distracted briefly by the hand-stitched designs on his black leather boots–somehow managed to meet his gaze head on. She noticed a flirtatious glimmer in his eyes this morning–the kind of look that makes a woman check to make sure all her buttons are fastened—and she felt a stirring of satisfaction.
“Yes,” she replied. “That is exactly why I am here. This is getting out of hand.”
Sheriff Wade finished his coffee and set the cup down on the desk. “Now, now. Don’t get your knickers all in a twist. There’s no harm done.”
“No harm done? Not a shred of this is true, and my knickers are not in a twist.”
“At least they got your name right,” he mentioned. “And look–they even managed to spell Virgil’s name correctly.”
Jessica sighed. “They didn’t even mention you. They said I fired the gun and scared Virgil off. I wasn’t even armed.” She picked up the newspaper, crumpled it in her hands, and threw it into the empty waste can. When she looked up, Wade was leaning back in his chair, watching her with narrowed eyes.
“Is there nothing you can do?” she asked, finally. “I don’t want any more trouble, and I don’t want people thinking I’m a killer, especially if I end up staying here a while.”
He dropped his long legs to the floor. “I thought you were just passing through.”
“Well, I’m not sure yet,” she said. “I hope to be on my way soon.”
Wade tapped a finger on the desk. “What does it matter what’s printed in the paper anyway? It’s just a few details they got wrong. It’ll all be forgotten by tomorrow.”
“But people think I drew a gun on Virgil when I wasn’t even carrying one. It says I sent them all scattering like a flock of frightened chickens. What if this causes more problems for me? I can’t imagine Virgil will be too pleased when he reads it. If he can even read.”
“The editor just stretched the truth a bit, that’s all,” he replied. “Besides, folks in Dodge don’t care about a minor incident like this. It’s just another ruckus to them.”
“Minor incident? There was gunfire…and running and screaming.”
He chuckled. “Now who’s stretching the truth?” Wade stood and walked to the window. “Nobody pays much attention to this paper anyway,” he said. “The editor’s a strange one. Folks around here read The Times for the real news.”
Jessica sat down on the edge of the desk. Wade glanced at her briefly, then looked down as if he mulled over what to do. “I’ll tell you what-I’ll talk to Gordon today. I’ll see that he gets his stories straight about you from now on.”
“Thank you, Sheriff,” she replied, rising to her feet. “And while I’m here,” she added, not quite ready to leave just yet, “has my reward arrived?”
She wasn’t sure how long it would take to find a way home, and some ready cash would come in handy.
“Not yet. It’ll take a few more days, at least.”
“You’ll let me know right away?”
“Of course.”
Wade crossed the room and began sorting through some papers on a small wooden cabinet. His long fingers moved one page aside, then another. Jessica found herself staring transfixed at those big, rough, callused hands. She knew they were a killer’s hands, yet at the same time she remembered how gently he had stroked the lace on the dress she was wearing.
Jessica lingered a moment, watching him work, then noticed a few bullet holes in the wall over his head. “How did they get there?” she asked, pointing at them.
He glanced in the direction of her outstretched finger. “Left Hand Lou.”
“The man who was shot?” She quickly corrected herself. “I mean, the man I shot?”
Those clever blue eyes fixed intently on hers. “The same.”
“What happened?”
Wade carried the papers to his desk and sat down. “I had him locked up, but one of his pals came in and busted him out. He fired three shots. Two bullets hit the wall, and the other got me right here.” He pointed to his left side, just below his rib cage. “Don’t remember much after that. They got away, and I woke up on a table at Doc’s place.” After a pensive pause, he added, “You did me a favor. I was tracking Lou for a while.”
“Is that how you usually thank someone for doing your dirty work?” she asked. “By locking them up?”
His lips inched into a slow, tantalizing grin that made her go weak in the knees. “Tell me, Junebug…how did you want to be thanked?”
She squirmed inwardly at the wild rush of excitement. “You could have been nicer.”
“Nicer.”
“Yes.” She raised an eyebrow.
He leaned forward over the desk. “If I had locked you up ‘nicely,’ you would have been happier with me?”
She considered it for a heated moment. “Well, maybe not. My point is you didn’t have to lock me up at all, because I didn’t do anything wrong, and you knew it.”
After a long pause, he frowned and asked, “Who are you?”
Her mind swam with the disturbing implications of that question. In 1881, she was no one. She didn’t even exist.
“I’ve already answered that.” Focusing her gaze on the bullet holes again, she decided it was high time to steer the conversation back to a safer topic. “Is that the only time you took a bullet?”
“No,” he answered flatly.
“When was the other time?”
Wade shuffled a few papers around on his desk. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t ask
me any more questions like that.”
“I was just making conversation. And I never agreed to stop asking questions. You just said you didn’t like it.”
He shuffled through some more papers. “I have work to do.”
Clearly he wasn’t in the mood to share. He slid his chair forward and began writing.
Jessica watched his hand glide across the page. He paused, dipped the pen in an ink jar, then began writing. The only sounds in the room were Jessica’s breathing, the clock ticking, and the fervent scraping of metal on paper.
It was just as well. Learning too much about Sheriff Wade could lead to a problem she would do better without. If she wanted to keep her eye on the ball and find a way back home to the future, she couldn’t afford to become besotted with anything here in the past. Or anyone.
“Good day, Sheriff,” she said as she turned to leave.
“Good day, Miss Delaney,” he replied. “And try to stay out of trouble today, if at all possible?”
“I’ll do my best.”
Chapter Seven
* * *
AFTER LEAVING THE sheriff’s office, Jessica decided to visit The Chronicle and talk to the editor herself. Perhaps once he met her, he would consider printing a retraction even before Truman came to see him.
Bells jingled as she closed the door behind her. A scrawny little man with thinning hair was seated at a large oak desk strewn with papers. He looked up when she entered.
“Miss Delaney,” he said, rising quickly to his feet and nearly knocking over his chair. He regained his balance and pushed his wire-rimmed spectacles up the length of his nose.
“Are you Mr. Gordon, the editor?”
“Yes.”
She approached his desk with purpose. “I’m here to object to the stories you’ve printed about me. They were false, and I want a retraction.”
The color drained from his face. “But I get my information from a very reliable source.”
Jessica narrowed her unwavering gaze. “I’m sorry to be the one to break it to you, but your source isn’t as reliable as you think it is.”
Mr. Gordon pulled a white hanky out of his pocket and blew his nose. His spectacles slipped down again, and he pushed them back up. “Miss Delaney, you don’t think I made it all up, do you?”
She tilted her head to the side and tried to size him up. “Someone made it up at some point,” she asserted. “Who told you those things about me?”
“I’ m sorry, but I can’t reveal my sources.”
Jessica considered this for a moment. “You know, you’d have a much better paper and earn more respect if you were more accurate and reported the truth.”
He stuffed his hanky back into his pocket. “People like the stories I print. They sell because they’re colorful.”
Jessica drew in a frustrated breath, thinking that, when it came to sensational newspapers, things hadn’t changed much in a hundred-and-thirty years.
“Why don’t you just print a retraction?” she suggested, spreading her arms wide. “See for yourself. I don’t even carry a gun.”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that. How do I know you’re not lying to me now? It’s your word against the word of my source, and my source didn’t shoot a man point blank between the eyes two nights ago.”
Jessica sighed heavily. She couldn’t blame people for thinking she killed a man. She’d flat out admitted to it.
“What about yesterday?” she asked, not ready to give up on her reputation just yet. “Sheriff Wade was the one who fired the shot in the street and knocked Virgil out, not me. Lots of people saw what happened. Ask any one of them.”
Mr. Gordon began to chew on his thumbnail. “Are you sure you’re not carrying a gun?”
A cynical laugh escaped her. “I think I’d know if I were.”
He raised both hands in the air, a clear demonstration of fear and submission.
Jessica pinched her nose in defeat. Nothing she said to these people seemed to do any good. She was obviously wasting her time here—time that would be better spent trying to find a way home. What did it matter what they thought anyway?
“Look,” she said in calm, collected voice, “if you want to print something interesting, print the truth. I’ll give you an exclusive interview.”
He sat down and shook his head. “That’s very generous of you, Miss Junebug. I mean, Miss Delaney. But I think I’ll stick to my sources. They haven’t steered me wrong yet.”
She glanced around the office at all the clutter and decided she’d spent enough time here. She had more important things to do.
“Fine,” she said, “but if you cause any trouble for me, Mr. Gordon, I swear I will slap you so hard with a law suit, you won’t even know what hit you.”
He stared at her in bewilderment.
“Good day,” she politely said as she strode out the door.
* * *
TRUMAN WALKED OUT of the jailhouse and locked the door behind him, just in case Miss Delaney decided to backtrack and ask him more questions. He led Thunder over to Hoover’s Saloon, tethered him at the rail, and found comfort standing at the bar with a full bottle of whisky. A drink didn’t pass his lips often, and things had to get pretty bad before he gave in to that urge. But little Miss Junebug was making things about as bad as they could get.
Truman filled his glass and tossed back a bitter swig. He arched his back to release the tension and ache of old wounds, then rolled the glass between his palms and clenched his jaw as he thought of her.
Why did she insist on making him remember things he damn well wanted to forget? He felt as if she knocked things over in his mind. Spilled things, was making a mess in an otherwise tidy place.
Since she arrived in town, he’d been thinking about Dorothy again, trying to believe her death wasn’t his fault. Of course, he had done his best to care for her those last few months. He’d tried to make her happy. He’d given up bounty hunting the day he spoke his vows in front of the preacher, just like she’d asked. He’d even tried to make a go of it on their meager parcel of land. But when she got sicker and sicker, everything started to die. He’d promised her he wouldn’t try to collect any more rewards, but there came a day when they needed the money, and it was the quickest, easiest way. He was only going to be gone a few days....
Truman wrenched his thoughts out of the past and took a second drink. Or was it the third? He reached for the bottle and tipped it to pour another, but his steady hand slipped when a ruckus outside caught his attention.
Ah hell, not again…
Laughter and cussin’ came sailing through the air. The saloon doors swung open, and in came five dirty, tobacco-chewing, card-cheating, horse-stealing thugs. They whistled, laughed, and howled as they headed toward the rear of the saloon. Judging by their smell, they needed baths something awful, and their language was about as foul as their gone-off odor.
Truman covered his badge and kept his head bowed low under the brim of his hat as they passed by. None took notice of him, but they sure did take notice of Wendy, the young barmaid. He suspected they hadn’t seen a woman since last oyster season.
“Hey, pretty thing,” one of them yelled as he sat down at a table. “Why don’t you come on over here and cook us up a drinkin’ contest?”
Truman slowly turned to keep an eye on things as Wendy carried her tray to their table.
“What can I get ya’?” she asked, spitting in an arc toward the nearest spittoon. The girl had pluck.
“I can think of only one thing.” The stockiest member of the gang grabbed hold of Wendy’s arm and pulled her onto his lap.
Struggling fiercely, she dropped her tray onto the floor. It rolled like a dime toward Truman and stopped at his feet. He made no move to pick it up. He simply watched the situation, hoping it would work itself out before anyone got hurt.
“Now, now, don’t be a baby,” the man cooed. “I’m just tryin’ to make friends with you, that’s all.”
“Let me go, you disgusti
ng brute.”
The others laughed raucously.
“My name’s Bart,” he said, undaunted, “and this here’s Corey. Corey wants to know what you’re doin’ later tonight.”
“I’m busy,” she said. “Now let me go, and I’ll get you some drinks.”
“Give me a turn, Bart!” Corey pleaded. “I want her on my lap next.”
“Don’t be greedy, Corey. I saw her first.”
The gang froze when a gun cocked in Bart’s ear. Corey’s words were sucked down his throat as his eyes widened in panic. He sat back in his chair as far from Bart as possible.
“I think you better let the lady go, Mister,” Truman drawled.
Bart slowly lifted his hands like a bank teller in a holdup. Wendy bolted, taking cover behind the bar.
“And who might you be?” Bart asked, still holding his hands high over his head.
“You’re the one who oughta’ be answering that question,” Truman replied, “before I take your ear off.”
Bart cleared his throat. “Didn’t you hear me introduce myself to the lady? The name’s Bart. Now why don’t you put that gun down, friend, and have a drink with us?”
“I ain’t your friend,” Truman said, “and I’ve had enough for today.” Keeping his revolver tight against Bart’s cheek, Truman flexed his fingers around the ivory handle.
“You gonna stand there all day with that thing pointin’ in my face?” Bart asked, growing more and more fidgety by the second.
Truman considered how long he wanted to stand there, then eventually lowered his gun and holstered it. As he did so, he pushed his coat aside to let the shiny star reflect into Bart’s eyes.
“Damn. You’re Sheriff Wade, aren’t ya?”
“What’s it to you?”
Bart grinned, revealing a gap-toothed smile. “This is quite an honor, ain’t it, boys? Hell, we’ve heard all about you.” Bart lowered his hands, then slowly reached two fingers into his pocket. He took out some tobacco and chewed off a hunk.
Bodyguards Boxed Set Page 6
