Charity (Brides of the Rio Grande Book 4)

by Peggy McKenzie

  Sarah nodded and went back to the kitchen. The knock on the door was more insistent. “I’m coming.” Miles stood back and both he and Deputy Bishop made a show of force, their hands on their guns.

  The man on the other side of the door threw his hands up in surprise. “What are you doing here?” He asked Miles and cut a look between him and his deputy.

  “Mr. Carter?” Miles was just as surprised to see him. “Well, I guess I should be asking you the same question. What are you doing here?”

  “He’s here to see me. Mr. Carter and I are going for a horseback ride.” Miles whirled around to see Charity in an emerald green riding dress. His first thought was that it matched her eyes perfectly. His second thought was no way in hell. And then he decided to exercise his authority as sheriff. “No. Way. In. Hell.”

  18

  Charity knew she was playing with fire, and the look on Miles’ face at this very moment told her he was close to an explosion of dynamite proportions, but it was the only way she knew to push Miles over the edge of his restraint where she was concerned. He had already shown that he wanted her and that he was vulnerable to her advances. Still, he held himself in restraint.

  And it didn’t help that little miss gingham-wearing, bread-baking, holier-than-thou Selina Watson was living under the same roof either. No, she wasn’t going to help Charity’s mission to convince Miles that loving her was the best thing that could ever happen to him. Hell, not if the woman was trying to convince him that she was the best thing.

  “My apologies, Mr. Carter. Sheriff Grayson here has been bullying drunks and prostitutes so long, he’s forgotten his manners. Please, do come in.”

  She could plainly see Miles’ jaw muscle working as if it had hopes of achieving something. Perhaps just keeping an outburst was reward enough.

  Mr. Carter looked hesitantly at the sheriff and his deputy blocking the way. “Sheriff? Is this a bad time?” The man’s tepid personality really irked her, but he was the only game in town at the moment if she had any hopes of making Miles jealous. And she had hopes.

  “Mr. Carter, this house is under…well, house arrest. Of course it’s a bad time. Miss Montgomery won’t be going on a carriage ride or a horseback ride, or any other kind of…”

  Charity saw the heated look he shot in her direction. She knew he was going to say ride and she knew exactly what kind of ride he was thinking. Good. Let him stew in his own juices for a while. Just long enough to get him good. And. Hot.

  “Come in, Mr. Carter. It is true that we cannot go on that ride because this mean old sheriff has dashed all our fun.” She sent Miles an innocent smile and pulled Mr. Carter into the house. She wrapped her arm around his and guided him into the parlor. She heard Miles tell Bishop he should head on back to the jail and relieve Eli. Then she heard the front door close and saw Miles at the parlor door watching her every move.

  She pushed Mr. Carter down on the settee and then patted his knee. A very bold move for most women, but she wasn’t most women and whatever means it took to pull Miles in once and for all, she would not hesitate. “Now, you sit right there and I’ll get us some refreshments from the kitchen.”

  Charity turned from Mr. Carter’s surprised face to a very angry one standing watch at the parlor door. Another innocent smile in his direction, and she breezed past him in a cloud of green silks and perfume.

  One of the most important lessons she learned from her lady classmates, always behind closed doors of course, was to make certain a gentleman never forgot you. “Fragrance,” they said. “Your essence will follow him wherever he goes,” they assured her, “and no matter who he is with, you will be first and foremost on his mind and that will lead to his…heart.”

  She had taken that lesson serious. Serious enough to purchase a very expensive scent that suited her to perfection. Every time Miles inhaled her scent, he would think of her. She mentally smirked at the hysterical fool sitting upstairs in her room pining away for…Miles. Well, she can’t have him because he belonged to her.

  She brushed past Miles without him touching her, but she didn’t make it all the way to the kitchen.

  “Hold up, here, Charity. What the hell do you think you are doing?” He chopped through his words like a lumberjack hacks through pine.

  She tossed her hair and spoke to him over her shoulder on the way to the kitchen. “I would think it obvious even to you, Miles. I’m entertaining. You said I can’t go horseback riding because I’m under house arrest. You forbid me to go on a carriage ride with Mr. Carter. And, I assumed since you allowed Selina Watson to move upstairs, what’s one more?”

  She turned toward the kitchen again, but Miles was not letting this go. He grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him.

  “Is there something you wanted?” Charity purred. She stepped close and she saw the heat flare in his eyes.

  “Charity, we can’t do this here,” he hissed.

  “We can’t do this here? Or anywhere?” She taunted him hoping to break his resistance to her.

  His eyes dropped to her lips and she wanted him to take them, but as usual, he refrained. He dropped her arm and took a step back.

  “That’s what I thought.” Anger fueled her movements. She whirled around and marched straight to the kitchen. He was close behind.

  “You know what I mean,” he croaked at her. It’s what one did when they were trying to speak softly and scream at the same time.

  “Yes, I know exactly what you mean and you are a chicken, Miles Grayson,” she huffed and jerked open the ice box. She pulled out the first things she could reach and then rolled her eyes at the mismatch. She couldn’t serve Mr. Carter cold butter and cold biscuits. Frustrated, she shoved them both back inside and slammed the door.

  She turned and Miles was standing right behind her. “Are you going to kiss me?” She demanded to know.

  “Well, no. I’m not going to kiss you. Here? In the kitchen? No.” He shook his head as if it was the most bizarre thing he had ever heard.

  “Oh yes, kissing in the kitchen will send us all straight to hell,” she exploded.

  “Will you please keep your voice down?” He screeched.

  “Why, so the little miss upstairs doesn’t hear? Really, Miles. You can certainly do better than…her. She’s going to get you killed if you aren’t careful,” Charity clipped her words and slammed down the metal cookie can.

  Miles barked a laugh and Charity was certain there was no humor in it if the look on his face was an indication of his mood. “That’s exactly the same thing she said about you.”

  “Oh, well isn’t that rich? I wouldn’t put it past the milquetoast cow. She strikes me as someone who would stab another woman in the back to steal her man.” Charity huffed.

  “What’s going on in here? I can hear you all the way to my office.” Hiram strode into the kitchen with a look on his face that told Charity he knew exactly what was going on and he had already called for reinforcements. She arrived two seconds behind him.

  “Is someone in need of help?” Aggie floated into the kitchen, her skirts swishes around her ankles. “I heard loud voices coming down the hallway.”

  Charity caught the amusement on their faces. “Yes, I need help. Sheriff Grayson has imposed house arrest on me. I don’t think it unreasonable of me to ask that I be allowed a visitor to come inside this house since he has forbid me to go outside. What do you think? Hiram? Aggie?” Charity composed her own expression in the most serious one she could manage while looking back and forth between the two.

  Hiram grabbed a cookie out of the cookie can and turned to the ice box. He stuck his head inside and complained. “There’s no cold milk. How can I eat these delicious cookies without any cold milk I ask you?” He turned toward his audience in an exaggerated grimace.

  Charity laughed. “I’ll get the milk. Before Sarah left for the market, she said that Mr. Walton was late with his milk cart this morning. His wife was having their baby last night and she wasn’t done this mornin
g when it was time for his rounds. His words. Not mine. Anyway, I’ll check on the back steps. He should have been here by now.”

  Aggie followed her to the door. “See if he left us any more butter too. Sarah said there was only enough for two more apple pies and with a house full of guests we are going to need more.”

  Charity grinned and swung the kitchen door wide open. She bent down to get the milk and butter on the steps when a shot rang out nearby. Charity dropped the milk and butter, shattering the glass milk jug all over the stone steps.

  “Aggie!” Charity heard Hiram scream in a voice ripped with fear. Charity felt hands pull her roughly back inside the house and slam the door shut. “Miles? What’s happening?” Two more shots sounded and the etched glass at the top of the kitchen door shattered sending sharp knives of glass into her arm, hands and chest.

  She turned to see Aggie slumped on the kitchen floor with Hiram huddled over her, rocking her as if she were his most precious possession.

  “Aggie?” Charity whispered, unable to believe what her eyes were telling her was true.

  Miles screamed out. “Carter! Get in here!”

  Mr. Carter came rushing into the kitchen, the look of astonishment on his face. “What—”

  Miles interrupted him. “Go get Doc Howard. And don’t stop looking for him until you find him.” Mr. Carter nodded and turn to leave. “And send my deputy in here.”

  Mr. Carter nodded again and ran out of the kitchen and down the hall towards the front door. Seconds later, a man Charity didn’t know rushed toward them. “Fletcher, shots were fired from the direction of the Hanover carriage house. It wouldn’t be the first time a low down piece of filth used it as cover for attempted murder. Go check it out. And be careful. I’ll be behind you in two seconds. Now go!” Miles yelled at the man. He left back down the hall and slammed the front door.

  Miles rushed to her side. “Charity, you’re bleeding. How bad is it?” His fear for her was evident in the tremors in his voice.

  She had to admit she was a little shaken up, but she knew her injuries weren’t serious.

  “I’m fine. I have to see about Aggie.” She knelt down beside Hiram and placed her arm around his shoulders. “How bad is she?”

  Hiram shook his head. “I don’t know. I can’t look. You look.” He whispered as he kissed Aggie’s blonde head.

  “Hiram, we need to see if she’s badly bleeding so we can stop it.” Charity gently pulled his arms away from Aggie. Charity didn’t see any blood on her dress or…anywhere.

  “Is she alright?” Hiram pushed Charity back out of the way and hugged his wife again.

  “Hiram, I need to turn her over to see if she’s been shot. You have to let go and move over.” Charity didn’t usually speak to the man like that. He was like a father to her, but she had to help Aggie if she could.

  He moved over, but she could tell he didn’t want to. “Where is Doc Howard?” He yelled out to no one in particular.

  “I don’t know, but he’ll be along as soon as he can,” Miles assured him even though he sent Charity a look that said he was really worried.

  Charity rolled Aggie over. No blood stains there either. Charity was confounded. If she wasn’t shot, then what happened?

  “Aggie, can you hear me?”

  “Yes, I can hear you. Was I shot? She asked.

  Charity shook her head, “I don’t think so. At least I don’t see any blood, but I can’t say for sure.”

  Just then the kitchen door opened and Doc Howard rushed into the room. “Move over. Let me get a look.” He was followed in by Mr. Carter and Sarah both standing to the side and looking on.

  Charity stood back to give the doc room. She cut a worried look to Miles and he stepped up and wrapped his arms around her for a minute or two. She was willing to let him be the strong one if that made him feel better. She tucked her body against his and snuggled in close and tight reveling in the feel of his strength to help stop her trembling.

  There they stood for what seemed like an eternity watching Doc Howard work on everyone’s beloved Aggie Hanover.

  “What the hell is going on in here?”

  Everyone but the doctor and Hiram turned to the owner of that whiny voice.

  Miles stepped away from Charity and turned to Selina. “Where the hell have you been?” He demanded to know.

  “Upstairs in my room. Now, would someone please tell me what the hell is going on here? I heard gunshots. And, who’s that on the floor?”

  Charity’s jaw clenched and she reached down and felt for her pocket pistol. Yep, still there. Her finger itched.

  Charity whirled on the woman, “Aggie Hanover has been shot.”

  Selina turned a sour look on Charity. “Well, if she has, it’s all your fault.

  Miles stood in the middle of the Hanover’s kitchen immobile. What on earth was going on in this damn town? People were getting hurt or killed right and left and it was all happening under his watch. He shook his head. He had to fix this.

  “Mr. Carter, get out and don’t come back to this house or I’ll shoot you on sight. Selina, go back upstairs and stay there. Sarah, go get Mrs. Hanover’s bed ready. Big Angus, you see that someone gets that back door repaired and then you don’t leave your post until I say so, got it.” Miles was mad as hell. He had never felt more helpless in his life. He had to do something or die trying. He turned to go, but Charity’s hand on his arm stopped him. “Miles, what are you going to do?”

  “I’m going down to that jail cell and my prisoner is going to tell me who is doing this or I’m gonna kill him myself.”

  Charity looked him square in the eye, “Good. I hope you kill him dead for what's he's doing."

  Selina stepped up and pulled on his other arm. "Miles, don't listen to her. You can’t kill him. You're the sheriff of this town. The law. And, it's your job to uphold it, not take it into your own hands. You couldn’t live with yourself if you did that.”

  He whirled on her. “I know my job, Selina. And my job is to protect the citizens of this town. I can’t do that if I don’t know who’s doing this,” he raked frustrated fingers through his hair.

  “Why don’t you go upstairs, Charity? Leave the sheriff to his business,” Selina told Charity. “You’re the reason this whole thing started, you and your know-it-all attitude. If you had just sat down on that train and give those robbers your stuff, this wouldn’t be happening. They would have rode off and innocent people wouldn’t be dying.”

  Miles had heard it before and he couldn’t deny the logic. Charity’s stunned expression looked to him for reinforcement. He didn’t believe Charity was the only cause, but he had to admit there was a possibility she was part of it.

  “Miles, tell her that isn’t true. If I hadn’t shot that robber, he might have shot people anyway. Robbers do that sort of thing. Tell her,” Charity insisted. “Tell her she’s wrong about this too.”

  He knew what she was implying. That Selina was wrong about him marrying her. That much was true, but if he admitted that, then he knew Charity would take it as he had made a choice. And he couldn’t ever make a choice.

  “Charity, I…”

  Her eyes rounded in shock. “Are you taking her side?”

  “I’m not taking anyone’s side, Charity.”

  “But, you are. You are agreeing with her. You think that if I had just sat there, letting a criminal poke his gun in everyone’s face, that the Mabrys would still be alive? And the boy upstairs…you think his pa would still be alive if I hadn’t shot the robber, and…” Her voice trailed off as if she couldn’t believe it. He knew it had never occurred to Charity not to take up for herself. And why would it? She had been forced to fend for herself her whole life. She was used to taking up for herself because she had no one else to do it.

  He didn’t answer. Tears glimmered in her eyes. Her chin raised in that way Miles had come to recognize was a sign of the storm to come. But, he didn’t have time for this. He needed some space because more than an
ything, he needed some clarity about his feelings for Charity.

  “Charity, we will talk about this tonight. You two go upstairs and stay inside your bedrooms. I don’t want any arguing between the two of you either. Hiram and Doc and Sarah have enough on their hands taking care of Mrs. Hanover. How is she, Doc?”

  “I’m just fine, sheriff. Don’t you worry about me,” Aggie's voice called out. It was a bit wobbly but it sounded strong.

  Charity rushed to Aggie’s side. “Aggie, I’m so happy you’re awake. Are you alright?”

  Doc worked to help Hiram get Aggie to her feet. “She’s gonna be fine. She wasn’t shot. I think she just fainted at the unexpected shock of being shot at,” doc announced to everyone’s relief.

  Miles nodded his understanding and turned once more to Charity and Selina. “If there’s anything you can do, they will let you know.” He pointed to Doc and Hiram.

  Then, he left the Hanover kitchen to check on his deputy’s progress in the carriage house. After an hour of searching for clues with no luck in finding the murdering coward, he checked his firearm and headed to the jailhouse with one mission. He was gonna get answers from his prisoner—or else.

  Ten minutes later, he knocked on the jailhouse door and let himself in with his key. A very surprised Bishop reached for his gun.

  “It’s me, Bishop. Sorry. I should have said that first.”

  “What’s going on, sheriff? Aren’t you supposed to be at the Hanover house?” He gathered up the playing cards scattered across the desk. “Solitaire,” he said as if that explained everything.

  “Someone shot up the Hanovers’ house, well, rather their back door. Charity opened it to grab the milk and butter off the back steps when shots shattered the glass. Big Angus is seeing to it that it gets fixed right away. A man on the front door and Angus at the back. There shouldn’t have been any question that house was secure,” he slammed his fist on his desk, “but it wasn’t and I demand to know why.”

  “Everyone alright?” Bishop asked.