“What’s going on here?” Sheriff Barnett stepped up on the boardwalk. He smiled at KodyAnne and tipped his hat toward Melanie before glancing at Michael.
Michael shrugged. “Miss Delmont just found a place to stay tonight.”
“She can stay with me as long as she wants.” Melanie leveled a gaze at the sheriff. “I offered to share my room with her. The boardinghouse is full up.”
“County won’t be able to pay.” Clint met Melanie’s gaze.
She doubled a fist and stuck it against her hip. “I’m not asking you to pay. I offered in an expression of friendship to a young woman who I happen to believe is totally innocent of any bank robbing. Your charges against her are ridiculous. She’ll stay as my guest as long as we get along.”
She grinned at KodyAnne. “I have a feeling we’re going to get along just fine.”
KodyAnne smiled and nodded. “I think so, too.”
“Then come on. We’ll leave the sheriff and the preacher to right the wrongs of the world while we get you settled in.”
“That sounds fine.” KodyAnne looked from Michael to the Sheriff. “Is there any law says I can’t have my saddlebags with me? I suppose you locked them up with Pistol.”
A lopsided grin curved Clint’s mouth. “Yeah, they’re with the horse, but I can’t think of any law says you can’t have ’em.”
“Well, then I want them as soon as possible.” She stared at the sheriff. Mama used to say you could catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. Mama was right about most everything. KodyAnne forced her lips to make a smile. “Please?”
“Miss Delmont, I’ll see that you get them.” Clint nodded with a smirk.
She turned to Michael. “Will you bring my saddlebags to me, Mike?”
His hand reached out toward hers before he let it drop. His lips turned up at the corners and he nodded. “Yeah, I’ll bring ’em, Andy.” He shook his head and blinked. “KodyAnne.”
“Well, that’s settled. I’ll bet you’re tired enough to take a short rest by now.” Melanie held the door for KodyAnne to go into the diner and followed, talking all the way.
~*~
Michael shook his head. What was he going to do? He’d called her Andy again. Maybe no one else noticed. She sure had, though. He’d seen her eyes brighten then dim when he’d changed it to KodyAnne. Clint seemed to be looking at him kind of strange. He shrugged. “Reckon we’ve been dismissed.”
Clint chuckled. “Looks that way.”
“You holding anyone in a cell right now?” Michael waited until Clint shook his head. “Well then, I need to talk to you in your office. Got some things bothering me.”
“You don’t say?” Clint took off toward the jail.
Michael followed him. Neither spoke until Clint closed the door and circled his desk to his chair. He leaned back and lifted his booted feet to the top of the desk and crossed them with his fingers interlaced behind his head. “Take a load off and tell me what’s got you in such a dander.”
Michael plopped into the straight-backed chair facing the sheriff and gave a short laugh. “Dander? That pretty well describes it. First off, I want you to tell me what you’ve got on KodyAnne. She’s no outlaw.”
Clint tilted his head. “W-e-l-l, I don’t know if I can say that for sure. Technically speaking, she’s an accomplice at the least.”
“To what?” He jumped up and paced in a circle. “To standing twenty feet away from her father and brother while they tried to get what is rightfully their own property? It’s not right, Clint, and you know it.”
“It’s illegal to pull a gun on a bank employee and threaten them.” Clint still reclined. How could the man look so relaxed when he insisted on accusing KodyAnne of wrong?
“She didn’t have a gun.” Michael huffed. “She had a dainty little velvet purse that matches her dress.”
Clint laughed. “Did you search that little purse?”
Michael stopped pacing and planted both hands on Clint’s desk, while he leaned toward his friend. “No, and I don’t intend to.”
He stood and turned around, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. No, he hadn’t looked in her purse. Why should he? She was KodyAnne, not some Belle Starr. What was wrong with Clint? “Sometimes I think your job has tainted your faith in people.”
The silence stretched until Clint spoke in a soft voice. “Mike, my faith is in God, not people.”
Michael sat back down, the wind taken from his lungs. He looked up. “I know. But we’re talking about KodyAnne. She didn’t rob a bank. She didn’t even know her father would pull his gun. She says he’s never ridden with Mark Delmont’s gang, and I believe her.
Clint nodded. “Yeah, I’m thinkin’ you’re probably right.”
“You do?” Michael lifted his head to read Clint’s expression. “So you won’t hold her any longer if her father dies?”
Clint shrugged. “It’s not my decision. I already telegraphed the U.S. Marshal when I thought I’d caught a member of the Delmont gang. Then, too, her brother’s still running around free. The posse came back without him.”
“But he’s not an outlaw.”
“Probably not. I figure when they couldn’t get into their uncle’s box, the father lost his head and pulled his gun. The brother followed his father’s lead. Probably because he was scared. True outlaws would’ve had a better plan than that.”
“So none of them are outlaws.”
“They weren’t before.”
Michael hit his forehead with the palm of one hand. “This is ridiculous.”
Clint grinned. “Yeah, so Melanie said. Since we’re going in circles here, is there anything else you want to discuss?”
Michael stood and walked across the office to a window. He looked out toward the doctor’s office across the street. Did he want to talk about anything else? Yeah, he wanted a way out of marrying KodyAnne. Yet something inside tugged at his heart, saying the idea had merit. She’d been his when they were kids. What if she was his again? If he married her, she would be for life. He’d never let her go. But no man should be forced into marriage. A deathbed promise. His insides churned at the thought. When he married, he wanted to marry for love. He wanted the woman he married to love him and him alone. Maybe KodyAnne loved someone else. He didn’t even know her anymore. She didn’t know him.
“Michael.” Clint’s voice penetrated his thoughts. “What’s wrong?”
“Mr. Delmont is dying.”
“Are you sure? Did the doctor say so?”
Michael turned from the window and crossed the room to again sit across from Clint. He shook his head. “We didn’t see the doctor. We spent a little time with KodyAnne’s father. He made things right with God.”
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“It doesn’t mean he’s dying.”
Michael focused on Clint’s eyes. “Yeah, it does. He made me promise to—” He looked away. “He made me promise to ma . . . mar . . . to take care of KodyAnne and hers.”
“So that proves the other guy is her brother.”
The air rushed from Michael’s lungs. “Clint, you aren’t listening. I promised to marry her only I didn’t know that’s what I promised. What can I do?”
When silence filled the jail, Michael looked up to find Clint had both hands on his desk as he slowly lowered his feet and his chair into an upright position. His mouth hung slack while he stared at Michael. “You what?”
“He just said marry. I thought he meant the woman’s name. I agreed to take care of her. That’s all.”
“A husband usually does take care of his wife.”
Michael bowed his head. “Help me Clint. When I marry—if I marry—I’d like for it to be my idea.”
“Aren’t you already her husband?” A crooked grin set on Clint’s face.
“I told you that wasn’t real. This is serious, Clint. Help me out here.”
Clint lifted his eyebrows and tilted his head. “I can tell you one thing.
If you go ahead and marry her, it’ll be in her favor. Even if her father and brother are found guilty, I won’t have any problem getting the charges against her dropped if she’s the preacher’s wife. Even the U.S. Marshall would go along with that. She’ll be a free woman then without question.”
He laughed. “Well, as free as she could be and still be married.”
Michael stared at his friend. There wasn’t anything funny about this. “She’ll be free? No threat of jail?”
Clint nodded. “That’s right.”
Michael swallowed. His freedom for hers. There was no choice. He’d have to marry her for sure now.
Chapter 6
Shadows reaching across the street to cover the boardwalk had already started creeping up the side of the jail by the time Michael opened the door and stepped outside. He and Clint had hashed and rehashed his problem until there’d been nothing more to say. It was simple, really. He’d made a deathbed promise, and he had to keep it. Not for Mr. Delmont, but for his daughter. For KodyAnne. She’d go along with it. She had to. Her freedom, her reputation, depended on them marrying.
“Hey, Reverend.”
He pulled the door shut and stopped. A man across the street waved at him. Looked like something going on over at the doctor’s. Was it about KodyAnne’s father? He hurried to the end of the boardwalk and stepped down to the gravel street below.
“I sure am glad I caught you.” William Tate, a member of his church who owned a farm just outside town, called out to him. He stood outside the clinic motioning as if he thought the preacher might run off some other direction.
“What’s going on?” Michael stepped quickly across the street.
“It’s my dad.” Tate swallowed and blinked. “He was helpin’ me plow the field for corn and got thrown. He’s in a bad way. I gotta get back out to him. Doc’s comin’ out. Don’t rightly know if he needs doctorin’ or prayin’. Could you come, too?”
“Of course.” Michael promised without thinking. He seemed to be getting good at that. KodyAnne was waiting for her saddlebags, and here he was going off for who knew how long. “I need to run an errand first.”
The farmer’s brows drew together. “Reverend, I don’t know if he’ll wait for you. Doc’s about ready. Can you get someone else to run your errand and ride out with Doc Harper?”
Michael glanced back toward the jail. Maybe Clint would. “Sure, give me a minute.”
He jogged across the street as Clint came outside. The sheriff looked up. “You still here?”
“William Tate’s father was injured. I’m going out to the farm with Doc Harper, but KodyAnne’s expecting her saddlebags right about now. Could I impose—”
Whistling and the clump of boots on the boardwalk cut him off. The stagecoach owner’s youngest son, Jon Allen, sauntered along as if he had nothing to do.
Clint raised his eyebrows and nodded toward the teenager. “I’ve got a dinner date across the street, and I’m running a little late because of a friend who needed counseling. But I’m guessing for two bits, Jon would be glad to take care of that for you.”
Michael frowned at the reference to counseling. He nodded. “Fine.” He raised his voice. “Hey, Jon, if you’ve got a minute and want to earn an easy two bits, the sheriff here will tell you about it.”
Michael dug a quarter out of his pocket and handed it to Clint as he turned away. “Thanks. Oh, and give Mrs. Taylor my apologies for keeping you working overtime.”
Clint’s chuckle followed him to the street.
Michael caught the doctor climbing into his buggy. “Hope you don’t mind having a rider. William couldn’t seem to decide which of us he needed the most. I’m hoping this turns out to be your job rather than mine.”
Doc Harper snapped the reins, and they started with a jerk. “With all due respect, Reverend, I have to agree with you. I’ll patch him up best I can, but in case he needs a little help for his final journey, I’ll be glad to have you there.”
~*~
For at least the hundredth time that afternoon, KodyAnne looked out the second-story window to the street below. Did she see Mike? No, of course not. Where was he? He said he’d bring her saddlebags, but he hadn’t. She’d go get them herself, but that wouldn’t bring Mike to her. She wanted to see Papa, see if he was any better. The nurse said to let him sleep this afternoon. He needed rest more than anything right now. But was rest enough? Her heart constricted at the thought. Another search of the street below showed only a few late shoppers going into The Emporium. Pretty fancy name for a general store in this little town. But the owner seemed nice.
With a sigh, KodyAnne turned from the window and paced across the floor. Melanie said she’d come up as soon as she closed the diner. She’d offered KodyAnne supper. Beans and cornbread. Normally, she loved pinto beans, but her appetite still hadn’t surfaced since the sheriff shot Papa, and that big lunch Mike forced her to eat at noon didn’t help. In fact, her stomach felt queasy thinking of food. How could she eat when Papa was—
No she didn’t know that for a fact. Where was her faith, anyway? Charlotte needed to be told, though, that he’d been hurt bad. But maybe Tyler went home and talked to her. Surely he would have. Charlotte was only fifteen. She’d be so torn up about this. She took it real hard when Mama died. They all had, and now this. A sound at the door penetrated her sorrow. Melanie must be back. KodyAnne swiped at any errant moisture in her eyes and sat on the edge of the bed facing the door.
“It’s me, hon.” Melanie’s head poked in first. A smile covered her face as she closed the door behind her. “How are you doing? Did you get any rest?”
KodyAnne stood. “A little. I feel better, but I’d like to go see about Papa.” She crossed to look out the window again. “What’s taking him so long? You’d think a simple trip to the livery would take minutes instead of hours.”
“You’re talking about the preacher.”
A laugh escaped KodyAnne. “Maybe if I stick around long enough, I’ll get used to him being a man of the cloth. Seems a little strange right now.”
“Have you met Pastor Wellington before today?” Melanie sat on the bed facing her. “Naturally, I heard all the gossip, but you never know.”
KodyAnne turned from the window and coughed to cover another laugh. Would Melanie believe her if she told the truth? She folded her arms and leaned against the window frame. “I knew your pastor when he was only eleven years old. We rode the Orphan Train together. You know, came out west to find a family.”
A light sparkled in Melanie’s eyes. “I didn’t know he was adopted.”
KodyAnne nodded. Maybe she’d said too much. Mike might not want his personal business aired all over town. “Yes, but maybe we should keep it quiet just in case the reverend doesn’t want everyone to know. You know how people can be.”
“Oh, yes, that’s for sure.” Melanie held her finger to her lips. “I won’t say a word.”
“Thanks.” A knock at the door brought KodyAnne away from the window. “That’s got to be Mike.”
She passed Melanie and jerked the door open. A boy with pimples marring his face met her gaze. He lifted her saddlebags. “Howdy, Miss. The sheriff asked me to bring these to you.”
“The sheriff?” KodyAnne stared at her bags. What happened to Mike? “Why? Is Mike— Is the preacher all right?”
“Yeah, sure.Looked fine to me. He went with Doc someplace. Someone needed ’em, I reckon.” The boy set the bags inside the door. “Is this an ok place?”
“Yes.” KodyAnne turned from the door and paced back to the window where she stood staring out. Across the street, a man helped a woman climb on a wagon.
“Thank you, Jon.” Melanie’s voice scarcely penetrated her concentration.
Mike had run out on her and her papa. He was supposed to go back to see him tonight. A chill swept through her body, leaving her more alone than she’d been since the day Mike left the train station with his new parents. She swung from the window at the sound of the door clo
sing. “Why’d he do that? He knows I need him. I’ve always needed him.”
“Why, hon?” Melanie stood by the door watching her.
KodyAnne flung her hands out to either side and started pacing the short length of the room. She hated being alone. Mike knew that. “He was always there when we were little. He’s changed. I’ve gotta go see Papa. How am I supposed to do that now?”
Back and forth she walked until Melanie touched her arm. “KodyAnne, please stop. You’re scaring me. Come on. Let’s sit down and talk.”
KodyAnne stopped mid-stride and covered her face with her hands. Where were the tears she needed to cry? Mama always said a good cry made a girl feel better. But she’d been unable to cry or even to feel much beyond disbelief that today was real. Maybe everything was a dream.
Melanie’s hand on her arm tugged her. “Come on, hon. Sit with me a while and tell me what’s going on with you. The preacher wouldn’t have gone if he hadn’t been needed.”
As she talked, she led KodyAnne to the bed where they sat side-by-side. “If you want to go see your Papa, I’ll go with you. There’s no reason why you can’t see him tonight.”
KodyAnne turned to meet compassion in Melanie’s clear blue eyes. “Thank you. I’d like that, but what will I do tomorrow or the day after? The sheriff says I can’t leave here. If Papa gets well, he may have to go to jail. If he doesn’t . . .”
Her voice broke, and she swallowed. “Whatever happens we can’t make a living on the farm. Papa tried and, without Mama, even he couldn’t. Ty’s like Papa. Better suited in an office or a store. I’m a good cook, but when I try raising food for the table, most of it wilts away on the vine. Charlotte’s better at it, but she’s young and forgets.”
“Ty and Charlotte?” Melanie held KodyAnne’s gaze. “A brother and sister, maybe?”
KodyAnne nodded. “I’m in the middle. Ty’s twenty-two and Charlotte is fifteen. I need a job, Melanie. Where can I get one? Ty can’t take care of us now everyone thinks he’s an outlaw. It’s up to me.”
Melanie leaned her chin against her fist and looked down toward the floor. “I don’t know. There aren’t many places here in Willow Springs to find work.” She shook her head. “Decent work that is.”
The Preacher's Outlaw Bride Page 6
