"Not even by your mother when she was alive?"
"Well… when we were little, I guess."
"You're acting like a child today, Verity. I'm treating you like a child with a childish punishment."
She growled. "I hate you!"
"You don't. You love me. You said so."
"Well, I was lying again. That's what I do. I lie. Fooled you, huh?"
Now he was getting pissed off, but he controlled his temper with a few deep breaths. He was going to take it out on her rump, though, and didn't she ever deserve it? He took her by the arms and pulled her toward him, then unbuttoned her trousers and let them drop to the floor. She wasn't even wearing drawers!
"You're naked under that suit!"
"Everyone's naked under their clothes. Unhand me."
"Don't be a smart ass." He drew her over his knees and administered one sharp crack of a slap. She wriggled and squirmed.
"Let me go!"
"Are you saying you don't deserve this?"
"It doesn't matter. I caught you with that slut!"
He spanked her several times and she squeaked her displeasure, tensing up. "You caught me doing absolutely nothing."
"She was sitting in your lap. You can't fool me. You're having an affair."
He spanked more and harder. "You hard-headed female badger. The only affair I'm having is with you!"
Sniffles started. "Ouch!" He spanked a quick tattoo on her rear, which was getting quite bright, even in the dim lantern light. "Are you sure?"
"You think I wouldn't know it if I was having an affair with someone besides you?"
"Oh! That hurts," she cried, reacting to more slaps on her buttocks. "Yes, I guess you'd know. So, you were only playing cards? You weren't cheating on me? Or cheating at poker? You were sure winning."
"I won about forty dollars from you," he pointed out. "Where did you learn to play poker?"
She squirmed against him as her bottom got progressively more vivid. Each little jiggle of that sweet flesh hit him in the groin, but he was damned if he'd reward her with sex when she so richly deserved nothing but punishment. "I don't know how to play. I can deal cards because I can play whist. I threw away all the cards."
"Which was why you kept losing." He spanked harder for a few strokes and then paused. Her posterior practically pulsed.
She was crying freely. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have spied on you. It was wrong."
"Then you claimed it was a bet with your sisters. You deserve another spanking for that."
"No! Please don't. It was only a little white lie. Charity knew I was coming tonight."
"And she let you out the door? I'm astonished."
He let her go and she sank to her knees on the dirt floor. "I had to convince her. She warned me that you might find out."
"And I did. She was right."
"Please don't tell my father."
"I ought to."
She turned her reddened face toward him and put her hands together as if in prayer. "Please, please don't. He'd be so mad and disappointed in me."
"Like I'm mad and disappointed in you?"
She frowned and her hands dropped. "You're different."
"I'm a pushover, you mean. I ought to spank you more."
"No! I won't do it again. I promise."
He stared at her for a full minute. If not this stunt, she'd try another. She was pure mischief. Mischief and temptation. An irresistible combination that spelled danger.
"All right," he said, helping her off the floor. "Pull your trousers back up and we'll get out of here. How did you get to town?"
"I walked."
"We'll ride double on Horse."
"I'll walk."
"Don't be ridiculous," he told her. "I'm surprised you made it here with those shoes on."
"I'll walk."
He stopped and gave her a sharp look. "Why are you insisting?"
"If you must know," she ground out, "my posterior hurts. I don't want to ride!"
That was incredibly funny and he laughed. She punched him in the arm and he laughed harder.
"You rotten man. I don't know how I could have fallen in love with you."
"I'm irresistible. Just ask Loretta."
"Loretta?"
He winked. "The barmaid."
"Oh! Oh!" She hit him in the arm again. She got him in the right spot and it hurt a little.
"Stop hitting me or you'll get another spanking."
Fuming, she turned around and began to walk toward the saloon, where Horse was undoubtedly waiting patiently by the water trough.
"You're irresistible too," he said, still grinning.
"Hmph." There was a long pause, and then she said, "I'm sorry, Joshua."
"You should be, but hush now. Just don't behave so badly again."
"I won't. Not unless I catch you with Loretta."
His laugh startled a few birds who scolded him from their perches.
Chapter Fourteen
Although the evening had been cut short the night previous, Joshua was still asleep when there was a commotion outside his bedroom door. He dressed quickly in his suit and moved out into the hall. He could hear loud voices in the parlor, so he approached cautiously.
Dr. Bucknell's voice carried over the din. "This is absurd, Artemis! The man is no threat to any of us. The Blanton brothers are dead wrong in this case."
"One of the Blantons is dead. I think they have a right to find the person who did it." It was Sheriff Gritch.
Verity added her voice. "Let's think this through. Why would Mr. Smith have been wounded so badly and left there if he was with a gang of thieves and murderers? Wouldn't they take him with them?"
"Not if they thought he was dead," the sheriff replied. "You stay out of this, Verity. This is men's business and ain't got nothing to do with you."
From his place outside the door, Joshua could only imagine how fired up Verity would get over that. There was a cracking sound and all went silent in the room. It seemed like a good time to enter, so he did, limping only slightly. The entire family was there, all staring at the shocking picture before them. Sheriff Gritch was rubbing the side of his face where there was a clear, red, handprint.
After a moment, they all started talking at once. Joshua could only make out snatches of the conversation.
"Good morning," he said to the room, and once again, there was silence as all eyes turned to him. "Pardon me for interrupting. What's going on?"
"Stop right there!" shouted Gritch, drawing his weapon and pointing it at Joshua.
"Oh, come now, Artemis," Dr. Bucknell said. "You can see he's not going anywhere. There is far too much drama going on here."
Gritch had the grace to sputter a grudging apology to the ladies, but he was still going to say his piece. He came over to Joshua and waved his gun side to side. "Hands up. You're under arrest." He withdrew handcuffs from where they hung over his belt and motioned again for Joshua to put his hands up.
Should he run? How likely was it that Gritch would shoot him in the back with a room full of women behind him? Did he have deputies outside?
"I'm unarmed, Sheriff," he pointed out. "What is this about?"
"I got a wanted poster that describes you. That's what this is about. You can stop your lying now. We're all on to you."
"Speak for yourself," Verity said. "I maintain that Mr. Smith is an upright fellow, not the man you're looking for."
"I told you to stay out of this, Verity," Gritch said, giving her a dirty look over his shoulder.
"Don't you talk to my sister that way!" Charity strode toward Verity and stood next to her, chin outthrust, defiance on her face.
"That's right," Faith added. "You've got no call to take your upset out on Verity."
"Take your gun and get out of here, you bully," said Hope. She got nods from her sisters for that remark.
"I never liked you, Artemis Gritch, nor your mother," Granny said with a disdainful sniff.
It was telling that Mercy said not
hing.
Just as Joshua expected all along, he was bad news for the Bucknells. Now they were embroiled in his personal nightmare and speaking rashly to Virtue's lawman. It would net them nothing but future trouble.
"Can't you control your women?" Gritch asked Dr. Bucknell.
"They have a right to speak their minds," the doctor said. "And, frankly, I agree with them." He paused for a second before going on. "And, as Verity pointed out, Mr. Smith came to us broken and bleeding. If he was with a gang of criminals, why would they leave him behind like that? And steal all his possessions in the bargain?"
"How the hell do I know?" Gritch exclaimed. "I don't know how God damned outlaws think any better than you do. Maybe they thought he was dead, so took all his valuables and hightailed it out of there."
Dr. Bucknell's anger made his voice harsh. "Watch your language, Mr. Gritch. There are ladies present."
Because of his close proximity to Gritch, only Joshua heard the sheriff mutter, "Ladies my ass. Bunch of termagants, if you ask me."
Unknowing she'd been insulted, Charity jumped in. "But, Sheriff, he was not dead. It had to be clear to them that he was very much alive."
"Enough of this talk. I'm not here to argue with you. I'm here to take this criminal into custody," Gritch responded. "Put out your hands, Smith, or whatever your name is today. You're under arrest."
"Although it's very kind of the ladies and Dr. Bucknell to protest on my behalf," Joshua said, not offering his hands. "I'd like to point out that I am not a criminal. I have done nothing to indicate that I am a criminal while in Virtue. My behavior has been aboveboard. Townsfolk will tell you, Sheriff, that I have been trustworthy, open, and honest."
"That's not what I hear. I was told that you've been playing poker, and some feller you were playing with last night never came back to the table after you took him outside to talk. How do you explain that?"
Verity spoke up. "That was me, Artemis." Charity, beside her, blushed crimson.
"What?"
"I dressed up like a gentleman and went to the Horn Inn to spy on Mr. Smith."
Dr. Bucknell's jaw dropped open, but he soon found his voice. "Verity Ann Bucknell, why would you ever do such a thing? I am ashamed of you."
"I'm sorry, Papa. I don't know what got into me."
Charity took half a step forward. "It was my fault, too. I knew she was going to do it."
"So," Gritch said, "lemme get this straight. You dressed up like a man and came to town, sat down and played poker with a bunch of gamblers, went outside with Smith and then went home?"
Verity nodded, "Yes. There was nothing nefarious about the interaction."
"To clarify, Sheriff," Joshua said. "I knew it was Verity, so I escorted her home."
"In the middle of the night?" Gritch asked. "Unchaperoned?"
"Yes, I'm afraid so. But as Verity can attest, nothing untoward happened."
Gritch's head swiveled. "What have you got to say for yourself, Verity?"
"I'm a grown woman, Artemis. I can go about with whomever I choose at any time of the day or night."
Dr. Bucknell shook his head, and then said something surprising. "I fear Mr. Smith has not been a good influence on Verity."
"Papa!" said Hope.
Mercy chose that moment to chime in. "He's right, Hope. I've been saying it all along. He doesn't belong here. I, for one, have never trusted him."
No surprise there.
All the women began talking at once.
"Stop yammering!" Gritch shouted.
"I must ask you to leave, Sheriff," Dr. Bucknell said, his voice firm. "You have upset this household enough for one morning."
"I'm trying to get the hell out of here," Gritch said, then addressed Joshua, waving his gun again. "Put out your hands, or I'll make you do it, and it won't be pretty."
Joshua looked around the room, at the resolute faces of the women, at Dr. Bucknell's sad countenance, and back to Artemis Gritch. He couldn't hurt the Bucknells any further, and running on his gimpy leg, possibly into the arms of a waiting deputy, seemed like a bad plan. Getting shot wouldn't help matters.
"Go ahead, Joshua," Dr. Bucknell said calmly. "We'll get this straightened out."
With a single nod as a response, Joshua offered his hands to the sheriff, who clapped the handcuffs on roughly and took Joshua by the elbow, steering him toward the door.
"We won't stop until you're vindicated, Joshua!" Charity called as he was led away.
* * *
Verity demanded to see the wanted poster as soon as she stepped foot in the jail. Both Artemis Gritch and his deputy, Wallace Jones, were present, sitting and drinking something that smelled like stale coffee. Verity had been schoolmates with Jones' wife, Rebecca, and knew Jones to be a kind man, upright, honest and hard-working. She addressed her demand at him, ignoring the sheriff as best she could.
However, Gritch was not about to be ignored. "What's your stake in this, Verity?" he asked. "You sweet on Smith?"
"My interest is no business of yours, Mr. Gritch." She held out her hand. "Let me see the poster."
Jones got up and took a ring of papers off the wall. He flipped it to the second page and showed it to Verity. "Here ya go, Miss Verity. Sounds like the guy we got."
She read the poster carefully. The top headline read, "Wanted Alive by the Arizona Territory Legal Authority." It went on to say, "Unknown assailant with the following description: tall, brown hair, black coat, vest and trousers. Black slouch hat. Clean shaven, blue eyes, angular features. Muscular. Last seen east of Humbug Creek, south of Virtue, Arizona. Very dangerous, approach with caution. Wanted for murder and theft. $1000 reward for capture alive."
"This proves nothing," Verity said, pushing the poster away. "It describes a thousand men in Arizona Territory."
"Not one found only a few miles west of the creek," Gritch said.
"It's specious evidence, Sheriff. I think you dislike Mr. Smith and are making an effort to see him harmed. Shame on you for accusing an innocent man, a man already injured by these criminals. I hardly know you anymore, Artemis." And to think she was once considering him as a suitor. The entire idea was absurd in hindsight.
"This ain't got nothing to do with you, Verity. Keep your pointy little nose out of it."
"Now, now," Jones said, waving a hand in a calming gesture. "Ain't got no call to be insulting each other."
"I demand to see the prisoner," Verity told them. She needed to make sure Joshua was all right, that he hadn't been hurt or mistreated. She'd never been in the jail before, but judging from its rough interior, it was unlikely to be a pleasant place to reside, even temporarily.
"Nope," Sheriff Gritch said without hesitation. "Not a proper place for a woman."
"It's my right to see him." It was a guess on her part, an uneducated guess at that.
"Ha!" Gritch said, though the sound was anything but a laugh. "You ain't got no such right. What's he to you, anyway? Are you showing loose morals, Verity? Do I need to tell your father about this?"
Her father was in town arranging for a lawyer. There were only two in Virtue, but one was a friend of Papa's and would surely take the case. Verity had insisted on accompanying her father to town, though her reasons had been vague, and certainly didn't include telling Papa about her determination to go to the jail and see Joshua for herself. "Go ahead and tell him, Artemis," she bluffed. "He knows where I am and what I'm here for. He's just as determined to see Mr. Smith released as I am." That last was true, at least. Papa remained certain of his assessment of Joshua Smith. The former, however, was patently untrue. He did not know where Verity was, nor what she was up to. He would have, in fact, put his foot down. He'd meant what he'd said regarding Joshua being a bad influence, though he didn't hold either of them particularly accountable.
The sheriff wasn't buying it. "I don't believe you, but it's no matter. You ain't gonna see that varmint, and that's all there is to that."
Jones' gaze had swiveled back and forth b
etween Verity and Gritch, and Verity couldn't tell if he was taking sides. It was to his best interest not to gainsay his boss, however, and everyone knew that. Still, she turned to him. "Surely, you can see, Mr. Jones, that a citizen of Virtue has the right to see a prisoner to check on his welfare."
He loosened his collar with two fingers, and swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing as he did. "Not my place to say, Miss Verity. Maybe you'd best leave. If your father wants to see Smith, that might be arranged, but this is no place for a woman." His eyes darted to his boss, but Gritch was staring at Verity with a frown on his face.
"I see," she said, frustrated beyond caution. "If you must know, Joshua and I have become good friends. He is, in fact, a loyal friend to my entire family. Won't you please let me see him? Only for a moment?" She hated to beg, but her determination to see the man she loved forced her to resort to drastic measures.
Gritch smiled, but the expression didn't show in his eyes. "Well, now. We have something to work with. Just how 'friendly' are you and Smith, Verity? Friendly enough for a kiss, maybe?"
"Miss Verity," Jones said, "You might want to leave now before you dig yourself a hole."
She drew herself up tall as she could and stared the men down. "How is that any of your business? I'm asking you as a long-time friend, Artemis. Why would you deny me this when there's no harm in it?"
"Long-time friends, Verity. Yeah, sure. You take my courting and throw it in my face. Now I'm going to show you what that gets you."
She tried a different tack. "Artemis, the man is important to my family. Surely the Bucknells' support of your office as sheriff means something to you. There will be an election next year, you know."
He didn't ponder that hinted threat for even a moment, he was so sure of himself. "Get out, Verity. Don't make me push you out the door."
"Best you go, Miss Verity," Jones agreed, though he looked uncomfortable saying it.
She'd lost this battle. "I'm leaving now, Artemis," she said, stiffening her spine. "But I'll be back. You can be assured of that."
"And you'll get the same reception," he countered. "You go shopping and buy yourself a new hat. It'll make you feel better." He laughed at her as she left. Verity couldn't remember being so angry ever before in her life. The worst part was, she was harboring a few doubts about Joshua. She hated to admit it to herself, but the description on the poster did fit him and the location where he'd been found. And, presuming his memory really was lost—and she believed that of him—it was entirely possible that things had gone the way Artemis Gritch supposed. But, she told herself, Joshua wasn't a bad man. If he had been, she'd know it. She'd know it without a doubt. She had to keep those little fears to herself and stomp on them with both feet. Joshua was a good man. He was! She could not have fallen in love with a criminal.
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