His gut instinct was telling him they were definitely being tracked and watched. Someone was very interested in what the sheriff did or didn’t do with Finley. He’d step lightly, waiting and watching to see who or what he could.
“How long have you lived here, Mr. Finley?” Might as well start at the beginning and work his way forward. Noah had a feeling this was not a new problem.
“A year last February. Mr. Seeger, he never liked my sheep, but they are good creatures that bring many good things to folks. Those cattlemen couldn’t keep warm without my wool for their sweaters and socks.” Finley’s pride in his sheep was evident in his voice.
They reached the bottom of the hill and slowed the horses so as not to startle the sheep. The smell of sheep grew stronger, and Noah wondered how long it took to get used to it. Probably not too long, as he got used to the smell of cattle from a young age.
“When did you start having problems?”
“Six months later, right after I sell my wool for the fall. Seeger come around and threaten me and says my sheep eat too much grass.” Finley waved his arm. “They stay on my ranch, not on open range, but he don’t give up. He complain to the old sheriff. That’s when I find out that Seeger have trouble selling his cows because they’re too thin.”
A significant reason to go to war with someone, greed. Greed had destroyed many lives and would likely destroy more. It was the driving force behind countless awful things.
The bleat of the sheep grew louder and soon it was hard to hear Finley. The big man gestured to the left so Noah followed him to a small outcropping of rocks where they dismounted. The grass around it was chewed down, letting the imprints in the dirt be more visible. Noah squatted down and saw at least two different boot prints, neither of which matched Finley’s enormous feet.
“Look between the rocks there. On the right.” Finley pointed to an opening where the lichen had covered part of the rocks.
Noah peered in and the smell of rotting flesh assaulted him. He clapped a hand over his nose and looked closer. The bodies of at least half a dozen lambs were scattered in the foot high space. Dried rust-colored blood matted their fur.
“What happened to them?”
“I find them like this two days ago. Each one had their necks sliced open and thrown in there.” Finley shook his head. “Poor little lambs were only a week old. I left them there for sheriff to see. Now that’s you.”
Noah knew the sheep rancher would never have killed six of his lambs himself. The future of any herd was in the young it produced. He swallowed the protest that he wasn’t qualified to investigate a crime like this. That would have been a lie—he just had to find the courage and gumption to stand tall and uncover the truth, no matter who was guilty.
“Anything else to show me?” Noah’s mind raced with the problems that arose from the bodies of the wooly babes.
Finley reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a cloth-wrapped bundle. When he opened it, Noah recognized the coyote traps immediately. His family had never used them because they were too cruel to any creature, but others had no qualms about using anything at their disposal. From what he could see, the steel wires were stained with blood.
“More lambs?”
“Ya, and a young ewe that didn’t know any better. So far, there have been seventeen of my sheep killed. Another eighty-seven have disappeared. I think to someone’s table for dinner.” Finley clenched the wooden stakes of the trap until they cracked. He looked up at Noah with fury in his blue eyes. “You will help me, Sheriff? I have no one else.”
Faced with the very real issue that was up to him to solve, Noah stepped off the safe path and into the black unknown of being a lawman. “Yes.”
———
It didn’t take long for Noah to reach Shep’s ranch—it bordered Finley from the north. The lowing of cows and the sharp tang of manure told him he was definitely in cattle territory. After his discussion with the sheepman, he was convinced that more than one person was involved in the attacks.
Several things had happened at once, which would indicate a multiple-pronged attack. Obviously whoever was behind it was intelligent and cunning. That made Noah’s job harder and escalated the danger level even higher.
Shep had to have at least a thousand cattle in the valley, more than Noah had seen in quite some time. The Malloys and Calhouns had good herds, but this was beyond even that scope. No rancher kept his cattle in the same area—they were usually spread around in various pastures.
Shep had deep pockets judging by the size of his herd, which meant he could hire anyone he needed to, if he wanted to.
One cowboy galloped toward Noah. Three others remained with the herd. As the man drew closer, Noah wasn’t surprised that it was Shep Seeger.
“Sheriff,” he said as he approached. “’Bout time you got your ass out here. Glad you finally made it.” The sneer never left his face.
Noah took the sarcasm in stride. “There are a great deal of issues to deal with in Chancetown. I have to deal with the most pressing first.”
“Like fucking that alley whore?” Seeger spit chaw at the tall grass beneath the horse.
Tired of being polite and eating this man’s shit with a spoon, Noah’s temper snapped. He reached across the horse and grabbed the other man by the throat, squeezing with just enough pressure to make Seeger’s veins bulge.
“I might be new to this town, Seeger, but where I come from we respect our women.”
“What the hell are you doing?” the rancher gasped out.
The roar of rage that echoed in Noah’s heart gripped him so tightly he could barely pull in a breath. It wasn’t about Seeger, but more about how people treated others.
“Apologize,” Noah snarled.
Seeger’s eyes promised retribution. “I’m sorry,” he spat.
Noah released the pressure slowly, keeping his other hand on the butt of his pistol. “You keep a civil tongue from now on. I’m here to investigate your complaint, not listen to your filthy mouth.”
As the red faded from his vision, Noah sat back on his saddle. “If you’re ready to give me more information, I’m ready to listen.” His hand shook as he pulled paper and pencil from his saddlebag, keeping his eyes on a furious-looking Seeger.
“Finley’s been running his sheep on my property. I’ll show you the damage he’s caused.” Seeger rubbed his throat and continued to glare at Noah. “If you’re through trying to kill me, I’ll bring you out there.”
Noah didn’t know what had gripped him, but as it faded, he realized he’d put himself in a precarious position by threatening Seeger. Still he couldn’t regret it. Seeger needed to know he couldn’t threaten the law, even if he was a newborn sheriff.
“I’d be glad to. First give me the details.” He held up the pencil.
“You’re a bastard, you know that?” Seeger growled.
Noah showed his teeth, but he didn’t smile. “Yes, so don’t forget it.”
———
The sun had already set by the time Noah made it back to Chancetown. His head swam with everything he’d seen and been told. Exhaustion crept over him and the thought that Rosalyn might be waiting for him at the jail was the only bright spot in an otherwise tumultuous day.
When he arrived at the jail, he wasn’t pleased to see Mayor Dickinson striding towards him. Noah dismounted with a sigh and waited. By the look on the other man’s face, Noah wasn’t going to like whatever the mayor had to say.
“Calhoun.”
“Evenin’, Mayor.”
The mayor stepped in close, his pudgy face lined with perspiration. “I hear that you’re not the only one living at the jail.”
Noah knew he’d have to step lightly. He didn’t want Rosalyn to be hurt, but he also wanted to make sure both of them didn’t end up eating the scraps from Elsa’s restaurant.
“Who told you that?”
The mayor pursed his lips. “It don’t matter who told me. I’m asking you now. Is there someone el
se living at the jail with you?”
“No. I had a little bit of trouble with one of the townsfolk. She learned her lesson and was released. Exactly what I would have done with anyone who was disturbing the peace.” Noah could lie with the best of them. He could tell people he didn’t trust what they wanted to hear. When he tried the same tactic with people who knew him well, whom he cared about, it backfired.
“So you’re telling me that girl who’s been hiding in the alleys for years, that filthy bedraggled creature who probably has head lice, the clap and God knows what other kind of disease, is not living in that jail with you?” His eyes blazed with suspicion.
This time Noah didn’t have to lie. “There is no filthy, bedraggled creature living at the jail.” That, at least, was the truth.
The mayor tipped his brown bowler hat back and peered at Noah, who kept his face intentionally blank and bland.
“You’re not lying to me, are you, Calhoun?”
“What would be the purpose of lying to you, Mr. Dickinson?”
“Well, I understand, son, that every man needs a little pussy now and then. Sheriffs are no exception. They have dicks just like every other man. How you use it is my business. You can go down there to the whorehouse and satisfy any itch you get, but I will not have you fucking that woman in my jail. Is that clear?” The toothy grin tucked away, the mayor was showing his true colors for the first time.
Noah’s anger threatened. He was usually able to keep all of his emotions in check. Ever since he arrived in Chancetown, his life had been turned upside down and everything he thought he knew, he didn’t. Somehow Rosalyn had opened a Pandora’s box of emotions. He needed to figure out some way to rein them in.
Noah had to grip his temper with both hands and hang on tight. “I assure you, Mr. Dickinson, I’ve done no fucking in this jail.” He stepped back and secured his horse to the hitching post. “Did you need anything else, sir?”
“You know, I know who your father is. Tyler Calhoun is a famous name in certain circles.” Dickinson rocked back and forth on his heels.
The mention of Tyler made a bad situation worse. One thing Noah didn’t want was to come up short while being compared to his famous bounty-hunter father.
“What a coincidence, I know him too.”
“Don’t you be smart with me, boy.” The mayor waved a chunky finger in Noah’s face. “You can be as much of a hardass as you want, but you still work for me. Your father was known for getting his man, dead or alive. I’m expecting the same from you. I know you were out at Finley’s. You just remember how your father worked and get your man, dead or alive. We expect our sheriff to do what’s best for the town, not what his britches tell him to do.”
Noah flattened his lips into a tight white line, keeping the fury behind his teeth. After a minute of staring at each other, the mayor finally dropped his gaze. Noah felt a smidge of triumph.
“Since you’re only working ten days of the month, you only get paid for those ten days. You’ll get a full month’s salary in June.” The mayor carefully counted out Noah’s pay and handed it to him. “I paid Cherry and Bitsy for cleaning the jail for you. I’m late for dinner with my wife. Just remember everything I said, Calhoun. Have a nice evening.”
Noah stood there, breathing in deeply and letting the air out for a good five minutes before he was able to unclench his jaw. He shook with the force of his anger and disgust. It wasn’t as if Noah hadn’t been exposed to the underbelly of human existence before. He knew just how deep and dark that cave was—he’d been there. However, to find blatant prejudice, corruption and vicious greed in one tiny town surprised him. There was no question he’d be able to handle it. He’d survived worse so he wasn’t worried about himself. He could pick up and move on.
Rosalyn was a different story.
Noah was worried about her. He’d already changed her by pulling her from the streets, by making her bathe and wear clean clothes. Those changes put her in a precarious position with the town. He had to follow through on his commitment to helping her. Noah wouldn’t allow Rosalyn to suffer because of his actions. He slapped his hat on his leg and walked into the jail, still wondering how the hell he could save her and himself without getting killed in the process.
Chapter Six
Rosalyn had heard the two men talking out on the street, the filthy words that fat man said. She wanted to run out there to claw and kick him until he apologized. She knew Noah was protecting her and that he’d deliberately lied. That put him and his job at risk because of her, a situation she’d never wanted.
She didn’t know quite what to do. No one had ever done that for her before. No one had stepped in front of her and protected her, at least not that she remembered. Maybe a long time ago when her parents were still alive, but a lot of her memories of that time were kind of blurry. She peeked out the window and saw Noah standing there, staring into nothing. His expression was hard as stone.
Rosalyn had the impulse to run out and put her arms around him, but even she knew that was a bad idea. The town seemed to be hell-bent on keeping the sheriff away from her. What she didn’t know was why.
She waited in the shadows as the door opened and closed. Noah stepped in with a sigh. His face reflected many different emotions, including anger and frustration.
Without thinking about what she was doing, Rosalyn emerged from her hiding spot and rushed to him. Noah reached for his pistol, but before he could clear leather, she’d jumped on him. As her arms wound around his neck, her legs wrapped around his waist, pressing her pussy to him.
“What the hell?” Noah bumped into the door.
Rosalyn looked him in the eye. “Welcome back, Sheriff.”
As her mouth descended on his, he tried to pull away, but she would have none of that. Rosalyn was going to seduce Noah. She was a bit inexperienced with her tongue, but a fast learner.
She licked her way from one side of his full lips to the other. Her nipples puckered against his hard chest, the tingles of awareness sliding down her skin straight between her legs. What had started as a reward for him was turning into something else altogether.
Her pulse beat a steady tattoo as his mouth opened and her tongue swept in. His mouth was a hot, wet cavern of delight, and she took advantage of every second of it. She tickled his teeth, his gums, his tongue and everything in between.
His cock hardened between her legs, pulsing and pushing against her cleft, raising her excitement level even higher.
“The cell, now,” she forced out between kisses. As Rosalyn pulled at his hair, Noah obeyed her command, stumbling to the cell.
“Lay down.” She slid off him, never losing contact with his mouth. With a grin, she pushed him onto the cot and unbuttoned his shirt. When his chest was finally hers to touch, she ran her fingers through the soft hairs that peppered the otherwise smooth skin. When her nails scratched at his flat nipples, he hissed against her lips.
“I think I found a good spot here.” She smiled and waggled her eyebrows. Throwing one leg over him, she straddled him, effectively trapping the sheriff beneath her.
Noah’s brown eyes were dilated with desire. He started to say something but Rosalyn put her hand over his mouth.
“Shut up and enjoy, cowboy.”
Rosalyn kissed her way down his chest, pausing to suck and nibble at his dark pink nipples. He moaned, but otherwise his harsh breathing was the only other sound in the jail.
She knew anyone could walk in at any time, but it didn’t matter. Her body screamed with ancient hunger, wanting to feed on that which Noah could give her—closeness, pleasure and a healthy dose of sex.
This time Rosalyn would be the one to tell him what to do, how to do it and when. She kissed her way down his belly, stopping to swirl her tongue in his bellybutton. The muscles tightened beneath her hands and mouth. The trail of dark brown hair led her down, down, down to the vulnerable part of him that called her.
She unbuttoned his trousers and gazed at the animal that lay
trapped under his drawers. As it pulsed before her eyes, her body throbbed along with it. For the first time she could remember, Rosalyn’s body responded to a man’s with excitement. Her breasts and pussy ached with need. This was what the whores must like about fucking.
Rosalyn was determined to enjoy it.
She freed him from his drawers, gripping him in her fist. He groaned and tried to push her hands away.
“No you don’t. I aim to taste this and you can’t stop me.”
As she got closer to his pulsing member, her bravado faltered but Rosalyn wasn’t one to back down from anything. She licked the top of him, tasting salt and something that was pure Noah, the essence of who he was. A shiver raced over her skin and she knew everything would be all right.
“Stop, Rosalyn, stop. I can’t… Please, stop.” He closed his eyes, pushing against her, the veins standing out in his neck. “Don’t do that.”
Rosalyn could see by the look on his face that he meant it. He didn’t want her to pleasure him with her mouth. The reasons weren’t important—she recognized the truth in his eyes. That didn’t mean she couldn’t pleasure both of them in another way.
She pulled off her dress and climbed on top of him. As she positioned herself over him, he opened his eyes. Rosalyn impaled herself.
Oh, sweet saints above. He filled her completely, made her feel whole. Buried deep within her, he fit perfectly, as if he’d been made to be there. Like two sides of a coin, they were a matched set.
His hands tightened on her thighs. She rode him harder, sliding up and down on his engorged flesh. The sweet heat from their mingled breath and bodies warmed the cell until it felt like an inferno. The sound of flesh against flesh split the air.
“Oh God, Rosalyn,” he barked as he pulsed deep within her.
Rosalyn rode the wave with him, the echoes of her pleasure mingling with his. Bliss settled over her, the first piece of peace and sweet harmony she’d experienced in a very long time, perhaps in all her life. She rocked back and forth until he started shaking. The metal feet vibrated against the wooden floor from the force of it. She opened her eyes and stared down at him in surprise.
The Legacy Page 7
