All four glanced back and forth between Noah’s scowl and Rosalyn’s beauty. At least two of them probably considered telling him to go to hell, but in the end, they slunk away with promises of buggy rides and Sunday afternoon dinners.
Rosalyn’s expression never changed. The hunted animal never lost its instincts and she understood the young men were scenting her for a mate. However, more than likely once they found out who she really was, all they’d want from her was an easy fuck. The very thought of anyone using her like that made Noah want to beat his chest and howl at the moon. He wanted to keep her safe, make her happy, make her realize what an amazing person she was.
Noah whipped off his hat and sketched a short bow. “Miss Rosalyn, you look…stunning.”
Her eyes were the same color as her dress and he felt himself falling into them. The sound of fiddles warming up and a drumbeat echoed behind them. He held out his hand, the palm wet with leftover anger for the men who would use her. Noah tried his damnedest to shake it off and focus on Rosalyn instead of himself.
She never broke his gaze. “Does that mean you think I look pretty?”
“Oh God, Rosalyn, you passed pretty about ten miles back. You’re the most beautiful woman here.” He breathed out a sigh of relief when she put her gloved hand in his.
“You don’t need to butter me up, Noah. I’ll still come to your bed.”
He smothered a shocked chuckle. “Jesus please us, Rosalyn, you can’t say things like that in public. Folks don’t look kindly on women who spend their time in bed with a man they’re not married to.”
She shrugged. “Why do I care what they think?”
Noah struggled to make her understand. “If you want to live here and be part of this town, then you have to follow the rules.”
“But we ain’t following them.” Rosalyn frowned and tugged at his hand. “You’re ashamed of me.”
Noah realized what he’d been saying to her and could have cut out his own tongue. She was right. They weren’t following anybody’s rules but their own and it didn’t matter one lick what the town thought. If he lost his job, then he’d just find one elsewhere, even if it meant leaving Chancetown. If he was lucky, he would leave with Rosalyn on his arm.
“No, I’m not. I’m ashamed of me.” With that, Noah lowered his head and kissed her hard in front of all and sundry.
A few whistles met their ears, but he ignored them. When he lifted his head, her lips glistened with the remnants of their kiss. She smiled and he knew everything was all right.
They stepped onto the dance floor and she glanced around at the other dancers. They were doing a simple square dance, but Rosalyn looked as if she’d never seen such a thing. Noah took hold of her and guided her around the wooden floor. She fit perfectly in his arms and under his chin. Her violet eyes sparkled with joy as they moved in unison to the music.
“Slut!” The ugly word rang like a broken bell.
The music stopped and several couples bumped into each other. Shep Seeger strode out onto the dance floor, his spurs jingling and malice in his eyes. His two thugs stood behind him, wearing smirks on their faces and pistols on their hips. One of them wore a bandage on his hand—no doubt one of the bastards who had jumped him.
“That girl doesn’t belong in polite company.” He pointed at Rosalyn.
“She’s as much of a slut as her mother was.”
Rosalyn lurched toward the rancher and Noah held her back.
“Don’t you talk about my mama.” Her teeth bared like a she-wolf protecting her cub.
“Ha! I can talk about her all day.” Seeger circled around her. “She was a slut and a murderer. An embarrassment to this town.”
A murderer? Rosalyn’s mother was a murderer? What the hell? Rosalyn launched herself at Seeger with fists flying. She even got a punch in before Noah grabbed hold of her. Seeger’s hand rose but Noah stopped his arm in mid-motion.
“Don’t even think about hitting her.” Noah’s voice shook with fury.
“You will never hit a woman while I’m sheriff in this town. No one will.”
Seeger’s eyes flashed with repressed rage. “You’re only the sheriff as long as we let you keep the job.”
“Be careful who you threaten, Seeger.” Noah felt the weight of everyone’s stares as the two of them squared off. He couldn’t, wouldn’t back down. It wasn’t just for Rosalyn, but for himself. Noah had spent too much time cowering from bullies like Seeger. He wasn’t ever going to do it again.
Seeger must’ve seen something in Noah’s eyes because he stepped away. “Don’t forget what I said, Calhoun.” He gestured at Rosalyn. “And get that little bitch off this dance floor.” He touched the spot on his cheek where she’d hit him before turning away.
“I believe Mr. Seeger is right. This ah, person doesn’t belong at this celebration,” Dickinson’s nasally voice added from behind them.
Noah spun around, making the mayor step back a pace. The natty man was dressed in his best bowler hat and another brand-new suit.
“Why doesn’t she belong here? Is she not American? Does she not deserve to celebrate all those who died during the Civil War?” Noah’s words grew louder as he spoke. “It doesn’t matter where you came from or what your parents did. Every person should be accepted for who they are and not be judged.”
“It’s our right to limit the riffraff that comes into this town. We’ve got good folks here, and we don’t need the daughter of a murderer among us.” He pointed a pudgy finger at Rosalyn. “She needs to leave.”
Noah’s heart hammered against his ribs as the blood raced crazily around his body. This was his decision time, when he needed to choose between Rosalyn and his job. He hadn’t expected it to happen so soon, but he’d already made up his mind what he was going to say. There wasn’t really a choice. A job didn’t even begin to compare to a woman like Rosalyn.
As he opened his mouth, Elsa stepped in front of him.
“This is an American celebration and not one person should be excluded.” She made sure her icy gaze touched every onlooker. “This girl works for me and she’s good people. I wouldn’t have hired her if I didn’t believe that. You should be ashamed of yourselves, the lot of you. Treating this poor girl like the shit on your shoes.” She glanced at Noah.
“The sheriff saw the diamond in the rough and gave me a kick in my fanny that I needed. Rosalyn Benedict is as much a citizen of this town as the rest of you. She deserves to be a part of this here party. Anyone who wants to disagree with me can tell me now.”
The only sound to be heard was the crickets singing their lullaby in the night air. Rosalyn’s breath jumped in and out, her hand trembling in his. Noah squeezed it and finally dared meet her gaze. Hurt, distrust and fury swirled in their violet depths.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He meant it from the depths of his soul. People were cruel creatures who fed off other’s pain.
She shook her head and started to walk away. Noah wouldn’t let go of her hand.
“You’re not going anywhere. Elsa’s right. You belong here.” He took her in his arms again. “Right here.”
“What are y’all waiting for? Get to the fiddlin’ again. We’ve got a party to finish.” Elsa gestured to the musicians, who one by one picked up their instruments and the music began anew.
Seeger stood in a huddle with his men and Dickinson. That could only mean trouble for Noah and Rosalyn. He had to find a way to determine exactly what was going on in Chancetown and put a stop to it.
Noah saw Mrs. Knudsen and Josephine standing at the edge of the crowd, disappointment on their faces. The young woman looked at Rosalyn almost wistfully before her mother pulled her away. At least he wouldn’t have to continue the façade of running from them—the Knudsens already knew his choice had been made. He hated the fact he hadn’t been honest with them from the start and would make it a point to apologize to them.
The magic of the night had been broken, yet Rosalyn was still in his arms, albeit a bit re
luctantly. Seeger and Dickinson had gone too far and Noah intended that it wouldn’t happen again. Protectiveness surged within him for Rosalyn. He meant what he said. It didn’t matter who her mother was or what she did, Rosalyn was her own person and deserved the opportunities everyone else got.
It felt like he was holding a board in his arms instead of a woman. She kept her eyes down and her body stiff. When the dance was over, she mumbled a thank you and disappeared into the darkness that had fallen around them.
Marina stepped up beside him. “I’m sorry that happened. I know you were looking forward to being with her tonight.”
“I’d like to wring Seeger’s neck. Arrogant ass.” Just the thought of what the rancher had said made his pulse jump. He’d do his best to track down the man with the bandaged hand too.
“Be careful who you threaten because you never know who’s listening.” Marina squeezed his arm and walked away, leaving Noah with his thoughts whirling like a dervish.
Tomorrow he’d find out from Elsa exactly who Rosalyn was and what her mother had done. Then he’d be prepared to defend her and keep her by his side. A cool breeze blew and Noah shivered in the springtime night air. He had a feeling this confrontation was only the beginning. There was a lot left to uncover.
———
That night Rosalyn didn’t come to see him. He spent a lonely night staring at the stars and wondering why he was seeing her face in the twinkling blackness. When the sun rose, he gave up the battle for sleep and got out of bed, ready for an early morning walk.
Downstairs he found a note on the desk from Marina asking him to stop by the saloon to talk. She had information he needed to know. Intrigued, Noah strapped on his gun belt and realized he’d have to wait a few hours to see her. There was no way she was up at the crack of dawn.
Instead, he headed to the restaurant to get information from Elsa. Too many ghosts stood between him and Rosalyn. He aimed to shoo them all away to get to her.
Although it was still mighty early, there were plenty of folks out on the street. By the time he got to the restaurant, he’d been stopped twice and must’ve said hello at least ten times in the short walk down the street. When he walked inside, others waved and greeted him. He’d no idea who most of them were, but obviously the Decoration Day picnic had made them sit up and take notice of the sheriff.
He was fairly certain it was a good thing, but at the moment he felt a bit uncomfortable with all the attention. After escaping from the townspeople, he went into the kitchen and found Elsa. Lucky for him, Rosalyn was not there.
Elsa was grinding coffee beans when Noah walked in. “I figured I’d see you this morning.”
“You figured right.” He sat on the stool next to the stove. “Elsa, you need to tell me what you know about Rosalyn. I’m thinking I have a future with that girl but I’ll be damned if I can figure her out.”
With a deep frown, Elsa studied the coffee grounds in the grinder. “I knew Rosalyn as a child. She had a hard eight years with her family. Maybe if you know more about who she was, you can better understand who she is now. Her daddy, Shug Benedict, was a bully, a man who beat his wife if she even looked at him crosswise. Rosalyn was spared his fists because of her mother. She loved that little girl more than life itself.” Elsa met Noah’s gaze. “Shug got it in his mind that his daughter was more of a nuisance than anything. He tried to strangle her.”
Noah was mesmerized by Elsa’s words.
“Marilyn picked up a shotgun and killed her husband that night. By sunrise, the townsfolk had hung her from that cottonwood at the end of the main street. Rosalyn had to watch it all.” Elsa shook her head.
“People treat Rosalyn as if she doesn’t exist or maybe guilt kept them from acknowledging they’d hung a woman whose husband had beaten her daily for ten years. They’d orphaned her, just as surely as if they’d helped Shug Benedict make a fist. After Marilyn died, Sheriff Boyton had her buried in a small grave in the cemetery. He’d always been nice to Rosalyn and her mother, and in death, respected her memory.”
Noah swallowed hard against the lump that had grown in his throat. He’d known Rosalyn had endured much by the way she approached life. What he hadn’t known was just how bad it had been. His heart bled for her and for her mother.
“Marilyn Benedict was my friend and I did nothing to help her or Rosalyn. I aim to change that and I started by giving her a job. It ain’t enough though.” Elsa slammed the coffeepot down so hard the grinder fell over. “Well, shit.”
“What do you mean it isn’t enough?” Noah wanted to help Rosalyn too, and not just for his own purposes. The Calhouns and Malloys had given him a new start on life, which didn’t erase the past that still haunted him, but they gave him a future. With Elsa’s help, he could do that for Rosalyn too.
Elsa used her hand to brush the grinds into the coffeepot. “The town still ain’t accepting her.” She glanced up at Noah. “If’n she married the sheriff, they would.”
The words rang through Noah’s ears. Marry Rosalyn? Hadn’t the very thought been lurking in the back of his heart?
“Boy, don’t you faint on me.” Elsa waved her fingers in front of Noah’s face.
He captured her wrist and kissed the back of her hand. “You are a queen among women, Elsa.”
Noah never thought he could knock the older woman speechless, but he had. Her cheeks blushed a becoming shade of pink.
“Oh, go on.” She pulled her hand back. “I’m too old for you.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “So says you.”
Elsa cackled. “Get on with you then. You gonna do right by that girl?” Noah searched inside him for the answer. Truth was he wanted Rosalyn to be his wife, but there were a lot of things they had to clear up before he could marry her. Instinct told him he’d never find another woman who would be a perfect match like she was. He knew it the first time they made love.
“I plan on it. Not today though so don’t go gossiping, okay?”
“I’ll give you a week, then all bets are off, cowboy.” Elsa patted his shoulder. “Now get out there and do your job. This town needs a good cleaning.”
———
The saloon was empty of everyone save Marina, Bitsy and Cherry. The girls were sweeping the floor while Marina tallied receipts at the bar, her usual flouncy dress exchanged for a plain dark blue cotton one. She smiled and waved him in.
Bitsy and Cherry were in robes and their faces were bare of makeup. Both of them squealed, dropped their brooms and ran upstairs. Noah shook his head and Marina smiled.
“With the Decoration Day picnic, I closed the saloon last night. First time in a year that I went to sleep before the sun. They don’t know what to do with themselves so early in the day.” She chuckled and patted the stool next to him. “Have a seat and I’ll get you some coffee.”
His gritty eyes reminded him that coffee would be an excellent choice. Elsa hadn’t offered him any and he’d plumb forgotten about it during their talk. He gratefully accepted a steaming cup from Marina and took a noisy slurp. The hot thick liquid tasted like ambrosia.
“Delicious.”
“It’s like tar, but I appreciate the compliment.” She sat back down next to him. “There’s something I wanted to tell you but a promise to a friend stopped me from doing it before now.”
She fiddled with the papers on the bar. “Johnny Boyton is a good man, but not perfect. He made some mistakes as sheriff, just like anybody would. I thought you should know that he moved out to a small ranch just outside town the day after you took over as sheriff. I think he was tired of facing what Chancetown had become.” She swallowed a gulp of coffee. “Johnny’s pretty shrewd and kept information on certain men in this town that allowed him to keep working even long after he should’ve been sitting on his front porch whittling all day. You finally gave him the option to leave.”
Noah sipped at the hot brew, anxious to hear exactly what Johnny had done that guaranteed his job.
Her dark gaze met Noah�
��s. “I promised him I wouldn’t tell a soul, but I think the situation has gotten beyond what he expected. I don’t think anyone thought Rosalyn and you would… Well, anyway, Johnny made a deal with Dickinson and the town.”
“What kind of deal?” Noah would hate to think Johnny had some shady dealings, but human nature being what it was, it wouldn’t surprise him.
“Johnny had information about Dickinson and Seeger. Those two apparently did anything and everything they wanted to make money, and Johnny caught them with their hands dirty.” Marina shrugged. “He wasn’t ready to quit working yet so he told them he would keep it to himself if they let him run the sheriff’s office as he wanted to.”
“Not for money?” That would surprise Noah. Not many folks blackmailed others without there being money involved.
“No, not for money. He was happiest being a lawman and he passed sixty more than five years ago. Johnny Boyton wanted to feel useful. He also made a deal with them that whoever he hired would keep the job for one year, unless he was killed.” Marina tapped Noah’s hand with her fingernail. “Did you hear me?”
Noah shook away the cobwebs in his head. “Are you saying that I can’t be fired for a year?”
Marina smiled, the crinkles in the corner of her eyes standing out. Noah realized she wasn’t wearing any makeup and she was even lovelier without it. “Yep, that’s right. I didn’t want you to go on thinking you had to choose between Rosalyn and your job. They can’t take it away from you. It’s in a legal document stored in the county seat. I told you Johnny was smart.”
It was as if a great weight had lifted off his shoulders. There was nothing to keep them from being together except Rosalyn’s stubbornness. He kissed Marina on the cheek and let out a whoop. Marina shook her head at his antics.
“Just be careful, Noah. Threatened men are like dogs backed into a corner. They’ll bite you, even kill you, to get free. Remember, I said you’d keep the job unless you were killed.”
Her sobering warning took some of the air out of Noah’s sails. He wouldn’t put it past Seeger to try and kill the sheriff. Whatever the rancher’s reasons were for killing lambs and driving Finley off had yet to be discovered. Marina was right—a desperate man would turn into an animal.
The Legacy Page 11
