Horseshit. If the man’s name were actually John, Shane would run down Main Street buck naked at high noon. On a Tuesday.
“Well, John,” he said instead, “Marietta is a law-abiding town. It’s my job to keep it that way.”
John’s grin revealed his tobacco-stained front teeth. “Like I said, Sheriff, we’re just taking a few days to enjoy this pretty countryside and then we’ll be moving along.”
“You won’t be coming into town, then?”
“Well now,” John drawled, running his forefinger across his stubbled chin. “I never said that. These hills are pretty but they don’t quench a man’s...thirsts.”
Both Silver and Charlotte came to Shane’s mind. His jaw tightened and he flexed his hand over his rifle. Shane stood by the law, always had. Even when there’d been times he’d rather have used his own brand of justice, he hadn’t crossed the line. But these men would be wise not to push him. Because the thought of anyone in his town getting hurt, especially Silver, turned his blood to ice.
But Shane knew he was being goaded, knew by the cocky stance and shrewd look in John’s dark eyes that the man was toying with him. Shane braced his forearm the pommel. Two could play at his game.
“I’ve been known to toss a man in jail for nothing more than throwing the first punch or falling down drunk on the street. Folks in this town, we look after each other, keep an eye on each other,” he warned, “and we don’t tolerate any ruffians. You step a toe out of line in my town, you won’t like the consequences.”
John’s eyes went cold as steel. “You threatenin’ me, Sheriff? ’Cause I was here minding my own business. It’s you who came and harassed me.”
“Harassed.” Shane chuckled. “Son, you haven’t seen harassment. But you come into my town and cause trouble? You’ll be lucky if that’s all you get.” Ignoring John’s glare, Shane pushed off the pommel and once again sat tall in the saddle. “Oh, and by the way, my brother Logan is a US Marshal. He’s got more jurisdiction than I do and he’s a hell of a tracker.”
Knowing he’d done all he could, though he doubted it would deter a man like John, Shane tugged the reins, turned his horse around. When he passed the spot Mitch and Owen were waiting, they fell in beside him. They didn’t talk until they’d once again ridden around the stand of trees and were both out of sight and hearing distance.
Only then did Shane roll his shoulders, blow out a long breath. “I half expected to be shot before we made it this far.”
“Did they threaten you?” Mitch asked.
“Not in so many words. They denied being anywhere near Chico but I suspect that was as much a lie as when the leader told me his name was John. But it was when I told them that Marietta was a law-abiding town and that if they had any ideas about coming to town and stirring up trouble they wouldn’t like the consequences, that I got the sense they took it as a challenge. At least two of them did. The third seemed uneasy by my being there.”
Owen’s saddle creaked as he turned around to look behind them. “So you don’t think we’ve seen the last of them?”
“I have a bad feeling we haven’t. But between you and me, Owen, we’ll patrol more and I’ve already warned all the business owners, especially Henry Bramble at the bank, to be extra vigilant.”
“Why the hell couldn’t you arrest them if you suspect they’ve robbed a coach, killed a man, and are planning a robbery?” Mitch demanded.
“Just because I suspect it, doesn’t mean I can prove it. Katie never saw the men who robbed her coach as they were masked. The man who beat Charlotte is already dead. And I can’t arrest them for having talked to the dead man no more than I can arrest Jedidiah Hornsby for having followed him.”
“But if they suspect you’re wise to them, then why wouldn’t they move on? Why stay and risk you finding proof?”
“The leader, John. He’s cocky,” Shane answered. “And he enjoys the game. To him, I’m nothing more than a mouse to toy with. I reckon he’s gotten away with a lot over the years and believes he’s untouchable. It’s not uncommon.”
“But you said one of them seemed more nervous?”
“Yeah. One of them kept glancing at my badge. It was clear he didn’t want to tangle with the law and hopefully that will play in our favor. If John has plans for Marietta, hopefully that other one can talk some sense into him, convince him to move on.”
Mitch looked over; concern furrowed his brow. “And if he can’t?”
They’d reached the crest of the hill. Shane tugged on the reins. In the distance, Marietta lay snuggled in the valley between the Absaroka and Gallatin ranges. The Yellowstone River was a blue sparkling ribbon curving to the north. He hadn’t travelled outside this valley; couldn’t say he desired to. Good or bad, and there’d been a hell of a lot of bad growing up, it was home. He’d been elected to protect it. Hell if he was going to fail.
“Then they’ll all be sorry,” Shane answered, knowing he’d never spoken truer words.
Shane was back in Marietta by lunch. Now that he’d seen the other three men, he sat down and sketched their faces as well. Then, after a quick meal, he took all four of his drawings and, starting at one end of town, worked his way through the businesses showing them around. While the one man was dead, Shane nonetheless wanted to know if anyone had seen him in town, other than at Grey’s. If he’d been seen alone or if he’d been with anyone. Or if any of the others had been seen passing through.
Though the errand was serious, he enjoyed talking to folks. It was satisfying knowing he did this often enough that most welcomed him with a smile, with an offer of coffee, with time to lean on a broom and jaw for a few minutes.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, nobody had seen the men he’d sketched. Nonetheless, he encouraged them to stay vigilant and to let him know if they saw or heard anything untoward.
Back in his office, Shane added the morning’s goings on to the file he’d started on the murdered man. He’d just finished when Liam, another tall, bowlegged cowboy who ranched out toward the Triple P, entered his office.
“Morning, Liam.”
“Sheriff.”
Shane leaned back in his chair. “What brings you by?”
“Running errands.” Liam pushed his hat up high on to his forehead. “Whole town’s talking about some man you found dead in the hills yesterday. They say you have a drawing?”
“Yeah.” Shane pulled the sketch from the pile of papers and slid it across his desk. “Have you seen him?”
Liam examined it but it wasn’t long before he shook his head. “No. Guess it’s not the same man.”
Alert, Shane leaned forward. “What man?”
“Two days ago some man came riding into my yard with another horse tagging behind. Said he was selling the animal for a sick friend and asked if I was interested in buying it.” He shrugged. “I didn’t think anything of it at the time. I figured if his friend was sick it could explain the reason he was selling the horse and saddle.”
Shane sucked in a breath. “Saddle too?”
Liam nodded. “The whole kit and caboodle.”
“But it wasn’t this man?” Shane tapped the drawing.
“No.”
Shane pulled the other three drawings from the stack, spread them side-by-side next to the first.
“Him.” Liam pointed to the skinnier of the men, the man that had seemed worried by Shane’s presence.
Shane’s gut coiled. “You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Well, that would explain why there’d only been three horses this morning. They’d not only murdered one of their own, they’d gotten rid of the man’s horse as well. And now Shane had proof they’d lied about knowing him.
“Thank you, Liam. That’s all I needed.”
Liam stood. He looked a little paler than when he’d walked in. “The man selling the horse? Did he murder the other one?”
“I don’t know for sure who murdered him but all these men know more than they’re saying.”
“Hello, Liam,” she said, greeting him with a smile.
Though Liam was happily married as far as Shane knew, his cheeks flushed pink. “Afternoon, Silver.” He tipped his hat, hurried away.
Shane chuckled.
Silver turned her golden eyes on Shane. “What’s so funny?”
“You flustered him. I’ve heard that man talk about horse and cow breeding and castrating calves without blinking an eye and you say hello and he gets all tied up.”
Her eyes sparkled. Her mouth pursed. “I’d rather know if I tie you up?”
Blood shot straight to his groin, right there on the boardwalk. Hell, if he didn’t feel his own cheeks warm.
“Let’s talk about that inside,” he said.
He followed her in, shut the door. Then angled her into the corner where they weren’t likely to be seen by passersby looking in through the window. Unlike her saloon, the windows in his office didn’t have curtains. While the town would know of them courting soon enough, he didn’t feel the need to put it on display in his office.
That didn’t mean, however, he couldn’t kiss her until they were both breathless and trembling for more.
“Well.” Eyes looking a little dazed, Silver licked her lips. “That was quite the greeting.”
“Hello, Silver,” he said belatedly.
She sighed. “I much prefer your other greeting.”
He smiled, brushed his knuckles down her cheek. “I can do both.”
“Is there anything else you can do?” She teased naughtily.
Lust filled him. More than anything, he wanted to show her right there just what he could do but he stepped back instead, deliberately putting space between them.
“You, woman, are a vixen.”
Her grin looked far too satisfied for his peace of mind.
He moved to his desk, perched on the edge. “What brings you by?”
“That greeting for one.” Her gaze danced over him. “But mostly, I just wanted to see you.”
His heart squeezed. First, she’d said she loved him and now she just wanted to see him. He reached for her hand and she placed hers in his.
She looked at his desk. “Did I interrupt something?”
He told her about going up in the hills earlier with Owen and Mitch, talking to the men, the feeling he’d gotten, the warning he’d left them with as he had no proof. But with Liam now identifying one of them for trying to sell a horse, he had reason to go back and arrest them.
She gestured to the drawings. “Those are the men?”
“Yeah.” He pushed off from the desk. “I know you said you haven’t served any strangers lately, but why don’t you have a look, just in case?”
Silver stepped closer. Her eyes widened and she sucked in a sharp breath. Her face drained of color as her hand trembled over first one drawing then the next.
“Which one is the murdered one?”
Shane didn’t know what to make her reaction. She’d claimed not to have seen any strangers lately.
He stepped to her side. “What is it? Do you recognize one of them after all?”
She shook her head.
Shane pointed to the murdered man. “That one. And this one”—he pointed to another—“tried to sell the man’s horse to Liam. Why? Have you seen any of them?” he asked again.
She stared at the drawings for a long time. “I haven’t seen any of these men in town or anywhere near here,” she admitted at length. “You said they were up in the hills? Toward Marietta Mountain?”
“Yes. Not far once you cross the creek.”
“And you’re going to arrest them right now?”
He sighed. “Unfortunately, I can’t. With the extra hours I’ve had Owen working, he had some business he needed to take care of this afternoon. And Mitch is likely already on the way to the Triple P. Scott’s working on a new colt and since Mitch heard about Scott and Katie’s way with horses, he wanted to go watch.”
“Oh.” Silver exhaled deeply. “He’ll enjoy that.” Her eyes fixed on his. “But you’re going today?”
“As soon as I can manage it. I’m going to head to the Triple P now, fetch Mitch. Then we’ll grab Owen on our way back. Hopefully, that will give him the time he needs to finish what he had to do. If not, he’ll have to finish another time. I don’t want to chance those outlaws getting away.”
Silver didn’t have the luxury of time. She had to get to those hills before Shane. With fear chasing her, she hurried home.
Oh, God. Oh God. Why now? Why here?
She hadn’t lied about seeing those men in town, or anywhere near it. She hadn’t. But she did recognize them. She knew them, in fact. They were the reason she’d fled Dakota Territory to begin with.
Biting back a sob, blinking away the tears, Silver struggled to fit the key in the back door. Why was this happening when she finally had everything she wanted? Shane had, at long last, admitted his love and last night had been so beautiful. Tears spilled from her eyes as the key slid home and the door opened. If he found out the truth now, she’d lose him and the life she’d built.
Panic pressed against her chest, made it hard to breathe. She couldn’t lose everything.
Slamming the door behind her, she raced through the kitchen, into the saloon and up the curving staircase. In her rooms, she struggled out of her day dress and into a split skirt and blouse. Rummaging through her dresser drawer, she pulled out her Colt, ensured it was loaded. Tucking it into her skirt, she drew on the matching jacket, knowing it would hide her weapon. She wasn’t going anywhere unprepared. Not ever again.
She flew down the stairs and outside as fast as she’d blown in.
Silver avoided Main Street, choosing to move along the back of the buildings as she ran for the stable.
The first thing she did was look for Shane’s horse. She blew out a relieved breath when she saw Justice wasn’t there. Moving quickly, her hands steadier now, Silver tacked her horse. She was leading Lady from the stall when the reverend spoke from behind her.
Silver squealed, then tightened her grip on the reins as her scream startled Lady.
“My apologies, Silver, I didn’t mean to scare you.”
Had it been anyone else she’d have scolded him for taking ten years off her life.
“It’s fine. I didn’t hear you come in is all.”
“You must have been deep in thought. I certainly wasn’t trying to be quiet.”
He gave her a friendly look that filled Silver with self-loathing. Reverend Donnelly was her friend and she’d lied to him from the first day she’d met him, the day he’d offered his friendship.
As though she wasn’t feeling guilty enough already.
And because she just wanted to get out of there before she was forced into more lies she quickly excused herself.
“I’m sorry I have to go. It was nice seeing you.”
Before he had time to do much more than step out of her way, Silver hurried Lady out of the stable.
The calmness of the morning was giving way to a windy afternoon. Wind whipped at her face, tugged at her hair as she headed south into the hills. Silver squinted as the bright sun shot white beams directly into her eyes. Grasses swayed under the force of the wind, leaves shook on their branches. It was just her and her Colt and a sick feeling in her stomach. She’d thought she’d run from her past. Turned out she hadn’t ran far enough.
Over the trees, she saw the thin band of campfire smoke. Nerves tightened her shoulders, drummed in her ears and blocked out everything, including the steady clomp of Lady’s hooves. Silver didn’t realize she was biting her lip until she tasted the metallic flavor of blood. Wiping it away, she forced herself to calm down. If she had a hope of convincing them to move on, she couldn’t afford to look afraid.
Yet it
was fear that gripped her by the throat, that all but choked her when a single horse and rider came around the thicket of trees between her and the campfire, directly in Silver’s path. It struck her then just how hasty she’d been. Even armed it was three against one. Her hand reached for her Colt.
Because she had the advantage of knowing they were nearby, it didn’t take her more than a moment to recognize the man riding toward her. Lowering her hand, Silver shuddered as a little of the fear slid away. It was her cousin. He was as lanky as he’d always been, though the patchy scruff along his jaw was new. She figured the other two must be behind those trees, sitting around the fire.
Knowing she had a better chance of getting through to John Paul without Quinton and Dirk around, Silver pulled on the reins and waited.
She knew the moment he recognized her. When his facial expression changed from a man ready to charm a woman to one who couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“Sil?” He gaped. “Is that really you?”
Silver cringed at the name. She was no longer that woman. Didn’t even care to remember she’d once been that woman. That she’d once been so desperate as to take stolen money in order for her ma to eat, in order for her ma to have medicine. Not that it had helped.
“It’s me,” she stated simply. “Are the others over there?” She gestured to the smoke drifting over the trees.
“Yeah.” He shoved his hat back, scratched his head. “You don’t look surprised to hear that.”
“That’s because the sheriff in town is showing a drawing of a murdered man found near here and I knew the minute I saw the sketch it was Albert. Just as I recognized the drawings he had of the rest of you.”
“He’s made drawings of all of us?” John Paul asked.
“He has. It’s how I knew you were here and where to find you.”
John Paul’s eyes went wide as saucers. “You told him you knew us?”
“No. And I won’t.” Despite knowing she had a head start, she couldn’t help looking over her shoulder.
The last thing she wanted was for Shane to catch her talking to one of the men he suspected of murder. For Shane to learn she knew them all. For Shane to learn the truth...
A Sheriff's Passion Page 22
