by Barbara Goss
He’d just keep praying.
Logan removed all but his smalls and climbed quietly into the bed. Paulina didn’t move. He pulled the quilt up and turned his back to her, thanked God, and fell asleep.
In the morning they ate breakfast at the café and had just pushed away their plates, when they heard gunshots being fired from down the street. Everyone in the café rushed to the windows. Some men pulled out their guns, including Logan.
“What’s going on?” Paulina asked.
“Something at the jail,” Logan answered. “I have a bad feeling about this.” He took her by the shoulders. “Stay here. Promise me you’ll stay right here until I return.”
Paulina was confused. “All right, but hurry back. I’m scared, Logan.”
As she watched Logan run toward the jail with his guns drawn, her heart began to thump heavily in her chest.
There was a crowd outside the jail, and she couldn’t see a thing. A man with a long beard ran toward the scene, and one man said, “Doc Hudson’s on his way. Someone’s hurt.”
A few minutes passed before several men followed Doc Hudson across the street and into his home. Doc Hudson was carrying a man.
Paulina was relieved to see Logan running toward the café with his guns holstered. He rushed over to her and steered her out of the café and onto the wooden walkway. “Homer Washburn and Sy have been freed by Otto Washburn, Homer’s brother, and several others. Sheriff Branson was seriously injured.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her across the street.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“To the church to pray for Branson.”
After praying, Logan sat with his head down. “I feel guilty having been paid for bringing Washburn and Sy in, now that they’ve been sprung and our sheriff has been shot.”
“It wasn’t your fault. You did your job.”
The church door opened, and a man walked in and sat beside them. “I’m Reverend Ellsworth. I’ve just given Sheriff Branson his last rights.”
“Oh, no!” Paulina cried.
The man nodded. “I’m afraid so. He was shot in the heart. There wasn’t much Doc could do for him.”
Logan slammed his fist into the bench in front of him. “Dagnabbit!”
The town council held an emergency meeting at the church, so Paulina and Logan promptly left to return to their hotel to pack their things.
“So, are you ready for the long trip back to Laredo?”
“Not really.” Paulina sat on the bed and looked down at her lap. “What will I do there? I was fired from the saloon, and no one there can afford a housekeeper.”
“I have the perfect job for you.” Logan smiled and knelt near her. “Would you like to apply for the job of Mrs. Logan McGuire?”
Paulina raised her eyes and searched his to be sure he was serious. When she saw that he was, she said, “I would, but I’m not sure I’d qualify.”
“You’re hired. That is, if you don’t mind being married to a bounty hunter. I’ll be away, sometimes for weeks, and there's no guarantee I’ll return. I also don’t even have a house for us to live in.”
Paulina smiled. “I accept the job as offered. I won’t like you being away or the idea that you might not return, but I’ve learned to pray, and now I feel like I can handle anything.”
Logan pulled her up and hugged her to him. “It might be a more enjoyable trip to Laredo if we have that nice reverend marry us, first. What do you say?”
“I say, yes!” Paulina nearly shouted.
He kissed her and said, “Stay here while I go to talk with the reverend.”
Logan walked into the church. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the meeting of men that was taking place at the front altar. He started to back up, but the reverend stood. “There he is, now. Don’t leave, Mr. McGuire. Please, come here. Our meeting concerns you.”
“Me?” Logan asked in surprise.
A stocky, older man stood. “I’m Bruce Henneman, the mayor, and we’ve all agreed that we’d like to hire you as Sheriff of El Paso. You helped bring in two dangerous criminals, proving yourself more than capable.”
“Branson helped. I feel guilty having taken the bounty money.”
“The sheriff never knew where Washburn was hiding, and they'd never have captured him without your assistance. We heard from your friend that you’ve been the Sheriff of Laredo for several years, and we need a sheriff here, badly.”
“I’d need time to think—”
“We need someone right away; no time to think. The pay is two hundred dollars a year and we don’t provide housing. There's a boarding house, and that’s where Branson was living, so there’s a vacancy. The owner gives our sheriff half the rate.”
“Two hundred a year?” Logan couldn’t believe it. How could he support a family on that? He’d do better as a bounty hunter, except for the fact he’d be away most of the time instead of home with the family he would then be able to support.
“Even if you agree until we can find someone else we’d be much obliged,” Henneman said.
“There are other ways you can add to that salary,” another councilman said. “There are fees from serving subpoenas, warrants, and handling other court matters. You can earn a few extra hundred dollars, some years.”
“And,” Henneman added, “you earn two dollars for serving papers, and four dollars for every arrest. If you have to travel to another city on El Paso business, we pay you five cents per mile.”
“And don’t forget the taxes,” the other councilman added. “With the railroad and mines here, you get paid a certain percent for collecting their taxes.”
After considering and doing some math in his head, he gave them his answer: “All right. I’ll take the job on a temporary basis. Then, we’ll see.” Logan shook hands with all of the councilmen before pulling the reverend aside.
“Could you marry Paulina and me as soon as possible?”
“Is tomorrow soon enough?” Reverend Ellsworth winked.
Logan left the church feeling like something had hit him over the head, and he was just now coming to consciousness.
He headed for the boarding house where a plump woman with a kerchief wrapped around her head let him in.
“Howdy, ma’am. I’m the new sheriff. I was told I could have a room here.”
“Yes, sir,” she answered. “Sure can. I’m Maggie O’Dell, the owner, and I was just cleaning out Branson’s room. I gave his things to Miss Lucy at the Horseshoe Saloon. He didn’t have any family, and she was his closest friend.”
She led him to a room on the second floor. It was a small suite with a bedroom, dressing room, and a small sitting room. Logan supposed it would do as a temporarily home for Paulina and himself.
“I’ll have my wife moving in with me as soon as we’re married. The Reverend Ellsworth will perform the ceremony tomorrow.
“Oh, dear!” Maggie exclaimed. “I’ll have to charge you a bit more for another tenant. I won’t charge you double, but ten percent more to cover the meals for another person should do it.”
Logan sighed. “Fine. We’ll take it.”
He still had the money from the bounty, as well as the small nest-egg from his job in Laredo. They’d do fine until he decided what he wanted to do long-term.
Logan rushed back to the hotel since he couldn’t wait to tell Paulina the good news, but when he swung the door open, she wasn’t there.
Chapter Nine
Paulina’s things were packed and the bed was made, but she was nowhere to be seen. Logan’s heart began to thump loudly. Could Washburn and his gang have taken her again? He raced for the door, headed down the hotel stairs, and ran smack into Paulina and another woman.
“There you are!” Logan said, taking both of Paulina’s hands in his. “I was worried. Why didn’t you leave me a note or something?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I thought I’d be back before you returned. By the way, I want you to meet Felicia. She’s the one who does hair at the sal
oon. She’s agreed to do my hair for our wedding. Did you speak with Reverend Ellsworth?”
“How do you do?” Logan bowed to Felicia. “Our wedding will be tomorrow, at ten in the morning.”
Paulina squeezed his hands, turned to Felicia, and said, "Can you come here early tomorrow and do my hair?”
“I’d be honored,” Felicia said.
“I’d also like you to witness our wedding,” Paulina said.
“I’d be honored again!” Felicia laughed.
Paulina bid goodbye to Felicia and let Logan lead her up to their hotel room. He sat her down on a chair, put his leg up on a nearby table, and said, “We need to talk.”
He sounded serious. She hoped whatever it was wouldn’t change their wedding plans. She studied him while waiting for him to speak. He was so handsome, and he would soon be all hers. She loved how his hair waved over his forehead, and how his green eyes turned hazel when he was upset or worried. She couldn’t wait to be his.
“The town council has offered me the job of sheriff here, in El Paso. The pay isn’t a lot, but we can get by—for now. What do you think?”
Paulina thought for just moments before saying, “I’d love to stay here, in El Paso.”
“We won’t have a lot, and our home will be a small suite at the boarding house.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she said, taking his hands in hers. “What’s important is that you and I will be together, and you won’t have to leave me for weeks at a time.”
“That’s definitely one of the good points.” Logan knelt near her. “Are you sure?”
“I’m very sure.”
Logan and Paulina stood before Reverend Ellsworth and repeated their vows as Woody and Felicia looked on. There wasn’t a wedding supper afterwards, but Woody and Felicia hugged them and wished them well before the newlyweds moved into their suite at the boarding house.
Paulina bounced on the bed. “This is going to be comfortable for tonight.”
“Why do we have to wait until tonight?” Logan winked at her.
“Because it isn’t…it just doesn’t…because I want it to be romantic, and daytime isn’t one bit romantic.”
Logan laughed. “I’ve waited all this time. A few more hours won’t hurt.”
“It will be perfect.” Paulina walked to the mirror and patted her new hairdo.
“Have I told you how beautiful you look today?”
Paulina spun around to face him. “You haven’t.”
“I was thinking it the whole time the reverend read what seemed like half the Bible before getting to the vows.”
Paulina suddenly felt sad for Felicia. “You know, Logan, Felicia does such beautiful work with hair. She hates working at the saloon, and wishes she could do hair full-time.”
“Maybe she could rent a shop and open up her own hair place,” Logan said.
“I’ll have to ask her.” Paulina walked over and took Logan’s hand. “It’s our wedding day. Let’s not sit around here. Couldn’t we walk down by the river? It would be a lot cooler there. Then we could have dinner here, and then…have our wedding night.”
Logan stood and pulled her to the door. “The sooner we get this plan of yours started, the sooner we'll reach the last item.”
“As Sheriff of El Paso, will you have to go after the Washburn brothers and their gang?” Paulina asked. They were sitting beneath a huge, box elder tree.”
Logan leaned back against the tree. “I will. Actually, I can’t wait to get started. I want them all locked up tight. I also feel that since I've already been paid the bounty money for them, I should get them locked up again, but most of all, I want to do it to keep us safe.”
“I’m worried. There are so many of them and only one of you.”
“I plan to get started on picking a posse tomorrow, so I’ll have plenty of help. I’m hoping Woody will want to stay here, in El Paso. He’d be my number one choice for deputy.”
“They want to kill you, Logan, but they also want to kill me. Are you going to leave me all alone?”
Logan picked up a weed and began to chew on it. He didn't answer for so long, Paulina thought he wasn’t going to answer at all.
He finally spit out the weed and said, “I’ll leave Woody here. I want my best man to protect you.”
After a simple meal of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and peas at the boarding house, the newlyweds headed up to their room.
When Paulina walked out of the dressing room in the same, thin nightgown he’d felt pressed against his back the morning she spied the spider, she looked like an angel. Her hair was still neatly confined to the hairdo Felicia had given her, and her face glowed. When she noticed his pleased expression, her smiled grew even bigger.
“Paulina,” he whispered, “you look amazing. Let me look at you and make a mental image of this moment in my memory.”
She walked over to him and held out both of her hands. “Dear husband, I commit to you my body and my life. I love you, Logan.”
Logan felt a lump in his throat. She’d said she loved him. He hadn’t been told that by anyone since his mother had died. He took her hands, feeling like the luckiest man alive. He’d avoided romance for years, and now he was experiencing the most poignant moment of his entire life. It took a messy-haired blonde with big blue eyes to capture his heart and change his life.
“I accept your body and your life, and I’ll treasure them forever. I’ll try to be a good husband.” He smiled at her. “I think I’m getting the better end of this deal.”
Paulina put her arms around his neck. “I was just thinking that I was.”
Logan lifted her up onto the bed and lay beside her. He hadn’t removed his clothing, and now he wished he had. Her body felt so good beneath the thin material of her gown.
“It’s not quite dark yet,” he whispered, and then he kissed her ear.
“Then pull down the shades,” she whispered back.
Logan moved quickly off the bed. He went to each window to pull down the shades so the room would be dark. He removed his clothing, felt his way back to the bed, pulled down the quilt, and slid beneath it—Paulina had slipped under the covers while he’d been tending to the shades. They lay there, hip-to-hip, and Logan was so filled with passion, he didn’t know where to begin.
He kissed her passionately before laying his head on her chest and praying that God would guide him as it was also his first time.
Afterward, Logan lay clutching his bride tightly in his arms. “Thank you, Lord for giving me the best bride in the world.”
“Amen,” Paulina murmured. “He gave me the best husband.”
“Are you all right after…you know?”
“I’m fine, and I’m so glad I was able to save myself for you.”
“It’ll get better. Believe it or not, this was my first time, too.”
“That makes it even more exciting,” she whispered in his ear. “Does the Bible allow for the consummation to be redone in cases like this?”
Logan snickered into his pillow. “Yes, I’m sure it can be redone as many times as needed until it’s done perfectly.”
When they awoke in the morning, neither felt rested, as their night had been so full of love, confessions, and life stories. Logan was totally smitten. He’d never felt like that before in his life. He just wanted to lie beside her all day, but duty called.
“You can stay in bed a bit longer, sweetheart. I must find Woody. I think he’s still at the hotel. I’ll see if he’ll be your bodyguard but…he’s a not a bad-looking fellow—can I trust him with my gorgeous wife?”
“You can, since I only have eyes for you.” Paulina propped herself up on her elbow. “If he attacks me, I’ll hit him over the head with that urn on the dresser.”
Logan bent to kiss his wife’s lips tenderly. “I won’t be long. Don’t let anyone in. I’ll knock four times and call your name when I return.”
Woody was still asleep—or he was until Logan nearly took the door off his room with his loud knockin
g.
A sleepy Woody finally opened the door. “Do you know what time it is?”
Logan closed the door behind him. “It’s about seven.”
“I met a girl at the saloon across the street and we…um…played cards till nearly dawn.”
Logan took a seat in a wooden chair by the bed. “Yeah, I can imagine.”
“What do you need?” Woody asked, rubbing his eyes.
“I was going to make you my deputy since you’re my best man, but I had hoped you’d to be a bodyguard for my wife, I trust you. Washburn’s gang wants to kill the both of us. I’m going to form a posse over the next few days and start after them.”
“I wasn’t planning on staying in El Paso, Logan.”
“Why not? It’s a nice town.”
“I have my parents and brothers in Laredo.”
“Oh, I see.” Logan stood and began to pace the room. “I understand. I just need someone I can trust to watch over Paulina while I tend to my job.”
Woody sighed. “I’ll do it. I'll return to Laredo once the gang is captured.”
Logan spun around to face Woody. “You will?”
Woody nodded. “Of course, I will. I’d never let a friend down.”
“I’d hug you if you had clothes on and didn’t smell of whiskey,” Logan said.
“I swear I had only one drink. Flossy insisted.”
“Flossy?”
“The saloon woman.”
“Promise me you won't see any more saloon women, and keep your eye on Paulina at all times. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
Chapter Ten
Homer Washburn kicked a clump of ashes that was once part of his home. “I can’t wait to put a bullet between McGuire’s eyes and another in the center of that dame’s head.”
