"Hell, no, I won't apologize. I was minding my own damn business until she came in here."
Shane shrugged. "Suit yourself. Don't matter one way or the other to me." His eyes were still hard when he met Jillian's. "Let's go outside."
"Where are you goin'? Let me out!" Steven yelled.
"I don't remember hearing any apology," Shane answered as he steered Jillian toward the door.
"I goddamn apologize!" Steven cursed.
Shane opened the door, looked back at Garvey. "I'll consider it," he said then shut the door on Garvey's cussing.
"Why would you do that?" Shane asked the moment they were on the boardwalk. "You had to know that wasn't going to help anything," he said gesturing to the jail.
"I needed to talk to you; it's important. I didn't think Steven would still be here."
Shane let out a breath. "Well, you found me. What was so all fired important?"
"If you're angry about last night I didn't mean-"
He held up his hand. "I'm not stupid, Jillian. I know last night wasn't your fault and I don't hold you accountable. Hell, Steven's had it coming for a while. You're not the first woman he's disrespected."
"You're talking about Silver."
He nodded, looked down the street to the saloon. "Yeah." He pulled his gaze back. "Anyhow, as I said, he's had it coming. Doesn't mean I have to be happy about the fall out. There was a steady stream of folks come by this morning who were more than happy to tell me what a bad decision I made locking up Garvey."
Shane regarded her closely. "You were the last person I expected to see in my jailhouse this morning."
"I had better things to do myself, but my plans changed when I went into my barn."
There wasn't anybody about but she didn't want to get into details on the boardwalk. "Can we go somewhere more private to talk?"
He shook his head. "There's my room upstairs, but truthfully Jillian, that's not going to help either of our reputations about now. How about Silver's? Saloon's not open so we'd have privacy there."
Jillian nodded. He was right; it was a better solution than upstairs. "I'll get Hope."
He waited for her and they walked the street together, Hope clomping along behind them. Silver let them in through the back door.
"You're in luck. Had the saloon been open last night, I would still be asleep, but as it happens I was in bed earlier than usual last night," she said with a smile. "So you two can talk all you want, I'll go upstairs and give you some privacy."
"Silver, wait." Jillian grabbed her arm before she could leave. "I was planning on telling you anyway, this will save me the trouble of repeating myself."
"All right. We'll just sit here then, if that's to everyone's liking."
They sat around the table, tension high in the air as both Shane and Silver waited for Jillian.
She started from the beginning, about the saddle, the spilled feed, the manure, the sheared dress, and the rider she heard ride away.
"That's why you were late coming to the dance," Silver surmised.
"I wish you'd have looked, Jillian. Then it would be easy. Now, it could be any one of Steven's friends."
"I'm sorry. I was so upset about the dress and I felt so violated…" She sighed. "Anyhow, it didn't seem as important at the time. To that point all they'd done was scare me, wasted some feed and ruin a dress."
Shane didn't look happy. "What do you mean, 'to that point'?"
With sorrow in her heart, Jillian told them about Whiskers.
"Why didn't you come to me before this?" Shane asked.
"And say what? That my saddle was moved? That some feed was spilled in my barn? I think you have more important things to deal with than that. Besides it seemed innocent enough until..."
"You saw the dress," Silver finished.
"That felt personal." Jillian clasped her hands on the table. "I suppose I should have heeded the warning and not gone to the dance but-" She looked pointedly at Shane. "I haven't done anything wrong and I wasn't going to be scared into staying home."
"I'll talk to Steven."
"What makes you think he'll give you the truth?" Silver asked.
"Because I hold the keys to his cell."
Jillian twisted her fingers together. "But he's the only one in jail. The others won't have the same reason to cooperate."
"I know."
"It could have been Hope," Jillian whispered feeling sick at the thought. "He could have killed Hope instead of Whiskers." Not that she didn't love the rabbit, but she relied on Hope for more than just companionship. Silence stretched the room. Jillian felt Shane's stare and met it. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Yeah," he answered soberly. "Until we know for sure who did this, keep your gun handy."
SEVENTEEN
Shane waited for church to let out and everyone to head home for dinner before he grabbed his chair and plunked it in front of Steven's cell. The man had a head full of resentment but his eyes latched onto the key ring that dangled from Shane's fingers.
"Before I let you out, Garvey, I have a few questions for you."
"Who says I have to answer them?"
Shane merely shrugged, swung the keys from side to side.
"Fine," Garvey relented after a few heated minutes of staring. "What do you want to know?"
"Ever been to Jillian Matthews' property?"
The flicker in Steven's blackened eye gave him away. "When?" Shane demanded.
"A week or so," Steven admitted. "I didn't hurt nothing, just moved her saddle."
"It wasn't 'just'. You were sending her a message."
Garvey wet his chapped, split bottom lip. "I was just-" he swallowed at Shane's scowl, started again. "I was trying to scare her enough that she'd reconsider settling in Cedar Springs."
"And when you saw no signs of that happening, you went back, spilled some feed, dumped manure in her barn, and ripped her dress. It must have really burned your ass when she showed up at the dance anyway."
"She should have stayed the hell at home. If she hadn't gone I wouldn't be in this stupid cell," Steven contended.
"Wrong. If you'd kept your damn mouth shut you wouldn't be in this cell."
Beneath the yellowing of his bruises Steven's jaw clenched. Shane simply raised a brow. Go ahead, he thought, give me a reason to keep you in here another night.
"Who did you get to go to her place last night?"
"Last night? How the hell do I know what happened last night? I was here!"
"You don't know what happened at Jillian's last night? You didn't arrange to have someone go there, go into her barn?"
"When would I have had the time? When I was rolling around in the dirt with Wade or when I was being tied and dragged back here?"
Well, he had a point. "You have friends, Steven. Friends who agree with you that Jillian shouldn't be here. Do you have any idea which one of them is capable of killing one of Jillian's animals?"
Steven looked legitimately shocked. "Someone killed her animal?"
"Yeah." Shane searched Garvey's face. Considering how much the man disliked Jillian he appeared honestly taken aback by the news. And more than a little afraid that this may keep him in jail for a while yet.
"Look, I don't like her, I've never made any bones about that, but whatever went on last night, I wasn't a part of it. I'm not a killer."
"Funny. Jillian tells me you were more than willing to let your boy's dog die."
"I didn't want to pay her. Besides, it was just a dog," he shrugged.
"Well, maybe to you it was 'just a rabbit'."
Steven shook his head as though he hadn't heard properly. "Someone killed her rabbit, and you're interrogating me for that? Shit, we eat the damn things, what's the big deal about a rabbit?"
Shane arched a brow, crossed his arms over his chest.
Sweat beaded Steven's lip. He wiped it with his palm. "I'm telling you I had nothing to do with her rabbit. I swear it."
Shane leaned forward. "You can swear to
it all you want. But I'll be checking with all your friends, asking them where they were last night. You'd better be right that you had nothing to do with this or you'll be seeing more of this cell."
***
Wade propped his elbows on the top rung of the corral and wondered how in hell his life had gotten so damn complicated. He was supposed to be married, have a family, be starting his horse breeding ranch. Instead he was widowed, most of the time had no idea if he was doing right by Annabelle, the dreams of his horse ranch were fading by the day and if that wasn't enough, he'd made love to a woman last night who not only wasn't his wife, but would never be either.
He buried his face in his hands. Wouldn't it all be so much easier if she could be?
"Church go that bad?" Scott asked as he sidled up beside him.
Wade lowered his arms, extended them over the top rail. "The Reverend took it upon himself to preach about acceptance and loving thy neighbor."
"Makes me glad I wasn't there."
"Yeah, made me wish I hadn't gone. Especially when over half the congregation converged on me afterward. I should tell you that you're talking to a 'jackass', a 'moron' and 'a goddamn idiot."
Scott propped a booted foot on the rail, the leather of his chaps creaking with the movement. "The town's opinion has never mattered to you before, so I know you're not out here gnawing on that bone. Is it the ranch?"
"It's everything," Wade sighed.
In the corrals, horses twitched their tails in an effort to escape the flies. Beyond them, the land stretched wide and green. Through the open windows in the house came the sound of pots clanging and his daughter's chatter. Scott didn't say anything else, but Wade had a feeling his friend had more yet on his mind.
"May as well spit it all out, Scott."
Scott's lips twitched. "Okay, but remember you asked for it. That horse ranch we've talked about? I'm willing to do more than talk about it. I live simply and I've tucked money aside. Let me help with the starting costs."
Wade was already shaking his head. "No, out of the question. As it is I'm not paying you anything close to what you're worth. I'm not taking your money on top of that."
"I'm not giving it to you. It's not a loan, Wade, it's my future too. I'd like to be your partner in this."
Partner? They'd never talked about a partnership before. Dreams danced in Wade's eyes. He could see it. And it was tempting. It really was, but there was debt yet and Wade couldn't see to starting anything new until that was paid off.
"Scott, I can't. Not now. Maybe in the future but in truth," his shoulders fell on a sigh. "I can't promise you it'll ever happen."
"Then we'll wait," Scott said. "In the meantime, I won't quit trying to convince you otherwise."
Wade shook his head. "You could be foreman anywhere else, hell you'd make a lot more money. Not that I'm complaining, but why do you hang around?"
The smell of fried meat carried from the house. Dinner would be ready soon.
"I may have only been here for five years, but it's the only home I've ever known." Scott clapped Wade on the back. "Now let's go eat. I'm starving."
***
"I feel like I'm wasting your time," Jillian said.
Yet she wasn't sorry Silver was there. Whiskers was still in the barn and Jillian felt less rattled with her friend around.
At Shane's suggestion, Silver had accompanied Jillian home from town. Since Jillian had raced to Cedar Springs without a weapon and considering what had already happened to her things, both Silver and Shane had thought it best that Jillian not go anywhere unarmed. And so with Silver tucking a derringer in her dress pocket and tying a shotgun to her saddle, they'd headed out of town.
Shane didn't want Jillian touching anything in the barn until he got there, but first he was going to talk to Steven. While they awaited Shane, they sat on the porch where they were mostly sheltered from the wind. "Saloon's closed today, I didn't have much else to do." Silver turned to her, her smile coy. "Besides, it'll mean riding back with Shane."
Jillian's eyes went wide. "Shane? Are you two-"
"Only in my dreams, Jillian," Silver said and her laugh held a shadow of sadness.
"Does he know?"
"I don't think so. At least I've tried not to let it show."
"Why?"
"I haven't seen any sign that he feels the same way." Silver had braided her hair today. It fell over her shoulder in a silken rope. "He seems smitten with Melissa."
Jillian had seen them together at the picnic when Shane had won Melissa's basket.
"That's why you didn't stay long at the picnic. I'd wondered."
"I don't know why I bother, Jillian. I've done this for years and he never bids on my basket. I guess I have a hard head."
Jillian took her hand. "No, a soft heart. Are you so sure he wouldn't change his mind about Melissa if he knew your feelings?"
"I'm scared, Jillian. I'm scared I'll give him my heart and he won't want it."
"Then he'd be a fool, Silver."
"Thank you." She wiped the moisture from her eye, took a deep breath. "Now that you know how I feel about Shane, are you going to tell me how you feel about Wade?"
"I was planning to, this morning. I was going to come see you after chores." She tugged at the sleeves of her dress. "Last night, after the dance, Wade was here."
Silver scooted closer. "He kissed you, didn't he?"
"Several times." Despite feeling very self-conscious, Jillian looked at Silver. "Last night wasn't the first time we kissed, but it was the first time..."
"Oh!"
Silver's hand flew to her mouth. Her golden-brown eyes held no judgment and Jillian let out a breath, realizing she'd feared her friend would think less of her.
"Really?" she whispered. "You'd never been with your fiancé?"
"No!"
"Me neither," Silver admitted with a duck of her head. "Despite what everyone thinks." She raised her eyes. "Was it beautiful?"
Jillian had been flooded with many conflicting emotions since Wade had left last night. Happiness, confusion, uncertainty. But at no time had she regretted it. Remembering the tender way he'd kissed her, stroked her, the way he'd brought her body to life, she sighed.
"It really was."
"I knew it would be. Not with you and Wade," she was quick to correct. "I meant being with a man. I know it's not always pretty, but I've always imagined it would be with the right man. I'm so excited for you both. Have you discussed future plans?" Her eyes widened. "Did he propose?"
"Silver," Jillian held up her hand, shook her head. "We didn't talk about the future, other than he can't make any promises."
She looked taken aback. "Wade said that? But that doesn't make sense. Between Wade, Scott and Shane, Wade was the only one who married, had a child. That's who he is."
"Well, maybe he's changed. At any rate, it's just as well. I'm not sure what I would have answered."
"Why not?"
"From the time I was a little girl being a veterinarian was my only dream. The more time I spent pursuing that goal, the fewer boys, and then men, were interested in me, and me in them. I don't know if you feel this way about the saloon, but when I'm working, I feel as though I have a purpose. I love what I do, what I'm trying to build, and part of me bleeds thinking I may have to give up being a veterinarian if I stay here and the town never comes to accept what I do.
"But after being with Wade, I can't imagine being without him either. He makes me feel beautiful, desirable. I want to be part of his life, his family." She chuckled. "I've never spent much time around children, but Annabelle makes it easy. She's curious and bright. I think I could be a good mother to her."
Silver's squeezed her hand. "Of course you could."
"Do you suppose if Wade and I were to be together, that eventually I'd win the town's favor? That they'd actually come to accept my skills?"
"I wish I could say yes, Jillian. But the truth is, this town is stubborn. Look at me; they've yet to accept what I do." Si
lver looked at her closely. "What if they couldn't? What if you gave it up, married Wade and they never changed their minds? Is that a chance you're willing to take?"
Jillian pressed a hand to her heart.
"I'm not sure."
***
After seeing Whiskers and the mutilated dress she hadn't thrown out yet, Shane helped Jillian bury the rabbit while Silver wandered the woods nearby for a handful of wildflowers. She stuck them in the fresh mound of dirt, lest the wind toss them away, while Shane put the shovel back in the barn.
The wind billowed the sleeves of his white shirt when he stepped outside. His hand flew to his hat just as the wind tossed it off his head. Grabbing it, he gestured to the porch. Away from the brunt of the wind, Shane put his hat on and addressed Jillian.
"I talked to Steven. It wasn't him."
"You're sure?" Silver asked.
Shane turned his head, looked at her. Now that Jillian knew how her friend felt about the sheriff she couldn't help but will him to see it as well.
"He was already at the dance long before you got there and, as you know, he left with me."
"What about his friends?"
"I don't know yet. All I can tell you, Jillian, is to be careful. And don't go anywhere unarmed. Even if it's just going to the outhouse or the barn."
Chilled at the thought of not being safe going to the privy, Jillian hugged herself. "I won't."
"I really hate the idea of you being alone out here."
"Steven's trying to scare me, Silver. He'll tire of the game soon."
At least that was her hope. But seeing his progression from an open window, to a cut-up dress to a dead rabbit, it scared Jillian to think what could be next.
"I'll let you know if I find anything. I have a few things I'm working on. In the meantime, since most of those men work in town, I should also be able to keep an eye on them, at least to some extent."
"I appreciate that, Shane. Thank you."
"You won't reconsider Silver's offer to stay at the saloon?"
"First of all, I don't want to put Silver in harm's way."
"You wouldn't. We'd be perfectly safe and Shane would be just down the street."
Jillian smiled her thanks but shook her head. "What if they leave me alone while I'm at your place but the moment I'm back here it starts again? I can't live at the saloon indefinitely."
Another Chance Page 18
