Crawdad answered in the Louisiana drawl that had earned him his nickname. Matt nodded at Gates but spoke to the fire chief. “I hear this is arson.”
“I’d say so,” Crawdad remarked.
Gates coughed against the smoke but said nothing.
Matt watched him carefully. “A girl died tonight. Whoever set the fire will stand trial for murder.”
“Murder?” Gates had a face of stone, but his voice betrayed his nervousness.
Matt decided to push. “You got here fast, Mr. Gates. Did you see anything? Maybe men in black derbies?”
“Not a thing, Deputy.” The banker schooled his features. “I was working late. I heard the fire bells and came to help. You can’t have too many men on a bucket brigade.”
Liar.
The banker rubbed his chin. “Any idea who did this?”
“Not a one.” Actually Matt had five. Their names were Chester Gates, Jasper Kling and three other members of the Golden Order.
“Fires are serious in this city.” Gates glanced at Crawdad. “That new steam engine seems to have worked.”
“It’s a help,” the chief replied.
The talk turned to the need for more wells and pipes from the river. The shift away from who had started the fire seemed natural, but Matt’s instincts said otherwise. Most people quizzed him unmercifully when it came to crime. Gates didn’t want to talk to him, but he’d come to see the Silver Slipper burn. Matt felt certain the G.O. had started the fire, but he couldn’t take action without hard evidence. He hoped that would change when he spoke with Tobias. Tomorrow was Sunday. Matt didn’t attend church, but Tobias did and so did Dan. If Dan happened to run into the minister, the two of them could talk. It was late, but his friend wouldn’t mind being woken up considering the need.
Matt said goodbye to Crawdad and Gates, then rode to Dan’s place. He knocked on the door, calling his friend’s name so he wouldn’t come out shooting.
Bleary-eyed and haphazardly dressed, Dan invited him inside. “You better have a good reason for being here.”
“I do.” Matt tossed his hat on a chair. “The Silver Slipper just burned to the ground.”
Dan came fully alert. “I’d call that a good reason.”
“Five other saloons went with it.”
He winced. “Any deaths?”
Matt told him about Katy. “I’m tired of waiting for a break. You’re going to church tomorrow to talk to Tobias Oliver.”
Dan shook his head. “You’re going.”
“No way.”
“Come on, Wiley.” Dan raked his hand through his hair. “You know the man better than I do. Bite the bullet and sit through a sermon.”
Not a week passed that Dan didn’t try to prod Matt into taking Sarah to church. It was good-natured jesting and Matt didn’t mind, but he’d drawn a line for himself. No way would he sit through a sermon. “You know my answer to that.”
“I do,” Dan replied. “I also see the perfect place to speak with Reverend Oliver.”
Dan had a point. Matt hated the thought of hymns and hallelujahs, but he’d do anything to stop the Golden Order. He also liked the idea of seeing Pearl. He had no right to such a thought, but holding Toby had stirred him up in powerful ways. The boy made him want to be a father again, to have a son who’d maybe someday wear a badge or be a soldier. Even more important, Matt knew how much a boy needed a man to teach him things. Toby had his grandfather, but the old man wouldn’t live forever. No one did.
As the thought settled, Matt flashed to the fire and the need to stop the Golden Order. “I’ll go to church,” he said to Dan. “But just to see Tobias.”
Dan grinned. “Don’t look so scared. God’s not going to fall off his throne at the sight of you in church.”
Matt glared at him.
Dan’s expression hardened in return. “Talking to Tobias is smart. We agree on that.”
Matt heard the dangling thought and scowled. “What don’t we agree on?”
“The way you treated Carrie at supper.” Dan’s voice lost its sleepy pitch. “You laughed at her, and then you walked out.”
Matt stared in disbelief. “The Golden Order is burning down buildings and you’re worried about my manners?”
“I’m telling you to wise up about Carrie.”
“Me?” Matt couldn’t believe his ears. “You’re the one who likes her.”
“But you’re the one she wants.”
Matt saw an answer to both their problems. “So change her mind. Sweep her off her feet.”
Dan scowled at him.
“I’m serious.” Sweet Carrie and Iowa Dan…. They fit like bread and butter. “Ask her to supper. I bet she’ll say yes.”
At the sight of his friend’s gaping mouth, Matt almost laughed. He knew the feeling, because he felt that way about Pearl. It was like standing on a bluff looking at rich land that stretched for miles. It could be his, but only if he took a chance. Could he be a husband again? He didn’t know, but the thought wouldn’t go away.
Dan eyed him thoughtfully. “Do you think she’d say yes?”
“You won’t know unless you ask.”
“I suppose.” Dan wandered to the window. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“That you’ll be gentle with her.” He turned and looked at Matt. Dan had a soft side, and it showed. “After you ran off to the kitchen, I tried to help her. She cares for you, Wiley. Why, I don’t know. But she does.”
Matt had seen the look, too. “I didn’t know—”
“You do now.” Dan’s voice came out rough. “If you hurt her, we’ll be having words.”
Matt had hurt enough women already. “I’ll speak to her as soon as I can, and I’ll be gentle about it.” Maybe he’d see her tomorrow at church. Exactly how he’d approach Carrie, Matt didn’t know. Did a man tell a woman he wasn’t going to say what he hadn’t ever said? The thought gave him a headache.
Dan heaved a sigh. When he looked at Matt, his brows hitched together. “This Golden Order mess has me worried.”
“Me, too.”
“Reverend Oliver will be at risk. If Jasper suspects us, so will Pearl.”
“I know.”
“What are you going to tell him?”
“Everything.” Matt shared Dan’s fear. “The man deserves to know what he’d be getting into. If he has any doubts, we’ll look elsewhere.”
A smile tipped on Dan’s lips. “So you’re really going to church?”
“I’m going to see Tobias,” Matt corrected.
“You’ll see Pearl, too.”
“So?”
“You like her, don’t you?”
“It doesn’t matter what I like,” Matt countered. “She doesn’t belong with a heathen like me.”
Dan laughed out loud. “Who says you’re a heathen?”
“I do.”
His expression turned thoughtful. “For a heathen, you spend a lot of time being mad at God.”
“I do not.” Except he felt the old fury now. If God was good, why had Katy burned to death? Why hadn’t the Almighty stopped Matt and his men from lynching Amos McGuckin? Matt knew what he’d do if he were God. He’d erase that night in Virginia. He’d change Pearl’s past, too. He’d give her Toby, but she’d have a husband who loved her. And Sarah would have a mother who’d never leave.
He glared at Dan. “I don’t want to talk about this stuff.”
His friend shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
“I will.”
If he could stop the Golden Order, maybe he could forgive himself for having once been like them. And if he could forgive himself, maybe he could forgive God. One thought led to another and he imagined sleeping like a baby and waking up with Pearl at his side. A wife…a mother for Sarah…a father for Toby. Tomorrow he’d go to church and he’d see Pearl. He couldn’t help but hope she’d be wearing his ribbons.
Chapter Thirteen
Pearl tapped on Carrie’s door, waited for her c
ousin to answer and stepped into the stuffy bedroom. Propped on pillows, Carrie looked as pale as the bed sheets. Pearl sat on the edge of the mattress. “Church starts in an hour,” she said gently. “You need to get dressed.”
Carrie sniffed. “I can’t.”
“Tea will help.”
“Nothing will help.” She blew her nose into a hankie. “I didn’t sleep a wink. There’s no way I can manage a Sunday school class.”
Carrie and Amy shared responsibility for teaching the girls. “They need you, cousin.”
“I know.” She sighed. “Would you fill in for me?”
Pearl loved the idea, but she couldn’t let Carrie wallow in self-pity. “You’ll feel better if you go to church.”
Carrie dabbed at her eyes. “I can’t do it. Not today.”
Pearl understood the desire to hide. She’d walked around with a pregnant belly and no husband. People, especially children, could be cruel. If Carrie lost her composure at church, people would gossip. She couldn’t hide forever, but she didn’t have to face her problems today. Tomorrow would be soon enough.
Pearl absently smoothed a wrinkle out of the sheet. “Do you remember when we first met? You told me not to cry because I’d get puffy?” Carrie nodded.
“You’re more than puffy,” Pearl said gently. “You’re as sodden as Toby gets.”
Her cousin sniffed. “I’m a mess.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll help Amy.”
“Thank you!” She gripped Pearl’s hand. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You’d be fine.”
“I’d be miserable,” she insisted. Biting her lip, she gave Pearl a look full of love. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, cousin. I can talk to you about anything.”
Pearl felt the same way…almost. She’d never tell Carrie about the ribbons, but she wanted her cousin to know she’d had a private conversation with Matt. “We need to talk about last night.” Carrie groaned.
“I know it’s hard,” Pearl said. “But someday you’ll laugh about it.”
“Maybe, but will Matt?”
“I think so.” Pearl thought of the ribbons. Would he forget touching her hair? She wouldn’t, but she had to try.
Carrie set a wadded hankie on the nightstand. “I tried so hard, but he ignored me all evening. He kept looking across the table at—at—”
Pearl’s heart stopped.
“At Dan!”
Blood stained Pearl’s cheeks, but she had no reason to be ashamed. She couldn’t stop her wayward feelings, but she’d behaved honorably.
Carrie sighed. “Maybe he was worried about something.”
“Maybe.”
“I just don’t know,” Carrie said with a moan. “I thought Matt and I had a lot in common, but last night he seemed like a stranger.”
Pearl refused to hide her unexpected meeting with Matt. “I talked to him afterward. We were in the kitchen.”
“What did he say?”
Pearl wanted to protect her cousin, but she couldn’t distort the truth. “I don’t think he realized how you felt until last night.”
“Really?”
“I’m sure of it.” Pearl described the conversation without mentioning the ribbons or the cake. Some things were private. Others had to be said with the hope of sparing her cousin more hurt. “He likes you, Carrie. But he doesn’t seem…interested.”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I feel like a complete fool.”
“You’re not.”
“Yes, I am.” She stared at the ceiling. “I still care for him.”
“I’m sorry. I know it hurts.”
Carrie’s faced stiffened into a mask. She bit her lips, but the pain showed in her eyes. “I need…a moment. Would you leave me alone for a bit?”
“Of course.”
Pearl headed for the door. As she turned the knob, Carrie called out to her. “Wait! I didn’t ask about you.”
“That’s all right.”
“But I want to know.” Carrie put on a brave smile. “Who did you like best? Grant or Dan?”
The truth froze on Pearl’s tongue. She liked Matt. “I’m not interested in courting. You know that.”
Carrie hugged her knees. “I like Dan. After Matt ran out, he made everyone feel at ease. Even me.”
“He’s nice.”
A smile touched Carrie’s eyes. “I think he likes you.”
“That’s funny,” Pearl answered. “I think he likes you.”
“Me?”
Pearl saw a chance to boost Carrie’s spirits. “He had his eyes on you all night. Didn’t you notice?”
“I was too busy watching Matt. And Matt was watching…” Carrie’s eyes turned into saucers. “Matt wasn’t watching Dan! He was watching you.”
“Oh, Carrie.” Pearl could barely breathe. “He’s yours. I know that. I’d never— It wouldn’t be right. I’d—”
Carrie leaped out of bed and ran to Pearl. For a terrible moment, Pearl thought her cousin would slap her face. She hadn’t meant to get in the way of Matt’s affections. Truly, she hadn’t. “Carrie, I—”
“Oh, Pearl.” Just like the day they’d met, Carrie wrapped her arms around Pearl’s waist and hugged her. Emotions swamped them both. Upset. Anger. Jealousy…and love. Their feelings collided and mixed until Carrie stepped back.
“Listen to me, Pearl.”
“I’m so sorry. I—”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“But—”
“It’s not your fault,” Carrie repeated. “I know what you did for me. You didn’t want to have the party, but you put up with it for me. When you asked Matt to lunch, you did it for me.”
Pearl bit her lip. “That’s true.”
“Every time you’ve had the chance, you’ve pointed him in my direction.” Carrie’s face clouded with disappointment. “If Matt doesn’t have feelings for me, I’d be a fool to want him for a husband.”
“But you care for him.”
“I do.” Tears welled in her eyes. “I care enough to want him to be happy.”
“Oh, Carrie.”
“I want you to be happy, too. Now go.” She sounded unsteady. “This hurts too much right now. I need to be alone.”
“But—”
“Please.” The word broke into pieces.
Pearl knew how it felt to fall apart. Aching for Carrie, she left the room and closed the door. As soon as she stepped into the hall, pressure built in her throat and chest. She’d expected Carrie to berate her. Instead she’d offered compassion. If Carrie gave her blessing, Pearl could wear Matt’s ribbons.
What if…
The thought stopped her cold. She had no business thinking of Matt as more than a friend. Even if Carrie’s feelings for him changed, or if she stepped back, Pearl still lived with a profound fear of intimacy.
Shaking inside, she hurried to her room. She had to finish getting ready for church, so she sat at the vanity and looked at herself in the mirror. She’d already put her hair in a braid and wrapped it tight. Today it pulled at her scalp and gave her a headache. Feeling confused, she touched the braid. For the first time in a year, she wanted to be pretty. She didn’t dare touch Matt’s ribbons, but she had others.
Pleased and nervous, she opened the drawer and selected a strand of yellow satin. Instead of putting it in her hair, she looped it around the crown of her hat, tied a fancy bow and pinned the hat in place. It felt good to feel pretty and even better to feel brave. Satisfied, she changed Toby into a blue baby gown, then carried him downstairs where her father was waiting with the baby carriage.
Tobias smiled at her. “You look lovely, princess.”
“Thank you.” Today she felt like a princess. “Where’s Carrie?”
“She’s not well.”
“I see.” Tobias didn’t need an explanation. He’d witnessed the cream puff fiasco. “I hope she feels better soon.”
“Me, too.”
She put Toby in the carriage, and they left the
house. As she expected, her father set a fast pace. Tobias refused to ever be late to church. Pearl was secretly pleased. His face had a healthy glow and he wasn’t out of breath. She would never understand the symptoms that made her worry about his health. They came and went like changes in the weather.
Enjoying the moment, she smiled at him. “I’m excited about teaching.”
“I would be, too.”
Her father loved being a minister and had led Colfax Avenue Church for many years. He’d given it up to accompany her to Cheyenne. “You miss it, don’t you?”
“I do, but I’m slowing down.”
“Not today, you’re not!” Pearl laughed as they raced past a bungalow. They were practically running.
Tobias got a faraway look in his eyes. “I used to charge into church like a man on fire. Now I’m sitting on my laurels. I’m useless.”
“Papa! Don’t say that.”
“It’s true, Pearl. What am I good for these days?”
Looking up at him, she spoke in a scolding tone. “For one thing, you’re the world’s best grandpa. Toby and I need you.”
“If you say so.”
“I do.”
He patted her arm, but she was still worried about him. Tobias couldn’t handle rigorous work, but he needed to do more than watch his grandson. As they turned the corner, she saw the church and felt hopeful. People were milling by the stone steps and speaking excitedly. Pearl spotted Amy and her mother. As they approached, Amy waved. “Did you hear? Half of Ferguson Street burned down last night.”
Pearl shuddered. “What happened?”
Amy told them about the devastation and the suspicion of arson. When she finished, her voice turned somber. “A cleaning girl died. Her name was Katy. Sometimes she came here to worship.”
Pearl had seen Katy looking in the window at Jasper’s store. He’d shooed her away, then related a story about a smudge on a hairbrush. He’d told Pearl to turn away anyone from Ferguson Street.
Mrs. Hinn tsked her tongue. “The men who set that fire have to be stopped.”
“I quite agree,” Tobias replied.
Wyoming Lawman Page 13
