He didn’t think he’d ever seen a woman so full of life and vibrancy. Drawn to her youthfulness, he wondered how old she was. At that moment, as she rode so carefree and unhampered by the constraints of society, she seemed more like a girl than the full-grown woman he knew her to be.
When she caught sight of him waiting on the trail, she slowed the horse as a frown replaced her smile.
“Good afternoon, Sheriff Barrett.” She offered a polite nod as she rode past him.
He turned Cotton around and quickly caught up with her. “It looks like you’ve been on quite an adventure. Did you enjoy your visit with Clive?”
Brianna turned and glared at him, as though she tried to discern how he could possibly know where she’d been. Finally, she nodded her head. “We got off to a bumpy start, but I do believe Mr. Fisher is not nearly as curmudgeonly as he prefers everyone believe. He even gave me a tour of the mine.”
“You’re joshin’ me.” Tully leaned back in the saddle and stared at her. “Clive doesn’t let anyone see The Felicity and he sure doesn’t like women around his place.”
“Why is his mine named The Felicity?” Brianna glanced over at Tully. “I assume it doesn’t have anything to do with a state of bliss.”
Tully chuckled. “No. I don’t think there is a single felicitous thing about Clive Fisher.” He studied her a long moment. “I reckon if I don’t tell you the story, you’ll ask around until you find out anyway. Once upon a time, Clive was married. Even had a little girl named Felicity. One winter, his daughter took sick and died. His wife ran off, claiming she couldn’t take living in the wilds of Oregon another day. That’s why Clive despises women and why the mine is called The Felicity.”
“Oh, that’s so sad. The poor man must be utterly heartbroken.” Brianna’s heart ached for the old man. No wonder he hid himself away from the world by working the mine.
“It happened a long, long time ago.”
Brianna glared at Tully and reined in her mount. “Does that mean he should just forget about what happened and pretend his daughter never existed?”
A sigh rolled out of Tully as he stopped so close to her, their legs almost touched. “I never said or even implied that, Fred. What kind of burr is riding in your britches that makes you turn everything I say into an argument?”
As he expected, Brianna straightened her spine and lifted her chin before turning her cool glare to him. “You are a boorish, fractious man, Sheriff. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must return this horse to the livery.”
“By all means, Fred, take the horse back. Next time, be smart enough to leave the sidesaddle there. You could have gotten your neck broken or yourself killed.”
Brianna narrowed her gaze and lifted an index finger to shake his direction. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Sheriff? There is nothing that would please you more than my demise.”
“I can think of a few things that would please me more, Fred.” Tully’s voice sounded unusually low and husky as he spoke while heat emanated from his hazel eyes. The thoughts filling his mind sure weren’t any he ought to be having.
“And don’t call me Fred!” she said, tossing her hair off her shoulder.
The fire flaming in her eyes and the color in her cheeks had scattered most of Tully’s sense, but the moment she shook that tempting mane of hair, he was a goner.
Before he could think about what he was doing, what repercussions it might bring, he grabbed the finger she shook at him and pulled her toward him. His hands sank into her hair and his mouth lowered to hers.
A few seconds passed as she resisted him. The moment she surrendered to the passion sparking between them and fully engaged in the romantic interlude, he deepened the kiss. His hands trailed down her arms and settled at her waist, prepared to lift her onto his lap.
Suddenly, she came to her senses and jerked her head back.
“Oh! You… you…” Unable to find the words she wanted to say, she slapped the reins across the rump of the horse and charged into town, leaving Tully alone on the road.
He watched her go, wondering what possessed him to do something as dimwitted as kissing prickly Miss Brianna Dumont. Not only would she be even more difficult to handle, he didn’t know how he’d ever get that kiss out of his mind or the sweet, honeyed taste of her off his lips.
Chapter Six
Upon her return to the hotel, Mr. Isaac greeted Brianna with a fretful glance.
“Are you well, Miss Dumont?”
Brianna realized she must look a fright, but there was no help for it until she could take a bath and change her clothes. “I’m perfectly well, Mr. Isaac. However, your concern is appreciated.”
Politely, he tipped his head then reached beneath the desk. “A letter arrived for you today while you were out.” The young man handed her an envelope.
The name of the local newspaper office covered one corner of the parchment rectangle she held in her hands.
Curious, Brianna thanked Mr. Isaac then hurried up to her room. She tore open the envelope, withdrawing a single sheet of paper.
Miss Dumont,
I received your missive about the article naming you as Fred. Please accept my sincerest apologies for the misunderstanding.
If you have a moment to spare, I’d like to discuss the matter with you. Please come by my office before five o’clock today or by noon tomorrow.
Sincerely,
Mr. Bowen Packwood, Editor
Gratified the editor wanted to discuss Tully’s ridiculous report, Brianna hurried to take a bath, wash her hair and dress in one of her finest walking suits. With the summer heat permeating every corner of her room, it didn’t take long for her hair to dry. She twisted it up on her head, leaving a few tendrils to wisp around her face then fastened her hat at a sprightly angle.
Quickly tugging on her gloves, she picked up her reticule and room key, grabbed her parasol, and hurried out the door.
At the newspaper office, she asked to speak with Mr. Packwood. She waited only a moment before the friendly receptionist escorted her into his office.
“Miss Dumont, what a pleasure to meet you.” A jolly-faced man with a rotund girth and a soothing voice greeted her as he stood from his desk and walked around it. “Thank you for meeting with me today.”
“It’s my pleasure, Mr. Packwood.” With grace and decorum, Brianna tipped her head and sat in the chair he held out for her.
The editor walked back around his desk and lifted her letter from a pile of papers on the large, cluttered surface. “That was quite a letter you wrote. In fact, I was very impressed that you worked so many four and five syllable words into such a short missive.”
“Thank you, sir. I do hope you took my request into consideration.” She offered Mr. Packwood a satisfied smile, gratified someone in town finally saw the sheriff’s true colors.
Bowen leaned back in his chair. “To be clear, Miss Dumont, I’ve no intention of running a retraction or refuting anything Sheriff Barrett stated.” At her dismayed gasp, he hurried to continue. “The reason I asked you here was because I want to offer you a job. Obviously, you have a stronger grasp of the English language than about ninety percent of the people in this town and I’m quite certain you are capable of writing articles. After seeing you in person, though, I think you have the potential to become a star reporter for our paper.”
Miffed the man did not intend to call out Tully Barrett as a deluder of truth, she tamped down her irritation. With no hope of garnering any funds from her father’s share of The Felicity, the idea of a job at the newspaper held a great deal of appeal.
Not only would it be something that stirred her interest, it meant she could begin accumulating the funds she needed to pay her father’s debts. Even if she never planned to return to her former home in Rhode Island, she was determined to restore her father’s good name and clear any debts he owed.
“I would be interested in a position,” Brianna said, sitting a little straighter as she eyed the newspaper editor. “Wh
at did you have in mind?”
“You’d be perfect to acquire the intricate details for some of our more probing articles.” Bowen steepled his fingers over his round belly. “Men will spill their guts to a pretty girl like you and not think twice about it.”
Offended, Brianna started to rise to her feet, but before she did, Bowen waved his hand at her.
“Now, don’t march out of here affronted and mad. I’m just laying the facts out on the table.” Bowen scribbled something on a scrap of paper and held it out to Brianna. “That’s what I’m willing to pay you if you work for me full-time.”
“What would working for you entail?” Brianna asked, shocked by the amount of money Mr. Packwood was willing to pay. Women typically made far less than men did for doing the same work.
“I’d expect you to produce a few stories each week, since we publish daily. I might ask you to help edit some of the news that’s submitted for publication.”
Slowly, Brianna nodded her head. “And what type of articles would be of interest to you and your readers?”
“I want you to work on hard-hitting news. Things my other reporters can’t seem to track down. Scandals in town, things no one wants to talk about. You can dig up all kinds of dirt because no one would expect you to be the one reporting on those types of stories. They’d expect you to be writing about the Eastern Star Lodge’s upcoming tea and that sort of thing.” Bowen stood when Brianna rose to her feet. “What do you say, Miss Dumont? Will you give it a whirl?”
“I believe I shall, Mr. Packwood. When would you like to see my first article on your desk?” Brianna walked toward the door.
“Why don’t you come Monday morning, ready to get to work? If you don’t have any story ideas by then, I’ll assign you something to get you started. I’ll let Mrs. Warden know to expect you.”
“Very well, Mr. Packwood. Thank you for this opportunity.” Brianna held her hand out to him and he shook it. “I’ll see you Monday.”
Although it bothered her that the editor was clearly in the sheriff’s pocket, she found the idea of becoming a newspaper reporter intriguing.
Mulling over possibilities for her first story, she stepped outside and cringed as thunder boomed so loudly, the windows of the newspaper office rattled behind her. A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky and she watched it, mesmerized by the bright light.
Hastily snapping open her parasol, she took a few steps down the sidewalk. A firm hand pulled her to a halt and yanked the parasol out of her hands.
“I know you’re crazy, Fred, but are you trying to get yourself killed? You look like a lightning rod with that silly thing over your head.” Tully closed the parasol and handed it back to her.
“I’m not speaking to you.” Brianna turned her back to him and marched down the block.
Unfortunately, Tully walked beside her. “That’s fine. It’ll make it easier for me to apologize for my behavior earlier. I didn’t mean to um… That is, I wasn’t planning to…”
Abruptly, Brianna stopped. Tully bumped into her and would have knocked her down if his arm hadn’t wrapped around her waist, holding her upright. Immediately, he released her and took a step back.
She glowered at him. “Sheriff Barrett, is there some reason you insist on tormenting me?”
“No, Fred, other than the pure delight of it.” His cocky grin wasn’t entirely lost on her as dimples popped out in his cheeks through the rakish stubble he continually sported. There wasn’t enough growth to call it a beard, but too much to assume he had merely forgotten to shave.
It gave him a rugged, almost dangerous appearance that seemed at odds to those all-too-attractive dimples and the warm light in his eyes. If Tully Barrett’s name didn’t linger at the top of her list of men she greatly disliked, it would have been easy to fall for him. Especially after his kiss left her so rattled, she could barely remember her own name.
Instead, she mustered up a scowl. “I do believe I asked you to cease referring to me as Fred.”
“Where’s the fun in that?” He fell into step beside her when she resumed her walk toward the hotel. Fat drops of rain began plopping around them as they turned the corner.
“Come on.” Tully took her elbow and guided her inside a restaurant she had not yet visited. A waitress soon seated them and poured two cups of hot coffee. Although the air had been stifling earlier, the rain brought a cooling breeze.
“What are you doing?” Brianna asked as Tully removed his hat and sipped the coffee.
He gave her a chagrined look. “Buying you dinner, to make up for earlier.”
She started to rise from her chair, but Tully’s hand shot out and grasped her wrist. “Please stay, Miss Dumont. I’m sorry about what happened. I didn’t intend to get so carried away and I won’t let it happen again.”
“Fine, I’ll stay, but just this once.” She sat down and removed her gloves, uncertain if she appreciated his vow not to kiss her again. It had been the single most wonderful kiss she’d ever experienced, even if it should never have transpired.
Determined to push it from her mind, she looked around the restaurant. In the excitement of the day, she’d missed lunch. The biscuit she’d taken with her had turned to mush in the creek and she certainly wouldn’t have eaten anything Mr. Fisher offered, had he been that polite.
The rich, delicious smells of food made hunger gnaw at her and her stomach growled.
Tully grinned at her. “Sounds like you’re hungry.”
Embarrassed, Brianna fussed with her napkin, draping it over her lap. “It’s terribly impolite to notice my stomach has defied the rules of society.”
His grin broke into a wide smile. “I never did set much store in those rules.”
Brianna looked up at him and her mouth quirked at the corners. “I am indubitably aware of that fact, Sheriff.”
Tully leaned back in his chair and took another sip of coffee. “Why are you really here, Miss Dumont?”
She started to speak, but he held up a hand. “Don’t start that nonsense about checking your father’s holdings at Clive’s mine. That crazy ol’ goat barely scratches up enough gold dust to keep himself clothed and fed.”
“So I discovered today. From the letters he and my father exchanged, I fully expected the mine to be quite prosperous. I’d vainly hoped there might even be accommodations available there, but that was not the case.”
With great effort, Tully held back a snort. “That shack he lives in ought to be condemned. You didn’t go in it, did you?”
“Absolutely not. Goodness only knows what sorts of pests inhabit that derelict abode.” Brianna took a sip of her coffee then smiled at the waitress when she came to take their orders.
When she left, Tully studied Brianna for several minutes. “Are you here because you broke up with a beau and wanted to drive him mad trying to find you?”
Brianna glared at Tully. “Certainly not. If I had a beau, I wouldn’t play games with him and I certainly would never run away from the man I loved.”
“You robbed a bank and are on the lam, trying to stay one step ahead of the law,” Tully teased.
The look she shot him held smug satisfaction. “If that were the case, you had a wanted fugitive in your jail twice and let me go both times. That can’t be good for your reputation, Sheriff Barrett. What if word gets out that you are incapable of keeping criminals incarcerated?”
“I can haul you back there right now if you enjoy your cell so much.” Tully touched his chin with his fingers, pretending to be deep in thought. “Maybe we should hang a sign that says, ‘Fred’s Place,’ on your cell door.”
“Be my guest, but you and I both know you won’t arrest me again.” Brianna took another sip of her coffee, watching Tully over the rim of the cup.
“Don’t be so sure about that. You have a tendency to cross the line, Fred.”
Resolved to keeping her temper at bay, she ignored his continued insistence on calling her Fred. “Regardless, I don’t plan on making a third
visit to the jail.”
“Good for you. I’m glad to see you planning ahead.” Tully grinned again. “Now, let’s get back to your reason for being here in town. If you didn’t break some fool’s heart or rob a bank, and you’re still desperately searching for a bag full of unmentionables, maybe you really did come to town to work at the Gilded Spur. Why, I…”
Brianna clapped her hand over his mouth, eyes wide as she frantically looked around to see if anyone heard them. No one appeared to pay the least bit of attention to their conversation. She released the breath she’d been holding. “Would you please refrain from speaking so… uninhibitedly, about matters that are confidential?”
Tully took her hand in his, kissing the back of it before she jerked it away and placed it on her lap.
“Must you always be such a tease?” she asked, unsettled by the tingles racing up her arm from the touch of his lips to her skin.
“I must, Fred, otherwise, life is just too dad-gummed serious for my liking.” Tully looked up as the waitress brought their meals. After offering grace, he picked up his fork and knife, cutting off a bite of rare steak.
Brianna tried not to look at the pool of pink juice on his plate as she forked a bite of steaming beef casserole to her mouth.
As they ate, Tully told her a little of the town’s history and how he came to be there, reiterating the story she’d already heard from Thane.
From the way he spoke about Thane and his family as well as Maggie and Ian MacGregor, she could tell he loved and respected each of them.
“What made you decide to leave your home and venture west?” Brianna asked as she sipped a cup of tea and Tully enjoyed a glass of lemonade after they finished their meal.
“Let’s just say I needed to find a place to call home. I knew as soon as we arrived, Baker City was where I wanted to sink my roots.” Tully appeared lost in thought for several moments while silence settled around them. Finally, he looked over at her. “You still haven’t told me the truth, Miss Dumont. Why did you come to Baker City?”
Corsets and Cuffs: (Sweet Historical Western Romance) (Baker City Brides Book 3) Page 7
