“I doubt that is going to win you any points with him,” she said with a laugh, shaking her head gently. “I just can’t believe you sometimes.”
“Believe me, people do not want to be able to say they saw me at my most petty. They would not like me if I chose to be as vindictive as some of my constituents would have you believe I am,” Peter huffed, leaning against the wooden post of the fence behind him and crossing his arms. “I’m tired of being made out to be the villain just for trying to do my job.”
“I honestly think that the number of citizens in town that don’t like you is significantly smaller than the number that does. Rather than focusing on the people who believe that you can’t do anything right, focus on those who recognize the effort that you are putting in and appreciate you for it,” Melanie replied comfortingly. “People like me.”
She gazed up at Peter, realizing that the two of them were still standing quite close to one another. He had removed his hand from her arm but hadn’t made any move to step away from her, nor she from him. Her eyes slowly traced along his slim cheeks and those gray eyes of his, the exotic color only making him more fascinating to her.
Standing this close, she could see the faint scar that adorned the right side of his face, running across his cheek. It looked like he had been slashed with something, albeit not too deeply. She wondered if that had happened before he had become the sheriff or after he had taken up the role. She was too afraid to ask him for fear that he’d think she was nosy, but it surprised her even more to find that she genuinely wanted to know more about him.
“Has Johnny been coming by the school a lot?” Peter finally asked, doing his best to make it look like he wasn’t overly concerned with her answer. “Seems like I keep seeing his carriage pulling up to the school building as of late.”
“Honestly, it feels like he comes every other day. In the beginning, I just made excuses to be polite, but after today, I’m going to be treating him differently. Admittedly, I found his determination kind of cute at first. The fact that he seemed so desperate to get on my good side only helped to improve my confidence. However, the fact that he was ignoring me and basically telling me that I was going to have dinner with him whether I wanted to or not lowered my opinion of him,” Melanie admitted, blushing gently as she looked away from him. “I actually found myself wishing that you would show up so that I could get away from him.”
“Is that right?” Peter asked cheekily, his eyes glittering with amusement. “Hoping for your knight in shining armor to come to your rescue, were you?”
“Knight in shining armor? Please!” she exclaimed, laughing gently. “I far prefer your company to his, that’s all.”
She could tell that her words were giving him the wrong idea, his smile only seeming to grow the more that she spoke. “You like my company more than his, huh? Last I checked, that was just a subtle way of telling someone that you like them,” he teased, leaning down so his face was mere inches from her own. “Methinks you protest too much.”
“If you say so,” Melanie said, swallowing nervously now that he was so close to her. It would have taken only a second for him to lean forward and steal a kiss, but he managed to control himself enough to refrain, much to Melanie’s relief. She didn’t know what she would have done if he’d tried it, but she didn’t trust herself enough to know that she wouldn’t have let him do exactly that.
“Johnny Carrington…” Melanie’s voice trailed off. “Lawrence’s last name is also Carrington. Did you ever find out if the two of them were related?”
“From what I could find out, Johnny’s his uncle. Lawrence is the son of Johnny’s brother Jacob, who also happens to live in town. Why do you ask?” Peter’s eyebrows rose as he spoke.
“Because Lawrence is the boy who was hanging out with Darwin, and if I were a betting woman, I’d say that Lawrence knew something and told Darwin about it. I’m sure you found it just as suspicious as I did when he revealed that he had known about it. If he had just known about the bandit camp, it would have been one thing, but the fact he knew how many riflemen there would be means he was in deep,” Melanie asserted. “I’m not sure why Darwin would agree to help with something like that, but I can safely say that I think Lawrence is involved. If we keep our eye on Lawrence and do a little more snooping, we might be able to find a clue that can link him to the crime.”
Peter took a deep breath and sighed. He explained to her his history with Johnny and how he’d been one of the other deputy sheriffs under Michael. He explained how Johnny had always disliked him and thought that Michael should have hung him rather than trying to rehabilitate him. It was fascinating to be able to hear tidbits about his life as an outlaw straight from the horse's mouth, but it only made her suspicions surrounding Johnny seem more justified. “Did you ever consider that Johnny might be behind this string of crimes because he is trying to make you look bad?”
“Consider it? There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t suspect he is doing precisely that. However, with no proof, there is nothing I can do to him. He is too powerful of a man for me to be able to get most of the judges around here to go after him without concrete evidence, and even if I got it, there would probably be more than one who would tell me just to look the other way. Ironic, isn’t it? That a former outlaw has more of a sense of morality and honor than the supposed law-keepers?” Peter asked, laughing humorlessly. “At least I can affirm I never sold my soul for riches.”
“Do you think that Johnny might be threatening Darwin into silence? If so, then we need to get to Darwin right away. We need to force him to answer our questions so we can know once and for all whether Johnny is involved. If Darwin tells us that is the case, I will be more than happy to help you take Johnny in myself,” Melanie said, her eyes burning with sudden resolve. “We need to get to the orphanage without a moment to lose!”
She took off in the direction of the orphanage without giving Peter a chance to say anything. She only knew that he was following her because she could hear his spurs jingling with every step. She already had a million thoughts racing through her mind, and none of them were pleasant. She only hoped that she and Peter would be able to get to the orphanage in time. Because if not, there was the genuine chance that Darwin’s life would soon be in danger.
Chapter 22
“Sister Francesca, can you tell me where Darwin is? It is important that we see him right away!” Melanie’s words tumbled out of her in a hurried rush, gratitude coursing through Peter as he saw how genuinely concerned Melanie seemed to be for Darwin.
“Oh, hello there, Miss Thompson. Darwin was here just a little while ago. He’d been sitting on the front desk looking moody, so I asked him if he wanted to be so kind as to help me hang up the laundry. He was with me only a short time before Mr. Carrington showed up asking for him,” Francesca said politely, smiling. “I’d never seen Mr. Carrington take an interest in any of our young wards before, and I didn’t want to interfere with any chance that Darwin could get adopted, so I let Darwin go with him.”
Peter immediately felt something icy settle in the pit of his stomach. “Did they mention where they were going, by any chance?”
“I believe Mr. Carrington said they would be back at his home tonight,” Francesca replied cheerfully, her smile vanishing when she saw Peter and Melanie exchange a silent look. “Is something wrong, Sheriff?”
“I hope not, Sister, but I can’t be entirely certain. Things have been highly unusual as of late, so I’m not sure. I don’t want to say anything yet for fear of having to eat my words later, so for now, let’s just leave it at that. Thank you for your time,” Peter replied amicably, leaving the nun to her work as he took Melanie by the arm to keep her from running off again.
“Peter, you heard what she said! If Darwin’s at Johnny’s, that means he is in danger,” Melanie said irritably, stomping her foot on the ground in her temper when Peter stopped her once more.
“If he is at Johnny’s, then we can’t just ba
rge in there unprepared. I don’t know about you, but I’m not in the mood to be shot and killed today. You have been acting strangely ever since I told you that Johnny and Lawrence could be related, and I want to know why. You promised me after the ambush that you wouldn’t run off half-cocked into dangerous situations again, remember? If you are going to act like one of my deputies, you have to follow my orders,” he said, moving to stand in front of Melanie so that she was forced to focus her attention on him.
“I’m only worried about Darwin! If Lawrence is a part of Johnny’s family, that means he knew about Johnny’s involvement with the bandits. We suspected, sure, but now you have that solid evidence you were hoping for. Or you will, at least, once we head over there and confront Johnny about it,” Melanie said in an angry whisper. “Every moment that we stand here arguing is more time that they could be doing who knows what to Darwin.”
Peter ground his teeth. “I understand your frustration, and I can very much relate, but we need a plan first. At the very least, I’m going to need Chris and some of the other men for backup.”
“It’s my fault,” Melanie said softly, wringing her hands. “While I was talking to Johnny, I think I let slip that Darwin and I had been talking about him. He probably took it to mean that Darwin had ratted him out. Now Johnny is going to punish Darwin for it,” she added in a horrified whisper, taking a deep breath as her eyes suddenly gleamed with unshed tears.
“Now you listen to me, Melanie Thompson. The last thing that is going to help us right now is playing the blame game, and even if it would, the burden for this mess doesn’t fall squarely on your shoulders. I’m just as much responsible for looking after things around here, yet Johnny has managed to get the better of me right under my nose,” Peter admitted, the words leaving a sour taste in his mouth as he spoke.
“Chris told me that he suspected Johnny was behind things when I came to visit you at the station. We honestly should have acted long before now,” Melanie whispered, the pained expression on his face causing her to rub her arm uncomfortably. “I should have mentioned it to you then.”
“We can’t focus on what we could have done. I need you to run back to the jail and grab Chris. Tell him to come to the Carrington place as soon as he can because I’m going to need his assistance. After that, I want you to return to the Brough’s house,” he said, feeling her hand clasp his arm as he tried to step past her.
“Oh no, you are not getting off that easily. I told you that I was going to help, and that’s exactly what I’ll do! You aren’t going to ship me back to the farm and expect me just to wait around while you risk your life every day,” Melanie spat, her eyes burning with determined fervor.
Peter smiled softly, shaking his head slowly in wonder. This woman could really get on his last nerve sometimes, but her loyalty was unquestionable. He felt his throat go dry, clearing it in embarrassment. “Fine. I won’t argue with you.”
Melanie nodded, the wide smile on her face helping to dampen the reservations he was feeling. “I’ll run and get Chris, and then the three of us can head to Johnny’s together.”
“No time for that. I’m going to make my way to Carrington’s ranch. You go get Chris and meet me there. If I know Johnny, he’ll have assembled a bunch of his boys. I don’t want them to have the chance to get the jump on us,” Peter replied quickly, shouting over his shoulder. “And make sure you don’t make yourself an unarmed target!” he added.
Peter ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn’t know if Darwin was undergoing a beating, or even worse, found himself at risk of being killed. Each second was precious.
It didn’t take long for Peter to arrive at the gates of Johnny’s homestead, his chest heaving from the exertion. His lungs felt like they had been set aflame, his legs threatening to cramp up at any moment. Yet he knew he had to keep pressing on, scooting around the edge of the sizable wood and brick home toward the yard near the back of the house.
He could hear men laughing and cheering, growing louder as he approached, and the distinct sound of a person grunting in pain. It caused Peter’s fists to clench angrily. He could just make out the sound of Johnny Carrington speaking over the rest of the men. “Now, Darwin. You should have just agreed to go along with our plan and keep your mouth shut. Lawrence here tells me you’ve been getting awfully close to that lovely new schoolteacher of yours, and I would hate to think I’d have a potential mole to contend with.”
“I already told you, I haven’t said anything.” Darwin’s voice was pained and hoarse. Peter was able to see his young friend currently being restrained by the arms by two large men as others took turns slamming their fists into his gut and face. Blood was pouring out of the youth’s nose, but Darwin spit a thick glob of blood onto the dirt before Johnny defiantly. “But if this is how you treat people who stay quiet, I’d hate to see how you treat spies.”
“Real cute, kid. We’ll see how smart you are talking when we put an end to that outlaw pretending to be a lawman and bring things in this town back to the way they used to be. Peter Matherson is about to be a page in the book of history, boys,” Johnny said, his eyes cruelly glittering as he smiled.
“That’s enough of that,” Peter said abruptly, rising from his hiding spot with his pistol free from its holster, cocked and ready in his right hand. “You all had best let that boy go now before you put me in a really bad mood. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee any of you are going to leave here unscathed.”
“Well, if it isn’t the man of the hour himself come to your rescue, Darwin. Looks like you weren’t telling the truth after all. Otherwise, how would the sheriff here have found us so quickly?” Johnny asked aloud, kneeling next to where Darwin lay and hauling the boy to his feet, his revolver pressed against Darwin’s head. “Now, the way I see it, you got two options.”
Johnny never managed to say exactly what those options were. The men surrounding Peter had all stepped forward like they meant to approach him, but they were immediately halted by the loud sound of a shot being fired from afar. The effect that it had on the assembled men was immediate.
Many of the men outright scattered, their fearful shouts ringing out in the air. Other men charged forward, but Peter was ready for them. He swung a punch into the belly of the man closest to him,his knee driving into the man’s chin to send him sprawling to the dirt. Peter made his way forward, taking advantage of the commotion to slam his fist into Johnny’s jaw, sending the man staggering back from Darwin. “Just you and me now, Johnny. Let’s settle this once and for all.”
Chapter 23
Her feet pounded the dirt as she raced back toward the station, her heart feeling like it might explode from her chest at any moment. She’d promised Peter that she would fetch him assistance, but she knew deep down that he was going to endanger himself tonight.
When she burst through the front door of the police station, she was relieved to find Chris standing surrounded by men that she recognized from the day of the ambush. John was among the men, a serious look on his face as he looked at Melanie, taking scope of her expression and understanding that something was wrong. “Melanie, by the stars! What is the matter? Why did you run all the way here?”
“Peter sent me. Johnny Carrington has Darwin at his home, and Peter already ran there to take a look at things. Knowing him, he’ll rush headfirst into the situation without taking a moment to hesitate, and I don’t want to find him dead or beaten because of it. I need all of you to come with me right away,” Melanie practically shouted.
“You heard her, fellas! The sheriff is in trouble. I hope your guns are loaded and your nerves are steeled, because we got another fight on our hands!” Chris bellowed, grabbing the shotgun that hung on the nearby wall and quickly loading two bullets into it before stuffing a number more into the pocket of his vest. He must have noticed how Melanie was looking at him, because he offered her a placating smile. “I won’t aim for anyone unless I absolutely have to. We aren’t murderers; we are lawmen.”
His words helped to soothe some of the misgivings Melanie had, and she knew it would be naive to think that they could solve the situation without arming themselves. She just hated Johnny for having to be such an envious and spiteful soul that he begrudged Peter’s position enough to constantly cause him trouble. Why didn’t Johnny simply agree to work alongside Peter for the good of the town and help to shore up the number of actual lawmen around? What caused him to jump to the complete opposite side?
As she watched Chris make his way toward the door, she started to walk out with him. She intended to follow the rest of the men who poured out of the door. Chris threw out his arm to stop her, blocking her way. “Melanie, I really think that the sheriff would prefer if you stayed here where it was safe. You know how he got the last time you showed up to the scene unannounced.”
A Bride to Melt the Sheriff’s Iron Heart Page 12
