The Sheriff and the Troubled Bride

by Indiana Wake

  “It’s my business,” Keith snapped.

  “Of course, it is,” James drawled back. He was clearly fighting back a smirk. “You should be good to leave now. Everything sounds fine and I don’t need to give you any medication.”

  “Thank God for that.”

  Keith started towards the door when he heard James call after him.

  “You just need to take care of yourself. Or have someone take care of you.”

  Keith stopped abruptly and turned around with a growl.

  “Don’t start that again, James.”

  “Start what?”

  The doctor was looking very smug. And it was making Keith want to punch him.

  “You’re like a dog with a bone,” he grumbled. “You gnaw away to the point of annoyance.”

  James laughed.

  “I’ve never heard that expression interpreted in that way before.”

  “I’m sure,” Keith grunted. “Just no more conversations about Simone Cartwright, all right?”

  “Of course not.” James held up his hands. “I promise.”

  Keith wasn’t sure if he believed that or not.

  Chapter Five

  Hearing Keith’s anguish about not seeing his children had hurt Simone more than she thought. He was a father, and to not see your own children for two years had to be painful. Simone had wanted to hold him and not let go. She wanted to cry on his behalf.

  If only there was something she could do to help him. Simone would do anything to make Keith smile again. If there was a way she could help him find Toby and Lucy, Simone would do it.

  But how would she go about it? Simone had no idea where Megan could have gone. If Keith couldn’t find her, there was no chance of her doing it. It would have to be someone with special skills who could find the elusive ex-wife.

  Like a tracker.

  Simone barely slept that night, turning her plan over and over in her head as Luke snored softly away nearby. What she was thinking was incredibly risky. Possibly not the brightest idea she had thought up. But Simone was determined; she wanted to help Keith, even if it was to see his children one last time. It was a sense of closure. Taking children away from a father didn’t make him less of one.

  He was a good father figure to Luke, who clearly idolized him. Simone couldn’t begin to understand why Megan couldn’t see that for herself.

  The next morning, Simone was up and finishing breakfast before anyone else got downstairs. She didn’t want to tell anyone what she was up to… especially Beth. They would dissuade her from getting involved. It wasn’t Simone’s business, so she should just leave it alone. And Simone didn’t want to be deterred. All she could think of was Keith’s children. Surely, he deserved to see them. Simone couldn’t see why he should be denied that right.

  After a few cursory questions around town, including with Robert Greenhalgh at the saloon, Simone managed to find the one man who would be able to help her. He was a former soldier who lived at the edge of Sioux Falls. Robert had warned her against going near him as he was a solitary man who didn’t like to be disturbed, but Simone wasn’t backing down. His possible grumpy nature didn’t put her off at all. If he was the only person who could help, then she was going to talk to him.

  Finding his house just outside the perimeter of Sioux Falls was easy. And Simone could see a tall, lanky man with black hair sitting outside on a tree stump, whittling away at a hunk of wood with a penknife. He was whistling away a tuneless song, his slim fingers helping to carve the wood in his hands. Simone stood a little way off and watched him for a moment.

  He was a handsome man, certainly. Surly, but handsome. And he had a scar down the side of his face, an ugly red against his olive-colored skin. Robert had mentioned that the scar had come from the war. Clearly, it affected him to the point he refused to interact with anyone.

  Simone could relate to that.

  “Is there something you want, lady?”

  Simone jumped. She hadn’t realized that he had noticed her. Now he was looking right at her with a scowl, his brown eyes narrowed. She swallowed and folded her hands in front of her.

  “Are you Richard Baxendale?”

  “I am,” came the sharp reply. “Who’s asking?”

  “My name is Simone Cartwright. I was wondering if you could help me out.”

  “Depends on what you want help with.”

  Simone frowned.

  “Are you always this abrasive?”

  “Maybe.” Richard turned back to the carving in his hands and stuck the knife into it. “Get on with it, lady. What do you want?”

  “Help tracking someone. A woman.”

  That had Richard pausing and glancing up at her.

  “A woman? For what purposes?”

  “Not what you’re thinking.”

  “What do you think I’m thinking?”

  Simone ignored this. She was not here for banter.

  “Do you know Sheriff Keith Dickinson?”

  “I know him. Went to school together.” Richard went back to his carving. “Why?”

  “He’s got an ex-wife and two children.”

  “Megan. She was at school with us as well.”

  “And he hasn’t seen his children in two years.”

  “So, you want to find the ex-wife and plead his case.” Richard lowered the carving again, frowning up at her. “Why are you so interested in helping him?”

  “Aren’t friends allowed to help each other?”

  “Friends wouldn’t go so far as to find someone who could track the ex-wife down.” Richard sat forward, pointing at her with his penknife. “You want something out of this, don’t you?”

  Simone glared at him.

  “You’re full of impertinent questions.”

  “Trust me, I haven’t even started,” Richard shot back. “And I think I’m allowed it. This smells of ulterior motive to me. You want the man for yourself, don’t you?”

  Simone gritted her teeth. She didn’t come here to be interrogated. This was harder than she expected.

  “If I did want him for myself, why would I look for his ex-wife?”

  “Some women are strange like that.”

  “No stranger than the man before me,” Simone shot back.

  Richard smirked.

  “Guilty.”

  Even with the scar, he was a very handsome man. Simone wondered how many women had swooned at his feet before the accident. She sighed. Fanciful thinking would be getting her nowhere.

  “Please, Richard?” She approached him. “Will you help? I don’t know where to start, and I was told you’re one of the best trackers in the area. I need that right now.”

  “Is this where you say you’ll give me anything to get me to help?”

  Simone hesitated.

  “In a sense,” she said slowly. “I haven’t got much money, but you can have it all.”

  “Don’t bother.” Richard put his penknife away with a sigh and stood, tossing the carving onto the ground. “I’ll help you out.”

  “Really?”

  Simone hadn’t expected that. Richard gave her a slight lopsided smile.

  “Keith’s a friend, and I know he’s pining for his children. Would stop him moping around. And it’s a rarity I get to see someone like you want to do this for the heck of it.” He tilted his head to the side as he regarded her thoughtfully. “If someone cared about me like you do Keith, I wouldn’t be like this.”

  Simone didn’t know what to say to that. She was still staring after him as Richard headed towards his home.

  “Now, where do you want to start?”

  Chapter Six

  Simone knew that results wouldn’t come quickly, but she found herself waiting impatiently for Richard to find something. Then she reminded herself that Richard had a method of working and that wasn’t with her breathing down his neck. She just had to sit back and wait.

  But waiting was incredibly difficult. Especially when she was seeing Keith every day. He would arrive at the boa
rding house to pick Luke up for his lessons and drop him home after working at the sheriff’s office. They didn’t spend any time together alone, and Simone wasn’t sure what to think of that.

  She was saddened that she couldn’t have the long, meaningful conversations with Keith as she had done, but she was also relieved. The kiss that he had given her had made Simone unbalanced. It made her want to seek him out, which made Simone feel like she was being needy.

  Maybe doing this was a bad idea, but Simone told herself she had got herself into this, and now she would have to wait before someone pulled her out. This was her doing.

  This was all new to her. Simone had turned down proposals in the past because they saw her as a convenience. She wanted to be loved, not seen as useful. Keith was the first man that Simone had lowered her defenses for. There was something about him that she kept reaching for, kept trying to grab hold of.

  It was something she was not used to. Simone had no idea how to deal with it all.

  Four days after Simone asked Richard for his help, he appeared on the doorstep of the boarding house. Lianne had opened the door to him, and Simone had headed into the hallway to find the two of them staring at each other. It had taken a while to get Richard’s attention, and Lianne had scuttled away with a very red face.

  But Richard had news. He had found Megan. Simone was delighted, and she almost hugged him. Then she heard where Megan was. In a small farmhouse about an hour’s ride from Sioux Falls.

  She had been that close all this time and Keith hadn’t been able to find her? According to Richard, she was using a different name, but he knew her and recognized her immediately. Simone trusted his information. She had to; the man didn’t have any reason to lie to her.

  Now, the two of them sat on horses on the top of a hill, looking down at the farmhouse. There wasn’t much to it, but it looked like it had been well-kept. A woman was out in the yard, hanging up a lot of washing. She was slim with russet-red hair held back by a scarf around her head.

  Simone stared at her. Even at a distance, she could tell the woman was lovely. She could see why Keith had fallen for her in the first place. Beside her, Richard cleared his throat.

  “Simone?”

  “Huh?” Simone jumped. She felt her face going red. “Sorry, what did you say?”

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

  “Of course.” Simone drew a breath. “This is for Sheriff Dickinson, not me.”

  Richard grunted, shaking his head.

  “Love is strange.”

  “Love?” Simone blinked at him. “What are you talking about?”

  “You wouldn’t be doing this for Keith Dickinson if you didn’t love him.” Richard went on before Simone could protest. “Do you want me to come down there with you?”

  Simone shook her head. She had to do this alone.

  “Just stay here. I’ll call if I need you.”

  Richard grunted. Simone took a deep breath and guided her horse down the hill. This was going to be hard. Simone had played over in her head so many times what she was going to say, but now it seemed to completely disappear as she approached the woman hanging out the washing. What she was about to do was mad. It had to be. There was no turning back now.

  Simone was beginning to regret what she was about to do. But this was for Keith. He deserved to see his children. She squared her shoulders and pulled her horse up beside the washing line. The woman turned to look at her, giving her a curious look and a pleasant smile.

  “Can I help you, Miss?”

  “Are you Megan?”

  “I am.” Megan’s smile dimmed a little. “How do you know my name?”

  Simone felt awkward talking on horseback. She dismounted and hovered near her horse, holding tightly onto the reins.

  “My name’s Simone Cartwright. I…I’m a friend of Keith’s.”

  Now Megan’s smile had completely disappeared. She scowled and folded her arms.

  “And he sent you to talk some sense into me, did he?” She sneered. “Thinking that woman to woman might work? Well, I don’t want to know. You can leave me now.”

  “Keith didn’t ask me to come,” Simone protested. “He doesn’t know where you are.”

  “Then how did you find me?”

  Simone indicated Richard, who was visible at the top of the hill. Megan groaned.

  “Richard Baxendale. He doesn’t know when to keep his nose out of things.”

  “I asked him to do it,” Simone said. “Keith doesn’t know what we’re up to.”

  “He doesn’t?”

  “No.” Simone indicated the house. “May we go inside and talk?”

  But Megan was already shaking her head. She was still looking angry.

  “No. You can stand there and tell me what’s going on.”

  She was aloof. And scared. Simone could see it in her eyes. What was she scared of? She felt a pang of sympathy for the woman.

  “Keith just wants to see his children.”

  “Not going to happen.”

  “Why not?”

  “Why not?” Megan snorted. “His job is too dangerous. I don’t want him making promises to the children that he can’t keep. I don’t want them seeing him gunned down.”

  “In Sioux Falls?”

  “You’re a newcomer, aren’t you?”

  “I arrived here a few months ago.”

  Megan grunted.

  “Then you don’t know how bad it was back then. That man I called my husband at one point is married to his job. He preferred it over his own family. I was lucky to get to see him before he bolted off again.”

  That didn’t sound like the man Simone knew. The Keith Dickinson she had come to know was not like that at all. He loved his job, yes, but Simone would certainly not class him as married to it.

  “He’s a considerate man,” she said firmly. “He’s looked after my nephew when he got into trouble. And he’s always making sure I’m all right. Keith does genuinely care about people. And I know not seeing his children is killing him.”

  Megan was looking at her curiously. It was making Simone uncomfortable. Megan tilted her head to the side.

  “Is there something going on between you two?” she asked.

  “Of course not.” Why was everyone thinking that? “I’m just doing this as a friend who doesn’t like to see someone else in so much pain.”

  Megan snorted.

  “You could’ve fooled me.” She sighed and looked away. Her lips were tightly pressed together. “My children have had to see some of the seedier things that happened with Keith’s job. I don’t want them subjected to that again.”

  “But isn’t that making you look like the bad guy by refusing to let Keith see Toby and Lucy?” Simone asked. “Keith holds no ill will against you. He’s said that before. He just wants to see them.”

  This was tougher than Simone had expected. She knew it wouldn’t be easy, but this was tougher than she anticipated. Megan was silent for a moment. There was a flash of pain across her face, and then it was gone. She looked up at Simone.

  “I know you mean well, Miss Cartwright. I can see why you’re doing this. But I’m not going to do what you ask of me, and that’s my decision.”

  “Even if it means Keith might get some comfort seeing Toby and Lucy again?”

  Megan bared her teeth.

  “They saw bad things, Miss. Cartwright. Keith didn’t see Toby and Lucy when they woke up screaming in the night from the terrors they had seen during the day. They had to witness their father take a bullet before he gunned down a man trying to rob the bank. That stayed with Lucy for months. And Keith wasn’t there to comfort her when she couldn’t sleep; that was me. Those nightmares took a long time to go away, and I won’t do it again.” Megan turned away, snatching up the empty washing basket. “Now, would you please leave? This conversation is over.”

  Simone watched her storm away. She debated going after her, to plead more of Keith’s case, but she could see it would be frui
tless. Megan was not going to budge.

  Simone felt the sadness in her breast. She had failed. She wanted to help Keith in any way she could, and now she was feeling like a failure. Getting back on her horse, Simone rode back up the hill towards Richard. His Stetson covered his eyes in shadow, but Simone could tell that he was watching her. She wasn’t about to talk to him right now, instead, she turned in the direction of Sioux Falls.

  “Take me back.”

  Chapter Seven

  Keith couldn’t believe it when he heard it. What had she been thinking? Having someone in his corner was one thing, but to go to Megan as she had? Chances were she had completely ruined everything for him.

  She had been resourceful; Keith had to give her that. And Richard had been the perfect person to help her. But Simone had gone about it the wrong way.

  Keith was furious. And that fury had him going over to the boarding house, barging in before Beth had completely opened the door.

  “Wha…Keith, what the…?”

  “Sorry, Beth.” Keith righted the woman before she toppled over. “Where’s Simone? I need to see her now.”

  “She’s in the dining room laying the table. What…?”

  But Keith didn’t stop, charging into the dining room. Simone was alone in there, setting out the cutlery on the table. She started as Keith rounded the table and advanced on her.

  “Keith.”

  Keith wanted to shake her, but mostly he wanted to shake her for her stupidity.

  “Why did you go to Megan?”

  Simone’s mouth opened and closed.

  “I…I haven’t…”

  “Don’t try and lie to me, Simone! Richard’s just told me what you did.”

  Simone’s lips tightened.

  “He had no right to do that.”

  “I’m glad he did. He was concerned about you after you met with Megan.” Keith folded his arms. “And I’m concerned about what you thought you were doing.”

  “I thought if I could find Megan and explain to her that it was painful for you not seeing Toby and Lucy, maybe she could allow you to see them.”