Cade had a close acquaintance with the scum of the earth. Too close. The world had taught him to view things in terms of good or bad, upright or criminal.
You’ll have the keeping of this town of misfits and outcasts. Paisley had knocked his feet right out from under him with that plea. Sheriffing in Savage Wells had always been about escaping towns drowning in their own violence, about using his skills and his passion for the job in a less horrific setting. He’d not given much more than a moment’s thought to the people he’d sworn to protect.
Thoughts of little Rupert Fletcher, Mrs. Wilhite and Mrs. Carol, Andrew, and Tansy ran through his mind. These people needed someone to care what happened to them. He meant to be that kind of someone, that kind of sheriff.
“Is your mind wandering already?” Paisley’s voice pulled him back to the present. “The council meeting hasn’t even started.”
He stood outside the town council room. “Just getting a bit of practice in beforehand.”
“You have to act interested for at least the first five minutes, even if they aren’t set to make their sheriff decision tonight,” Paisley said.
“In the law books, is it?” Cade asked.
She shrugged. “Run that by our resident attorney.”
Which brought up yet another question. “Why is it Mr. Larsen plays least in sight? Is he shy?”
“No one sees him often enough to know.” Paisley’s eyes darted to the stairwell. “Unlike our town banker, who is most certainly not shy.”
The head of the bank, Ellis Lewis, had just stepped from the stairs. What Cade had seen of Lewis he didn’t like. The man was arrogant, self-absorbed, and as aggravating as a week-old splinter.
“Good evening, Sheriff O’Brien,” Lewis said. Then, turning to Paisley, he added, “And to you.”
He passed them both and stepped into the council room.
“Two guesses as to which of us he’d vote for if he was on the council,” Paisley muttered. Her features were drawn with strain. Her posture was as rigid as it was exhausted. Yet, Cade didn’t think it was only Lewis who inspired the reaction.
“You look worn thinner than paper,” he whispered.
She rubbed her face and let out a long breath. “Papa isn’t doing well today. He’s not ill; he’s simply not himself. Even more so than usual.”
Watching a parent fade away must be a terrible burden. He set his hands on her arms just below the shoulders. “I’m sorry. I truly am.”
She took the final step toward him and, to his surprise, into his embrace. He held her, aching for her pain yet, at the same time, enjoying the feel of her in his arms.
“I need a nap, Cade.” She leaned her head heavily on his shoulder.
Heavens, she felt good to hold. A man could quickly grow accustomed to the warmth of a fiery woman at his side, one who challenged him and tugged at him and made him laugh as often as she made him spittin’ mad. Yes, sir, he could most certainly get used to that.
“If you need to go home and be with your pa, Paisley, you go on ahead. I can fill you in on the meeting when we see each other tomorrow.”
“It is tempting, I assure you.”
“Whaddaya say the two of us skip out on this mind-numbing meeting and go shooting or something.”
“Shooting?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “Or something.”
Her dark eyes held his. “What did you have in mind?”
A great many foolish things. And, unexpectedly, he found himself acting on one of those things. He let his hand slip from her face and settle at the back of her neck, tipping her head up toward him. Her lips parted with a breath. He leaned in close, his mouth almost touching hers.
“We’re looking to start a brush fire here, Paisley,” he whispered huskily.
She slid her hands up his chest. “Brush fires aren’t so bad.”
She raised herself up enough to press her mouth to his. Her arms wrapped around his neck. He kissed her, slowly, savoring every moment.
Cade’s pulse pounded hard in his neck. The air around them crackled and jumped. The flowery scent she wore drove him nearly out of his mind. He stopped himself an instant before threading his fingers through her hair. His brain, foggy as it was, called a halt, and his lips obeyed.
They were in public, by Jove. Anyone might walk past at any moment. Besides that, Paisley was Gideon’s sweetheart, or at least Gideon seemed to want her to be. Cade couldn’t go around kissing his best friend’s woman.
He stepped back, dropping his hands from her face to her shoulders. His lungs wouldn’t stay entirely steady. Rice chose that exact moment to come up the stairs to the council room door. He didn’t say a word, but eyed them both suspiciously before stepping through the door.
Cade motioned for Paisley to proceed him into the room. He took a moment before following her. What had come over him? He knew Gideon’s feelings. Paisley had fully participated in that kiss, or at least it seemed that way, but betraying his best friend made him a cad.
With his pulse calm and his breathing normal, Cade stepped inside the council room. He returned the nods he received, then took his seat beside Paisley. The smallest hint of a blush still stained her cheeks.
“Let’s begin,” Mayor Brimble said. “Mr. Lewis, I assume you’ve come with a matter concerning the bank.”
Lewis rose from his chair. He smoothed his sleeves and cuffs. He puffed out his chest like a rooster in a henhouse.
“The Western Bank of Omaha has decided that this branch will serve as the head of operations in this area of the country,” Mr. Lewis announced. “Large amounts of money will be passing through this town on a regular basis. I am concerned that the town is not ready to receive it.” He eyed them as though they were all bacon-brained.
Paisley sighed impatiently. “The delivery will, no doubt, go exactly as it always does: just fine.”
“Your confidence is adorable.” Had he been closer, Lewis likely would have pinched her cheek or offered her a sweet.
“She’s wearin’ the badge today, pup,” Cade said. “You’re to address her as Sheriff Bell.”
But Lewis’s attention was back on the men at the table. Mangy ol’ dog.
“Head of operations?” The mayor’s eyes grew large. “Well. Well, well. That sounds quite important. Quite. What does it mean, exactly?”
“All of the money intended for branches in western Wyoming and the Montana Territory will be deposited here, and then picked up by those branches to be taken back to their respective towns.” Lewis was clearly pleased with himself. “Our branch will be receiving its first significant shipment of money this week.”
Rice whistled appreciatively. “That’ll be a challenge. Securing even small deliveries takes effort.”
Too right.
“How much money are you talkin’ here?” Cade set his elbows on the table.
Lewis’s expression twisted with enough pride to choke a largemouth bass. “The amount will exceed one thousand dollars on the first delivery,” he said.
“A thousand dollars passing through this town?” A lead weight settled in Cade’s gut.
Billy Carpenter in Arizona Territory had been gunned down over a fifty-dollar poker match. Cade had come upon the scene of a two-hundred-dollar robbery that ended in a triple murder. When a man had arrived in a town in Nevada with a rumored eight hundred dollars to his name intended as payment on a ranch, Cade had restored peace only after three solid days of warfare in the streets. A thousand dollars passing through a town as ill-prepared as Savage Wells was a disaster waiting to happen.
“I anticipate four or five times that in a few years’ time,” Lewis added. “Perhaps another—”
“You.” Cade pointed at him. “Sit.”
The banker could save his braggin’ for another time. Savage Wells was in over its head.
Cade
turned immediately to the mayor and council members. “You’ve a mess on your hands.”
“Mess?” the mayor asked. “What m—?”
“You’re a town without a sheriff,” Cade said. “And you’ll soon have more money passing through here than many people will see in their lives. No more time for games. You need to settle the issue of sheriff so this bank business can be dealt with decisively.”
“We have another two days to make our choice.” Mayor Brimble looked almost frantic at the possibility of having to make a decision. “And we haven’t finished with all the challenges you were going to do. How are we supposed to know—”
“Were your mother a tortoise she’d be proud of your pace,” Cade said, “but I ain’t overly fond of it.”
He looked at Paisley, and she nodded her agreement without the slightest hesitation. “He is absolutely right. Omaha likely chose Savage Wells to operate its local business because it has a reputation for being peaceful and stable. Not having a firmly decided sheriff makes this town anything but solid and steady.”
“But we haven’t—We weren’t expecting to—” The mayor fiddled with the corner of his papers. “Springing this on us—”
“Why can’t we take the two days we were anticipating and make the decision then?” Mr. Holmes suggested.
“I’ll give you a thousand reasons,” Cade said.
“I agree,” Lewis said. “My bank is poised to—”
Cade cut him off with a look. “You’ve said your piece, Lewis. Your bank’ll be looked after. You can go now.”
“I have a vested interest in the outcome of this decision,” Lewis insisted.
“An interest, yes, but not a vote. Get out.”
Lewis simply stared.
“We’ll wait,” Cade said. He folded his arms on the table in front of him and watched the banker start to squirm.
After a long, awkward moment, Lewis stood. “At least let me know who will be in charge of securing the delivery.”
Cade gave a single, shallow nod, but didn’t bother repeating his earlier instructions. He watched the banker, waiting. Lewis finally accepted his dismissal. He stepped out, glancing back repeatedly.
“Time for this council to undertake a miracle: decision making.” Cade eyed them all. “This has to be sorted before you leave this room.”
“I don’t know that we can,” the mayor said, shaking his head over and over again.
“Then I hope you brought along pillows and a blanket. We’re going to be here a long time.”
“But how would we go about making such a quick decision?” Mr. Holmes asked. “A debate and then a vote? A vote, some debate, and another vote?”
They couldn’t even decide how to decide. “I’ve seen men get filled with lead over far less than a thousand dollars,” Cade said. “Word of the money shipments will spread. Every criminal in the area will circle like vultures.”
The council paled. Gideon, to his credit, managed to look a little less frightened than the others.
“Do we really want to force them to make a decision they’re not ready to make?” Rice asked.
“Here’s the hand you’ve been dealt,” Cade said, eyeing the council. “Your good cards, for starters. This’ll bring in more businesses, which’ll likely bring in more citizens. In time, that’ll bring more money for the town to use in ways it needs. But you’ve a few bad cards in there as well. Every bank robber, stagecoach holdup man, and criminal gang in the entire territory’ll hear about Savage Wells and the money to be had here. They’ll watch. Check. Plan. Decide if the bank and the town are an easy target.”
Rice nodded reluctantly. “That’s true enough. The town needs a strong arm.”
“It ain’t as simple as that,” Cade said. Paisley was going to be as angry as a pig in a cactus patch, but there was no avoiding that. He couldn’t allow innocent people to be killed over money, not if he could prevent it. “Any weak link’ll be spotted. The town needs to be seen as anything but an easy target. The quickest glance should discourage criminals from even trying. We need to make certain no one thinks twice about it.”
“What are you saying?” Paisley’s tone turned suspicious.
“That we haven’t the luxury of playing this game any longer.”
“What game?” Her posture had gone rigid.
He hated how this was playing out, but thousands of dollars passing down Main Street couldn’t be ignored. He had blood enough on his hands. “The council has only one option now.”
Paisley’s mouth pulled into a tight line. “And that option is you?”
“Not quite,” Rice said. “He means that option is not you.”
“Why ever not?” she demanded. “I’ve held my own. I’ve made as good a showing as either of you. Why should I be eliminated so handily?”
The explanation would sting, he knew that much. “Would-be criminals will think this town is an easy target. But they won’t be as likely to try anything if—”
“If the sheriff is a man,” she finished for him.
“I know it’s not fair,” he said. “But the Western Bank of Omaha lit a fuse, and this town’s sitting directly over the dynamite.”
“Dynamite?” Mayor Brimble tugged at his collar. “I don’t think we had better delay. Mr. O’Brien is right. We need to think about the safety of this town. That is, after all, the reason we advertised for the best sheriff money could buy. We want this town to stay peaceful.”
“Wait just one minute—” Paisley tried to interrupt.
“By a show of hands,” Mayor Brimble continued. “All in agreement that Mr. O’Brien and Mr. Rice are the best choices in front of us just now.”
Mr. Irving, Mr. Holmes, and Mayor Brimble all raised their hands without hesitation. Paisley’s eyes slid to Gideon. Her gaze was intense. She didn’t blink.
“I’m sorry, Pais,” Gideon said. He slowly raised his hand.
“That decision is made, then. Please leave the badge, Paisley.” The mayor made the request as if asking someone to pass the salt.
She didn’t move so much as an inch. “That’s it? I held things together for months while Sheriff Garrison daydreamed. I stepped in and took over during those weeks after he left. And all you can say is ‘Leave the badge’?”
The council exchanged confused looks.
“Leave the badge, please.” The mayor tagged on the “please” almost as a question.
Paisley unpinned the badge in jerky motions. She held it for a moment in her hand, fingers wrapped almost reverently around it. With a sigh, she tossed it onto the table.
“It seems I no longer have a purpose at this meeting.” She looked at the mayor and councilmen in turn. Her eyes avoided Cade. “I’ll see you men around town.”
Cade tried to stop her. “Paisley, I’m sorry.”
“Oh, I bet you are.” She walked out of the room without a backward glance.
Gideon’s gaze was focused on the tabletop. Mayor Brimble’s mouth turned down in a fierce frown. Everyone in the entire room looked uncomfortable. This had been rather badly done.
“We didn’t mean to offend her,” Mayor Brimble said. “Not at all. Not at all.”
What needed doing was best done quickly. Cade had an angry woman with a white-hot temper to find and cool off. “You’ve one more decision to make tonight, men. You need a sheriff. Now, I needn’t remind you of my qualifications—”
Rice jumped in. “I could do just as well if you gave me the chance.”
“You don’t have the luxury of taking a risk on the unknown.” Cade eyed each council member in turn.
“He’s right,” Gideon said, slumping low in his chair. “It’s the same argument we used against Paisley. We don’t want anyone who looks at this town to even remotely doubt it is defended. Cade’s very name tells them that. His presence tells them that.”
The council required only a moment to cast their next vote, and Cade found himself a sheriff again. He’d done this so often it hardly felt exciting any longer. Rice was more emotional than Cade; he stormed out.
Cade hadn’t time for hysterics. He stood, snatching up the sheriff badge. “I’ll make arrangements with Lewis. You lot can handle the rest of the town business.”
He left quickly. This was not at all the way he’d expected the sheriff decision to be made. He honestly wished it hadn’t come down to this, but the money forced the issue. He really had been the only choice after that.
He found Paisley pacing Gideon’s porch. Of course she’d gone to his home. There’d be an almighty row at that house as soon as the council meeting ended.
“I hadn’t meant for—” He got no further.
“I’m not particularly in charity with you right now, Cade O’Brien, so I’d suggest you head back up to the meeting and leave me in peace.”
“I just need you to understand—”
“Understand what? That I am out of a job? Or maybe that, unlike you, I was plowed over in that meeting, without having a single moment to argue in my favor?” She paced ever faster. “Or perhaps you think I ought to understand that I was only fooling myself all this time, thinking I had any shot at being named sheriff.”
“You’d be a fine sheriff,” he said. “But a woman sheriff doesn’t inspire confidence. I realize that ain’t fair, but it’s reality. If criminals staked out this town and found a woman in charge of law and order, I promise you they’d make a try for the money every time. Every single time.”
“I could have dealt with that,” Paisley insisted.
“At first, certainly, when only a few tried their hand. But what about when it kept happening? You’d spend every hour of every day with your pistol drawn, shooting every shady-looking character, hoping to stop them before they shot you.”
“It wouldn’t have reached that point. Savage Wells is a quiet town, it—”
“Do you think Abilene started out as a despicable place?” She had to understand what was at stake here—it was more than a job, more than a badge. “Towns go bad, Paisley, and it happens quickly. It’s far easier to prevent than reverse.”
The Sheriffs of Savage Wells Page 14
