A Family for the Holidays

by Sherri Shackelford

  Perhaps making a deal with an outlaw wasn’t the most prudent decision. What other choice did she have? She’d simply work around his more overbearing tendencies.

  “This isn’t a scene from a dime novel,” Jake said. For the first time since she’d met him he appeared weary, almost defeated. “Bullets always miss the hero on the page. In real life, guns are lethal and far less discerning.”

  Her throat tightened. She glanced at Peter and Sam. Peter hastily retracted his tongue.

  The children. Jake’s admonishment neatly put her in her place. She’d put the children in danger. Part of her had been picturing a scene from a dime novel. The other part had been certain Jake would keep them safe. Despite his bluster and rough appearance, she had no doubt he’d protect them. With his life, if necessary.

  During the two days she’d been observing Jake, she’d learned a few things about the man. There was something innately kind about him. He held open the door for those exiting behind him. He tipped his hat even when ladies crossed the boardwalk to avoid him. He always smiled at Ida, the server at the hotel restaurant, even when she spilled coffee on his table.

  He might play the dangerous gunfighter, but there was an unconscious kindness about him that he couldn’t quite camouflage. She doubted he even noticed his telling slips.

  Given his fierce scowl, this didn’t seem like the time to confess her growing trust. “What next?”

  “Let’s talk outside. I’m tired of whispering.”

  “Sam, Peter.” Lily jerked her head toward the door. “Outside, please.”

  Peter placed his hands over his mouth and muffled a giggle. The sheriff had worked free from the scarf around his ears and she hustled the children out the door before he freed himself from the sack.

  “For the sheriff’s benefit,” Lily said, placing her hand on Jake’s chest, “don’t forget to act like an outlaw.”

  “I’ll do my best.” He hoisted his dark eyebrows. “As long as you agree to act like a hostage.”

  “Agreed.”

  Jake half led, half dragged her through the door. Once outside, Jake caught Lily’s arm and tugged her around the corner of the building.

  Sam and Peter had collapsed in a fit of giggles.

  “That was fun!” Peter exclaimed.

  “Can we still be hostages?” Sam hopped from foot to foot. “I want to still be a hostage.”

  “Pretend hostages.” Lily corrected. “Please pull your hat down over your ears. You’ll catch your death.”

  “It’s not that cold. The snow is even starting to melt.”

  “Be that as it may—” she adjusted the muffler “—you still need to stay bundled.”

  Jake stowed her useless gun and replaced his pistol in his holster, then strapped the handle into place. “Please don’t put yourself or the children in danger again,” he said, his voice taking on that exasperated, long-suffering tone again. “It’s very distracting.”

  Peter cocked his thumb in Jake’s direction. “I wouldn’t complain if I was you, Mr. Jake. At least you’re out of jail.”

  “Yeah.” Sam nodded eagerly. “Sounded like Vic was gonna shoot you between the eyes and bury you in a shallow, unmarked grave where the coyotes would dig up your bones and gnaw on them.”

  “Sam!”

  “All right,” Sam grumbled. “But I’m siding with Peter. Jail is worse.”

  Jake braced his hand against the wall and hung his head.

  Lily touched his shoulder. “Are you all right? You look ill.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Your voice sounds a bit strangled.”

  “I’m considering our situation.”

  “I planned on escaping to the next town where we’d explain the misunderstanding. I hadn’t thought much beyond that point.” She caught a glimpse of his expression. “You still look ill.”

  “Just thinking,” he said, his voice strained. “You were right about one thing. We should return those boys to Missouri. I’ve been watching Vic for a while now, and I don’t trust anyone within fifty miles of here. We’ve got no proof he’s done anything wrong.”

  “But—”

  “I believe you, don’t get me wrong. There’s no good reason for Vic to take an interest in those children, which means trouble for all of us.”

  “If we travel far enough away from Frozen Oaks, maybe we can find someone who’ll believe our story.” Lily paced, her boots crunching through the snow. “Someone who’ll believe that Vic is setting you up, that he’s a danger to the children.”

  A range of emotions passed over his face. Lily had seen hints of compassion in him. She must appeal to that part of the gunfighter. He’d only leave them if he thought he was putting their lives in danger. Which meant she had to clear his name, and quickly.

  “We can stay ahead of a posse until Steele City.” Jake scratched the back of his neck. “I’m not worried about that. Which means the boys are safe with me for the next few hours. After Steele City, I’m a wanted man who’ll put your lives in danger. I’ll see that you’re out of the sheriff’s jurisdiction, then we’ll separate.”

  Exactly what she feared. The moment he’d declared them hostages, she’d known this might happen. “No. I won’t do that. I won’t risk your hanging for something you didn’t do.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “We can clear your name in St. Joseph.” She clung desperately to the idea of keeping them together. As long as they stayed together, she could counter any accusations the sheriff made. “Promise you’ll stay with us until then.”

  There was no way she was implicating him in a kidnapping, but she’d sort out the details later. Right now they simply needed to make the next destination.

  “We don’t have time to argue,” Jake said. “We’ve only got a few hours until Vic discovers I’ve escaped. While I doubt anyone will hear the racket the sheriff is making from this distance, I’d rather not take any chances that someone might wander too near.” He lifted his head and adjusted his hat. “Can you ride?”

  “Uh-huh.” Lily focused on a spot behind his left shoulder. “I’m a passable rider.”

  Before her mother and brother had died, and before her father had sold the house, they’d kept horses. Benjamin was the better rider. No surprise there. She hadn’t ridden in over a decade, and her skills were rusty. None of which she planned on sharing with Jake.

  Something in her hesitation must have shown, because his eyes narrowed.

  “I need to know that you’re telling the truth,” he said. “Because we have to leave town. Quickly. The St. Joseph and Western Railroad runs out of Steele City. It’s a single line all the way to St. Joseph and runs mostly through Kansas. Once you cross the border, Sheriff Koepke can’t follow.”

  “Legally,” Lily added. “We can’t assume he won’t follow illegally.”

  “Agreed. If we ride hard, you can make the evening train. They’ll be looking for me, not for you or the children. I’ll fix the damage on this end.”

  “How?”

  “Let me worry about that.” He faced Sam and Peter. “What about you two? Can you ride? Are you up for this? We’ll be riding hard.”

  “Our parents traveled all over the world.” Peter’s eyes glimmered as though he’d discovered a half-buried skeleton in the woods. “We can ride horses, camels, and Sam even rode an elephant once.”

  “Excellent.” Jake propped his hands on his gun belt and frowned. “We just have to figure out how to make it to the livery without anyone seeing us.”

  “No, we don’t.” Lily lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “Who’s to say you weren’t released from jail properly? Skulking about will only draw attention to you. If we walk with conviction, no one will pay us any mind.”

  That took him aback. As he considered her
suggestion, a tiny thrill of victory zipped through her.

  “You’re right,” he said. “The only person I need to avoid is Vic, possibly Regina. You three are in the clear. As long as no one sees us together, and no one notices us leaving town, we’re past the worst.”

  “I am right.” Her chest swelled. For once she wasn’t foolish, naive Lily. “The children and I packed and hid our belongings at Emil’s barbershop. We’ll collect our bags and meet you at the livery.”

  “Remember, if anything goes wrong, you were my hostages. Just stick to that story.”

  “I will.”

  She wouldn’t. But he was correct about one thing—this was no time for an argument. “We’ll meet you at the livery in twenty minutes. Don’t forget—walk with conviction.”

  * * *

  Jake waited until they were out of sight and reentered the jail. They were safe for the moment, of that he was certain. Lily had cleverly played along with Vic’s announcement, which meant he was expecting her to leave on the evening stage. Vic was too arrogant to assume anything else.

  Jake shut the door behind him and winced. Sheriff Koepke hollered and banged on the bars with a chair left in the cell. He caught sight of Jake and went still.

  Jake crossed his arms over his chest. “You and I need to talk.”

  “About what?” The sheriff glanced at him askance. “Where is the girl and them two boys?”

  “Not your concern.”

  The sheriff lowered his chair and plopped onto the wooden seat. “What do you want?”

  “Where is Emil? Is he dead?”

  “I don’t know. But I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Vic is real jumpy.”

  “Then the rumors are true.” Jake searched his memory for all the crumbs of gossip he’d collected over the past two weeks. “How much did he lose to Emil in the last poker game?”

  “The hotel for certain.”

  Jake blew out a low whistle. “He bet the hotel?”

  “Yeah. And Regina is hopping mad. He promised her that after they were married, the hotel was hers. She already acts like she owns the place. Did you see what she did in the parlor? I never seen so much fabric. Looks like my grandmother’s sewing room.”

  “Anything else?”

  The sheriff removed a slender cigar from his breast pocket along with a box of matches. “Money.”

  “How much?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Jake leaned against the sheriff’s desk, stretched out his legs, and crossed his ankles. “What about the stolen guns?”

  “What guns?” The sheriff appeared genuinely surprised. “I don’t know anything about any stolen guns.”

  That was interesting. Apparently the sheriff wasn’t privy to all Vic’s schemes. Keeping the sheriff ignorant of his most nefarious moves was probably a wise move.

  “Vic isn’t earning all his money at the lumberyard,” Jake said. “Surely you know that.”

  “He does all right.” The sheriff puffed his cigar to life. “He can lose a little money in a poker game now and again. Don’t make him no never mind.”

  The sheriff removed his cigar from his mouth and studied the tip. Jake grimaced.

  Keeping the sheriff in the dark was more than wise—the decision was genius. “There’s no lumber in that yard, or hadn’t you noticed?”

  “I guess, now that you mention it.” The sheriff exhaled a billow of smoke. “Business has been slow. Things were a lot better before Steele City got the St. Joseph line. The customers have dried up since then.”

  The railroad depot had been finished for over a year.

  Enough time for Vic to become desperate. “Your boss picked the wrong town to occupy.”

  “He didn’t think that in the beginning. He paid that fellow a lot of money to make Frozen Oaks the last stop on the line. Steele City got the depot instead. The guy from the railroad was named Steele. They named the town after him. I guess that meant more than a bribe alone.”

  “Vic should have changed the name.” Jake snorted. “Frozen Oaks is a silly name for a town.”

  “You got that right.” The sheriff chuckled. “I wouldn’t mention it to Vic, though. He’s still sore.”

  “I have other business with Vic.” Leaning back, Jake braced his knuckles behind him on the desk and considered what he’d learned. “You must know something about what’s going on in this town.”

  “I get paid to look the other way.”

  “Sometimes a man can’t help but see things, even if he’s not supposed to.”

  “I already told you what I know. Vic lost the deed to the hotel, and Regina is spitting mad. She gets visitors all the time. Likes to show off.”

  Which explained Vic’s lapse into housebreaking. He was searching for the hotel deed. Another reason to believe Emil was still alive and had gone into hiding. Which was good for Emil and disastrous for his grandchildren.

  The full implication sent a flush of pure, hot rage through Jake. That old fool had gone into hiding and left his grandchildren like lambs to slaughter. Lily and the Tyler children never had a chance. She’d walked right into a trap.

  He’d been too focused on Vic and the guns, and he’d missed the real crime unfolding. “Vic was looking to recoup his losses. That’s why he talked you into granting him guardianship?”

  “Yeah. But you didn’t hear that from me. You got no proof of nothing. Everything is on the up and up. Regina read a bunch of legal stuff in one of them law books. She got enough fancy-sounding words to make the paperwork sound legitimate. Between you and me, I think she’s the smarter of them two.”

  “I’ve heard enough.” Jake pushed off from the desk. “Thank you for your time, Sheriff.”

  “Wait a second, ain’t you letting me out?”

  “Can’t do that. I need a head start. It’s two days to Omaha.” Jake doubted even the sheriff was dumb enough to take the bait, but he might as well try a little misinformation. He snatched the newspaper and slid it through the bars. “A little reading material while you’re waiting.”

  The sheriff’s furious hollering followed him out the door.

  Once outside, he tucked his hair inside his coat and turned up his collar, then set his hat low on his forehead. Head bent, his hands stuffed in his pockets, he stepped onto the boardwalk. As long as he stayed clear of Vic and Regina, he could keep an eye on Lily and the boys.

  He crossed the street and leaned against the corner of the hotel, then waited. He didn’t have to wait long. Lily and the boys exited the barbershop and made their way down the stairs.

  As he pushed off to follow, the door swung open beside him. He slipped around the corner and waited. After the footsteps faded, he stepped into sight once more.

  Regina.

  Even from the back he recognized her. No one else in town wore that shade of emerald. Especially not around Frozen Oaks. Regina might be smarter than Vic, but her taste in men left something to be desired. Jake would never understand what she saw in him.

  On a hunch, Jake crossed the street and followed her. She ducked into the telegraph office and emerged only a moment later, stuffing a sheaf of telegrams into the fur muff she carried. Once she cleared the doorway, Jake slipped inside and let his eyes adjust.

  The telegraph operator was a nondescript middle-aged woman with a dishwater-blond topknot and a plain gray dress. She glanced up from her work.

  “May I help you, sir?” she asked.

  “You haven’t gotten any dispatches from Emil Tyler, have you?”

  “The name doesn’t sound familiar.” The woman set down her quill and knocked over her ink well in the process. “Oh, dear me. Look at that.”

  She hastily mopped up the mess, darkening her white handkerchief an indigo bl
ue.

  “Emil Tyler.” Jake concealed his impatience. “Owns the barbershop.”

  “No. I can’t say that I’ve had any dispatches from someone by that name. ’Course, I’m not the only one who works here. You could ask one of the other ladies.” She pinched the soaked rag between her thumb and index finger and dropped the mess in the wastebasket. “We’re all ladies running the telegraph machines. Western Union figures we’re cheaper than men. They’re right, you know.”

  Not in the mood for small talk, Jake gave a curt nod. “Thanks.”

  He stepped onto the boardwalk and froze.

  Regina had cornered Lily and the boys.

  Chapter Seven

  With Sam and Peter eagerly trailing behind her, the three of them had made their way to the barbershop unimpeded. The town was quiet, the boardwalk deserted for the noon meal. Lily gathered their bags and paused. A stack of correspondence sat on a side table. On impulse, she stuffed the mail into her bag. While the chances of discovering a clue were slim, they were running out of possibilities.

  “All right.” She faced the children. They each carried a single small bag. “How are the two of you holding up?”

  “We’re doing great.”

  “This is neat.”

  Lily sighed. At least their enthusiastic embracing of the situation was better than fear.

  She looked them up and down. They’d dressed in double layers with their hats pulled low over their ears and yards of knitted scarves wrapped around their necks. The weather was cold, but not frigid, and there was barely a breeze stirring the air. As long as she kept a close eye on them, they shouldn’t come to any harm.

  “Stop worrying,” Sam said.

  “I’m not.”

  “You’re chewing on your lip and frowning.”

  Lily touched her cheek. “I guess I am worrying. Just a little. I was hired to keep the two of you safe, and I’ve involved you in a jailbreak and a cross-country escape on horseback. Believe me, if I thought there was another way, I’d never put you two through this ordeal. I don’t trust Vic Skaar. I still think we have a chance of finding your grandfather. I’m not giving up just yet. I will never do anything unless I truly believe my actions are in your best interest. I promise.”