Annabelle Weston (21 page)

He meant to tell her about the twenty acres he’d found for sale just south of town, in a pretty valley with plenty of sweet water. The owner had been willing to give Jed a land contract but he wanted Jed’s answer right away.

They arrived on Main Street just as the sky faded to indigo. Carly pulled her horse up in front of the Lonesome. Piano music and laughter came from inside the saloon.

“
I guess this is where we part company,” she said. She lifted her leg from around the horn and slid to the ground before he could help. She was showing him she didn’t need him, he reckoned. It came like a crushing blow.

She handed him the reins.

“
I’d like you to reconsider,” he said. “You can take all the time you need.”

She lifted her chin. “Sheriff Poole, you are persistent, I’ll give you that.”

Jed pushed his hat back on his forehead. “Yes ma’am.”

The light had gone out of her eyes and her mouth showed only a grim determination. With a wave of her hand, she hurried through the swinging doors.

Jed took hold of her mare’s reins, turned Shooter’s head and started for the jailhouse with his tail between his legs.

Jack Finney was sitting with his chair tipped back against the adobe, a shotgun across his lap. When he saw Jed, he straightened and jumped to his feet.

The boy came running to meet him. “Sheriff, am I glad to see you. There’s a telegram come.”

Jed dismounted. Jack took the reins. “I’ll see to these horses.”

“
Thanks,” Jed said. He entered the jailhouse. Maybe he shouldn’t have rushed Carly about them being together. A woman did like to be courted slow, so he’d been told. Why had he been in such a firecracker hurry?

He cursed. She’d given him an answer. Not the one he wanted but he would respect her wishes.

The room was empty. The air was stale. An envelope had been placed on his desk. He tore off the end and took out the single sheet of paper.

The sheriff from over in Tubac had seen Vernon Crosby and his gang headed north, most likely for Tucson.

Jed crumpled the piece of paper. No doubt Crosby had heard about the arrest of two of his men. He was too late. Those boys were gone now.

He sank into his chair. It’d been quite a day. He was dog—tired but the day wasn’t done. Jed and his deputies would be ready for the gang when they arrived.

* * * * *

Carly waited until Jed was out of sight and then climbed the stairs. O’Dell’s letter would have to wait. She was in no mood to make amends—truth be told, she was too scared to write one. Her backside was sore from riding. Her neck burned from where she’d gotten too much sun. As much as she’d looked forward to the outing, she couldn’t say it’d been a success. They talked of a future together. She’d learned early not to take seriously a man’s big talk of settling down to a life together. Jed would find out soon enough who she was and then he’d turn away.

Ester had taken down the washing and was folding clothes.

“
Howdy. How was your ride?” Ester hugged the pile of freshly laundered sheets to her bosom with a dreamy look.

“
I don’t want to talk about it.” Carly spoke too sharply and regretted it. “There’s nothing to say. Sheriff Poole and I went up into the mountains.”

What would Ester do if Carly was to take off and marry Jed Poole? Who would take care of a woman with a child’s ways, who struggled to put two and two together? What would any of the women do, for that matter? Carly couldn’t go and walk out on them.

She changed out of her riding dress. She was contemplating what dress she would wear this evening when Ester came in her room with an armload of undergarments.

“
What should I wear?”

Ester set the clothes on the bed. “That depends.”

“
On what?”

Ester giggled. “If the handsome sheriff is stopping by.”

Carly didn’t have the heart to tell her the sheriff probably wouldn’t be a regular customer at the Lonesome anymore. What she’d said to him this afternoon had hurt his pride.

“
I think he likes red.” She took the red satin from the hook behind her door to please Ester.

“
I’d say so.” Ester blushed. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you with that dress on.”

“
Then red it is.” Carly stripped off her soiled garments and put on her corset.

“
There’s talk the sheriff is sweet on you.”

Despite herself, the gossip pleased Carly.

“
You know the sheriff, he likes everyone,” Carly replied. She pulled the red
dress over her head.

“
He is a mighty nice fella.” Ester finished with the buttons on the back of the gown and gave Carly a quick assessment. “You’ll turn his head, you will.”

Carly shrugged. Ester was making too much out of Jed’s attentiveness and had set her heart on having him around.

“
You run along and see if any of the other girls need your help.”

“
Yes ma’am.” She raised two fingers to her forehead as if she were wearing a Stetson and left the room humming a tune.

Carly sat down on her bed. One of her black moods was coming on. She’d pledged not to drink any more of Dr. Baxter’s brew but a sip of his elixir would taste good right about now.

Only a taste, for medicinal purposes.

She shook off where her thoughts were taking her and stood. She couldn’t concentrate with her mind dulled by whatever Baxter put in his brew.

Most of all, she’d promised Jed. It was one promise she intended to keep.

Jed loitered across the street from the Lonesome. Nobody could see him in the night shadows. The music coming from the saloon was rowdy and off-key. Lights shined through the cracks of the boarded-up window and on occasion the squeal of a woman’s voice carried out to the road.

Although Jed wasn’t about to go inside, that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to keep watch. If the gang came through tonight, he would be ready. What had happened up on the mountain hadn’t cooled his fever for Carly. She’d been quick to turn him down but he didn’t believe her reasons. She didn’t know any other way of life. He’d have to show her, somehow, she meant the world to him.

A light coming on at the bank caught Jed’s attention. He didn’t like what he was seeing. His hand went instinctively to his weapon. What was going on? The bank should be closed at this hour.

He jogged down the street until he reached the door of Wells Fargo Bank. He tapped on the door and pulled out his Colt, not sure if he expected it to be opened by Mr. Charles, the bank manager, or if he’d be staring down the barrel of a thief’s rifle.

To Jed’s relief, Mr. Charles opened the door with a friendly smile. The kerosene lantern he carried hissed.

“
Mighty good to see you this evening, Sheriff. What can I do for you?”

Jed touched the brim of his hat. “Just curious if everything was all right. I saw the light come on.”

Mr. Charles beckoned Jed inside. “Got a telegram this afternoon that the stagecoach was going to be late. Ran into trouble—one of the thoroughbraces snapped.”

Jed had heard these new coaches used leather thoroughbraces instead of steel springs for suspension, much to the relief of the team and the passengers.

The banker set the lantern down on the floor and took out his watch from his vest pocket and checked the time.

“
Did the telegram say how it happened?” Jed asked.

He put his watch away and frowned. “Not much, just that it snapped.”

Jed had his suspicions and didn’t hold back. “It could be more than that, Mr. Charles. You know those braces are examined with each departure and arrival. It’d be pretty hard for it to just go without showing signs of wear and tear.”

“
What are you getting at, Sheriff?” Mr. Charles drew his brows together.

Jed’s blood ran cold with dread. He’d sent Sam along to ride shotgun with the coach driver. “Those braces could’ve been cut.”

“
But if that were the case, wouldn’t the culprit who cut them have robbed the coach while it was being repaired?”

Jed’s stomach churned. “I can’t say what goes on in the mind of a criminal. Cutting the braces could’ve bought them some time. When do you expect the stage to arrive?”

“
About ten o’clock.” The bank manager had visibly paled in the yellow light.

Jed glanced at the clock over the teller’s station. It was going on 9:30. “I’ll be back, Mr. Charles. You keep the door locked.”

He had to get to the jailhouse, load up on ammunition and make sure his deputies were prepared. With the note about the Crosby gang headed this way and now this news about the coach, things were beginning to add up. Which meant life was about to get ugly in this town.

And more than likely, deadly.

* * * * *

Carly danced atop the piano as Alvin played her favorite tune,
Farmer Allen’s Daughter.
The Lonesome customers loved when she danced. Her boots clicked as she tapped her heels, and she lifted her skirts so a fair amount of leg showed as she twirled in a circle.

Drunken hoots of appreciation mingled with those singing along. When the song came to an end, there were shouts for more. Carly obliged and the other girls did as well.

Blanche and Lorraine danced on top of tables, Judith danced on an admiring cowpoke’s lap and Gladys danced on top the bar.

Totally pleased all at the Lonesome were having a good time, Carly broke out singing an old tune about a cowboy lover giving up his drifter days for his woman’s sake.

Judith belted out the next lines about her lover quitting his gunfighting as well as his booze. “Boo to that, I say!” Judith added between lines to the cheer of the crowd.

Carly picked up the next verse, about hope for the lovers being together. Gladys jumped down from the bar and joined them at the piano, Alvin pounding on the keys and singing along. Carly kept her feet moving, her skirts swirling, and laughed when one of the customers lifted her from the piano to twirl her in a circle.

But it all abruptly stopped when gunshots and shouts came from the streets.

Carly’s heart rammed against her ribs. Her stomach lurched. She was breathing hard and not just from singing and dancing.

The customers made a beeline for the swinging doors, their weapons drawn. They stared outside for what seemed like minutes but in reality was only seconds before they moved out to the street. Alvin grabbed his shotgun from under the bar and Carly gathered her ladies behind her. The silence in the saloon was eerie considering how loud and gay it’d been only moments earlier.

Ester popped her head from a door upstairs and hurried down to join the huddle of dollies.

“
There are bad men out there,” Ester said softly. “I saw ‘em out the window. They was shooting into the air. Brought a coach with them this time.”

“
A coach?” Blanche asked. “Don’t be stupid.”

Carly had to agree. A band of rotten gunslingers didn’t travel with a coach. Her mouth suddenly went dry. Today’s stage was way too late.

“
The stage has arrived,” Carly said.

Ester nodded her head vigorously.

“
The Wells Fargo run?” Carly asked.

“
That’s what it looked like to me.” Ester jutted her lower lip at Blanche.

Carly suppressed the emotion swirling inside her. How long would they remain victims of the gang? Carly didn’t have time to wonder. With the gang attacking, they all had to do their part.

“
Ladies, bar the door and don’t let anyone in.” She grabbed the shotgun from Alvin.

She didn’t need to look around to make sure they were doing her bidding, her girls knew what to do.

Alvin grasped her arm. “Don’t go, Carly. Let the sheriff take care of them.” His expression was etched with concern, his grip on her arm pinched her.

“
I have to.”

“
Your man can hold his own. This ain’t no fight for a woman.”

“
I beg to differ with you, Alvin. This is a fight I won’t back down from. I can’t. The gang attacked my saloon last time they were here and broke my window. I have to defend what’s mine.”

“
Two of Crosby’s men attacked you and you saw to their arrest. If anything, those bastards got wind of what happened and will be coming down here looking for you.”

“
All the more reason for me to take a stand.”

“
Carly…”

“
Quit arguing with me. My mind’s made up. Besides, I need you to protect Ester and the others and take care that nothing happens to the Lonesome.”

Alvin took a deep breath, his hand loosening its grip. His eyes were still filled with worry but he nodded his agreement. “I reckon you know what you’re doing. Don’t forget. Bullets flying all which ways don’t know the good from the bad.”

Carly sucked in her breath, gave Alvin a quick hug. “I know and I’ll be careful.”

Peeking through the swinging doors, she saw folks running up the street in the direction of the bank. She hurried after them.

She was crazy to be rushing headlong into a fight with the gang. But if she didn’t protect herself now, stake her ground, she would always be a victim.

Up ahead lights glowed. A crowd had gathered and huddled together in a circle. As she got closer, she saw two men flat on the ground. The men who’d protected the oak strongboxes holding the coach’s treasure were motionless, their blood seeping into the dirt. The team of horses pawed the dry earth, their eyes wild and their mouths frothing.

Jed stood next to one of the men, staring hard.

Carly halted and held her shotgun in front of her. The town doctor rushed by her, dropped to his knees in the dirt and blood to place his fingers at the first man’s throat. He moved quickly and did the same to the second.

Mr. Charles came out of the bank. Doc looked up at him and shook his head.

“
They’re both dead?” Mr. Charles exhaled loudly.