Annabelle Weston (8 page)

She twisted out of his grip and shoved him away. “Don’t think you can put your hands on me anytime you like.”

“
What’s wrong with you?” He grabbed her by the shoulders. “You run hot and cold and I’m damned if I know which you’ll be at any moment.”

She lowered her lashes. “You shouldn’t put too much meaning into what happened yesterday between us. It meant nothing to me.”

He let her go, her words as stinging as a slap.

Her eyelashes fluttered. Her eyes, which had been inflamed with passion when she’d straddled him in the jailhouse, were cold.

He held his hands up in the air. “I can’t figure you out at all.”

“
Maybe you shouldn’t try.” She glanced away.

A man in his frustrated condition had no other choice. “I’ve said what I came to say.”

She lifted one shoulder as if to say she didn’t care. He didn’t believe her.

“
The curfew begins tonight.”

Was that regret he sensed? “I’ll close the saloon for one night, and you go catch your criminals.”

“
Could take more than one night.”

Carly shook her head. “One night I can get by on, but any more and I can’t pay my debts.”

“
I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

She licked her lips. It was probably done without thinking but the effect on him was shattering. “What’ll you do if I disobey?”

“
You’ll go to jail for starters.”

“
You’d arrest me, Jed?”

She was playing with him now, enjoying how she could take him to the brink.

“
How about I give you what you really want?” He stepped closer, taking that chance she wouldn’t lash out at him again.

She blinked a few times. “How do you know what I really want?”

“
Because of how wet you were when we were together.”

“
You think I was aroused?”

He grinned. “Yeah. I heard you moan.”

“
Really?”

“
I told you, I’m an expert when it comes to bed play and giving women what they want.”

She smiled, a dimple creasing in her left cheek. Shit, if her smile didn’t beat all.

“
We’ll see who’s the expert, now won’t we?”

No more bawdy talk, much as he was enjoying himself. He had to be firm.

“
I expect the Lonesome to be closed at six.”

“
Whatever you say, Sheriff.” She purred affectionately and then turned away from him. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do before we open.”

“
You might do a lot more than think about it, Carly Buchanan. Whether you accept my offer of bed play or not, the town is now under a curfew and anyone not abiding the law will be arrested.”

“
You’re very strict.”

“
Only when I have to be.”

She didn’t answer him, just kept on walking until she reached the newel post. She touched the polished wood, turned and gave him that sultry look that set his heart to thumping.

He knew she’d do as he asked.

He rubbed his hands together, planning the many ways in which he’d pleasure her when he was through with the gang.

* * * * *

Alvin took out his watch. “Almost nine o’clock.”

Carly bit her lip. The men at the table were betting wildly and she’d have a nice profit by the end of the night if she played her cards right.

“
What happens at nine?” one of the players asked.

“
Didn’t you hear?” Alvin answered. “The new sheriff has imposed a curfew. We were supposed to be closed up by six.”

The three men guffawed.

“
I’d like to see him try and close this place,” the man said.

Carly huffed. Jed had made an impossible request. He’d no right to impose his rules and regulations on her. How had she let him talk her into closing early?

Alvin frowned. “I heard he left town, chasing after those varmints who shot out our expensive plate-glass window.”

She didn’t want Alvin to fret. “If the sheriff isn’t around, he isn’t going to know if we stayed open a few hours longer.”

Alvin shook his head. “I heard he deputized a couple of locals. They’ll be checking on who’s obeyed the curfew.”

Carly shuffled the deck. The deputies would be easy to handle. Most likely they were already customers of hers.

“
We’ll make sure they’re well taken care of, won’t we?”

Big Judith laughed the loudest, her entire body jiggling, much to the delight of the wrangler buying her drinks.

Carly’s smile widened. She might just get her cake and eat it too. “Don’t you worry, Alvin. The sheriff will be sure to catch Vernon and his gang and then the curfew won’t even be necessary.”

Alvin didn’t look convinced.

Carly couldn’t close up her saloon on Jed’s whim. They had a full house tonight. He was going to be angry, of course, but she could deal with his bluster. As for his pledge of a good time, she wouldn’t work up a sweat over a man who wasn’t a paying customer. She was making good money playing cards. From the noise of bedsprings coming from upstairs, tonight’s take would be better than average.

“
You gonna deal or not?” the man to her left snarled.

She dipped her shoulder to give him a peek of her black lace and rouged titties. “Sugar, I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting.”

Jed led his horse down the middle of the main street, the stars and a half-moon his only light. Judging from the height of the moon, it was nearing three in the morning. Both he and the mustang were dead tired and ready for some shut-eye.

Mr. Travis had been right. Those
hombres
shooting up the town headed straight to Nogales. Jed saw no sense in following them, he’d no jurisdiction in Mexico. If Vernon Crosby and his boys were after the men locked up in the jail, they’d be back.

First thing come morning, he’d find Travis and ask him what else he knew about the gang.

He reached the jailhouse. The single window, shuddered against the blowing sand, showed no light coming from inside.

“
Damn,” he muttered under his breath.

Those two boys he’d deputized before he left had promised to take turns standing guard. He’d better roust them out of their slumber before he headed to the livery.

The heavy door yielded to his touch. They hadn’t even locked up properly. He pushed the door harder and squinted. His two deputies were sitting on the ground hogtied and gagged.

The cell was empty.

Both struggled to talk as Jed untied the bandanas stuffed in their mouths. He already knew what’d happened.

“
They jumped us,” Sam said.

Jed took out his knife and cut the rope. “How many?”

“
I counted four.” He exchanged glances with Jack Finney. “They must’ve doubled back.”

“
This time Crosby was with them.”

“
Are you sure it was him?” Jed had been certain their trail headed south. He hadn’t found any sign of them turning around.

“
It was Vernon Crosby all right. We didn’t stand a chance,” the boy said as he untied the knots in the rope.

They scrambled to their feet.

“
Said you’d be sorry,” Sam said as he brushed off his pants. “Arresting his men like you done. Said he didn’t care much for lawmen.”

Jed took a good look around. The gang had taken all the rifles out of the rack. The desk drawer was halfway open. Luckily, he only kept the key to the jail cell there.

“
What’ll we do now?” Sam asked.

“
Nothing to do.” Jed blamed himself for this foul-up. He’d given them a responsibility they couldn’t handle.

“
We could ride after them.”

“
Yeah. Let’s go get ’em, Sheriff,” Sam said, nodding.

“
No.” Jed appreciated the boys’ enthusiasm but he needed seasoned gunmen to go

after the gang. One day his deputies would be the men they aspired to be but until then, they’d a lot to learn.

“
I’m considered a good shot,” Sam said, building his case.

“
Consider yourself lucky you’re alive.”

Both boys looked contrite and Jed reckoned he’d said enough for one night.

He stomped outside, mounted Shooter and headed toward the livery. Shooter snorted, ready for a measure of oats and a straw bed.

Tin-panny music drifted from around the corner and he scowled. When he reached the crossroad, he stopped and gritted his teeth. He saw, with disappointment, the saloon lit up and lively. The hellion had not done as he’d asked.

Anger simmered in his veins. He clenched the reins tight until his horse whinnied and he realized what he’d been doing. He patted Shooter’s neck and murmured an apology.

“
Seems I’ve been made a fool of twice.”

Carly’s lying ways brought a bitter taste to his mouth. She’d flirted with him for no good reason other than to see him squirm. A man needed to stay clear of Carly Buchanan if he had any sense.

The livery was dark. Jed led his horse into a stall and stripped off his saddle and bridle. By the time he’d fed and watered Shooter, Jed had worked up a head of steam.

Carly had defied his curfew, an ordinance meant for her own protection. Her intentions were clear. She considered herself above the law. She was damn lucky that, when the gang came to break their men out, they hadn’t stormed the saloon.

Jed removed his rifle from its sheath and slung his pack over one shoulder. There was only one way to deal with lawbreakers. He covered ground in a hurry.

A burst of laughter from the saloon fueled his anger. He had to be prepared for what he’d find. Would she be entertaining her guests or would she be upstairs giving a customer a taste of her wares?

He had to admit he didn’t want to find her in bed. When she’d straddled his lap, he’d wanted her for his own—not to share her with any other man.

Jed rammed through the bat wing doors and stepped inside the saloon. The air was thick with cigar smoke. The dollies in their bright, colorful dresses and feathers in their hair looked like exotic birds among the dust-covered, trail-hardened cowpokes.

Miss Lorraine sidled up to him with kohl-blackened eyes and spots of rouge on her cheeks and lips. Her yellow dress revealed the depths of her desire.

“
Anything I can do for you?” she asked in a breath laced with whiskey. She ran her fingers across his arm.

He wasn’t immune to her charms but he’d not come here for a poke—and if he did he wouldn’t have come for her. “I’m looking for Carly.”

She withdrew her hand as if he’d bite and jutted her lower lip into a pout. “She’s over there,” she indicated with a nod.

Jed spotted her right off. She’d dressed in blue satin—showing off those creamy white shoulders. The mound of golden hair—whose touch he knew so well—left her neck exposed. She threw back her head, her laughter sending an ache deep in his groin.

The fella she was entertaining saw Jed coming. The man frowned and took hold of Carly by the neck and pulled her close.

Jed almost felt sorry for the bastard.

Carly’s slap cut through the music and voices, and all focused on the trio. The man appeared startled. She stepped aside, her expression mighty irritated.

“
You’d better mind your manners,” she said lightly. She pushed in a comb that had worked lose from her hair.

The cowpoke’s face went from red to purple and the glower he gave to Carly could have set her on fire, he was so mad. He’d been humiliated in front of his friends and from the looks of it was about to burst. With rapid movements, the man grabbed Carly by the throat.

“
Let me go, Sugar, you’re hurting me.”

Jed rested his hand on the grip of his .45, a move the cowpoke didn’t miss.

Carly took advantage of the distraction and kneed him high on his balls. Her swift action brought a chorus of cheers. The cowpoke crumpled into the nearest chair, bent over, breathing hard and cursing.

“
Nice work,” Jed said.

Carly whirled around. Her smile, calculated to turn a man into a blabbering fool, faded. “Didn’t expect you’d be back so soon, Sheriff.”

At least she was being honest, Jed decided.

“
Don’t reckon you did.”

She cast him an enticing smile. It’s what she did, what she was good at. He was surprised how quickly she got over the drifter’s rough handling. Was she used to that sort of thing? He wanted to murder the man for touching her but she dismissed him without a glance.

“
I gather this isn’t a social call.” Mischief sparkled in her eyes. The lamplight danced in her hair. He could smell her perfume.

He tipped his hat. “Ma’am.”

“
You’re upset.”

“
That I am. I imposed a curfew on this town. The curfew was meant for everyone.”

She set her hand on her hip and rocked her body a couple of times to show him what was on her mind. It was on his mind too.

Her smile was catlike. Obviously, she understood him—better than anyone ever had.

“
You needn’t have worried, Sheriff. This is a private party. By invite only.”

He wished it were that simple. “The Crosby gang was in town tonight. They broke out his men from the jail.”

Her eyes clouded briefly but then she shrugged. “So what?”

“
You saw what they did to your precious window, what do you think they’d do to your saloon given half a chance?”

Her lips parted. No doubt what he’d told her came as a surprise. He’d be willing to bet she wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of being right.

“
I appreciate your concern, I truly do, but I can handle a bunch of rambunctious drovers.”

Jed scoffed but was drawn into the depths of her eyes. She was pretty, dammit, but she was stubborn. “I have no choice but to arrest you.”

“
Beg pardon?” Her body shook with laughter. Others in the saloon joined her. “I’d like to see you try.”