The Sheriff Wears Pants (13 page)

“Where’s the real Sheriff, Sheriff?”  Norman demanded, obviously flustered.

“She went home for a bit, Norman.”

“This here telegram is important, Sheriff.  The Simpson Gang is headed this way!”

“We already know, Norman,” he assured the other man.

“What’s she going to do about it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Electing her was a big mistake.”

“Yes, it was.”

“Aren’t you going to help us, Sheriff?”  Norman asked, and his eyes were pleading.

“Nope.  I’m not the Sheriff.  I’m going to take my fiancée and hide until this is all over.”

“You can’t do that!”

“I’m not the Sheriff, Norman, and I refuse to let my fiancée get herself killed because this town was foolish enough to elect her to do a man’s job.”

* * * * *

“Daughter, I want you to stay inside this house, and keep the doors and windows locked.  The Simpson Gang is headed this way, and I don’t want you anywhere near them.”  It was all everyone was talking about, and most folks were either heading out of town, or holing up inside
their homes and hoping to stay safe.  Geoffrey and Brian had hurried home to warn Priscilla once they heard the news.

“Papa, they will just kick the door in if they want inside.  I don’t wish to be alone when they’re in town.”  Priscilla was frightened of the gang.  She’d read about them in newspapers from the city, and they were ruthless and violent.

“You won’t be alone.  I’ll stay right here and protect you while your father protects his business.”  Brian hated seeing his love frightened.

“That is a good plan, Brian.  Thank you.  Pris, you obey Brian, hear me?”  Geoffrey demanded.  It was good to know that she would be safe while he was at the warehouse trying to protect his business.

“I will gladly obey Brian, Papa.  I can shoot a gun, too, Brian, but I will feel much safer with you here.”

“I didn’t come all this way to find you just to let that murdering bunch of thieves close to you, Priscilla.  I’ve worked as a lawman, and I can hold my own,” he said, trying to reassure her.

“I’m going to go and put on some stew.  We need to eat something while we can.  Papa, do you think it likely they’ll ride on through town and leave us alone?”

“I haven’t a clue, honey.  It doesn’t sound likely, though, especially if they’ve learned that Darcy Hamilton is our Sheriff.  They will want to toy with her.”  Geoffrey hated saying that to his gentle daughter, but it was the truth, and he couldn’t hide it from Pris no matter how much he wanted to.

“Papa, you should go to the jail and insist she come here and hide until this blows over!  I wouldn’t want her harmed by those men!”  Priscilla feared for Darcy.  She might not actually like her or consider her a friend, but she was another woman, and those men would hurt her!  “Please, Papa…?” she asked.

“I will go and see her, honey.  In the meantime, you stay here with Brian, and keep the doors locked.  They won’t be able to sneak inside that way.”

“We’ll lock up, sir,” Brian agreed.  “I’m proud of you, Priscilla,” Brian said with a big smile for the blonde.  “It pleases me that you are willing to help Darcy in a time of need.”  He held her in his arms and hugged her tight.

Geoffrey walked to the jail and was surprised to find it empty.  Perhaps she was at home, and hiding there.  He walked the short distance to the Hamilton house and knocked on the door.  Will Davies answered Geoffrey’s summons.

“Will, I am here to speak with Darcy, if she is home?”

“She’s here.  I’ll get her for you.”  A few moments later Darcy came into the large entryway.

“Good morning, Mr. Clemons.  How can I help you?”  Darcy asked pleasantly.

“You’ve heard the Simpson Gang is coming this way?”

“Yes, I have.”

“My Pris is worried about you and she wants me to bring you home with me and hide you with us until this blows over.  She knows of Billy Simpson’s reputation for killing lawmen.  She doesn’t want those outlaws to abuse you or kill you, and they will if you don’t do something, Darcy,” he insisted, perfectly serious.

“Will you please tell Priscilla I said thank you?  I appreciate her gesture more than I can express in words, but I will remain at the jail, and do my best to stop those men from destroying our town.”

“That is ridiculous, little girl!”  Geoffrey sputtered angrily.  “Will, she is your fiancée, can’t you do something with her?”

“I intend to keep her locked up when that gang rolls through town,” Will said.

“You can’t
do
that, Will!  I
have
to
protect
people!” she declared.

“It is my job to protect you, and since I’m bigger than you are, guess who is going to win out?”

Geoffrey smiled a wholly male smile.  “I’m thankful you have the situation under control, Will.  I’ll give my daughter your message, Darcy.  Be safe.”  He walked away, and was soon knocking on his own door.  It was Brian who let him inside, and he was a bit shocked to see him wearing a gun strapped to his hip where he could reach it in a hurry, and it was obvious to the man that Brian knew how to use the gun, too.  The holster was well worn… just like Will Davies’.  He decided that he should probably arm himself, too.

“Come inside, sir,” Brian said with an embarrassed smile.  “I’m sorry you were locked out.”

“Nonsense.  I told you to lock the doors, and I am relieved to see that you are reasonable and determined to keep my Priscilla safe.”

“Papa, did you see Darcy?”  Priscilla asked worriedly.

“Yes, I did.  She said to tell you that your offer meant more to her than you could possibly imagine, but she owes it to the town to keep everyone safe.  Will has other ideas, and I believe he will keep her safe.”

“I hope so.  I regret the mean words I’ve had with her.  It was really eye opening to hear that she thought I was actually trying to break her and Will apart!  I wouldn’t do something that awful, but it hurt to realize she thought me capable of that.  I am going to rectify matters as soon as I can,” she said.

“I’m sure you will, honey,” Geoffrey leaned down to kiss her cheek, and when he went to hug her he realized that her back was probably too sore for the contact.  “How is your back, child?” he asked.

“It is better, Papa.”  She stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek.  “Please be safe at the warehouse.”

“I refuse to let those men destroy what it’s taken me my entire lifetime to build.”  He went into his home office and came back wearing his gun holster, and his shiny black weapon was tucked inside.  Geoffrey didn’t wear a gun, but he did practice with targets, and his gun was kept in pristine condition at all times.  It would serve him well if he needed to use it.  “Keep the doors locked,” he reminded them yet again.

* * * * *

“I’m going to get some coffee.  Would you like some, Will?”  Darcy offered with a smile for him.

“Yes, please.”

“I believe there are still some cookies.  I’ll fix a plate of those, too,” she offered, and then headed to the kitchen and right out the back door.  She needed to take her place and be ready when those outlaws rode into town.  She ran to the jail and found the Mayor waiting for her.  “Mayor?  Is there any more word of the Simpson Gang?” she asked, her stomach threatening to dump its contents everywhere because she was so nervous.

“Nothing more,” he replied nervously.  “Miss Darcy, you know I care about you, right?  You know that my own Caroline is your age, and I’ve watched you grow up.  I’ve always loved your Gram and thought her a fine woman.”

The door to the jail opened and Will stomped inside.  He took Darcy’s arm and pulled her over to the desk, bent her over its surface, and started whacking away on her bottom, never minding the Mayor was standing there watching him spank her!  “Will, stop this at once!  There is no time for this with that gang coming!  And you promised you would never ever do this in front of anyone ever again!”

“Will, please.  Stop, son.  I need to talk to you.”

“I can listen and set her pants on fire at the same time, Mayor.”

“I need your attention, both of you!  Damn it, Will!”  The Mayor grabbed Will’s hand to stop the spanking.  “Stop and listen to me!”

Will stopped and permitted Darcy to slide to her feet and stand.  The look she gave him was murderous, but Will didn’t care how angry the little redhead was.  Sneak away from him, would she?  He didn’t think so!  He turned his attention to James before the man lost it completely.  “Speak your piece, Mayor.”

“Okay.  Darcy, Will, the men in town all signed a petition and voted.  Darcy, you are no longer Sheriff.  Will, the town is offering you a pay raise and a sincere apology for discounting your previous service.  We’re asking you to pin on the Sheriff’s badge and get us organized before the Simpson Gang arrives and tears apart this town!”

Will unpinned the badge from Darcy’s shirtwaist, and transferred it to his own shirt.  “Little girl, you get on home, lock all the doors and windows, and keep everyone in the same room.  Keep your gun with you, and make sure that Louisa and Eleanor are armed, too.  Shoot to kill if you have to shoot at all.  Understood?”

“Just one darn minute, Mayor,” Darcy argued.  “I want to know why I was ousted just like that with no warning.  I haven’t done one thing wrong!”

“Miss Darcy, every man in this town had a serious awakening when they realized the danger you were in.  Folks here love you, and you just aren’t cut out for this job.  Perhaps we are all over-protective husbands and fathers and sons and brothers, but to a man, we voted to protect you and to beg, yes beg,” he said, looking at Will, “Will to come back and serve the town, please.  Miss Darcy, it was a
huge
mistake for me to permit you to add your name to the ballot, and I hope you will forgive me.”

“I know very well that I’m not cut out for the job,” Darcy surprised the men by stating.  “But, I didn’t want to be fired because I did something wrong.  I tried very hard to get it right.  I can’t argue with being fired out of love.  Thank you, and thank all of the men for caring enough for me to do that.  It is a huge relief not to be in charge.  Will knows what to do, and we’ll all get behind him.”

“You will go home, Miss Darcy,” Will said firmly, punctuating his words with a firm spank on her smarting posterior.

“Very well, I will go home,” she agreed.  She stood on tiptoe and kissed him, and then left the jail for her house.  Just because she went home now didn’t mean she wouldn’t have his back when the trouble started.

“That went much better than I expected.  Miss Darcy is feisty, but she’s also honest, and it took a lot of grit to admit she wasn’t cut out to be Sheriff.  And, Will, thank you for not making me get down on my knees to beg.  We need you to get us organized and lead us.”

“I can’t blame men for wanting to keep the little women happy.”

“The women realized how foolish it was, too, when presented with a real problem.  No one wants Darcy harmed.”

“That is why I am taking back this badge, Mayor.  I don’t want her hurt, either.”

“What do we do first, Sheriff?”  James asked.

Will took charge, proving he knew what he was doing as he organized the town to capture the outlaws and take them into custody.  One thing was certain, the town of Cactus Hill wasn’t going to permit one outlaw gang to threaten their town.  He put men with good marksmanship on tops of buildings and others who could run and were strong enough to block off the street at both ends once the gang was in the center of town.  The owner of the Bonnie Jane Saloon agreed to keep the establishment open and the player piano keeping up a lively tune in the hopes of drawing them inside.  He planned to be behind the bar with his shotgun ready. 

Will went over the plan and possible contingencies several times before sending the men to their stations and warning them to stay down.  A couple of the old-timers volunteered to be on the street to make it look as though the town was doing business as usual.  It was a good plan, and now all Will had to do was pray it worked and no one was hurt or killed.  Billy Simpson was meaner than hell and had a very short fuse.

* * * * *

Brian looked at Priscilla.  “Honey, I know what your father wants me to do, but I have been a lawman, and I feel I should be helping your Sheriff right now.”

“I understand.  You go on, and I’ll be fine now that I know there is a plan to save the town.  The more of you there are to face them, the safer we all are.”

“Lock the door behind me, and if they try to break in, hide.  Keep your gun handy.”

“I will, darling.  You be careful!”  She kissed him.  “Don’t you dare let something happen to you!”

* * * * *

“Lock yourselves in the pantry if those asses come inside this house, and shoot to kill if they try to get in here.  The things in the house can be replaced, so don’t worry about things.  You are all that is important.” 

“What do you plan to do, Darshana?”  Eleanor asked fearfully.

“Gram, I am going to have Will’s back.  I love him, and I couldn’t bear for him to get shot just because he is wearing my badge now.  I am thankful he is in charge again, but I still need to protect him.”