reason he ain’t caught yet is the same reason he’s the boss. Man is crazy and smart to boot.”
“ We’ll see about that,” Jed answered before stalking outside.
He settled in his chair, the Winchester across his lap, and spent the rest of the night listening to the righteous snores of the men in the cell and keeping an eye on his town.
Chapter Four
When Carly arrived at the Lonesome, out of breath and panting, she saw her saloon hadn’t been spared the wrath of the Crosby gang. Her beautiful plate-glass window had been reduced to a thousand pieces. She’d spent a pretty penny on it—it’d come all the way from San Francisco.
She pushed through the swinging doors. Gladys and Blanche looked up. They were picking up shards of glass and putting them in a bucket.
“ Is everybody all right?” Carly asked.
Judith stepped forward. “We’ve been better.”
“ They usually leave us be.” Alvin shook his head. Carly was relieved the mirror hanging behind the bar, which he prized, was still intact.
“ I don’t know why they decided to shoot up the town,” Carly said.
“ I know why.” Judith planted her hands on ample hips. “It’s that new sheriff.”
“ Maybe you shouldn’t be so friendly to him,” Blanche said.
Carly wondered. “I don’t think he’s the cause. He’s been in town less than twenty-four hours.”
“ He’s got some of Vernon’s boys locked up.” Judith glanced at the others. “They’ll be back to free them.”
Carly bit her lip. Jed would have his hands full if they did.
“ Where’s Ester?”
Judith nodded at the staircase. “She never came down.”
Carly mounted the stairs. Judith was probably right. Jed had stirred up a heap of trouble. Tonight was just a taste of what they all could expect.
She found Ester in her room huddled in the corner, clinging to her doll.
Carly knelt beside her. “Hey, sweetie, those men are gone.”
“ Why did they shoot at us?” Ester trembled as she spoke.
“ They’re mean, I guess.”
“ Will they come back?”
Carly slumped down beside her. “If they do, Sheriff Poole will arrest them.”
“ I like Sheriff Poole.”
With a sigh of resignation, Carly realized she did too.
* * * * *
Dawn spread, golden and dusty pink across the Eastern sky and the sleepy town began to come alive. The gang hadn’t returned, much to Jed’s relief.
He stood and stretched cramped muscles. His stomach grumbled. He’d plenty of time during the night to think about Carly’s visit. She’d been angry with him about the elixir but he sensed there was something else, something deeper that’d set her off.
He could never figure out women and so he’d keep a safe distance. She knew his weakness—his desire for her—and she’d be sure to use it against him when the notion struck her.
The owner of the mercantile, Mr. Finney, swept glass from the boardwalk, the clinking sound echoing down the walk as several others did the same thing. The livery man, Mr. Trumbull, hauled a handcart down the middle of the street. He saw Jed and nodded.
“ Quite a ruckus last night.” The geezer put down the cart and brushed off his hands. “Reckon it was Vernon Crosby’s boys.”
“ This happen often?”
“ More than we’d like.” Trumbull pulled on his beard. “Think they’ll be back, Sheriff?”
“ Can’t say.” It was false comfort. Jed was pretty sure they’d come for the prisoners. Next time more than a few windows might be shot up. Next time the citizens of Tucson could be caught in the crossfire.
Jed could think of only one way to keep the residents safe. They wouldn’t like him imposing a curfew but until the rest of the gang was behind bars, he’d no other choice.
Mr. Finney leaned on his broom. “Probably came to bust the rest of their gang out of jail.”
Jed nodded. “How many of those hombres are there?”
The mercantile owner shrugged. “Wouldn’t be surprised if there were a dozen more.”
“ You’ll need help
“ We’ll see about that,” Jed answered before stalking outside.
He settled in his chair, the Winchester across his lap, and spent the rest of the night listening to the righteous snores of the men in the cell and keeping an eye on his town.
Chapter Four
When Carly arrived at the Lonesome, out of breath and panting, she saw her saloon hadn’t been spared the wrath of the Crosby gang. Her beautiful plate-glass window had been reduced to a thousand pieces. She’d spent a pretty penny on it—it’d come all the way from San Francisco.
She pushed through the swinging doors. Gladys and Blanche looked up. They were picking up shards of glass and putting them in a bucket.
“ Is everybody all right?” Carly asked.
Judith stepped forward. “We’ve been better.”
“ They usually leave us be.” Alvin shook his head. Carly was relieved the mirror hanging behind the bar, which he prized, was still intact.
“ I don’t know why they decided to shoot up the town,” Carly said.
“ I know why.” Judith planted her hands on ample hips. “It’s that new sheriff.”
“ Maybe you shouldn’t be so friendly to him,” Blanche said.
Carly wondered. “I don’t think he’s the cause. He’s been in town less than twenty-four hours.”
“ He’s got some of Vernon’s boys locked up.” Judith glanced at the others. “They’ll be back to free them.”
Carly bit her lip. Jed would have his hands full if they did.
“ Where’s Ester?”
Judith nodded at the staircase. “She never came down.”
Carly mounted the stairs. Judith was probably right. Jed had stirred up a heap of trouble. Tonight was just a taste of what they all could expect.
She found Ester in her room huddled in the corner, clinging to her doll.
Carly knelt beside her. “Hey, sweetie, those men are gone.”
“ Why did they shoot at us?” Ester trembled as she spoke.
“ They’re mean, I guess.”
“ Will they come back?”
Carly slumped down beside her. “If they do, Sheriff Poole will arrest them.”
“ I like Sheriff Poole.”
With a sigh of resignation, Carly realized she did too.
* * * * *
Dawn spread, golden and dusty pink across the Eastern sky and the sleepy town began to come alive. The gang hadn’t returned, much to Jed’s relief.
He stood and stretched cramped muscles. His stomach grumbled. He’d plenty of time during the night to think about Carly’s visit. She’d been angry with him about the elixir but he sensed there was something else, something deeper that’d set her off.
He could never figure out women and so he’d keep a safe distance. She knew his weakness—his desire for her—and she’d be sure to use it against him when the notion struck her.
The owner of the mercantile, Mr. Finney, swept glass from the boardwalk, the clinking sound echoing down the walk as several others did the same thing. The livery man, Mr. Trumbull, hauled a handcart down the middle of the street. He saw Jed and nodded.
“ Quite a ruckus last night.” The geezer put down the cart and brushed off his hands. “Reckon it was Vernon Crosby’s boys.”
“ This happen often?”
“ More than we’d like.” Trumbull pulled on his beard. “Think they’ll be back, Sheriff?”
“ Can’t say.” It was false comfort. Jed was pretty sure they’d come for the prisoners. Next time more than a few windows might be shot up. Next time the citizens of Tucson could be caught in the crossfire.
Jed could think of only one way to keep the residents safe. They wouldn’t like him imposing a curfew but until the rest of the gang was behind bars, he’d no other choice.
Mr. Finney leaned on his broom. “Probably came to bust the rest of their gang out of jail.”
Jed nodded. “How many of those hombres are there?”
The mercantile owner shrugged. “Wouldn’t be surprised if there were a dozen more.”
“ You’ll need help
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