catching the rest of the gang before they come back to town.” Mr. Travis sauntered over from where he’d been standing on the boardwalk, obviously listening to the conversation. “They’re as slippery as sidewinders.”
“ If you ask me, Crosby and his boys are too wily for one man,” Mr. Trumbull said.
Jed had thought about hiring a couple deputies. He couldn’t stand guard morning, noon and night.
“ I reckon I’d better hire a couple of good men to back me up.” He turned to Travis, who’d been eager to help capture the outlaws.
“ Not me.”
Mr. Finney interrupted. “My nephew’s new to town and is looking for steady work. He’ll need some teaching.”
“ Betty Short has a strong boy,” Mr. Trumbull added. “He’s dependable.”
Mr. Finney agreed. “Both talk about becoming lawmen.”
“ Send ’em over to the jailhouse as soon as possible.” Jed hiked his thumb in that direction.
“ Will do,” Mr. Finney said.
Trumbull nodded. “I’ll let Betty know.”
“ In the meantime, we should be ready for their return.” Jed’s examined the damage done by the gang. The window of every store on Main Street had been shot out.
Jed needed to know how many men he could count on in a fight. “You own a firearm, Finney?”
The mercantile owner paled. “I keep a shotgun behind the counter.”
“ How about you, Mr. Trumbull?”
The old man straightened. “Of course I do.”
Mr. Finney’s grip tightened on the broom.
“ You keep your missus and young’uns close to home until these men have been captured,” Jed told him.
“ You can’t stop this trouble?”
Jed didn’t miss the fear in the man’s eyes. “I aim to, only we need to be prepared.”
“ We’ll be ready,” Mr. Trumbull said.
“ Good. Keep those weapons handy. No telling when the gang will be back. They may try to rob the livery to get fresh horses. A wagon even. They may need supplies. Until then I’m going to set a curfew.”
“ Is that totally necessary? It’ll be bad for my business,” Mr. Finney said.
The man seemed to have grown some balls.
“ What’s wrong with you,” the livery man scoffed. “You heard what the sheriff said. Crosby will be back and we can’t let him take over our town.”
“ I’m only saying, if I have to close up early, I’ll lose some of my trade.”
“ Just do as you’re told.” Mr. Trumbull cast Jed a look of approval. “I’m off to tell Betty about the offer for her boy.”
Jed nodded. “I’ll be at the jailhouse.”
Trumbull picked up the cart and continued down the street.
Mr. Finney sighed. “I don’t imagine a curfew will do any harm if it’s not too long. You will take care of the gang promptly?”
Jed hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “As prompt as they let me.”
He bid the mercantile owner good day.
Jed turned to Travis. “Can you stand guard over those outlaws in jail while I go and send a telegram?”
Travis raised a brow.
“ I need to let the U.S. marshal over in Tombstone know what we’re up against. Maybe those boys are headed his way.”
Travis smirked. “Sure thing, Sheriff.”
Jed headed for the telegraph office. If what his gut was telling him was right, he would need additional men. This gang—could be a few or many—wouldn’t be easy to capture. If every time he made an arrest they shot up the town in retaliation, someone was bound to get hurt. No one was safe, not even the women down at the Lonesome.
After he sent off his telegram, he would head for the saloon. He’d let Carly know what they were up against so she wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks.
When he was satisfied she would do what he told her to, they’d unfinished
business to take care of.
* * * * *
Carly lay in her bed, alone. Sleep hadn’t come all night. The room already held the morning’s heat but that’s not what kept her awake.
She didn’t know what had gotten into her last night. She owed the sheriff a bit of pleasuring after he’d carried
“ If you ask me, Crosby and his boys are too wily for one man,” Mr. Trumbull said.
Jed had thought about hiring a couple deputies. He couldn’t stand guard morning, noon and night.
“ I reckon I’d better hire a couple of good men to back me up.” He turned to Travis, who’d been eager to help capture the outlaws.
“ Not me.”
Mr. Finney interrupted. “My nephew’s new to town and is looking for steady work. He’ll need some teaching.”
“ Betty Short has a strong boy,” Mr. Trumbull added. “He’s dependable.”
Mr. Finney agreed. “Both talk about becoming lawmen.”
“ Send ’em over to the jailhouse as soon as possible.” Jed hiked his thumb in that direction.
“ Will do,” Mr. Finney said.
Trumbull nodded. “I’ll let Betty know.”
“ In the meantime, we should be ready for their return.” Jed’s examined the damage done by the gang. The window of every store on Main Street had been shot out.
Jed needed to know how many men he could count on in a fight. “You own a firearm, Finney?”
The mercantile owner paled. “I keep a shotgun behind the counter.”
“ How about you, Mr. Trumbull?”
The old man straightened. “Of course I do.”
Mr. Finney’s grip tightened on the broom.
“ You keep your missus and young’uns close to home until these men have been captured,” Jed told him.
“ You can’t stop this trouble?”
Jed didn’t miss the fear in the man’s eyes. “I aim to, only we need to be prepared.”
“ We’ll be ready,” Mr. Trumbull said.
“ Good. Keep those weapons handy. No telling when the gang will be back. They may try to rob the livery to get fresh horses. A wagon even. They may need supplies. Until then I’m going to set a curfew.”
“ Is that totally necessary? It’ll be bad for my business,” Mr. Finney said.
The man seemed to have grown some balls.
“ What’s wrong with you,” the livery man scoffed. “You heard what the sheriff said. Crosby will be back and we can’t let him take over our town.”
“ I’m only saying, if I have to close up early, I’ll lose some of my trade.”
“ Just do as you’re told.” Mr. Trumbull cast Jed a look of approval. “I’m off to tell Betty about the offer for her boy.”
Jed nodded. “I’ll be at the jailhouse.”
Trumbull picked up the cart and continued down the street.
Mr. Finney sighed. “I don’t imagine a curfew will do any harm if it’s not too long. You will take care of the gang promptly?”
Jed hooked his thumbs in his pockets. “As prompt as they let me.”
He bid the mercantile owner good day.
Jed turned to Travis. “Can you stand guard over those outlaws in jail while I go and send a telegram?”
Travis raised a brow.
“ I need to let the U.S. marshal over in Tombstone know what we’re up against. Maybe those boys are headed his way.”
Travis smirked. “Sure thing, Sheriff.”
Jed headed for the telegraph office. If what his gut was telling him was right, he would need additional men. This gang—could be a few or many—wouldn’t be easy to capture. If every time he made an arrest they shot up the town in retaliation, someone was bound to get hurt. No one was safe, not even the women down at the Lonesome.
After he sent off his telegram, he would head for the saloon. He’d let Carly know what they were up against so she wouldn’t take any unnecessary risks.
When he was satisfied she would do what he told her to, they’d unfinished
business to take care of.
* * * * *
Carly lay in her bed, alone. Sleep hadn’t come all night. The room already held the morning’s heat but that’s not what kept her awake.
She didn’t know what had gotten into her last night. She owed the sheriff a bit of pleasuring after he’d carried
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