realized she was babbling a little, and quickly became more businesslike. "But
you didn't come in here to talk about books. What do
you need?"
"I need to get some work clothes for out at the ranch.
It looks like I'm going to be staying on for a while."
She smiled at the news as she set the book aside. The
men's clothes are over here."
Anne showed him where the men's things were displayed and left him on his own to look around.
It didn't take Nick long to select several shirts and pairs
of work pants. He also picked out a black Stetson hat to
by on.
"What do you think?" he asked, approaching the
counter wearing the Stetson.
Anne looked up from her book and nodded in approval. "I like that one on you. It looks real fine."
"Now that I have all the right clothes and this hat, I can
pass for a genuine cowboy."
"Absolutely."
Working efficiently, she totaled up his purchase, and
he handed her several bills.
"How are things going out at the Circle D?" Anne asked.
"How's your uncle?"
"Uncle Frank is about the same. Michael's going to take
over running the ranch for now."
"And what about you? 1 know you said you were stay
"Yes, I'm going to stay for a while in case Michael needs
any more help. I've already learned a lot in the short time
I've been here, but when it comes to ranch work, there's
a lot more I need to know."
"Well, just don't forget how to be a gentleman."
He chuckled. "There's no danger of that."
"Good. Have you heard anything new from the sheriff
about the shooting?"
"No. In fact, that's the real reason we came in to Hard
Luck tonight. Michael's talking to Sheriff Montgomery
right now. When he gets done there, we're going to all
the saloons and spread the word that there's a hundredand-fifty-dollar reward for information about who shot
Uncle Frank."
"I hope it helps."
"So do we."
Michael came into the store as Anne finished wrapping
Nick's purchases.
"Evening, Anne."
"Hello, Michael. Nick was just telling me about the reward you're offering. Good luck with it."
"Thanks. We could use a little luck right now."
"Sheriff Montgomery didn't know anything new?"
"Nothing. He agreed to put up some posters about our reward offer, but it looks like if we're going to solve this,
we're going to have to do it ourselves."
"Then let's get started." Nick picked up his package.
"Thanks, Anne. It was good to see you again."
The two men left the store, intent on their mission.
Anne watched them go. Her gaze lingered on Nick as
he fastened his package to the back of his saddle, then
mounted up and rode off with Michael.
Anne sighed, mentally comparing the way he'd looked
when he arrived in Hard Luck to how he looked today.
She wondered what he was really like. She wished Nick
could be like one of the romantic heroes in the novels
she enjoyed, but she told herself those men were purely
fictional. Men like Brand, the half-breed scout, and all the
other heroes Sheridan St. John wrote about didn't really
exist.
Anne checked the time and began to lock up the store.
She could hardly wait to get home so she could finish
reading her book.
When Michael and Nick entered the Sundown saloon,
Michael was glad to see the place was crowded. The more
people who heard what he had to say, the better. He
wanted the word to spread as quickly as possible.
They went to stand at the bar.
"Well, well, well," Bill Clark, the bartender, said with a
big welcoming smile. "I heard tell you were back in town,
and now I know it wasn't just talk."
"How you doing, Bill?" Michael asked, returning his
smile.
"I'm doing fine, but what about you?" he asked sympathetically.
"It's rough right now, but things will get better."
"They have to," Bill agreed.
"This is my cousin, Nick, by the way," Michael said,
introducing them.
"Nice to meet you. What can I get you boys?"
"Whiskey," they both answered.
"Coming right up."
Rosalie L'Amour, as she called herself, owned and ran
the Sundown saloon. A
you didn't come in here to talk about books. What do
you need?"
"I need to get some work clothes for out at the ranch.
It looks like I'm going to be staying on for a while."
She smiled at the news as she set the book aside. The
men's clothes are over here."
Anne showed him where the men's things were displayed and left him on his own to look around.
It didn't take Nick long to select several shirts and pairs
of work pants. He also picked out a black Stetson hat to
by on.
"What do you think?" he asked, approaching the
counter wearing the Stetson.
Anne looked up from her book and nodded in approval. "I like that one on you. It looks real fine."
"Now that I have all the right clothes and this hat, I can
pass for a genuine cowboy."
"Absolutely."
Working efficiently, she totaled up his purchase, and
he handed her several bills.
"How are things going out at the Circle D?" Anne asked.
"How's your uncle?"
"Uncle Frank is about the same. Michael's going to take
over running the ranch for now."
"And what about you? 1 know you said you were stay
"Yes, I'm going to stay for a while in case Michael needs
any more help. I've already learned a lot in the short time
I've been here, but when it comes to ranch work, there's
a lot more I need to know."
"Well, just don't forget how to be a gentleman."
He chuckled. "There's no danger of that."
"Good. Have you heard anything new from the sheriff
about the shooting?"
"No. In fact, that's the real reason we came in to Hard
Luck tonight. Michael's talking to Sheriff Montgomery
right now. When he gets done there, we're going to all
the saloons and spread the word that there's a hundredand-fifty-dollar reward for information about who shot
Uncle Frank."
"I hope it helps."
"So do we."
Michael came into the store as Anne finished wrapping
Nick's purchases.
"Evening, Anne."
"Hello, Michael. Nick was just telling me about the reward you're offering. Good luck with it."
"Thanks. We could use a little luck right now."
"Sheriff Montgomery didn't know anything new?"
"Nothing. He agreed to put up some posters about our reward offer, but it looks like if we're going to solve this,
we're going to have to do it ourselves."
"Then let's get started." Nick picked up his package.
"Thanks, Anne. It was good to see you again."
The two men left the store, intent on their mission.
Anne watched them go. Her gaze lingered on Nick as
he fastened his package to the back of his saddle, then
mounted up and rode off with Michael.
Anne sighed, mentally comparing the way he'd looked
when he arrived in Hard Luck to how he looked today.
She wondered what he was really like. She wished Nick
could be like one of the romantic heroes in the novels
she enjoyed, but she told herself those men were purely
fictional. Men like Brand, the half-breed scout, and all the
other heroes Sheridan St. John wrote about didn't really
exist.
Anne checked the time and began to lock up the store.
She could hardly wait to get home so she could finish
reading her book.
When Michael and Nick entered the Sundown saloon,
Michael was glad to see the place was crowded. The more
people who heard what he had to say, the better. He
wanted the word to spread as quickly as possible.
They went to stand at the bar.
"Well, well, well," Bill Clark, the bartender, said with a
big welcoming smile. "I heard tell you were back in town,
and now I know it wasn't just talk."
"How you doing, Bill?" Michael asked, returning his
smile.
"I'm doing fine, but what about you?" he asked sympathetically.
"It's rough right now, but things will get better."
"They have to," Bill agreed.
"This is my cousin, Nick, by the way," Michael said,
introducing them.
"Nice to meet you. What can I get you boys?"
"Whiskey," they both answered.
"Coming right up."
Rosalie L'Amour, as she called herself, owned and ran
the Sundown saloon. A
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