cowboy puffed out his scrawny chest. “Yes, sir. Ain’t no secret that I’m sweet on Charlene.”
Ain’t no secret that the boy was leg-shackled good and proper, even before the vows were said.
Dade had misjudged him. The cowboy would stay married to her, produce a passel of kids, and maybe one day earn his father-in-law’s respect if he busted his ass hard enough to provide for MacGarren’s daughter and the children they’d likely bring into this world.
Damn the cowpoke and MacGarren for causing this brouhaha. But at least having a prisoner gave Dade reason to head to the boardinghouse.
Mrs. Gant provided a cooked meal when Dade had a prisoner. Another reason why he figured the town drunk made certain to spend at least one night in the jail each week.
“You hungry?” Dade asked.
The cowboy scratched his belly and grinned. “I could eat.”
“I’ll be back in a spell then.”
Dade stepped out of the jail and scanned the street. Every thing seemed back to normal from one end of town to the other. Folks here just expected him to settle things like he’d done the moment he’d ridden in last fall.
He set off for the boardinghouse, mulling over what he’d say to Margaret Sutten. If he confronted her now, she might make like a wild hare and run off again. He couldn’t risk that.
Fact was he didn’t want Mrs. Gant to know the truth yet either. So that left him waiting to get Margaret Sutten alone. And where in the hell was he going to do that with Allis Carson in town?
Have to be at the boardinghouse, maybe when Mrs. Gant went to town. Or deep into the night when the lady was asleep.
And dammit all if the thought of getting Margaret alone in a bedroom didn’t rouse other urges in him, ones that he was free to feel for her now. If he was fool enough to.
All he wanted from the pretty thief was information about Daisy. Margaret–no, Carson said she went by Maggie.
That name surely fit the cunning woman who had grit to steal from the richest man in Colorado. Who had convinced everyone in Placid, including him, that she was his sister.
He couldn’t trust her behind a broom stray with both eyes on her. She was trouble he couldn’t afford to have, and yet he couldn’t let her go.
He found Mrs. Gant in the kitchen, busy shaping dough into loaves. “What was the shooting about?” she asked before he could get a word out.
“A rancher and his impending son-in-law had a disagreement.” He gave the lady a brief version of what had happened.
She tsked as she slid the pans of bread into the oven. “I’ll fix a plate then and take it down to the jail.”
“Thanks.” That would give him time alone with Margaret.
Mrs. Gant wiped her hands, her gaze reaching down the hall before coming back to him. “Is Daisy still visiting with Doc Franklin?”
The simple question had anger and frustration colliding in him. “Not that I know of. Last I heard she said she was coming back here.”
“I guess she changed her mind.”
Or somebody changed it for her. Somebody like Allis Carson. Shit!
Dade hiked back across town to Doc Franklin’s, but the sign on the door proclaimed he’d left on a call and wouldn’t return until early evening.
He checked the stores in case Maggie Sutten had decided to do a bit of shopping. He ventured inside the church in case she had gone there to ask forgiveness for the mountain of lies she’d told. He stopped at the depot to see if she was waiting for the next train.
But she was nowhere to be found. Neither was Carson.
Worry settled over him like a cold wet blanket. What had happened to Maggie Sutten?
“A bounty hunter came by today to ask about a woman,” Duane Tenfeather said, his stealth startling Dade.
“What did you tell him?”
“I had never seen or heard of her before.”
That was a relief. “Daisy’s missing.”
“Ah, you didn’t know,” Duane said. “Your sister left this afternoon with Doc.”
Damn! Was the woman totally fearless? Or was it just
Ain’t no secret that the boy was leg-shackled good and proper, even before the vows were said.
Dade had misjudged him. The cowboy would stay married to her, produce a passel of kids, and maybe one day earn his father-in-law’s respect if he busted his ass hard enough to provide for MacGarren’s daughter and the children they’d likely bring into this world.
Damn the cowpoke and MacGarren for causing this brouhaha. But at least having a prisoner gave Dade reason to head to the boardinghouse.
Mrs. Gant provided a cooked meal when Dade had a prisoner. Another reason why he figured the town drunk made certain to spend at least one night in the jail each week.
“You hungry?” Dade asked.
The cowboy scratched his belly and grinned. “I could eat.”
“I’ll be back in a spell then.”
Dade stepped out of the jail and scanned the street. Every thing seemed back to normal from one end of town to the other. Folks here just expected him to settle things like he’d done the moment he’d ridden in last fall.
He set off for the boardinghouse, mulling over what he’d say to Margaret Sutten. If he confronted her now, she might make like a wild hare and run off again. He couldn’t risk that.
Fact was he didn’t want Mrs. Gant to know the truth yet either. So that left him waiting to get Margaret Sutten alone. And where in the hell was he going to do that with Allis Carson in town?
Have to be at the boardinghouse, maybe when Mrs. Gant went to town. Or deep into the night when the lady was asleep.
And dammit all if the thought of getting Margaret alone in a bedroom didn’t rouse other urges in him, ones that he was free to feel for her now. If he was fool enough to.
All he wanted from the pretty thief was information about Daisy. Margaret–no, Carson said she went by Maggie.
That name surely fit the cunning woman who had grit to steal from the richest man in Colorado. Who had convinced everyone in Placid, including him, that she was his sister.
He couldn’t trust her behind a broom stray with both eyes on her. She was trouble he couldn’t afford to have, and yet he couldn’t let her go.
He found Mrs. Gant in the kitchen, busy shaping dough into loaves. “What was the shooting about?” she asked before he could get a word out.
“A rancher and his impending son-in-law had a disagreement.” He gave the lady a brief version of what had happened.
She tsked as she slid the pans of bread into the oven. “I’ll fix a plate then and take it down to the jail.”
“Thanks.” That would give him time alone with Margaret.
Mrs. Gant wiped her hands, her gaze reaching down the hall before coming back to him. “Is Daisy still visiting with Doc Franklin?”
The simple question had anger and frustration colliding in him. “Not that I know of. Last I heard she said she was coming back here.”
“I guess she changed her mind.”
Or somebody changed it for her. Somebody like Allis Carson. Shit!
Dade hiked back across town to Doc Franklin’s, but the sign on the door proclaimed he’d left on a call and wouldn’t return until early evening.
He checked the stores in case Maggie Sutten had decided to do a bit of shopping. He ventured inside the church in case she had gone there to ask forgiveness for the mountain of lies she’d told. He stopped at the depot to see if she was waiting for the next train.
But she was nowhere to be found. Neither was Carson.
Worry settled over him like a cold wet blanket. What had happened to Maggie Sutten?
“A bounty hunter came by today to ask about a woman,” Duane Tenfeather said, his stealth startling Dade.
“What did you tell him?”
“I had never seen or heard of her before.”
That was a relief. “Daisy’s missing.”
“Ah, you didn’t know,” Duane said. “Your sister left this afternoon with Doc.”
Damn! Was the woman totally fearless? Or was it just
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