“Well, of course I did. Mr. Milo De Luca is our newest deputy. Y’all be nice to him. He’s gonna have a hard enough time working with Kitty.” Fannie Pearl snickered.
“I think she likes him,” Abby announced with a sly grin.
“Me too.” Lily Jo smiled.
“That’s all well and good, but does our handsome new deputy fancy Kitty?” Asked Fannie Pearl.
“Don’t tell her I said so,” began Abby, “but I think she likes him much more than she’d like us to know. Rarely I have seen her blush as much as she did last night, when she was talking about arresting him.”
“She did what?” Fannie Pearl buzzed with excitement.
“Yes, she arrested him and put him through the ringer. Pelted him with questions about why he was here and following her,” Abby continued. “She was hopping mad when I saw her last night.”
Lily Jo giggled. “Yeah, she could barely get her words straight other than to talk about how tall and dark he was.”
Chapter Twelve
Kitty stood in the corner with her arms across her chest, and Milo sat in the chair on the other side of the room, neither speaking to the other. Marshal Sewell walked into the jail house to go over the duties with them.
“Y’all can’t work together very well if you’re gonna behave like toddlers throwing a temper tantrum,” said Marshal Sewell.
“But…” Kitty started to speak.
“No buts, Miss O’Byrne. Here’s how this is gonna go. You two are going out for some target practice and, when ya come back, I expect ya to be friends. If ya ain’t, I’m gonna lock you both in a jail cell until you sort this business out between y’all. I need deputies I can count on and, right now, y’all are too busy shooting daggers at one another to be any help to me or this town. Now get going.”
Kitty stomped out of the jail house, not even bothering to wait on Milo as she made her way to the livery. She was probably wondering why did he have to show up and ruin everything.
Milo followed behind Kitty, enjoying the sway of her hips. His long legs could have easily eaten up the distance between them, but he figured he was safer back here. Maybe this little exercise Marshal Sewell instructed them to do would help her blow off some steam, and he could talk to her. Milo knew he wouldn’t be able to get to know her if she kept stomping off, throwing him in jail, or ignoring him every time he came near. If only he knew what he’d done to bother her so.
“Morning Jake, we need a couple horses,” Kitty grumbled. “We won’t be gone long.”
“Sure, thing Miss O’Byrne,” Jake said and went to retrieve their mounts while she waited.
He was gone only a moment and when he returned he handed her the reins. “Thanks, Jake,” she said.
“If you don’t mind me asking, you look a little down today. Anything I can do to help, Miss O’Byrne?” Jake asked.
“Only if you have a way to help me get rid of Mr. Irritating over there.” Kitty pointed across the paddock to where Milo stood. “He has a way of getting under my skin like no one I’ve ever met. Now I have to go play nice with him.”
Jake chuckled as Kitty left the stable with a long sigh.
Kitty thrust the reins of one of the horses into Milo’s hand. She had no desire to work with this man. She didn’t even want to be in the same area as him. He made her feel off balance and flustered, but she didn’t know why. She felt a constant desire to either punch him or kiss him from the moment she saw him on the train.
Kitty led the way around the backside of the cemetery and up into the foothills to the shooting range Sarah had shown her. Kitty knew her aim wasn’t that great, and it embarrassed her. She liked the privacy of the shooting range, but now she had to share it with him. She had to practice in front of someone—and not just any someone but the someone! Kitty wanted nothing more than to turn tail and run home.
She dismounted at the excavated hillside where the wooden targets were placed and turned to Milo. “These two horses are good with guns and they won’t leave us stranded, so we can let them graze.”
Milo nodded. “Uh, Miss O’Byrne?” he said carefully.
“Yes?”
“If the Marshal wants us to be friends and all, I reckon ya outta know my name.”
“Well, I thought you liked Mr. No-name.”
“I didn’t mean to upset ya with that, you were just…” Milo sighed with resignation. “My name is Milo.”
“I was just what, Milo?”
“Angry.” He said as he sighted his revolver.
“Oh.” She whispered as she removed her gun from the holster. It was heavier than the derringer she carried in her pocket, and she’d only shot it once since she purchased it from Sarah. Now, she was being forced to practice with him, instead of enjoying her shooting lessons with Sarah.
She watched him take his stance, positioning his long legs just so, as he aimed at the first wooden target. Kitty supposed he could shoot the targets on that side and she could shoot the others. Then she wouldn’t be distracted by his presence. And if they were both shooting at the same time, perhaps he wouldn’t notice her poor aim as much she feared.
Kitty stepped forward, still admiring Milo’s long legs, and tripped over a large clump of mud. It sent her tumbling to the ground and she accidentally pulled the trigger in the process. She heard Milo’s gun fire at the same time, and she prayed he didn’t notice her blunder as she righted herself and stood back up.
“You shot me!” Milo yelled.
Kitty spun around to see Milo laying on the ground, gripping his backside. Good heavens, what had she done? How was she going to get that giant of a man back up?
“I—I, I didn’t mean to.” She ran to Milo’s side, her gun left lying in the dirt. “I never meant—I…” Kitty couldn’t stop the tears from pouring down her face. “I didn’t…”
Milo reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Then, using the pad of his thumb, he wiped her tears, one by one.
“God counts those, you know,” he said, but she refused to look at him. “Kitty, look at me bella signorina.” He tried again, this time placing his hand under her chin and lifting her head until her gaze met his. “I know you didn’t mean to, but I’m gonna need to see the Doc,” he said, looking into her golden eyes, and longing to kiss her sweet lips. “Kitty, you’re gonna have to help me onto that horse.”
“I—you—can’t—Hattie’s.” Kitty sobbed.
“Kitty, get the horse,” Milo urged, but she didn’t budge. She was in a complete state of shock and he’d been shot. How had he got himself in this predicament? Milo groaned as he pulled his left leg forward and pushed up on his arms. Kitty remained seated next to him as sob after sob racked her small frame.
Milo could think of only one way to get her to snap out of it, and if she smacked him, at least she wouldn’t be in shock anymore and could fetch the horse. He took a deep breath, placed his hands around her face, smoothed away a few more tears, and then—ever so lightly—touched his lips to hers. For a brief moment, nothing had ever felt more right in his world. Then her eyes widened, and she sat back.
“The horses,” he said.
“Oh! Oh, you—you need Hattie,” she said and sprinted as fast as her little legs would go toward the horses. Milo found himself smiling; at least she didn’t smack me, he thought. It would be a pleasant memory to hang on to while the Doc dug the slug out of his backside. Of all the places she could have shot him, he thought. It brought new meaning to her getting under his skin. He winced as he tried to move into a better position.
“Here Kitty, give me the reins,” he said as she approached. “I think if I hold on to them, I can pull myself up.”
“H-how are you going to get on him, though?” She whimpered.
“I’m gonna lay across him and you guide us to, did you say, Hattie’s?” Milo asked.
Kitty nodded and stood nearby as Milo pulled himself upright. His face had gone ghost white in the process. He stood there for only a moment before using hi
s uninjured side to propel himself forward onto the horse’s back.
She ran around to the other side of the horse. “Are you on there enough? Should I pull your arms forward some?”
He shook his head. “Hattie’s.” He groaned and promptly passed out.
Chapter Thirteen
Lily Jo had been visiting with Pastor James about her grief. All the beautiful and heart-breaking memories were closing in on her, and she thought he might have some scripture to help her. She wasn’t ready to discuss her feelings with her friends yet, unsure they’d understand her struggle.
She had always loved Silverpines and its people, but the tragedies had robbed Silverpines of so many. Lily Jo had lost her mum years earlier. She lost several of her friends in the earthquakes, the mine collapse, and later the mudslide. Now her pa was gone, and Lily Jo was struggling with her love for Silverpines. She’d lost everyone she had ever loved.
New people arrived, some good, some bad, and the rebuilding of Silverpines began. She watched as new love sprung forth among her remaining friends, as well as new life. Lily Jo was happy for them, but with Pa’s passing, something had changed inside, and she was having a difficult time coming to terms with it.
She walked around the church to the cemetery, and sat down next to her pa’s grave. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now, Pa. I miss you.” She wiped the tears from her eyes, then turned toward the sound of horses approaching, looking up to see Kitty’s beautiful hair flying wild in the wind as she rode toward town. Following closely behind was a second horse. Something was wrong, Lily Jo could feel it.
She ran to the edge of the cemetery. “Kitty!” she called out. “Do you need help?”
“Need Hattie. Shot Milo,” Kitty yelled back and kept going.
Lily Jo ran to the church, opening the front door. “Pastor James, we need help!”
Akecheta ran out of his study.
“Milo, the new deputy, has been shot. Come on!”
They ran toward Hattie’s just as Kitty dismounted. “Lily Jo, can you get Hattie? Pastor James, he—Milo passed out. I—I don’t know how to get him down,” she cried.
Hattie and Dr. Childs came rushing out the door. “Pastor James, think you can help me get him off that horse and inside?” asked Dr. Childs. “On three—Hattie, get the door.”
“I think he’s taller than both of us, Doc,” Akecheta said.
Kitty watched helplessly as the men lifted an ashen-faced Milo from the horse and carried him inside, laying him face down on an exam table that he was far too long for. His legs hung nearly completely off of it.
Hattie stepped forward. “Kitty, what’s his name?”
“Mr. No-name—I mean, Milo,” she said, wiping her tears with her sleeve.
“Lily Jo, can you sit with Kitty in the other room for right now, and Pastor James, can you please see to the horses?” asked Hattie.
Lily Jo took Kitty by the arm and guided her to the settee in the room Hattie had indicated.
“What happened, Kitty? Who shot him?”
“I—I did,” Kitty cried, burying her face in her hands.
“Oh Kitty, I’m sure it was an accident,” Lily Jo said, hugging Kitty to her.
Hattie gathered the needed supplies for removing bullets while her husband cut away the deputy’s britches. Once the material had been removed, Hattie set to cleaning the raw flesh. There didn’t appear to be a great deal of blood loss.
“I know he’s still out Hattie, but we may need a little dab of chloroform to make sure he doesn’t wake while we remove this bullet. That’s a small wound and I’m gonna have to dig around for the slug,” said Robert while washing his hands.
She prepared a cloth with a small amount of chloroform; with Milo already out cold they had to be careful not to give him too much. She knew Robert was right, once he began looking for the bullet, the chance of Milo coming to was likely.
Hattie stood opposite of Robert, handing him the instruments he needed and keeping the area clean while he worked.
“Hattie, hold the skin tight there. I think I’ve got it, I don’t want it to slip.”
She watched as Robert carefully pulled the bullet from the tissue and dropped it in the pan with a metallic clink. Hattie didn’t care much for bullet wounds. With a clean cloth, she wiped away the blood and applied pressure. Robert cleaned the instruments while she threaded a needle and began to sew up the raw, pink skin.
“I’ll stay with him, if you want to see to Kitty,” Robert said.
A pain throbbing in his back side awoke Milo from his sleep. Where was he? What happened? He looked around the room, his eyes falling on the small, sleeping form in the nearby chair.
Kitty.
He smiled. Her hair had come loose and fallen down around her shoulders in large waves. He ached to run his fingers through it, to feel its soft texture and kiss her sweet lips.
She may have shot him, but he would never forget kissing her. It had been a quick decision to pull her from her shock, it lasted mere seconds. Would she welcome his kiss, he wondered? Milo tried to, carefully, move into a more comfortable position, but the pain became too intense. The throbbing intensified, and a grunt escaped Milo’s lips, rousing his sleeping beauty.
“You’re awake,” she said, jumping from her seat. “Are you in pain? Do you need something? I’ll get Hattie,” she said, not waiting for an answer as she ran out the door in search of this mysterious Hattie he hadn’t remembered meeting.
Kitty came rushing back into the room, dragging a young woman with long dark hair and dark eyes with her.
“Well, good afternoon Deputy, I’m Hattie Childs. How are you feeling?” she asked.
“A bit sore. How long have I been out?” he asked.
“You’ve been out a few hours, but we successfully removed the bullet from your backside,” Hattie explained. “Now that you’re awake, I’d like to check to make sure it is healing as it should. Kitty, would you mind leaving the room for a bit?”
Kitty nodded, looked at Milo with an apologetic smile, and closed the door as she departed.
Milo watched as Kitty left. “She been here the whole time?” he asked.
“She has. She feels awful, but now that she’s stepped out, why don’t you tell me how you’re really feeling?” Hattie said.
“Perceptive, huh?”
“I’ve been doing this a long time.” Hattie grinned.
“It’s throbbing pretty good, feels a little warm—like ya must of have had to dig deep for that slug.”
“I’ll give you something for the pain. My husband did have to do some digging, but the wound itself was rather small,” she said as she moved the sheet to check for bleeding or infection. “This looks to be clearing up nicely. We would like you to remain here a day or two, but then you should be able to move around. My husband has a cane you can use, though it may be a bit short. I’ll also see if I can rustle up a few pillows, as sitting will not be a comfortable activity for a while.”
“Thank you,” Milo said.
“I’ll let Kitty know she can come back in,” Hattie said as she backed out the door.
Lily Jo closed the café and walked to Hattie’s to check on Kitty and Milo. She knew Kitty was beating herself up over the accident, and wished there was something more she could do for her. How did one get over such a thing?
Stepping onto Hattie’s porch, she heard Kitty asking a rather odd question and peered through the window.
“Hattie, if I were to place an ad for a husband, like Ella Grace suggested, would there be a way to prevent getting in a family way?” Kitty looked at her feet and scraped at the floor with her toe. Her cheeks burned red with embarrassment.
“Kitty, why wouldn’t you want a baby?” Asked Hattie.
“Women die having babies, Hattie. My momma died having my brother, and Abby’s momma, Lucy, died having her. I don’t want to leave a baby without a momma. That’s why I haven’t pursued marriage. I also know I’m not a very good deputy, and Milo a
nd Marshall Sewell should have someone they can depend on,” Kitty said, quietly. Lily Jo thought, perhaps, there was more to this than what she was hearing through the open window.
“Yes, Kitty, some women die in childbirth, but we’ve come a long way since then, and you have me. Besides, you can’t live life wondering things like that, Kitty. Wouldn’t you rather be happy?” asked Hattie.
“I’m afraid to be happy. I’m afraid everyone will leave me, or I will leave them. Love hurts. I don’t know if I’d make a good wife or live long enough to be a mother. I’m not a very good deputy. I have horrible aim. I—I shot Milo and—and he kissed me! Why did he kiss me?”
Lily Jo had heard enough, she needed to talk to Fannie Pearl and she needed to talk to her now. Lily Jo headed straight for the parsonage to find Abby, pleased that it was just across the street.
“Abby!” she hollered as she knocked. She heard Abby moving around and then the door opened.
“Why, Lily Jo, what a pleasant surprise.”
“I would love to visit, but we have an emergency. We’ve got to go to Fannie Pearl’s,” she said, grabbing Abby’s hand and pulling her outside.
“Whatever for?” Abby asked.
“I’ll explain when we get there, but Fannie Pearl will know what to do. She always does.”
“Alright, Lily Jo, let’s go.” Abby followed closely without any more questions.
“Thank you.”
They rushed past Hattie’s, the mayor’s house, and across Main Street to Fannie Pearl’s. Lily Jo knocked on the door and bounced on her toes while she impatiently waited for Fannie Pearl to open the door.
“What if she’s not home, Lily Jo?” asked Abby.
“She’s home. She’s always home at this time of day, but we may be interrupting her nap.”
“We could come back later…”
“No, we need her help,” Lily Jo interrupted as she knocked again.
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