by Jenna Brandt
“That’s not a twinkle as much as frustration you’re seeing,” she corrected. “Even though my mother taught me how to cook for my future family, I preferred to read. Studying came naturally, but this,” she gestured to the stove, “is excruciating for me.”
Josiah tried to encourage her. “Everyone seems to like your food.”
“That may be true, but I’m not sure I can keep up at this pace. I learned to cook for a small family, not large groups of men, in rapid succession, with so many different items.”
“Calm down, Nadine. It’s going to be fine,” he said, rubbing the side of her arm. Just as he said the words, the smell of burning meat caused them both to turn to the stove.
“Oh no, I can’t believe I burned them,” she cried out in disbelief. “The men who ordered these already sent them back because they were too raw.”
“Well, they aren’t raw now,” Josiah observed as he looked at the charred pieces of meat that were no longer recognizable as food.
“Mr. Weston is going to fire me for this,” Nadine lamented. “Then what are we going to do? Everything will be ruined.”
“What we’re going to do is start over. I’ll take these and get rid of them, you grab two more pieces of meat.”
She did as Josiah directed, turning back to the stove to clean the pan quickly before adding fresh meat. Once he threw away the burnt food, he returned.
“What if those men start yelling about their food?” Nadine asked with audible trepidation in her voice. “Mr. Weston is sure to find out.”
“I can distract them while you catch up on the orders,” Josiah promised.
“What are you going to do?”
“Trust me on this,” he said before turning around to head back into the saloon. Josiah took a spot behind the piano in the corner of the room. It was dusty, which made it clear no one had used it in a long time. He flipped open the top to reveal the keys below. He placed his hands in the home position, then let one of the campfire songs he knew by heart surge from his fingertips.
The discontented talk slowly stopped around the room and a crowd grew around Josiah. The men joined in singing, while the waitresses kept the drinks flowing. True to his word, the music did the job of distracting the patrons from their current lack of food.
Within a half hour, Nadine was able to catch up and the saloon returned to normal. Josiah covered the piano back up, and returned to his card table.
“What was that?” Mr. Weston said, coming up beside Josiah. “I didn’t hire you to play music.”
“I figured the men would enjoy it,” Josiah explained. “And they did.”
For a moment, Josiah was worried the other man was angry, but after scratching his brown beard for a moment, he asked, “Could you do it again on a regular basis? Our old piano player accidentally got shot by a gambler about six months back.”
Josiah nodded. “If that’s what you want.”
The rest of the evening passed smoothly and about two in the morning, Nadine and Josiah poured themselves into bed. Both of them were too tired to even discuss the sleeping arrangements, though Nadine had put a pillow between them as a barrier.
“How did you learn to play the piano?” Nadine asked, turning on her side to look at him over the divider.
“Both Amos and I were third-generation musicians. We traveled with our parents across the country performing until they were killed during a robbery. The only reason we didn’t end up like them was we had been loading the instruments on the wagon while they were collecting our payment from the theater manager. I saw the robber run past us, and I’ll never forget his face. The police never caught him, and sometimes I wonder if I will be lucky enough to find him while working one of my cases.”
“What would you do if you found him?”
Josiah turned his head to look into her eyes. “I don’t rightly now. I would hope I would do the right thing and arrest him, but part of me wonders if I would pull the trigger. He took everything from us in that moment and he decided to do it with his own gun.”
“I think it’s human nature to want revenge, but we aren’t meant to seek it for ourselves. We’re better giving that desire over to God.”
Josiah nodded. “I know that. I keep telling myself that I have to do what’s right when I find the gang that killed my brother. It’s easy to say you won’t do something when the choice isn’t in front of you, but I’m not sure I can keep to my resolve when I see them with my own eyes.”
Nadine reached across the pillow and squeezed his hand. “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for. You’ll do what’s right; I know it.”
Josiah hoped what she saw in him would be validated in the end, but he wasn’t so sure. Losing his brother to another criminal was a devastating blow. He couldn’t help but feel like he needed to set it right. He wasn’t sure that simply putting them in jail was enough for what they took from him.
Chapter 4
The first few days passed at the saloon with little time for a break. The nights were long, and when they were done working, both of them ended up falling asleep for most of the next day. What time they weren’t working during the day, they spent talking with people around town trying to figure out when and if the gang was going to return to Rockwood Springs.
Nadine decided she could kill two birds with one stone today. She needed a few items from the general store, and she could ask Mr. Breecher about the gang while Josiah talked with the manager of the land office. She walked the short distance to the store, but before she could reach her destination, the familiar voice of Rebecca Caldwell stopped her in her tracks.
“Good morning, Mrs. Ringer,” the young woman said rushing up to greet her. “How are you doing today?”
“I’m doing just fine, Miss Caldwell, thank you for asking.” Nadine looked over at the other woman standing beside Rebecca. She was a sharp contrast, with a willowy frame and brown hair, to Rebecca’s fair complexion and curves.
Rebecca must have noticed Nadine staring at the other woman, because she said, “I’m sorry, that’s impolite of me not to introduce the two of you. Mrs. Dina Ringer, may I introduce my dear friend, Miss Judy Lambert. Her family owns one of the largest cattle ranches in all of Taylor County.”
“Do you really have to introduce me that way every time, Rebecca?” the brown-haired woman rebuked kindly as she shook her head. “She makes me sound like the Queen of England, but really all it means is that my family owns a lot of cows.”
Nadine found herself amused by the woman’s oversimplification of the fact her family obviously held a lot of influence in the town. A family with that large of a ranch in Texas most certainly wielded power, which meant she might have information about the happenings around the area, including who came and went.
“So, since I’m new to town, both of you need to fill me in on what I need to know. Let’s start with both of you? Do either of you have a beau?”
“I do,” volunteered the cattle heiress. “His name is Tobias Walker, and he works for my father on the ranch as his newest foreman. Tobias grew up with Rebecca and me, so when he asked if he could court me, it made sense.”
“What about you, Miss Caldwell? Any handsome beau you care to mention?”
Rebecca shook her head. “No, I’m single, which is probably for the best since I’m so busy taking care of my brother and sister.”
Nadine thought that was odd, because she could have sworn Rebecca mentioned having both a father and mother. Why would she have to take care of her siblings if that were the case? Even though she was curious as to the answer, she knew it wasn’t right to pry.
“Don’t let her fool you. Plenty of men come around asking after her, but she won’t give them the time of day,” Judy revealed. “She puts her family first. Me, on the other hand, I can’t wait to get married and have a husband and bundle of children of my own. How about you—do you want kids, Mrs. Ringer?”
Nadine shifted her stance, glancing down at the ground. How did she answer
that question? Though she was technically married, it wasn’t that type of marriage.
“Judy, can’t you see you made her uncomfortable asking her that?” Rebecca rebuked. “I’m sorry. Judy sometimes forgets not everyone is willing to tell their whole life story in five minutes after meeting someone.”
“It’s all right. The truth is, we’ve been married a very short time, and we haven’t discussed the subject.”
“I’m sure when the timing is right, you will,” Judy encouraged.
Wanting to change the direction of the conversation, Nadine asked, “Besides the saloon, what else does the town have to offer for entertainment?”
“We have socials and dances on a regular basis, as well as church on Sunday,” Judy explained. “Pastor Gable and his wife are wonderful. They really make an effort to help Rockwood Springs be the best town it can be, despite the bad reputation it’s gotten lately.”
“Yes, the Gables are a tremendous help around here,” Rebecca agreed. “You should come to church on Sunday. I think you would like the sermon and the people who attend.”
Judy nodded her head vigorously in agreement. “Most everyone who is anyone comes to church around here. Well, everyone beside the Larsens, since they aren’t religious, whatever that means. How can you live in Texas and not be a God-fearing person? Makes no sense to me. And then of course, there’s Andy Wilson, who you’ll want to avoid, but he hardly comes on account of I think he tries to hide his wife away to keep everyone from seeing the bruises,” Judy said with a whisper. “He makes my skin crawl.”
Rebecca nodded. “I feel so bad for his wife. I can’t imagine being married to a monster like that.”
“Anyway, Rebecca is right; you should come with us to church on Sunday.”
“I’d like that,” Nadine admitted. She could use some time away from the saloon, and she always felt better after she went to church.
“Wonderful; we’ll save you a seat,” Judy said, reaching out and hugging Nadine, which took her by surprise. It wasn’t often that people were so friendly with strangers back in Boston. It must be an attribute of the South.
“Oh, and don’t forget to tell Mr. Breecher that you’re a friend of ours,” Rebecca suggested. “He’ll take good care of you.”
The two friends headed down the boardwalk, leaving Nadine to freely enter the general store. An average looking man with brown hair stood behind the counter by the register. He looked up and gave her a friendly smile. “Welcome, ma’am, how can I help you?”
“Good morning, sir, my name is Dina Ringer. Rebecca Caldwell and Judy Lambert wanted me to tell you that they sent me.”
“Is that so? Well, I’m more than willing to help anyone Miss Caldwell or Miss Lambert refers to the store.” He came from behind the counter and picked up something from a bin in front of it. He reached out his hand. “Penny candy?” When she didn’t take it immediately, he added quickly, “It’s on the house, for a friend of Miss Caldwell and Miss Lambert.”
Though she wasn’t much of a sweets person, Nadine knew it would be rude to refuse the offering. She took the candy and slipped into her purse. “Thank you, I’ll save it for later.”
“What can I do for you today?” he asked, leaning back against the counter.
“I was wondering if you happen to have a needle and thread? I happened to rip the edge of one of my dresses on the stove while I was cooking at the saloon.”
He nodded, walking over to a shelf that had several household necessities. He picked up the requested items, then brought them back over to her. “Anything else?”
“I was thinking I’d like to look around for a few minutes.”
“Feel free, and let me know if you need anything else. If you don’t see something, I can always order it from Abilene.”
Nadine meandered around the store, letting her hand glide along the counters and shelves. There really wasn’t anything else she needed, but she knew that if she bought a couple more things, it might loosen the owner’s lips. She picked up a bottle of perfume, thinking it might be nice to smell like something other than cooked meat and fried potatoes, along with a new set of gloves as her old ones were beginning to fray at the edges.
She took the items to the counter and added them to the ones Mr. Breecher had in front of him. As he clicked the buttons on the register, Nadine said, “Miss Caldwell mentioned that you are on the town council. That must mean you’re aware of the happenings around town. What’s your opinion of the clientele over at the saloon?”
“I’m not one to speak ill of another business owner in town. That said, Mr. Weston could do a better job of keeping his establishment from attracting less desirables from frequenting the place.”
“Like who?” Nadine probed. “You don’t mean such men as bandits and robbers, do you?” she further questioned with pretend horror.
“Unfortunately, the Long Reach has had plenty of both make the place their regular watering hole.”
“I knew the place had a rough crowd from the few days I’ve worked there, but I had no idea it attracts men like that.”
“Honestly, I wouldn’t think it a safe place for a refined woman such as yourself to be working there.” He glanced down at her ring, then back up to her face. “I think your husband should object to it.”
“My husband works there as the piano player and card dealer. He keeps me out of harm’s way.”
“He’s only one man, and that place can be filled with more repugnant men than he could fend off by himself. You’d do best to stay in the kitchen, and not venture out where the customers spend time.”
Nadine decided she knew exactly how to push the protective man’s buttons. She let her lip quiver as she forced her eyes to fill with tears. “Mr. Weston makes me come out and serve the men when they need the extra help. I hate every moment of it, but I can’t say no or he would fire me.”
“He shouldn’t do that to you,” Mr. Breecher growled. “It’s bad enough that he lets gangs like the Smiths and Wilkins take over that place when they’re in town, but to subject a proper woman to deal with them is too much. I have a good mind to march down there and tell him so myself.”
Nadine reached out and placed her hand on the store’s owner’s arm. “Oh, please don’t, Mr. Breecher. He’ll surely fire me if you should do that. I need this job to provide for my family,” she said, placing her other hand on her stomach. She hated misleading the man, but she could tell she was so close to getting him to reveal something about the gangs.
“I didn’t know…I had no idea, Mrs. Ringer,” he said looking down at her belly. “Of course, I wouldn’t do anything to risk your delicate condition.”
She forced herself not to correct the assumption, and decided that instead it was time to ask the question that had been rolling around in the back of her head. “If you were to tell me which days the gangs frequented the saloon, I could make sure to avoid coming out from the kitchen into the saloon.”
Mr. Breecher’s brows came together in a furrow. “They aren’t exactly the type of men who stick to a schedule.”
“I know that, but even if I knew a round-about time, I would know when to keep an eye out for them.”
Mr. Breecher rubbed his chin as if he was thinking about her request. After a few moments, he gave her a slight nod. “I couldn’t live with myself if something were to happen to you, Mrs. Ringer, if there were something I could do stop it from happening. The Smith Gang comes through town usually around the middle of the month, while the Wilkins Gang tends to be here at the end. I’m not sure why, but I think it has to do with the cattle drives and stagecoach schedules in the neighboring areas.”
“Thank you, Mr. Breecher. I feel so much better knowing when they will be there,” Nadine said with a relieved smile.
“And you promise to stay clear of them, won’t you, Mrs. Ringer? I wouldn’t want anything bad to come of you.”
She nodded. “I give you my word, Mr. Breecher, they won’t be a problem for me.” They weren’t going to
be a problem for anyone once she and Josiah took them into custody. She wasn’t going to let them get away now that she knew exactly where they would be and when. She owed it to Amos, and to herself, to make sure she brought them to justice.
Josiah wondered when the gang was going to show up. He was tired of dealing cards to imbeciles, playing piano for a bunch of drunks, and avoiding the waitresses that seemed to flirt with him at every opportunity, even when he made it clear he wasn’t interested.
Try as he might, he didn’t seem to be getting anywhere. He had struck out with the land office manager. The townsfolk seemed scared of the gangs, and refused to talk about them. He knew if he pressed too hard, he would jeopardize their cover, which left him with nothing more than waiting at the Long Reach until the Wilkins Gang arrived.
“Joe, wait for me,” Nadine’s familiar voice called out from across the street. He turned to watch her rush across the street.
“How’d you fare? I hope better than me.”
She nodded as a smile spread across her face, causing her eyes to twinkle in the way that always made his breath hitch in his throat. By gosh, she was the prettiest little thing he’d ever seen.
“I was able to convince Mr. Breecher to tell me when the Wilkins Gang comes to town. They come through at the end of the month.”
“That means we only have to wait about another week or so,” Josiah said with enthusiasm. “In the meantime, we can come up with our plan how to handle their arrival.”
“Should we head over to Woody and request other agents via telegraph to help us take them into custody?”
Josiah shook his head. “If they don’t show up, we’ll look like fools. I’ll update the Texas office later this week that we have a possible lead. If they show, I should follow them and figure out their hideout, then we can call for backup.”
He could tell Nadine wasn’t a hundred percent on board with his plan, but she didn’t argue with him. He knew it was risky, but he was sure it was the best course of action.