by Jenna Brandt
There was a loud thud downstairs that interrupted the moment, followed by Mr. Weston’s booming voice yelling up the stairs, “Can I get some help down here?”
“I should probably go help take the barrels over to the dance before he ends up dropping one of them on his foot,” Josiah explained.
“I suppose you should,” Nadine said, stepping back. He wasn’t certain, but he could swear he heard what sounded like disappointment in her voice. Had she wanted him to kiss her? Did he just miss his opportunity to kiss his wife for the first time?
“If you want to keep your job, I suggest you get down here right now, Mr. Ringer.”
Josiah could tell his boss was furious. He needed to keep him happy until this assignment was finished, or the main office called them back.
“I have to go,” Josiah mumbled, realizing that he wished he had followed through and done it. “Come down in a few minutes and we can walk over to the dance together.”
The town square was filled with several round tables with floral tablecloths and chairs. The area was replete with lanterns giving the evening a warm glow.
The barrels of whiskey and beer Mr. Weston sent over, charging a nominal fee per drink, were already a huge hit. For those who didn’t partake in libations, there was sarsaparilla, sweet tea, and lemonade on the refreshment table along with trays of various sandwiches and cookies.
“They did a wonderful job,” Nadine observed. “I had no idea such a small town could put on such a nice event.”
“Sometimes small towns can surprise you,” Mr. Breecher said, coming up to stand beside them. “Though our number is small, we love where we live. We want to share that with newcomers, so I can speak for the rest of the townsfolk when I say, we’re glad you decided to come tonight.”
Josiah nodded. “Thank you for letting us be a part of it.”
“If you’ll both excuse me, I need to go up and say a few words.” Mr. Breecher made his way over to a spot next to the band. He raised his hands in the air, cleared his throat. “Can I have everyone’s attention, please. I want to welcome you all to the annual spring dance. I say annual, even though this is only the second one we’ve ever had, because I hope that in the future it will become a long-running tradition. Enjoy the refreshments, each other’s company, and the music.” Mr. Breecher nodded to the band, the cue for them to start playing.
“Would you care to dance?” Josiah asked, not wanting to waste one moment he could be holding Nadine in his arms.
“That would be lovely,” she replied, letting him take her by the hand to guide her into the area set aside for dancing.
Josiah gathered her into his arms, placing one hand on her waist and taking her hand with the other. The first few beats they were out of sync, but after a couple of measures, they were swaying to the music in perfect rhythm.
“Who would have thought my husband is a good dancer,” Nadine praised. “I would have taken you for the type that wouldn’t know how to do this.”
“Dancing was part of our performance when Amos and I traveled with our parents. Our mother taught us all the basic dances.”
“She did a wonderful job,” Nadine observed. “Do you miss her?”
“I do, though I’ve learned not to dwell on it. When I think about how I lost my parents, and now Amos, I get so angry. It’s better not to think about it all.”
“Or, you could do like Mr. Gable said this morning, and give that anger to God. You’re only hurting yourself by holding onto it.”
Josiah didn’t respond at first. He had been thinking the same thing all day since they went to church. It might have been why he was always conveniently busy on Sundays as a way to avoid going. He knew how he was reacting wasn’t the way God, or his parents for that matter, would want him to.
“I know you’re right. I’ve been thinking the same thing all day.”
“You know, I was dealing with the same thing. I was so angry with my father for leaving us for his secretary; then when my brother chose Cora over me, it was like I didn’t matter to anyone enough to be picked first.”
Josiah nodded. “I guess we have that in common. We’re both outsiders trying to find a way to be insiders, even though we pretend we’re okay on the outside.”
“The truth is, it doesn’t matter. God picks us first. He loves us so much, He sacrificed His own Son for us. That has to be enough.”
Josiah realized his wife was right. God was all he needed to be happy. Well, God, and perhaps Nadine. He was beginning to see that she was going to be a huge part of his future happiness, at least if he had anything to say about it.
They spent the rest of the evening dancing, talking with their new friends, and enjoying the delicious food and drinks.
Toward the end of the night, the band played a slow song, and Josiah escorted Nadine back into the dancing area. Every time he held her in his arms, it was better than the last time.
Nadine looked up into his eyes. “Thank you for this.”
“For what?” he asked nervously, trying to keep from staring at her lips that looked so inviting.
“For giving me the best night of my life. I never knew I could be this happy,” she admitted.
This was it, this was the moment. He was going to kiss Nadine and show her how much he cared for her. Slowly, his let his head move down until their lips were just inches apart.
“I can’t believe that taking the job with the Pinkerton Agency brought me to this moment,” Nadine whispered.
The Agency. His job. Amos. He’d almost forgot why he was here with Nadine. He had no right to want to be with her. She was his brother’s widow, and a fellow agent. Josiah needed to treat her as such. He jerked his head back, spinning her out for a moment to create some distance between himself and her intoxicating scent of vanilla and honey. When he brought her back in, he could see her eyes were filled with confusion and hurt. He averted his eyes, unable to take the disappointed look he knew he put there.
“I need to visit the privy,” Nadine said, yanking herself out of his arms and turning away. He watched as she hastened from the dancing area. Her foot caught the edge of a nearby table leg, causing her to trip and nearly fall.
Mr. Breecher was at the next table. He jumped to his feet and hurried to her side, placing his hand behind her back. “Are you all right, Mrs. Ringer?”
She nodded, trying to steady herself. “I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure? You shouldn’t be rushing like that in your delicate condition.”
There were several gasps as Judy and Rebecca came to her side.
“How many months are you? Have you had any unusual cravings?” Judy probed.
“Have you discussed names?” Rebecca inquired.
Nadine’s wide eyes darted between the two women as they each asked more questions. She looked like she wanted to melt away right on the spot. She looked past them and placed her hand on her neck, rubbing it.
Immediately, he recognized the signal. He sprinted to her side, placing his hand under her elbow. “If you will excuse me, I think my wife needs to rest.”
Once they were away from everyone at the town square, Josiah couldn’t contain his questions any longer. “What was that all about? Why did the general store owner think you were pregnant?”
She explained what happened on the day she asked Mr. Breecher about the Wilkins Gang just as they arrived at the saloon and headed upstairs.
“You really are good at this job, Nadine. It was smart to let him think that in order to get him to confide in you.”
“I suppose that’s a good thing, since when this assignment is finished, my job is all I’m going to have to show for it.”
He accepted the barb without retaliating. He deserved it. Even though he didn’t mean to do it, he had misled her. In the process, he had hurt her. “I’m sorry, Nadine. I didn’t mean for things to go this way.”
She shook her head. “You can save your empty excuses. You were right about me needing to rest. I think from here on ou
t you should sleep on the floor.”
Josiah didn’t argue. Though he didn’t look forward to the uncomfortable night’s sleep he would get, it might be easier to not sleep so close to her anymore. There was no guarantee if she were only inches away from him that he might not, in a moment of weakness, reach out and pull her to him. “I can do that.”
As he settled into his spot on the floor, Josiah sent up a silent prayer—something he hadn’t done in years. He asked God to help him figure out how to handle what was going on with Nadine and his conflicting emotions raging inside him.
Chapter 6
Nadine wasn’t sure what went wrong with Josiah the night before. His rejection plagued her all night long. Was it her? Did she do something to make him not want her anymore? Had she revealed too much when she told him he made her happy? She had thought there was a connection between them that went beyond just the case, but she must have been wrong. She had wanted him to care for her so perhaps she’d convinced herself there was something there that just wasn’t.
If he was going to break things off anyway, it was better he did it before they complicated their relationship with a kiss. She didn’t want to get hurt, even though she had hoped that he might feel they could be more than Pinkerton partners. Now that she knew that wasn’t the case, her only choice was to cut her feelings off towards him—if she was able, which at the moment she couldn’t do. Every time she looked at him, she wondered what it would have been like if she had closed the final gap between them. Would it have felt like drowning, or perhaps like she was on fire? She’d never shared a kiss with a man, and now she wondered if she ever would, or would want to again.
She pushed the troubling thoughts from her mind, and finished pinning back her hair into a French twist. She adjusted the collar of her blouse, tied her apron on, and headed downstairs. At least if she was working, it would keep her distracted from thinking about her soon-to-be ex-husband.
When she reached the bottom of the stairs, she noticed Josiah was sitting behind one of the card tables. He was organizing the decks and straightening the area, and he didn’t see her. She tried to rush past the area, but before she got very far, she noticed a set of men walk in that she recognized: Park Harrington and Jack Gaines. What were two agents from the Denver Pinkerton office doing there? Were they at the Long Reach to tell her the agency no longer needed her since she couldn’t do her job? It had been nearly three weeks and they hadn’t been able to locate the Wilkins Gang, even after reporting that they had a solid lead.
Should she approach them and ask to speak with them privately? Would that be a good thing? If by chance they weren’t there to take her off the case, she needed to keep her cover intact. Going up and talking to strange men wouldn’t convince anyone she was a happily wedded wife. They seemed to be focused on Josiah anyway, so she quickly slipped past the bar, through the back door, and into the kitchen.
Once she was out of sight, she let her body slump against the wall as she took in a deep breath. She followed it by three more, trying to steady her pulse. Was she going to lose her job today? Had all of this been for nothing? Had she risked her heart, had it broken, all for naught? She had consoled herself after Josiah’s rejection, that at least at the end of this, she would be an agent. But even that seemed in danger now. What was she going to do if she lost not only the man she cared for, but the future she had banked on?
Even though Nadine wasn’t in the room anymore, Josiah couldn’t help but continue to think about her and what he had done to her the night before. He could tell she wanted him to kiss her. He had wanted to, but he let his head get in the way of his heart. That and his false sense of obligation to his job and loyalty to Amos, kept him from doing what he should have. If he had just kissed her well and good, he wouldn’t be kicking himself all day long over it. He’d messed up, and she was freezing him out now. He had to find a way to erase her from his heart, but he wasn’t sure how to do that.
“We need to speak, Joe.” A tall man with a firm jaw and knowing look in his eyes drew Josiah back to the present. The man looked familiar, but he wasn’t sure from where. Had he been in the saloon before? “Now,” the man commanded.
Josiah stiffened, not liking how the other man was talking to him. Instinctively, his hand went under the table and wrapped around the little revolver he kept strapped to it just in case.
“There’s no need for that,” stated a second man, who was thicker or shorter than the other. He placed his hand on Josiah’s shoulder, pressing firmly on it. “You should come with us. None of us want to cause a scene.” He leaned down and added, “The boss wouldn’t like it.”
The way he said boss made it clear they were agents. Relief flooded Josiah as he released his grip on the revolver. He stood from the table and followed them out the door. They went around the corner, sticking to the shadows so no one would see them.
“What are you doing here?” Josiah said, glancing around with apprehension. He finally put the faces to names. The tall dark-blond haired agent was Jack Gaines, and the shorter, black haired agent was Park Harrington. Both were well-respected in the agency and good at their jobs, but it didn’t mean he liked them questioning his work. “What do you want?”
“Archie sent us to check in,” the Jack stated matter-of-factly. “He’s worried that you haven’t made progress and wonders if this lead has turned stale. If it has, you and your partner need to return to the Denver office for reassignment.”
“Together?” Josiah asked, worried that they might split them up if Nadine had her way.
“You’re married, aren’t you? And she hasn’t finished her probation, so yes, together. I mean, my wife is waiting in Woody along with his fiancée,” Jack explained.
“They’re sisters,” Park expounded.
Josiah let out a sigh of relief. As long as Nadine didn’t quit on him, he would have time to convince her to give him a second chance. He was so stupid to pretend he didn’t care and he could just get over her. That wasn’t going to happen; there was no getting over Nadine for him.
“Why didn’t the Texas office send someone?”
“They’re content to leave you out here until the cows come home, but Archie wants you back in Denver. He has another assignment for you—one that takes your type of expertise,” Park explained.
“In other words, he needs a bull to knock down some walls,” Jack added for emphasis. “I told him we could handle it, but he says we aren’t seasoned right for the job he has in mind.”
“I can’t leave until I finish this,” Josiah stated adamantly.
“Because of your brother, or because of having your new wife all to yourself?” Jack probed. “We understand how tempting it is to put time with a woman ahead of your job.”
“That’s not what is going on. We’re close; I can feel it,” Josiah declared. “Just give us a few more days.”
“We’ll have a drink and think about it,” Park said as Josiah headed back inside.
He wasn’t sure what to make of his conversation with the other two men. He recognized them from around the Denver office, but he never stuck around long enough to get to know the other agents beyond their reputation.
Josiah entered the saloon and headed back to his table. The other two agents headed over to the bar and took spots on the end where they could watch him without making it obvious.
The night picked up with patrons coming and going. Josiah shifted back and forth from playing the piano to dealing cards, making sure to give both jobs plenty of attention, though his real focus was watching the crowd for any signs of the Wilkins Gang. The agents looked antsy, and he was worried they were going to demand he and Nadine return to Denver with them. He didn’t want to give up on this lead; he worried that he’d never catch up with his brother’s killer, just like he never had with his parents’.
The hours rolled by, Josiah only taking a small break to tell Nadine about the arrival of the other agents. The more time that went by, the more Josiah became discouraged.
He wasn’t sure why he’d insisted they should stay. Weeks had gone by without the gang showing up. Why did he think any more time here would make a difference?
Just when he thought they were going to have to find a way to move on from Rockwood Springs without succeeding in tracking down the gang, a man he recognized from the file sat down at his table. The unmistakable long, jagged scar across his right eye and cheek clearly identified him as Marsh Griffin. He had a second man with him Josiah didn’t recognize, but that wasn’t surprising. Only two men from the gang had ever been identified with pictures. Ronald Wilkins, the leader of the gang, who was not present, and Marsh Griffin, the man sitting across from him.
Josiah’s hand moved to the revolver under the table, anger rising from the pit of his stomach, so thick he was certain it would choke him. He felt his finger on the trigger, the urge to squeeze it consuming him. He desperately wanted to pull it, to see the bullet plunge into the man, and avenge the death of his brother.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Nadine enter the room with a tray of food. He couldn’t do that to her. She needed this case to go well and for them to collect the whole gang. If he killed Griffin, that wouldn’t happen. Any leads he had about where the rest of the gang was located would die with him, along with the information as to who pulled the trigger that killed his brother. Plus, there was a chance his fellow gang member would pull his own gun and shoot Josiah dead. Where would that leave Nadine? Two dead husbands and possibly a worse agent to deal with. Though he hadn’t been a picnic to begin with, there were far worse ones out there. No, he needed to tell Nadine and the other agents what was going on. They could then quietly follow them when they left and find the gang’s hideout.
Nadine must have noticed the change in his demeanor because she tilted her head to the side as if she was trying to figure out what was wrong. She made her way over, and try as he might, he couldn’t think of a reason to keep her away.