by Bobbi Smith
Chapter Twenty-eight
The heavyset, balding bartender at the Wild Times Saloon looked up as the stranger walked in.
“Afternoon,” the bartender said as the man came up to the bar. “What can I get for you?”
“I’m looking for someone,” Josh said.
“And who would that be?” The bartender eyed him, wondering what business he had there in San Luis.
“I’m looking for Paul Williams. I was told I’d find him here.”
The bartender smiled as he cleaned a glass. “You’re looking at him. I’m Paul Williams.”
Josh smiled. “It looks like you’re holding down two real important jobs in town—justice of the peace and barkeep.”
“That’s right. Which one you looking for?”
“Whichever one can marry me to the woman I’ve got waiting outside.” Josh laughed.
Paul laughed, too. “I reckon that would be the justice of the peace. Annie Belle, keep an eye on things for me. I shouldn’t be gone too long.”
The saloon girl came over to tend bar while Paul left to perform the wedding.
Another saloon girl, Lucy, joined her there, and they watched the bartender leave with the tall, dark-haired stranger.
“I don’t know who’s marrying him, but she is one lucky girl. He’s a mighty fine-looking man.”
“You’re right about that,” Annie Belle agreed, regretting that there weren’t any men like him in their rough little town.
As Paul went outside, he saw the young woman who was waiting for them. She was a pretty little gal, even though she was dressed in pants and boots for riding, and he knew she would have been downright lovely if she’d been wearing a wedding dress.
“This is Emmie Ryan, my fiancée, and I’m Josh Grady,” the stranger told him.
“Nice to meet you folks. Let’s go on over to my office and get you hitched,” Paul said. He led the way down the street and into his small one-room office. “Come on in.”
They followed him inside.
The room was dark and cluttered, and Emmie looked around herself, knowing that in all her wildest imaginings, she’d never dreamed she’d be getting married in a place like this. She glanced down at the clothes she was wearing and almost felt like crying. She’d always believed she would be wearing a beautiful white gown at this most important moment in her life, not trail-dust-covered clothes and boots. She’d fantasized, too, that she would be swept away by her handsome husband in a fancy carriage after the ceremony for a romantic honeymoon. Somehow, another night by the campfire wasn’t quite what she’d envisioned.
And then Emmie cast a glance up at Josh.
She found his gaze upon her, the look in his eyes one of deep and abiding love. A thrill went through her, touching her heart and her soul, and she knew in that moment that nothing mattered except being with Josh. The fancy ceremony and beautiful dress meant nothing. What was important was love—and she’d found it with the tall, handsome man at her side. She loved him, and in a few moments she would be bound to him forever. She would be his wife. She smiled up at him as tears of happiness filled her eyes.
“If we can begin…” Paul said.
He made short order of performing the ceremony and concluded with the final vows.
“Do you, Emmie Ryan, take Josh Grady to be your lawfully wedded husband?” he asked.
“I do,” Emmie said.
“Do you, Josh Grady, take Emmie Ryan to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
“I do,” Josh vowed, his dark-eyed gaze warm upon her as she stood by his side.
“Then I now pronounce you man and wife,” Paul said. “Do you have a ring?”
“No, I didn’t have time to get one.”
“Well, that don’t matter none. You can get a ring anytime. Go ahead and kiss your bride.”
Josh needed no further encouragement.
He kissed her, a sweet, chaste kiss there in front of the justice of the peace, and then paid the man.
“Thank you,” Josh said, shaking his hand.
“You’re welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Grady,” Paul said, and congratulated both of them.
Emmie smiled at the sound of it—Mr. and Mrs. Grady. She was now Emmie Grady. She looked up at Josh as he walked out of the office beside her, and she knew she wanted him to be there always—right beside her.
They stopped only long enough to pick up more supplies at the general store in town. Josh bought a few things that surprised Emmie, but she said nothing while they were in the store. She knew there would be time for questions later.
“I have to ask,” she said as they were headed out of town. “Why did you buy henna?”
Josh looked over at her. “With the wanted posters out on me, I’m going to need to change the way I look. I won’t be shaving for the next few days, and you can help me dye my hair.”
Emmie was surprised by his plan, but realized how smart it was. “So my tall, dark, handsome husband is going to disappear?”
“He’ll be back. Don’t you worry.”
Josh was familiar with the area, having ridden through it before. He knew exactly where he wanted to camp that night. Since it was their first night together as man and wife, he would have preferred to be back at the ranch in the privacy of their own bedroom, or in a clean, fancy hotel somewhere, but that wasn’t possible, so he’d come up with another idea. He just hoped she liked it.
It was late afternoon when they reached the secluded spot.
“What do you say we spend our wedding night here?” he asked as he reined in on the top of a hill near a small lake.
Emmie stared down at the scene before them with open delight. “It’s beautiful.”
“I thought you might like it. Come on,” he said, kneeing his horse forward.
They rode down to a grassy area near the shore. Josh took care of the horses while Emmie set up their campsite. When he came to join her, she was standing at the water’s edge, staring out across the lake.
“Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Josh asked.
She looked up at him, grinning. “Too bad Millie’s not here to go swimming with me.”
“She’s not, but I am.”
Emmie giggled and wasted no time starting to undress, but Josh was there, brushing her hands aside to help her.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a long, long time,” he said in a low, seductive voice.
“You have?” she asked.
“Ever since that day I found you in the water at the ranch.”
With care, he unbuttoned her blouse and helped her shed it, then pushed the straps of her undergarment from her shoulders. Unable to resist, he bent to kiss her and crush her against him. Any thoughts of moving slowly or swimming were lost in the heat of the moment. Emmie reached up to free him from his shirt, caressing the hard-muscled width of his chest and shoulders. Josh swept her up in his arms and carried her to their bedrolls.
They lay together on their makeshift honeymoon bed and quickly took off the rest of their clothes, removing the last barriers between them.
“I want you,” he murmured.
With each kiss and caress, he showed her just how much she meant to him, and Emmie responded without reserve. She had never known such excitement. She wanted him, too. When he moved over her body to make her his own, she opened herself to him, and with one long thrust they came together. Ecstasy seemed to fill Emmie as they sought the perfection of their loving…and found it. In the aftermath of their passion they clung together, savoring the beauty of the gift of their love.
“I never knew…” Emmie said, still in awe of his lovemaking as she nestled against him.
“I love you, Emmie,” Josh said, knowing what a lucky man he was to have her.
“I love you, too.” She remembered then the temptation of the cool waters and asked with a smile, “Are you ready for a swim now?”
He grinned at her. “If you are.”
They got up and went into the cool, welcoming water together. It was a sensu
al experience for Emmie to be in the lake with Josh, and she loved every minute of it. They left the water only as the shadows of night claimed the land, and passed the rest of the night sharing their love under the star-spangled canopy of the sky.
Josh awoke first, just before dawn, and lay quietly, watching Emmie sleep. He loved her with all his heart, and he knew these next days were going to be hard for her. He was tempted to go back to the ranch and just stay there, to pretend that the encounter with the bounty hunter had never happened, but the reality was that if one man could find him, someone else with the same wanted poster could, too, and he didn’t want anyone on the ranch in danger. He thought of George then and hoped his brother was making a good recovery.
“You’re awake already?” Emmie asked in a sleepy voice.
“It’s almost time to move out,” he said regretfully.
“I know, but I’d like to just stay here.”
“Don’t tempt me.”
“Josh, what’s going to happen once we get to Sundown?”
“With the wanted posters out, I’ve got to be real careful going into town. That’s why we’ll have to work on changing the way I look to night. When we do get to Sundown, I’m going to find the sheriff and have a talk with him.”
“Aren’t you worried that he’ll try to shoot you when he realizes who you are?” she worried.
“He’s not going to get the chance.” Josh knew that straightening this mess out wasn’t going to be easy, but he’d been in worse situations in the past. His greatest concern was keeping Emmie safe.
Emmie heard the edge in his voice and knew he was ready for what ever might come. She silently offered up a prayer that he would be safe.
A short time later, after eating a hasty breakfast, they were heading out. Emmie cast one last look back at the serene setting. It had definitely been a memorable wedding night.
“As soon as we get back home, we’re going swimming at my favorite place,” she told him with an inviting smile.
“With or without Millie?” he joked.
“Without!” She laughed.
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
They rode on toward Sundown.
Chapter Twenty-nine
After six days of hard riding, Josh and Emmie finally reached the outskirts of Sundown. They waited until it was dark to make their move.
Emmie was as ready as she would ever be. She’d stuffed her hair up under her hat so she would look like a boy if anyone noticed her on the ride in. Josh had gone over every step with her, and she knew exactly what she had to do. Their plan was simple. They were going to sneak into the sheriff’s office when no one was around and wait there for the lawman to return so Josh could surprise him. Josh figured that if he got the drop on the sheriff, he could quickly find out who was behind the bounty that had been put out on him. Emmie would be going with him into the office, but she was planning to stay out of sight, just in case there was trouble.
They rode into town and left their horses in the alleyway behind the sheriff’s office. Josh moved easily out onto the night-shrouded street to take a look around. He found the saloons were noisy and obviously doing some business, but the streets were deserted. The sheriff’s office was dark, giving him just the opportunity he was looking for. With no one around to see him, he let himself into the office and closed the door quietly behind him.
Josh didn’t know if there would be anyone locked up in the jail, but when he checked he was glad to find the cells were empty. There was a back room with a bed in it and some gear, but he figured that belonged to the lawman. He let Emmie in the back door and found her a safe place to hide while he went to sit in the darkened outer office to await Sheriff Dawson’s return.
The time passed slowly. Minutes seemed like hours as he anticipated the confrontation to come. It was well after midnight when Josh saw the sheriff walk up to the front of the building.
Sheriff Dawson stood there for a moment looking up and down the street and then came inside. He hung up his hat and moved wearily to light the lamp on the small table nearby. He had just blown out the match and started to turn around when he heard a harsh order.
“Don’t do anything stupid, Dawson. Just pull down the shades and turn around real slow.”
Sheriff Dawson had frozen in place. He was shocked at having been caught off guard this way and couldn’t imagine who would be there to ambush him in his own office.
“Who are you? What do you want?” the lawman asked without moving.
“I told you what I wanted. Pull down the shades—now!”
Knowing he had little choice, the sheriff did as he’d been ordered.
“Good,” Josh said in a low, threatening voice. “Now, real slow-like, turn around and put your gun on the desk.”
Sheriff Dawson obeyed the order again.
“Keep your hands where I can see them now,” Josh said as he picked up the lawman’s sidearm. “I wouldn’t want to accidentally shoot you right here in your own office.”
Sheriff Dawson stared down at the mustached, red-haired man who was sitting at his desk holding a gun on him. He had no idea who the stranger was or what he wanted from him. “There’s no money here, if that’s what you’re after,” he began.
“I’m not after money. I’m after information,” Josh said coldly.
“What do you want to know?” Dawson was nervous, quite nervous. He’d been involved in a lot of shady deals over the years and had no idea which one was coming back to haunt him.
Slowly, very slowly, Josh set the lawman’s gun aside and pulled out the wanted poster, tossing it on the desktop for him to see. “Who put this wanted poster out on me?”
“You’re Grady?” Dawson did a double take, trying to reconcile the image of the man in the picture with the reality of the one sitting at his desk. With the mustache and changed hair color, Dawson would never have recognized him.
“That’s right, I’m Josh Grady, and I’ve never been on the wrong side of the law. So why am I ‘Wanted—Dead or Alive’ here in your town?”
The fierce look in Josh’s eyes terrified the lawman.
“Well, um, I, um…” Dawson stammered, knowing that no matter what he said or did there would be a terrible price to pay.
“You’re not answering my question,” Josh snarled.
Sheriff Dawson swallowed hard. “It was—”
“It was me.” Ned laughed evilly as he came out of the cell area with his gun drawn. “I’m the one who put him up to it, Grady.”
“Barton!” Josh was startled to see the outlaw standing there. The last he’d heard, the man had been serving time in the penitentiary. It made sense to him now to learn that Sheriff Dawson and the outlaw were working together.
“That’s right. I’m the one who put the bounty on you, and it couldn’t have worked out any better. I figured somebody else would just bring in your body to claim the reward, but now I’m the one who gets to decide whether you’re going to be turned in dead or alive to our friendly sheriff here.” Ned was chuckling as he moved forward. “And I think we know the answer to that.”
“What ever your answer is, it’s wrong,” Emmie said fiercely from behind the outlaw. She’d been hiding in the back room. When she’d heard the back door to the jail open, she’d known it meant trouble—someone was sneaking in that way.
Emmie’s unexpected appearance surprised Ned and caused him to turn and look behind him. That interruption gave Josh the opportunity he needed to make his move. Ned was a cold-blooded killer, and Josh had to act fast. He launched himself at Ned, hitting his gun from his hand and slamming him violently up against the wall. Ned tried to scramble back to his feet, but Josh hit him with his gun, knocking him unconscious. The outlaw collapsed on the floor.
Dawson started to go for his own revolver, where Josh had left it lying on the desktop, but Emmie drew her pistol.
“Don’t even think about it!” she yelled at him as Josh was busy grabbing Ned’s gun.
The sheriff
froze again to stare at the person he thought was a boy standing there holding a gun on him.
“Thanks,” Josh told her.
“What do you want to do now?” she asked.
“I’m going to lock them up.”
Emmie nodded and kept her gun on Dawson as Josh hauled Ned’s limp body back into one of the jail cells. He checked the outlaw over quickly to make sure he didn’t have any other weapons on him and then locked him in before going back for the lawman.
“Let’s go, Sheriff,” Josh ordered.
“You can’t do this! This is my jail! This is my town!”
“You can walk in the jail cell or I can carry you in like I did your friend. It’s up to you,” Josh told him.
Dawson was swearing vilely as he moved into the other jail cell and heard the door slam shut behind him and the key turn in the lock. “You’re not going to get away with this, Grady.”
“I already have,” Josh replied.
Certain that the two were unarmed and not going anywhere, Josh took Emmie out into the front office.
“Emmie, I want you to go over to the telegraph office and wake the operator up if you have to. Tell him we need to send a wire to the Rangers.”
Emmie couldn’t believe that it had all happened so fast, and without a shot being fired. She found she was trembling as she looked up at him. “You did it.”
“We did it,” he said. Her timing had been perfect, coming up on Ned that way. “But we still have to notify the Rangers about what’s happened.”
She nodded as she slipped out of the sheriff’s office. Emmie pounded on the locked door of the telegraph office, and after a few minutes an elderly man came to the door.
“What is it?”
“I need to send a telegram right away. It’s important. I need to wire the Texas Rangers. We need a Ranger here in town.”
The man had never seen this boy around Sundown before and wondered what he was doing there. Still, if the boy was looking for a Ranger, he knew he could help him.
“There’s no need to send a wire,” the telegraph operator said.