For the Love of Annie

by Sabrah Huff Agee

  "Chawie!" Annie shrieked, and reached for the smiling deputy.

  "Nice to see you again, Deputy Killgore," Mary Louise said as the deputy took Annie from her arms.

  He smiled shyly and dipped his head in her direction. "Ma'am."

  Mary Louise turned to Cooper. "Really, Cooper, taking one of your deputies from his duties isn't necessary. I assure you, I can— "

  "There's more than one deputy working tonight and I don't mind, Miss Markham," Charlie interjected. "I like stayin' with Annie." He grinned at the little girl. "We have a good time, don't we?"

  Annie patted his cheek. "Chawie weed tory?"

  "I sure will."

  Cooper took Mary Louise's arm. "The book's next to my chair, Charlie," he said as he moved toward the door. "I shouldn't be gone more than a few minutes."

  "Take your time," Charlie called as he settled Annie in his lap.

  THERE WERE very few people on the street at this time of night. As Cooper and Mary Louise strolled the two blocks to the Hotel Victoria, Cooper's boot heels made hollow, thumping sounds on the wooden sidewalk. Mary Louise was the first to break the silence. "It's a lovely night, isn't it?"

  "Yeah. Not too hot for a change. I believe I smell a hint of rain in the air. Probably be here by tomorrow night."

  They strolled a little farther. "Do you think..." Cooper and Mary Louise said simultaneously, and then they both laughed.

  "You go ahead," Cooper said.

  "I was wondering if you would mind if I visited Annie again, tomorrow?"

  He looked at the toes of his boots before replying. "Why don't you come over in the morning at about ten o'clock."

  "All right, I'll do that." They reached the entrance to the hotel and Mary Louise smiled up at him. He returned her smile and the sight of his dimple made her mouth go suddenly dry. "T— Thank you again for a lovely supper, Sheriff Matthews."

  Cooper leaned against a wooden column at the front of the hotel. "Don't you think it's time you went back to calling me Cooper? Sheriff Matthews sounds so formal, especially coming from someone who proposed marriage to me only a few hours ago."

  She tried to frown, but found she couldn't muster one. "I think it's very ungentlemanly of you to mention it, considering that you turned me down cold."

  A slow grin slid across his face. "Not cold, Weezie. I could never be cold where you're concerned."

  Mary Louise saw something in his gaze that made her catch her breath. Her face became heated, her lips started to tingle and her heartbeat quickened as he stood up from his slouched position. What was happening to her? She grasped the door handle to steady herself. "Well, I...I guess I'd better go inside."

  "Yeah, I guess I'd better get back, too. Charlie's probably finished reading Annie's story. She'll be ready for bed and I want to be the one who tucks her in."

  "I understand. Well, good night, Cooper." She offered her hand.

  Cooper took it and surprised Mary Louise when he pulled her into his arms. He raised her chin with his knuckle and smiled at her. "Unless you object, Weezie, I'm going to kiss you good night."

  She swallowed and moistened her lips. "I don't think..."

  "Good. It's better if you don't think," he said, lowering his head. His kiss was gentle, his lips lightly caressing. A moment later he stepped back and brought her open palm to his mouth. "'Night, Weezie," he murmured against the sensitive flesh. Then releasing her hand, he turned and strode down the street.

  Smiling dreamily, Mary Louise stared after him and sighing wistfully she entered the hotel.

  Chapter 8

  IT TURNED out that Lizzie was sick the next day, too, and for the second time in as many days, Annie sat playing on the floor beside Cooper's desk. He was perusing one of the wanted posters that had come in the morning's mail when he glanced down at the child. "Annie, what's that you're putting in your mouth?" He dropped the poster and bent over for a closer look.

  Annie grinned up at him. "Bug."

  He almost gagged. "Oh, Jeez, Annie! Give it here." He held out his hand and Annie dropped the dead roach in his open palm. He tossed the culprit into the trash can beside his desk and grimaced as he wiped his palm on the leg of his trousers.

  He was muttering under his breath when Mary Louise burst in. "I got your message," she said. She sounded out of breath. "Lizzie's still under the weather?"

  Cooper nodded. "Yeah. Her neighbor came by early this morning to tell me she wouldn't be coming to work." He looked uncomfortable as ran his hand through his hair. "Lizzie's never sick, so I've haven't had this happen before. I couldn't think of anyone else to take care of Annie on such short notice."

  "I would have been offended if you hadn't asked me. She is my niece, you know." She stooped to speak to Annie. "Good morning, Annie."

  Annie gave Mary Louise a toothy grin and reached for her. "Weezie take," she commanded.

  Mary Louise laughed and picked up the little girl. "Goodness, aren't you the bossy thing?"

  "I tell her that all the time," Cooper said, grinning. "Annie never asks, she commands."

  "Must be the Markham blood. We're all rather bossy."

  "Yeah, I noticed." Cooper smiled crookedly. "I really appreciate you're coming here like this. I don't mind keeping Annie here once in a while, but this is not exactly the best place for a baby."

  "Shall I take her back to the hotel with me?"

  "I sort of figured you could keep her upstairs in my place like yesterday. All her stuff is there and...of course, if you'd rather take her to the hotel..."

  "No, no, your place is fine. I just wasn't sure— " She was interrupted when the door to Cooper's office burst open.

  "Sheriff, we got some trouble out on the street."

  Cooper looked up sharply. "What sort of trouble, Joe Bob?"

  "Jesse Blake is drunk and is beatin' the hell...ah, 'cuse me, Miss Markham, I didn't see you over there." Joe Bob flushed a deep red and looked back at Cooper apologetically. "Jesse Blake is beatin' the...the...stew outta his woman again."

  Cooper sighed and reached for his hat. "So why didn't you stop him?"

  "Cause this time he's got a gun, Sheriff. He said if anybody come within five feet of him, he was gonna blow their heads clean off."

  "Christ," Cooper muttered. He pulled open the top drawer of his filing cabinet and removed his gun and holster. He glanced at Mary Louise as he strapped it on. "You'd better take Annie upstairs," he said quietly. "I'll come back to check on y'all after I see about this mess with Jesse."

  "Cooper?"

  He stopped at the doorway and looked back. "Yeah?"

  Mary Louise hesitated. "Just...just be careful," she said at last.

  He gave her a lop— sided grin. "Oh, don't worry, Weezie, I intend to do just that."

  COOPER walked out onto a deserted street which, at this hour, was usually teeming with people. Shifting his eyes right and left, he saw anxious faces pressed to every visible window. Then he saw the reason for their evacuation. Approximately a block down the street Jesse Blake was standing with his back to one of the buildings. He was holding a pistol in one hand while his other hand gripped the throat of his common— law wife, Myrtis, whom he was using as a shield.

  Myrtis was whimpering and clawing at the hand on her throat. Blood oozed from her nose and a cut on her lower lip, and even from this distance, Cooper could see the bluish tint of a bruise beginning to bloom under her right eye.

  Across the street in front of the feed store, Deputy Charlie Killgore had taken refuge behind a freight wagon loaded with bags of fertilizer; farther down and situated conveniently behind Jesse, Deputy Bubba Hawkins peeked over a watering trough.

  Motioning Joe Bob into an alley, Cooper drew his weapon and continued to walk down the street. "Throw down your gun, Jesse," Cooper called while he was still a distance away. "You're only making things worse for yourself."

  Jesse smirked, showing blackened, broken teeth. "Well, ain't that nice. My brother— in— law has come to see me."

&
nbsp; "I mean it, Jesse. Toss down your gun and let go of Myrtis."

  "You ort'er tell your deputy that he ain't got no cause to meddle with what goes on 'twixt a man and his woman, Cooper."

  Cooper kept walking toward Jesse. "You don't have the right to beat Myrtis."

  "What d'you know about how to treat a woman, Cooper Matthews? If you'd a'tak'n Marietta in hand a few times, show'd her who wuz boss, she might not a'run off," he jeered. "What I do with my woman is my bid'ness. Ain't nobody else's."

  "When you do it in this county, Jesse, you make it my business. It's my job to protect people like Myrtis." He was within ten feet of Jessie by this time, and was desperately trying to determine how he was going to get the woman out of harm's way.

  "Is that a fact?"

  "That's a fact," Cooper retorted.

  "Well, let's see how ya gonna protect her from this." And before Cooper knew what he was about, Jesse raised his pistol to Myrtis's temple and pulled the trigger. Then, within a blink of an eye he turned his gun on Cooper. Cooper's pistol blazed at the same moment Jessie's fired. Jesse's face registered surprise when Cooper's bullet pierced his brain. He fell face forward in the dirt, never knowing if his own bullet had found its mark.

  Charlie rose slowly from behind the freight wagon and when he saw the carnage left by the gun battle he began running, with Joe Bob and Bubba close behind. "Oh, Lord Jesus," Charlie murmured as he knelt beside Cooper's unmoving form.

  MARY LOUISE was feeding Annie a bowl of cornmeal mush and trying not to think of what might be happening out in the street. It was all she could do to keep from running to the back bedroom and peering out the window that overlooked main street. She held the spoon up to Annie's mouth. "Open, Annie," she murmured.

  She was scraping the last bite of mush from the bowl when she heard a commotion outside the door. Leaving Annie in the high chair, she hurried to see what was going on.

  She paused at the door. "Who's there?"

  "Open up, Miss Markham, quick."

  Mary Louise recognized the voice as belonging to Deputy Simmons, so she quickly unlocked the door and threw it open. She paled when she saw what was on other side: struggling up the stairs, two deputies carried Cooper, bloody and unconscious, between them.

  "Oh, my stars," she gasped. "What happened?" Before any of the men could reply, she caught herself up sharply. "Never mind, you can tell me later. I'll go turn down his bed."

  Mary Louise hurried down the wide hallway and into the larger of the two bedrooms. Without stopping, she rushed to the bed and jerked down the bed covers. "Put him down gently," she ordered as the men began to lower Cooper to the bed. "Has anyone called a doctor?"

  "I'm right here, Miss," the elderly man said, removing his coat as he entered the room. "Okay, men, let's get these clothes off him."

  The men ignored Mary Louise as they bent to strip off Cooper's bloody clothes. She was backing slowly out of the room when she remembered she'd left Annie in the kitchen.

  "Oh, darling, I'm sorry I was away so long," she said, as she rushed to lift the crying child from the high chair.

  "Ah— nee down," Annie whined, and struggled to free herself from Mary Louise's arms. "Ah— nee want Papa."

  "Not now, darling," she murmured as she walked out of the kitchen. She wanted to stand near the door of Cooper's bedroom so that she could hear what was being said. As she stepped into the hall, she heard another knock the door and hurried to open it.

  "Yes?" she said when she saw a young stranger standing on the landing.

  "Bubba!" Annie said, smiling at the man.

  The man removed his hat. "Ma'am, I'm Deputy Hawkins. Did they bring Sheriff Matthews in here?"

  "Yes, the doctor's with him now." She stepped back and opened the door wider. "Won't you come in?"

  "Thank you, ma'am," he replied, and stepped inside. "Did the doc say he was gonna be all right?"

  "I haven't heard one way or the other yet." Mary Louise said as she led the deputy into the kitchen. "Have a seat." She shifted Annie to her other hip. "Coffee?" she asked, not knowing what else to day.

  "No ma'am, thankee." He eased into a kitchen chair. "I don't want nothing till I know the sheriff's gonna be all right."

  At that moment Joe Bob came in the kitchen. "Doc says he needs some clean sheets and hot water. Bubba, you okay?"

  Bubba removed a large handkerchief from his back pocket and blew his nose noisily. "I been better. How's the sheriff?"

  "Don't know yet. I'll let you know, though, as soon as the doc tells us somethin'."

  Mary Louise set Annie back in the high chair. "I'll put some water on the stove." She filled several pots with water from the pump at the sink and set them on the stove. Then she looked helplessly at Deputy Simmons. "I haven't the slightest idea how to light this thing."

  Bubba stood up quickly. "I'll do it."

  While Bubba lit the stove, Mary Louise motioned for Joe Bob to follow her. She remembered seeing Lizzie put the newly laundered sheets in a closet in the hall. She handed the sheets to Joe Bob. "How is he? I'm not looking for a prognosis, Deputy Simmons, I just want your honest opinion."

  The deputy heaved a tired sigh and ran his hand over his face. "Doc says he's holdin' his own, whatever that means. He still ain't conscious, but I reckon that's good. Leastwise he ain't feelin' no pain."

  "What happened, Joe Bob? Who shot him?"

  Joe Bob told her about Jesse and how he'd killed Myrtis and then turned his gun on Cooper. "Jesse got off a shot afore Sheriff Matthews killed 'im, and it grazed the Sheriff's head right here— " He gestured to his temple. "I guess it musta knocked him out. Anyways, Sheriff Matthews' bullet hit Jesse right square betwixt his stinkin', low— down, sorry, no— account, good— fer— nothin' eyes...beggin' your pardon, ma'am."

  Mary Louise almost smiled in spite of the seriousness of the situation. "You're forgiven, Joe Bob. I would echo your sentiments if I could remember that long list of adjectives." Then she frowned. "I saw blood on his trousers."

  "Yes'um. Bubba Hawkins shot him in the...the leg."

  "Do you mean Cooper was shot by one of his own deputies?"

  "It was an accident. Bubba was behind Jesse when Jesse killed Myrtis. When Bubba saw Jesse take aim at the Sheriff, he fired at him, but Jesse moved and the bullet hit the Sheriff instead." Joe Bob shook his head. "Things like that happen sometimes when you're tryin' to shoot at moving target."

  "Oh, how awful." Mary Louise glanced back toward the kitchen. "Deputy Hawkins must feel dreadful."

  "Yes 'um. He cried like a baby when he seen what he done."

  Charlie Killgore walked out of the bedroom. "That water hot yet? Doc needs it." Then Charlie looked at Joe Bob and jerked his head at the young deputy. Joe Bob followed Charlie into the hall. Mary Louise, determined that nothing was going to be kept from her, quietly followed the two men.

  "Doc says the bullet's still in him, Joe Bob, and it's gotta come out. He said he's gonna need you and me to help hold him while he digs for it."

  Simmons' freckled face turned stark white. "Oh, Lordy mercy, Charlie," he whispered. "I don't know if I kin do it. I nearly 'bout fainted in there 'while ago. Seein' blood does that to me. I ain't proud of it, but I cain't help it, neither. What if I was t'pass out? Bubba's here. Can't he do it?"

  Charlie grunted and shook his head. "You've seen Bubba', Joe Bob. He's all to pieces about what's happened."

  "Oh, Lord Jesus, what'er we gonna do?"

  "I'll help."

  Both men turned in tandem and stared at Mary Louise.

  "Oh, Miss Markham, we couldn't let you do that," Joe Bob said quickly. "Me and Charlie'll handle thangs."

  "I just heard you tell Deputy Killgore that the sight of blood made you faint, Joe Bob. And you're right to worry— what if you fainted when the doctor needed your help most?"

  "I know, but still, Miss Markham, it jus' don't seem right to let a spinster woman go in a man's sickroom. It ain't seemly."

  Mary Louise crossed
her arms and speared both men with a hard stare. "Is it seemly to let him die simply because there's no one other than a...a spinster woman to care for him?"

  Joe Bob paled. "Well, no ma'am, I reckon when you put it like that— "

  "Good." Mary Louise looked over at Deputy Killgore. "Charlie, you get the water. It should be hot enough by now. Joe Bob, give me those sheets and then you go by Lizzie's house and reassure her that the Sheriff is doing all right. I'm sure she's heard about this and is probably worried sick. If Deputy Hawkins wants to stay here— and considering what's happened, I'm sure he does— tell him he can help the sheriff by keeping an eye on Annie." When the two men seemed to hesitate, Mary Louise snapped, "What are you men waiting for? Get moving!"

  She was waiting in the hall when Bubba Hawkins walked out of the kitchen. His eyes were red from weeping, and he looked like a man who'd lost his last friend.

  "Deputy Hawkins, you mustn't blame yourself for what happened," Mary Louise said.

  The deputy wiped his eyes with his wrinkled handkerchief. "If he dies, I don't know how I'll be able to live with myself."

  She patted the man's shoulder. "Now, now, you mustn't talk like that. The Sheriff isn't going to die, I'm sure. Why, I expect he'll be on his feet in no time."

  Bubba grasped her hands upon hearing her encouraging words, his face mirroring his need to believe them. "Do you really think so?"

  "Of course I do. And I'll be ever so grateful if you'd keep an eye on Annie for me while I assist the doctor. Will you do that?"

  "Yes'um, I'll do anything I can to help." He turned toward the kitchen and then glanced back at her. "Will you send for me if the Sheriff needs anything?"

  "Of course I will. Look, here comes Charlie with the hot water. You run along while I see what I can do to help."

  "Thank you, Ma'am, for saying what you did."

  Mary Louise smiled. "You're most welcome, Mr. Hawkins."

  Mary Louise held the door for Charlie while the man carried in the pots of hot water. At the doctor's direction, he set them on a table by the bed and then waited for further instructions.