The Lawman Said I Do

by Ana Leigh

  “Me? Why should I be the one? It’s your idea.”

  “Because you’re the sweet one. Besides, I’m spoken for. As soon as Ted comes home, I’ll be getting married.”

  Cathy reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Hon, we’ve been through this before. The war ended over a year ago,” she said gently. “You’ve got to face the fact that Ted was probably killed, or he would have been back by now.”

  “I won’t believe that. I know he’ll be back.” Cassie took her sister’s other hand. “So it’s up to you to keep Mr. Fraser entertained for the next week.”

  “Are you forgetting that I’m working at the stage office this week?” She glanced at the timepiece pinned to her bodice. “Oh, my, I’m due there now. Remember what I said: be nice to him, Cassie.” She hurried off.

  Darn! Cassie had no patience with feminine wiles. Charming a man? She wouldn’t know how to begin.

  Deciding to ride around the area, Colt paused in front of the livery.

  Jeff Braden and several others were leaning against the wall when he approached; the doors were closed and locked.

  “Looking for something, Fraser?” Braden asked.

  “I was hoping to rent a horse.”

  “Livery’s closed for the next two hours—siesta time. But you can take that horse.”

  Braden pointed to a black stallion tied in front of the Wells Fargo office, the one Colt had seen Cassie Braden riding earlier.

  “It’s already saddled and wearing a Lazy B brand,” Braden continued.

  “Lazy B?” Colt questioned.

  “My family’s spread.”

  “I thought your father was the sheriff.”

  “We had the ranch before he was elected sherriff. We own the livery stable, too, so feel free to borrow that horse.”

  Colt was surprised, having thought Braden would bear a grudge against him.

  “I appreciate the offer, but wasn’t your sister riding that horse earlier?”

  “She told me to unsaddle it because she won’t be needing it any more today.”

  “Well, thank you. That’s very considerate of you.”

  Braden shrugged. “Figure I owe you that much for what you did during the stage holdup. Horse answers to the name of Midnight.”

  “Thanks.” Colt crossed the street and started to adjust the stirrups.

  “What do you think you’re doing, mister?”

  Colt turned around. The query had come from the young redheaded girl he’d seen earlier, who looked eleven or twelve years old. Her red hair was cut to her ears in a short bob, and her freckled face wore a hostile frown. The same two boys were with her.

  “I beg your pardon?” Colt asked.

  “You heard her, mister. Where are you going with that horse?” the older boy inquired.

  Perhaps a year younger than the girl, his blue eyes scrutinized Colt with suspicion behind spectacles that made his eyes look too large for his face. The other boy, considerably younger, was eyeing him just as suspiciously.

  Good Lord! What next?

  The redhead folded her arms across her chest. “Petey, run to the stage office and get Cassie. Tell her somebody’s trying to steal her horse.”

  “Don’t waste your time. She’s eating lunch at the hotel.” Colt finished adjusting the stirrups and untied the horse.

  “What should we do, Sam? He’s gonna get away,” the older boy said.

  “That’s what he thinks, Bowie. I wouldn’t do that, mister, if I were you,” she shouted when Colt mounted the horse.

  The children scattered as the horse reared up and began to buck. Caught unexpectedly by the sudden motion, Colt was unseated but managed to land on his feet when he slipped off. The horse immediately came to a stop and stood docile.

  The three children looked at him with big grins.

  “Warned you,” Sam said.

  “Yeah, warned you,” her smallest minion echoed.

  “How do you expect to steal a horse when you can’t even stay in the saddle?” Sam asked.

  “I was not trying to steal this horse.” To Colt’s consternation, a crowd began to congregate. Where in hell had they come from? They were supposed to be taking siestas now, such nonsense.

  “Bet you won’t try that again,” Bowie taunted.

  “Yeah, bet you won’t,” little Petey added.

  Colt centered his frustration on the three children. “Don’t you have someplace to go?”

  “We are some place,” Sam replied.

  “Here’s ten cents. Go to the store and buy yourself some candy sticks.”

  “Ten cents? Boy, mister, are you cheap! We don’t sell out a friend,” she informed him with righteous indignation.

  Colt couldn’t tell if her objection was to the amount of the bribe or the suggestion of disloyalty.

  As a stagecoach pulled up, Colt glanced over and saw Jeff Braden and his cronies holding their sides, laughing, and everything became vividly clear to him.

  The stage driver climbed down and peered at him, then the passengers piled out of the coach and did the same.

  “What’s the trouble?” the driver asked.

  “This fella’s trying to steal Midnight,” Bowie said.

  “Oh, you don’t want to do that, mister,” the driver warned. “That horse don’t let nobody but Miz Cassie ride him.”

  The driver’s words produced murmurs and nods of agreement from many of the spectators, and snickers of amusement from others. To think he had once thought these people were friendly.

  “What’s going on here?” Sheriff Braden asked, joining the crowd.

  “We caught him trying to steal Midnight,” Sam quickly volunteered. “Should I get a rope so’s we can string him up?”

  She turned to Colt and stuck out her tongue at him. “We hang horse thieves here, don’t we, Uncle Jethro?”

  Why me, Lord? Colt wondered. “Despite what this little busybody claims, Sheriff, I was not stealing this horse. Your son gave me permission to ride it.”

  “Gave you permission, did he?” Sheriff Braden said.

  The three children started poking and laughing in amusement.

  “You kids go home. I’ll handle this,” the sheriff said.

  “But we’re witnesses to the crime, Sheriff,” Sam protested as he began to herd the children away.

  Sheriff Braden gave her a stern look. “Samantha, I said go home.”

  His no-nonsense tone must have finally convinced them. As she left Samantha gave Colt a chilling look. “You ain’t seen the last of us, mister,” she warned.

  “The rest of you folks move on, too,” Sheriff Braden said. “Everything’s fine.”

  Colt moved to the shade of a building and waited until the sheriff succeeded in dispersing the crowd.

  Peace and quiet at last. Colt closed his eyes and heaved a sigh of gratitude.

  Then Cassie Braden came out of the hotel and walked over to them. “What’s going on, Dad?”

  “I guess Colt here tried to ride Midnight.”

  Frowning, she turned to Colt. “Why would you do that, Mr. Fraser?”

  “Because your brother suggested I use this horse since the livery was closed.”

  “Jeff told you that!”

  “Cassie! Cassie!” Shouting her name in unison, the three kids raced up to them.

  They huddled around her and began to relate their version of the incident. Sheriff Braden threw up his hands in disgust and walked away.

  Cassie looked up at Colt with the three children before her, encompassed in an embrace. “Have you met my three buddies, Mr. Fraser?”

  “Don’t you mean buds, Miss Braden? None of them are bigger than a sprout.”

  “You mustn’t judge them by their size; I couldn’t ask for three more devoted friends. The little lady is Samantha Starr, and the boys are Bowie and Petey James. Children, this is Mr. Fraser.”

  “Yes, we’ve met and I have no doubt they’re related to the outlaws by the same name,” Colt said, recalling the news
paper article he had read.

  The three children were smiling with friendliness and innocence, and Cassie was actually smiling, too. By the amusement in her eyes she had put the pieces together and figured out that her brother had made Colt the brunt of a joke.

  “I’m sorry about Midnight. Jeff should have warned you that my horse doesn’t let strangers ride him.”

  Colt enjoyed a practical joke as much as anyone, and he’d always been able to laugh when the joke was on him. Growing up with a house full of brothers had taught him that lesson.

  But jokes that could get a person injured were not amusing; getting thrown from a bucking horse could get a man killed or maimed.

  “Luckily, no harm done, Miss Braden,” he said coldly and walked away.

  Chapter 3

  As she watched Colt Fraser walk away, Cassie could tell he was disgusted, and rightfully so. Underneath that Southern charm was a man of steel, and Jeff was a fool to push this man too far.

  And she was as much a fool as her brother for threatening Fraser earlier. Whatever had she been thinking?

  Maybe she should voice her fears to their dad, get him to order Jeff back to the ranch until Fraser left town. It would be a much better idea than her trying to charm him; Colt Fraser clearly wanted nothing more to do with her. She headed for the jail.

  Her father was dozing off in his chair when she burst in on him. He listened patiently to her fears, then shook his head.

  “Honey, you and Cathy have got to stop lookin’ out for your brother. He’s never gonna grow up until you do.”

  “Do you want to see him hurt, Dad? Or even killed?”

  “Of course not, honey, but we can’t be protecting him every minute. Jeff’s the only one who can make a man of himself—we can’t do it for him. I’ve tried, and Lord knows you and your sister have tried. ’Bout time he tries.”

  “But I have a feeling about this Colt Fraser. I’m afraid for Jeff.”

  “You’re wrong, honey. I’ve stayed alive this long by bein’ able to judge a man when I meet him. Colt Fraser’s a good man. I’m even thinkin’ of askin’ him to wear a star while he’s here.”

  “Are you serious? You’re going to ask him to be your deputy?”

  “Since Ben’s run off, I could use some help this comin’ weekend.”

  “What do you know about the man? For all you know, he could be a smooth-talking murderer.”

  “He ain’t no murderer, honey.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “By his handshake, and the set of his head on those broad shoulders of his.” A spark of cunning glittered in his eyes. “Don’t suppose you’ve noticed what a fine figure of a man he is. He’d be a fine catch for a young gal like yourself.”

  “No, Dad, I haven’t noticed.”

  His mouth drooped in dejection. “I was afraid of that.”

  She walked over and hugged him. “Furthermore, you old schemer, I’m already spoken for. You should be telling Cathy this.” She kissed him on the cheek and departed.

  Jethro watched sadly as she walked briskly up the street.

  “You ain’t ever gonna see the light, are you, gal?”

  On the way back to his room, Colt stopped at the desk and ordered a hot bath. It would feel good to soak off some of the ache and trail dust. The jolt from slipping off the horse had added to his already existing pains.

  Once in his room, Colt carefully removed his shirt without disturbing the bandage on his shoulder. His boots and socks followed, then he lay down on the bed and waited for his bath. He’d almost dozed off when there was a knock on the door and a voice informing him the bath was ready.

  He grabbed clean underwear and went down the hall to the bathroom, where he lowered his aching body into the hot tub. It was a squeeze, but the water felt damn good. Leaning his head back on the rim, he closed his eyes.

  Suddenly he felt something brush his foot under the water, and he jerked upright. Whatever was in the tub was on his right foot now, and it was moving.

  Don’t let it be a snake. Please, Lord, don’t let it be a snake.

  He had always hated snakes, even harmless grass snakes.

  Colt jumped out of the tub, and the encroacher followed and hopped across the floor. The frog leaped into the bucket used to fill the tub, and Colt checked the tub for any other uninvited critters. Satisfied, he climbed back in, resumed his position, closed his eyes, and remained that way until the water cooled. Then he soaped up the sponge and bathed himself.

  He climbed out of the tub regretfully, dried off and dressed, and return to his room for a short nap, after which he would head to the barbershop for a shave. He had just lain down when a knock sounded on the door. He opened it and gaped in surprise at the caller.

  “I’m sorry to bother you,” Cassie Braden said. “May I come in?”

  “What now, Miss Braden?” Leaving the door ajar, he turned and walked away.

  She entered and closed the door, then stood with her back against it. “I came to apologize for my threat to you this morning.”

  “I’d already forgotten about it, so you could have saved yourself the trip.”

  “Well, I want to apologize for Jeff’s actions this morning, too.”

  “I imagine you spend a good deal of your time apologizing for him.”

  “That’s beside the point. You could have been seriously hurt.”

  He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. She was squirming with uneasiness, but he didn’t intend to make this any easier for her.

  “After what your brother pulled yesterday and now today, I figure if I can avoid him for six more days, I’ll make it out of here in one piece.”

  She groped behind her for the doorknob. “Well, I’ve said what I came to say. Thank you for listening.” She turned to open the door.

  “Miss Braden…”

  When she turned back to him, he said, “I owe you an apology, too. My remark yesterday was extremely crude and uncalled for. I never thanked you for what you did for me, and you were undeserving of the remark.”

  Her blush was so appealing Colt found it impossible to sustain his displeasure with her. She was such an innocent.

  “I guess I overreacted. I’ve had a lot worse propositions from men passing through the town.”

  He chuckled. “Don’t be too critical of us poor males, Miss Braden. We’re just frail creatures at the mercy of our passions.”

  “The next time I get propositioned, I’ll try and keep that thought in mind and offer Christian charity in return.”

  “If it’s the kind of charity I have in mind, there’s a bed right here waiting for us.”

  She threw her hands up in frustration. “Feverish, indeed! Cathy is naïve for believing there’s any hope for you, Colt Fraser. You really are depraved!”

  “You told your sister what I said?”

  “Of course! Twins don’t keep secrets from each other.” She slammed the door on her way out.

  Colt climbed out of the window and waited until she appeared in the street below. Leaning over the railing, he shouted, “You left without saying good-bye. Does that mean no?”

  Grinning, he watched her stride angrily down the street. She was sexier than hell when she was mad. And that luscious ass of hers a sweet sight to behold. Damn sweet!

  And she was driven by passion: her outbursts of temper, her love for those three annoying sprouts she nurtured, and her loyalty to a worthless brother, were all evidences of the passion she brought into relationships.

  He couldn’t help imagining all that passion unleashed in bed. And he sure as hell intended to find out what it would be like.

  Yep, this was shaping up to be a real interesting week.

  He went back inside and stretched out on the bed, but his attempt to sleep was again interrupted by a knock on the door. He opened it to Samantha Starr and the two little James brothers.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, suspiciously.

  “We live here,” Bowie said.
“My folks own the hotel.”

  “And what about you?” he asked Sam.

  “Me and my mom live here, too. She’s the cook. My mom told us to apologize, seeing how you’re wounded and all.”

  “Well, thank you. Your apology’s accepted.”

  “We ain’t given it yet,” Sam said.

  Why me, Lord?

  “Don’t you have school, or chores to do?”

  “Most days we don’t have school, and we’ve done our chores.”

  Things became real clear to Colt. “And I bet one of those chores is filling the bathtub.”

  “Yeah, how did you know?” Bowie asked.

  “And why don’t you have regular school?” Colt asked.

  “We ain’t had any regular school since Mr. McBride went off to the war. He ain’t come back yet, and Mama says he most likely was killed,” Sam said.

  “We had a couple new schoolmarms for a time, but they didn’t like it here and left town,” Bowie added.

  “I can’t imagine why,” Colt said and began to close the door.

  Samantha and Bowie started to leave, but Petey lingered, staring at him.

  Colt smiled at the boy, who was the most appealing of the three. “What is it, pal?”

  “Are you gonna be the deputy sheriff?” the youngster asked.

  The question took Colt by surprise. “Wherever did you hear that?”

  “From Cassie.”

  Bowie yanked on his arm. “Come on, Petey. Cassie said you wasn’t supposed to say anything.”

  Flashing a belligerent glare, Sam turned around and looked at Colt.

  “Well, as long as Petey’s blabbed, are you and Cassie getting married?”

  “Good heavens, whatever gave you that idea?”

  “Mama says you’d make a good husband for Cassie. So are you gonna ask her to marry you?”

  “When mules fly,” Colt mumbled under his breath. How did people come up with crazy notions like that? He started to close the door again. “Nice seeing you all again. Good-bye.”

  “Yeah. See ya.” Bowie grabbed Petey’s hand and headed down the hall.

  Samantha hung back.

  “Is there a problem, Belle?” he teased.

  “My name’s not Belle,” she declared. “What did you do with Leaper?”