by Reece Butler
“Correction, Jennet,” said Ben calmly. “I said your gold was coming from Bannack City. I did not state anything about my client.”
“Client? She’s nothing but a—”
Luke stepped so close to Jennet that their coats touched. “Think carefully before finishing that sentence about my future wife,” he said quietly.
Frank Chambers sighed. “Stand down, Luke. He’s not worth going to jail.”
Sarah shot Luke an evil look after he stepped back. “For the last time, I’m not going to marry you!” Billy pushed her behind him again.
Jennet set both hands on his vest and tugged it down. He lifted his chin and turned to Chambers. “I thought I saw the last of you. Where’s the new sheriff?”
“He’s investigating something up the valley.”
“When will he be back? I wish to speak with him.”
“It can’t be soon enough. I’m too old for this.” Frank cleared his throat and looked around. “According to town law, until you have a written order from the town council, signed by yourself and the mayor, and with a majority of votes in favor of closing this bakery, Miss Unsworth may continue to operate her business.”
Jennet sputtered for a moment. After a final glare, he turned on his heel and stomped down the boardwalk to his house. He slammed the door so hard the window next to it rattled.
“Show’s over, folks. Get about your business.” Frank waved his hand to send the crowd away. Everyone but those directly involved moved away, except Hames.
“May I ask you a question, Miss Unsworth?” Hames didn’t wait for an answer. “Why are you so insistent on having a bakery when everyone knows a woman isn’t capable of running a business? After all, women were put on this earth as servants to men.”
Luke groaned as Sarah sputtered. He was glad he wasn’t holding a gun or she might grab it out of his hand and use it. The man knew how to provoke the reaction he wanted. Whatever Sarah said, especially if was titillating, would appear in print.
“I am more than capable, Mr. Hames. In fact, I can do almost anything as well as a man, if not better. And I will never be a servant!” She frowned and tilted her head, peering at the newspaperman. He quickly turned his back and sauntered after the crowd heading to Baldy’s. As usual he smiled and nodded, taking in their eager opinions.
“Jennet will send a rider to the mayor’s ranch within the hour,” warned Ben. “I hear Sheldrake was in town. He’d have told Rivers everything. If the mayor’s at his ranch, he’ll be here later today or tomorrow.” He watched the men crowding into Baldy’s Saloon. “We’ll be keeping our women in the valley while he’s in town.”
Frank grunted his agreement. “Once the mayor arrives, he and Jennet will haul all the business owners together and vote to shut you down.” He shook his head at Sarah. “With this going on, I don’t like the idea of you sleeping in the bakery all alone.”
“I’m not alone. I have Billy and Oliver.”
Sarah replied quickly, but Luke saw the concern in her eyes when she looked after Hames. Was she worried he’d write about how she came to be in Tanner’s Ford? It would certainly sell more newspapers. That could draw even more trouble into town, and might destroy Sarah’s new life.
“Billy’s only twelve,” said Frank, “and Oliver’s a cat who can’t even climb out of a tree. You need a man to protect you.”
Luke had heard about Sarah needing help to haul her cat out of the tree behind Nora’s house. He’d never climb a tree, especially for something as ridiculous as a cat. He wiped his suddenly damp palms on his pants.
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” insisted Sarah. “Once the doors are locked, no one can get in.”
“You can’t stay there anymore,” said Frank. “It’s too dangerous.” He held up his hand before she could get past a sputter. “Jennet is ready to burst about you owning the bakery. Rivers will soon be in town, and may bring his thugs. It just isn’t safe.”
“I won’t move out before the town council forces me,” said Sarah.
She stuck out her chin and settled her feet, ready to take the whole world on. Luke both admired and cursed her attitude. He recognized her need to stand tall and put her business first, but that wouldn’t keep her alive if a man was determined enough.
“Someone else could sleep nearby,” said Ben.
“I’m not a child.” Sarah huffed but didn’t continue when Frank raised a warning hand.
“No, you’re not,” agreed Luke, unable to hold back any longer. “You’re a woman. A very attractive, single woman who lives alone. The front windows are four feet wide by six feet high. There are even windows in the front doors. It would be very easy to break in and cause you problems.”
“They might get into the display room by the street,” replied Sarah with a pout, “but they could never get in the kitchen. That’s where the ladder to the loft is, and where I sleep.”
“Do you want to chance it?”
Sarah rubbed her left hip. “I’m not moving out before I have to,” she said with quiet dignity.
“Then someone will stay in front of the building each night,” said Luke. He sighed and looked at the false front. There was no roof over the door, or even a small overhang. Just a wooden bench.
“I’m not having some poor man lie in front of my door like a dog. I wouldn’t even let Daisy do that!”
“You need protection,” said Frank. “Otherwise, none of us will get any sleep.”
“If I have to have someone, they can sleep in the front room.”
“That’s not acceptable,” said Luke. “I wouldn’t trust anyone to be that close—”
“Then you do it.” Frank smirked when Luke sputtered. “The Circle C will protect Miss Unsworth instead of Billy. After all, you’re the ones wanting to marry her.” Frank held up his hand to stop Sarah interrupting. “Isn’t that why you kissed Oz in the dining room, Sarah? People won’t be too surprised if it’s the Circle C guarding you.”
Sarah looked at her feet. They waited while she cleared her throat. “Of course.” Her chest expanded when she inhaled. “There’s a good bolt on the kitchen side. That should protect what little virtue I may have.”
Luke hid his grimace and nodded. Sarah better shoot that bolt home. If Oz spent the night, he’d try to kiss her within the first few minutes. As for Gabe, after that kiss in the bakery, Luke wasn’t sure if his friend wouldn’t try the same thing. And yet the woman refused to kiss him, just because he wanted to marry her! Where was the logic in that?
Ben snickered. “You’re saying the very men who’ve been kissing the lady senseless, will protect her?”
“I do hope you are not implying anything untoward,” said Luke coldly. “The door between us will be bolted. On Sarah’s side.”
“Of course,” replied Ben.
He nodded solemnly, but Luke saw the laughter in his eyes. Luke was getting fed up with well-married men laughing at him. Ranger, Ben’s twin and one of the hardest men Luke knew, even cracked a smile or two now that Florence shared his bed. Luke heard that Ranger spent his evenings carving toy animals for the valley children, laughing as Dusty, his beast of a kitten, played in the shavings. Ben said Ranger’s new attitude had a lot to do with Sunbird bringing Ranger’s old carvings home from Texas. Everyone had thought they’d been burned long ago.
Sarah stared at them with a mulish expression. “Since you men have decided things to your satisfaction, I’d best get to my business while I still have it.” She whirled around and stomped into her bakery. She didn’t slam the door, likely because it had expensive glass.
“I expect Jennet to call a town council meeting tomorrow,” said Frank. “I’ll make sure they understand Sarah will be too busy working at the hotel to move out Saturday. They’ll have to wait until Sunday for her to leave.”
“Who’ll stay with her?” asked Ben.
“What if Oz stays tonight and Gabe Saturday?” Frank looked around for agreement.
“I think Sarah would agree wit
h that,” said Ben with a smile. He pulled a paper out of his pocket. “I’d best head for the mercantile. Florence gave me a list.”
“I haven’t seen your dear wife in a while,” said Frank.
“Florence hasn’t, ah, been comfortable early in the morning.” Ben pulled on his collar and cleared his throat.
“Another Elliott babe?” Frank laughed and slapped Ben on the back. “Congratulations.” Ben, flushing as red as Oz’s hair, nodded acceptance. Frank’s wide smile drooped. “I just wish your ma and pa could be here to see the valley filling with Elliotts.”
Ben nodded. “And MacDougals.”
“Please pass on our congratulations to your wife,” said Luke. He shook hands with Ben, who headed for the mercantile with a bounce in his step.
“Treat Sarah right and you might have a child of your own next year,” said Frank quietly.
“She insists she’ll never marry, but I’m not giving up.”
“If Sarah is anything like my Mary, what she says to you, and what she thinks, aren’t always the same. Give her time and things will fall the way they will.”
Frank headed back to the jail while Luke went to his horse. He’d give almost anything to be in Ben’s shoes, caring for a wife carrying his son. He mounted and turned west, toward home, to tell his partners the news about guarding Sarah.
He trusted Gabe and Oz to respect Sarah’s wishes. The only problem was, what if she wished for a whole lot more than kisses?
Chapter Thirteen
Sarah stretched out her back, groaning in relief that the long day was over. The fight about closing her bakery took a lot out of her, and since it was Friday, the dining room was full at both dinner and supper.
To top it off, she spent the day fretting about who would guard her tonight. Of course, none of the men bothered to inform her of the outcome of their discussion. She sighed, sore back and feet forgotten, at the thought of Gabe or Oz spending the night with her. Oz might agree to do more than kiss her, but she wasn’t sure about Gabe.
Thanks to the lawman, she now had an acceptable reason for a man to stay near her at night. The townspeople didn’t have to know just how close he would be. That meant tonight and tomorrow were her only chances to have an orgasm. It better not be Luke guarding her. If so, she’d insist he sleep on the other side of her bolted door!
“Word must have spread about you being here,” said Sophie. “This weekend might end up even busier than the last.”
“Maybe they know they’d better come before the council closes my bakery.” Sarah slumped on the bench by the table. She rested her head on her hands.
“Between the bakery and my dining room, you’ve been run off your feet for days. No wonder you’re so tired.” Sophie sat on the stool across the table from Sarah.
“It’s not just that,” mumbled Sarah.
“It couldn’t have anything to do with tossing and turning at night, dreaming of kisses, could it?”
“Sophie!” She shot her friend a warning look.
“Don’t try that look on me. I’ve been watching you keep one eye out for Gabe and Oz all week, while pretending not to. You pout when they don’t stop by.” She lowered her voice and spoke in a teasing singsong. “I hope you’re not too tired to enjoy tonight, should someone special be nearby.”
Sarah tried to look stern but the corners of her mouth turned up in a smile.
“I won’t be too tired for a kiss or two,” she admitted. “As long as it’s not with Luke.”
“Are you sure you don’t want more than kisses?”
Heat flashed over her face. She groaned at Sophie’s knowing laugh. She wanted a lot more than kisses. If sex felt so good with the first man, a stranger, who touched her intimately, how much more wonderful would it be if she cared about the man pleasing her? Just looking at Oz and Gabe made her eager for their touch. She groaned, from need rather than aching feet. Her breasts filled, pressing hard nipples against her bodice. She needed a man to touch her bare breasts with his fingers, and mouth. She needed—
“I need to find Oliver and get some sleep.” She stood, unable to sit any longer.
“You need more than a cat, my dear.” Sophie laughed when Sarah grimaced at her. “Which man is guarding you tonight? Experienced Oz, or shy Gabe?” She fluttered her eyelashes like an eager debutant.
“I don’t know yet,” said Sarah with a groan. She absently rubbed her left hip. “For all I know it could be Luke both nights. He might insist he ‘guard my honor’ since he plans to be my husband.”
Sophie wrinkled her nose. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
Sarah’s pussy contracted at the thought of a man finally touching her again. She pressed her arm against her swollen breasts. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“You’re right. Otherwise, neither of us will be able to sleep. What’s happening with Billy now that he’s not guarding you?”
“He said he’ll still watch out for me. I think he wants to use his rope to catch someone.”
“No one will try anything with one of the Circle C men sleeping in your front room.” Sophie waggled her eyebrows. “Or kitchen.”
Sarah ignored Sophie’s snicker though the increased heat blossoming from between her legs was harder to push aside.
“Before one of them arrives, I’d better wash and get ready for bed. I’ll put that pallet you lent me right by the door between the rooms, so no one will be able to see who’s sleeping there.”
“Don’t you mean, so no one will know if someone’s sleeping there?”
Thoughts of the night ahead warmed her so much she just wrapped her shawl loosely around her shoulders before stepping out into the evening. With the longer spring days she could see to walk even though it was seven o’clock. The purple haze of dusk darkened the east, but the sun’s dying rays still lit the west. She closed the door behind her, knowing Sophie would soon lock up.
She turned right and followed the path to the boardwalk. Though the bakery was on the other side of the hotel, Oliver liked to linger near the tree behind Nora’s home so she kept up her habit of checking to see if he was in the tree before going to bed. She looked, but no black-and-white lump waited for help getting down. She sighed in satisfaction. With luck, he’d be curled on Nora’s porch, waiting for her.
Hoof beats rapidly approached from the east end of town, likely someone needing Doc. There was no reason why anyone else would come racing through town. Just in case, she slid her hand into the special pocket Rosa had helped her create in the side seam of her skirt. She grasped the slender knife, a gift from Nevin MacDougal, along with the lessons on how to use it. She turned to face the approaching horse. All she could see was a dark shape on a dark horse coming up the street.
She stepped farther back from the boardwalk to let him pass. The rider slowed to a trot. The feeble light showed a stranger’s face. She pulled out her knife, holding it in her fist facing down. She hid it in the folds of her skirt, and set her feet. Nevin said to hide the weapon until she could take a man by surprise. Because men would always be bigger and stronger, she had to use her brain and her stealth. Being short, she should swing the knife up rather than stab down.
The man slowed and veered toward her. She backed up. White teeth snarled as the man leaned forward, one arm low, and reached. She slashed up at him and heard a scream. She stumbled backward and fell, landing on her side.
A rope flew over the rider’s head and settled around his arms and chest. He yelped and swore, fighting the lasso as the horse danced in a circle. The man finally managed to toss the rope off his shoulders. He snarled something, turned his horse, and raced back the way he’d come.
Deputy Chambers and Doc Henley rushed out of the jail, hollering. A tall, lean shadow approached on near-silent feet. She came to her knees and faced him, still gripping her knife. She almost dropped it in relief when she saw the shadow was Nevin.
“It’s okay, Miss Sarah,” cried Billy, running up. “Yer safe now.”
T
he deputy wheezed, bent over with his hands on knees. “I’m too old for this.” He gasped. “And of course Sheriff Barstow’s out of town.”
“Stop complaining,” said Doc. He slapped Frank Chambers on the back. “I know you don’t want to miss the showdown between Sarah and Jennet.”
Frank nodded at his good friend. “I’ve been wanting to see those men get their comeuppance for years.”
“You did a good job, but you can put the knife away now,” said Nevin quietly.
She blinked and looked at her hand. The blade was clean. Had she cut her attacker, or even touched him? It didn’t matter. She’d defended herself, and he was gone. She slid the knife back into its hiding spot with shaking fingers.
Frank slowly straightened up. “Where’d you come from, Nev?”
“Doc and Rosa’s.” Nevin looked at what Billy held. “You roped him?”
Billy nodded. “I said I’d rope anybody who tried to hurt Miss Sarah, but he hornswoggled me.”
“He threw off your loop, but you still stopped him from kidnapping Sarah,” said Nevin.
“Kidnap?” Sarah swallowed wrong and choked. Billy enthusiastically thumped her on the back. She managed to catch her breath and wave him off. “I thought they wanted me out of the bakery, not out of town,” she croaked.
“We don’t know who went after you, or why,” said Nevin. “It may have nothing to do with the bakery, and everything to do with a pretty, young, single woman.”
He rested his big hand on her shoulder, and she turned to him like a brother. He gave her a hug, pressing her face against his chest. Safe, she shuddered at what might have happened. When her fiancé sold her to that brothel, she was on her own. Now she had friends to help. No matter what happened, she didn’t want to leave this town.
Her protectors included a half-grown boy, an elderly ex-sheriff, a doctor who never carried a weapon, and a half-Bannock warrior who could, and would, kill anyone who harmed someone he cared about. She pushed away from Nevin, not wanting to appear weak and womanish. She fought tears, hating them. Someone wanted to hurt her, but why?