"I was never sweet on Joe. I'll admit I did think he was being picked on a lot, especially when he was younger, but now I'm wondering if he deserved my pity at all. He's got a wild streak in him that's unpredictable. It kind of scares me, really. I was afraid he was going to make a ruckus at the dance."
"How come you're afraid of him all of a sudden?"
"What makes you think I’m afraid of Joe?" Callie's voice was unsteady now.
"I seen you at the dance tonight, when Joe came in. I saw your face. You were afraid. I never seen you afraid of anything. But you were tonight. There's got to be a reason."
"I told you they robbed the bank. They hurt Mr. Phelps, too. I don’t' know how badly, no one said anything about him at the dance." Callie hung her head, and waited for Sam to explode with anger.
"No kiddin'?" Sam's eyes rounded on her. "I can't believe they robbed the bank, right here in Hard Knocks? I hope Mr. Phelps is all right. He's a pretty nice guy, for a banker."
"Yes. So do I. But if Joe would hurt someone, or let someone get hurt by his men, there's no telling what he is capable of."
"Maybe you are right about that. Maybe you better stay away from there, sis."
"I guess."
"And Gill thinks Joe did it? He's smart, he uses his head. I like that. He doesn't just jump with the gun."
"I guess that's pretty natural. When something goes wrong around here, Joe usually gets blamed." Sam admitted, "But maybe he deserves the blame. Maybe he's not a good person at all, Callie. Maybe he is dangerous."
"Sam…it's none of our concern." Apprehension climbed up her back, joined by annoyance that she couldn't be totally honest with Sam about her feelings, but right now, she was more than a little confused.
"You do know something." Sam's eyes rounded on her now. Sam had a third sense about things, and she knew it, right now, it stood between them and he waited for her to let down the barriers.
"Leave it alone, Sam. This is more serious than you know."
"You weren't with them were you?"
"Of course not. I'm not that stupid! The only reason I've been going over to the Boggs house is his mother. She and I have become good friends since she took so sick. We talk, and she teaches me things the best she can. That's where I got all those recipes."
"Is there anything between you and Joe?"
"No….and that's the truth. I admit at first I liked him, when he was younger. I don't know, maybe I thought he was more interesting than the other boys were back then, but I soon learned how foolish that was. Joe isn't the kind to stick to one girl. I know that. Besides, you are right, he needs a bath and a shave and I won't get tangled with a robber."
Sam nodded. "I'm sure glad. You better stay away from there."
"Well, what if she gets worse and dies?"
"Nothing you can do for her then, is there?"
"No…I guess not."
"Stay away from there, sis. Promise me."
Callie looked away from him.
"Promise me." Sam pleaded.
"Alright…I promise. Besides," she nearly laughed. "It wouldn't do for the deputy's girl to be going to see the Boggs."
Sam let a smile lose and nodded.
Callie changed into her flannel gown. It was long and worn down to a softness that she loved.
She lay on her bed. Gil Sutton liked her. He really liked her. And his kisses…wow! They knocked her boots off. She remembered how much she had liked him as a kid. She just couldn't remember when that stopped.
She could do a lot worse…that was for sure.
~*~
Gil walked in the office the next morning, whistling a song. He was in a good mood, and nothing could change that today. He loosened his gun and hung his holster on the peg. He glanced around the office, one desk, one chair out front, and three jail cells, that made up the office. But Lou kept a clean office. All his wanted posters were pinned up on the big board he built for them. Gil liked the fact that Lou was meticulous and that his posters were of serious felon's, not the common everyday criminals that would keep any lawman busy tracking down.
Coffee was always fresh on the pot-bellied stove, and Lou had a lot of collections in his office, guns for one thing, maps of Texas, with the old cattle drive trails on them, a flag. All things that meant a lot to him.
Lou glanced up at him in surprise.
"You're in a good mood this morning." Lou eyed him and shot him a twisted kind of smile.
"Yes sir, I am." Gil grinned mischievously. Knowing Lou as well as he did he knew he would ply the information out of him soon enough.
"Well, did you take my advice?" Lou was asking him when he sat down.
"Your advice?" Gil asked, crooking his head in question. "Now what advice is that?"
"Yeah, and not drill Callie full of questions. I was worried when you walked her outside at the dance. I figured you were out for bear, so the speak."
"Oh yeah, I guess I did take your advice." Gil answered wistfully. "I enjoyed the dance a lot, thanks to you. And Joe wasn't even mentioned until he showed up so unexpectedly drunk. He expected a fight, I didn't oblige, you should be proud."
"I thought when Joe actually showed up; there might be some trouble between you two." Lou looked suspiciously at him.
"Everything was great, until he showed up. You'd be proud to know I was a perfect gentleman, although I sensed she might be expecting me to ask those questions when he left. But it was kind of funny, when Joe showed; he said I had his girl." Gil laughed.
"Did you?" Lou's brow shot up in question.
It was time to put an end to the kidding Lou was getting such a kick out of. He'd hit him with the truth and see what that did.
"Actually, after last night, and from where I was sitting, I'd say she was my girl." Gil smirked. "And maybe has been all along."
"Your…girl?" Lou slammed his desk drawer and looked at Gil speculatively. "Well, what do you know about that." Lou took his hat off and scratched the top of his head.
He took a few minutes to digest that information.
"Your girl? That's really going to an extreme to get information, Gil. What makes you think she'd go for that? She's no fool."
"Who said anything about information? And I guess the kiss told me all I needed to know."
Lou looked puzzled.
"The kiss. You kissed her?" Lou's brows met in astonishment.
"I sure did, and she kissed me back." Gil chuckled remembering the kisses in amusement.
"I don't think Joe's gonna feel too kindly toward you, boy. You're pushing this thing a little hard, aren't you? Someone could get hurt. Like Callie?" Lou stared at him, waiting for some adverse reaction. "Especially if he is under the impression she is his girl."
Gil felt a little stunned himself. But his confidence soared. "That's too bad, because that's how it is. Even Callie didn't argue with that."
Gil took his hat off and hung it on the peg.
"Well then, I guess that's settled." Lou sat up straight, not sure of what was settled between the two of them.
"I guess it is." Gil smiled to himself. He wasn't sure about what he was saying, but it would shut Lou up and that was all that mattered. Besides, Callie didn't object to the idea. It wouldn't hurt for it to get around town that Callie was his girl. It might even protect her.
Still it left a lot of questions between them unanswered.
He'd give her a few days to think on it, and himself.
Naturally, Jo would see that it was all over town before long, but that didn't rattle Gil in the least. In fact, he was kind of enjoying the idea. Maybe a little rattling would wake this town up.
The teasing would stop and Callie had something besides Joe Boggs to think about. And he, well, maybe deep down somewhere, he'd been thinking it all along.
Chapter Eight
"You got to come, Callie, Mrs. Boggs is asking for you." Penny Fletcher pleaded with Callie two days later. Penny was another neighbor that frequented the Boggs house, but obviously not for
the same reason. She was sweet on Joe and Callie was sure of that. Callie always suspected that Penny and Joe might be more than friends. And Penny had played up to Mrs. Boggs since she thought that maybe Joe might marry her.
Callie glanced at her. Penny was pretty, with brown hair and eyes, and a voluptuous figure. But Callie didn't think she had a brain working. To Callie it was sad that Penny didn't have the slightest idea what she was getting herself into.
"Alright…I'll be there…tell her…" Callie sighed. This wasn't a good idea. If she went to Mrs. Boggs, she was sure to run into Joe.
Penny turned to look at her before closing the door behind her, and raised a skeptic brow at her. She had come in a wagon and whipped it out of the yard quickly.
Gil would surely find out about her going there once more, and this time he would ask questions.
Sam came in from cleaning the barn, and saw Callie getting ready to ride.
"Where you going?" Sam asked his face a wad of frowns.
"Mrs. Boggs is ailing badly. I have to go check on her." Callie explained.
"It isn't a good idea, sis. Gil won't like it. He's bound to ask questions. You best not go."
"I know that, but what can I do. She's dying Sam, and if I don't go now…" She left the rest unsaid.
"Then just check on her and come home. It's late. You can't do her any good anyway." Sam argued.
"I know that. All I was going for was support. Penny Fletcher came by and said she's asking for me though. What can I do? Maybe it's something important."
Sam looked down, as though thinking. "Alright, I will drive you over and that way you can say you gotta get back."
"Maybe that would be a good idea." Callie nodded. "Okay, hitch up the wagon so we can get back before dark."
Sam nodded and went to the barn. In minutes, he was waiting for her outside.
Sam was right this time, she shouldn't be going, but she had little time to debate, Mrs. Boggs might not last through the night.
As Sam drove the wagon, Callie sat thinking on how to get in and out in a hurry.
Pulling up beside the house, Joe and some of his friends were out on the porch, their heads hung.
"How is she?" Callie asked as he helped her down from the wagon. He ignored Sam.
"Not good. Don't think she's gonna make it…"Joe mumbled.
"I'll go in to see her. But I can't stay; we need to get home before dark." Callie explained.
"Thanks for coming, Callie." Joe said contritely.
Callie nodded and went inside.
She heard Joe and his friends joshing Sam though before she closed the door behind her. She knew what they were up to, trying to persuade him to join their little gang. No way would she permit that and Joe knew it. Of course, Sam had a mind of his own and he would never get involved.
She saw Mr. Boggs coming out of her room, and frowned. "Go on in, she's askin' for ya. Don't know why, you can't do her any good."
"I won't be long…" Callie passed him and opened the door. She watched as Mr. Boggs left and she closed the door.
Mrs. Boggs was lying on the bed, holding her chest.
"Mrs. Boggs, how are you doing?" Callie asked, coming closer to her.
The woman reached out her hand to her. Her voice was weak; her eyes looked so sunken in. She looked at death's door. "Lord girl, I'm dying. It won't be long now…I ain't gonna last…but…"
She coughed.
Callie sat beside the bed, holding her hand. "I'm sorry, I wish there was more I could do."
"You mean that?" The woman leaned toward her and asked.
"Yes…I do."
"Then come closer child. I have something to tell you. Something none of them can hear." She motioned for the men outside.
"All right." Callie leaned toward her.
"I know they stole the bank money. And I know where they hid it. I want you to take it to the Sheriff, as soon as you can." Mrs. Boggs instructed and then coughed. This time she coughed up blood and Callie got a rag on the dresser, wet it, and cleaned her mouth. "Will you do that for me?" She barely managed in a whisper.
"Just tell me where it is then, and I'll do it."
"Promise?"
"I do. I promise." Callie whispered.
"You know that old abandoned mine south of town?"
"Yes. The old Dugan mine, sure."
"Go in it, there's a covered well inside, it's at the bottom of that well in the bucket, just pull the bucket up. I heard Joe bragging about it." She coughed again.
"Do they know you know?"
"I don't think so. That's why you got to hurry. They are talking about digging it up and splitting it. So you got to hurry. I don't want my family arrested for thieving." She cried. "It will be the last thing on earth I can do for them."
"Don't tell them you know. Don't dare tell them." Callie urged her.
"Have no fear, I won't. Now you go on, and do as I said. Before it's too late. Turn that money into the Sheriff. So I can die in peace. If you can…come back and tell me, you got it done. If you can't…I'll understand. And Callie…"the old woman reached for her hand. "Thank you. From the bottom of my heart."
"Yes ma'am…I'll get it done, don't you have one fret about it. You won't have to worry any more…" Callie promised.
As Callie was leaving, she turned to look at her, and the old woman smiled, "Be careful child…"
"Yes ma'am."
Callie came back out and heard Joe and his friends laughing. "Your Mama is in there dyin' and all you can do is make fun of a my brother? You ought to be ashamed of yourself Joe, all of you!" Callie turned and made for the wagon.
"So you're sweet on that deputy are you?" Joe frowned as he helped her up the wagon.
"You heard him," Callie frowned as she looked at Joe now.
"You're gonna be sorry Callie. You could have had me instead. Gil Sutton ain't nothin'."
"He's a deputy Sheriff; I'd say that was something."
"Well listen at her, if she don't sound proud of him. I guess I'll have to set Gil Sutton straight around her and you too. Get on home Callie. Get that snot nosed brother of yours back to that dirt farm he loves so much. I didn't figure he was man enough to join up."
"I have you know Joe Boggs; my brother isn't a boy any more. He's a man. He works like a man, and he deserves the respect of being a man. And we may only have a dirt farm, but it's all ours and we owe nobody for it." Callie raised her head with pride.
"Sam ain't no man, he don't wear a gun. He can't fight. All he knows is digging in the dirt." Joe laughed.
"Well he knows how to do that well enough. We still got food on the table when most folks are crying for their crops." Callie stared at him. "And a gun doesn't make a man, Joe. In fact, I know a lot of boys who wear guns, and they aren't men. Good day. Let me know if your mom gets any worse."
"Penny will send word. She's kind of sweet on me, you know?" He laughed. "I might just decide to forget you and have her. What do you think of that?"
"Fine, don't matter to me. It's your Ma I came to see. But I feel sorry for Penny. I doubt she has a clue what you are up to half the time. Goodbye…" She whipped the horses out of the yard, and then turned the reins over to Sam as she was trying to figure out what to do and how to do it.
"Something wrong?" Sam asked when he saw her perplexed face.
"Sam, take me home, and I want you to ride to town as fast as you can and get Gil. Tell him to meet me at the old mine south of town…"
"The Dugan mine?" Sam frowned.
"That's right."
"What for?" Sam asked.
"Mrs. Boggs told me that's where Joe hid the bank money. She wants us to turn it in. So get Gil."
"All right. So Joe did rob the bank?" Sam glanced at her again. "For sure and certain?"
"Yeah, he did. But Mrs. Boggs wanted to rest assured that the money would be returned. Gil can take it in." Callie told him.
"What about you? What if they find out you are headed there and follow?" Sam asked suddenly
worried.
"They don't know she knows. Or that I do either. But we got to hurry; they are planning on splitting up the money real soon." She was still trying to gather her courage about her.
"I'll hurry. I promise. You be careful." Sam said as he pulled into the home place.
"I will, now hurry. Tell him it's the old Dugan mine south of town. He'll know where it is. And you get back home, so no one will know you've been anywhere." She instructed.
"Alright, take care of yourself." He hollered as he whipped the team toward town.
Callie went to the barn, gathered a lantern and saddled her horse.
She rode as quickly as she could to the mine. By the time she got there, it was dark. It was pitched black inside so after she was well into the mine; she lit the lantern she found at the entrance.
She wasn't sure where the well was, but she kept hunting. Directly she heard horse hoofs pounding the ground. She froze. Was it Joe? Or Gil?
But it wasn't Gil, it was old man Boggs. He went straight to the well, dug up the cover and started hauling the money up from the well.
She hid in the shadows and watched his every move.
"Them stupid kids think I’m gonna share this, they are crazy. I'll light out of here and to hell with them all…" he was saying.
Callie was in a dark corner, and saw the bags of money he hauled up. She heard what he said too. She was trembling so hard she almost moved, but she held her breath when Old man Boggs whipped about hearing more horses.
"Who the hell is that…?" He hollered.
There was a cock of a gun, and Callie moved out so she could see.
Gil came in, his gun in his hand, and Sam followed behind him. Callie was afraid for them both and she hollered out.
"Look out, he's got a gun." Callie shouted and slid back into the shadows.
Gil fired when the old man shot at him and Sam. The old man fell to the floor of the mine.
Callie came out of the shadows and ran to Gil. Gil took her in his arms. "You alright?"
Brides of the West-Part One Page 67