by Jillian Hart
“Come pet her,” Katie coaxed. “She don’t bite.”
“She bites,” Maisie whispered.
Anna offered her slender hand to the defiant pony. Big teeth closed around Anna’s ruffled hem and tugged.
“Watch out.” He dove forward, breaking away from Maisie to rescue Anna.
But already she’d waved away the concern with a flick of her slender hand. “No harm done.” Her smile shone as true as the North Star. “Bob looks like a great pony.”
Approval shone in Katie’s eyes. That mischievous, certain-to-be-punished Katie. “My Bob’s the fastest pony in town. Everyone says so. And she jumps really high, too.”
“Jumps?” he boomed. When did she start jumping that pony? She was under express orders not to—
“She?” Anna interrupted his thoughts and then laughed with such honest gentleness he forgot to be angry. “You named a girl pony, Bob?”
“She’s tough like me. I didn’t want her to have no frilly name.” Katie patted Bob’s brown side with pride before springing up onto the pony’s back.
“Being tough must be pretty important.”
The breeze lifted through Anna’s hair, shivering around her shoulders. So delicious, so inviting, he had to fist his hands. What would it feel like to wind his fingers through those gold locks, to feel that rich silk against his skin? The touch of a woman, her gentleness in his life—he hadn’t realized he’d missed such things.
Until now.
Maisie stepped out and tugged at Anna’s skirt. “Katie said you are gonna be my mama. That’s fine by me.”
Anna’s face crumpled, charmed and touched. Cooper rushed forward to grab his littlest girl, but Anna was already kneeling before her, laying a hand to that childsoft face. “Dear heart, what a sweet wish.”
“Ain’t no wish.” Maisie set her chin, a world of adoration lighting her berry-blue eyes.
Cooper scooped the child up into his arms as anger tore through his chest. He hadn’t realized how much his daughters might need a woman’s love in their lives. He hadn’t wanted to see it, but he’d only lied to himself.
Dreading the talk to come, Cooper set his Maisie up on Bob’s back, snug behind Katie. As Maisie wrapped her slim arms around her sister’s waist, he warned his eldest to ride slowly, no racing and no jumping with Maisie astride. Katie’s earnest promise reassured him.
“No need to worry, Cooper.” Her gaze didn’t move from the sight of the little girls astride Bob, trotting down the street, Maisie bouncing off-rhythm to the pony’s stride. “I won’t hold you to your daughter’s proposal.”
His throat went dry. He couldn’t look at her. “That’s mighty generous of you. Considering all you risked and almost lost in coming here.”
“Not generous. Practical.” Her voice lowered, soft as a setting sun. “I need to check on my daughter.”
“Wait.” He caught her hand and looked down into eyes so sad it hurt him. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for this confusion. Katie just wants a mother so badly. I’m not excusing her behavior, but I want to make things right. Let me help you.”
“No help is necessary.” Her eyes shone. “You’re a good man for offering.”
A good man? No, he was just trying to find his way, like anyone else.
She strode away, light and simple, without accusation or guilt.
But he felt guilty enough. He took off after her. “I fully intend to help you. Considering my daughter brought you here, I could do no less.”
“Put that billfold away.” Anna’s blue eyes rounded.
“I ought to compensate you for your passage here.” He thumbed through the bills.
“No.”
“But Anna, you lost all your money in the robbery.”
“That doesn’t mean—” Her eyes sparkled, as if she were holding back tears. Pride lifted her chin, kept her spine straight. “I’m not the kind of woman you can pay off.”
“I didn’t mean—”
“I don’t need your money.” She spun, skirts swishing, marching quickly back into the doctor’s clinic.
He bolted through the door after her. “If you won’t take my money, then let me pay for a room in the hotel.”
She turned and lifted her gaze to his. “I can’t let you do that. I don’t belong here, not really. And I won’t accept your help.”
“Not even for your daughter?”
“I can take care of her.” Pride. It had been a long time since he’d seen much to admire in a woman. He had to admire Anna Bauer, had to admit she was a different sort of woman than Katherine, even if she now needed help. “I don’t need your pity, Cooper. Or charity.”
“Soon she’ll be able to leave the clinic. She’ll need a place to stay.”
Anna wrung her hands, slender fingers that were red and rough, callused-looking, hands that had known hard work. “Let me worry about providing for my daughter. She isn’t your responsibility, Cooper.”
“I pulled her from the wreckage. I held her in my arms throughout that ride back to town. I handed her over to the doctor. I feel a duty. I want to know she’s going to be well, that men like Corinthos can’t destroy every life they touch.”
She lifted her face. Tears glistened there, clear as morning dew. “We’re alive today because of your bravery, your strength. You’re a wonderful man.”
“Aw, you don’t know the real me.” He blushed, uncomfortable with the admiration clear like morning in her eyes. “Cantankerous. Bossy. No woman will have me.”
“So Katie said.” A single tear slid down her pale cheek. “Don’t you worry about me, Cooper. I can take care of myself.”
“Against a man like Corinthos?”
“Against any man.” That stubborn chin hiked higher.
He stepped forward and watched the pupils in her eyes darken, watched her take in a steady breath, lifting the curve of her small, firm bosom. Real fear shadowed her face, and he wondered why. Maybe she was remembering the stage robbery, he reasoned. She had a right to be afraid. Corinthos wasn’t known for leaving his witnesses alive.
Or maybe she was as wary of entanglements as he was.
A clatter and a horse’s squealing whinny erupted on the street outside. Cooper pulled back the drapes at the front window. He saw the tanner’s unruly horse shying at a dust devil, nothing more. Still, he had to be on guard with Corinthos alive and gunning for him.
“I gotta go.” He knuckled back his hat, avoiding Anna’s compelling gaze, wishing he could do more for her. Wishing he could lift her burdens from those slim shoulders.
“You don’t have to do this on your own, Anna. You’re here because of my daughter, and I’ll make sure you have a hotel room, money, a ticket out of here. Whatever you want.”
She looked away and said nothing.
He didn’t know what to think about this woman, so determined to stand on her own. He’d never met anyone like her before. So independent, so proud for a woman. And while he didn’t understand, he did admire her for it.
As he strode out onto the street, Anna’s rose scent lingered sweet in his mind.
“Mrs. Bauer is one pretty woman,” Tucker commented from across the room.
Cooper looked up from his paperwork. Judging by the tone of his brother’s voice, he was up to something. “Are you thinking of courting her?”
“Heck, no. I’m not ready to settle down.”
“You’re twenty-five.”
“Far too young to be chained down by wedding vows.” Tucker winked. “But you, on the other hand big brother, are a prime candidate for marriage. Yep, Anna Bauer is just about right for you. Got that cute little daughter. Would fit right in with your girls. Even survived an introduction with Bob, or so I heard.”
“Enough.” Cooper uncrossed his ankles and put both feet firmly on the floor. “Has Katie been confiding in you? Or conspiring with you?”
“Now don’t go blaming everything on that wildcat girl of yours.” Tucker laughed, clearly amused. “I know what’s going o
n here. And I have to say I’m proud of you, realizing how much your girls need a mother and going about finding one. If I knew a woman that nice and pretty would answer a newspaper advertisement, I would have placed one myself years ago.”
“I thought you didn’t want to settle down.”
“I don’t. I meant I’d look for a wife for you, big brother.” Tucker laughed. “It’s just what you need.”
“That’s the very last thing I need.” Something had to be done about the misimpression of those darn letters. Cooper stopped at Tucker’s desk. “Hand them over.”
“I thought I’d save them for their rightful owner. Mrs. Bauer’s letters are personal.”
“They are also none of your business.” Cooper waited while Tucker dug them out of his bottom drawer, damaged and torn, but clearly Katie’s undisciplined scrawl marked those envelopes. How the girl engineered something like this was beyond him.
“There you go.” Tucker leaned back in his chair, the devil laughing in his eyes. “I trust you’ll see your betrothed gets them.”
Betrothed? Cooper swallowed his anger. He’d taken just about enough teasing from both siblings. He stuffed the letters in his shirt pocket. “This is a matter between me and the lady, Tucker. I don’t want you breathing a word of this to anyone.”
“You can count on me.” Tucker tried not to laugh. “So, are you going to marry her?”
“You know the answer to that question.” He didn’t believe in love. He’d made that mistake before and he’d lost more than his wife, more than his heart. She’d destroyed his honor, the very code by which he lived.
No one was going to do that to him again. Especially now that he had children. He felt badly for Anna Bauer, soft as morning light and good-humored to match. She’d risked so much because she needed a husband. Now, she would not accept his help. Anna, so kind and caring, deserved more than a few broken promises. What should he do? Cooper stared out the window, at a loss.
A pop of distant gunfire brought him to attention. He saw no trouble on the street, but he sensed it. Corinthos was back to break his gang member out of jail.
The deputies were all headed home, their day’s work done. “Tucker, alert the men. We’ve got trouble.”
“Mama?”
“Yes, pumpkin.” She turned, her mounting troubles momentarily forgotten. All that mattered was the tiny little girl hardly more than a wrinkle beneath the thick blankets, her button face so pale.
“Thirsty.”
“Let me get you some water.” Her hand shook as she grabbed hold of the pitcher’s porcelain handle. Splashes plopped in the basin, kerplunked on the table. But she held the tin cup steady so her child could drink. Just three small sips, then Mandy sank back into the pillows, already asleep.
Anna hated seeing her daughter injured, in so much pain. Far too weak to enjoy the captivating stories in Katie’s book. Or to play in the sunshine. Or sing songs.
Frustration knotted in her throat. No one had the right to hurt a child like this. No one. She well knew the world wasn’t fair, but a child should know compassion and safety, not fear and injury at the hands of a ruthless stranger.
The door flew open with a bang. Anna spun around. Fear lodged in her throat when she recognized the coldeyed man standing in the threshold, revolvers aimed straight at her chest.
Chapter Five
Cooper’s blood quickened at the sight of the familiar horse and rider sneaking into the alley behind the doctor’s clinic. Corinthos. He’d spotted the outlaw creeping along the back streets, trying to stay hidden while the rest of his gang attacked the jail. Cooper could guess what the outlaw was up to. It was said the bandit never left a man behind. Or a witness.
The back door clicked open and Cooper caught sight of a second man, a cohort of Corinthos, running from the direction of the jail. Cooper ducked a split second before gunfire popped and two bullets thunked into the board not a foot away. With revolvers in hand, loaded and cocked, he fired. The outlaw fell, hand to his side. Looked like another patient for the doc.
Cooper threw open the back door, checking the corridor. Empty.
“Sheriff.” The doc’s voice rang out from the closest patient room. “What—”
“There’s an injured man out in the street.”
“I’ll get right to him.” The doc reached for his black bag sitting on a low table. “I didn’t hear anyone come in. Is something wrong?”
“Just stay out of the line of fire.” Cooper waited, listened. He heard the tap of footsteps around the corner, then a low threatening voice.
“Yep, you’re the one from the robbery. The one who gave me trouble. I just had to be sure.” That familiar voice, muffled by the wooden walls. “There’s a few women in this place. I’d hate to take out the wrong one.”
Cooper heard a female voice answer the outlaw, too low to be heard. Anna’s voice, soft as spring.
His pulse stalled. He should have made certain the clinic was more heavily guarded. He could use the backup right now. Then again, with the jail under attack, every deputy was needed there.
A faint scuffle sounded on his left. Cooper spun, guns steady, to see Thomas Campbell, one of the men injured in the stage robbery. The cowboy was already out of bed and armed. Wearing only a pair of drawers, Campbell padded unsteadily forward.
“Corinthos wants the woman,” he spoke low. “She made him angry or something. Do you need a gun at your back?”
“You bet I do.” He knew Campbell’s reputation with a gun, a rough-and-tumble foreman on a local ranch who knew what he was doing. Grim, Cooper thought of what lay ahead. He didn’t want to make one mistake. It could cost Anna Bauer her life. “I’ll go first.”
“You’re the boss.”
Cooper padded down the hall, careful not to make any noise. When he was close enough, he leaned against the wall. He couldn’t see Corinthos through the opened door, but he could hear his voice, then Anna’s. She was begging him to leave her child behind.
Then Corinthos stepped into the threshold, pushing Anna in front of him. Surprise flashed in the outlaw’s cold eyes when he stepped into the hall and spotted Cooper. Cooper aimed, but he didn’t dare fire. The outlaw had Anna clutched against his chest like a shield.
“Let the woman go, Corinthos.”
“Looks like the local sheriff thinks he can stop me. But will you sacrifice the woman?”
“I want her unharmed.”
The outlaw lifted one revolver, pointing it to Anna’s side. Rage shot though Cooper’s chest. With no time to think, he squeezed the trigger. Sparks flamed, and thunder echoed in the narrow hallway. The bullet lodged into Corinthos’ bandaged shoulder. The Colt flew from the outlaw’s gloved hand and clattered to the floor.
Victory. Cooper grabbed Anna and spun her to safety into Campbell’s arms. Now it was just the two of them, him and Corinthos.
“You are a gutsy devil, Braddock.” A cold brown gaze battered his. “But this ain’t over yet.”
“I say your outlaw days are through.” Cooper rolled the man around and clipped handcuffs at his wrists. “I’ve got a jail cell with your name on it.”
Corinthos swore in pain as Cooper pulled him around by one arm, the injured one.
Finally. Cooper had the man who’d been terrorizing this town and stealing from its hardworking citizens. Now they could have peace. Satisfied, he pushed Corinthos against the wall.
“Outside.” Cooper gave the outlaw a push. The big man stumbled past Anna. She leaned against the wall, white-faced and looking scared. Her large blue eyes were as round as saucers. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, hold her against his chest and assure her she was safe.
Now where did that urge come from? Wherever it was, he’d better squelch it.
“It will be all right.” He tried to reassure her with as much of a smile as he could manage, as he would for any civilian in this town. “I kept my word. I might make a bad marriage prospect, but I’m not a bad sheriff.”
“And I
’m grateful to you yet again. That man tried to take Mandy, too.”
Cooper studied the red welt marking her right cheek. Her hair had come down from its knot, disheveled and tousled. Her dress was ripped at the collar. Besides the fear, gratefulness shimmered in her luminous eyes, so round with an emotion he didn’t want to think about. He didn’t want to think that Tucker was right in how Anna Bauer felt about him.
“Is your girl hurt?”
She shook her head and tangled curls brushed along the soft angles of her face. “I hit him with the pitcher. I’m afraid I can’t afford to replace it.” Tears sparkled as they slid down her cheeks, tears of relief, he guessed. She must have been so afraid.
Not many women would go up against a man as dangerous as Corinthos. Awed by her strength and courage, Cooper lowered his eyes and gave the outlaw another hard shove. “Anna, I’ll be back. Wait for me.”
She said nothing. He ordered Campbell back to bed, he was bleeding fresh into his bandage. Cooper holstered one revolver and kept one hand at Corinthos’ neck.
“Be smart, Braddock,” Corinthos snarled. “You arrest me, and my men will bust me out. You’ll have more gunfire on your streets.”
“That’s the chance I’ll take.” He managed to push open the back door. He gave the outlaw a shove. “I intend to put an end to your career in these parts, Corinthos.”
“Then I truly pity you. You don’t know how wrong you are.”
A man had to stand for something, and Cooper had learned the hard way the kind of man he wanted to be. But not everyone thought as he did, not every sheriff used his badge to protect. Anna’s soft face flashed into his mind, and the terror and pain Corinthos had caused the innocent widow and her child. Yes, he was glad he would be able to put this outlaw away.
“Drop it right there,” a gravely voice ordered. Two armed men slid out from the shadows in the alley.
“I got your leader.” Cooper pressed the Colt hard into Corinthos’ neck. He was sorry his men were all at the jail, fighting to keep hold of the injured outlaw. Gunfire sounded from the direction of the jailhouse.