The Halsey Brothers Series

by Paty Jager

  “Thank you for helping me.” She touched a bruise on his cheek. He grimaced. A look of regret crossed her lovely face. Her discomfort softened his resolve to prove himself the enemy.

  “It was my pleasure.”

  “You find beating people pleasurable?”

  “No.” He touched a sore rib and looked into her concerned face. “It was my pleasure to protect you.”

  He gazed at the sprinkling of freckles across her nose and stared at her lips. Every nerve in his body told him to kiss her. His arms tightened around her. He used all his control to slowly release her. Now was not the time.

  “I-I-I’ll be fine by myself.” She worried her upper lip with her teeth, and he darn near popped the buttons on his Levis. Her big innocent eyes were all that kept him from dragging her to the floor.

  “Maybe you’re right.” He lowered his hands, feeling the curves of her body as he went. “I’d better get going. I have to head out early in the morning.” He walked to the door. With his hand on the latch, he turned back for one more look. “You sure you’re going to be alright?”

  She nodded her head, and he stepped out into the brisk night air. He needed to find Pete and get back to the ranch before he did something stupid—like kiss that woman.

  Chapter 7

  Darcy felt more like herself the next day trudging through the ankle-deep mud looking for all the miners thrown in jail on Tobias Craven’s word. She looked up at the slow moving clouds which dumped a heavy load of rain during the night. This much rain didn’t happen often on this side of the state, but she was used to it from having traveled between Oregon City and Portland more than once in the last few years.

  At the mercantile, she knocked the clumps of mud from her feet and entered the building. The walls were stocked with every implement needed to find gold in the Blue Mountains. She eyed the shiny tools thinking about the nuggets tucked under her mattress.

  More than once she’d thought about using those nuggets to buy supplies and head out of town. No one would miss her and Jeremy. She didn’t think Mr. Craven would come looking for them. He wouldn’t waste his time following them for the small bag of gold. Most likely he’d be relieved she was out of his hair.

  Craven hadn’t hired her on a whim. He wasn’t for the good of the town, but rather the good of Tobias Craven. Her friendly feelings toward the people of Galena left the bag under the mattress untouched and hooked the badge on her shirt every morning. She didn’t want to see all these good folks come to any harm.

  “Morning, Marshal,” called Mr. March, the owner of the mercantile. “What’cha looking for today?”

  “Information.” Darcy walked up to the counter and smiled at the bald-headed man. He was so skinny; his clothes hung on him like he was a stick. But he was kind to both her and Jeremy. She wasn’t sure if he’d figured out she wasn’t a boy, but he treated her decent and in her book that made him a friend.

  “What kind of information?” He handed her a sarsaparilla stick and leaned his elbows on the counter.

  “Who would know where I could find these men?” She handed him the list of prisoners.

  He looked at the list and squinted at her. “Aren’t these the men been jailed over the last few months for being drunk?”

  “Yeah. I need to ask them some questions.” She squirmed under his stare. “There’s paper work that didn’t get signed.” She smiled sheepishly. “Didn’t know it hadn’t been taken care of ’til this morning.”

  He grinned and handed the list back. “I guess since you’re new to the job, there’d be things sneak up on you.” He pointed down the street. “I’d say the best spot to find what you’re looking for would be the assayer’s office.”

  “Thanks, Mr. March.” Darcy shoved the stick candy in her mouth and headed out the door. She stepped onto the makeshift walkway. The planking slipped in the muddy ground. Her arms flailed wildly as she tried to keep her balance. Strong hands steadied her. She swung her head around and found Gil smiling down at her.

  “That ain’t very marshal like,” he said, looking at the candy hanging out of her mouth. His hands lingered on her sides. Her body tingled as a wave of heat burned her face. His touch reminded her of the night before. She’d been certain he was going to kiss her before he’d backed off and walked away.

  Her feet steadied on the planking, but her knees had gone weak. Cursing her traitorous body, she pulled from his touch.

  It still rankled he’d left last night without her drawing him out. She wondered about the man he fought. They seemed friendly. Why would Halsey be friendly with a friend of a bank robber? There were lots of mysteries around the man. The biggest was why she fevered every time he touched her.

  He had a silly grin on his face as he continued to stare at the candy in her mouth.

  “Don’t suppose it is.” She frowned at how her body reacted to his touch and wondered how to get rid of the candy. She didn’t want to waste it. In all her years of keeping Jeremy and her fed and clothed, she’d learned you never throw anything edible away. She started to shove it in her pocket and thought better of it.

  “Here.” She poked it in Gil’s mouth and headed down the street, veering clear of the assayer’s office for fear he’d see where she was headed.

  She didn’t want Gil to know her actions. If she hung around him too much, she knew her lips would start flapping. She’d always had to work at keeping secrets. Something about the way he looked at her made her want to spill her guts. She shook her head, flinging the thoughts out so she could concentrate on the task ahead.

  She ducked down the alley beside the saloon and stopped. Tobias Craven and a man had their heads bent together in conversation at the back of the building.

  Darcy dropped down into the mud and crawled to a pile of wooden liquor crates stacked near the back door of the building. Looking between the stacked boxes, she watched the man with Craven look around like something was going to jump out and bite him.

  The man was taller and broader than Craven, but he didn’t have extra weight. He looked all muscle. Long blond hair curled up at his collar. A big nose shaded his small mouth. The wide hat he wore shadowed his forehead and eyes. Large ears stuck out from his head. He’d be easy to pick out in a crowd.

  “I don’t care what you and the boys want. I’m paying you, and you’ll stay put until I give the word.” Craven’s voice raised an octave as the man grabbed the front of his coat.

  “How do we know you aren’t going to fill your saddle bags and leave us sitting here with nothing?”

  Craven knocked the man’s hands off his coat. “I’ll keep the marshal busy with drunks, and you and the boys can ride in and get the money.” Craven pulled a cigar out of his jacket pocket. “After I send the marshal off on a wild goose chase, I’ll meet up with you and we’ll split the money.”

  The men laughed and Craven slapped the tall man on the back. “By this time next month I’ll have started my own enterprise, and you and your friends will be living the high life wherever you wish.”

  Craven walked to the back door of the saloon, and the man with the large ears headed Darcy’s direction.

  Her heart pounded clear up in her head making a whooshing noise. She pressed her back against the crates and hoped he wouldn’t look back and see her. A box slid behind her as he turned the corner onto the street. She let out her breath and started to stand when the pile tumbled down on top of her.

  Darcy screamed and pushed at the falling boxes. One came down and thunked her in the head. She bit her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes shut to stop the tears threatening to spill as the pile covered her.

  *****

  Gil spied Pete sitting on a horse down the street from the saloon. He pulled the candy from his mouth and headed straight for the man. Pete noticed him when he was a few feet away.

  “Where’s your lady friend?” A big, welcoming smile spread across his friend’s face.

  “Where she belongs. I thought you knew better than to bother a woman whe
n she didn’t want to be bothered. That what the gang you’re riding with teaches you?”

  Pete’s smile disappear and his face hardened to a glare. “Why are you here bothering me anyway? I thought you’d be back at the ranch belly crawling to my pa.”

  Gil reached up to grab the sassy mouthed man off his horse and drag him back to the ranch, but the sound of approaching feet made him think better of it.

  “Your Pa asked me to bring you back.” Gil stepped back and smiled. “And I plan on doing just that.”

  “Tell him I ain’t coming back. I don’t like chasing stinkin’ cows for long hours and building fence.” He looked over Gil’s shoulder. “I like the gang I’m riding with. Why don’t you join us?”

  “It’s not for me. I like the ranch. But I can’t go back unless I have you with me.” Gil stepped forward and dropped his voice to a menacing growl. “I have a lot at risk here, and you’re the only one who can help. I will haul you back to the ranch, either with your cooperation or without.”

  Pete glared down at him. “Don’t threaten me.”

  A scrawny, pockmarked man walked up and stood beside Pete’s horse. “You got trouble?” he asked, squinting at Gil and resting his hand on the handle of his pistol.

  “No, Gil’s an old friend,” Pete said with emphasis.

  “Remember what I said,” Gil knew he’d have to wait until Pete was alone, like last night. He mentally slapped himself for letting his protective instincts make him forget his mission to bring Pete back to the ranch. Then he had nearly kissed the woman. He didn’t need her under his skin any more than she already was. She kept getting in the way of his mission.

  Pete’s body tensed when his gaze traveled over Gil’s shoulder.

  Gil pivoted in time to see a big-eared man come out of the alley behind the saloon.

  “Someone you know?” Gil asked.

  Pete glared at Gil and nudged his mount forward, leading another horse. The pockmarked man smiled a tobacco-toothed grin and followed. Pete stopped beside the big-eared man and handed him the reins of the extra horse. The man mounted, and they took off down the street like they were late for dinner.

  Putting all he knew together, it appeared to Gil the man had been meeting someone. He hurried to the alley to see if he could catch a glimpse of who it might have been. Moaning echoed through a pile of wooden crates in the alley.

  “Is someone in there?” he called, picking up the crates and setting them to the side. He stopped and listened. Nothing. He cocked his head. There had been a noise earlier. A crate moved, and Gil frantically pulled at the crates. Picking up a box, he discovered a large mud-covered boot. His heart raced. He knew the person at the bottom of the pile.

  She was covered with mud from her hat sitting to one side of her head, all the way down to the ridiculously big boots. She scowled when she opened her eyes and saw him.

  “What are you doing back here?” he asked, grabbing her hand and dragging her to her feet.

  “Taking a nap. And thank you for interrupting.” She spun as if to walk away and plopped down on a crate.

  “You alright?” Gil dropped to a knee to look into her face. Her eyes were large and glassy.

  She looked at him, but her pupils didn’t focus on him. Gil had seen this before when a mule kicked a cowhand in the head. He slid an arm under her knees and picked her up.

  “Don’t touch me,” she protested before grabbing her head with muddy hands. “Ow! My head feels like someone is stomping in it.”

  “A box must have hit you on that pretty head. I’ll get you to Mrs. Danforth. She’s the only one in town that knows anything about doctoring.” Gil tucked her head against his shoulder and carried her down the street and up onto Mrs. Danforth’s front stoop. He liked the feel of Darcy in his arms. She was light enough to be easy to carry, but enough weight and curves to let a man know he had a woman and not a child in his arms.

  He knocked on the door and waited.

  “Come in!” called the parrot. Gil ignored the bird, knowing the proprietor wouldn’t appreciate him packing the muddy woman in his arms straight into her parlor. He knocked again.

  “What you knocking for when the bird—” Lila opened the door and stared at the mud covered woman. “Not her, again. Don’t she know how to stay clean?”

  “Lila, Mrs. Danforth needs to look at her. She hit her head, and her eyes don’t look right.” Gil looked passed the maid. “Should I bring her in the back way?”

  “No, just take her straight back to the kitchen.”

  He headed down the hallway.

  “Don’t touch the walls. Them’s covered with the best wallpaper you can get in this God forsaken country.”

  Gil smiled as he carefully carried Darcy into the kitchen.

  “What is all the racket going on down here?” Mrs. Danforth asked, gliding down the back stairway into the kitchen.

  Gil had never been in such a fancy house. It was done in all the best woods and built like a southern plantation he saw in a book. The owner didn’t have a southern accent, but you could tell she was a lady of breeding.

  “That misfit you took pity on yesterday is back,” Lila said, filling a basin with water from the reserve on the cook stove.

  Mrs. Danforth looked at Gil and smiled. “You must have been her dinner date last night.”

  His cheeks heated as the woman appraised him.

  “She has good taste.” She pushed the muddy hat from Darcy’s head and lifted an eyelid. Immediately, she straightened. “You two fill a tub with water. Cold water. We need to wake her up and keep her awake. She’s evidently been hit on the head.” She scowled at Gil. “Did you do it?”

  “No Ma’am. I found her under a pile of wood crates behind the saloon.”

  Mrs. Danforth sniffed at Darcy. “I didn’t take her for a drinker.”

  “She hasn’t had anything to drink. She tends to have accidents,” Gil said, not wanting the woman to think ill of Darcy and not help her.

  “What was she doing behind the saloon?”

  “I intend to ask her that very question when she’s able to answer.”

  He helped Lila carry buckets of cold water into a bathtub off the kitchen. When it was half full, Mrs. Danforth instructed him to carry Darcy into the room. He stood her on her feet. She swayed into him. Her small, supple body against his wasn’t too hard to take. If he hadn’t been standing in a room with two other women present he wasn’t sure what he would have done.

  Mrs. Danforth must have seen the lust in his eyes. She grabbed Darcy by the arm, pulling her away, and ushered him out the door.

  Gil sat down on a kitchen chair. Why was this girl—no woman—making him feel things he’d never felt before? The images and thoughts coursing through his head were things he’d associated with being ready to settle down. He figured he’d find a woman that would make him light-headed and his heart race when he was closer to thirty. After the drifting urge had passed. Not now. He didn’t want or need someone to tie him down.

  Since meeting Darcy, thoughts of settling in one place sounded pretty good. Would Pete’s father let him bring a wife to the ranch? As foreman he’d have his own quarters. He ran a hand over his face. He didn’t have time for these thoughts. For all he knew, she was no better than Pete. She worked for the biggest crook in Galena. He’d seen one of the outlaws come out of the alley where he’d found her. She could’ve met with the big-eared man. He may have got rough and knocked her into the pile of boxes.

  He knew when the two women placed Darcy in the bathtub. A long rush of curses sailed from the room. A smile spread across his face. He’d never heard those words—or so many—from a woman before. She had a colorful way of shouting her anger.

  A while later, Lila pulled Darcy, all wet and wrapped in a wool robe, out into the kitchen. Gil stood. He smiled at the look of surprise in her eyes.

  “How come you’re sitting in Mrs. Danforth’s kitchen?” she asked, looking around the room.

  “I’m waiting for you.�
�� He stepped toward her. She backed up. Her eyes widened as she stared at him.

  “Why?”

  “I found you and brought you here. I wanted to make sure you were alright.” He reached out and touched her cheek. “How do you feel?

  “Like I was left in a snow drift to die.” She closed her eyes. “I just want to lie down and take a nap.”

  “No!” Lila jumped between them, grabbing Darcy’s arm. “Mrs. Dee says you’re to keep movin’.” Lila shoved Darcy at him. “Take her for a walk around the house. I got better things to do.”

  Gil moved to Darcy’s side, tucking her under his arm. He walked her down the hall, through a doorway, and into the parlor. Two young women, dressed in next to nothing, turned and smiled. He stopped, unsure how to explain the woman tucked against his side. But then, he couldn’t be any more shocked than the two women standing, purt near naked, in front of him.

  “Excuse me, Lila said to walk around. I didn’t know there was anyone else here.” He started backing to the door.

  “There’s a couple of empty rooms upstairs, make her happy use a bed,” said the tallest girl. They both giggled.

  Gil cringed and looked down at Darcy. She didn’t need to hear that kind of talk. From her half-closed eyes and drooping head, he didn’t think she’d heard a thing, but he had to keep her moving. He should be following Pete back to his hideout instead of wandering around a bordello with a semi-conscious woman.

  “Darcy?” He stopped in the hallway and propped her up against the wall. “Darcy?”

  “Yeah?” Her eyes fluttered open. A smile tipped the corners of her small mouth into an inviting sight.

  He lowered his head, thinking about kissing those tempting lips.

  Her eyes popped open, and she shoved him away. “What are you doing?” She looked at him with an accusing glare.

  “Nothing. Just seeing if you were conscious yet. I really need to get going.” Gil took a step forward. “What were you doing in that alley?”

  She turned her head. “I thought I heard something. The next thing I knew crates were falling on me.”