“Oh, well, I don’t mind. I’ve enjoyed talking with you both.”
The woman looked startled for a moment then nodded her head. “I have as well. I’m Mary, by the way. My husband Justin is the blacksmith.”
And a friend of Steven’s. But she wouldn’t judge Mary by her husband.
“Pleased to meet you. You know, Mary, I was on my way to the mercantile to ask Mrs. Daniels if she’d know of anyone who might like to have Zeke.” She looked to Ruth, grinned. “You wouldn’t know of anyone, would you?”
Ruth clasped Zeke around the neck. “Mama, we could keep him!”
Mary didn’t seem sure. “Oh, but—”
“I’m not asking you to pay for him. I simply want him to go to a good home.” She smiled at Ruth. “And to be given lots of love.”
“Can we keep him, Mama? Please?”
“Really, Mary, you’d be doing me a favor. But,” she added, since she didn’t want Zeke to have the same fate as Whiskers, “only if this won’t upset your… family.”
Mary blinked. “No, he spoils Ruth.” She looked from her daughter’s smiling face to Jillian. “Well, if you’re sure…”
Jillian untied Zeke and handed the rope to Ruth. “Mind that he doesn’t eat too many of your dresses, it will give him a belly ache.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll take good care of him.” Then before Jillian knew what had hit her, the little girl was wrapped around her legs.
Laughing, Jillian patted her back, met Mary’s smile. “You’re very welcome.”
Suddenly Jillian had the feeling she was being watched. She said her goodbyes to Mary and Ruth and looked around. The stagecoach had gone; a few wagons remained in front of the mercantile. She looked left. Two men were walking into the barber’s, but she saw no sign of Steven or anybody else who seemed particularly interested in what she was doing.
Yet, as she made her way to Letty’s store to ask about a puppy, she couldn’t shed the feeling that someone was keeping an eye on her.
*
Steven lifted his head as they filed into his feed mill.
“What the hell are you doing?” He hissed.
“Ain’t no law against coming in here,” Harvey answered as he led the pack to the counter where Steven was standing.
Steven’s stomach knotted. He came round the counter, strode across to the window, and saw his fear was warranted. The sheriff was heading their way.
“Goddammit, Shane’s on his way!” His eyes snapped to Harvey’s. “I told you the man hasn’t left me alone in days. I told you to stay clear of me. I’m not spending any more time in jail.”
“We ain’t done nothin’ wrong.” Harvey placated.
“Well, tell him that,” Steven muttered as Shane pushed open the door.
Dust motes flittered on the breeze that Shane’s entrance created. Though he knew he’d done nothing wrong, sweat dampened Steven’s neck. He’d kept his nose clean since being let of jail but he still felt like a prisoner. Of course with Shane stopping in at least twice a day on top of making “neighborly” visits to Steven’s house, was it any wonder he felt like a damn criminal?
Shane’s pointed gaze fell over them all. “Good afternoon, gentlemen.”
“We haven’t done anything, Shane.”
He raised a brow. “Did I say you did, Justin?”
“Then why are you treating us like we did?” he answered.
“I can’t even go to the outhouse without worrying about you watching.” Robert complained.
“Shoot, you’ve been to my house so often of late why don’t you just bring yourself a bedroll and stay next time?” Bill grumbled.
Shane grinned. “Thanks for the invitation. I might just take you up on that.”
“Shit.” Bill groaned. “And won’t that just make the missus’ mood even brighter.”
“What do you want?” Harvey asked.
The sheriff faced Harvey, but the damn fool didn’t have the sense not to aggravate Shane. Harvey crossed his arms, sneered.
“You plannin’ on playin’ my nursemaid too now that I’m back?”
Shane took a step toward Harvey. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make this nonsense against Miss Matthews stop.”
“My hands are clean,” he said, raising them. “Seems to me Miss Matthews is just the victim of a series of unfortunate accidents.”
“Cut feedbags, a butchered dress and a snapped rabbit’s neck aren’t accidents.”
Steven’s stomach rolled when Harvey laughed.
“Mishaps, then.” Harvey grinned.
Shane and Harvey had themselves a staring match for a few charged moments before Shane shifted his attention to the rest of them. Steven wanted to punch the son-of-a-bitch but he wasn’t that stupid. He’d kept his nose clean; Shane had nothing on him. All he could hope was that soon he’d tire of playing nursemaid and leave them the hell alone.
“Unless you want to get real friendly with my jail cell,” Shane added with a hard look at Harvey, “you’d best steer clear of Miss Matthews, her house, and anything that’s hers.”
“You plannin’ on arrestin’ your friend, Wade, then? ’Cause he seems to have gotten real close to what’s hers.”
“Harvey, you dumb son-of-a-bitch.” Steven growled.
Shane’s hand settled on his six-shooter. He went toe-to-toe with Harvey. “Ask Steven how he enjoyed my cell.”
Steven held his breath, but though Harvey’s eyes glittered, for once he kept his big mouth shut.
At the door, Shane gave them a last warning. “Judges aren’t too friendly toward men who abuse women. You might want to keep that in mind.”
The mill remained quiet as they watched Shane walk down the street. The moment Shane entered his jailhouse, Steven rounded on Harvey.
“What the hell were you thinking? I don’t need Shane riding my ass every time I turn around!”
“Well, we can’t exactly discuss anything at Silver’s. This seemed the best place.”
Steven snarled. “Really? And you don’t think coming to my house after work would be better? Or maybe not all coming in here at once like a damn herd.”
Harvey snarled right back. The venom in his gaze shocked Steven.
“You think all of us skulking in the dark would look any less suspicious?” He scoffed.
“Fine.” Steven conceded. “You have a point. Now can you get to the reason you’re here?”
“Why is she still in Marietta? I thought we agreed while I was gone to Bozeman that you’d work at getting her out of here.”
“It’s not as though we haven’t tried.” Robert explained. “Steven dumped her feed and cut her dress. Justin spread the manure.”
“And I killed her rabbit,” Bill said.
Harvey rolled his eyes. “And you think those petty little games are enough?”
Justin stepped closer. “Well, it’s all I’m willing to do. I told you from the beginning I wasn’t hurting her.”
“And I’m not spending any more time in jail,” Steven added.
Not to mention every time Shane came calling, his wife nagged him even harder. Shit, he’d do just about anything to make her shut up.
“What are you sayin’? That you’re all through?”
Justin shrugged. “I’ve got more work than I can handle and a wife and daughter at home. You went to Bozeman, put out the advertisements. Let’s just see what happens.”
Harvey went red. His thick hands clenched at his sides. “Is that how you all feel?”
“We don’t like her any more than you do,” Bill said. “But Shane’s breathing down our necks and we have businesses to run. We can’t afford to lose them because of this and if we end up in jail, that’s exactly what’ll happen.”
Harvey’s nostrils flared. “She hasn’t won.”
“Won what? Nobody’s seeking her help, that hasn’t changed,” Steven said.
“For now, but what if we don’t get another vet, then what?”
Nobody answered him. The feed mill
seemed to shrink in size as Harvey’s hot, rapid breaths filled the room. Steven didn’t like Jillian. Hell, he’d hoped she’d be packed up and gone by now but she wasn’t and his life was enough of a mess because of her already. He wanted her gone, no question, but he had to weigh the costs of taking this any further.
“Goddamn bunch of worthless cowards you turned out to be.” Harvey spat on Steven’s floor then marched for the door.
“What are you going to do now?” Steven asked.
Harvey stopped, but he kept his back to them. “Whatever I have to do,” he answered.
He flung the door open and though it was warm outside, it was an icy breeze that Harvey left in his wake.
Chapter Fifteen
Shane had made fresh coffee and cradled a cup of it as he sat at his desk, booted feet propped on its edge. Trouble was brewing. He smelled it as surely as the air changed right before a good thunderstorm. He was pretty sure Steven’s time cooling his heels in jail had served its purpose. Besides, Shane had always known Steven to be more of a blowhard than an actual threat.
He didn’t know the others as well, but they’d never given him trouble before and as he’d shadowed them for the last few days, hadn’t gotten a sense that they were especially mean. Pranks, yes. He knew they were responsible for what had happened so far, even if nobody was owning up to the rabbit. He wasn’t convinced, however, they’d take it further, not now that he was involved.
Harvey Black, however, was another matter. He seemed primed and ready for a fight.
Dropping his feet, Shane set his coffee down and moved to his files. He knew most everyone within a twenty-mile radius of Marietta and had small files on every family. Nothing sinister, just who lived where, who was married to whom. More to keep things straight in his own head. When anyone new moved in the vicinity he made a point of introducing himself. It served two purposes. One, it kept him abreast of the town and who was coming and going and, two, in case there were ever trouble, he’d have records to look back on. He’d done it with everyone, including Jillian and Harvey Black.
Sorting through his papers, Shane found what he was looking for.
He pulled the notes he’d written on Harvey Black and skimmed over them. It didn’t take long, as there wasn’t more than a paragraph or two, to find what he was looking for. Harvey claimed to come from Boise. Never married, he’d been bored and wanted a change. Montana, he’d said, seemed as good a place as any. Well, Shane would just have to see what Boise had to say about Mr. Black.
Shane finished his coffee and headed to the stable. He smiled when Bill looked up from his work and frowned at him. Taking his horse, Shane rode of town.
He couldn’t do what needed to be done here but luckily it wasn’t far to Chico. And, like Marietta, it had a telegraph office.
*
Wade caught his mother around the waist and pulled her into the house. “I need to borrow two dresses, quick.”
“You what?”
“Don’t look at me like that, I’ll explain everything later. Can you fetch them? The brighter the better.”
“Oh, but Letty’s just riding in. We were going to do the last few stitches on my wedding dress.”
The wedding. It was coming fast. Not that he didn’t want his ma and James happy, but it still gave him a tug around the heart to think of her marrying someone other than his pa.
He kissed her cheek. “This won’t take long; I promise.” The rest of her words sank in and he smiled. “Mrs. Daniels is here?”
“Yes, I saw her riding in and was going out to greet her when you grabbed me.”
Laughter bubbled in his chest. “Perfect!”
She eyed him curiously. “What are you up to?”
“You’ll see, but you need to hurry.” He nudged her toward the stairs.
“You’re not going to ruin them are you?”
Since she wasn’t moving fast enough, he skirted around her and took the steps two at a time. Then grinned as he heard her run to catch up.
He chose the brightest colored dresses she had.
“Thanks, Ma. Bring Mrs. Daniels and wait for me in front of the bunkhouses.”
Leaving her sputtering, he all but leapt down the stairs.
He ran fast as he could to the river, switched the clothes and raced to the bunkhouses. His ma, Annabelle, and Mrs. Daniels were just getting there.
“Oh dear,” his ma said. “I know that look.”
Annabelle giggled.
Wade tossed clothes in first James’s then Scott’s bunkhouse, taking chairs out as he left each one. Once they were all seated within a stone’s throw of the bunkhouse doors Wade sagged with relief. He’d done it. He’d been tempted after falling face first into their practical joke to retaliate, but he’d forced himself to wait, to think of something even better rather than hastily seeking revenge. Stretching out his legs he chuckled. This was going to be worth the wait!
“What did you do?” Mrs. Daniels asked, though she looked as excited as he felt.
His ma had shared with her the jokes he, Scott, and James had played on each other over the years but this would be the first Letty would see firsthand.
“It’s best I don’t ruin the surprise.” He chuckled.
It took longer than he figured. No doubt they’d sat at the river and considered their options before realizing they had none. Wade sat up as the riders approached then burst out laughing as they kept taking turns trying to hide behind the other.
Clothed—as much as the too-small garments allowed—in his ma’s dresses, Scott and James had never looked so pretty. The bodices, clearly too tight to fit over their broad shoulders, hung around their waists. The full skirts barely reached past their knees. Wade grinned as all three ladies chortled. Scott, his face flaming red in embarrassment, tried to yank up the bodice to cover his chest.
“Pink is your color, James.” Wade teased as his foreman pulled his horse to a stop and tried to dismount while keeping the material between his legs.
“You think you’re pretty funny, don’t you?” James glared at Wade.
“Hell, yeah. Best part was you hollering from the river when you realized I had no intention of taking a bath, only your clothes!”
His ma was laughing so hard tears rolled from her eyes. Annabelle’s eyes were wide as her smile. Letty jammed two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Scott’s face went scarlet. James looked capable of murder.
“Your legs are too scrawny to be wearing such a short skirt.” Wade teased. “Next time find one that goes all the way to the ground.”
Wade knew his grin took up his whole face.
Clearly trying to ignore them all, Scott made his way toward his bunkhouse. Unfortunately that meant passing Wade. As he moved past, Wade smacked him on his backside.
“You look mighty fine there, ma’am.” Wade whistled before Scott escaped into his bunkhouse, slamming his door behind him.
James’s gaze had yet to shift from Wade. “I take it you brought my clothes back?”
Wade pointed to James’s cabin. “In there.”
Muttering curses and vows of revenge, James disappeared inside wearing nothing more than a half-donned gown, a scowl, and worn cowboy boots.
Wade couldn’t wait to tell Jillian about this, to see her face when—
His laughter died. He wouldn’t be telling her. He wouldn’t be sharing this moment, or any others, with her. The thought left him feeling empty and took away the joy he’d felt at getting his revenge on Scott and James.
Leaving the women giggling, Wade trudged back to work.
*
A fire couldn’t be any hotter than her kitchen, Jillian decided as she pulled out the last of the golden-brown loaves from her oven. Flour covered her apron, sprinkled across her floor. As she’d wiped the sweat off her forehead with her forearm more than once, she imagined there was flour on it as well.
She’d begun baking bread in the morning while it was cool, but it hadn’t taken long for her house to become unbear
ably hot. Perspiration trailed down her back and moisture gathered between and underneath her breasts.
Still, she’d had to do something. She had no work to occupy her time and with Zeke, Whiskers, and Rascal gone, her chores didn’t take much time at all. And since Letty hadn’t known of anyone with puppies to give away, she couldn’t fill her time with a rambunctious dog either.
There was no way she could eat all the bread before it went to waste, but she’d talk to Letty, see if she could sell it in her mercantile. Or she’d give it to Eileen. Surely with three hungry men to feed, she could use extra bread. Jillian looked down, thought of Wade eating what she’d made and felt a yearning so deep, so strong, it brought tears to her eyes. Damn it, he shouldn’t cause this reaction in her, not after what he’d said to her.
An unexpected knock on her door had Jillian grabbing her gun.
“Jillian, it’s just me.”
Recognizing the voice, Jillian set the gun down, ensured her eyes were dry, and opened the door.
“Hello, Letty.”
Movement to the woman’s right caught Jillian’s attention and she found herself looking into Wade’s indecipherable eyes.
Despite her residual anger her traitorous heart fluttered. “Wade.” She acknowledged.
“Jillian.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Letty said. “I was at the ranch helping Eileen with the last minute wedding preparations when I suddenly remembered I had something to ask you. Wade was kind enough to keep me company. For safety.” Letty’s smile showed more teeth than usual. She nodded to Jillian’s apron. “I see you’re hard at work.”
“Actually, your timing is perfect. I just pulled out the last loaves.”
“Oh, good!” She plunked herself on the porch, fanned herself. “It’s so blessed hot out. I could use a nice tall glass of water.”
Though Jillian had planned to sit outside once her bread was done, she hadn’t expected Wade to be there when she did. Was he truly there for Letty’s safety or was there another reason? Could he have changed his mind about her?
There was no way of knowing. His eyes watched her, but he didn’t smile, didn’t talk. She wished he’d say something. His silence was unnerving.
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