A Sheriff's Passion

by Michelle Beattie

  After pinning up her hair and making her bed, Silver went downstairs. Leaving the saloon curtains closed for now, she strode toward the kitchen. She lit a fire in the stove, ground coffee beans, and set water on to boil. She was considering eggs and bacon versus oatmeal when there was a knock on her kitchen door. Silver looked over, frowned. Surely Melissa wouldn’t be back? The girl had made it more than clear she didn’t want anyone to know she’d been there last night, so it hardly seemed logical she’d come in broad daylight.

  Shane?

  Silver’s stomach quivered at the possibility. Vividly remembering their kiss, she pressed her fingers to her lips. Had he, too, been unable to get it out of his mind? Was he coming hoping for another?

  She didn’t need to pinch her cheeks for color as she felt a blush burn across her cheeks. Cautioning herself not to get her hopes up, Silver wiped her hands on the skirt of her pale blue dress and took a deep breath. Every time she thought Shane was finally coming around he disappointed her. Still the heart was a foolish thing and despite her telling herself it likely wasn’t Shane at the door she nevertheless felt it drop when she opened it and saw Jillian standing there.

  Her face must have shown her disappointment because Jillian’s first words were, “What’s the matter?”

  Angry that she felt let down when she should be thrilled to see her friend, especially considering she’d just been thinking of Jillian and how much she missed her, Silver took a deep breath and blew it out.

  “Nothing. Not a thing,” she answered and mentally banished Shane from her thoughts. Then, truly happy to have Jillian there after missing her so terribly lately, Silver added, “Oh, it’s great to see you!”

  She moved to embrace her friend but Jillian held up her hand. In the other she held her saddlebags. “I’ve just come from the stable and despite having already tucked away my dirty apron and oversleeves, I’d rather not touch anything else until I’ve washed and changed. If it’s not too much trouble, I thought I could do that here.”

  “Of course, come on in.”

  Jillian left her boots outside the door then padded inside on stocking feet.

  “You could have kept them on,” Silver insisted.

  “Trust me, after what I stepped in, you don’t want them inside your clean kitchen.” Yet despite the state of her boots and the smudges of...something on her skirt, her green eyes shone with happiness.

  “You’re in luck, as I have hot water ready. I’ll follow you upstairs. There’s still plenty of cool water in the pitcher in my room.”

  While Jillian washed and changed, Silver poured more water into the kettle for their coffee. Figuring her friend would be hungry, Silver opted for bacon and eggs rather than porridge. The bacon was sizzling and the coffee was brewing when Jillian returned.

  “Oh, you didn’t have to cook for me, Silver.”

  Silver flipped the bacon, yanked her hand back when the grease spat. “I’m mostly cooking for myself as I haven’t had breakfast, but I figured if you’ve already been hard at work, you may be ready for something more to eat.”

  Jillian smiled. “I could eat but I’d die for a cup of that coffee. It smells wonderful.”

  With the ease of friendship, Jillian poured coffee while Silver set the bacon aside and cracked eggs into the hot grease.

  “You said you were at the stable? Was it Robert Hill’s horse you tended?”

  Reaching for the plates, Jillian paused. “Yes, how did you know?”

  “Bill was in the saloon last night, looking for Robert. He mentioned Robert’s horse wasn’t doing well.” Silver scowled. “I should also tell you he had no intention of sending for you, he was going to leave that up to Robert.”

  “Well, luckily Robert isn’t as obstinate as Bill.”

  Silver flipped the eggs. “Was the horse terribly sick?”

  “I’d say he was terribly uncomfortable.” At Silver’s quizzical look she added, “He had flatulent colic.”

  “Can’t a horse die from colic?”

  “Yes, but it depends on the kind. Luckily, this horse didn’t have spasmodic colic. A twist in the colon or small intestine is much harder to treat and often fatal. As it was, a simple solution of bread soda, powdered ginger, and gentian root along with some hot, wet blankets wrapped around the abdomen relieved most of the problem.”

  Jillian added the cutlery next to the plates. “I’ve left some solution for Robert and he can administer another dose later. As long as he keeps the horse from new oats and too much clover he shouldn’t have any more problems.”

  After filling both their plates, Silver took her seat opposite her friend. For a moment she was just so happy to have Jillian there that she simply sat and watched the woman eat. Silver’s heart filled then it spilled over into a wide smile.

  “Do I have egg on my face?”

  “No,” Silver chuckled as she picked up her fork. “I was just enjoying the moment.”

  Jillian reached across the table, squeezed Silver’s hand. “It’s good to see you too.”

  To Silver’s horror tears stung her eyes. She ducked her head but not fast enough.

  “What is it? Please tell me,” Jillian pleaded. “I knew when you opened the door looking crestfallen that something was wrong.”

  “I’ve missed you,” Silver confessed. “I know we just saw each other on Sunday but between the picnic, the baseball game and—” She stopped herself from saying anything more. She envied Jillian the life she had and refused to say anything that would make her friend feel guilty about it.

  “I’ve missed you too. I know things haven’t been the same since I’ve had Katherine.”

  “I don’t want you feeling guilty about that, not for one moment. You have a family and they need you.” Silver tore a piece of bacon between her fingers, took a bite. “But I confess seeing you with Wade and the children at the picnic, seeing Katie and Scott still shiny from their marriage...” Silver took a deep breath. “It made me yearn for what you’ve found, what’s missing in my life.”

  Jillian pushed her plate aside, reached for Silver’s hand. “You’ll find it. I know you will.”

  Silver wasn’t near as confident but she smiled, nudged Jillian’s plate closer. “Eat while it’s hot.”

  Between bites, Jillian regaled Silver with Annabelle’s exploits, Wade’s fussing over the baby, and how Katie and Scott seemed to disappear at least once a day.

  “I try not to tease Scott too much, as you know how shy he is, but sometimes all I have to do is look at him and his face reddens.” This time when she pushed her plate away it was empty. “Well, enough about me. Tell me about you.” She wiggled her brows. “Are you seeing much of Mitch?”

  “He was in the saloon last night.” She stacked her empty plate onto Jillian’s. “We’re going on another picnic tomorrow and he’ll be here Friday to play poker with Bill and the others.”

  “Another picnic? That sounds promising.”

  “Hmm,” Silver answered, taking a sip of her coffee.

  “You don’t think so? I thought he seemed quite taken with you on Sunday.”

  “Yes, he seems to be. But far as I know he’s only staying for the week.”

  Jillian’s green eyes danced. “That’s enough time to convince him to stay longer.” She stared at Silver for a long moment. “Unless you don’t want him to.”

  Silver buried her face in her hands. “What’s the matter with me? Mitch seems to be a very nice man and you’re right, he does seem interested.”

  “But?”

  Silver slowly lowered her hands. “But it’s not him I want. You know it’s Shane. It’s always been Shane. And I know he doesn’t feel the same and I should let go of this foolish longing I have for him but no matter how much I try, I can’t seem to. And kissing him again only made things worse.”

  “Again?” Jillian scooted forward in her chair, her smile filled her face. “Tell me everything!”

  Silver’s heart squeezed. “Ah, Jillian, I’ve missed these tal
ks.” And taking advantage of this one, she proceeded to tell Jillian everything, from the kiss in the meadow, to telling Shane she’d have given him everything, to his refusing to give her a reason she couldn’t be with his brother.

  “I’ve given him chance after chance.” She blinked away the sting of tears. It hurt, God, it hurt, to know he didn’t love her as she loved him.

  Jillian wasn’t smiling any longer. However she didn’t appear angry on Silver’s behalf either. Instead she looked...pensive. Silver had no idea what there was to think about. Shane had made himself clear.

  “You need to kiss Mitch,” Jillian declared.

  “I what?” Silver gaped.

  “You need to kiss Mitch,” Jillian reaffirmed. “If you don’t feel the same kissing him as you do when you kiss Shane, then there’s no reason to keep seeing him.”

  “Why not? Don’t you believe those feelings can come with time?”

  Jillian gave her a sympathetic look. “No, and I don’t believe you do either. Wade wasn’t the only man I’d ever kissed, but nobody else makes me feel the way he does.” She peered at Silver. “Haven’t you had the same experience?”

  “Yes,” Silver admitted. No other man made her feel as Shane did, and, truth be told, she didn’t want to kiss another either.

  “But, Jillian, even if Mitch’s kiss pales in comparison, it doesn’t change anything. Shane’s already said he can’t give me a reason to stay away from his brother.”

  Jillian’s smile glittered. “Then give him one.”

  Shane couldn’t rid himself of the feeling he’d gotten last night at Grey’s. It was crawling up the back of his neck, as though he were looking out in the night and knew something was out there, but was unsure what. He’d thought long and hard about the man taking Charlotte upstairs and the more he dwelled on it, the more his neck crawled. It wasn’t only the gun, though that certainly didn’t make him happy either. It was the almost predatory way he’d followed Charlotte, like a cougar stalking its prey. Hell, he couldn’t explain it; he just felt something was wrong.

  Maybe he was being paranoid, overly cautious, but between that old prospector Jeb seeing four men heading toward town and Shane’s own feeling that those stagecoach robbers weren’t as far gone as he’d like, his uneasiness was warranted.

  After waking at dawn, Shane dressed, buckled on his gun belt and headed straight for Grey’s. The place was closed, as he knew it would be, but he was more interested in the hitching posts, in seeing if the man from last night was still inside. He wasn’t. The hitching posts were empty. Still not satisfied, he went to the stable. He found Bill looking in on a horse in the stall next to Justice’s. The man confirmed there weren’t any other horses being stabled but the usual ones.

  While that alleviated one worry, when the horse next to Justice suddenly went down, rolled and thrashed about, a whole new worry was born. The animal was sweating and struggling for breath. Shane looked Justice over, but the animal didn’t seem to have any of the same distress. Since Bill wasn’t in any hurry to fetch Jillian, Shane went for his tack. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with the horse but if it was contagious he wanted it contained before Justice fell ill as well.

  “Relax,” Bill grumbled. “Robert should be back with that vet any minute now.”

  Shane stayed until Jillian reassured him it was only colic, and Bill claimed not to have changed the horse’s feed. When Robert admitted to letting his animal graze on new clover when he’d taken it out, Shane breathed a sigh of relief. Justice wasn’t in any danger.

  He left Jillian to her work and strolled to the boardinghouse. Even though he was sure she’d been up for hours, as the place already smelled of fresh-baked bread, Mrs. Hollingsworth didn’t take too kindly to visitors at such “an ungodly hour” as she put it. However, like Bill, she didn’t have any new boarders. The newest, she claimed with a sour look on her face, was his brother.

  Since Mitch hadn’t been in Grey’s last night, Shane didn’t wake him. He returned home, ate breakfast then busied himself in his office, stopping every once in a while to look out his window. It was an ordinary day and the people riding by on horses, perched on wagons, or clipping along the boardwalk were all folks he recognized. It should have relieved him, soothed the uneasiness that had dogged him since last night.

  It didn’t.

  Pulling out his pocket watch, Shane checked the time. Ten o’clock. Hardly an appropriate hour to call on Charlotte given she was likely awake most of the night. Shane drummed his fingers on his desk. He’d already finished the little paperwork he’d had, swept, and drank half a pot of coffee. At his wits end, he shoved from the desk. Maybe he’d take Justice for a ride. If his horse were near as restless as Shane felt, the ride would do them both good.

  He threw open the door and nearly plowed into Melissa when he stepped out. Startled, she jumped, pierced his ear when she squealed. He grabbed her elbow, steadying her and the plate of cookies she carried.

  “Oh, Shane, you scared me,” she managed after the moment it took her to catch her breath.

  “I apologize. I should have looked before barreling out.” He released his grip. His gaze skimmed from her dark blue blouse to her cream-colored skirt, to her dark eyes which were still a little wide from fright. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes, I’m fine, thank you.”

  He eyed the golden oatmeal raisin cookies on her plate. His mouth watered as the rich smell of cinnamon rose to tease him. While her constant baking for him made him uncomfortable, he couldn’t deny she was a great cook.

  “Are those for me?” he asked, already reaching for them.

  She pulled the plate out of his reach. “Actually, these aren’t for you.” Her cheeks flushed pink. “They’re for Silver,” she admitted, keeping her voice low, as though she didn’t want anyone else to hear.

  “Silver?” he asked, sure he’d misheard her.

  “I supposed she’s not awake yet.”

  “Silver?” he asked again just as Jillian approached from the direction of the saloon.

  “If someone’s looking for Silver,” Jillian said, “She’s awake. We just had breakfast together.”

  “Oh, well then. If you’ll excuse me.”

  And while Shane was still gaping, Melissa took her cookies and hurried down the sunlit boardwalk.

  “She’s visiting Silver?” Jillian looked as stunned as he felt.

  “It appears so,” he answered as both he and Jillian watched Melissa hurry toward the saloon.

  “Why?” Jillian asked.

  “I have no idea.” Shaking his head, he focused on Jillian. “I thought you’d have gone home by now.”

  “I’m on my way as Katherine will be hungry, but I had some time and wanted to spend it with Silver. We don’t get to visit often these days.”

  “I’m sure she appreciated the visit.”

  “She did, though it doesn’t sound as though she’s been lonely of late.” Jillian’s lips twitched; her eyes gleamed. “Your brother seems to have taken a fancy to her.”

  A dozen questions rose to the tip of his tongue but none as urgent as, “Is she as taken with him?” Biting it back, as the answer wouldn’t do anything but add to the ache he felt when he thought of Silver with another man, Shane shrugged and answered, “So it seems.”

  For a moment, no longer than the blink of an eye, Jillian seemed to scowl at him. Then she brightened. “I think it would be lovely if they married, don’t you? June weddings are my favorite. And if both she and Katie had babies next spring? Then all our children could grow together.”

  June wedding? That was next month. And a baby by spring? Suddenly feeling light-headed, Shane backed up until he met up with the solid wood of his door.

  “Are you all right?” Jillian asked, though she looked anything but concerned.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Just then a wagon filled with a family of five rattled down the street. As it passed them the baby held within its mother’s arms began to wail.
Shane didn’t think much of it but suddenly Jillian gasped, dismay filled her green eyes. She jerked her arms up to cover her chest.

  “I have to get home. It was nice seeing you, Shane.”

  She was gone before he could reply, her heels tapping the boardwalk as she raced toward the stable.

  Shane rubbed his forehead. What the devil had just happened?

  However since everyone else continued on their business, crisscrossing the street as they finished their errands, and since he knew the only way he’d get rid of this restlessness was to actually talk to Charlotte, Shane decided to get on with his business as well. Early or not, he was going to talk to Charlotte.

  There were two things about Ephraim Grey Shane was certain of; the man didn’t sleep much, if he slept at all, and he didn’t smile.

  “Girls aren’t up yet,” Ephraim grumbled as he swept. Judging from the clouds of dust he stirred up, sweeping wasn’t an everyday occurrence at Grey’s.

  “I realize that. And I won’t keep Charlotte long, I just need to ask her a question.”

  Ephraim leaned on his broom. “You said she ain’t in trouble?”

  “She’s not,” Shane reassured though he knew they were talking about two different kinds of trouble. Ephraim was worried about the law coming down on him; Shane was worried about Charlotte.

  “Upstairs,” he motioned. “Second door on the right.”

  He paused at Charlotte’s door, pressed an ear to the wood. Despite feeling it was important he talked to her now, he’d still rather not interrupt if she were... entertaining.

  Though he heard shuffling coming from the other rooms, there was nothing but silence coming from Charlotte’s. He wrapped his knuckles on the door. “Charlotte, it’s Shane McCall. Can I have a moment?”

  She didn’t answer but a door behind him opened. He turned as a young woman stepped out. Her brown hair was mussed; her eyes were sleepy. The edges of her robe were held together in the fist she clutched between her breasts. It was clear by the rigid nipples poking the thin fabric and the stretch of bare leg she exposed when she bent a knee that she was naked beneath the garment.