Man Without A Badge
Page 21
Sam glanced at the sudden earnest expressions on the faces of all six children. Again, he had to swallow past the lump in his throat. “It was only a flesh wound, Chris,” he managed to say.
“It nicked an artery,” Marly reminded him.
“Yeah. There was blood everywhere,” Chris told him. “Just like before when you got shot in the head.”
“Thanks for reminding me,” Sam muttered.
“You coulda bled to death,” Hector added, with an eleven-year-old’s relish for gore.
“But I didn’t. I’m fine.”
Marly caught his eye. “Oh, you’re better than that, cowboy. Much better,” she whispered.
Zeke shyly proffered a much-fingered envelope before Sam could retort. “My mom sent you this letter. She don’t write too good, but she wanted to thank you for taking care of me.”
“Mine, too,” Hector put in, handing him another note.
Chris frowned. “So when are you comin’ back?”
“Yeah, Sam,” Donald agreed. “You’re supposed to take us riding, remember?”
Marly smiled. “Better give him a few more days to recoup, guys. He’ll need to take slow, quiet rides first.”
Sam leaned back, feeling better than he had in days at the subtle double entendre he heard behind her words. “Slow and quiet, huh?”
“Very slow,” she agreed, with a hint of mischief that heated his blood.
“You’re going to take him home with you?” Lee cut in. “Do you think that’s wise?”
“Yes,” Emma stated, with such conviction that Lee blinked.
Marly chuckled. “Probably not. The man causes me no end of trouble, but I’ll need a foreman now that I’ve fired Carter. Even one with an allcrgy to hay is better than none.”
This time it was Lee who grinned. “You’re never gonna live that one down, Joe. A Texan who’s allergic to hay. Ha! I’m not allergic to hay,” he told Marly slyly. “You could dump this clown for me. What do you say?”
“I’d say you’re asking for a black eye,” Sam warned, but his words were drowned out by the children.
“Can you ride?” Hector demanded of Lee.
“Do you know how to whittle?” Zeke wanted to know.
“Uh, well…”
“We’d rather have Sam,” Donald stated.
Mickey nodded. “Yeah, he knows how to do all kinds of cool things.”
Marly laughed, and Sam squeezed her hand.
Lee tilted his chair back on two legs. “Okay, I know when I’m licked. What about your job status, Joe?”
“I tendered my resignation with the police department yesterday.”
The chair came down with a thump. “Why? You’ve been exonerated. You’re in line for George’s job.”
Sam watched Marly. “I’ve had a better offer.”
Lee looked from one face to another. “I hope you two aren’t going to do anything stupid, like ruin a good relationship by getting married.”
“You’re gettin’ married, Sam?” Chris asked.
“Good,” Emma stated. Her plump face was wreathed in a smile.
“Can we come?” Zeke wanted to know.
“Yeah,” Donald added. “I like wedding cake.”
Marly began to laugh. “He hasn’t asked me, guys.”
Jerome frowned thoughtfully. “I think you should, Sam. Marly’s okay, for a girl.”
The boys began to chatter, and Sam rubbed the palm of Marly’s hand suggestively with his thumb. “Oh, I’m gonna ask her, but when I do, it will be done right, with flowers, candlelight, champagne—”
“You, on bended knee?”
His eyes gleamed at the devilment in hers. “Don’t push your luck.”
Lee laughed. “I want pictures. I could make a fortune at the station house.”
“Forget it,” Sam growled, wishing everyone would take the hint and disappear.
“Are you asking me, Sam?”
The room seemed to vanish as his gaze focused on the love he could read so clearly in her expression.
“Yeah, I’m asking, Marly. I love you.”
Her smile lit the room. “I thought you might, but it’s always nice to hear the words.”
“He’s allergic to hay,” Lee reminded Marly.
“Well, I’m sure I’ll find another use for him.”
“She has a sassy mouth,” Sam told his friend.
Emma beamed.
“He can whittle,” Jerome offered.
“Thanks, pal. The truth is, I discovered I like working with the kids, Lee. I’m going to look into getting certified. There’s even a chance we can get Marly’s program reinstated, and if not, there’s always Utah.”
Lee looked affronted. “You’d be willing to move, Marly?”
She regarded Sam with amused tolerance. “Given the right incentive.”
“I’ll see what I can do about that,” he promised. “First, we’ll sec what we can do to finesse the situation here. Meantime, I’m going to take a part-time job with that security company that came sniffing around last month. Marly can train horses, and I’ll train business executives about white-collar criminals.”
“No, we want you to come back to the farm with us,” Chris demanded.
Hector frowned. “Yeah, Sam, it won’t be fun without you.”
Sam leaned over and ruffled his hair. “Oh, I’ll be there, fellows. Unless Marly says no when I ask her to marry me.”
“I will make the wedding cake,” Emma announced.
“Chocolate,” Zeke insisted. “You make good chocolate cake. Doesn’t she, Marly?”
“Marly won’t say no, Sam. Will you, Marly?” Chris demanded.
Marly didn’t reply. She released Sam’s hand and reached for the sack on the floor. Sam held his breath as she regarded the sea of watchful faces around her. “Looks like there’d be a lynching if I said no.”
He released the breath and grinned in sheer relief.
From inside the paper sack, Marly withdrew his battered black Stetson, a pile of clothing, and a pair of scuffed cowboy boots. “Here, guys. Make yourselves useful. Emma and I will check Sam out of here. Then we’re going to take this cowboy home.”
“The doctor may have something to say about that,” Sam warned her. But he didn’t really care what the doctor had to say. He was more than willing to go anywhere, anytime, with this woman.
“Don’t worry, I already got you sprung. He released you into my custody…with a large sigh of relief, I might add.”
“Yeah? He didn’t say a word to me about getting out of here.”
“You were too busy growling at him to give him an opening. Besides, I asked him not to. I wanted to surprise you.”
Sam leaned back, feeling better than he ever had. “You always manage to do that.”
She winked and started for the door. The kids began to squabble over who got to hold Sam’s hat until he was ready to put it on.
Lee raised his eyebrows. “Hey, you aren’t going to leave me here alone with them, are you? Aren’t you going to stay and help him get dressed?”
“Nope. I get the fun part.” There was love and laughter shining from her eyes as she paused in the doorway to slant Sam a wicked smile. “I’m going to help him take everything back off as soon as I get him home. This is one cowboy who isn’t going to die with his boots on.”
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MAN WITHOUT A BADGE
Copyright © 1997 by Patricia A. Gagne
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Table of Contents
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Excerpt
Dear Reader
Dedication
Acknowledgments
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Copyright