Secrets In The Shadows

by Sheridon Smythe

  Torn between laughter and chagrin, Lacy nodded. “Okay, I won't. I won't tell anybody."

  Her grammar correction sailed over his head. “That's what I said, don't tell nobody. I love you, bye."

  "Will you be home for supper?” Lacy called after him as he flew down the stairs at breakneck sped. She held her breath as he sailed over the last three bottom steps and landed nimbly on his feet.

  Ben looked up at her where she stood on the landing, his expression dead serious. “I reckon I will and Rusty, too. Us men got to keep our strength up, you know. Deputyin's hard work."

  "Of course,” Lacy agreed with a wide-eyed, innocent look.

  She jumped as Ben tore back up the stairs, his energy endless. “Here, pin this on me, would ya?” He panted, hopping from foot to foot.

  Lacy chased him for a moment with the badge, then finally gave up. “Ben, you'll have to stand still if you want me to do this."

  "Okay, but hurry! Brian and Ed should be showin’ up any minute and Sheriff Logan might want me to lock ‘em up."

  Lacy refrained from pointing out that Brian and Ed knew how to lock themselves up. They did it often enough, nearly every Saturday night, in fact. Good thing she'd thought to put a ham in the oven, as she knew both cowhands possessed voracious appetites.

  Ben managed to hold still long enough for Lacy to latch the star onto the strap of his overalls. “Don't you want to see how it looks?” she asked as Ben started to dart away.

  "Oh. Yeah, guess I do.” He followed her into the bedroom to stand before the full-length mirror. For a long moment, he stared at the star, then his eyes met Lacy's in the mirror. “D-e-p-u-t-y. That says deputy, don't it? They weren't foolin’ me!"

  "No, Ben. They weren't foolin’ you.” She looked at the shiny star and back at Ben as something suddenly occurred to her. “Ben, how in the world did you read what that says, in the mirror? It's backwards."

  Ben shrugged. “I don't know. It looks right to me."

  When he pulled loose from her grasp and skipped to the door, Lacy didn't stop him. She was too busy thinking about what he'd said.

  It had been easier for him to read the letters while facing the mirror. How strange....

  Thoughtfully, she descended the stairs. When Ben had settled down over this deputy business, she'd have to expand on her idea. It was crazy, but definitely worth a try.

  Once in the kitchen, Lacy set her mind to other things, like what she would fix to go along with the ham. Maybe Brian and Ed would enjoy a few new potatoes, seasoned with butter and fresh cream. She would take a little extra with her when she took the prisoners their meal.

  Adam would be welcome to the extras, of course. After all, he'd restored her grandpa's pride by making him his deputy, and made Ben the happiest boy in Shadow City.

  And for the last hour or so, Takola had been perched on a stool in the backyard, busy drawing picture after picture with the supplies Adam had brought her. She'd looked more relaxed and happier than Lacy had ever seen her.

  Lacy checked on the ham, then fed more wood into the fire in the stove. As she straightened from the chore, her eyes strayed to the window overlooking the back yard. Takola sat, head bent, fingers moving swiftly over the paper. Big Red wallowed happily in a huge hole he'd dug; the chickens clucked and chased each other, fighting over every speck in the dirt that might indicate food. Beyond the hog pen and the chicken house, the woods pressed at the fence her grandfather had put up many years ago.

  Blackberries thrived along that fence row, so many of them Lacy could scarcely keep them picked.

  In fact, she thought with a mischievous smile, they needed picking right now.

  She knew just what to do with them, too.

  * * * *

  "That boy's prouder ‘n a rooster in a new hen house,” Rusty said with a chuckle.

  Adam smiled, watching Ben through the restaurant window. He stood proud and tall as three boys of various ages gathered around him, gawking and exclaiming over the deputy star pinned to his overall strap. Adam couldn't hear what they were saying, but he gathered from Ben's pleased expression the news was good.

  Maybe Ben would have some friends now, Adam thought. He transferred his gaze to his other new deputy seated to his left. “When you gonna tell me who found Colt?"

  Rusty's eyes flew wide. He sat straighter in his chair and decided his coffee needed attention. Deliberately ignoring the question, he poured several spoonfuls of sugar into the black brew. Then he took up the spoon and began stirring. He stirred until coffee swirled over the sides and pooled onto the saucer. Finally, when he had no choice, he met Adam's narrowed gaze.

  "When are you gonna tell Lacy you ain't stayin', and why?” He set his jaw in a way that told Adam he wouldn't be pushed.

  "She doesn't need to know."

  "'Course she does,” Rusty stated. “She's gonna be madder than a wet hornet when she finds out you're Colt's grandson, and that you aren't plannin’ on stayin'.

  "Why would she be mad?” Adam folded his arms across his chest and waited. He was curious, very curious, to hear Rusty's answer. More curious than he should be.

  "Well, for starters, she's gonna feel like you lied to her. Lacy doesn't like to be lied to."

  When he paused, Adam prompted softly, “And?"

  "Well, the other thing is, you takin’ this job as sheriff an’ all, lettin’ folks believe you're gonna stay, when you're plannin’ on just up and leavin'.” Rusty stared at Adam hard. “Other folks besides Lacy ain't gonna like that too much."

  Adam lifted a brow.

  "Well, it isn't right, leadin’ folks astray."

  "I thought you were on my side,” Adam drawled. “I thought you wanted to find out what happened to Colt."

  "I am on your side.” Rusty slammed his spoon onto his saucer, scowling. “Tarnation, Adam. I'm tellin’ ya you should at least let Lacy know what's going on."

  "Why?"

  With a growl, Rusty said, “Because she's gonna figure it out when you start asking her questions, and then she's gonna be mad you didn't tell her yourself."

  Adam straightened from his slouched position, forgetting he was in a public restaurant, forgetting to keep his voice low. “Why am I going to be asking Lacy questions?” he demanded, deciding Rusty needed a good thrashing. The man beat around the bush worse than anyone he'd ever talked to.

  "Keep your voice down, dammit!” After satisfying himself that no one was listening to their conversation, Rusty leaned closer. “Because Lacy's the one who found Colt hangin’ from that rope."

  Adam was stunned by the news. All this time he'd been asking Rusty, and Rusty had managed to avoid answering. It had been Lacy all along. Why, she must have been—he voiced the thought. “She was a child!"

  Rusty nodded sagely. “Yep. Tore her up pretty bad. Still has nightmares, I reckon. Sometimes she wakes up screamin’ in her sleep."

  Adam suspected more than Colt Murddock invaded Lacy's dreams. The thought darkened his face. “Why didn't you want to tell me?"

  "'Cause she doesn't like to talk about it, even now, after all these years.” Rusty took a sip of his cooling coffee, rubbed his chin, then glanced out the window. “After she found him an’ came runnin’ back to the house to tell us, she wouldn't talk about it again."

  "And you never pressed her,” Adam finished softly. A part of him could understand Rusty not wanting to question a child about such a trauma, but the other part of him wished Rusty had. Lacy had fifteen years to forget something she desperately wanted to forget. The chances were slim that she would remember much of anything now.

  Rusty looked defensive. “Nope, I didn't. Ma wouldn't let me, anyway. She said the girl had been through enough, and I reckon I agreed with her."

  Adam tipped his chair and cupped the back of his head with his hands, watching Rusty from beneath lowered lids. “You don't think she'll talk to me about it, do you?"

  "Nope. I don't. If she wouldn't talk to me about it, what makes you think she'll talk t
o you? You two are like puttin’ a cat and a dog in a barrel, then closing the lid,” Rusty declared with faint disgust.

  "You don't have much confidence in me, do you?"

  A sly smile curved Rusty's mouth. “That snake charm of yours might work on most women, but not my Lacy."

  Adam let the chair fall forward, leaning his elbows on the table. “Is that a challenge, Deputy Palmer?"

  Rusty grinned. “Might be. Might be at that."

  Adam stood up and stretched. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a fifty-cent piece, tossing it onto the table to pay for their refreshments. “I need to walk that pie off. You comin'?"

  With a nod, Rusty wiped his mouth and pushed out of the chair. Once outside, they stopped to see if Ben wanted to come along before they made their way down the street. Without hesitation, Ben took his place on the other side of Adam, looking back and waving at the envious boys.

  * * * *

  Lacy hefted the heavy basket into the crook of her arm and closed the door behind her. She'd left Takola to look after the bread in the oven while she took Brian and Ed their dinner.

  Nestled on top of the slices of baked ham and new potatoes smothered in cream sauce, was a freshly baked blackberry pie.

  Humming to herself, she set off down the street. She hadn't gone more than a few yards when she spotted Carrianna, Susan, and Mary Ellen heading her way. Each girl twirled a lacy parasol above their heads, their full skirts swishing daintily as they walked.

  Lacy thought of her own practical cotton gown, faded from many washings. Thunder, she had even forgotten to remove her apron! At least she had remembered to brush and rebraid her hair before leaving. She had also looked in the mirror to see if her face was clean.

  "Yoo hoo! Lacy!"

  Lacy stifled a groan at the sound of Carrianna's bright call. She didn't want to linger and chat with her friends. The food would get cold, and Carrianna would scold her for coming out without her parasol. With a resigned sigh, she realized there wasn't any way to avoid them. What was wrong with her? These were her friends, and she was normally delighted to see them.

  They met in front of Lacy's neighbors’ house. Lacy waved at the small, elderly couple as they enjoyed the evening sitting on the front porch. The Tidwells owned a milk cow, and Lacy regularly traded fresh eggs for milk. The arrangement was convenient and worked out quite nicely, except for the times when her chickens got contrary and refused to lay for days on end. When that happened, Lacy would bake extra bread, or a pie for Mr. Tidwell's sweet tooth.

  "Carrianna, Mary Ann, Susan. How have y'all been?” Lacy set the heavy basket gently on the ground and rubbed at the mark on the inside of her arm where the handle had pressed into her skin.

  Mary Ann, the granddaughter of Shadow City's attorney, twirled her parasol and giggled. “We've been fine, Lacy Lynn. Where have you been hiding yourself? You haven't been out with us in ages. Why, you haven't even stepped foot inside the new dress shop that opened next to Granddad's office, have you?"

  "All you do is work, work, work,” Susan complained.

  Carrianna came to Lacy's defense. “Girls, not everyone lies about all day dreamin’ about store bought dresses and Adam Logan! Lacy's got a good head on her shoulders, and a family to take care of.” Carrianna pointed the tip of her parasol at Mary Ann. “Mary Ann, tell Lacy your news."

  Mary Ann preened, smiling like a well-fed cat. “Oh, it's nothing. Grandfather invited Adam Logan to dinner on Wednesday, and he accepted."

  Lacy felt as if someone had booted her in the behind. She didn't care, she really didn't. Adam Logan could court every woman in Shadow City and it would not concern her in the least. He was a handsome man, and it shouldn't come as a shock that women liked him. Nor should it come as a shock he liked women. If anyone should know that, she should.

  Forcing a smile, Lacy said, “You must be very excited, Mary Ann."

  "That's not all.” Carrianna lifted her eyebrows in Susan's direction. “Susan, tell Lacy what Adam Logan said about your spice cake."

  Susan blushed a becoming shade of peach. “Well, he said it was the best spice cake he'd ever tasted."

  Lacy was afraid her smile was going to slip right off her face. She hated feeling envious, especially of her friends, but that's exactly how she felt. Adam Logan had said nothing complimentary about her cooking. In fact, just the opposite.

  He had kissed her, but she couldn't tell them that. She also couldn't tell them Adam had seen her in the ‘altogether'. Carrianna would faint dead away, and Susan wouldn't be able to resist telling someone else. Mary Ann would simply cry over her ‘lost virtue'.

  "Aren't you the least bit interested in our new sheriff, Lacy?” Mary Ann fairly chirped at her. “Granddad says he's loaded. Owns a big ranch in Wyoming. Oh, but don't tell anyone, because that's supposed to be confidential.” She giggled, then sighed. “If I was to marry Adam, I'd make him sell that old ranch so I'd know he wouldn't ever change his mind and want to move back there."

  "So would I,” Susan agreed. They all turned to look at Carrianna to get her opinion. Lacy noticed they didn't expect her to have an opinion. She suddenly felt very old—like a spinster.

  Carrianna shrugged, casting a mysterious glance in Lacy's direction. “The Bible says you're supposed to go where your husband goes, I believe.” Her father was the pastor of the Methodist church on Main Street, and she was a devout Christian. Lacy knew there wasn't a black spot on her soul anywhere.

  As the girls began to debate the biblical issue, Lacy took the opportunity to grab her basket and slip away, calling goodbyes over her shoulder.

  "Don't forget we're supposed to get together tomorrow after church, Lacy!” Carrianna reminded her with a wave.

  "Wouldn't miss it for the world.” Lacy's smile fell from her face the moment her back was turned from the threesome. Carrianna would not have appreciated her thoughts at the moment. She wasn't looking forward to tomorrow, because she knew the conversation would center around Adam Logan. By golly, how was a girl supposed to forget about someone if they were constantly reminded of him?

  Maybe she could make an excuse, plead a headache. But no, Carrianna knew her too well and would see through her lie. She'd be hurt, and she'd want to know why Lacy didn't want to be around them.

  As Lacy skirted the hitching post in front of the jailhouse and stepped onto the boarded walkway, an idea came to her. If she invited Dr. Martin for Sunday dinner, that would give her an excellent excuse not to join the girls for a stroll in the park. She'd be far too busy cooking the meal, wouldn't she?

  Dr. Martin would take her mind off of Adam Logan.

  She squashed the surge of guilt she felt over using Dr. Martin this way. He liked her, she knew, but having him over for dinner was a simple courtesy, she told herself. He was a bachelor, and bachelors got tired of eating at the restaurant all the time, even if Ellen was an excellent cook.

  She'd make sure she emphasized her reason for inviting him, and that should take care of any notions Dr. Martin might get.

  With that decided, Lacy pasted a welcoming smile on her face and stepped into Adam's office.

  He wasn't there, she saw immediately, but Brian and Ed lounged on the cots in the locked jail cell. When they saw her, they sprang to their feet, their expressions unmistakably eager.

  "Well, if it ain't Miz Ross comin’ to bring us our supper.” Brian grinned at her. His eyes glowed with adoration, as did Ed's.

  "Hello, boys. Been at it again?” Lacy set the basket on the desk and reached into her dress pocket for the key to the jail cell.

  It had been her grandmother's key, given to her grandmother by Sheriff Murddock so she could feed and tend to the prisoners when he wasn't in the office. Lacy never knew how it came to be her grandmother's job; she just knew her grandmother had always done it.

  After her grandmother's death, it had seemed natural for Lacy to continue the tradition. Lacy didn't mind, as long as she never had to enter the office when it was empty, as she
'd had to do last week.

  She unlocked the door, slipped the key back in her pocket, and studied the young faces through the bars of the cell to determine the damage they had done to each other. They returned her gaze with a sheepish ducking of their heads.

  "What are we going to do with you two?” She sighed, biting back a smile.

  "You could marry me,” Brian said predictably. He turned beet red when Lacy laughed, determined not to take him seriously.

  "She ain't marryin’ you, you stinkin’ cowpoke!” Ed snarled with sudden viciousness. “She's gonna marry me, ain't you Miz Ross?” His voice trailed off on a hopeful note.

  Lacy turned away, shaking her head and laughing. They said the same things every Saturday, and she made the same replies. “I'm not the marryin’ kind,” she told them. Not anymore.

  Ignoring their grumbling, she went out back to the pump to bring in water so she could bathe their wounds. Adam ought to be glad he didn't have to worry about patching and feeding the prisoners, she reflected as she filled a wash pan with water.

  She brought the pan inside and set it down on the floor by the cell, then moved to the desk to unpack the food. Feeling stingy and silly didn't stop her from searching for a place to set the blackberry pie so the two hungry boys watching her would not see it. Finally, she set it on Adam's chair and pushed the chair up to the desk. She wanted Adam to have the whole pie, and if he decided to share it with Brian and Ed, then he could.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. This pie had made it—safe and sound—and free of all but the slightest pinch of salt.

  Hopefully, nothing would stop Adam from enjoying this pie.

  Chapter Nine

  "You sure you won't come in?” Adam asked as they paused to lean against the hitching posts outside the jailhouse. Ben started to climb up beside him, but Rusty grabbed his collar and hauled him back to the ground.

  "No, thank ye, Adam. We'd best get on home or Lacy'll have our hides."