Shaking her head in wonder, Amanda’s gaze swung to the captives who glared back at her. That a Coldwell was involved hadn’t surprised her; seeing John Freeman did, though it probably shouldn’t have. Evidently, he’d lied to his wife about the bank holdup being his one and only crime.
Mrs. Perl had wrapped John in red yarn until he couldn’t move his arms. The red wool against his white shirt turned him into what looked like a living barber pole.
Mrs. Mooney looked unbearably smug. “As the bank president’s wife, I’m putting the two of you under arrest.”
“You can’t arrest anyone, Maude,” Mrs. Granby said. “You’re not the sheriff.”
“That’s your job,” Rick said, turning to Amanda.
Never did she relish a job more, but first things first. “Not so fast,” she said. She walked up to Mr. El. He didn’t look so cocky now. “I asked you before and I’ll ask you again. Why’d you kill Cooper?”
“I told you I didn’t kill him. He did.” He tossed his head in the direction of Freeman.
Amanda stepped in front of John. “Why’d you kill him?” For Mary-Louise and her son’s sake, she hoped he didn’t.
John glared at her. “I didn’t kill him. Buster did.”
Had Buster been conscious, he probably would point his finger back at Mr. El.
She turned to Scooter. “Empty their pockets.”
“Yes, sir, Sheriff.” Her deputy holstered his gun and started on John Freeman’s pockets. He tossed coins, a money clip, wire cutters, and spare bullets onto the ground.
He then started on Mr. El’s pockets, pulling out a handkerchief, keys, a rabbit foot, and hard candy. “Check his shirt pocket,” she said.
Scooter stuck his fingers into the pocket and pulled out a small peacock feather.
It was all Amanda needed to see. She stood directly in front of the Welshman, hands at her waist. “I repeat. Why’d you kill Cooper?” He started to deny it, but she stopped him. “Save your breath. Not only do I have a witness, but now I have actual proof.”
“What kind of proof?”
“You’ll find out in court.”
His lip curled, and the pupils of his eyes dilated with hate. “We did all the work, and Cooper reaped the benefits.”
“Oh, wow!” Scooter said. “That sounds like a real confession.”
Rick frowned. “So Cooper was the brains behind the crime spree?”
Freeman made a face. “Until he got greedy and started demanding more than his share. That’s why we held back…”
Amanda completed his sentence. “The loot stolen from the bank.” That explained why Mary-Louise found a bag of money hidden in the house.
Mr. El sneered. “We were supposed to be living it up in Europe by now, but Cooper kept holdin’ out on us. Said it wasn’t time to leave till he said so. Then we found out he blew all our hard-earned money on the faro tables.”
“By hard-earned, I take it you mean robbing stages and banks,” Amanda said.
“Don’t forget cattle rustlin’,” Rick added. “It sounds to me like Cooper got the best of the deal.”
“What do you mean?” Freeman asked.
“He’s dead, and you’re not.”
Amanda stepped forward. “I’m placing you both under arrest for murder, horse and cattle theft, stage robbery, and animal cruelty.” Someone had to pay for practically scaring an armadillo out of its armored wits.
She wanted to add “and taking advantage of Wendell hospitality,” but far as she knew, there was no law against that.
“How’d you know about the stage?” John Freeman asked.
She took the peacock feather from Scooter. She was willing to bet that the feather came from the hat that blew off her head during the attempted holdup. Just like the feathers found in Cooper’s room and Pepper’s saloon.
She slipped the feather in her vest pocket. “A little birdie told me,” she said with a wry smile. “Make that a big birdie.”
After Amanda, Rick, Hobson, and the posse had collected Buster and hauled the prisoners a mile up the road where the wagons and horses had been left, Pepper and his lynch mob caught up to them.
Her posse had tricked them into going on a wild-goose chase, and Pepper looked like he was about to spit nails. His face practically turned purple when he spotted Rick leaning against a tree with a casual lack of concern.
“What in the name of Sam Hill is going on? Why are these men handcuffed?” He pointed at Rick. “And why isn’t he?”
Amanda quickly explained everything that had happened. Well, almost everything. She left out the part about the armadillo.
Pepper listened with a look of disbelief. “That sounds like a lot of bull,” he said, aiming his gun at Rick. “A jury found you guilty, and that’s good enough for me.” He signaled to his men. “Get the rope. Since the sheriff can’t do her job, it looks like it’s up to us.”
Amanda’s heart practically stood still. But then the most unexpected thing happened. John stepped forward and gave a full confession. “Everything Amanda said is true,” he said, sounding more like her old friend than an outlaw.
Pepper frowned. “What about him?” he asked, tossing a nod at Rick.
John’s gaze traveled to Rick and back again. “Mr. El killed Cooper. Nobody else.” He sounded relieved to get it off his chest.
Oddly enough, Amanda felt sorry for him. He’d obviously never thought things would turn out so badly. Certainly, he had no idea that his decision to turn to theft would involve murder.
Mayor Troutman adjusted his sling. “That’s good enough for me,” he said. “Sorry, gentleman, but there’ll be no hangings today.”
Pepper lowered his gun, but he didn’t look happy about it.
Mr. Mooney spoke up. “As the president of the bank, I say we give these little ladies a round of applause.”
“I ain’t givin’ ’em nothin’.” Pepper groused.
Ignoring him, T-Bone pulled off his hat. “I have to say, Amanda, you ain’t such a bad sheriff after all.”
Amanda smiled. That was high praise coming from the butcher. “Why, thank you, T-Bone.” Aware that Rick was watching her, she felt warm currents inch up her neck. “I just want to say that I’m the one who let Rick go. I believed him innocent of the charges lodged against him, and it turns out I was right.”
Mr. Steele stepped forward. “We’re grateful that you did. You saved us from sendin’ an innocent man to the great beyond before his time.”
“You can say that agin.” Mr. Perl gave his knitted scarf a tug. “Finally, Two-Time’s got itself a decent sheriff.”
“Had,” Amanda said. “Soon as I lock these hombres up, I’m handing in my resignation.” Even Rick looked surprised by her announcement.
“You can’t do that,” Mrs. Mooney said. She nudged her husband’s arm with her elbow. “You’re the bank president. Tell her she can’t do that.”
“You’re darn tootin’ she can’t!” T-Bone agreed.
Amanda laughed. Things sure had taken an unexpected turn. Now people were actually begging her to stay. Incredible.
“I have to admit being the sheriff had its moments, but…” Facing death had made her realize how fragile life really was. She’d been shot at on two separate occasions as sheriff, and frankly, that was more than she’d bargained for. As for carrying out a hanging…she’d sooner walk on fire. And she still had the dreaded task of telling Mary-Louise the full extent of John’s involvement.
“I think the town would do better with another sheriff.” One with a stronger stomach.
She looked straight at Deputy Hobson when she said it. If he could just curb his enthusiasm a bit, he would make a fine sheriff. But he probably had little chance of landing the job. No doubt T-Bone and the rest were thinking of running for sheriff themselves.
“Does this mean we get o
ur wives back in the kitchen where they belong?” T-Bone’s horseshoe mustache twitched as he cast a beseeching look at his wife.
Mr. Perl blew out his breath. “That’s what I want to know.”
Mr. Walker inched up to his gun-toting wife. “So what’s it gonna be, Ellie-May? Me or them?”
Ellie-May opened her mouth to say something, but Mrs. Mooney stopped her. “As the bank president’s wife, I say we return to our kitchens on one condition.”
T-Bone scratched his head, and Mr. Mooney drew his eyebrows together.
“Well, speak up,” Mr. Steele said with an impatient wave of his anvil-sized hand. “What is it?”
“The condition,” Mrs. Mooney said, staring down her nose, “is that we women are allowed to vote for the next sheriff.”
Smiling to herself, Amanda met Rick’s gaze. Amusement danced in his eyes, and he winked at her. “Sounds like a great compromise to me,” he said.
“Now wait just a darn minute,” Mr. Mooney said, but his objections were overruled by the other men.
“If letting the women vote for the next sheriff puts supper back on the table, I say go for it!” Mr. Granby shouted, rubbing his stomach and no doubt anticipating his next meal.
After much discussion, the majority agreed with Mrs. Mooney’s proposal, which pretty much assured Scooter’s win.
Becky-Sue threw convention to the winds by throwing her arms around Scooter. He got all red in the face and seemed momentarily speechless but soon recovered.
“Oh, wow!” he said.
Thirty-seven
That night, the citizens of Two-Time celebrated by turning the town into one gigantic party. Music and laughter filled the air as couples danced the length of Main Street. Scooter’s father provided trays of baked goods, and the ladies of the Tuesday Afternoon Quilting Bee supplied pitchers of lemonade.
Amanda couldn’t stop smiling, even during the mayor’s long, drawn-out speech. Who would have thought that things would turn out so well? Some of the stolen cattle and horses would soon be returned to their rightful owners. The crime spree that had plagued Two-Time these last few months had now come to an end.
That wasn’t all. Husbands had their wives back, but nothing would ever be the same. Having had a taste of excitement, none of the women wanted to go back to the way things were. Almost all of them had signed up to join the suffragist group, and Amanda couldn’t be happier.
Best of all, Rick was a free man. If only it wasn’t for Mary-Louise, Amanda’s happiness would be complete. The bank was the big loser, as none of the stolen money had been recovered. No doubt it had all gone up in smoke at the Freeman farm. Having to tell Mary-Louise the extent of her husband’s criminal activities had been one of the hardest things Amanda ever had to do, and it near broke her heart. Fortunately, she was able to tell Mary-Louise that John had acted honorably at the end. His full confession had helped to exonerate Rick, and for that, Amanda would always be grateful.
The mayor continued to speak, ignoring all efforts to stop him. His arm still in a sling, he took full credit for the way things turned out.
Amanda didn’t care. It was enough knowing that the crime spree was over and people felt safe again.
Mrs. Mooney gave a disgusted sigh. “The way he’s praising himself, you’d think he was speaking at his own funeral.”
The mayor might have gone on all night had Mr. Pendergrass not stolen his thunder by appearing in the buff. No one objected when the minister’s wife chased the naked man down the street yelling, “Stop, or I’ll have your hide!”
By the time the ruckus was over, the mayor had lost his audience.
Amanda was still thinking about the unexpected turn of events when Rick snuck up behind her and slid his hands around her waist. “May I have this dance?”
Swinging around in the circle of his arms, she gazed up at him, and her heart felt like it had wings. “I thought you’d never ask,” she said.
He arched a brow. “Why so sad?”
“I was just thinking about Mary-Louise. I can’t imagine what she must be going through right now.”
“Yeah, it’s gotta be tough.”
Nodding, she melted against him. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. His strong physique had attracted her from the very start. She especially liked the way his muscles shaped his arms and legs. But now that she knew the pleasure those same arms could bring when wrapped firmly around her, there was so much more to admire.
And his lips… She’d sampled those velvet-soft lips of his and wanted more. So much more.
A warm glow threatened to set her body on fire, and laughter bubbled out of her.
He arched his eyebrows. “What’s so funny?”
“You’re supposed to move your feet. You dance like you’re still behind bars.”
He laughed too. “Sorry, but these feet are better suited for stirrups.”
She exhaled with pure happiness. “Oh, Rick. I can’t believe how things worked out.”
His lopsided grin stole her breath away. “I’m just glad that they did, and I owe it all to you.”
“Not all of it,” she said. “I’m not sure what would have happened had Scooter and my posse not shown up when they did.”
“And don’t forget that Rain King fellow and your armadillo friend,” he added.
“Oh, no, we can’t forget them.” So far, the Rain King’s cannon had failed to bring a single drop of rain. She suddenly thought of something. “Now that you’re a free man, I guess you’ll want me to return Spirit.”
“You mean Killer the warhorse?”
She laughed. “I mean the horse that took off so fast at the start of trouble, he left his shadow behind.”
“He didn’t take off. He went to get help.”
“Help, eh?”
“It worked, didn’t it? If it weren’t for Killer, you might never have found me.”
“Can’t argue with you there,” she said.
He gazed down at her. “Now that you’re no longer the sheriff, I guess you won’t need him anymore.”
“Guess not,” she said. Though riding her pony would take some getting used to. “Now I can concentrate on writing my speech for the suffragist convention. Wait till they hear what happened here in Two-Time. Oh, Rick! Things are bound to be different now. I mean, women get to vote for the next sheriff. Who would have thought such a thing possible?”
“Who indeed.”
“Maybe next time, they’ll get to vote for the mayor and…” On and on she went, joy bubbling out like water from a spring. “And the best thing of all,” she added without stopping to take a breath. “All my posse members joined my suffragist group. They’ll no longer be fighting crime, but they’ll be fighting for a different type of justice.”
“Imagine that.”
* * *
It was late by the time the music stopped. Couples, including Scooter and Becky-Sue, drifted away, walking hand in hand.
Rick escorted Amanda to her parents’ house on Peaceful Lane. He’d seemed especially quiet during the celebrations. But considering all that had happened, that wasn’t too surprising. He had gone from a man condemned to hang to being somewhat of a hero.
“So what do you plan on doing now?” she asked when they’d stopped just short of her front porch.
“I’m heading to the Panhandle. Hope to hire on as a wrangler there. Once I get my bearings, I plan on startin’ a horse ranch of my own.”
Her earlier joy left like a speeding train. She swallowed hard and tried to be happy for him. If only it didn’t feel like her heart had suddenly cracked down the middle. Even the bright, starry sky had suddenly lost its luster.
“A horse ranch?” She could hardly form the words around the lump in her throat. “Better watch it. Warhorse might get jealous.”
“Think so, eh?”
They
stared at each other. Don’t go, her heart cried out. Please don’t go. “W-when are you leaving?” she asked. Why are you leaving?
“Tomorrow.”
She sucked in her breath. “So…so soon?”
He looked away. “Nothin’ keeping me here.”
She struggled not to show how much his words hurt. Grace and charm, grace and charm, grace and…
“Are you saying that Mrs. Granby’s fudge isn’t enough?” How normal she sounded. How in control. No one would ever guess that inside, she was dying.
He met her gaze and chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll miss that for sure.”
She searched his face. What else will you miss? Catching herself staring, she did a mental shake. “You’ve made a lot of friends here.”
“I know, but…it’s better this way. You and me…” She heard his intake of breath, and it matched her own. “We have different goals,” he said at last. “I see nothin’ but trouble ahead for us.”
She moistened her lips. “Because of my suffragist work?”
“That and…you want to change the world. I only want to change a few hundred acres.”
“So you’re saying we can’t be…friends?” she asked, battling to control the quiver in her voice.
He rubbed his chin. “Sometimes, a dream becomes so big, there’s no room for anythin’ else, friendship included. My mother—”
She cut him off with a shake of the head. “I’m not like your mother. I would never turn my back on my responsibilities. Certainly, I would never leave a child!”
The passion in her voice seemed to surprise him, and he stared at her with raised eyebrows.
“I can change, Rick,” she said in a softer, quieter voice. “I know I can.” But even as she said it, she wondered if that was true.
His eyes grew dark with sadness. “That’s the crazy part. I don’t want you to change. I love you just the way you are.”
Her breath caught in her throat. Never had three little words affected her so deeply. “I love you the way you are too,” she whispered.
His eyes flared with smoldering flames, startling her with their intensity. He shrugged in mock resignation. “Don’t we make a fine couple?”
A Match Made in Texas Page 26