He chanced a glance over at Eliza. She’d been quiet most of the trip, offering him a nervous smile from time to time. Her big yellow hat had shaded her face most of the afternoon. It bothered him that she wasn’t talkative and didn’t seem natural.
“It’s a pretty town, isn’t it?” Eliza said in a soft voice.
Jackson grinned as he looked upon her face. “Yes, it is. Do you have any idea where you’d like to stay?” he asked, looking up and down the building fronts for a hotel or boardinghouse.
“I’ve never been here, so I’m not sure.” She searched, as well. Her brown eyes seemed to drink in all the sights at once.
He pulled in front of a general store and set the brake. “We’ll go inside and ask around. How does that sound?”
Eliza smiled and nodded. She waited until he’d hopped down and then offered him her hand. Jackson marveled at how light she felt as he helped her. Once her feet were on the ground, he released her hand and she surprised him by slipping her arm into the crook of his.
They stepped up onto the sidewalk and once more he was amazed at the way people avoided making eye contact with them. With all his senses on alert, Jackson guided her to the store.
The bell over the door announced their arrival. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darker room. A blend of smells that included spices, leather, coffee and kerosene tickled his nose.
Long wooden counters stretched along both sides of the store. The drawers and bins built into them were labeled as spices, ground sugar, coffee, tea, flour, eggs and seeds, among other things. Several glass cases sitting on the countertop displayed expensive items, such as pens, perfumes, jewelry and silverware. Behind the counter he could see shelves covered the walls from floor to ceiling. They were stocked with pots, pans, dishes, bottled medicines and countless other goods.
Eliza moved toward the ready-made clothes, boots, shoes and bolts of fabric. His gaze followed her as she ran her hands over the material. He noticed a large jar of buttons and a memory tickled his thoughts.
A man’s voice interrupted his thinking. “Can I help you or the little lady? We’re getting ready to close up for the evening.”
Jackson started toward where the merchant stood behind the counter. He was a short man with a balding head and glasses perched on the tip of his nose. “My wife and I are looking for a place to stay tonight.” It felt funny calling Eliza his wife.
His shoulders seemed to relax a little. “Mrs. Myrtle’s boardinghouse is two streets over. Has a white picket fence around the front and a blue door. You can’t miss it. Nice place, good eats.”
Eliza returned to Jackson’s side. She slipped her small hand into his and waited.
“Thank you.” He nodded to the storekeeper and turned to leave.
“Before you folks leave, I should warn you. The Society of Bandits have been coming into town late at night. Normally, I wouldn’t be closing this time of day, but they are a mean bunch, and with them lurking about we’re all shutting down early. If I was you I’d get the little lady inside now, while it’s safe.” He came from behind the counter and followed them the rest of the way out the door.
“I’ll do that,” Jackson said, helping Eliza back onto the wagon. He waited until after the man had locked the store door and turned around before saying, “Thanks for the warning.”
The merchant tipped his hat and hurried down the sidewalk.
Jackson drove the wagon to the end of the block and then headed in the direction the storekeeper had indicated.
“Who do you suppose the Society of Bandits are?” Eliza asked him, looking around with fear in her eyes.
He didn’t like seeing fear on her lovely face. Jackson scanned the street for the boardinghouse. “I was hoping you’d heard of them and could tell me.”
She shook her head no.
He continued to search for Miss Myrtle’s boardinghouse. Just as the man had said, a large two-story house with a white picket fence and blue door stood in the center of the block.
A sign with flowers around the base announced the name of the boardinghouse. Jackson parked and hurried Eliza to the door. He tried to open it, but the knob refused to turn. It was locked.
Jackson knocked. While they waited he turned so that he could keep his gaze on the road behind them. The sun had lowered and was almost down. Jackson didn’t like this. He didn’t like it one bit at all.
The door behind him opened, and he heard Eliza’s fear-filled gasp.
Chapter Twenty
Eliza took a step back. The man who opened the door was almost as big as Jackson. He wore an old brown coat with what looked like tobacco stains all over it. His shirt was unbuttoned several buttons. Dark hair hung about his face. Hollowed-out black eyes stared at Eliza. His appearance was frightening but not nearly as scary as the gun he held in his hand.
Before she could register that the gun was pointed at the floor, Jackson shoved Eliza behind him. She held on to his waist as she eased her head around him and peaked at the rough-looking man. Jackson slowly backed away, pushing Eliza back and farther away from the door.
In a low voice Jackson said, “We don’t want any trouble.”
A small round woman peaked out from behind the gunman. She saw Eliza and pushed the man to the side. “Move, Sam, and let them inside.”
Jackson stood perfectly still.
Eliza watched as the woman slapped Sam’s hand. She had short grey hair and steely grey eyes. Not much taller than herself, the older woman was thin, but she carried a sense of authority about her.
“And put that gun away,” she barked at the unkempt man.
Sam set the gun on a table beside the door.
She turned around and gave them a huge toothy smile. “Are you here to rent a room?”
Jackson continued to eye the man. “We were but...”
She waved the rest of his words away. “Oh, don’t mind Sam. He’s been as jumpy as a bullfrog every since the Society of Bandits arrived. ’Course, who can blame him. The Bandits are one of the meanest bunch of men I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.”
Eliza came from around Jackson and stood beside him once more. She watched Sam disappear down a side hallway. “I’m Eliza Ke...Hart. This is my husband, Jackson,” she introduced, extending her hand out to the woman.
“My name’s Myrtle Harvey, and I am the owner of this fine establishment.” Myrtle shook Eliza’s hand firmly. Her palms were callused and scratched as she squeezed Eliza’s. She pulled Eliza farther inside the room.
“I only have two rooms left. One’s done up in blues and the other in greens. Which would you like?”
“That depends on the cost,” Jackson said as he followed them into the sitting room.
Myrtle hurried around a small desk and produced a slender, bound book. She pushed it across the wood for them to sign. Her gray eyes met Jackson’s and she grinned. “I like you, so I’ll only charge you a shiny fifty-cent piece.”
Eliza tried to hide her smile behind her hand. Fifty cents a night was the going rate. A big sign outside the front door had shown the prices for a week, five days and nightly. She assumed in his rush to get her inside, Jackson had overlooked it. Then she heard him grumble, “Me and every other fella that comes up the sidewalk.” He signed Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Hart to the ledger.
Myrtle winked at Eliza and laughed. “Got that right.”
The sound of Jackson’s rich laugher joining the other woman’s warmed Eliza’s heart. She tried to remember if she’d ever heard him laugh like that. Her gaze met his and held. Something in his look seemed to steal her breath away.
Myrtle cleared her throat. “If you would tell me which color room you’d like, I’ll get you up to it.”
Warmth filled Eliza’s cheeks and she turned her attention back to Myrtle. “I think I’d li
ke to see the blue room.” If Myrtle liked blue as much as Eliza thought she did, the room was probably very nice.
Jackson handed the innkeeper a fifty-cent piece.
Myrtle dropped the money into a drawer and then pulled a key off a rack behind the small desk. “That’s a good choice.” She stopped and relocked the door before leading them up the stairs.
Eliza hurried after the older woman.
As she stomped up the staircase, Myrtle laid down the law. “Breakfast is at six, dinner at noon, supper’s at seven. I’ll have no cigars, pipes or liquor anywhere within the house, and I don’t abide cussing.” She stopped in front of a door with the number one painted on it. “It’s pretty, but I don’t think it’s anywhere near as nice as your man’s eyes.”
This time Jackson’s neck and checks turned a light red. Eliza simply couldn’t hide her grin. She focused on the door, trying not to laugh at Jackson.
As the door opened, Eliza could see that it was a nice-size bedroom. A blue-and-white nine-patch quilt covered the full-size bed. Her gaze hurried from the bed to the small dresser and lamp beside it. She walked inside and ran her hand over the writing table that sat just inside the door. A wooden chair had been placed in front of the desk. Just as she thought—the room was lovely.
Her gaze continued around the room. A tall armoire rested in the far corner, and a blue sheet hung from ceiling to floor beside it. Eliza wondered what the purpose of the sheet was but decided not to ask.
Blue-and-white dollies covered the surfaces of the tables. The kerosene lamp was blue. Dark and light blue rag rugs, mixed with browns, littered the floor. Sheer light blue curtains covered the only window. Now she knew why Myrtle called it the blue room. “It’s beautiful,” Eliza said at last.
Jackson moved farther into the room. He walked to the curtain and looked behind it. “What’s this for?”
Myrtle winked at Eliza. “If your wife is shy, she can change behind it.”
“Oh.” Once more color traveled up Jackson’s neck and face. “I see.”
The old woman laughed again. “Well, if there aren’t any more questions, I’ll be leaving you two alone.” She walked to the door.
Jackson’s voice stopped her. “Before you go, I’d like to know if Sam is one of your boarders?”
Myrtle ran a hand through her gray hair. “No, Sam is my son. He’s big, like you, and with the Bandits hanging around town, he likes to open the door for me after three in the afternoon.”
Eliza asked. “Who are these Bandits?”
“You two get settled and then come down for supper. We can yarn some more then.” Myrtle shut the door behind her as she left.
Silence hung between them. They hadn’t discussed their sleeping arrangements, and Eliza felt a knot form in her belly. Would Jackson expect a true wedding night between them? And if so, would she be able to resist him?
* * *
Jackson ran his hands through his hair. Now what? His gaze moved to the bed and then jerked away. A soft pink filled Eliza’s cheeks and she averted her eyes, as well. “I’ll go get our bags and take care of the horse and wagon.”
“That sounds good,” Eliza answered as she walked over to the window.
He thought about telling her there was a washbasin behind the blue curtain but decided to let her find it on her own. “Lock the door behind me, and don’t let anyone in but me. I’ve got a bad feeling about this group of men they keep calling the Society of Bandits.”
She nodded. He opened the door and put one booted foot over the threshold. Her voice called out to him. “Jackson?”
He turned.
“Be careful out there,” she said.
A smile pulled at his lips. She cared about him. “I will. Be right back.” Jackson shut the door. He listened until he heard the lock turn and then hurried downstairs to find out where he could house the wagon and horse.
Mrs. Harvey sat at the desk in the sitting room. Sam Harvey sat in a chair off to the side. She looked up at him and a dimple flashed in her cheek. “I figured you’d be right down.”
“I need to take care of the horse and buggy.”
She nodded. “Sam, take Mr. Hart out back and show him where the lean-to is.”
Sam stood and slapped a big hat on his head. The man had pulled his hair back from his face with what looked like a string of rawhide.
“And, son, tell him about the Bandits.” She looked at Jackson. “We’ll sugarcoat it at supper for the missus.”
“Okay, Ma.” Sam led the way to the door.
An hour later, Jackson came back inside, feeling jumpy. The Bandits were a mean lot who enjoyed terrorizing the good citizens of Glendale. According to Sam, they burned homes and tortured and hung men at random. Their favorite sport seemed to be running off the local ranchers’ livestock. At night they came into town and drank at the Ole Drinking Hole Saloon until the wee hours of the morning. Jackson was glad he and Eliza were only staying for a day.
He tapped on the door. “Eliza, it’s me,” Jackson called through the door.
The lock clicked and her white face peeked around the door frame before she pulled the door open slightly. “What took you so long? I was getting worried.” Eliza let him in.
He walked past her and dropped both of their bags on the bed. “I’m sorry. Sam decided to show me the lean-to, we got to talking and I lost track of time. I’m sorry.” Jackson turned around and pulled her into his arms. He was happy that she didn’t pull away.
Her small hands came up and rested against his back as she hugged him back. “I know it’s silly, but I thought maybe that Society of Bandits had gotten you. I wish we knew more about them.”
Jackson rested his head on her soft hair and inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla. “I’m fine. Thank you for worrying.”
His heart melted at the thought that she’d been worried about him. Would he ever get used to her caring for him?
Eliza pulled away. “There is a basin of water and a clean cloth behind the changing curtain if you’d like to wash up before supper.” She folded her hands in front of her dress and watched him.
Wanting to make her happy, Jackson walked to the curtain. He stepped behind it and found the basin full of fresh water. “I was thinking we might head back early tomorrow.”
“Why?”
Jackson splashed water on his face. He didn’t want to tell her of the dangers they might face if they were to wait too late in the day to travel. “I just thought you’d like to get back to Peter.”
Eliza’s soft laugh flowed to him like dust particles on a light breeze. “He’s fine with Julia. I’d like to look at the fabric at the general store and then I thought we might stroll around the town and see what all they have here, unless you are concerned about those Bandits.”
Fresh worry had entered her voice. How could he refuse her? Jackson vowed to stay close to her and not allow anything or anyone to hurt her. “Of course we can do that.” He wiped his face dry with the clean towel.
“Do you think it will be safe?” Worry filled her voice.
“Probably as long as it’s daylight. Sam said that the Bandits usually leave town when the sun comes up.”
“What else did he say about them? Did he say they were killers? Or are they just a bunch of kids making mischief? I wish we knew more about them. Why do you suppose Myrtle wanted us to wait until supper to tell us about them? Do you think they will come to Cottonwood Springs?”
Jackson was grateful that his bride had found her voice again. The quiet Eliza wasn’t nearly as fun as the talkative one, plus, with her asking so many questions at once he could pick and choose which ones he wanted to answer.
He splashed a little water on his hair and finger-combed it down before coming around the curtain and answering her. “I’m not sure why she wanted to wait, but if we hurry,
we can go downstairs and you can ask her.”
Eliza turned around and smiled at him. “I’m ready.”
His eyes drank in her appearance. She’d changed into a pink dress with little white flowers. Her hair was pulled up but instead of her normal tight bun, Eliza had allowed wisps of hair to hang about her face. Her earlier curls hung down her back, gathered once more with a little pink ribbon. “So am I.” He opened the door and held out his arm for her to take.
A tingle spread where her fingers touched his bare skin. His heart decided now was the time to pick up the beat. He glanced back into the room and the bright blue quilt on the bed. How long would he be able to keep his agreement that theirs was a marriage of convenience only?
Chapter Twenty-One
Eliza sighed as he opened the door to their room. Dinner had been unique, to say the least. Myrtle kept up a constant conversation about the Bandits and their latest escapades. From what the older woman had said, they didn’t seem that dangerous to Eliza.
The Bandits’ main interest seemed to be in cutting the ranchers’ fences and running off livestock. Still, she hoped the local sheriff would be able to catch them soon. “Do you think Seth is aware of those men?” she asked Jackson as she sunk into the chair in front of the writing desk.
“I’m not sure, but he should be.” He closed the door and walked to the bed. Jackson sat down, lit the kerosene lamp and sighed.
“Maybe so, I’d hate for those men to come to Cottonwood Springs.” She lifted her hands to her hair and began releasing the pins that held it up.
“Eliza, I think you should know that those men are more dangerous than Myrtle and Sam let on down there.” He reached down and pulled off his boots.
Eliza watched as he wiggled his toes. “How so? They seemed mild enough to me.”
“Yes, but they didn’t tell you the whole story. Those men do more than harrass ranchers and steal cattle. They also burn down homes, barns and fields. They have already killed two men and have no qualms about killing again.” He ran his fingers through his hair.
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