Peppermint Sticks for Susie

by Joannie Kay

  "You're back!" she said, smiling at him. "What happened?" she inquired, patting the bed beside her and inviting her to sit down beside him. Instead, he pulled down the blind, making the room too dark to read unless she lit the lamp beside her bed. "Why are you doing that?" she asked.

  "Lefty Bridges escaped sometime this afternoon. Harold Scott is unconscious and we had to send for a doctor in the neighboring town. He probably lit out of town, but I don't trust him not to try to harm you before he does."

  "Oh no!" Jennifer gasped, memories of the man's attacks on her making her sick to her stomach. "I don't want him to come here and hurt any of the Beckley's, Alex. I should move to the hotel..."

  "You are safer here."

  "But Susie, Alma, and Peter aren't safer. Lefty Bridges is insane."

  "The Sheriff is out looking for him right now, honey. I promise I will keep you safe."

  "I need to get up for a while, Alex," she said decisively. She put her book on the bedside table, then threw back the blanket and got to her feet. Alex held her wrapper and helped her put it on over her nightdress. "Is my hair a mess?" she asked.

  "No; it's beautiful," Alex assured her. It was a testament to his worry that he wasn't arguing with her to get back into bed and rest. He took her hand in his and they walked to the kitchen. "I'm sorry I frightened all of you by bursting through the door. I was..."

  "Scared out of your mind by all of the 'ifs'...?" Peter finished for him. "I understand. Lefty Bridges is a dangerous man."

  "Which is why I think I should move to the hotel until he is captured," Jennifer said.

  "Absolutely not!" Alma said firmly. "You need to be here with us so we can keep you safe."

  "I don't want him to come here and hurt any of you to get to me!" Jennifer argued.

  "He won't, Jenny," Peter spoke firmly. "You are safe here, and I won't hear of you going to the hotel. Do you realize that he could sneak in that place with no one being the wiser? Or even come in the window. No, you are staying right here and that is final."

  Jenny's green eyes filled with tears, and she had a lump in her throat. "Thank you," she managed to whisper.

  "We are your family, Jenny," Alma said, and then hugged her. "You are like a sister to me."

  "We're grateful," Alex spoke for both of them. "Truly grateful."

  * * *

  Marla was doing her best to pretend she wasn't afraid, but the truth was that she was terrified of Lefty Bridges. He'd already insisted she lie with him, and he was rough with her. He was so angry with Jennifer Shelley and cursing her every time he opened his mouth. He also wouldn't permit her to leave her room. He said he trusted her, but his eyes told her that just the opposite was true. She moved slowly to get out of bed and put her wrapper over her aching body. Marla knew she would have bruises where he was too rough with her, but she knew better than complain. She did not want to set off his temper.

  "What are you doing?" Lefty demanded when she started getting out clothing to wear to work.

  "I have to go to work, Lefty."

  "No."

  "But, there will be questions if I don't show up, and Marcus will send someone to check on me. He looks after us girls," she reminded Lefty, hoping that he would allow her to leave. "You know that. The best thing for you is for me to go on as usual while you remain hidden here until you decide what to do next."

  "I'm not leaving this town until I kill that bitch and her man."

  "If you intend to do that without getting caught first, then you need to let me get dressed and get to the saloon. I don't think that Marcus' coming here is a good idea."

  "You're right," Left stated. "You'd better not tell anyone I'm here, Marla."

  "I won't," she lied.

  He studied her expression and saw something he didn't like in her eyes. He waited until she was fully dressed, her makeup done, and her hair pinned up in curls, then said, "Come and kiss me good bye," he ordered.

  Marla felt sick and shaky inside, but she was so close to escaping him that she wasn't about to let anything prevent her from doing so. She walked over to where he was lying on her bed, and leaned down to kiss him, trying not to gag. While they were kissing, she felt Lefty's hands slide up her arms and shoulders, and then his fingers were around her slender neck... squeezing tightly. Marla tried to escape, but soon everything in this world went black.

  Lefty looked at her lifeless body and shook his head. He quickly dressed and then made sure that he'd left nothing behind that would tip off the Sheriff that he was here. The stupid bitch shouldn't have lied to him, he thought as he left her room.

  * * *

  "I want to go back to work, Alex," Jennifer insisted. "Doc said I was all healed two weeks ago, and there hasn't been any sign of Lefty Bridges since he escaped. I don't believe he is a threat any longer."

  "Jenny, be reasonable," Alex scolded. He was tired of having this same argument with her daily. "Bridges might be laying low right now, but the moment he hears you are back to work, he will come after you. I am sure of this."

  "Alex, I think you should concentrate on catching the rustlers and stop worrying so much about me." Jennifer was tired of being dictated to. She wanted to go back to work. She put her hands on her hips and declared. "I'm going to go and see Angus and ask for my job back."

  "You are not."

  "I am."

  "Am I going to have to put you over my knee, Miss Jenny?" Alex demanded, clearly frustrated with her.

  "Alex, you can't spank me every time we disagree. You are keeping me a prisoner here, and the Beckleys are my jailors!"

  "That isn't true," he argued.

  "Yes, it is true."

  "You are not going back to the mercantile until we take Lefty Bridges into custody once more."

  "Then you'd best find him before tomorrow, Alex, because I am going back to work in the morning."

  Their bickering was cut short when Peter, Alma, and little Susie returned from their outing. "Peter has a new job!" Alma said, her eyes shining with pleasure.

  "That's great, Peter," Alex said with a smile.

  "I will be working with wood and building furniture and cabinets. It is something I enjoy doing."

  "And you are very good at it," Jenny said. "Alma told me that you've made most of the furniture here in your home, and it is very, very nice," she praised him.

  "Thank you," Peter said, his face tinged with embarrassment at all the praise. "I am just relieved that I will be able to provide for my family once again. Doc thinks I am a miracle."

  "I think you are a miracle, too," Alma said with a proud smile. "I love you so much, Peter, and I pray that the bad times are behind us now."

  "You never gave up on me, Alma. Your faith is so strong, and you gave me the strength to keep fighting to get well. I am thankful to God for this chance to be a good husband and father," Peter said humbly.

  Susie demanded help with her homework right then and Peter quickly said he would help her conquer her spelling words.

  "I've got work to do now," Alex told Jennifer. "I'll be going, and I expect you to stay right here until I say otherwise. Do you hear me?" he asked, his voice low and meant for her ears alone.

  "Yes, I hear you," Jennifer replied, her eyes lowered to the floor.

  "Good. You behave now," he warned, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He called out a goodbye to the Beckleys, and then left. He'd been spending each night at the O'Malley ranch, waiting for the rustlers to make another move. So far they'd been laying low since taking David Bodey's cattle. The rustlers were aware that they knew about the O'Malley place. And, that was the problem. They weren't going to use the ranch again. Alex thought it was time to have a conversation with Clyde that was overheard and then spread throughout the town. If the rustlers thought that their man was somewhere else with the cattle and caught stealing from the rustlers, they would start using the O'Malley place again... or at least Alex hoped so. He wanted to get on with his life, and he couldn't do that until he figured out who was behind
the band of rustlers.

  He went to see Clyde and discussed the plan with him. When they'd returned the stolen cattle to David Bodey, they asked him to keep quiet about the O'Malley spread, and only the rustlers knew that where the cattle and the man they captured were supposed to be. Clyde agreed it was a good plan to make the man in jail sound like he was stealing the cattle from the thieves. "Let's go get us some pie and coffee and discuss where we caught that boy. It'll be all over town by tonight," the Sheriff predicted.

  Stephanie told them to take a seat wherever they pleased and then filled their coffee cups and left the pot on their table. After telling them what kinds of pie they had left, Clyde and Alex made their selections, and then Clyde started talking about the rustling going on. Alex pretended to be interested, and a couple of the other patrons taking an afternoon break joined in the conversation. Alex wanted to grin at how easy it would be to get the news out there. Stephanie brought their pie, and then poured more coffee for those who wanted it, staying busy in the small dining room while they talked. Alex figured she would be passing on the news to anyone who wanted to listen during the supper hours. By the time they left, word was out there as to where the Sheriff took the man prisoner, and that he wouldn't so much as give them his name, or explain why he took David Bodey's cattle. Clyde answered questions he wouldn't normally answer, lying with the ease of someone who made their living bluffing at cards.

  Alex rode out of town a bit later, after telling the Sheriff that David Bodey had hired him to keep guard at night. He wanted to make it sound like he was working out of town and had a viable excuse for leaving every day about the same time. Hopefully the rustlers would make a move and he would capture them soon.

  * * *

  Yes, Jennifer admitted as she pinned up her hair the next morning, she heard Alex, but that did not mean that she agreed with him or that she was going to obey him. She'd made no such promises, and she was sick and tired of sitting at home, twiddling her thumbs, just in case Lefty Bridges was somewhere close by. Jennifer decided that as soon as she arrived at work she would buy a smaller gun that she could put in her pocket. She would take that one precaution, but she refused to live in fear of something that might or might not happen. Alex would be furious with her, but that was too bad. They weren't married yet and she did not have to obey him. Once she was satisfied with her appearance, and her room was neat as could be, she went to face Alma.

  "Good morning, Jenny. Breakfast is on the table. Peter is already at work, and I need to get Susie ready for school. Help yourself!" Alma told her as she hurried to Susie's room.

  Jenny took the coward's way out and left her friend a note telling her that she was returning to work and she'd be home in time for supper. She grabbed a biscuit from the pan, and she drank some coffee in a couple big gulps before grabbing her bag and rushing out the door, taking care to close it as quietly as possible. She was so thankful not to have to argue with Alma. Jenny wasted no time covering the distance between the Beckley home and the Mercantile, and she was relieved that everything seemed very normal.

  "Lass, what are ye doin' here?" Angus MacGregor asked, his Scottish brogue pronounced as he walked over to confront her.

  "I am coming back to work, Mr. MacGregor, but first things first, I wish to make a purchase." She walked straight over to the gun case, and she chose a small Remington 95 over/under derringer, and a box of bullets. Once the small gun was loaded, she concealed it in her pocket. "I will pay you now, Mr. MacGregor, and then I would be pleased to get back to work. It looks as though the yard goods need my attention!" she said brightly, trying to make the dour man smile.

  "Does Alex know ye are here, lass?" he demanded.

  "Not yet, but I am sure he will figure it out, and we will argue, but I can't stay cooped up in that house one more day! I need to work, and I can't live in fear. If I so much as see Lefty Bridges, I will shoot. Now, let's settle up for this derringer."

  Angus shook his head, but he sold her the small gun, hoping she didn't accidentally shoot herself... or him. He also braced himself to have the young man who loved Jenny come through the doors and raise all sorts of hell. "Ye know that your man is going to skelp you proper for defying him?" he muttered as he put her money in the drawer.

  "I won't have it, Mr. MacGregor. I'm doing nothing wrong. I came back to work is all, and it pleases me to do so. I've missed you and everyone else," she admitted.

  "I've missed you, too, hunny. And, you can start by sorting out the fabrics. Them women don't care what a mess they make for me. I'm glad you're here, and I'll keep an eye out for the likes o' Lefty Bridges, and I'll blow him to kingdom come if he sets foot inside here. Ever since Harold Scott died, Lefty has been a dead mon. It's just a matter of time before someone shoots him down like the rabid dog he is."

  "I feel terrible about Harold. He was a nice man," Jennifer stated as she crossed the room and started sorting the piles of dry goods and sorting them by fabrics and color. It was so good to be working again. She knew that Alex wouldn't agree, and she could only hope he wouldn't make a public scene. Lefty was gone, and he needed to stop being over-protective. She needed to work, see people, and feel free again. She needed to be normal. Surely Alex would understand...?

  * * *

  "What do you mean, 'she isn't here'?" Alex demanded. He saw Alma back up a couple of steps and he forced himself to be calm. "I'm sorry, Alma. I didn't mean to frighten you. Where did that headstrong woman of mine go?" he asked, holding himself in check. She merely handed him the note that Jennifer left on the table. Alex quickly read it and then looked to the Heavens for support. "Miss Jennifer Shelley is one stubborn young woman," he stated with feeling.

  "She was going crazy here, Alex," Alma defended her friend. "She helped me as much as she could, but she was bored. She didn't think that Lefty was a problem anymore."

  "Jenny is wrong about that. He's merely feeding his hatred and waiting for an opportunity to attack. He wants us to become complacent and let our guard down. Jennifer is doing exactly what he wants her to do."

  "I don't want her to get hurt, Alex!" Alma's blue eyes filled with tears. "I would have stopped her if I'd known what she was planning to do."

  "It isn't your fault, Alma," he quickly reassured her. "Jenny is the one who disobeyed me and now she is going to find out what happens to young ladies who behave like bratty little girls who have to have their way at all costs." He turned on his heel and strode out of the house, shutting the door with a firm click behind him.

  Alma sighed, then sat down at the table and poured herself a cup of coffee. She felt bad for Jennifer, but she also understood that Alex was merely concerned with her safety. Those two were going to have a marriage full of fireworks, she thought, smiling to herself as she sipped her coffee. Unlike her and Peter; they were both calm and it was rare that a harsh word passed between them, and Alma liked that just fine. She wondered how soon Alex would return with Jennifer in tow... and she decided that she would be busy in the parlor whenever that happened... or better still, it would be the perfect time to put a few things in a basket and go and pay elderly Mrs. Crabtree a visit. Alma didn't want to hear Alex paddling Jennifer, and she knew without a doubt that that was exactly what was going to happen. She got to her feet and packed a basket full of goodies and left the house, happy with herself for avoiding what was sure to be a huge argument between the two fiery people.

  * * *

  "Yes, Mrs. Iams, it is so good to be back to work. I'm enjoying helping customers again," Jenny said with a big smile. She'd missed these good people so much, and everyone seemed happy to see her, too.

  "Angus just isn't able to help me pick out kitchen curtain yard goods like you can, dear," Mrs. Iams stated, giving the Scot a meaningful look. "I am glad you are back."

  Jennifer was so pleased by the compliment that she looked around to see who she could help next. Her green eyes fell on one man who was looking very unhappy. She swallowed hard, but met Alex's gaze bravely. "Do you
need to buy something, Alex, or are you here to complain and scold?"

  "You are in big trouble, little girl."

  "Maybe so, but you'll have to wait until this evening to discuss the matter. I'm busy right now."

  "There won't be much discussing going on, Jenny..."

  Chapter Twelve

  "Young man, you wait your turn!" a red-cheeked, big-boned woman spoke up. "I've been waitin' my turn for quarter of an hour and you can go to the end of the line."

  "Ma'am, I'm afraid you don't understand," Alex attempted to explain. "My fiancee..."

  "Is busy workin', which is what you should be doin' at this time o' day. My Horace would tell you that iffen he weren't workin', which he is!" she declared. "Now, I don't have time for you to thrash out your troubles, which you should be doin' private-like, anyhoo!"

  Alex tamped down his temper and glared at his impossible redhead when she giggled. "I'll be back at noon, Miss Shelley, and you'd best be ready to leave for the day."

  "Sorry, Alex, but I won't be. Mr. MacGregor needs me." As soon as the words left her mouth, Jennifer knew she'd made a huge mistake. Alex turned to face her, and there was fire in his dark eyes.

  "Now, see here, young man!" the farmer's wife spoke up immediately. "It is my turn, which is right now!" She planted herself between Alex and the petite redhead, her indignant expression telling Alex he would have to go through her to get to Jenny.

  Alex was fed up. He stepped forward, put his hands on the woman's sturdy waist, easily lifted her and then set her down on the other side. The look on the farmer's wife's face would have been comical at any other time, but right now he had a feisty redhead to deal with. He scooped Jennifer up, and dumped her over his shoulder. His hard hand connected with her conveniently placed backside and he said. "You are going to regret baiting me, young lady." She cried out and then whacked his back with her fist. Alex spanked her again, and called out, "Angus, I am taking this saucy brat with me. If she comes back here before I tell her it is okay, I hope you'll take your tawse to her until she can't sit for a month of Sundays."