Secrets of the Past (Kansas Crossroads Book)

by Marie Higgins

  She shrugged. “After Pa’s death, our family struggled to get by. Thankfully, my cousin is married to the owner of the hotel.”

  “Mrs. Brody is your cousin?”

  “Yes.”

  “She’s a very sweet lady, one of the nicest I’ve met.”

  “Yes, well... she’s just like family.” After the words had left Josie’s mouth, she silently groaned. Wyatt’s presence made her tongue-tied. “I mean, she is family, and she’s letting me work here.”

  Wyatt’s mouth twitched as though he held back from laughing. He glanced at the tablecloth still in her hands. “Do you want me to help you?”

  “Heavens no!” She moved around him and proceeded to spread the cloth on the table. “I don’t want my cousin to think I can’t do this myself.”

  “Of course not, Runt. If anyone knows you like I do, you’re the type of girl who never needs help.”

  She paused, wrapping her mind around what he’d just said. If only he’d stop thinking of her as a girl and calling her Runt. She peeked over her shoulder at him, and he was still grinning like a fool. “Did I detect sarcasm in your voice, Mr. Donovan?”

  He shrugged and tried to look innocent. She chuckled and turned back to the table, straightened the edges to make sure everything was even.

  “Were you meeting your um... friend here in the dining room?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Well, I’ll hurry and get your table ready. It will only take me a few minutes.”

  She listened for his steps to move away from her, but they didn’t. She took another quick look over her shoulder. He leaned against the wall with his arms folded over his wide chest as he watched her.

  Sighing heavily, she faced him. “What do you want now?”

  “I saw you earlier, rushing around as you tried to pour drinks. I just wanted you to know I’m proud of you for trying to help your family.”

  Warmth filled her heart from his compliment, and she smiled. “Thank you.”

  “But I must admit,” he continued, “I was half-expecting you to bring out one of your inventions to help the service go faster.”

  Rolling her eyes, she grabbed another tablecloth and moved to the next table. He followed.

  “If you must know,” she told him, “I was trying to figure out what I could make that would help the process along.”

  He chuckled, and she nearly sighed from the deep timbre of his voice.

  “I’m surprised you didn’t bring in a wagon to help you carry everything.”

  Her mind screeched to a halt, and her mind immediately created an image. It wasn’t a wagon, not really, but it was a rectangular wooden object that stood upright and had wheels on the bottom, helping it to roll from table to table with a handle that she could push. The top tray could hold both the coffee pot and the teapot. The middle tray could hold cups and spoons – maybe even linen napkins.

  “Josie?” Wyatt touched her arm. “Are you all right?”

  She blinked, pulling herself out of her idea, and smiled at Wyatt. “You are brilliant!”

  His eyes widened. “I am?”

  “You just gave me a remarkable idea. I’ll get started on it right away.”

  She took three steps toward the door before Wyatt grasped her wrist, stopping her.

  “Uh, Runt? Don’t you need to set these tables first?”

  Inwardly, she groaned. “Oh, I suppose I should do that. I don’t want Elizabeth to think I’m incompetent.”

  “No, that wouldn’t be a good thing, especially since you’re family.”

  If he wasn’t so adorable, she’d slap that silly grin right off his face. She didn’t dare admit that having him look at her in such a way made her heartbeat flip crazily.

  “Oh, there you are, Ranger Donovan.”

  Josie glanced over Wyatt’s shoulder to see Colonel Gordon, the town’s marshal, walk up to them. He rested his linked fingers across his wide middle as his feet rocked back and forth on his boots.

  Next to the marshal stood Deputy Gabriel Hanks, looking handsome as ever in his tanned leather jacket. The waitresses tripped all over themselves trying to serve Deputy Hanks. The girls acted like chickens without heads, and their silly high-pitched voices were enough to drive Josie to drink. Thankfully, she hadn’t... yet.

  As Deputy Hanks stood next to Wyatt, Josie realized they were the same height. Gabe’s hair was longer and blonder than Wyatt’s. But the men were equally handsome. However, there was a sparkle in Wyatt’s eyes that she’d always enjoyed seeing, whereas Deputy Hank’s eyes held no sparkle.

  Both the marshal and the deputy looked at Josie and tipped their hats.

  “Miss Allen,” Colonel Gordon said.

  “Good day, Colonel and Deputy Hanks. It’s good to see you again.”

  “A pleasure, as always,” the deputy said nicely.

  She nodded before turning back to finish the tables. It relieved her to see that the marshal and deputy had been the someone Wyatt was meeting. Josie wasn’t certain how she would have reacted if he was with another woman.

  “I’ll talk to you later, Josie,” Wyatt said before walking away with the other two men.

  She watched him over her shoulder, wondering if her heart would ever stop flipping every time Wyatt was near. It wasn’t healthy to have feelings for a man who only thought of her as a runt.

  FIVE

  Colonel Gordon and Deputy Hanks had enlightened Wyatt on their theories to why some Topeka’s residents’ deaths were regarded as suspicious. According to the town marshal, all the victims were women aged between eighteen and twenty-four. They were all blonde. And... they were all engaged to be married. Wyatt’s deceased wife had been the town’s first victim, and the only woman who’d actually been married. Deputy Hanks commented that a few years following Marjorie’s death, some girls had gotten very sick, but they’d never died... until the past two years.

  Gordon seemed to believe Marjorie’s death had been an error. According to the marshal, he wondered if the killer had mistaken Marjorie for someone else.

  Wyatt bunched his hands into fists as he strode down the street, away from the hotel. The meeting with Gordon and Hanks had angered Wyatt to the point of wanting to yell at the top of his voice. He’d been holding in feelings of sorrow and frustration since he’d said goodbye to his wife at her grave. Her death had been senseless, and Colonel Gordon made things worse by telling Wyatt that he thought Marjorie was not the intended victim?

  Breathing heavily, he inhaled through his nose and blew it out his mouth as he tried to calm the rage stirring through him. It had been hard to sit through the rest of the meeting after Gordon had explained his theory. Gordon had ended by giving Wyatt a list of names that were on his suspects’ list. All the suspects had something in common with the dead women.

  Pastor Robert Osbourne – the town’s preacher was on the top of the list. Wyatt rolled his eyes. In his eyes, the man of God had no business being on the suspects’ list in the first place since the only tie he had with the victims were that they’d attended church every Sunday.

  Sarah Tollman – the town’s milliner. Apparently, Miss Tollman’s shop was the only one in town, so all the women would shop there for hats.

  James Allen – the practicing physician who’d turned into a drunkard. When Gordon had said James’ name, Wyatt fisted his hands. His friend wasn’t a cold-blooded killer. Then again, who knows how James acted when he was rip-roarin’ drunk.

  Wyatt shook his head. His gut feeling told him it wasn’t James. However, he had at one time been connected to each girl who’d died. According to Gordon, the girls had fancied themselves in love with James, and each one thought she was the woman who could make him stop drinking. When they finally came to the realization that they couldn’t help James, they moved on and found a different beau.

  And lastly...

  Wyatt stopped. Looking up at the moon, he gritted his teeth. Miss Josette Allen was the marshal’s last suspect. The town marshal had cal
led Josie odd and in the other man’s own words – that girl is just plain insane. Who knows what she’ll do for no reason at all?

  Wyatt’s stomach churned. True, Josie was a little different, but being different didn’t make a person a murderer. Most of the time, his runt was caught up in her own inventions, but he had seen when she thought of others. Josie had a kind heart when she was allowed to use it and working to support her family definitely wasn’t a crime. It showed integrity and responsibility. He’d not met many women who had these qualities.

  A grin tugged at his mouth. And... she could make him grin. Her quirky personality was unlike any he’d come across before. She definitely kept him smiling as he waited for her to do something funny. She’d been like that as a young girl, too. He loved teasing her, and she egged him on. He’d always left their house wearing a huge grin.

  Josie a killer? Absolutely not!

  He reached up to remove his hat, but all he touched was his hair. He must have left his hat in the dining room due to the anger he’d felt over his discussion with the town’s marshal. Wyatt should find James and talk to him – as long as his friend wasn’t drunk and passed out in a saloon. The sober James could tell Wyatt about these women and what they had really been like.

  He whipped around and headed back toward the hotel. Breathing in the night’s cool air helped to clear his mind. He’d not let Colonel Gordon’s theory steer him in the wrong direction. Instead, he’d talk to the people on the list – and some that weren’t – and form his own opinion. Working with the Texas Rangers had taught him that two heads were better than one... and three were better than two. Wyatt wouldn’t pass judgment on anyone until he had all the facts and the proof.

  Up ahead, he noticed a woman leaving the hotel, holding something round and bulky in her arms. The closer he came to her, he recognized Josie. It almost looked like she was carrying a man’s hat. He grinned. He’d bet one month’s salary that the hat she carried was his. After all, she hadn’t changed much from when she was a girl and trying her best to catch his eye – or to make him see her as more than a girl. Of course, this time around, he found her efforts endearing. Her azure eyes had mesmerized him; once while having supper with the family, and then earlier this evening when he couldn’t stop teasing her while she was preparing the tables in the dining room.

  He found it rather strange that he didn’t think of her as a girl any longer. Indeed, she was a very beautiful woman, as long as she wasn’t covered in soot. Then again, he’d still been able to gaze into her captivating eyes as stars danced in his head.

  Chuckling, he quickened his step toward her. As usual, she was in her own little world and didn’t see him.

  It was different seeing her wearing a dress. This was the second dress she’d worn around him. Last night she’d looked stunning, but he wasn’t certain he liked seeing her wear the plain brown dress with the long white apron. The gown fit her, but the dull color of the dress didn’t do justice to her pretty face and light complexion.

  “Runt!” he called out, realizing he only called her this name to see the fire in her eyes.

  Stopping, she glanced his way as she held his hat against her bosom... a bosom that now belonged to a woman. She smiled, but it was one of her annoyed smiles – like when she didn’t want him calling her runt.

  “Good evening, Wyatt.”

  “Are you headed home now?”

  “Yes. The diner is closed, so I can retire for the night. The first thing I plan on doing is taking off these ridiculous heeled boots.”

  He chuckled, knowing she’d rather go barefoot. “And what’s the next thing you’ll do, if I might ask.”

  “You can ask, but I don’t think it’s proper to tell you.”

  He laughed aloud. Knowing Josie, he already knew her answer. “Then shall I say it for you?”

  She arched an eyebrow.

  “You’re going to take off that cumbersome dress and put on some breeches.”

  Even in the shadows, he knew when her face turned red from embarrassment.

  “It’s a good thing I didn’t have to say that,” she said. “Thank you for taking the awkwardness away.”

  He chuckled. “It was my pleasure.” He glanced down at his hat that still pressed intimately against her chest. “Is that my hat?”

  Gasping, she looked down at the object she held so personally. In one quick movement, she shoved it toward him.

  “Yes. You left this in the dining room. I was just bringing it to you.”

  “But...” he couldn’t stop his grin from growing wider as he took the hat, “I’m staying in the hotel. Why didn’t you just leave it there?” He knew why she hadn’t, but for the life of him, he couldn’t stop teasing her.

  She released an awkward laugh. “I figured you would be with my brother.”

  He nodded. “I was on my way to find him.”

  “Let’s pray he’s home and not at the saloon.”

  “Those were exactly my thoughts.” He winked.

  They turned together and slowly walked toward her house. Her hands fidgeted nervously against her small waist.

  “What are your plans this evening?” he asked. “Will you be making that gadget you imagined earlier?”

  “Most definitely.” Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him. “But before I do that, I’m going to take some of Annie’s soup to Salina Lewis.”

  “Who is that?”

  “Annie’s youngest sister, Eunice, works for the Lewis family. Salina is their only daughter. She’s been under the weather lately, and Annie thought it was a good idea that I take her some soup – as an act of friendship.”

  “That’s very thoughtful of you, Josie.” He playfully bumped his arm against hers. “I’m relieved to see that you are still the friendly girl I remember from years ago.”

  Her eyes widened, and a surprised smile appeared on her face. “You... called me Josie.”

  “Of course. That’s your name.”

  “I know it’s my name, but you don’t normally use it.”

  “I know.” He sighed. “Old habits are hard to break. I’m used to calling you Runt.”

  “Why did you start calling me that, anyway?” She stopped and faced him, folding her arms across her bosom. “I mean, it’s not like I was short as a child.”

  He stood directly in front of her, suddenly getting the urge to caress her cheek. But he resisted. “True. I suppose it was my nickname for you.”

  “But why?”

  As he stared into her big blue eyes, he felt himself getting lost again. “Maybe it was my way of saying I liked you.”

  “You liked me?” She shook her head. A lock of hair bounced on her forehead near her pretty eyes. “And here I’d taken it as an insult all this time.”

  Chuckling, he reached up pushed the lock of hair off her forehead. He noticed her quick intake of breath. “It was fun to tease James’ little sister.”

  “And now? You’re still teasing me, correct?”

  Suddenly, her expression wasn’t as playful, but softer. He also noticed that her lips appeared fuller for some reason... and very tempting. What was wrong with him? He’d never thought of kissing her before. So why now?

  His laugh was uncomfortable. “Yeah. It’s rather fun, isn’t it?”

  “Well, considering you’re the only interaction I receive from a boy who isn’t my brother—”

  “Boy?” he questioned, feeling discouraged that she couldn’t see him as more.

  She blew out a big breath and shook her head. “All right, so you’re a man. Happy now?”

  He grinned. Hope bounced inside of him. “Extremely.”

  She took a step closer and placed her hand on his chest. The warmth rushing through him from her touch shocked him. His heartbeat quickened.

  “Now it’s your turn to think of me as a woman.”

  He couldn’t tear his stare away from her pleading eyes. At this moment, he couldn’t think of her as anything but a woman – a very charming woman who made hi
s heart race and his mouth dry. A woman whom he wouldn’t mind taking into his arms just to see how well she fit against him. And she was a woman who had the most tempting mouth...

  “Forgive me for not saying it sooner, Josie. But you have certainly blossomed into a very lovely woman.”

  A blush covered her face, but she didn’t look away. He detected longing in her soft gaze – a gaze that had suddenly put him under a spell.

  Would it be wrong to take her in his arms and show her just how much of a woman she really was to him? And while she was in his arms, he might as well kiss her and see if her mouth could put a spell on him just as much as her gaze had.

  Josie broke their staring contest as she looked down at the ground. She turned back to her house and continued walking. Her sudden mood change worried him.

  “Josie? Have I said something wrong?”

  “No,” she muttered. “I just find it odd that you think I’m a lovely woman, and yet everyone else in this town thinks I’m so strange they don’t take the time to get to know the real me.”

  His heart ached, and he frowned. “What are you talking about?” When she didn’t answer him, he hurried in front of her and stopped, which made her stop. “Explain yourself.”

  She sighed. “Nobody understands me, Wyatt. They think I’ve lost my mind.” She shrugged. “Perhaps I have because I enjoy being in my mind and creating new things. It beats sitting around and sipping tea with fake women who lie to my face and whisper terrible things behind my back.”

  Slowly, he shook his head. “Josie, I cannot believe they’d treat you like that.”

  “Yes, well... they do.” She side-stepped him and hurried toward the front door. “It was nice chatting with you, but I’d better get that soup to Salina. Have a good evening, Wyatt.”

  He met her quick steps toward the house. “Would you like me to go with you?”

  “No, but thanks for the offer. If you’re seen with Topeka’s crazy woman, townspeople might think less of you. I couldn’t live with myself if that happened to you.”

  He watched her walk into the house, and his heart wrenched with sadness. Was she really as bad as she’d let on? And if she was correct, she would have a great excuse for loathing the town. She called them fake. She was hurting because of their treatment. But... did her aversion toward them make her a killer? It would make sense. And yet, he still couldn’t accept that answer.