Cutty (Prairie Grooms Book 8)

by Kit Morgan

  Cutty glanced at his half-eaten plate. “Almost.” He studied her. “How’d ya know he was back?”

  “I saw him leave the livery stable from the kitchen windows.”

  “Oh, right.” He’d forgotten there were windows in the hotel’s expansive kitchen. “Did Eloise know they were gonna get in today?”

  “No, but she’s learned not to worry. That husband of hers can take care of himself, as can his brother. Now I’d best take this up to her.” She left the dining room, crossed the lobby and disappeared up the stairs.

  Cutty returned to his food, but his appetite was gone. Now that Newton was back, Imogene would be pestering him to get on with it. But he needed time, time to think about when and how to tell him. And he definitely needed more time to get to know him better. He could only pray that Newton’s reaction would be as pleasant as Nettie’s had been. Somehow, he doubted it.

  “Morning, Cutty,” Sheriff Hughes called as he entered the dining parlor. “What did Mrs. Upton cook up this morning?”

  Cutty waved a hand over his plate. “The usual – potatoes and bacon. Oh, and she made muffins – ain’t sure what kind, but they’re good.”

  “Must be – looks like you’ve had a few already,” the sheriff commented as he noted the single muffin left. “And you haven’t finished the rest of your breakfast.”

  Cutty grinned – let the man think he’d stuffed himself with muffins. “Soon as Mrs. Upton gets back downstairs she’ll serve ya up.”

  “What she doing upstairs?”

  “Seth and Ryder are back. She took a tray up to Seth’s room.”

  “That means young Mr. Whitman is back too, I wonder how the hunting was.”

  “I watched ‘em come in, but I didn’t see ‘em carryin’ nothin’ ‘cept the saddlebags Newton borrowed from ya.”

  “Too bad – must not have had any luck. Still, I’d like to talk to them. I’m curious to see if what Willie saw the other day is true or not.”

  “Ya mean ‘bout the Injun huntin’ party?” Cutty asked.

  “What else? It’s rare for them to hunt this far south. They pretty much keep to themselves.”

  “So ya know ‘bout ‘em?”

  “Of course I do. I’ve had run-ins with them before over the years. They’re friendly enough, but like I said, they usually don’t come this way. They avoid us as much as possible.”

  “Well, maybe them boys’ll have a few tales to tell.” Perfect. It would give him something to talk about with Imogene. Maybe then she wouldn’t pester him as much regarding Newton.

  “That’s what I'm hoping,” said the sheriff. “It’s been kinda quiet around here lately. I could use a good story.”

  “Well, if ya ask me, ain’t nothin’ wrong with quiet,” Cutty remarked. “Personally, I like it.”

  “Then you’d better enjoy it while you can,” Sheriff Hughes said with a chuckle.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re going to marry Imogene, aren’t you? Nothing disrupts a man’s peace and quiet like a wife.”

  “How would ya know? Were ya ever hitched before?”

  “Nope, and don’t plan to anytime soon.”

  “Ya ain’t got nothing to worry about on that score. Ain’t no women in Clear Creek to marry other than Imogene. And she’s spoken for.”

  “Which means I’ll have peace and quiet,” the sheriff said with a grin.

  Cutty waved a hand at him and rolled his eyes as Mrs. Upton entered the dining room. “Breakfast will be right up, Sheriff,” she said, and headed for the kitchen.

  “Much obliged,” he called after her.

  Cutty watched her disappear through the kitchen door and glanced at the Sheriff. “Tarnation, I forgot she’s single. Why don’t ya marry her?”

  “Mrs. Upton?” the sheriff asked with a raised eyebrow. “She’s a great cook, but no, I’ve been a bachelor too long.”

  Cutty’s eyes ranged between the sheriff and the kitchen door. “She’d make ya a fine wife.”

  “Maybe so. But being a sheriff, I might make her a fine widow.”

  Cutty frowned. “I guess ya have a point there.”

  “It’s one of the reasons I never married,” the sheriff said. “One day I might. But forget about me – when are you getting hitched?”

  The sheriff had him. Everyone knew he and Imogene would marry; it was just a question of when. Unfortunately, he couldn’t tell the sheriff that he planned to marry her after he told his son who he was – or for that matter, after the rest of the town knew, as he had to give her his name. But at least he had a ready excuse. “Ya know I need to be able to provide for her. What kind a man would I be if I couldn’t?”

  “I heard Ryder offered you his old house,” the sheriff pointed out.

  “Yeah, but he ain’t finished with it yet. And even if’n he was, I’d still have to put food on the table. I gotta help Ryder get his house built, then make sure his business is goin’ well enough so he can hire me on. Then I can get hitched.”

  “If you got married now, I’m sure you could live at the Triple-C until Ryder got things going.”

  Cutty fought against a grimace. “Ain’t gonna do that. It’d make me feel like a worse charity case than I already am in this town. Folks treat me like one enough as it is.”

  Sheriff’s Hughes’s eyes widened. “Now hold on there! We take care of our own. You’re not some stranger passing through, Cutty. You’re part of this town. Don’t look at it as charity. Besides, you’ve been earning your keep helping Ryder out, chaperoning Amon and Nettie, and now with the house building.”

  Cutty’s chest tightened. “Thank ya, Sheriff. I guess I sometimes need a reminder.”

  “Don’t worry. There are plenty of folks around here to remind you of who you are.”

  Cutty’s brow furrowed. “Who I am?”

  “Sure.”

  Cutty gave him a perplexed look. “I ain’t followin’ ya.”

  The sheriff laughed. “You mean to tell me you don’t know who you are in the eyes of this town?”

  Cutty could only stare and shake his head.

  Sheriff Hughes smiled. “Cutty, you’re a hero.”

  * * *

  So the good people of Clear Creek thought ol’ Cutty was a hero, did they? “Ain’t they in for a big surprise,” he muttered to himself as he headed to the mercantile.

  Sure, he knew folks in Clear Creek liked him, but a hero? Yes, he saved the Cooke and Sayer women from a certain death once, or was it twice? He couldn’t remember. But then, hadn’t he also tried to have them killed twice? Seemed to him it was pretty much a wash …

  He shook his head and tried to think of something else. Like lemon drops or licorice whips, hot coffee and pie. Maybe food would take his mind off of things. If only he was hungry. Unfortunately, all his worries were taking the edge off his appetite.

  With a sigh he trudged up the mercantile steps and went inside. “Howdy, Wilfred.”

  Wilfred looked up from behind the counter. “Well, if it isn’t the groom.”

  “Oh, don’t go startin’ none of that talk,” he admonished. “I ain’t gettin’ married no time soon.”

  “Not yet, maybe, but you will. What can I do for you?”

  Cutty grimaced. Did everyone have to keep bringing up his nuptials? “Give me some licorice whips.”

  “Sure thing,” Wilfred said and turned to the jars of candy behind him. “How many?”

  “Half a dozen,” Cutty said with a sigh.

  “Why so glum?” Wilfred asked as he opened a jar. “A man in love is supposed to be happy.”

  “Since when is my love life so popular?” Cutty growled, slapping the counter. “I cain’t hardly walk down the street without someone sayin’ congratulations or some other silly thing!”

  “Well, it’s true, ain’t it?” Wilfred asked as he put his licorice in a small sack. “You and Imogene are going to get hitched, aren’t you?”

  “Once I can take care of her proper, yeah. F
or Pete’s sake, I just had this conversation with Sheriff Hughes!”

  “You’d best marry her quick-like,” Irene Dunnigan announced as she came through the curtain doorway that separated the front and back of the building. She joined Wilfred behind the counter. “That woman will make an honest man out of you.”

  Cutty felt his gut twist at the word honest. “I’m sure she will. Imogene Sayer is a fine woman. But I ain’t gonna marry her until I set things straight!”

  “What sorts of things?” Irene snapped. “Everyone in town knows Ryder is giving you his old house to live in. There’s plenty of room for the two of you. It’s not like you’re going to have children.”

  Cutty opened his mouth, the word “grandchildren” on the tip of his tongue. He bit it to keep from saying anything. “Mmpth.”

  The Dunnigans studied him a moment. “Something wrong?” Wilfred asked.

  “Bit my tongue,” Cutty said and snatched the sack out of his hand. He dug into a pocket, pulled out a few coins and placed them on the counter. “That should be enough.”

  “It isn’t any of my business …,” Irene said as he turned.

  “Any chance of keepin’ it that way?” Cutty called over his shoulder.

  Apparently not. “Don’t you think it’d be easier to go through life and get things done with someone at your side instead of by yourself?”

  “As a matter of fact, no, I don’t,” he grumbled and took a step.

  But Irene wasn’t finished, and as the whole town knew, she didn’t stop until she was. “Land sakes, you of all people should know that Imogene Sayer has a bit of money. If I was you, I’d just up and marry her. It’s not like you have to support the woman. She can take care of both of you quite nicely.”

  Cutty froze and turned around. “What?” he breathed. “Good grief, yer right. I forgot about that.”

  “There ya go, then!” Wilfred said. “Now you can get married right away!”

  Cutty paled. “Er … I’m not sure that’s such a good idea. I’d have to talk to Imogene first. Ya know how women are – she’s probably gonna want a fancy weddin’ dress and all the trimmin’s.”

  “Then you’d better get busy!” Irene snapped. “Now get out of my store and get to it!”

  Cutty tipped his worn hat and headed for the door. “Much obliged for the reminder, Mrs. Dunnigan.”

  “You’re welcome!” she called back.

  Cutty hurried out and closed the door behind him, mumbling to himself all the way. “Consarnit, once this gets out the whole town’ll expect us to get married right away. Now what am I gonna do?” He sighed heavily. At this point there were three people he really needed to talk to, urgently. Imogene, of course. The Rev. Josiah King.

  But most of all, Newton. Nothing would move until that happened.

  Twelve

  Cutty twisted his hat in his hands and swallowed hard. “So ya see, Preacher Jo, that’s how it is. Me and Imogene wanna get hitched, but there’s obviously a problem.”

  The Rev. Josiah King wasn’t easily shocked. But now he sat slack-jawed, staring at Cutty as if he were a ghost. “If what you say is true … why are you still talking like that?”

  Cutty glanced around the small parlor of Preacher Jo’s house. “Is your wife home?”

  “No, she’s out at the Whites’ place.”

  “Very well, then,” he said in a perfect upper-crust English accent. He even sat up straighter. “If you insist.”

  Preacher Jo’s eyes bulged. “Well I’ll be. You really are …” He looked away a moment and Cutty wondered if the man was going to start yelling for Sheriff Hughes to come and arrest him. But instead he said, “It’s amazing. I never would’ve known you and Thackary Holmes are one and the same.” He looked Cutty over carefully. “Your hair…”

  Cutty unconsciously rubbed his new growth with one hand. “Strange, isn’t it?”

  “Not really. I’ve heard of hair growing in a different color after something like what happened to you. Between that, the scars on your face and the eye patch, no one would ever know who you really are.”

  “Ya won’t tell anyone, will ya?” he said, slipping back into his Western accent.

  “Do you ever get confused?” Preacher Jo asked. “I mean, do you have to think about how to talk?”

  “Once in a while. But I’ve talked as Cutty for so long, I don’t even recognize my real voice sometimes.”

  “I have to admit, you sound completely different when you speak as an Englishman.” Preacher Jo studied him as he thought a moment. “I understand your predicament, but I also understand that you may have to answer to the law.”

  “I know. Though now that I think back on it, did I really break any laws?”

  “Only you can answer that. The Good Lord has forgiven you – that is, if you’ve asked Him. His forgiveness is there for you. The Cooke family, on the other hand … well, it’s hard to say what they’ll do. As I understand it, they blame you for a lot of the things that happened to them. You did, after all, have their wives kidnapped.”

  “Now that’s where yer wrong, Preacher Jo. I had nothin’ to do with them outlaws takin’ those women. I hired those men to steal cattle, not the Cooke brothers’ wives.”

  “Don't forget Irene Dunnigan,” Preacher Jo said with a lopsided smile. “They took her too, remember?”

  “How can I forget? I can still hear the caterwaulin’ in my head some nights.”

  “Mrs. Dunnigan was screaming? Good heavens, the poor woman must have put up an awful fight.”

  “She did, but it wasn’t her screamin’ – it was the men she beat over the head with that cast-iron ladle of hers during the big fight.”

  Preacher Jo laughed. “That sounds more like Irene.” He suddenly sobered. “You’ve got some decisions to make, I’m afraid. At this point, I couldn’t marry you and Imogene in good conscience. You need to come clean with your son and the rest of the family. Imogene is a fine woman and will make you a good wife. Personally I think you’ve more than redeemed yourself, I’m sure the Lord will bless you for it. What others will do, I can’t say.”

  “So you can marry us after I tell everyone?”

  “Barring further complications, I’d say yes. Besides, do you really want to live any longer with this hanging over your head? It wouldn’t be good for either you or Imogene. The two of you want to start your life together with trust and honesty between you.”

  “Yer right,” Cutty agreed. “I cain’t expect Imogene to keep this to herself if we got hitched now. I don’t want it to come between her and her family.”

  “That’s commendable of you, Cutty. When are you going to tell Newton?”

  “He just got back. Maybe I’ll speak with him tomorrow … well, at least about goin’ huntin’. I thought it’d be a good way for us to spend time together first.”

  “A wise decision,” Preacher Jo agreed. “Let me know if you’d like to have me there.”

  “Nah, I’d best do it alone, but thanks.”

  “Well,” Preacher Jo said as he stood. “If there’s nothing else, I need to get back to my office and work on a sermon. Keep me informed, will you?”

  “I will. Thanks for not bein’ angry.”

  “Angry?”

  “Yeah, now that ya know who I really am.”

  Preacher Jo gave him a half-smile. “For your information, Cutty, I already know who you are. That other fellow, Thackary, I don’t know at all – he’s a complete stranger and doesn’t mean anything to me. You, on the other hand, do. And you mean a lot to this town too.”

  “Enough to keep people from stringin’ me up when they find out who I was?”

  Preacher Jo’s smile broadened. “There, you see? Progress already. You just said was. Remember that the man you are today is not the man you were a couple of years ago.”

  Cutty swallowed hard and nodded, tears in his eyes. The man was being so gracious to him, he almost didn’t know what to say. “It’s hard. I keep havin’ these thoughts of what happe
ned back then. The bad things I did to get what I wanted.”

  “From the sounds of it, what you want now is to see your children happy. There’s no crime in that.”

  Cutty chewed his lower lip as he also stood. “Yer right – guess I need to keep remindin’ myself of that. I just hope everyone else in town agrees with ya. ‘Specially the Cooke brothers.”

  “They will. You might have to give them a little time, though.”

  “Just so long as they don’t hang me from the highest tree while they’re decidin’.”

  Preacher Jo put his arm around him as they walked to the door. “If you want, I can be there when you speak with them.”

  “I might take ya up on that. But when it comes to Newton, I feel I need to do it alone. Ya understand.”

  “I guess so. I’ve never been in a situation quite like yours before, though … well, closer than you might think. But I’m proud of you for wanting to do the right thing.”

  “Thank ya, Preacher Jo – that means a lot to me. I’ll let ya get back to work. Thanks for taking the time to listen.”

  “It’s what I’m here for.”

  “Ya gonna tell yer wife?”

  “Only if you want me to. You told me everything in confidence, and I’ll hold to that. Annie doesn’t need to know everything.”

  Cutty smiled in relief. “Thanks again – I ‘preciate it.” He headed out the door. One down, two to go.

  * * *

  The next morning, Cutty knocked on the door of Newton’s hotel room.

  After several moments he finally answered. “Good morning,” he said with a yawn. “I’m terribly sorry, but I’ve only just dressed – I seem to have overslept. Come in.” He turned and crossed to the other side of the room.

  Cutty followed him and sat in the nearest chair. “Ya look like ya didn’t sleep a wink.”

  “On the contrary, I shut my eyes yesterday afternoon for a few moments … and woke up not 20 minutes ago. I do hope Mrs. Upton still has something left from breakfast.”