Renegade

by Anna Schmidt

“Cowhands?”

  She shrugged. “Maybe one of them. The other seemed like more of someone in charge.” They had reached the far side of the plaza. Across the street, the lights of the hotel glowed bright. “I’ll be fine from here,” she said, handing him his coat. “You’ll talk to Jake?”

  She was looking up at him with such earnest concern—Jake Collier was one lucky guy to have Lily watching out for him. “If he won’t talk to you, Miss Travis, what makes you think he’ll talk to me? Best I can offer is to keep my eyes and ears open, and if anything seems out of place…”

  “Something is already out of place,” she said in the tone of a teacher instructing a none-too-bright pupil. “Jake was afraid of these men, and they were threatening him. I’m sure of it.”

  “I don’t know what it is you think I can do,” Cody said.

  “Your job,” she replied as she hurried away.

  He watched until she disappeared around the corner of the hotel toward the back entrance reserved for the staff. It was in that yard she had observed Jake and the two men. Couldn’t hurt to have a look around.

  Fortunately, there was enough light spilling out from occupied guest rooms to let him explore the area. From what Lily had told him, Jake had met the men next to the sprawling pine tree. He picked up a cigarette butt, then knelt to study the tracks in the soft dirt, striking matches to give himself more light as he examined the prints. Male employees of the hotel did not wear boots like most men in town, so it was easy to pick out Jake’s tracks forming a pattern in the loose dirt where he’d paced back and forth. At one point, Jake’s shoe prints faced a pair of boots with a unique heel pattern. In the years Cody had worked as a guide and tracker for the army, he’d learned a lot about noticing differences in the prints left by particular horses. He saw no reason that experience shouldn’t apply to humans.

  The man’s right boot had made an imprint of a half-moon in the dirt. Cody traced the outline with his finger, studied the left print that went with it. Normal, as were the tracks left by the second man. Boots that could belong to pretty much anybody—except for that single unusual heel print. The match went out. Cody stood, dusted off his hands, and glanced around. He walked away from the hotel toward the darkness. No sign of horses. The men had come on foot, maybe from the main street. He’d check with Sally at the Sagebrush, the most popular saloon in town. She’d have noticed any strangers.

  He felt eyes on him as he crossed the yard. Looking up, he saw a figure watching him from an open third-floor window. Lily Travis was checking up on him.

  He chuckled, then did something so out of character that, as he walked back to his office afterward, he was awfully glad nobody but Lily had seen. Cody Daniels swept off his hat and gave her a deep bow.

  He wondered if his action had made her smile. Lily didn’t seem to smile nearly enough. Oh, she was very professional in her role as the cheerful Harvey Girl, but on those rare occasions when he encountered her off duty? If she did smile, it never seemed to go far enough to light a fire in those pale-green eyes.

  “All right, Daniels,” he muttered. “Lily Travis is not the point. Strangers in town who might be threatening Jake—that’s the point. Trouble is the point.”

  But now, just when he’d pretty much decided he and Lily had no connection, there was something about her that made him think she might be trouble of a whole different sort. And that he might be about to get to know her a whole lot better.

  * * *

  As Lily watched Cody Daniels leave, it occurred to her there was always the possibility she had imagined the sense of danger. Maybe the two men had simply been ruffians from the saloon who had accosted Jake on their way out of town. That would give anyone pause, but other than the shove, there had been no real harm. And if she had jumped to conclusions, did that mean she now owed the sheriff an apology for rousing him?

  She’d observed him exploring the yard, watched as he knelt and studied the ground. And then he had spotted her and offered that ridiculous bow that made her stifle a giggle, hoping Emma wouldn’t notice.

  But Emma noticed. When Lily turned from the window and offered her report on the sheriff’s investigation, Emma grinned at her.

  “What?” Lily demanded.

  “Nothing. Just on the rare occasions when you speak of our handsome sheriff, your cheeks blossom into this becoming shade of pink and your voice quickens. Sort of like you might be having trouble breathing.”

  “You are being absurd. I barely know the man.”

  Emma lifted her eyebrows and picked up her book. “If you say so.”

  “I do, and it’s been another long day. Before we know it, we’ll be running downstairs to start another shift.” Lily got into bed and kicked the covers away as she turned on her side to avoid Emma’s prying eyes.

  Emma sighed, closed her book, and trimmed the wick on the oil lamp. The two of them lay in the darkness for some time, neither sleeping and each aware of the other’s wakefulness.

  “Lily?”

  Lily grunted.

  “That man from your past…”

  Emma and Grace were the only two people who knew Lily’s secret. That before she’d become a Harvey Girl, she’d met a man who had tricked her into marriage. The morning after the wedding, he’d left her high and dry and with no way to contact him. As far as Lily knew, they were still married, something that would cost her her job if her employers ever found out.

  “What about him?”

  “You say you were married, but was it real?”

  Lily turned over to face Emma. “Well, I didn’t dream it,” she said irritably.

  “I don’t mean that. I mean I’ve been thinking about it. Was the union performed by a judge or priest? I mean, from what you told us, it all happened so fast. Did you choose the officiant, or did he?”

  “He set everything up,” she whispered. Lily had never considered the possibility that the marriage she’d embarked on, thinking she’d finally found someone who would love her, might not have been legal. All she had ever thought about was what a fool she had been. After a night spent lying next to him, when he’d drunk enough that he passed out before anything could happen between them, she had wakened to find her new husband gone. In his place was a note saying he had business back east and would “be in touch.” She had not seen or heard from him since.

  Lily sat up. What if Emma was on to something? What if she was actually free to love anyone she chose?

  She felt a tug of hope as she brushed away the tears that teetered on her lashes. “It’s been three years,” she said.

  “Still, there’s a trail. I mean maybe not to him, but certainly to the person who performed the ceremony, certainly to whatever papers would have been filed.” Emma sat up and wrapped her arms around her knees. “I want you to be happy, Lily, and how can you be with this mess hanging over you?”

  “And what if I find out it was real—that I am indeed married?”

  “Then we deal with that.”

  “We?”

  Emma stretched her hand out to Lily. “You don’t think I’d bring this up and not be right there with you every step of the way, do you?”

  Lily grasped her friend’s hand and squeezed it. “What would I do without you, dear Emma?”

  Emma sighed. “The way I figure things, once we get your situation sorted out, you can help me with mine. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you and I could find true love as Grace has?”

  Emma’d had her heart broken once, same as Lily. Only the young man she thought loved her had taken off to join Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in Cuba without so much as a by-your-leave. To Lily’s way of thinking, that young man had made the wrong choice, and he certainly wasn’t worthy of someone like Emma. “Grace isn’t the only Harvey Girl who deserves it,” she said. “There’s somebody out there for you—and maybe even for me. And with us working together, they don’t stand a
chance.”

  Emma laughed and gave Lily’s hand a final squeeze before settling back under the covers. “Good night, Lily.”

  Lily realized all the ire and angst she’d felt earlier had disappeared. There was something to be said for having really good friends like Emma and Grace. It made getting through the tough times a lot less challenging.

  * * *

  Instead of heading back to his office from the hotel, Cody decided to stop by the saloon. Sally Barnett looked up from her regular station near the stairway that led to the rooms provided for her girls and smiled at him. She wore a red velvet gown, cut low enough to leave not much to the imagination, and too much rouge and powder. Cody suspected she used the cosmetics to try and hide the fact that she was not a young woman—she had to be forty at least.

  “Sheriff,” she called out, acknowledging his presence for the other customers. “What are you drinkin’?”

  Cody stepped to the bar and rested one foot on the brass railing. “Shot of rye, Billy,” he ordered. He waited for Sally to saunter over, taking her time. She sashayed through the room, running her fingers along the shoulders of a man playing cards and nudging another who sat slouched in his chair, staring at one of the girls.

  Leaving the shot glass untouched, Cody surveyed the room through the large gilt-framed mirror behind the bar. Regulars, as far as he could see. He was new to the job in Juniper and might not know every man by name, but he recognized them. Several boys who worked for the railroad. Frank Tucker, the town’s mayor and owner of the mercantile, was one of the card players. And there in a corner, Jake Collier sat alone.

  “Quiet night,” Sally observed.

  He knew she was trying to figure out what had brought him in. Most people in town had come to understand the new sheriff rarely did anything for simple pleasure.

  “Yep. Looks like the usual gang,” he replied, downing his whiskey in a single gulp. He placed a coin on the bar and turned to go. “But don’t you worry. Summer’s here, so there’s bound to be new cowboys coming to town for the branding and calving.”

  Jackpot, he thought when Sally took the bait.

  “Already started. Had two fellas in here earlier sniffing around trying to find out where to find work. I suggested the Lombard place, but they seemed more curious about the hotel. Didn’t have the heart to tell them they were far too common for Aidan Campbell to give them a chance. He wouldn’t even take men like that for the kitchen.”

  “They decided to move on, did they?”

  Sally shrugged. “Guess so.” She laid her hand on his. She wore a ring on every finger. “Don’t be such a stranger, Sheriff,” she murmured.

  Cody tipped two fingers to his hat. “Miss Sally, you have yourself a nice evening.”

  On his way out, he made sure to pass close to Jake, saw the way the usually affable young man avoided meeting his gaze and the way Jake’s hand trembled as he raised a pint of beer to his lips.

  There were plenty of men who frequented the Sagebrush whose shaking hands would be the sign of a need for their next drink. Not Jake. In fact, this was one of the only times Cody had ever seen him in the saloon. So instead of leaving, he pulled out a chair and sat across the table from the stocky, red-haired kitchen manager.

  “Mind if I join you?” He signaled the bartender, pointed to Jake’s empty glass, and held up two fingers.

  Jake eyed him suspiciously and nodded. One of Sally’s girls set the beers down, and Cody paid her. Jake sipped some of the foam and swiped it away from his upper lip with his sleeve.

  “What brings you in tonight, Sheriff Daniels?” he asked.

  Cody smiled. He respected Jake for cutting through the chitchat. “It’s about Lily Travis,” he said.

  That got Jake’s attention. “What about her? I mean, is she all right?”

  “She’s fine, far as I can tell. A little high-strung, but then that seems to be her natural state.”

  “She’s just really passionate about things she cares about,” Jake defended.

  “Then she must care quite a bit about you.”

  “I don’t get your meaning. Me and Lily are just friends. That’s all she wants, and I’ll take what I can have when it comes to Lily.”

  “She saw you earlier in the yard behind the hotel.” Cody paused and took a long swallow of his beer as he watched Jake’s reaction. He probably could have fished around for information without invoking Lily’s name, but Cody had always believed in the direct approach. “Came all the way to my office to tell me about it—about two men she’d never seen before having a serious conversation with you.”

  With every word Cody spoke, Jake’s eyes grew wider with panic. He glanced around the saloon like he wanted to make sure nobody was listening and then leaned across the table. “She can’t get mixed up in this,” he said. “Tell her we talked and that meeting was nothing she needs to be worried about, okay?”

  Cody leaned back in his chair. “How about you tell me what’s really going on, Jake, so I can keep Lily out of things and help you?”

  Jake hesitated, then downed his beer, and stood. “I can handle this, Sheriff. It’s nothing. A misunderstanding is all. Just make sure Lily doesn’t have cause to ask any more questions.” He adjusted his hat, adding, “Thanks for the beer,” as he headed through the double swinging half doors.

  Cody watched him go. Jake had lied. Whatever he was caught up in was more than a simple misunderstanding. Jake was in danger and afraid Lily would also be in danger if she didn’t let this go. And Cody was still no closer to learning who the two strangers had been. With all that in mind, he had no intention of dropping the matter. But he would do his level best to make sure Lily wasn’t involved.

  Chapter 2

  The dining room continued to be unusually busy the following week, making Lily’s intent to pull Jake aside and ask him more about the two men impossible. Sheriff Daniels had not seen fit to get back to her with any information. Typical male. Heaven forbid a mere woman might have some ideas—or might actually have something to contribute!

  Speak of the devil.

  Cody Daniels stood at the entrance to the dining room, surveying the room. When he chose a table in her section, she thought perhaps she had misjudged him. Perhaps his presence here might be his way of giving her information without raising suspicions. She pasted on her Harvey Girl smile and crossed the dining room. “Good afternoon, Sheriff.”

  “Miss Travis,” he replied as he studied the lunch selections listed on the menu. “I’ll have the rabbit stew and coffee.”

  Following the Harvey protocol, she set his cup upright for the beverage girl to fill and went to place his order, practically colliding with Jake as she entered the kitchen.

  “What’s Sheriff Daniels doing here?” Jake asked in a tone that was both demanding and panicked.

  “He came in for lunch,” Lily replied. “Are you all right?”

  Recovering his usual lighthearted demeanor, Jake grinned. “Right as rain, Lily—just surprised to see the sheriff. Usually where he goes, trouble follows.”

  “I think he just wants to eat, Jake.” She recited Cody’s food order to the chef and returned to the dining room to check on her other tables, more certain than ever that Jake was wrapped up in something that was keeping him on edge.

  When she set Cody’s lunch in front of him, he thanked her and started to eat. She remained standing next to him. Glancing up at her, he set down his fork and asked, “Was there something else?”

  Of course, she should be asking him that. “Sorry, I…” She lowered her voice while maintaining her professional smile. “Did you find out about those two men?”

  Just then, head waitress Bonnie Kaufmann passed them. She gave Lily a questioning look. “Hello, Sheriff Daniels. How nice to have you join us,” she said. “Is everything to your satisfaction?”

  “Absolutely,” he replied, gr
inning up at her.

  “In that case, Lily, your table over there has requested their bill.”

  Lily had no choice but to attend to her other customers, and by the time she had finished, Cody was already on his way out the door. He’d left money to cover his meal plus a ten-cent tip for her. As she cleared and reset the table, she watched him cross the lobby and stop at the front desk where Aidan Campbell, the hotel manager, greeted him warmly.

  “Lily!”

  She whirled around and found Emma standing next to her. “What?” she grumbled as she turned her attention back to resetting the table.

  “You’re a thousand miles away today, and Miss K is taking note,” Emma whispered.

  “It’s just that I thought he might have news.”

  “And did he?”

  Lily shook her head.

  “Then let it go. Jake seems to be just fine.”

  Emma was right—Lily was sticking her nose in where it didn’t belong. But she couldn’t entirely dismiss the way Jake had asked about the sheriff’s arrival at the hotel. Something was wrong. She’d bet her month’s tips on that.

  On the other hand, if she didn’t get back to work, she’d have no tips to wager.

  * * *

  It was after six before the last customer left and Lily, Emma, and the other girls sat down to supper with Jake, the head chef, George Keller, and the rest of the kitchen staff. Emma returned from checking their mail slots and handed Lily two envelopes, one stamped and one from the hotel with just her name on it. Her hand shook as she opened the first, avoiding the second. She was pretty sure the message on hotel stationery was a summons to Aidan Campbell’s office to be reminded of her duties.

  Emma had already opened an envelope identical to Lily’s. “It’s a note of thanks from Grace,” she said, and there was general excitement as the other girls around the table opened their letters from Grace. They had all chipped in for a layette in celebration of Nick and Grace and their coming baby.

  While everyone shared memories of the day they had all celebrated Grace and Nick’s union, Lily pulled a single sheet of hotel stationery from the envelope. She did not recognize the handwriting. It certainly was not Aidan Campbell’s flowing script.