by Anna Schmidt
He headed over to the hotel.
Aidan’s assistant was at the front desk. “Mr. Campbell has gone to Santa Fe for the day,” he replied in answer to Cody’s request to speak to Aidan. “May I be of service?”
“No, thanks.” Cody glanced toward the counter and then toward the dining room where other Harvey Girls were setting things up for lunch. No sign of either Lily or Emma.
Hoping one or both might be sitting with Grace, he walked around to the rear of the hotel. The door to the kitchen was open, and he could hear George Keller barking out orders to his crew. Entering the busy kitchen, rich with the smells of food cooking and clouded by the steam rising from bubbling pots and skillets, he raised a hand in greeting to the men who glanced his way.
Doc Waters was just closing up his bag, and Nick was hovering near Grace, looking more hopeful than Cody had seen him since they’d brought Grace to town that Sunday.
“Now, don’t go thinking you can dance a jig at this party you’re planning,” Doc warned Grace.
“Speaking of parties,” Grace said, “I assume I’ll be home in time for the one the Lombards are planning for Nick and me at the ranch?”
Doc scratched his beard but shook his head. “You’re doing fine, but no sense tempting fate. In other words, I’d advise you to do your partying here in town for the time being.” He pulled on his hat, picked up his bag, and nodded to Cody on his way out.
“Sounds like some good news at least,” Cody said, removing his hat as he stood in the doorway.
“She’s doing just fine,” Nick said. “Doc says the baby might still come early, but every passing day is a victory.”
Grace blushed. “Nick, I’m sure the sheriff didn’t come here to hear the details of my confinement.”
“Nope, came to see if you needed more flowers,” he teased.
Grace laughed. “You mean you would actually go over to Abigail Chambers’s garden and ask for more?”
“You heard about that, did you?”
“The entire town knows. Abigail has a huge crush on you, Cody, as if you didn’t know. She has told anyone who would listen how you came to her, hat in hand, blushing and stammering…”
Cody groaned. “I’ve never given that woman a single sign of encouragement,” he argued.
“Oh, Cody, she doesn’t need signs. She makes up her own.”
“Give the man a break, Grace,” Nick said. “Nice of you to stop by, Cody, in the middle of the day and all.”
Nick was probably one of the smartest men Cody had ever met. He clearly understood that Cody had not just “stopped by.”
“Lily around?” Cody asked.
“She’s over at Mr. Tucker’s store, ordering things for the party,” Grace replied, and when Cody raised an eyebrow, she continued. “Bonnie Kaufmann is going back to Virginia to be nearer family. Emma has been tapped to be her replacement, so Lily and I are planning a party that’s part farewell to Bonnie and part celebration for Emma.”
Nick continued to study Cody. “What’s going on?”
“Victor Johnson is back in town,” Cody said, lowering his voice and stepping closer to the bed. “I think he and a partner are holed up at that old abandoned miner’s camp north of town. I plan to take a ride out there tonight and see what I can learn. Lily and I were supposed to… I was going to call on her tonight, except now that’s an issue.”
“I’ll be sure she knows,” Grace said, her brow wrinkling into a frown. “But, Cody, be careful, won’t you? If they catch you spying on them, it would be two against one.”
“I’ll come with you,” Nick volunteered. “Even the odds.”
Grace looked at her husband with alarm but made no protest.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Cody hurried to say.
“You didn’t ask,” Nick replied. “How about I have supper with my best girl here and come over to the jail after that?”
The truth was having Nick along would be a help. Two sets of eyes and ears were always better than one. Cody looked at Grace.
She let out a sigh. “Don’t look to me to change his mind, Cody. In case you haven’t noticed, my husband can be the most stubborn—”
Nick grinned and leaned in to kiss Grace’s cheek. “I think the word she’s looking for is ‘adorable.’”
“You’ll both be careful,” Grace instructed. “No unnecessary risks.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the two men chorused.
Grace fixed her gaze on Cody. “In case you don’t already know this, Lily would never forgive me if something happened to you and I hadn’t done my very best to stop you from walking into danger.”
Cody felt a rush of pleasure that must have shown in his expression. “I didn’t know she cared that much,” he said, unable to hide the silly grin he felt spreading across his face.
Just then, he heard Lily call out a greeting to the men in the kitchen. “I’m late,” she announced as she hurried toward the stairs up to the waitresses’ rooms. But when she saw Cody, she hesitated. “I’m late,” she repeated, only this time, it was in a voice filled with regret. “I’ll see you tonight.”
She hurried on up the stairs. Cody saw George cross the kitchen, motioning him over. Cody said goodbye to Nick and Grace and met the chef near the stairs. He had to look down to talk—the man was half a foot shorter than Cody. “You and Lily?” George asked.
“Yes.”
“Don’t hurt her.”
Why did everyone seem to think his intentions were less than honorable?
“I won’t.”
George nodded, then grabbed hold of Cody’s elbow and steered him to a hollow space under the stairs. “Not a bad place to say a quick hello without being seen,” he observed and then wandered back to his duties.
A moment later, Cody heard footsteps on the tiled stairs, smelled the scent of Lily’s floral soap, saw her familiar white-gold hair, and waited. She was tying the sash of her apron when she passed and gave a little yelp as he gently took hold of her arm and drew her into the shadows.
“Cody, what on earth?” she whispered, but she made no move to pull away.
“I can’t see you tonight. It’s business—Victor’s back.” Although he’d considered keeping this news from her, something told him Lily had heard enough lies in her life. He felt her tense, and he wrapped his arms around her. “Not in the hotel. He’s hiding out, but you still need to be careful. Promise me you won’t go out alone, especially after dark.”
She nodded. Her face was close to his in the tight quarters, her lips a kiss away. Not wanting to cause her any trouble, he made a quick survey of the kitchen and saw that George had called his crew to the far side to bark out orders, leaving their backs to Cody and Lily in the alcove. He grinned and turned his attention back to the woman in his arms.
“Are you going to kiss me or not?” she said, pushing his hat back further on his head.
“Why, Miss Travis, I thought you’d never ask.” Taking care not to muss her hair or her uniform, he lowered his mouth to hers and realized as their lips met that she was smiling. He was too, and he stayed lost in that kiss until Cody heard George announce, “Ah, Miss Kaufmann! What kind of cake would you like for your party?”
“Plenty of time for such decisions,” the head waitress said as she headed for her office. “At the moment, Emma and I have far more important matters to discuss.”
Lily pulled away, checked to be sure the perky bow in her hair was on straight, touched her fingers to her lips and then his, and hurried on to the dining room. Cody lingered in the alcove until he saw Bonnie Kaufmann close the door to her office, then gave George a grin and a salute of thanks as he left, heading for the saloon. Maybe Sally could tell him something new about other strangers hanging around.
* * *
All afternoon and into the evening, Lily served her customers with a genuine
smile—one born of the knowledge that Sheriff Cody Daniels was sweet on her and she was head over heels for him. Love was a wonderful thing. For the first time in her life, she was sure she understood what Grace experienced every time she saw Nick. She understood that half smile that claimed Grace’s lips whenever Nick’s name was mentioned, and now she suspected she wore a similar expression when anyone brought up Cody.
Trains came and went, the dining room bustled and then was quiet, and the hours of work flew by. But later, when there was little to do but sit, it was as if time stood still. Lily had relieved Emma to sit with Grace late that evening. In the middle of telling Grace about her meeting with Mr. Tucker to order supplies for the party, she realized Grace kept jumping at every sound.
“Did you hear that?” Grace said, leaning forward, straining to hear something from outside. “Horses, don’t you think?”
“I don’t hear anything,” Lily said.
“Shhh! Listen.”
“Grace, what’s going on? This isn’t like you.”
Grace closed her eyes for a moment. “Earlier when I tried to tell you Cody had said Victor was back, you said you already knew.”
“Yes, he told me.”
“Did he not tell you he and Nick were riding out tonight to try and find Victor and the man seen with him?”
Lily’s blood ran cold. She could not manage words, just a shake of her head.
“It’s been hours,” Grace said. “Nick promised to come by the minute they returned.” She made a move to get out of bed. “There,” she whispered. “I heard something.”
“You stay put,” Lily said. “I’ll go check.”
“Be careful,” Grace called as Lily tiptoed across the quiet, dark kitchen to the back door. Why she was moving so stealthily she could not have said, but the combination of silence and shadow seemed to call for it.
She pushed aside a curtain that hung over the window next to the door. Outside, she heard low voices and the soft whinny of a horse. The yard behind the hotel was deserted, and try as she might, she could not see around the corner of the building to catch even the smallest glimpse of the street and plaza. Perhaps what she was hearing was the last customers leaving the Sagebrush. Perhaps it was Nick and Cody returning at last. Perhaps it was Victor Johnson and his partner.
She jumped when Grace touched her shoulder.
“Anything?” Grace whispered.
The two women froze when they heard footsteps moving along the tiles of the veranda.
“Get back in bed,” Lily whispered. “Go!” Grace scurried away while Lily glanced around the kitchen, looking for a weapon. She settled on a large iron skillet. Grasping the handle with both hands, she stood behind the rear door, watching as the knob turned. She slowly raised the skillet over her head as the door opened a crack.
“You coming in?” a male voice whispered.
“Probably shouldn’t,” another replied. “Give Grace my best.”
Cody.
Lily felt such a rush of relief that she lowered the skillet, losing her grip in the process. It crashed onto the floor. Suddenly, both Nick and Cody were inside, guns drawn and aimed right at her.
“No,” she heard Grace shout as she rushed from her room carrying the lantern. “My stars, Nick, you had me so worried.” She managed to set the lantern on a counter before stumbling into her husband’s arms.
“I’m here,” he assured her, scooping her into his arms and carrying her back to the tiny bedroom.
That left Lily still huddled near the door and Cody still pointing a loaded gun her way. “I could have shot you,” he managed as he holstered the gun and reached for her. “What were you thinking?”
“What were you thinking going off in the night that way?” She got to her feet, her legs still shaking. “You could have told me. Grace was worried sick.”
He took a step toward her. “And you? Were you worried, Lily?”
“No, because I didn’t know. I was going on about silly party details, oblivious to everything.” She felt tears fill her eyes. “Don’t ever do that again,” she whispered as she reached for him.
He held her close. “It’s my job, Lily.”
“Then find another job,” she grumbled and heard him chuckle softly.
Men. If she lived to be an old, old woman, she doubted she would ever understand them.
He kissed her hair. “I’ve been thinking about that,” he said. “I’d thought it would be a year or two before I left this job, but maybe sooner is better than later.”
Her heart beat faster, and she looked up at him. “Truly?”
He nodded, brushing the backs of his knuckles along her cheek. “I just want to get this business with Johnson finished.”
“Why wait?” She wanted to know he was safe now, not next week or next month.
“Simply handing in my badge won’t solve anything. He’d still be out there, a threat to the town—and you.”
“He’s nothing to me,” she grumbled.
“I know that, darlin’ girl, but you may still be something to him, and I won’t take that chance.”
Behind them, Nick cleared his throat. “Lily, I’ll be staying the night. Grace is pretty upset with me, and I just want to make sure she calms down. Thanks for everything you and Emma are doing for us.”
Lily stepped away from Cody and took hold of Nick’s hands. “Good night, then. Doc Waters left some sleeping powders in case she has trouble nodding off, but with you here…”
Nick kissed her cheek and then nodded to Cody. “See you folks in the morning.” He went back to join Grace, closing the door with a gentle click.
The lantern Grace had left on the counter cast a soft, golden light over the kitchen.
“I should go,” Cody said.
“Not until you tell me what you found out tonight,” Lily protested. “Did you eat anything?” she added, rummaging around until she found half a loaf of bread and a jar of jam. Not waiting for his answer, she set a kettle on the stove and got two cups and a tin of tea from a shelf.
Cody removed his hat and pulled up a stool. She felt him watching her prepare their snack.
“Talk to me,” she pleaded. “Was he there? Were they both there?”
Cody pulled a carving knife from a wooden block and started slicing the bread. “They were both there. I recognized the other guy from a wanted poster Ellie Swift received just last week. Chances are he’s the leader of the gang.”
“You were gone a long time. What took so long once you knew they were both there?”
“We got close enough to hear them talking but not close enough to be able to make out what they were saying. Words here and there.”
“What words?”
“Something about the bank and everybody being occupied.”
Lily poured boiling water over a strainer of loose tea, filling their cups. “You think they’re going to rob the bank?”
“That makes sense.” He spread jam on a slice of bread and handed it to her before fixing one for himself. “Question is when, and are they working alone? Will it be just the two of them, or are they waiting for others? It’s not uncommon to have a couple of men case the target and then a whole gang pulls the job. Seems to me that would fit Victor’s style.”
“Do you think they’re waiting at that cabin for the rest of the gang to join them?”
He stirred his tea. “That would be my guess. I’d also guess Victor Johnson will be off somewhere establishing an alibi, so even if the others get caught, he’s out of it. It would be the word of known outlaws against his.”
They ate their bread and drank their tea, both lost in thought.
“Cody,” Lily said after a while, “you heard them say something about everybody being occupied when they were talking about the robbery?”
He nodded.
“Everybody will be at
the party for Miss Kaufmann.” She saw his eyes widen and knew he understood the connection she was making.
“When is that?” he asked.
“We haven’t set an exact date, but Grace and I thought a Sunday or maybe combine it with the Independence Day celebration. The hotel dining room will be closed both days.”
“Independence Day sounds like a day they might choose. Most people will be busy with family and such. Businesses will be closed. I doubt Johnson knows anything about the party for Emma and Miss K, but that would certainly add to the distraction.” He took the last bite of his bread, then licked jam from his thumb before grabbing his hat. “Do you think you can persuade the others to combine the two events?”
“I’m sure I can.”
“Meanwhile, I’ll start quietly rounding up a posse.” He wiped his hands on his trousers and tugged on his hat.
Lily realized he was leaving. “Wait.” She hurried around the table and took hold of his arm. “What are you going to do? To stop the outlaws, I mean?”
He cupped her cheek. “Nothing tonight, Lily. I just need to start making some plans, and you need some rest.” He leaned closer.
“I can help,” she said. “Please let me help. For Jake, if not for myself.”
“You’ve helped already, Lily. From this point on, you have to let me handle things.”
“But—”
He kissed her before she could say more. It started as a kiss she knew was intended to distract her, to allow him to leave without giving her a chance to argue. But instead of pulling away, he moved closer. She cupped the back of his neck, prolonging the kiss.
“Let me be part of this, Cody. You know I’ll just follow you to your office,” she whispered, returning the kisses he feathered over her cheeks and lips.
“And risk incurring the wrath of Miss Kaufmann when she realizes you were out after curfew?”