Heart Of A Lawman

Saddle…she was riding a flaxen-maned sorrel past scores of people….

Josie blinked and the moment was gone. Where had that come from? she wondered, hard-pressed to shake off the weird feeling it gave her.

While the kettle was on the boil, Josie found the cabinet that held an assortment of teapots. Her gaze landed on one that had charm potential. She pulled it out and set it on the counter, then found a tray. By the time the kettle whistled, the tray was loaded. She filled the pot, then carried the tea tray into the parlor.

Alcina was saying, “My daddy isn’t what he used to be, either—not that I would ever suggest as much to him. It’s hard on us, isn’t it? Our parents getting older.”

“Older, but not necessarily wiser. At least not in Pa’s case,” Bart said as Josie set down the tray on the low table between them. “He doesn’t know how to wave a white flag, I guess. And teaching him is gonna be an experience I’m sure I’ll never forget. At least I hope I get that chance. He’s as much as said he could go at any time.”

“What does his doctor say?”

“Haven’t talked to the doc yet.”

His gaze settled on Josie, no doubt because she stood there, staring at him, a wave of empathy washing through her.

Trying to act naturally, she asked, “Want me to pour the tea?”

“I can handle it from here,” Alcina said.

Josie nodded but moved off slowly enough to see if Bart had any reaction to her choice of teapots—a fat white porcelain cat that resembled Miss Kitty. She thought she saw his lips twitch just a little at her joke. Probably as good as she was going to get. When his gaze slid to find her, she gave him a tepid smile—this charm thing didn’t seem to come naturally to her—but his attention was quickly commandeered by Alcina.

“So when is it you expect your brothers to move back to the Curly-Q?” she asked as she poured.

“Who knows if they’ll show at all.”

“I can’t imagine Reed staying away, considering the circumstances.”

The little hairs on her arms prickling again, Josie froze in her tracks. The way Alcina had said Bart’s brother’s name struck a definite chord in her….

“Part of me thinks you’re right on that score. But the way Pa used to beat him down when he was working his butt off…I just don’t know if he’s got good enough reason to come back for more.”

“I would think partnership in a family corporation would be enough. Reed always loved that spread better than anyone—your daddy and you included! Unless he has long-term obligations elsewhere, of course,” Alcina said pointedly.

“Don’t know about any obligations. None to a wife or family if that’s what you mean.”

“Really.”

Really…?

Alcina Dale was obviously more interested in Bart’s brother than in Bart himself, Josie realized as she returned to the kitchen.

Now, why did that lighten her step as she took the back stairs up to the second floor?

Maybe after she finished checking on the room, she’d figure out a way to implement her plan to charm the boots off the lawman.

Josie only hoped she wasn’t tempting fate, somehow….

From the linen closet, she gathered a fresh set of towels, then opened the Raton Room. The room might be narrow with only a single bed, a dresser and a rocking chair, but it was mighty cheerful, what with three windows on two walls letting in so much light. As Alcina had requested, she made sure everything in the room was in order, including opening the windows to let in a cross breeze.

While she was rearranging one of the lace curtains, a fancy new red truck pulled around the building and parked. She gazed down at the tall, fair-haired young man who alighted from the driver’s seat and slapped a well-creased brimmed hat on his head. His jeans and denim jacket seemed equally worn.

Strange, but he didn’t look the type to stay in a bed-and-breakfast, Josie thought as he rounded the truck to grab a single bag from the back.

Then he hesitated and gave the building a long, serious stare.

Not wanting him to spot her, Josie instinctively jumped back from the window. It wouldn’t do to let him think she was spying on him.

Not that she could tell exactly where he was looking through those sunglasses he wore. Even as she thought it, he removed them. But she was too far away to tell anything anyhow.

Suddenly the man jerked around as if startled and moved straight to the old chicken coop.

Josie moved in closer to the window and barely got a glimpse of Miss Kitty all fluffed out before the animal disappeared into the rickety building itself. The man hesitated only a second before turning back to the house.

Wondering what had irritated the cat this time, Josie took a last look around, left the bedroom and checked the bath. Everything in order. She hurried downstairs, expecting the new guest would be waiting for her to show him up. But from the sound of Alcina’s voice and footsteps on the front staircase, she guessed he was being seen to.

Ready to try for charming, she swung open the door to the parlor. Empty. She was only marginally disappointed. Best-case scenario would be that Deputy Quarrels had already lost interest in her. Sighing at her reprieve, she bent over the table to remove the tea service.

A glance out the front window assured her that Bart was actually leaving. He was just opening the door to his SUV. She watched him hop inside in one fluid motion and imagined him mounting a horse with equal grace.

Shaking away the odd feeling that picture gave her, Josie immediately carted the tray into the kitchen and then headed outside to fetch the cat.

Chapter Four

Bart was still thinking about Josie Wales as he rounded up his kids for supper and herded them into the dining room. Felice had outdone herself, polishing the big pine table, the center of which was decorated with ivory candles of different thickness and heights, interlaced with dried flowers of the region. Five places had been set, so it looked like his father was going to join them for supper.

Both kids went for the same chair. Daniel won the struggle.

“Big jerk,” Lainey muttered.

“Lainey, why don’t you sit here,” Bart suggested, indicating the end chair that was usually his. “And I’ll sit between the two of you.”

“I’m going to help Felice,” his daughter said, already flouncing toward the kitchen.

Bart looked at his son. “Could you possibly go easy on your sister for a while? You can see what a hard time she’s having, can’t you?”

Daniel mumbled, “Yeah, sure,” and looked away.

Leaving Bart to think about Josie some more. That woman had a way about her that inspired his interest, the real reason he’d taken his father’s suggestion to look up Alcina. Not that he hadn’t been glad to see his old friend, as well. Of an age, he and Alcina had gone through both grammar and high school together. At one time, he’d suspected Pa and Tucker Dale had more permanent plans for the two of them, but he’d never been drawn to Alcina in that way, nor she to him. He’d seen her more as the sister he’d never had, not like…

He’d almost thought her name, Bart realized.

Josie Wales.

But, no, that was wrong. He wasn’t attracted to her. His curiosity was piqued, was all. A stranger in a ghost town, getting herself all tangled up in rescuing a discarded cat was an oddity in itself. Plus that stranger had been hurt—he’d seen it both in her face and in the way she’d had trouble moving. But when that stranger played mysterious, as well, not willing to give over one detail of her background, he couldn’t help but wonder…

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