Mail Order Bride - Westward Justice: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 6) (3 page)

              “Thank you, ma’am,” Mitch said.  “I’ll go get Dottie for you.  I’m so sorry, Amelia.  I can’t wrap my mind around it yet and I suspect I won’t for a long time.  Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with the services.”

              “Will you be a pallbearer?” Amelia asked.

              “Of course.  I would be honored,” Mitch said.

              He left then and stopped at Dottie Warren’s house.  She was Amelia’s sister.  Once Mitch had informed Dottie the sad news, he rode to the Sherriff’s office.  As he entered it, there was a different feel to the place.  He looked at Travis’ desk and blinked back tears.  The man had been a surrogate father to Mitch in a lot of ways and they’d had a lot of good times together. 

              Mitch smiled as he remembered some of the raunchy jokes that Travis had told him.  He had a good sense of humor and a natural compassion for the residents of Dawson.  Instead of arresting Boonie, the town drunk, he’d just put him a cell for the night to dry out.  Travis and Mitch had frequented the Watering Hole and socialized with the crowd there.

              Travis had socialized everywhere.  He said that was the best way to keep a positive presence in the community.  Better that everyone enjoy having you around instead of being afraid of the law.  It made it easier to diffuse tense situations that way.  Mitch had taken all of Travis’ teachings to heart and modeled his way of enforcing the law after Travis’.

              Mitch’s reminiscing was interrupted by Jessie.

              “Mitch, you need to get one of those sheriff badges and come with me to the square.  The news is travelling and people are nervous.  We need to show them that all will be well.  You’re the Sherriff now, so it’s on you and me to reassure them,” he said.

              “The man’s not even cold yet, Jessie,” Mitch objected.

              “Mitch, this is part of the job and if Travis was still with us, he’d tell you the same thing.  So get that badge and meet me in the square,” Jessie said and walked out the door.

              Mitch looked at Travis’ desk.  He knew where Travis kept all of the extra badges but didn’t want to touch the man’s desk.  It felt as if he’d be disturbing sacred ground.  Then Mitch squared his shoulders and went around the back of the desk.  Travis had been a practical man and Mitch knew that Travis would tell him to move his rear and do his job.  He removed his deputy’s badge and sat it on the desk.  He pulled out the top right hand drawer and saw the shiny sheriff’s badge lying there.

              Slowly Mitch took it from the drawer and pinned it to his black leather vest.  Mitch suddenly felt the weight of added responsibility settle on his shoulder.  He shut the drawer, took a deep breath and left to join Jessie in the square.

              Jessie’s speech was brief and then he handed things over to Mitch, which annoyed him no end.  Jessie was good at putting responsibility on other people.

              Mitch cleared his throat and said, “We have suffered a great loss today, folks.  Sheriff Allen was a great man, husband, and father and will be deeply missed by all who knew him, me included.  This is all so sudden and hard to take in right now.  I was fortunate enough to work with Travis for five years, which wasn’t nearly long enough.  Travis loved this community and was a friend to many.  He would want us to go on and treat each other the same way that he always did.  To that end, I have been appointed Sheriff.  I’ll never fill Travis’ shoes, but I promise to do my best to keep the peace and protect the citizens of Dawson.  Thank you.”

              The crowd gathered clapped quietly in response to his speech.  Some of them came forward to offer condolences to Mitch because they knew how close he had been with Travis.  He nodded and said the right words, but inside Mitch felt numb with grief.  As soon as he could, Mitch left the square and went to the office.

              Beth the coach driver was a woman after Sammi’s own heart.  She was tough, independent, and funny.  Instead of riding inside the coach all the time, Sammi sat up on the driver’s seat with her so they could talk.  By the time they arrived in Dawson, they had become fast friends.

              When Sammi disembarked from the coach, she and Beth shook hands before Sammi grabbed her bags.  She had a large tan suitcase that was quite heavy.  It was packed with all of her guns and another smaller suitcase held her knives.  The third suitcase carried her clothes.  She also had a bedroll and a slicker. 

              As she waited at the depot, she noticed the stares she drew from men and women alike and smiled.  She tipped her hat to some of them.  A few of the men smiled but the women looked unsure as to whether they should greet her or not.  It always amused Sammi to see the different reactions to her mode of dress.

              She waited for a half hour and then decided that maybe the good deputy had gotten tied up with something.  Taking her suitcases inside the depot, she found the clerk.

              “Hi there,” she said.

              Bart Watson looked her up and down and said, “Yeah?”

              Sammi read the disapproval on his face but ignored it.  “I think my ride got tied up somewhere.  I need to go find them and can’t take all of my bags with me.  Can I leave them here to pick up after a while?”

              Bart nodded.  “It’s two dollars to store them,” he said.

              Sammi counted off the bills.  “Now, I know everything that’s in them.  When I come back, if there’s anything missing, there’ll be trouble,” she said as she patted her gun.

              Bart followed her hand movement and his eyebrows rose almost to his hairline.  He’d never seen a woman wear a gun before.  “No one will bother your things, miss.  I’ll see to it.”

              Sammi handed over the money and asked, “Now, where’s the sheriff’s office?”

              Bart gave her the directions and Sammi left the depot.  Her long legs carried her quickly down the street.  She saw the building Bart had described to her and went in the door.  The place was a little plain but it was clean and orderly.  Two desks faced each other and there were a couple of tables with lanterns sitting on them.  A coat rack stood in a corner.

              A man sat at one of the desks and Sammi assumed that this was Mitch.  He was engrossed in something and said, “I’ll be right with you.”

              Sammi didn’t say anything.  She took the opportunity to check him out.  His sandy hair was cropped close and neatly combed.  Sammi liked his broad shoulders and strong arms.  He finished what he was doing and looked up at her.

              “Hello, Deputy Taylor,” she said with a smile.

              Mitch’s eyes grew big as he looked at her.  His gaze travelled over her from head to toe.  Her cowboy boots and form fitting trousers emphasized her long legs and shapely hips.  She wore a blue western shirt that she filled out quite nicely.  She had a strong jaw for a woman but it didn’t detract from her beauty. 

Her full mouth curved in a smile and her icy blue eyes were filled with humor as she looked at him.  From under her dark brown leather cowboy hat, blonde hair flowed down over her shoulders.  She reminded him of a cougar; tawny, beautiful and lethal.  Mitch noticed the gun belt slung low on her hips and realized who she was.

              He rose from his chair.  “Sammi?”

              “In the flesh,” Sammi said and moved closer.  She looked up slightly into his warm brown eyes.  “I just got in about half hour ago.”

              Mitch closed his eyes and put a hand to his head.  “I’m so sorry.  I forgot.  Um, we’ve had a bad set of circumstances since yesterday.”

              Sammi noticed the sadness in his eyes.  “Don’t worry about it.  What happened?”

              Mitch said, “The sheriff passed away yesterday and things have been chaotic.  I’ve been appointed sheriff now.”

              Sammi looked at his badge.  She hadn’t noticed it before.  “Dang.  I’m so sorry.  I know you were good friends.”

              Mitch nodded.  “So I’m trying to get up to speed on some things Travis was working on.  Plus, I had to put out fires last night, so to speak.  A few characters thought that since Travis was gone they could get away with some things.”

              Sammi smiled.  “I’m sure they found out differently.  You don’t impress me as the type to allow that sort of thing to go on.”

              “That’s right,” Mitch said.  “Are you hungry?  We could go get a bite at the Grady House.”

              “That would be great,” Sammi said.  “When we’re done, I have to get my stuff from the depot.”

              “Ok.  Um, I’m not sure where you want to stay,” Mitch said as he opened the door for her.

              Sammi wasn’t used to that kind of treatment, but liked it.  “I thought you said you had a house.”

              “That’s right, but like I said, it’s a work in progress and not exactly suitable for guests,” Mitch said.  “Then there’s the fact that we’re not married yet.”

              Sammi smiled.  “Why, Sheriff, are you looking out for my virtue?” she teased him.

              Smiling, Mitch nodded.  “And mine.  I’m not sure how everyone would react to the new sheriff shacking up with a woman when they’re not wed.”

              “Ah, the whole public appearances thing, huh?” Sammi said.  “I understand.  So where am I going to stay?”

              “Well, there’s the hotel,” Mitch said. He had a hard time keeping his eyes off her.  She exuded confidence and was certainly pretty.

              “Sammi Jameson!” 

              Sammi turned to see Joe Dwyer coming up the street at a trot on a beautiful gray horse.  He pulled the horse to a stop and nimbly jumped down.  Then she was enveloped in a big hug.  Joe picked her up and planted a kiss on her cheek as he swung her around.  Sammi laughed and kissed him back. 

              He set her down and said, “You are a sight for sore eyes, girl.  How the heck are ya’ll?”

              “I’m just fine and it looks like you are, too, you sexy thing,” Sammi said.

              Mitch arched an eyebrow at that remark.  He wondered just what kind of relationship she had with Dwyer and felt a small stab of jealousy.

              “Why, thank you, Miss Jameson.  So when did you get in?” Joe asked.

              “Just a little bit ago.  Mitch told me about the sheriff passing,” Sammi said as she sobered.  “It’s such a shame.”

              Joe nodded.  “He was a good man and we miss him already.  No offense, Mitch.”

              “None taken.  I feel the same way,” Mitch said.

              Sammi said, “Now don’t tell Lacey I’m here.  I wanted to surprise her and Jamie.”

              “You got it.  We’re you stayin’?  You could stay with us.  We’ve got plenty of room,” Joe offered.

              “I appreciate that, but I think I’ll stay at the hotel.  But I will come to visit, of course,” Sammi said.  “There is something else that you could do for me.”

              Joe said, “Name it.”

              “Do you have a good horse I can borrow?  I’ll need to be able to get around on my own,” Sammi said.

              Joe made a sarcastic noise.  “Do you remember who ya’ll are talkin’ to?  Of course I have a horse for you.  Whenever you want it, just have the good sheriff here bring you on out.”

              “All right.  Sounds good.  Remember; don’t tell Lacey I’m here or I’ll crack you on the other side of your pretty face,” Sammi said.

              Joe said, “I promise not to tell her.  I really don’t want you to hit me again.  Well, I better shove off and get home.  I have to watch Lacey like a hawk.  She’s always tryin’ to do stuff that she shouldn’t.  See ya’ll later.”

              Sammi watched him ride away and laughed.  “He hasn’t changed.”

              Mitch asked, “Do you and Joe have history?”

              Sammi looked at him.  “Do you mean did we sleep together?  No.  When I met him, he was already married to Lacey and in love with her.  I just helped him get Lacey’s horse to bring home to her.  We’re just friends, Mitch,” she assured him. 

              “Ok.  That’s good,” Mitch said as they reached the Grady House.  As they entered, Mitch noticed the looks that Sammi got from the other customers. 

              She took off her hat and shook out her straight, blonde hair and several men eyed her appreciatively.  Mitch guided her to a table and they sat down.

              “Is it like that wherever you go?” Mitch asked.  He wasn’t sure whether to be amused or annoyed at the attention she was drawing.

              Sammi nodded.  “Pretty much.  I’m used to it.  It’s pretty funny.”

              Mitch frowned.  “Is that why you dress like that?”

              Sammi gazed into his eyes and he swore that her eyes got shade cooler as she did.  “No,” she said, “I dress like this because of the type of work I usually do and because it’s more comfortable than all the stuff that goes into wearing a dress.  Have you ever worn a dress, Sheriff?”

              “Of course not,” Mitch said.

              “Then you don’t have any idea what pain in rear it is,” Sammi said.  “So, that’s why I choose to dress like this.”

              Mitch nodded.  “I can understand that.  I know that you did a lot of hard work on the farm and you’re right; doing all of that in a dress isn’t really practical.  A few of the women around here wear pants if they’re working in the field or something, but none of them look as good in them as you do,” he said with a smile.

              “Are you flirting with me, Mitch?” Sammi said with a smile.

              “Yes.”

              “Good.  So what do you recommend?” Sammi asked.

              “Well, it’s all good, but the chicken fried steak is my favorite,” Mitch said.

              “Then that’s what I’ll have,” Sammi replied.

              Alice was working and took their orders.  She kept looking at Sammi with curiosity and Sammi smiled at her.  Mitch watched and found Sammi beautiful.  She turned back to Mitch and caught the look in his eyes. 

She propped her chin on her hands and said, “You are a fine looking man, Sheriff Taylor.”

Mitch laughed.  “Now who’s flirting?  Thanks.  I’m still not used to being called sheriff.  Every time someone does, I keep looking for Travis.”

“I can understand that,” Sammi said.  “It’ll take a little time.”

Mitch nodded.  “Yeah.  So do you have family?”

“Nope.  I was an orphan and once I turned sixteen, I left the orphanage.  I had enough of being told what to do and when I could do it,” Sammi said. 

“What happened to your parents?”

“Don’t know.  I was left in the church with a note.  I used be sad about it when I was a kid, but then as I got older I didn’t mind it so much,” Sammi said.

“So who taught you to shoot?” Mitch asked.  He’d assumed that maybe her father had, but that wasn’t the case.

“My first boyfriend.  He was a rodeo worker and did trick shooting.  He’s the one that got me interested in guns and the rest is history,” Sammi replied as Alice came back with their food.

The aroma made Sammi’s mouth water and she started cutting into her steak immediately.  Mitch watched her attack her food and wondered when she’d last eaten.

“Mmm.  This is delicious,” Sammi said.  “Good choice.”

Mitch asked, “Did he also teach you how to throw knives?”

“Yep.  I’ll show you my collection,” Sammi said.

Mitch asked, “You brought it with you?”

“Yeah.  I sure wasn’t going to let it behind.  Or my guns,” she said.  “That reminds me; I had to sell my rifle so I’ll need to buy another one.  Who sells quality guns around here?”

“You’re going to buy a rifle?” Mitch asked.  This was a completely new experience for him.  He’d never encountered a woman like Sammi before and he wondered what he’d gotten himself into. 

“I think that’s what I just said,” Sammi said.

“Well, Otis Reeves has a gun shop, but I’m not sure he’ll sell to you,” Mitch said.

Sammi stopped chewing and said, “Why’s that?”

Mitch grew uncomfortable and didn’t answer right away.

“Let me guess; he’s not going to sell a gun to a woman, right?  Well, I have ways of convincing people to do things,” she said.

“Now, listen, you can’t shoot him or I’ll have to arrest you,” Mitch said.

“Shoot him?  Naw.  That’s not what I had in mind.  You just take me to his shop and I’ll do the rest,” Sammi said cryptically.

“Ok,” Mitch agreed.

Sammi leaned back and rubbed her flat stomach.  “That was great.”

“Yeah, I always enjoy it,” Mitch said.  He picked up the bill and got out his wallet.

Sammi said, “What’s my half?”