Chapter 6 #2
Regardless of his confidence in Sheila’s ability to take care of herself, Caleb still worried.
Henry wasn’t wrong. They lived in wild and lawless country.
Mad Dog McCord’s gang was only the most recent example of the danger, and Zeke’s men hadn’t been able to catch the rogue.
Caleb didn’t want to think what could happen if a band of outlaws came upon her on the road.
But it didn’t matter what he or her father had said to her numerous times.
She had a stubborn streak, and in some matters, she wouldn’t listen to anyone.
Caleb enjoyed watching Henry stumbling over his words. “I meant no offence, ma’am.”
“None taken, Mr. Jordan.” Her eyes drifted toward the barn.
“It’s finally finished, Miss Sheila,” Gabe jumped in. “The roof and the doors, stalls and all.”
“Wanna see it?” Paddy asked.
She sent Caleb another look. He gestured to Gabe and Paddy to lead the way.
The three went ahead, the boys on either side of her and the dog circling them excitedly, happy to have his pack together.
“I’m with Paddy, you know,” Henry muttered in Caleb’s direction as they followed behind. “Of all the women I’ve known, ain’t none like her. She’s something else.”
“Good thing to remember. Cuz she ain’t your type.”
“And exactly what is my type?”
“The type whose affection you can buy at places like the Belle.”
Henry sent him a cross look. “I might be interested in the teacher type.”
“You think she’s the teacher type?” Caleb snorted. She had her arms draped over the boys’ shoulders. “Whatever that means, she ain’t it.”
His partner hitched up his pants and tossed back his curls. “She is a fine-looking woman, that’s for dang sure.”
“Don’t matter. You keep your distance and your sweet talking to yourself.”
“Why? She’s available, ain’t she? Do you know one other man that’s courting her?”
The question didn’t deserve an answer. Henry was quite open about his interests. Poker. Whiskey. And women. With the emphasis on women. And not one woman.
Caleb realized Henry was trying hard not to grin. The sonovabitch was running his mouth just to get a rise out of him. Nothing else.
He and Henry and Bear stood outside the barn as Sheila got the grand tour. If it wasn’t Gabe talking, it was Paddy. And the younger boy had such pride in his voice, a person would think he’d notched every beam and hammered home every nail.
Caleb thought about what the twelve-year-old had asked about moving out there, and his eyes rested on Sheila as she listened to Paddy with rapt attention. The boy had mostly just seen the hard side of life. He needed a mother. Someone to love him and teach him kindness.
Caleb kicked himself inwardly. Here he was, doing it again. Dreaming about things beyond his reach.
Henry broke into his thoughts. “So, if she brings up her Ladies’ Event Planning Committee and the Christmas Gala, my answer is yes.”
Caleb didn’t know why she was here, but he doubted it was about any party.
As blunt and straightforward as she normally was, Sheila still had that New York breeding.
She wouldn’t ask straight out and put him on the spot.
She’d more likely approach her father to ask.
If that didn’t work, then she would send a letter from the committee.
If those two approaches failed, then she might talk to him face-to-face and try steering him into offering.
But she wouldn’t be doing that here. She’d be on her own turf at Doc’s house, probably while feeding him dinner.
Sheila stood by one of the barn doors, pretending to be interested in the not-so-complicated workings of the iron hinges.
She wasn’t looking in his direction, but he could feel her attention was on him.
He’d come to know her. He recognized when she was feeling jovial or snappish.
He could tell when she wanted something.
Right now, she was none of those things.
“Remember, Caleb. No turning her down.”
“She ain’t here about that.”
“No?” Henry cocked an eyebrow at him. “Then what’s she here for?”
Sheila came out of the barn ahead of the boys and was greeted by the dog again. Giving Bear a pat on the head, she walked directly toward where the two men stood.
Her eyes were on Caleb, and there was trouble in them.
For a brief second, the crazy notion ran through him that maybe she’d finally decided to run back to New York and the comfort of her grandparents’ wealth.
There once was a time when he thought that might be the right thing for her to do.
A grand idea, in fact. After all, Elkhorn was no place for a woman with her East Coast upbringing and accomplishments.
But no more. Doc Burnett had confided in him that Sheila left New York to escape a marriage arranged for her by her grandfather.
It was, apparently, an effort to secure the family fortunes.
Sheila was not about to let herself be traded away in a business arrangement to an older man.
Doc told him then that his strong-willed daughter had no plans of going back East.
But was she here to tell him to his face that she’d changed her mind?
“Can I speak with you, Marlowe?”
Surprised, Henry looked from one to the other, tipped his hat, and walked away, taking the boys with him.
Caleb saw it in the tightening of the skin around her mouth, in the ripple of emotions darkening her blue eyes. Something had happened, and she was bearing bad tidings.
She was going. He was certain of it.
“What is it?”
“Can we walk?”
Without waiting, she headed toward the corral. He followed, wondering if there was anything he could say or would say that’d change her mind about going.
She walked past the enclosure and out into the meadow until she reached a large boulder jutting up from the soil. She stopped and leaned against it.
“Has Zeke been here today?”
“Zeke? What does he have to do with anything?”
Her eyebrows rose. “He’s the sheriff.”
Caleb took a breath, a feeling of relief pouring through him. Zeke would certainly have nothing to do with Sheila returning to New York. He’d guessed wrong about why she was here.
“Nope. Ain’t seen him.”
“Did he send one of his deputies then?”
“What for? They’re chasing after somebody?”
“They should be.” She frowned and hugged her middle. “I would have expected more from him.”
“Why?”
Sheila huffed, her eyes flashing. “Well, he does claim to be your friend.”
Whatever trouble was brewing with the sheriff, Caleb could settle it. He couldn’t fathom why she was getting involved. “What’s happened?”
She kicked the heel of her boot into the dirt, digging a hole. “Zeke’s a coward.”
Caleb couldn’t help defending the man. “Zeke’s just Zeke. He ain’t really a lawman. He only got drug into the job cuz I pushed him into it.”
Judge Patterson had wanted Caleb to wear the tin star permanently, but he had no interest in doing that again. He’d served as sheriff up north. That was enough. His refusals didn’t stop the judge from continuing to pressure him, however.
“That doesn’t matter.” Her face was flushed. She was getting angrier. “As the town sheriff, he should show backbone. Integrity.”
“What’s he done?”
She paused and Caleb waited. Finally, he brushed his fingers on her sleeve.
“What’s wrong, Sheila? What’s this all about?”
She still hesitated for a moment before she raised her eyes to his. “It’s about Elijah Starr. Your father.”
The hairs on Caleb’s neck rose. It was too much to hope that Zeke had shot the miserable bastard in his cell. Or that he let a mob drag him out and string him up.
Sheila was the only person in Elkhorn who knew the truth of their relationship.
The only one who knew that Elijah Starr was Caleb’s father.
She’d stood and witnessed the first time they’d met after years of estrangement.
In Caleb’s cabin they’d argued and fought, and he would have killed Starr if not for her.
She stepped in and somehow made Caleb believe that he was better than his father.
They were not the same. He didn’t have to kill Starr to avenge his mother’s death. There’d already been too many killings.