Bushedwhacked Bride (33 page)
“I still say you’ve lost your mind.”
She balled her hands on her hips. “Will you escort me
to
Colorado
City
?”
Looking her over, he grinned wickedly. “There and to
heaven, sugar.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
He caught her hand and pulled her back down beside
him. “No, but it’s what you want.”
Cole leaned over and ardently kissed her, and Jessica
found she couldn’t agree more . . .
Chapter Thirty
Jessica and Cole trotted their tired horses down the main
street of the small metropolis of
Colorado
City
. Both
wore trail clothes; both were exhausted and dirty follow
ing a day-long ride.
Although the town itself was flat, in the distance the sharp rise of the
Rocky Mountains
served as a dramatic
backdrop. Jessica gazed at bustling rail yards to the south of them, at long rows of awning-shaded structures flanking them on either side, along with tethered horses and a
collection of various conveyances lined up out in the street.
She watched two brawling drunkards, locked in combat,
come bursting out of a grog shop to land with a crash on
the boardwalk and send a housewife scurrying off with her
children. She could hear strident piano music and raucous
laughter spilling forth from both sides of the street. Al
though she spotted a few respectable businesses, it was
easy to see how this small community had earned the label
“
Sin
City
.” Indeed, Jessica had already spotted more than
one woman of ill repute strutting along in tawdry costume.
“I’ve never in my life seen so many saloons and danc
ing parlors,” she commented to Cole.
“Twenty-two of ‘em,” he replied.
She eyed him askance. “That’s right, this is your
stomping ground.”
He grinned, signaling for them to halt before the
awning of a large general store. “If you want to buy us those fancy duds to wear in the Springs, Tappan’s here should do. And Moffett’s Boarding House down at
Twenty-fifth is respectable enough for the night. I’ll let us
a room.”
“You’ll let us
rooms
,”
she corrected. “This close to the
Springs, we can’t afford to take any chances.”
Although Cole appeared wryly amused, he replied,
“Yes, ma’am.”
He dismounted and assisted Jessica down, tethering
their horses at the hitching post, then taking out his wal
let and handing her several bills. “While you’re shop
ping, I’ll walk the horses down to Moffett’s and see
they’re stabled in the carriage house. But first, if you
don’t mind, I think I’ll wet my whistle at Schmickel’s Sa
loon. Maybe I’ll hear some more scuttlebutt about Miser or the Pinkertons.”
“Good idea. Just behave yourself.”
“Always,” he drawled.
She rolled her eyes. “I’ll meet you at the boarding-
house afterward.”
He dimpled. “Buy yourself something pretty, too. We may just go out for an elegant dinner before we leave the
Springs.”
“I’ll be sure to.”
They parted company on the boardwalk, and Jessica strolled inside the store, which reminded her strongly of
Allgood’s in Mariposa, except this establishment was
much larger and better stocked. Noting with pleasure that
there was a soda fountain, she bought herself a sarsapar
illa, although she caught a curious glance from the male
clerk due to her masculine attire. After slaking her thirst,
she began perusing the ready-made garments on a rack. For herself, she bought three dresses: for daytime wear, an elegant green serge coatdress and a floor-length tai
lored blue suit, both with matching hats; for the promised
evening out, a lovely off-the-shoulder gown of rose-colored silk. For Cole, she selected a handsome black frock
coat, a satin brocade vest, two sets of trousers, one fawn
and one black in color, two pleated linen shirts, and two
black cravats. Completing his ensemble with an ebony
walking stick and dress black western hat, she mused that
they would indeed go to
Colorado Springs
in style.
She paid for her purchases and left the store with an
armful of boxes. Proceeding down the boardwalk, she
passed another saloon, glancing inside to see a scruffy
drunkard pawing the sequined “line gal” in his lap. Then
in the next block, she was appalled to find herself passing
“Lynch’s” stable! She glanced inside to view the very stagecoach she’d taken across time, and nearby, Buck Lynch himself was bent over shoeing a horse!
The scene gave her a chill. Good Lord! She mustn’t
allow Buck to see her! For how could she explain what
had happened to her and where she’d been? Juggling her packages and tugging down the brim of her cowboy hat,
she sped on.
She had just made good her getaway, and was in the
middle of the next block, when she all but collided with
a familiar figure emerging from the hardware store. The
sight of this second recognizable face staggered her anew.
“Professor Lummety!”
The pot-bellied, mustachioed gentleman, wearing a sil
ver star and ten-gallon hat, squinted back at Jessica.
“Begging your pardon, ma’am, but I’m Sheriff Lummety, lawman here.”
Jessica felt the color draining from her face. “Oh, that’s
right. Forgive me.
Sheriff
Lummety.”
He snapped his fingers, recognition lighting his fea
tures. “Well, I’ll be deuced. Ain’t you the schoolmarm,
the one that was riding on the stage the day we got bush
whacked by the Reklaw Gang?”
“Er—yes,” Jessica acknowledged.
He eyed her trail clothes in perplexity. “I hardly recog
nized you in that getup, ma’am. What happened to you? How did you escape the gang?”
“They—um—released me when they discovered I had
no money.”
“They did?” Lowering his voice, he demanded, “Did
them blackguards molest you?”
“No, not at all,” she hastily reassured him.
“Well, thank heaven. Are you teaching at Mariposa
now?”
“Er—yes. And liking it very much.”
He heaved a great sigh. “I’m so relieved to know
you’re safe and sound. I been worried about you ever
since the robbery. I telegraphed the U.S. Marshal the sec
ond we got back to
Old
Town
. I been meaning to head west again and track them varmints, but my lumbago’s
been killing me—and things have been pretty lively
around here.”
Hearing a crashing sound emanating from the saloon across the street, Jessica shuddered. “I can imagine.”
“So what brings you to
Colorado
City
?”
“Oh, I’m here for some shopping.”
He appeared taken aback. “Not the most respectable
place for a lady to be out and about.” Leaning closer and
cupping a hand around his mouth, he confided, “I’d rec
ommend the Springs.”
“Indeed. I’m heading there tomorrow.”
“You here alone?”
“Er—no, I have an armed escort.”
“Who might that—”
Jessica cut in, “Sheriff, can you tell me something?”
“Sure, if I can.”
She flashed him an encouraging smile. “I’m a little
confused about the day I was kidnapped. Can you tell me
when and where I got on the stage?”
Curiously, he blanched, appearing bemused. “You
know, that’s funny, ma’am. My memory ain’t what it
used to be. I can’t recollect your getting on the stage
a’tall, though it would have been here, I reckon. I do rec
ollect you were going to Mariposa to teach. But it’s
funny, ma’am, I can’t recall just how I knew that.” He
gestured toward the block behind her. “You might ask
Buck Lynch—his livery is yonder.”
“Thanks,” she replied stiffly. “Is Mr. Lynch still running his stage line?”
“Not since the robbery. But I’ve been after him to start
up again. My cousin out at Mariposa keeps writing asking me to come for a visit—and I’m not spry enough to
ride all that distance on horseback. Still, I would love to
see Wilma and her family—indeed, that’s where I was
headed the day we was bushwhacked.”
“Of course. As a matter of fact, I’ve met Mrs. Hicks
and her family at church.”
He beamed. “You have?”
“Very nice people.”
“How are Joshua and my nieces?”
“All doing great.”
“I’m pleased to hear it.” Lummety tipped his hat.
“Again, ma’am, I’m so relieved to see you. Let me know
if there’s anything I can do for you while you’re in town.”
“Sure. Thank you so much.”
He nodded at the boxes she held. “Need help with them
packages?”
“Oh, no thanks. Nice visiting with you, Sheriff.” She
rearranged the boxes and offered her hand.
He shook her hand. “You too, ma’am. Take care, now.
And tell Wilma hey for me.”
“Sure will.”
Numbly, Jessica walked the remaining three blocks to the boardinghouse. Seeing Buck Lynch, conversing with Sheriff Lummety, had left her awash in unreality and
foreboding.
She still didn’t fully understand why or how she had
crossed time, and speaking with Lummety just now hadn’t
helped at all. There was something mystical, downright spooky, about the entire situation. Lummety knew she’d been the teacher bound for Mariposa, but he couldn’t re
member
how
he knew this, or even when she’d joined the
stage. And although he’d alerted the U.S. Marshal about
the robbery and kidnapping, his physical infirmities had
prevented him from pursuing the Reklaw Gang. It was as
if there were some divine purpose to her journey here, as if
some cosmic puppet master was pulling strings to allow
her to spend time with Cole and his brothers!
Yet the joke might well be on her. Running across
Lynch and Lummety seemed a bad omen. All her in
stincts warned her that time could be running out—time
for Cole and his brothers, perhaps time for herself. This
scared her to death. Would Cole and his brothers be captured, and face the hangman’s tree? Would she be hurled
back across time again, losing Cole forever?
All these daunting possibilities made her terrified for
Cole and his brothers, for herself, and she couldn’t wait
to reach the shelter of his strong arms again. When she burst inside the small lobby of the boardinghouse, Cole was waiting for her on the horsehair settee. He stood as
she approached.
“Sugar, I’ve got us two nice adjoining rooms on the
second floor.” He paused, eyeing her pale face. “What’s
wrong?”
“Let’s go upstairs.”
“Sure.”
He took her packages and they trooped upstairs, enter
ing a large pleasant room with a wood floor, cozy throw
rugs, and a four-poster bed.
Cole deposited the packages on the dressing table, then
turned to her. “What is it, sugar?”
“Oh, Cole.” She fell into his arms.
He groaned, removing her hat and kissing her hair.
“Easy, darlin’. You’re trembling and you look like you’ve
see a ghost.”
Her expression deeply troubled, she replied, “I have. I
just ran into Sheriff Lummety.”
Cole whistled. “Did he recognize you?”
“Yes.”
“Damn.”
“Don’t worry, I convinced him I managed to escape the
gang.” She shuddered. “But, Cole, he’s planning to come
out to Mariposa soon. To visit the Hickses. Wilma’s his
cousin, you see. He may come as soon as Buck Lynch
starts up his stage line again. I saw Buck, too—though he
didn’t see me.”
Cole appeared even more concerned. “Damn . . . If
Lummety should come to Mariposa, see me and the boys
together . . . “
“I know.” Her anxious gaze met his. “Cole, you were
right. We
have
been living in a house of cards. And it’s going to collapse on us at any moment.”