Mail Order Bride - Westward Justice: Historical Cowboy Romance (Montana Mail Order Brides Book 6) (5 page)

              Sammi crept silently amid the tables.  She kept her eye on Boyd the whole time.  Jake saw her and his eyes widened and then he dropped them.  He wasn’t sure he’d actually seen what he thought he saw.  A tall, pretty blonde in trousers moved ever closer to them.  She had a gun.  Jake didn’t want her to get hurt so he kept his gaze averted and thought about a way to get them both out of this.

              Sammi moved up quickly behind Boyd and placed the barrel of her revolver against his back and cocked it.

              “You better drop that gun right now if you don’t want to be shot full of holes,” she said.  “Drop it!”

              Boyd seemed to consider his options before slowly lowering the weapon to the floor.

              “Now, kick it over to Jake there,” she ordered.

              Boyd did as he was told and the gun skidded across the floor. 

              “Jake, get that gun and hold it on him while I cuff him.  If he does anything stupid, shoot him,” she told him.

              Jake picked up the gun and pointed it at Boyd.  It felt good to have the tables turned on Boyd and he had no problem aiming a gun at the troublemaker.  Sammi holstered her gun and pulled Boyd’s arms behind his back.  Her movements weren’t gentle and Boyd grunted as she cuffed him.

              “C’mon, move it.  There’s a cell with your name on it down the street,” Sammi told him and pushed him through the door.

              A crowd had gathered and as Sammi emerged shoving Boyd ahead of her, a cheer went up.  Sammi hadn’t been expecting that and was startled.  Then she ignored the crowd and just kept moving Boyd down the street.  The next thing she knew, Mitch was there and grabbed Boyd from her.

              “What the hell do you think you’re playing at?” he demanded angrily.

              “I think I just saved Jake from getting his head blown off,” Sammi said calmly.

              Mitch said, “I’ll get him in a cell and then we’re gonna have a talk.”

              Sammi became a little nervous but didn’t show it.  “Fine.  Let’s do that.”  She’d done a good job and wasn’t going to back down.

              Mitch threw her an angry glance and took Boyd into the office.  He shoved him back to the area where three cells stood and opened one of the doors.  Mitch took the cuffs off Boyd and pushed him into one.  Mitch slammed the door shut and locked it.

              “You really stepped in it this time, Boyd.  You’re gonna be brought up on charges,” Mitch said.

              “Aw, Mitch, I wouldn’t really—“

              “Shut up, Boyd!” Mitch yelled.  “I am not in the mood.  Sit down and be quiet.”

              Fury was evident in every movement as he came towards Sammi.  She didn’t back away from him, though.  He brushed by her and went out the door.

              “Ok, folks, everything’s fine now.  You can go about your business,” Mitch said to the crowd outside.

              “That lady deputy saved Jake!” someone hollered.

              Mitch somehow plastered a smile on his face and said, “Yes, Miss Jameson certainly was brave.  Ok, folks, go on home now,” Mitch said and went back into the office.  He locked the door behind him and advanced on Sammi.  Mitch grabbed one of her upper arms and pushed her into a small storeroom.  He was surprised to feel firm muscles under his hand. 

              The next thing he knew, Sammi hit him in the stomach and his breath left his body in a big whoosh!  He released her and doubled over.  Sammi backed up against the wall, her fists raised into a fighting stance.

              It took Mitch several moments to catch his breath and straighten.  “You do realize you just assaulted the sheriff, right?” he asked.

              “No one touches me like that.  Sheriff or no sheriff,” Sammi said in a dangerous tone.  “You had no right to take ahold of me.  I didn’t do anything wrong.”

              “You impersonated an officer of the law,” Mitch said pointing to the badge she still wore. 

              “That was an accident,” Sammi said.  “I was just playing with it and put it on.  Next thing I know, Gus comes in and mistakes me for the deputy.  He told me the situation and I just went with it because I knew I could help.”

              “You knew you could help, huh?  You’re not trained for that kind of thing.  You worked on a farm,” Mitch said.  “You could have gotten Jake killed.  You can put your fists down.”

              Sammi said, “If you try to do that to me again, you’ll be sorry.”

              “I already am.  Joe wasn’t kidding when he said you hit hard,” Mitch said rubbing his midsection.

              A smile played around Sammi’s mouth and she crossed her arms over her chest.

              “Do you realize the situation you’ve put me in?” Mitch asked.

              “What situation?” Sammi said knowing full well what he meant.

              “The town thinks I hired you as a deputy, Sammi,” Mitch said.

              Sammi shrugged.  “Would that be so bad?  I’ve already proven I can do the job.”

              Mitch laughed but it was an angry sound.  “One fluke doesn’t make you qualified to be a deputy.”

              Sammi glowered at him.  “A fluke, huh?  I don’t think so.  I handled that like a pro.  Ask Jake.”  She looked down and saw that she was still in her socks.  “Crap!  I left my boots over at the bar.”

              Mitch looked down and saw she was right.  “Why are your boots at the bar?”

              “And Gus has my hat, too.  I took my hat off while I looked in the windows to see where Jake and Boyd were and once I saw them, I took my boots off so I wouldn’t make noise when I went in.  I stayed low and got the drop on Boyd.  I made him drop his gun and give it to Jake.  Then I cuffed him and hauled him out of the bar.”  Sammi smiled.  “Pretty good, huh?”

              Mitch had to admit she was right.  He shook his head and smiled.  “Yeah, Sammi that was pretty good, but you’re not a deputy.  Give me the badge.”

              Sammi took it off and said, “Fine.  You explain to all those people out there that I’m not a deputy then.  That’ll look real good for your public image.”  She walked over to him, took his hand and slapped the badge into it.

              At the risk of getting hit again, Mitch put a gentler hand on Sammi’s arm.  “Sammi, listen to me a minute.  What you did was incredibly brave, but it was also reckless.  I’m glad it worked out, but it could have gone very badly.  Boyd could have killed the both of you.”

              “But he didn’t.  I know that men have this idea that women can’t handle these kinds of jobs, but you’re wrong, Mitch.  I’ve got what it takes to do this job,” Sammi said.

              “There’s something else you’re not considering, Sammi,” Mitch said.  “If I’m your boss, we can’t have any kind of a personal relationship beyond friends.”

              Sammi hadn’t thought of that.  “Really?”

              Mitch nodded.  “I can’t be your boss and your boyfriend.  The two just don’t mix.  I would prefer to have you as more than a friend than my deputy, Sammi.”

              Sammi looked into his brown eyes and saw that he meant what he said.  She smiled.  “So you like me, huh?”

              Mitch said, “What’s not to like?  You’re tough, beautiful, and smart.”

              “But I really liked playing deputy,” Sammi said. 

              “What am I going to do with you?  This is going to be embarrassing, but I have to tell everyone the truth.  I can’t hire you as my deputy, Sammi,” Mitch said.

              Sammi said, “Fine.  I figured that would be the case anyway, but you can’t blame a girl for trying.  Can I leave now?”

              “Yes,” Mitch said and opened the storeroom door so she could pass through.

              Sammi went to move past him but stopped and suddenly grabbed his shirt collar and hauled him down a little so she could kiss him.  She pressed her lips to his and felt him freeze at first before responding.  Then Sammi ended the kiss and pushed him back against the door frame a little.

              “I like you, too, Sheriff.  I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said and walked out.

              Mitch stood in the doorway feeling like he’d just been hit by a tornado.

              The next day, Sheriff Travis Allen was laid to rest.  Almost the whole town had come out to say goodbye to the beloved man.  Amelia stood crying silent tears as his coffin was lowered into the ground.  Her two sons wouldn’t be able to get to Dawson for a few days.  Pastor John recited bible verses and led the mourners in prayer.  As the crowd began to trickle away, Mitch stayed with Amelia who needed some more time at the grave.  He put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned against him.

              “I miss him so much,” she said.

              “I know.  Me, too,” Mitch said.

              Amelia sighed and said, “The house is so empty without him.  I’m thinking of moving in with my sister.  It would be better than staying there rattling around by myself.”

              Mitch nodded.  “That’s a good idea.  Let me know if you need help moving or with anything at all, Amelia.”

              “Thank you for everything, Mitch,” Amelia said.

              “No thanks needed.”

              Mitch looked up and saw a woman standing a ways from the grave.  He was startled to see Sammi in a black dress.  Her hair was done up stylishly and the dress fit her to perfection.  It wasn’t overly feminine, but suited her very well.  Mitch looked her over and thought her lovely.  Sammi saw him watching her and gave him a small smile which he returned.  She turned then and left the cemetery.

              When Amelia was ready, Mitch drove her home in her buggy and put the horse and buggy away.  She hadn’t wanted a dinner and so the house was quiet.  Mitch stayed to have some coffee and cake with Amelia.  He made sure she was all right before leaving.

              Rico was tied near Amelia’s small stable.  Mitch patted the horse as he stood blinking back tears.  He’d done fairly well at controlling himself during the burial service, but his grief was getting the better of him.  Once he got a handle on his emotions, Mitch mounted and rode into town. 

              As he entered the sheriff’s office, Mitch smiled at the memory of Sammi’s daring rescue of Jake the night before.  There was nothing dull about the woman.  He thought of how beautiful she was whether she was in her usual clothing or in a dress.  Her kiss had caught him off guard but hadn’t been unwanted, Mitch thought.  It had been too short and left him wanting more.

              He laughed out loud as he thought about how she’d hit him in the gut.  Then he sobered as he thought about how defensive she was about being handled roughly.  He felt bad about taking ahold of her like that, but he’d been so angry.  His anger had stemmed from concern about her safety.  Mitch admitted that she was gutsy but things could have gone horribly wrong.

              It had been embarrassing, but Mitch had set the record straight about Sammi not being a deputy.  The news had been passed around and actually received in a positive light.  They thought Sammi was even braver since she wasn’t in law enforcement but had save Jake anyway.

              There would be a trial for Boyd.  Mitch realized that Sammi would have to testify as to her part in the whole affair.  He needed to let her know that.  It was a good excuse to go see her, Mitch thought as he smiled and left the office.

              There was an informal wake for the sheriff at the Watering Hole.  Sammi had changed clothes and sauntered into the bar.  She went up to the bar and Jake greeted her warmly.

              “I can’t thank you enough,” he said with a smile.

              Sammi thought he was nice looking man with his almost black hair and blue eyes.  He had a dimple in his left cheek and looked very fit.  “You’re welcome, Jake.  All in a day’s work,” she said with a wink.

              “What can I get you?” Jake said.

              “Whiskey,” Sammi said.  “What do I owe you?”

              Jake poured her drink and said, “Your money is no good here, Sammi.”

              “Oh, c’mon, Jake,” Sammi said.

              “Nope.  I won’t take a penny from you,” Jake said emphatically.  “So you’re really not a deputy?”

              “No, I’m not, although I could be,” Sammi replied.

              Jake nodded.  “I’ll say.  So are you looking for work?”

              “Yep.  Why is someone in town hiring?” Sammi asked.

              Jake said, “Yeah.  Me.  Since you’re not working for Mitch, how about you work here as security?”

              Sammi was taken aback.  “You want to hire me as security?”

              “Yeah.  I mean, you’re obviously qualified,” Jake said.

              “You don’t care that I’m a woman?” Sammi asked as she narrowed her eyes at Jake.

              “Hell, no!  I don’t care.  You disarmed a man who was holding me at gunpoint.  None of the guys around here did that for me.  You did.  So what do you say?  You wanna be my bouncer?” Jake said.

              “How much does it pay?” Sammi asked.

              “For you, I’ll pay you $18.00 a week,” Jake said.

              Sammi was surprised.  “That much?”

              “Yep.  Do we have a deal?” Jake asked as he held out his hand.

              Sammi shook hands with him.  “We have a deal.  When do you want me to start?”

              “Can you start tonight?” Jake asked.

              “Absolutely,” Sammi said with a smile.

              Jake came out from behind the bar and went to the piano at the front of the place and pounded on it to get everyone’s attention.  The crowd quieted.  He beckoned Sammi to come stand beside him.

              “Listen up, everybody!  For those of you who don’t know, this is Sammi Jameson, the woman who saved me last night when Boyd held me hostage here.  She’s my new bouncer and if I were you, I wouldn’t give her any trouble.  I witnessed firsthand how tough she is and I wouldn’t want to go up against her.  She has my full permission to do whatever she needs to do to keep this place peaceful.  So let’s welcome her aboard!”

              The bar erupted in cheers and whistles and Sammi smiled at the crowd.  She gave a little wave and then went back to the bar to finish her drink.  Jake hiring her made her feel good that she was now included in the community.  Sammi smiled as she pictured the look on Mitch’s face when she told him.

              As she took a swallow of her drink, a big, blond haired man leaned on the bar beside her and turned to her.

              “Hi, Sammi,” he said.

              She eyed him and said, “Hi.”

              “I’m Seth Samuels, Luke’s cousin.  Congratulations on the new job,” he said with a smile.

              Sammi said, “Thanks.  Jamie’s told me a lot about you.  How’s your poodle?”

              Seth laughed and said, “He’s a pain in the ass, but I can’t help but love him.  You’ll have to come see him.”

              “I will.  I’d like to meet everyone,” Sammi said. 

              Suddenly she felt a hand on her rear end.  She looked to her left and looked into the face of a man who was drunk.  He gave her a lopsided grin as he stood slightly behind her and said, “Hey there, Miss Deputy.  How’d you like to go have some fun with me,” and gave her rear a squeeze.

              “What’s your name?” Sammi asked.

              “Everyone calls me Slim,” he said. 

              “Well, Slim, you’ve got about ten seconds to remove your hand or else,” Sammi said.

              “Or else what?” he asked.

              Sammi rammed her left elbow into Slim’s stomach doubling him over.  She turned and plowed him with a right-handed upper cut that knocked him over backwards.  Sammi didn’t let it go at that.  She pulled him up by his shirt collar and socked him in the jaw.  Slim fell unconscious to the floor.  By now the whole bar was watching the spectacle.  Sammi dragged Slim out the door and deposited him on the ground by the hitching post.  She stood straight and turned back to the bar only to find that the patrons had followed her progress. 

              As she reentered the bar men slapped her on the back and clapped in approval.  She didn’t make too much of the praise and went back to the bar. 

              Jake laughed from behind the bar and said, “That’s why I hired you.”

              Seth came back over and said, “I’d like to buy the lady a drink, Jake.”

              Sammi smiled at him.  “Make it a beer, Jake.  Thanks.”

              “Remind me not to make you mad,” Seth said.  “Where’d you learn to fight like that?”

              “One of my boyfriends.  He wanted me to be able to defend myself so he taught me how to fight,” Sammi said.

              “That was nice of him,” Seth said.  “Maybe more women ought to be taught how to do that,” he said thinking about Maddie.  She might have been able to fend off Theo if she’d have known how to punch like Sammi.  Of course, Sammi had size and conditioning on her side.  Maddie was several inches shorter than Sammi and didn’t do the kind of strenuous work Sammi did.

              Sammi wondered at the frown that crossed Seth’s face, but didn’t ask.  Some things were better left alone.  “So you’re the brother who was hurt real bad.  How’s the leg?”

              “You have a good memory,” Seth said.  “Some days are better than others.  Winter kills it, though.  Arthritis set in, so Marcus and Doc say.”

              “That’s a shame,” Sammi said.  “I met Marcus yesterday.  He seems really nice.”

              Seth laughed.  “Yeah, he’s nice.  Too smart for his own good and likes to run around almost naked like his other brothers.  He’s a heck of a doctor, though. He’s working on a medical degree and doing real good.”

              “That’s a good thing,” Sammi said. 

              “Well, it’s been nice meeting you, Sammi.  Good luck with your job and come on out to see us,” Seth said.

              “Nice to meet you, too.  Thanks for the drink,” Sammi said and watched Seth leave.

              After watching Sammi kick the crap out of Slim, the rest of the patrons of the Watering Hole behaved themselves.  They were rowdy as usual, but it was good-natured fun.  Sammi sat on a stool and kept an eye on things.

              “Sammi!” a female voice cried out.

              Sammi recognized Jamie’s voice and was soon enveloped in her enthusiastic friend’s embrace.  She hugged Jamie back and laughed as Jamie gave her cheek a hard kiss.

              “I can’t believe you’re here!  Why didn’t you come see me?” Jamie asked.

              “Well, things were kind of busy.  I just got in yesterday and met the sheriff and then went to see Lacey.  Then I played deputy last night and went to the funeral for Sheriff Allen today and now Jake just hired me to be security and he wanted me to start tonight.  I was gonna come out tomorrow.  Sorry about that,” Sammi said.

              Jamie laughed.  “Not even here two days and already you’re shaking things up.  I love it.  Oh, Sammi this is my husband, Luke.”

              Sammi shook hands with Luke.  “So you’re Hercules, huh?  I think that description fits you.”

              Luke smiled shyly and said, “Yeah, that’s me.”

              “Well, I’m good, but I don’t think I’d stand a chance against you,” Sammi said honestly.  She saw why Jamie said she loved Luke’s deep brown eyes.  They were indeed soulful.

              Luke laughed, “Don’t worry.  We won’t have to find out.”

              Jamie gave Sammi a speculative smile.  “So, how do you like Mitch?”  Her green eyes danced with mischief.

              Sammi smiled.  “I like him just fine.  He’s not sure what to do with me, but I have some ideas.”

              Jamie laughed and hugged her again.  “I’m so glad you’re here!”

              “Me, too.  Are you gonna sing?” Sammi asked.

              “Of course.  They don’t let me alone until I do.  Joe will be here soon.  Lacey kicked him out for the evening because she’s tired of him hovering over her,” Jamie replied. 

              “Sounds like we’re gonna have a good time,” Sammi said.  She noticed that there seemed to be a squabble going on at one of the poker tables and watched for a moment.  The players settled down and Sammi turned back to Jamie and Luke.

              Jamie asked, “Where are you staying?”

              “At the hotel,” she replied.

              “You could stay with us,” Jamie said.

              Sammi said, “Thanks, but I like it at the hotel and I’m sure you two still like your privacy.”

              Jamie laughed and Luke gave Sammi another bashful smile.

              “Ok, but the offer still stands if you change your mind,” Jamie said.

              “Hey, Jamie, get over here and sing!” someone called out.

              Jamie smiled.  “My fans are calling.”

              “Well, go on, then,” Sammi said.