Texas Lonesome (10 page)

S
idney was still giving him the silent treatment when the group ambled into Rio Wells an hour after midnight. She’d been angry as a cornered polecat when they’d returned to pick her up after subduing the outlaws.

The remaining three had galloped straight into Chaim and Noah on their way back, with Dustin quickly closing in from behind. One outlaw was killed, and the other two quickly threw down their guns.

Dustin noted the sleepy streets. Everything was quiet. Lanterns—in front of the hotel, the stage office, and the sheriff’s office—gave a modicum of light, aided by the moon.

He glanced over at Chaim with Sidney behind his saddle. The three men had switched off carrying her. Her mutt padded quietly behind Chaim’s horse, his head still surprisingly high after such a long journey.

Now, though, exhausted from hours on the trail, Sidney looked like a little girl worn out from a full day at school—but he knew better than to trust that perception. One of her hands hung loosely at her side, and she grasped the back of Chaim’s saddle with the other.

He remembered his wild thoughts when they’d been outrunning the outlaws. Dangerous ones about him and Sidney . . .

Annoyed with himself, Dustin shook the crazy idea from his head. He’d better keep his distance unless he wanted to unleash a war within his own family. His pa would consider the turn in loyalty the ultimate betrayal if Dustin were to let himself befriend her, or even like her.

Besides, she was cantankerous. Liked to argue with every word out of his mouth. He needed someone like Lily, soft and compliant.

Reining up in front of the sheriff’s office, Dustin dismounted. “Give me a minute, and then we’ll be on our way out to the Rim Rock.”

“The place is dark, Dustin,” Chaim said. “Deputy Miller’s not inside at this time of night.”

Chaim looked almost as worn out as Sidney. “I intend to leave a note. The icehouse in Draper Bottom isn’t much of a jail. Miller needs to get over there first thing and relieve Mr. Newson. We stressed the importance of not opening the door until Miller showed up, but Newson’s forgetfulness has me worried.”

“You tacked up several notes.”

“I know, I know.” Dustin shrugged and then massaged his tired neck. “Besides that, I was told to inform the law here of our arrangement with Noah Calhoun the moment we hit town. So that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

Noah straightened in the saddle. “We almost done yammering?”

Dustin’s gaze cut to the younger Calhoun. The impetuous Noah would be a burr under his saddle for as long as he was around.

“We’ll quit yammering when I say we’ll quit yammering. Got that? I’m already on Judge Halford’s cranky side. I’m not making the situation worse by not following orders.” He pointed. “I’m not
you
, Calhoun.”

Cradle Hupton, the livery owner, came strolling down the boardwalk, black suspenders stretched over his beefy shoulders and an ample coffee mug in his hand.

“Boys, you’re home!” he said, his pleasure at seeing them unmistakable by the large grin stretched across his face. “Did Miss Emmeline get off safely to Boston? I’ll sure miss seeing her purty face around town, and her teasing nature. She liked to make me blush and did so often. I’ll be happy when she’s back—as Mrs. Chaim McCutcheon,” he added quickly. His eyes went wide when he spotted the woman behind Chaim’s saddle.

“She did,” Chaim replied, offering nothing more.

He wasn’t saying much, but Dustin knew bringing Chaim out of this funk over Emmeline would take a lot longer than a ride from San Antonio.

“Meet Miss Sidney Calhoun and her brother Noah.” Dustin gestured to Sidney and then to Noah. He dismounted and dropped one rein of his tired mount.

Without any help, Sidney slipped off the back of Chaim’s horse. A grimace crossed her face when her boots hit the dirt.

“Did I hear you right?” Cradle asked, his normally smiling mouth pulling down at the corners. “Did you say
Calhoun
?”

Sidney stretched both elbows behind her back and then raised one arm over her head, working out her sore muscles. She’d pitched her hat off her head when the sun had gone down, and now the headpiece dangled from a leather strap down her back over her long, messy ponytail.

Not that he’d noticed.

“You did,” she said. “And to be perfectly clear, we’re the same Calhouns from Santa Fe who’ve had a running feud with the McCutcheons for years. Does that make it seem odd that we’d show up in town after midnight, riding double?”

By cracky, this girl had spunk. Even being chased by bullet-slinging outlaws couldn’t dampen her spirit. Dustin was thankful for the two horse lengths between them.

He smiled when she gave him the stink eye. “Miss Calhoun’s a bit put out that I dropped her off when we had unfinished business with a few outlaws between San Antonio and Draper Bottom. She fancies herself one of the men. Noah, Sidney, this is Cradle Hupton, the livery owner and blacksmith. We passed his place on the way in, and you’ll see it again on our way out to the ranch.”

Cradle stood speechless. The livery owner, as well as the rest of the townsfolk of Rio Wells, had heard a thing or two about the Calhouns over the years. He took a long drink from his mug before answering.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance.” His tone was a bit stiff as his gaze strayed back and forth between the two newcomers. Wasn’t difficult to see he was figuring out how he should treat them.

His gaze came back to Dustin. “Would any of you like a cup of coffee? Just made a fresh pot back at my place.” His gaze drifted back to Sidney and lingered admiringly.

Knowing Cradle, he’d want to get off the touchy subject as soon as possible, which was proven when he switched it up himself.

“A fellow ambled into town yestreen, claiming he’d brought the beans all the way up from South America. Poor ol’ mule looked busted.” He lifted the mug. “Tastes mighty good, if I do say so myself.”

“Not me,” Noah said, looking down with a bored expression from the back of his horse.

Dustin shook his head. The kid wouldn’t try to make any points with the locals. He’d do his time in Rio Wells and be on his way.

Noah wrinkled his nose and glanced about. “I couldn’t stomach anything with that horrible stench in the air. What’s that stink, anyway?”

Cradle’s shoulders pulled back. The youngish blacksmith watched over the town as if the developed plot of land was his child. His love for Rio Wells was evident in everything he did.

“The hot springs,” Dustin said before Cradle had a chance to get mad. “You won’t be badmouthing the smell quite so much after you spend a little time soaking your aching bones. But I won’t bore you with the details tonight. You’ll get used to it.”

He’d had enough of the kid. All he wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep for a week. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t happen for a while yet.

True, Noah had held up his end when capturing the outlaws, and Dustin hadn’t felt in any danger when the youngest Calhoun had swung around the borrowed revolver with the ease of a marksman. Still, he’d not endure any lip or have him insult the good people of Rio Wells.

What would his pa think when they showed up with him at this time of the morning?

“That’s right,” Cradle added. “The hot springs, odious smells and all, have been a boon for the town. Folks have come all the way from Colorado and Nebraska to sit in the healing waters.” He chuckled. “I’m used to the aroma myself.”

Dustin disappeared into the jail. The place was cool and dank, and the memory of Sheriff Dane’s body laid out on the cold stone floor still brought a jarring anger.

Over five months had passed since his senseless murder, but the dustup felt like yesterday. The lawman had been a fixture for fifteen years. Deputy Miller was doing the best he could, but he was a family man at heart. They needed a new sheriff in Rio Wells, and Miller would be the first one to say so. He’d be happy to hand over the badge to someone with more experience.

Dustin quickly scribbled a note. The last leg of the trip wouldn’t take long. He’d be in bed in the next half hour if he had anything to do with it.

He returned to find Doc Bixby chatting with Sidney.

“Doesn’t anyone in this town ever sleep?” he asked, giving the old doctor an affectionate rub on the back.

“There you are,” Jas Bixby said, looking over the rim of the spectacles. “This little gal says you were grazed by a bullet. You want to step over to the office so I can take a look at it? No need to wake that cousin of yours.”

“More like you’re dying to get your hands on somebody and do a little doctoring, now that you’re retired.” Dustin felt Sidney studying him, and turned. “Did you search the doctor out on my behalf?”

One slender shoulder lifted. “Search out help for a McCutcheon? He happened to walk around the corner all by himself.”

“Just following the yapping.” The old doctor’s gaze wandered the length of his form. “She mentioned you’d been hit. Where’s the wound? I don’t see anything.”

“That’s because there isn’t one. The bullet only ripped my shirt. I need a tailor, not a doctor. Didn’t even break the skin.” He fingered the spot the outlaw’s bullet traveled. “See?”

Doc Bixby took a moment finding the location in the dim light. “You were lucky, all right, yes, you were.”

“Did she happen to tell you she got a nick on her forehead when her horse took a fall? I’ll bet she didn’t mention a thing about that.”

Dustin pointed, drawing the doctor’s attention from himself onto her. She’d washed her face in Draper Bottom, removing all the blood. Amazing how much a tiny head wound could bleed.

The doctor’s eyes went wide.

“I’m fine,” she said, pinning Dustin with her no-nonsense look.

Noah gave a hefty sigh from the back of his horse. “We gonna sit here all night?” he complained. “’Cause if the answer’s yes, I’m gonna head down the street to that hotel.”

Dustin felt like smiling when Sidney shot Noah a reproving look.
Good. She needs to wise up where her brother is concerned.

Her gaze moved past Noah, past the saloon, to the dark windows of the hotel. “I wonder if they’ll extend credit since all the money I had disappeared with my saddlebag, along with my music box and horse. Noah’s funds disappeared out of his saddlebags when the deputy locked him up in San Antonio. We’re pretty much destitute for now.”

Her voice was a bit sad, surprising Dustin.

“What?” Bixby squawked. “Don’t tell me with all the rooms you got out at that ranch of yours, Dustin and Chaim McCutcheon, you haven’t offered this little lady a place to stay!”

To make her mad, Dustin arched his brow at the word
lady
. “Of course we have, Doc. That’s been the argument all the way from Draper Bottom. You try to get her to say yes. I dare you.”

He wasn’t letting her stay just anywhere. His pa might not like seeing her out at the ranch, but his sisters would. They were always clamoring for news of other places, the styles the women were wearing and whatnot.

Even with Sidney in the house, he’d not waver about Noah lodging in the bunkhouse. He’d been arrested, and this was a punishment. Dustin wasn’t rewarding him for bad behavior. Manolito would keep an eye on him and let Dustin know if he took a step out of line.

The doctor pulled back when he saw her straighten up for a fight. “Naw, I believe you if you say so.”

Sidney looked back and forth between him and the doctor. “I don’t see that I have much of a choice for tonight—or should I say, the rest of the morning. Tomorrow, though, I’ll be back in town and register at the hotel.”

Cradle’s eyes went wide, a large smile blooming. “How long you two planning to stay in Rio Wells?”

“He’s staying as long as needed to work off a debt he incurred in San Antonio,” Dustin said, gathering his reins. “Don’t know about Miss Calhoun. She’s free to come and go as she pleases.”

He mounted and then held out his arm to Sidney, strangely looking forward to having her behind his saddle once again.

Her gaze went hard. “How far out to the ranch? Can I walk? After all the hours I’ve spent on the sweaty back of a horse, walking sounds good.” She looked around at the men. “Doing so will stretch my legs. Point me in the right direction, and I’ll meet you there.”

“No need to do that, Miss Calhoun,” Cradle quickly offered, just as Dustin was about to laugh at her theatrics. “Won’t take me but a minute to hook up the buggy. Chester hasn’t been out in days. The crotchety ol’ thing gets stiff if he don’t get out now and then.” Cradle’s gaze filled with hope. “It’s a nice night for a buggy ride. There’s a full moon to light the way.”

She turned to the blacksmith. “You’d do that for me? I
am
awfully tired of sitting on the horse’s prickly hide.”

Oh brother.

“Give me one minute, and I’ll be ready.”

Before Dustin could talk sense into either of them, he saw Cradle turn and hurry away.

“You really shouldn’t play with the man’s feelings like that. It’s not nice.”

Doc Bixby stood quietly, and Chaim looked asleep in his saddle. Noah’s blank face held little clues to what he was thinking.