The Outlaw Bride (22 page)

Josie was headed down the stairs to begin her search for a ball gown when the door to the hotel opened and her father, mother, and younger sister, Laura, stepped into the lobby.

“Father! Mother! What are you doing here?”

“A better question,” Dan said sternly, “would be what are you doing here?”

“Yes, Josie, when we got off the train yesterday, we were told that the outlaw you were caring for broke out of jail and kidnapped you. Though I’m positive there’s more to this story,” Dr. Annie added skeptically.

“Of course there is,” Teddy Miller said, pushing past his son and sweeping Josie into his arms. “She escaped. Told you our Josie could take care of herself.”

“Hello, granddaughter,” Roylston Sinclair said, patting her on the back. “We decided to return with your parents for a little visit. You’re looking very well—in spite of your ordeal.”

Josie groaned. Not only were her parents here, but they’d brought along both grandparents and her younger
sister. She felt like this was a town hall meeting and she was the problem they were about to discuss.

“You do look surprisingly well,” Dr. Annie observed shrewdly. “You’re practically glowing. No doubt due to your success in court. We ran into Judge McSparren in Cheyenne. He told us about your defense of Miss Allgood. Apparently you did well.”

“Thank you.”

“I also heard that you saved Mr. Callahan’s life. I’d like to have a look at him if you don’t mind, Josie.”

“I told him you would,” Josie said, hoping to divert her mother’s attention from her illegal escapades to his medical condition. But one look at Dr. Annie’s face told her that wasn’t going to happen.

“And I’m told that you are taking on this thief as a client,” Dr. Annie persisted. “Lubina is convinced you saved the devil’s life, then he bewitched you into running off with him.”

“Ah, we don’t believe that,” her chubby Papa Miller said and turned to the other grandfather. “Do we, Sinclair?”

“Absolutely not,” her thin, proper Grandfather Sinclair answered. “The people in Laramie said an outlaw kidnapped her. Personally, I think that makes more sense. Josie’s smart. If she’d run off with the devil, we wouldn’t have found her.”

Feeling as though the walls were closing in on her, Josie began to back up in an attempt to escape, stopping abruptly when she hit an object behind her. It turned out to be Will Spencer.

“And where are you going, Josie?” he asked.

“Nowhere. I mean anywhere. I was coming to find you. I think I’m going to need protection. Is there enough room in Callahan’s cell for two?”

He looked past her to see everyone standing around a large table, waiting. “A bit like the Christians being thrown to the lions, huh? Well, you knew it would happen. You shouldn’t have broken him out of jail. I’m Will Spencer, sheriff in Laramie,” he introduced himself to the grandfathers. “Mr. Miller—Mr. Sinclair. I believe we met when you came to Laramie in your new Pullman car.” He held out his hand and smiled as he shook first Teddy’s, then Sinclair’s hand.

“Hello, Will,” Dan said.

Dr. Annie nodded. “We are about to have something to eat, Will, would you join us?”

“Yes, do,” Dan said, with a twinkle in his eye. He turned to the proprietor. “Is there somewhere we can sit to talk and get some food?”

“We have a dining room, sir,” the man said proudly. “Built just for the upcoming events in Sharpsburg. My cook is already preparing for the extra guests Mr. Perryman is expecting for his party. I’ll have it opened for you immediately.”

Led by Dr. Annie, the group walked toward the dining room.

“Bring us whatever you have in the kitchen,” Dan told the proprietor.

The man nodded and scurried away.

“Now, Josie, sit down and tell us first about the ‘medical emergency’ you and Miss Allgood left town to take care of,” Dan said. “Then you can explain how you happened to meet up with your client, Sims Callahan. Seems to be a difference of opinion on how he escaped jail.”

“There was no medical emergency. And I wasn’t kidnapped,” Josie said quietly as she found a place at the table. “He locked me in his jail cell and … I escaped.”

Dan looked at Josie, a quirked smile on his face. “Still have the touch, do you?”

“I … I don’t understand what you mean,” Josie began.

“When we arrived in Laramie yesterday, we learned of Mr. Callahan’s escape and found Will’s wire saying you’d been kidnapped and that he suspected you’d be heading for Sharpsburg. We arranged to take the next stage,” Dan said.

“But,” Dr Annie added, “we were intercepted by our banker who said he’d received a wire from the Sinclair Banking Company saying they were transferring funds to Josie’s Laramie account. That she urgently needed six thousand dollars. Since a transfer takes time, he suggested—due to the unusualness of the situation—that your father might want to use his own funds and deliver the money personally. Why do you need seven thousand dollars, Josie?”

Josie had been wrong. This wasn’t a town hall meeting, it was an inquisition. She knew now how Ellie Allgood had felt. “Did you bring the money?” she asked.

“Of course,” Dr. Annie answered. “But we need answers, Josie.”

Josie stood and walked to the window, trying to find a way to justify her actions.

“I don’t suppose it has anything to do with the ranchers’ missing money, does it?” Dan asked. “You can understand why we’re a bit concerned about your involvement with an outlaw.”

“Quit worrying, Dan,” Sinclair said. “I’m sure Josie can explain.”

Now it was Dr. Annie’s turn to smile as she said, very pleasantly, “Father, I don’t think you’re in a position to criticize. I can see your hands all over this money Josie seems to have mysteriously acquired without our knowledge
and
kept in your bank.”

“Mother, it’s
my
money, at least most of it. I made it playing the stock market while I was reading law and I needed it because … because I intend to start a cattleman’s association.”

“You see, Annalise?” Teddy Miller said brightly. “I told you she could explain. Got a good mind for the market, our Josie has.”

“Cattleman’s association? A good head for business, too,” Sinclair added.

Annie shook her head. She wasn’t buying Josie’s story, but for now she was obviously willing to let her explanation go. “All right, that explains the money, now tell us about your … client.”

“Why don’t you tell me about your trip, first,” Josie suggested, delaying the inevitable confrontation with her mother.

Laura, who’d been uncharacteristically quiet, beamed. “Oh, Josie, it was wonderful. We went to dinner parties and had tea at a fine hotel, and, Josie, we saw a real stage play. I’ve never seen anything so wonderful. That’s what I want to do, sing on the stage.”

“Laura,” Annie interrupted, “we’ll talk about New York later. Right now, I’m more interested in hearing what Josie has been doing. Josie, please, this is very serious.”

The doors to the kitchen opened, and a man wearing a soiled white apron came through, carrying platters of food. He put them on the table, then went back for more.

Dan opened his napkin and spread it over his knees. “Will, maybe you can help us understand. It seems Mr. Callahan was well enough to be moved from the clinic to the jail. Is that right?”

“Not in the beginning, but eventually,” Will agreed.

“And you left Laramie with your prisoner locked in a cell?” Dan continued.

Will nodded. “But … somehow he broke out.”

Annie lifted her napkin and gave it a flounce before placing it in her lap. “But you’ve recaptured Mr. Callahan. You have him locked up here in Sharpsburg?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Josie let out a deep breath and prepared for the worst. She had no defense for what was coming.

Dan looked straight at her. He wasn’t going to make this easy. “Just for the record, you picked that lock, didn’t you, Josie?”

Josie nodded. “Yes, I did.”

It was Teddy who spoke with authority, “And if you did, I’m sure you had a good reason. Just tell us.”

Josie looked at Will, then back toward her parents. “Because he’s innocent. The man behind the trouble is Lester Perryman. I’m sure of it. The only way I can prove it is with Callahan’s help. And we can’t do it while he’s locked up.”

“Now, just a minute, Josie,” Will protested. “I’m doing everything I can. You’re just determined to do it yourself.”

Teddy beamed. “If our Josie’s sure the man’s innocent, I believe her. I’ll always back a sure thing. What about you, Sinclair?”

Josie watched Grandfather Sinclair look at her mother. He was the more conservative of the two, and she knew her willful actions were reminiscent of Dr. Annie’s decision to leave New York to practice medicine out west. He’d never quite forgiven his daughter for that. Though Annie had married Dan Miller as he’d hoped, Josie wasn’t certain what Grandfather Sinclair would say.

“I agree with you, Miller. If Josie says he’s innocent, he’s innocent.”

Dan looked at Annie and nodded. “If this is true, Annie and I will support your convictions. Maybe not your methods, but your instincts.”

Teddy patted Josie’s hand. “Then that’s settled. I say, let’s eat. Josie can tell us her plans for the money later.”

Thirty minutes later they’d filled their stomachs and enough time had passed for Dan to make a show of support for his adopted daughter. “Will,” Dan said, “why don’t we take a little walk. The rest of you can get settled.”

“Fine. Josie, you come with me,” Annie said. “Laura can take a nap and we’ll talk.”

“A nap! Oh, Mother, I’m almost eleven years old. I don’t need a nap, for heaven’s sake. I’d much rather take a walk with Daddy.”

Annie’s voice was weary. “We’ve just had a long train ride, and we didn’t even have time to get unpacked before we had to get on the stage. And … we have a party to attend tomorrow evening. You are going to take a nap, or you will stay in your room until we are ready to return to Laramie.”

Laura choked back a sniffle and nodded.

“Party?” Josie said in surprise. Her mother cared little about social affairs. “You’re going to Perryman’s ball?”

“We received an invitation, for which I’m grateful. As a matter of fact, that’s what brought us back to Laramie early. A number of people have asked your father to check Mr. Perryman out, including Judge McSparren, who will be here tomorrow.”

Josie felt as if the floor had caved in beneath her feet. She was dangling out in space, her downward plunge inevitable. Judge McSparren was coming to Sharpsburg.

Dr. Annie stood and nodded at the hotel proprietor.

“Thank you for opening the dining room and for preparing food for us,” she said. “We would also like a room.”

“Three rooms,” Roylston corrected. “One for Dan and Annie. One for Mr. Miller and me, and one for Josie and Laura.”

“But, Mother—” Josie began, trying to tell her about Ellie.

“Of course,” the proprietor agreed, cutting Josie off. “It will take me a few minutes to rearrange some of our other guests’ accommodations. I’ll have your things taken up.”

Josie didn’t have to guess what that meant. From what she’d already seen there were only five rooms. Rearranging meant evicting anyone who might not be on the same social level as the Miller party.

“Mother, I think you ought to know, I already have a roommate.”

Dr. Annie stopped in mid-stride, dismayed. “Who?”

“Ellie. Ellie Allgood is sharing my room.”

“Your client?”

“My friend, Mother. She is my friend. She came with me to Sharpsburg to get evidence for Callahan’s defense. But that’s not a problem. We’ll make a pallet on the floor. I’ll get Laura settled, but we’ll have to talk later. I have to do some shopping.”

Annie blinked. “You? Shopping? Now?”

“For a party dress, Mother. I’m going to the ball.”

It was mid-afternoon, and Sharpsburg’s businesses were surprisingly busy. Dan was worried. As they crossed the street, he eyed the horses tied up outside the general store and the saloon. “You think these people are here for Perryman’s party?”

“No,” Will answered. “Some of these horses belong to ranchers who will probably be attending, but most of them are here because they heard that Callahan’s here. They want their money or a piece of his hide. I don’t know if he’s guilty or not, but I haven’t been able to find the money or Callahan’s brother. Last night things got a little rowdy. Some cowboys and ranchers still believe in taking the law into their own hands. After a few drinks they were ready to save the trouble of a trial and take care of Callahan personally.”

“Lynching party, huh?”

“Yes. And there is no way I could have stopped it. If Josie hadn’t come up with the idea of a cattleman’s association, Callahan would be swinging from the nearest rafter. Josie had me wire the Sinclair Bank and ask them to arrange for the bank in Laramie to send the money. Obviously, she didn’t know the transfer would come through so quickly”—he raised a skeptical eyebrow—“or that you’d be the one to deliver it.”

“It didn’t. Let’s just say that we worked it out. But, tell me, Will, what’s going to happen when they have time to think about how convenient it is that Josie Miller just happened to have the same amount of money they lost?”

“I thought about that, but now that you’re here and they’ll get their money, they won’t cause any trouble.”

“Maybe …” Dan mused. “Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what happened.”

“It started when the ranchers lost most of their cattle to some kind of sickness they caught from a Mexican cattle drive last year. Ben Callahan—he’s the younger of the two Callahan brothers—read about some cattle bred in England that are resistant to this sickness. He talked the
other ranchers into pooling their money and investing five thousand dollars in new stock.”

Dan nodded. “I’ve heard about some new imported steers. Sounds like a good plan.”

“Might have been. Ben and Sims took the money and jewels collected by the ranchers and headed for the rail yards in Laramie. The problem is, the cattle arrived. Ben and Sims didn’t.”

“I see,” Dan said. “Go on.”

“Then that old Indian, Bear Claw, found Sims Callahan wounded and brought him to your house for Dr. Annie to treat.”