The Sheriff Wears Pants (5 page)

“That’s so true, Gram.  I never wanted to disappoint you, and when I did, I felt so awful.”

“Yes, I know.  That is why I never spanked you.  You punished yourself far more severely than I would have.”

“I think you were the best parent I could ever have, Gram, and I was, and I still am, lucky to have you.” 

There was a knock on the front door.  “I’ll get that!” she called out, hoping Greta would hear her. Mornings were always busy for Greta, and Darcy tried not to make demands of her. 

She opened the door, wearing a smile that faded when she saw her visitor. “Priscilla, I would imagine that Will is at the jail this time of day.”

“I’m not looking for
him
!” she declared in her nasty voice.  “You got me into serious trouble with my father!” she accused, furious with the redhead.

“Really?  Good for me!” Darcy said with a wicked smile. “That’s what you get when you go around hurting people.  It gets back to the people you want to hide it from!”

“Father sent me over here to apologize to you!”

“I haven’t heard anything that sounds like an apology,” Darcy told the blonde, tapping her toe on the porch impatiently.

“That’s because I have no intention of apologizing to
you
, of
all
people! You are mean and hateful, and spiteful, and I think you purposely asked Waldo to print that in his paper!  You
knew
how Papa would react!”

“I don’t know your father well enough to know how he would react to anything,” Darcy denied, telling the absolute truth.

“He was incensed, and he beat me!” the blonde admitted, tears filling her blue eyes.  “You have such a perfect life here with your grandmother, you have no idea how it is to have a father who overreacts to everything!  He has forbid me to leave the house except to run my daily errands and he is timing me!  You caused this misery, and I
hate
you!”  She turned on her heel and stomped off, aware that she had only so much time to shop for food and get home.  Her Papa warned her that if she disobeyed him, or embarrassed him again, he would take a horsewhip to her!  He meant it, too.  His razor strap was bad enough, and her back ached from where he struck her.

Priscilla quickly went to the butcher shop, and an elderly woman clicked her tongue when she saw her, and another woman that she’d known all her life snubbed her!  Priscilla’s feelings were hurt, and she couldn’t believe that people who knew her believed what Waldo printed in his paper!  Finally, it was her turn and Priscilla quickly purchased a large roast.  The roast was what her father dictated they have for dinner that night.  She stopped by the general store and got a few other things, putting up with a few more snubs and outright scolding comments.  Deciding she’d had enough, she crossed the street to the newspaper office and let herself inside.  Deke Martin was placing an ad to try to find a hired hand for his farm, and once he left, Waldo gave Priscilla his attention.

“What can I do for you, Miss Priscilla?” Waldo asked with a smile.

“You can print a retraction to the lie you printed in your stupid paper.”

“I suppose you are in no mood to be told that an inanimate object, such as my paper, is incapable of being stupid?”  She just glared at him, and he sighed deeply.  “What so-called lie are you referring to, Miss Priscilla?” he asked.

“The one that hateful Darcy Hamilton told.  Will Davies did not kiss me, I kissed him, and not in a romantic sense, either.  He saved my life and I reacted by kissing him!  You print that in your paper before I lose the respect of every last person in this crazy town!  Waldo Phares, you are a blight on this community.  Your lie got me into serious trouble and I am of a mind to have you beaten to see how you like it!”

“I only printed what I was assured was the truth, Miss Priscilla.  Miss Darcy thinks you were purposely trying to break up her engagement, and she was hurt and angry.”

“There is no truth in that.  I expect to see a retraction in your next edition or I am going to make you wish you hadn’t tangled with me.”  Priscilla was almost out the door when she turned around and walked over to where he was leaning on the counter.  She drew back her fist and let fly, sending Waldo flying through the air to land on the floor.  “Print the retraction or else!”

Priscilla slammed the door to the newspaper office so hard the bell flew off the door and landed on the floor. She then turned toward home and walked briskly all of the way there.  She opened the gate and let herself into the yard, and walked up the walk to the front porch, enjoying the smell of her spring flowers. She was shocked to see a man she didn’t know standing inside her home! He came toward her and she screamed in fright, prepared to defend herself if he tried to touch her.

“Sh, now.  It’s alright!” He held his hands in a non-threatening manner.  “I’m not going to harm you!” he insisted. “Are you Miss Priscilla?  I’m Brian McCord. Your Father invited me to come and visit and work with him for a week.  Let me help you with your bags, Miss Clemons.”  He reached out and relieved Priscilla of her groceries, and then headed for the kitchen at the back of the house, proving he was already familiar with the layout of her home.

Priscilla looked at Brian’s broad back, pleasantly surprised by his muscles.  He appeared to be quite strong, and she decided he was indeed very handsome.  She loved his deep voice, too!  She followed him to the kitchen and then said, “Thank you so much for your help, Mr. McCord.  I apologize for my reaction to finding you inside my home.  Father didn’t tell me you were coming, and I am afraid I overreacted.”

“I came a day early, and I ask pardon for that, Miss Clemons.  I know how rude it is.  I was going to take a room at the hotel but your father invited me to come here instead.  He said it wouldn’t be an inconvenience.  I certainly don’t want to make extra work for you.””

“I am the one who invited you, McCord.  Priscilla will behave accordingly.”  The look he leveled on the blonde was full of warning, and she felt herself blush under his scrutiny.  It was obvious he was still upset with her and she knew there was nothing she could say that would change his impression of what he read in the newspaper, even if the account was completely wrong and unfair!

“Miss Priscilla was nothing but welcoming as soon as I explained why I was in her home, and that I wasn’t here to harm her.  I know my sisters would react the same way if they found a strange man lurking inside their homes.  Actually, Audrey would probably shoot him before he had a chance to explain himself,” he said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood.  It pained him to see the pretty young woman so intimidated and frightened by her stern father.

“Your sister sounds like a handful, Mr. McCord,” Geoffrey Clemons stated in a lighter tone of voice.  “Thankfully, Pris doesn’t know how to use a gun.  Daughter, would you mind making us some coffee?  And, if you have any of those sugar cookies left from last night?  It will tide us over until lunch.”

“Yes, Father.”

He reached out to take her arm as she walked past him.  She tried not to wince.  She was bruised there from where he held her to give her that strapping.  “I am sorry I didn’t get to tell you that Mr. McCord was coming.  I’m sorry you were frightened when you walked into the house.  I should have been waiting for you to introduce you. I just didn’t think about that, Pris.”

“I’m fine, Father,” she said with a smile.

“I intended to tell you at lunch today that we would have a visitor tomorrow. I know you keep this house spotless, but if you need to buy something else for dinner tonight, don’t worry about the money.”

“The roast you asked me to buy is large enough, Father, and the guest room is all ready, too.  I cleaned it just yesterday and put fresh sheets on the bed.”

“I’m sure it will be just fine, Miss Priscilla.  I have slept on the wet ground before.  Just having a soft bed is wonderful.”  He wasn’t sure if Geoffrey was apologizing or telling her to get to work and make sure he wasn’t embarrassed.

“Thank you, Mr. McCord,” Priscilla said with a smile.  She liked him for taking her side.

“Could I suggest we dispense with the Mr. and Miss?  I prefer to be called Brian.”

“And I am Priscilla, Brian.  My father and close friends call me Pris.”

“No, I like Priscilla for you.  It’s a pretty name for a pretty woman.  I hope you don’t mind, Mr. Clemons?”

“No, not at all.  In fact, you may call me Geoffrey, Brian.”

“Thank you, sir.”  While they were talking, Priscilla was bustling about, putting the coffee on that her parent requested.  To his surprise, Geoffrey pulled out a chair and indicated that he should sit down, too.

“Sitting here will make it easier on Pris, and I am sure you have some questions that she will need to answer.  Pris is fantastic with numbers and accounting, and she keeps the books for the business.”

“Really?  I am impressed, Geoffrey.  That is forward thinking.  Most fathers expect their sons to follow in their footsteps… and expect their daughters to marry well.  It makes me proud to hear that you permit Priscilla to work for you in that capacity.”

“She does the bookkeeping from her office here at home.  I can’t very well permit her to be alone at the freight station, and I never know when I will have to leave in a big hurry to take care of some urgent matter.  Some of the haulers are pretty darn rough, and Pris is very pretty. I am afraid to expose her to that.  I don’t want some hauler to follow her home, either, and then hurt her.  I worry a lot about her safety.”

“Oh, Father, you needn’t worry.  None of your workers has ever behaved inappropriately with me.  Believe me, I would inform you if something of that sort happened.”

“You are precious to me, Pris,” Geoffrey said, reaching out to take her hand.  “I know you think me too firm, and I probably am too firm, but it is because I want to protect you and keep you safe.  I hope you know that, daughter?”

“I know that, Father.”  Priscilla leaned down and kissed him on the cheek.  She could tell he was regretting the thrashing he gave her, and his words were all the apology she would get. 

He was pleased when she kissed him and gave her hand a squeeze.  “Thank you, Pris.”

“How did you get started in the freighting business, Geoffrey?” Brian asked, sensing there was more going on between the man and his beautiful daughter than either of them were telling.  He listened to Geoffrey tell his story while he watched Priscilla fill a plate with sugar cookies and bring them to the table. 

When the coffee was finished, she served them cups of that.  Her father didn’t stop talking to thank her, but he did acknowledge her efforts with a nod.  She smiled in return, and then busied herself putting a roast in the oven, and other food in a large pot on the stove.  He knew she intended the roast for supper, but he imagined she was starting food for the noon meal, too. 

Brian loved watching her move about the kitchen with such grace.  He guiltily looked over and blushed to the roots of his red hair when the older man smiled knowingly.  Brian suddenly wondered if Geoffrey’s invitation was for another purpose.  Perhaps finding a husband that he approved of for Priscilla was the real reason he’d been given the invitation to come and see if he would be interested in working for Geoffrey. 

Brian smiled.  He’d been looking for a wife for a couple of years, and perhaps this lovely blonde was the one he’d been searching for.  It surely couldn’t hurt to get to know Priscilla better.

* * * * *

Darcy was fuming over the editorial that Waldo printed.  He made it sound like she could do anything, and that wasn’t true at all.  He also made Will sound like an incompetent fool, when he was really out of town tending to another problem.  Darcy sat at her piano and played, letting herself get lost in the music while trying to decide what she needed to do.  Waldo was nothing but a troublemaker, and even Priscilla was having problems because of him.  Well, perhaps it was somewhat her fault, but it made her sick to think of Priscilla’s father beating her over what Waldo reported. What made him think he had the right to report such personal things in his paper?  And using Priscilla’s name was uncalled for!  Darcy did feel guilty for giving Waldo that bit of information that he could use against Will.  It made Will sound terrible, and it put Priscilla
in for a lot of trouble with the women in town who would look down at her for trying to break up Will and Darcy.

The music soothed her soul and washed away her troubles as she considered plan after plan for dealing with Waldo and this silly election.  Surely, everyone would vote for Will now that they all knew she didn’t want the job.  Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the front door.

“Will!” Darcy was surprised to see him standing on the porch when she opened the front door.  He looked handsome as could be, and she truly regretted throwing his mother’s ring at him and breaking off their engagement.  She wanted to ask him about kissing Priscilla, but did she dare?  Will dared to spank her, and he admitted he’d wanted to spank her several times before he actually did spank her bottom. She was confused by her contradictory feelings for Will Davies.  “Would you like to come inside?” she asked politely.

Will thought that Darcy looked absolutely beautiful standing there looking at him.  The dress she was wearing was one of his favorites.  The green matched her pretty eyes, and while the dress was modest, it showed her slender figure to perfection. He wanted to explain about Priscilla… if Darcy would give him a chance. He should have sat on her and forced her to hear him out when the whole episode occurred. Things got completely out of hand because he let his wounded pride take over, and because he gave Darcy extra time to let her misconceptions fester until her temper put her up to all sorts of mischief.  Add one Waldo to the mix, and people thought terrible things of both of them!