“Are you thinking about hiring him on?”
With her lip caught between her teeth, Sarah watched Lucius stroll off. “I was considering it.” “You’d be smart to do it.” Barker took out a bandanna and wiped his neck. “Lucius has a powerful affection for the bottle, but it doesn’t seem to bother him. He’s honest. Did some soldiering a while back. He’s amiable enough, drunk or sober.”
Sarah managed a smile. “I’ll take that as a recommendation, Sheriff Barker.”
“Well, now.” The sheriff looked back at the shed.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened here?”
As clearly as she could, Sarah told him everything she knew. He listened, grunting and nodding occasionally. Everything she said jibed with the story Jake had given him. But she didn’t add, because she didn’t know, that Jake had followed the trail of two riders into the rocks, where he’d discovered the ashes of a campfire.
“Any reason you can think of why somebody’d want to do this?”
“None at all. There’s nothing here that could mean anything to anyone other than myself. Did my father have any enemies?” Barker spit tobacco juice in the dirt. “I wouldn’t think so right off. I got to tell you, Miss Conway, there ain’t much I can do. I’ll ask some questions and poke around some. Could be some drifters passed through and wanted to raise some hell. Begging your pardon.” But he didn’t think so. “I’d wondered the same myself.”
“You’ll feel safer having old Lucius around.”
She glanced over to see him coming back with the pail and the puppy. “I suppose you’re right.” But he didn’t look like her idea of a protector. It was unfortunate for her that her idea of one had taken the form of Jake Redman. “I’m sure we’ll do nicely,” she said with more confidence than she felt.
“I’ll ride out now and again and see how you’re getting on.” Barker pulled himself onto his horse. “You know, Miss Conway, Matt tried to grow something in that patch of dirt for as long as I can recollect.” He spit again. “Never had any luck.”
“Perhaps I’ll have better. Good afternoon, Sheriff.” “Good day, ma’am.” He lifted a hand to Lucius as he turned for home.
Chapter Six
Within a week Sarah had orders for six dresses. It took all her creativity and skill to fashion them, using her wardrobe and her imagination instead of patterns. She set aside three hours each day and three each evening for sewing. Each night when she climbed up to bed her eyes and fingers ached. Once or twice, when the exhaustion overwhelmed her, she wept herself to sleep. The grief for her father was still too raw, the country surrounding her still too rugged.
But there were other times, and they were becoming more common, when she fell asleep with a sense of satisfaction. In addition to the dresses, she’d made pretty yellow curtains for the windows and a matching cloth for the table. It was her dream, when she’d saved enough from her sewing, to buy planks for a real floor. In the meantime, she made do with what she had and was more grateful than she’d ever imagined she could be for Lucius.
He’d finished building a new shed and he was busy repairing the other outbuildings. Though he’d muttered about it, he’d agreed to build Sarah the chicken coop she wanted. At night he was content to sleep with the horses.
Sometimes he watched, tickling Lafitte’s belly, as she took her daily rifle practice.
She hadn’t seen Jake Redman since the day he’d given her a shooting lesson. Just as well, Sarah told herself as she pulled on her gloves. There was no one she wanted to see less. If she thought about him at all-and she hated to admit she had-it was with disdain. A hired gun. A man with no loyalty or morals. A drifter, moving from place to place, always ready to draw his weapon and kill. To think she’d almost begun to believe there was something special about him, something good and admirable. He’d helped her, there was no denying that. But he’d probably done so out of sheer boredom. Or perhaps, she thought, remembering the kiss, because he wanted something from her. Something, she was ashamed to admit, she had nearly been willing to give.
How? Sarah picked up her hand mirror and studied her face, not out of vanity but because she hoped to see some answers there. How had he managed to make her feel that way in just a few short days, with just one embrace? Now, time after time, in the deepest part of the night, she brought herself awake because she was dreaming of him. Remembering, she thought, experiencing once again that stunning moment in the sun when his mouth had been on hers and there had been no doubt in her mind that she belonged there.
A momentary madness, she told herself, placing the mirror face down on the table. Sunstroke, perhaps. She would never, could never, be attracted to a man who lived his life the way Jake Redman lived his.
It was time to forget him. Perhaps he had already moved on and she would never see him again. Well, it didn’t matter one way or the other. She had her own life to see to now, and with a little help from Li/a it appeared she had her own business. Picking up the three bundles wrapped in brown paper, Sarah went outside.
“You real sure you don’t want me to drive you to town, Miss Conway?”
Sarah put the wrapped dresses in the back of the wagon while Lucius stood at the horses’ heads. “No, thank you, Lucius.”
She was well aware that her driving skills were poor at best, but she’d bartered for the wagon with the owner of the livery stable. He had two daughters that she’d designed gingham frocks for, and she intended to deliver them herself. For Lucius she had a big, sunny smile.
“I was hoping you’d start on the chicken coop today. I’m going to see if Mrs. Miller will sell me a dozen young chicks.”
“Yes’m.” Lucius shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. “Going to be a hot, dry day.”
“Yes.” What day wasn’t? “I have a canteen, thank you.”
He waited until Sarah had gained the seat and smoothed out her skirts. “There’s just one thing, Miss Conway.”
Anxious to be on her way, Sarah took the reins.
“Yes, Lucius, what is it?”
“I’m plumb out of whiskey.”
Her brow rose, all but disappearing under the wispy bangs she wore. “And?”
“Well, seeing as you’re going into town and all, I thought you could pick some up for me.”
“I? You can hardly expect me to purchase whiskey.”
He’d figured on her saying something of the kind. “Maybe you could get somebody to buy a bottle for you.” He gave her a gap-toothed smile and was careful not to spit. “I’d be obliged.”
She opened her mouth, ready to lecture him on the evils of drink. With a sigh, she shut it again. The man worked very hard for very little. It wasn’t her place to deny him his comforts, whatever they might be.
“I’ll see what can be done.”
His grizzled face brightened immediately. “That’s right kind of you, miss. And I sure will get started on that coop.” Relieved, he spit in the dirt. “You look real pretty today, miss. Just like a picture.”
Her lips curved. If anyone had told her a week ago that she would grow fond of a smelly, whiskey-drinking creature like Lucius, she’d have thought them mad. “Thank you. There’s chicken and fresh bread in the cabin.” She held her breath and snapped the reins.
Sarah had dressed very carefully for town. If she was going to interest the ladies in ordering fashionable clothes from her, then it was wise to advertise. Her dress was a particularly flattering shade of moss green with a high neckline she’d graced with her cameo. The trim of rose-colored ribbon and the rows of flounces at the skirt made it a bit flirtatious. She’d added a matching bonnet, tilted low as much for dash as for added shade. She felt doubly pleased with her choice when her two young customers came running out of the livery and goggled at it.
Sarah left them to race home and try on their new dresses while she completed her errands.