Cowboy Charm School by Margaret Brownley

Author:Margaret Brownley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: 2018-08-12T16:00:00+00:00

18

Nearly a week after the bank robbery, Kate opened the door to find Frank standing on her porch.

Yesterday, he’d stopped by the shop to ask her to have dinner with him, and she’d agreed. But he was early, which was so unlike him.

His gaze traveled down the length of her. She was wearing a red floral dress with a red waistcoat. “You look hands—uh…mighty pretty.”

“Why, thank you, Frank. You don’t look so bad yourself.” It surprised her to see him dressed in his Sunday best, including his red bow tie.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She nodded, though she didn’t look forward to the mile-long walk ahead of them. “I told you I’d meet you in town.” That’s what she normally did, but Frank had insisted on coming to the house.

“No need.” He stepped aside so she could see the horse and buggy parked in front. “Rented from the stables,” he said.

Kate pressed her fingertips to her mouth. “Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

For answer, he pulled out a kerchief and tied it over the lower half of his face. “We’re hoping that if I don’t touch the horse and keep my nose and mouth covered, I’ll be okay.”

“We?”

“What?”

“You said ‘we.’”

“Eh…Doc Avery and me.”

“I hope he’s right.” She would feel awful if Frank had another one of his spells.

“Shall we?” he asked.

Nodding, Kate called to her aunt. “I’m leaving.”

Aunt Letty appeared at the kitchen door, a smile of approval on her face. “Have a good time.”

“We will, Mrs. Denver,” Frank said politely.

He started down the porch ahead of Kate, then stopped and offered his arm. She blinked to make sure it really was Frank and not some impostor.

He seemed unusually quiet as they drove to town, and she knew that was a sign he had something on his mind. He didn’t even comment when she told him about providing Brett with a list of customers who had recently purchased peppermints.

“I hate thinking that one of my customers might be a Ghost Rider,” she said. The possibility had made her suspicious of everyone walking into the shop. Oh, how she hated that! Hated the questions that popped into her head whenever someone showed up in new clothes or sporting a recently purchased gold watch.

“You don’t know that’s true,” Frank said, his voice muffled by the kerchief. “Maybe the man never stepped foot in your shop. He might have gotten the candy from a family member or a friend.”

She let out a sigh. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“Sorry, Kate. I…I don’t want you feeling bad.”

She smiled. “I know you don’t.”

He sneezed, and she gasped in alarm. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah. The kerchief tickles my nose.”

She laughed, and he looked at her oddly. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s just that you look like a bandit with that kerchief over your face.”

He laughed too.

Moments later, he surprised her by pulling in front of the hotel and setting the brake. The hotel restaurant was more expensive than the Feedbag Café, but before she could protest, Frank was already on the ground and making a wide circle around the horse to help her down.

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