Katie and the Marshal (Montana Women Book 1) by Nancy Pirri

Author:Nancy Pirri [Pirri, Nancy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781680465020
Publisher: Satin Romance
Published: 2017-07-11T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 5

Katie watched James leave, his stride long, shoulders straight. He tipped his hat to her once he mounted his horse, then pulled the animal around and headed down Main Street toward the jailhouse.

Making her way down the boardwalk to the Palace, Katie thought deep and hard about her feelings for James. She’d been hurt when he believed her to be a less than virtuous woman. She wondered what caused him to assume that, to behave the way he had. Then she thought about how he’d looked with pity upon Ethel and Marion when he’d arrested them—not the same look he’d given her. Beneath his cool, lawman’s veneer she had a feeling he knew all along she was not a fallen woman, that she’d known nothing of Ethel and Marion’s antics upstairs with the cowboys. But she also wondered then why he’d been so quick to blame her.

Demons lurked deep inside the man and, while she wanted to pry the truth out of him, she knew the best thing to do was leave him alone.

She hurried back to the Palace to start cooking supper. By the time she arrived, the throng of men waiting at the front of her business separated, allowing her to unlock the doors, cheering her arrival and the opening of the Palace. Once inside, every seat was occupied. Thankfully, another cook, Mabel Larson, arrived in time to take over the cooking Katie had started.

Annie arrived with two of her other employees to help Mabel while Katie took orders.

Half an hour later, Katie and Annie busily ran plates of food to customers. On the way back to the kitchen from her last run, Katie saw James enter. Folks quieted, and Katie felt the knife-edge of their animosity toward him. Some of them glared at James while others chose not to acknowledge him. Katie decided to offer the olive branch in front of the customers. Though misguided in his efforts, James had been trying to do his job.

She moved toward him with a smile, happy he’d returned, for more than one reason. Other than the fact she was more than a bit attracted to the man, she needed his patronage and his room and board money.

“Welcome, James,” she said loud and clear, pausing in front of him. “I believe you know your way to your room. We’re serving supper now, so come down and eat once you’ve settled in.”

“Thanks, Miss O’Malley. I could use some vittles. Haven’t eaten all day,” he murmured.

Katie watched him head up the stairs, appreciative of the view again. After he disappeared from sight, she still stared up the stairs. Then she heard laughter. Looking around, she saw several men grinning at her knowingly. Heat rushed through her cheeks as she tore into the kitchen.

She was too embarrassed to serve food and stayed in the kitchen helping Mabel prepare the food. She couldn’t face those men now, knowing that they’d seen her looking at James with more than a hint of appreciation on her face.

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