Sheriff Reagan's Christmas Boots by Lynnette Bonner

Author:Lynnette Bonner [Bonner, Lynnette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Serene Lake Publishing
Published: 2019-10-19T18:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Charlotte had placed her order for the seven dollar boots with Mr. Giddens. And for two weeks she’d baked pies and delivered them to Dixie’s by the back door so she wouldn’t have to walk by the front windows of the jailhouse where Reagan might see her and question what she was doing.

She never had gotten a satisfactory answer from Reagan on what Kin Davis had said about why he was in their cellar. Reagan had merely said he’d spoken to him and that he wouldn’t be prowling around their cellar again. Then he’d made a cryptic comment about Kin and Christmas just before he’d been called away to deal with another instance of things going missing from someone’s property—in that case the Hines had arrived at their store one morning to find that half a jar of penny candy was missing, along with a few candles and some soap.

And she’d hardly had a chance to pass more than a few words over dinner with Reagan since. Even then, he’d been so busy chasing about after this petty criminal that he was distracted and a poor conversationalist. She missed him. Hopefully he would catch whoever was responsible soon, and their lives could return to normal.

Today she had awoken with excitement coursing through her. Yesterday she’d delivered the last pies needed to complete her payment to Mr. Giddens. And Dixie had promised to have her money waiting for her just after the breakfast hour. They’d also made plans to discuss the future of their new pie-making venture. Charlotte had been combing through her recipe books for other types of pies she could bake because she was down to only a few apples at the bottom of the last basket. The lumberjacks would probably appreciate some variety in their desserts anyhow, so it wasn’t such a bad thing.

Taking up her list and dawning her shawl, Charlotte slipped out into the drifting snowflakes and crunched across the squeaking snow toward town.

After the frigid walk, the warmth of Dixie’s diner was a welcome comfort. Charlotte couldn’t wait to wrap her hands around the warmth of a cup of tea.

Only patrons occupied the dining room, but that wasn’t unusual. She would find Dixie, Susan and Belle in the kitchen. And after her recent days of practical solitude, she was looking forward to some conversation.

“Dixie?” She pushed through the heavy batwing doors into the steamy kitchen.

And froze.

Across the room, two men with bandanas pulled up nearly to their eyes and hats tugged low stood holding the three women at gunpoint. Belle’s raised hands dripped soap suds. Dixie’s hands rested protectively over her baby. And Susan’s hands were covered in flour. A batch of bread dough lay partially kneaded on the sideboard. Charlotte took in all this with a blink.

And then, one of the outlaws swung his gun in Charlotte’s direction. She automatically lifted her hands.

His eyes were wide, and that was when Charlotte realized these weren’t men at all, but youngsters. He motioned with his gun for her to join the other women in the corner.

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