The Widow's Little Secret by Judith Stacy

Author:Judith Stacy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises
Published: 2013-09-21T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“You sure it’s all right for us both to be gone like this, Sheriff? To leave the town unprotected?”

Jared took in a big breath, drawing in the sweet smells of the open trail as he and Billy rode away from Stanford at a leisurely pace.

“They’ll manage just fine without us for a few hours,” he declared.

“Well, okay. You’re the sheriff, Sheriff. And I’m just the deputy.” Billy’s brows rose hopefully. “I’m still your deputy—temporarily—right? You never undeputized me.”

“Sure thing, Billy.”

“The town council’s trying to find you a new deputy, aren’t they?”

“They’re pretty busy with these Eastern investors. I don’t think they’re working too hard on it.”

Billy nodded. “So, where are we going?”

Really, Jared didn’t much care where he was going at this particular moment, as long as it was away from Stanford. He’d had enough of the town, the people and their problems. As he gazed toward the Sierra Nevadas, the days when he’d ridden free through those mountains seemed dear to him.

“I guess we’re going out to the Bishop place, huh?” Billy said. “Mr. Langston at the mercantile was raising a fit about Mr. Bishop and his bill, wasn’t he? Well, my Aunt Frannie says that you ought not to buy on credit, and I think she’s right.”

Normally, Jared would have agreed with him. But today he couldn’t bring himself to criticize Cecil Bishop, since he’d provided Jared with the perfect opportunity to get out of Stanford.

“That’s Mr. Pitney’s place. He lives by himself,” Billy said, nodding to a little farm off the road. “He don’t come into town much, and when he does, he don’t talk to nobody. Sort of like Mr. Hopkins.”

“Why’s that?” Jared asked, content with Billy’s chatter.

He shrugged. “Aunt Frannie says it’s because he served in the war. Fought for the Union at Gettysburg. Made him sort of crazy in the head, she says. I don’t know myself, ’cause I never been in no war. You think that’s true, Sheriff? Can it make you crazy?”

Jared had been too young to serve in the War Between the States, but he’d heard the talk, the stories. “Yes, Billy, I surely believe it can.”

“You reckon that’s what’s wrong with Mr. Hopkins? He sure acts crazy in the head,” Billy said. “’Course, Aunt Frannie says she thinks Mr. Hopkins had his heart broke a long time ago. That’s why he turned out the way he did.”

Jared sighed. Would that be his own future? Spurned by Mattie, would he turn into the town drunk, wandering the streets aimlessly, speaking to no one?

“Mayor Rayburn hasn’t invited you to supper yet, has he?” Billy asked.

Jared shook his head, grateful for this change in the conversation. “No. He said he would, though.”

“Well, if you don’t mind me saying so, you’d best better eat before you go.” Billy held his nose as if he’d smelled something bad. “That wife of his can’t cook for nothing. Aunt Frannie says it’s a disgrace. Watch yourself at church, too. If there’s a social afterward, you gotta scout out what Mrs.

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