Warming Emerald: The Red Petticoat Saloon by Maren Smith

Author:Maren Smith [Smith, Maren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blushing Books Publications
Published: 2016-10-17T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“I’ve got to be the first damned sheriff of anywhere to arrest his own wife,” Jeb Justice grumbled as he stuffed the last of the gems, Dottie, into the second cell and locked the door. Millicent was in the first, closest to the door, lying on her back and groaning loudly while Dr. Norwood tended her rather minor injuries; Lydia, Jewel and all her gems, both past and present—Opal, Dottie, Amy, Ruby, Rose, Lapis, Citrine, Amber, Sapphire, Sunny, and Silver—were crowded together in the other. It was standing room only, something they would no doubt all be grateful for once Gabe realized where they were or worse, got them out of jail.

“I don’t know what you’re complaining about,” Slade grumbled back. “I’m just a deputy. I don’t get half the respect you do in this town. How in hell am I supposed to keep the rowdies, cowboys and miners in line when, by morning, everybody’ll know my wife got arrested for brawling in the streets?”

“I’m just a part time deputy,” Deputy Tey said, shooting his wife, Sunny, a look that had her face heating yet her eyes snapping. “I simply cannot understand how it got so damned out of hand.”

“Seems we have the same problem,” Pastor Lawrence Black said dryly. Sitting on the corner of Sheriff Justice’s desk, he had his wallet in his hand, his arms folded across his chest, a look that said clearly he had a few things he was going to say about this just as soon as he got Amber home. His meaning was not lost on Amber, either. She was surreptitiously slinking back through the other gems as if she thought there were some magic corner in the rear of the cell capable of hiding her. Lydia would have sympathized more if only she didn’t already know she and the other gems, and most likely Jewel herself, would find themselves lining up for a dance with Gabe and his disciplinary belt sometime before bed. Hugging her sore and throbbing wrist to her chest, she tried not to think about it or to feel that awful creeping once more prickling its insidious fingers across her bottom and thighs. She couldn’t remember another time in all her life that she’d felt it so many times in a single day.

She blamed Garrett.

That almost cheered her up… almost. She might be getting the belt tonight, but at least Garrett wouldn’t be delivering it.

“Oh, knock it off already!” Jewel snapped, throwing up both hands in “get out of here” shooing motion before scrubbing one worriedly across her forehead. Something about the way the madam began to pace left Lydia wondering if she might not be the only one suffering the prickling fingers of dread moving across her nethers.

“I beg your pardon,” the sheriff intoned, unamused.

But then, neither was Jewel. She rounded on him. “We’ve measured your little Man Johnsons, all right. They’re all very impressive. Can we not just let it go now, please? We made a mistake.”

“Most satisfying mistake of my life,” Opal interjected.

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