The Lone Sheriff by Lynna Banning

Author:Lynna Banning
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Jericho’s back hurt as if the tines of a hay fork were biting into his flesh. Sandy rode on one side of them with Doc on the other, and before another hour passed, Rooney Cloudman and Colonel Halliday galloped up with the discarded weapons rolled up in two horse blankets and tied behind their saddles.

The colonel took a long look at Jericho’s arm wrapped tight around Maddie’s waist, then flicked Cloudman a look. Rooney looked steadily at the trail ahead and didn’t crack a smile. Jericho wanted to punch them both.

Maddie didn’t say much for the entire ride back to Smoke River.

* * *

Main Street was deserted when they reached town, probably because of the afternoon heat. Sandy stopped at the jail and took charge of the stash of guns. Rooney and the colonel headed for home, and Doc, Jericho and Maddie rode slowly to Sarah Rose’s boardinghouse behind the honeysuckle-swathed white picket fence. Doc’s hospital, as the graying physician called it. He boarded there, and the two large upstairs rooms served as his infirmary.

Mrs. Rose met them at the gate, her lips pinched. “What on earth?”

“Guess we’re gonna open up the infirmary again, Sarah,” Doc said. “Johnny’s gotten himself shot and this young lady needs some attention, as well.”

The gray-bunned widow shot Maddie a look, then shooed Jericho upstairs with the doctor. “Bet you’d like a bath, wouldn’t you, um...Miss.”

Maddie could have kissed her.

“I’ll heat up some water, dearie. You come on back to my kitchen and strip off those dirty clothes.” She shook her head and tsked. “I can’t believe Johnny made you wear boots and jeans, but I’ve given up trying to figure out that man.”

Maddie was too tired to explain. Instead, she toed off Sandy’s overlarge boots, stripped off the filthy, blood-soaked jeans and her sweaty shirt, and sank into the copper hip bath Mrs. Rose filled.

“You related to Johnny in some way?” the elderly woman inquired, peering at Maddie over the top of her glasses.

“No,” Maddie said. “I posed as the sheriff’s cousin, but you know that he doesn’t have a cousin. I am a... I was sent from Chicago to help him.”

“I figured something like that.” Mrs. Rose chuckled. “I’ll bet Johnny wasn’t thrilled to find you were a female, was he?”

Maddie had to laugh. “As a matter of fact, he’s been furious ever since I stepped off the train.”

“Do him good,” Mrs. Rose said. “About time he—Oh! My cake’s burning!” She wrapped her apron around her hand and snatched a square pan from the oven. “Pshaw, now I’ll have to...”

Maddie closed her eyes and blotted out the woman’s voice. What she thought about was Jericho Silver. In spite of his brusque responses and the fact that he did not want a woman, even a trained professional Pinkerton detective, interfering in his plans, or his life, she had to admit she liked him.

She liked him very much, in fact. He was short-spoken to the point of rudeness, single-minded to the point of being pigheaded, and stubborn—oh, yes, he was stubborn.

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