James rose from his bed, pulled his trousers on, and stumbled in the semi-darkness of his room. He ran his fingers through his hair and lit the lantern sitting on the chest against the wall.
Dipping his finger in the pitcher to test the water, he clutched the handle, poured it in the washbowl, and cupped his hands. A good douse of cold water in the face brought him alert. James reached for his shaving kit on the chest. He swirled the brush around in the cup and applied the shaving cream to his face. With a steady hand, he pulled the straight razor across the bristles on his cheeks and chin.
He slid his arms in the sleeves of his shirt and pulled on his boots. On his way to the door, he buttoned his shirt. With a slight pause, he tucked the tails in his trousers and exited the room. The boarding house was silent, but he knew his mother would be in the kitchen cooking breakfast for him.
Slipping out the front door, he strolled down the street to the sheriff’s office to talk to Ed about the woman.
“Good morning Ed, got a cup of coffee?” James said as he entered the quiet room.
“Sure thing. What brings you out so early this morning? I know it couldn’t be to drink coffee with an old codger like me.” The sheriff waved a hand to the empty chair near his desk.
“Well, the coffee is an added bonus. A woman got off the stage last night, and I believe she is in trouble… or lookin’ for it.” He sipped on the brew.
“What kind of trouble? Did she say?”
“I didn’t talk to her. I could see it in her eyes. Something is going on with her, and we need to find out what it is before something bad happens.”
Ed rubbed his chin and eyed the Ranger. “James, I’ve never questioned your natural ability to read people, but don’t you think we should wait and let her come to us before we jump into her business?”
“I thought about it all night. There’s a strange kind of cageyness about her. She’s staying across the street in the hotel. If you could just sit out front and look at her face when she comes out and let me know what you think, I sure would appreciate your opinion.” James downed the rest of his coffee.
“I can do that, but we need to find out more about her before we act on our guts. Somethin’ I’d like to keep for a spell. Suppose she’s one of Nelda’s?”
“Something’s got her jumpy, Ed. I don’t think she’s going to tell us anything. I don’t think she’s one of Nelda’s. She’s too classy. Whatever she has on her agenda, I think it runs deeper than pleasin’ a man.” James left the office and strolled across the street to sit on the bench outside the hotel door.
He squinted against the early morning sun. A breeze kicked up and tossed the sign swinging from one chain to fall to the walkway. The loud thud and the scream of a woman drew his attention. James stood and amble down the walkway to the shop.
The store’s owner appeared through the open door. He glared at James as he approached.
“Lucky no one got hurt. I told you a month ago to fix that.” James pointed to the sign.
“Go on ‘bout your business, Ranger.”
Turning on his heel, James strolled back to the bench and took up a piece of wood to whittle on while he waited for the woman.
****
Thinking about her arrival, she didn’t take long to discover where to find Mr. and Mrs. Howard. Where could the other pair involved in her husband’s assassination hide? As careless as the Howards were, it wouldn’t take them long to lead her to the Fraziers. Mattie prayed Charles hadn’t recognized her.
Uneasy thoughts filtered back in her mind as she waited for daylight. She sneered as she glanced around the nasty room. Wallpaper curled beneath water stains. There were more rat droppings and cockroaches than when she entered the room. Not a sound came from the hallway, for which she was thankful. Keeping her enemies close was one thing; having them in the next room proved unacceptable. To make the final arrangement for her plan she needed breathing space.
She paced around the room. Would I have been upset if I hadn’t seen the murder? Jonathan was a lousy husband, but he was good to me. I didn’t love him, but I didn’t want him dead. With her thumb and index finger, she pinched the bridge of her nose. Plopping down on the bed, she pulled a dress from her valise. “Well, at least I don’t have to wear that drab gray anymore. No sense in mourning for a loss when I’m trying to blend in.”
The nightmare she had caused her to jolt awake. For the last couple of weeks she was disturbed by the same dream. Her husband’s limp body tumbling from the wagon haunted her mind once again. A pool of crimson formed on the earth, stealing his life from him. Warm tears trickled down her cheeks, and she swallowed the sobs as she tried to erase the memory from her mind.
When she had awakened earlier, fear flooded her body in the dim morning light. It wasn’t until she realized, she was no longer in Chickamauga that she allowed herself to relax a bit. She wiped her raw face and batted her eyes in the darkness. Her sore body screamed from the stage ride, and the wretched, lumpy bed. She dressed and leaned forward to peek out the door. Her search of the empty hall sent a wave of relief. With slow steps, she exited the room. Mattie hoped to avoid the strange, little man and the Howard family, even though they had left the room early in the morning. She tiptoed down the creaking hall to descend the stairs. A short, black haired woman waited at the registry reading names of guests who registered for the night.
“Good morning. May I help you?” The woman placed a crooked finger below a name and glanced up.
“Would you tell me if there’s a boarding house in town?” The front door let in a stream of golden sunshine. A fresh scent of rain floated inside.
“There’s a few. As the town grows, there’ll be more boarding rooms. We’re a very young town, just two years old, you know?” The clerk began the history of the small town.
As respectful as she could be, Mattie waved her hand and moved out the door. The bright sun blinded her for an instant. She could still hear the lady talking inside.
A couple of wagons screeched down the muddy lane. Two cowboys stood across the path in front of the sheriff’s office. A woman and small child entered the post office. The otherwise deserted wooden walks seemed calmer in the daylight. Mattie strolled past the cowboy whittling on some wood as he sat on the bench outside the hotel. Doubts of finding a decent place to stay crossed her mind as she ventured deeper into the heart of town.
At the end of the street, in front of a respectable two-story house, Mattie found a crudely-constructed sign advertising a room. She pressed her dress with her hand and continued up the brick walk.
An elderly lady pulled weeds from a rose bed. She greeted Mattie with a friendly smile. The woman motioned for Mattie to follow her to a long porch in front of the large, white-columned boarding house.
The proprietor wiped the dirt from her hands onto her apron, smiled, and excused herself for a moment. Several chairs sat in the shade near the front door. A tiny table sat between the chairs. The smell of fresh cut roses in a basket filled the immediate area.
“I see you have an empty room.” Mattie pointed at the sign when the woman returned.
“Oh yes.” The woman twisted to hand the basket of fresh cut roses to another lady nearby. She collected some money and wheeled around to Mattie.
“The women make a fragrant potpourri with my roses. My name is Rose Parker and welcome to the boarding house.”
“Mattie, Mattie O’Sheay. I’m interested in renting a room from you.” Mattie extended her hand to Rose Parker.
“Where are you from, Miss O’Sheay?”
“Please call me Mattie. I’m from Georgia.” Mattie’s heart picked up a beat. Heat rose to her cheeks as Rose continued to interrogate her.
“How long do you plan on staying?”
“That will depend on if I find a job.” Mattie tried to flash a confident smile. “I stayed in a hotel down the street last night. I assure you, it was a bit unnerving.”
“Well Mattie, let’s go inside and see what I can do for you. Would you like a cup of tea?” Rose waved to the door. Mattie followed her into the parlor.
After a cup of tea and some small talk, Rose announced she had a room for Mattie.
“I hope you find it suitable. I would love to have you as my boarder.”
Rose grabbed her hand and led her up the stairs. She opened the door to a clean, empty room with a strong aroma of fresh cut roses. The beautiful room sparked a fondness of home. Tranquility was just what Mattie needed, not too fancy and not too stagnant. She grabbed enough money from her handbag for a weeks’ rent. Thanking Rose, she returned to the hotel to move the rest of her possessions. Mattie’s large trunk sat in the corner of the lobby with two others.
“I found a boarding house, thank you. You wouldn’t happen to have someone available to carry my trunk would you?” Doubt filled her mind.
“No, I’m afraid we don’t have anyone,” the red-faced clerk ducked her head. “I keep telling my man, Abner… we need to have someone handy, but he won’t listen… you know how men ignore us most of the time…”
Mattie grasped hold of the leather handle and tugged the large trunk out the front door. She straightened her back and glanced down the walkway toward the boarding house. The men talking to the sheriff had already left the area. She heaved a deep breath and grabbed hold of the handle again.
The Howards and Bagwell greeted her as she tugged on the trunk. She pretended to be preoccupied and dismissed their words. Standing up after they passed, she peered at their backs. Odd, why are they out this time of morning? Back home they never appeared in public until right before sundown.
A tall man with black hair and deep brown eyes reached down. He hefted the trunk from her grasp. Mattie couldn’t pry her eyes from the stranger. She held herself erect. Mattie sucked in a deep breath as the pounding in her chest echoed in her ears. The palms of her hands grew sticky. He tipped his head. Mattie led the way to the boarding house. The confidence she tried to project seemed to turn into melted butter.
With each step, she prayed he wasn’t a part of Howard’s assassins. Doubts clouded her mind. He didn’t reek of filth, nor did he project the image of a murderer. He was close to the group, and she didn’t see where he came from.
Bagwell caught up to her. “For a woman of your class you sure are rude, Martha.”
“To you it is Miss O’Sheay. If you know so much about class, you would have known that.” She kept walking without so much as a glance his way.
“Well, we both know your name isn’t O’Sheay, now don’t we Martha?”
“I don’t know who you think I am, but you seem to have made a mistake.”
“No, no mistake. I know exactly who you are.” Bagwell leaned closer to her.
“I don’t know you and prefer to keep it that way. Now, if you will excuse me, I have business to tend to.” Mattie walked on to the boarding house.
Perspiration gathered on her brow. The quake drifting down her body spread to her legs. She bunched her skirt in her fist. If the man carrying her trunk were one of them, she would be dead before long. “Just who does that little weasel think he is, tossing his accusations into the wind? Hmph.” Her footsteps fell heavier as she stomped down the boardwalk.
“Thank you, Mr.?” Mattie reached to retrieve payment for the man’s troubles. He seemed offended and refused the payment. He seized her hand and kissed the top. She hadn’t seen that kind of charm in a long while. Her suspicions grew stronger.
Mattie jerked her hand from his. A tingle of his touch ran up her arm and into her heart. The breath escaped her lungs in swift heaves when he pivoted and strolled away without saying a word.
She stared at his muscled back until he disappeared down the stairs. Shaken and amused, she spun on her heel, unlocked the door, and pulled the trunk inside. Heat gathered in the center of her core, even Jonathan had never aroused her the way this man did. Mattie shivered as she thought of how she could become easy prey to this man’s charming ways. More than once, she had wished Jonathan would have been as sweet and handsome as the stranger.
For a few moments, she sat upon the bed. Was the man on his way to tell her enemies where she was staying? He was too much of a professional man to be mixed up with the likes of murders. Or was he? She rubbed her forehead and then unpacked her trunk. The pulse he sent up her arm when their fingers touched still tingled on her arm.
****
“Good morning, Mother.” James leaned down and kissed his mother on the cheek. “I brought Miss O’Sheay’s trunks for her. There was a man taunting her. I haven’t met him before. While she is here, would you mind keeping an eye out for strangers lurking in the area? I’m afraid she may need our help.”
“I always watch for strangers. I sensed the woman might have a few secrets under her bonnet when she arrived this morning. She is pleasant enough, but the look in her eyes tore at my heart.” Rose tapped James on the shoulder with a wooden spoon.
“I went to see Ed this morning.” His mother’s face glowed at the mention of the sheriff’s name. “I told him the woman may be in trouble, not with the law, but something has got her on edge, and I intend on finding out what it is.”
“You be careful, James. At times, it’s wiser to sit back and let the trouble find you instead of looking for it. She is a fine lookin’ woman, don’t you think? Best be careful around her, son. She’ll be draggin’ you down the wedding aisle in no time at all.”
“I hope you and Ed are right on this one. From the look on that woman’s face, I’m not so sure. She seems a bit desperate, to me, to have a sense of security. She’ll be a courtin’ the devil if she plans on draggin’ me anywhere.” James poured a cup of coffee and reached for a biscuit. “I’ll be in the study.”
The room was where he worked out his problems and solved cases. It was his favorite place to relax and think, the one place he shared with his mother when they needed a break from prying eyes and ears of overly eager renters.
The face of the woman upstairs haunted him. He wished he could read her mind. Her hollowed, frightened eyes tormented him. He rose and paced around the office. What could set her world at ease? There was no trust to be read in her carriage or her startling blue eyes.
One thing he was sure of… her name wasn’t O’Sheay. The tormenting man hounding her on the way to the boarding house made sure anyone within earshot would question her identity. If he were the cause of her demise, he would pay dearly.
James distrusted the man. His evil eyes staring at the young woman sent caution to sweep over him. The cruel sound of the bully’s voice ranged from serious harm to disrespect. Miss O’Sheay was shaken by the suffocating manner but held up to the accusations of the little man. When the stranger first advanced, he noticed the change in the sway of her well-rounded hips.
Whoever the woman was, she came from a solid background. Offering to pay him for carrying her trunk was an admirable gesture. The idea of her traveling alone without a chaperone didn’t make sense. Nor did the tingling sensation when he kissed her hand. She must have felt it too, the way she jerked her hand free of his.
How could he stand having her just down the hall? He wanted her in his room, his bed. His excitement became apparent, and he prayed his mother didn’t walk in. Any minute she would call him to eat. If he put his mother off for too long, she would take that wooden spoon of hers and put a few knots on his head. Miss O’Sheay would probably be joining them at the table.
What did she have that stirred his blood? Other women didn’t affect him this way, so what was so special about her? He didn’t have an answer. Opening the door, he sauntered down the hall to the dining room and waited for the guest to appear.
****
How could an innocent touch provoke an eternal desire with such force? Her whole body heated from inside. Mattie chided herself for letting one small touch affect her in such a foolish manner. His effect on her had to be ignored, or she would be sucked into the man’s soul forever.
He stood so near, she could not get the fresh smell of him out of her mind. His dark eyes filled with kindness, yet he remained so quiet he sent a tremble through her soul. No smile or frown displayed on his lips. His character was neither intimidating nor friendly. About the only thing she was sure of, he was extremely handsome.
She busied herself with putting her clothes away. Light colored wallpaper with pink roses warmed the room. Soft pink curtains framed two windows. A four-poster bed sat between the windows. Mattie’s eyes fell on the matching pink spread and fluffy pillows. Soft, white mosquito netting draped from a rod and was tied to the front post of the frame. The room was so inviting, she almost forgot her main mission was to carry out her plan.
Lanterns placed on bedside tables on each side of the bed gave the room a delicate romantic atmosphere. An ivory washbasin with hand-painted pink roses on one side sat on the corner of the dressing table. A majestic wardrobe was stationed against a wall close to the wooden door.
Mattie sank into one of the pink, velvet-covered chairs. She tried to forget the impressive, handsome man. He had to be dangerous with his quiet manner and assertive walk. The man’s full image and smell lived in her mind. A gnawing in her gut told her she had to be careful of him. Her husband’s body wasn’t even cold in the ground and here she was having desires to coddle another.
She was not here to woo a man. Mattie drove him from her mind. He did not stay gone. Jonathan was nice looking enough with a pleasing build. This stranger, he was tall, broad shouldered, and every muscle in his body strained the material stretched over it. Gooseflesh rose on her arms as a flush warmed her face.
She smiled to herself. Impressed, she glanced around the room with its elaborate furnishings. Her mind wandered, adding the stranger to her fantasy. His loving arms wrapped around her. Warm lips pressed against hers. Desire wrote its way to the deep place in her heart. Heat once again rose across her cheeks.
She refused to step further inside the fantasy world and instead concentrated on the peaceful feel of the room. How it relaxed her to the point she almost forgot to be cautious. The few people she met comforted her, except for the man who invaded her thoughts and the little weasel Bagwell, who she wished were in a different state.
She scolded herself for allowing Mr. Handsome to know where to find her. Instinct told her to trust him. Nevertheless, she could not trust her own judgment, much less a stranger in an odd town. Especially when he showed up along with the Howard clan.
Mattie paced the small room. She was happy with her new surroundings, finally safe knowing the Howards and their accomplices wouldn’t be guests in the beautiful establishment. They wouldn’t be sleeping next door, keeping her awake at all hours of the night, or dining at the same table. A sigh of relief slipped through her lips.
She crossed over to the writing table to make a list of skills for a job search. She played her life back and found she possessed no skills except sewing. At best, she hated the thought of being a seamstress. Mattie always seemed to prick herself with the needle and leave blood-stained fabric behind.
Mattie resumed her pacing of the large room. A solid knock on the door distracted her train of thought. With heart leaping, she leaned against the door, “Who is it?”
“It’s me. Rose.”
“Yes?” Mattie pulled the door open and gestured for the woman to enter.
“Lunch is ready in the dining room. If you’ll follow me, I’ll take you down.” Rose declined Mattie’s offer to step into the room.
She followed Rose to the dining room. One other occupant was present. He was the one who carried her trunk. He rose to his feet and pulled her chair out. Mattie nodded her appreciation and lowered herself into it. Her tongue refused to form a simple ‘thank you’. Heat crossed her cheeks, and her breath stilled in her lungs.
How could she get through a simple meal with him at the same table? His nearness made her feel small and defenseless. Her heart plummeted. Shocking thoughts crossed her mind. She inhaled deeply and tried to still her shaking hands.
Mattie lowered her gaze. If the stranger stayed near, she could keep an eye on him to find out if he were a part of the gang she hunted. She pulled her eyes from his and turned toward Rose’s voice, thankful for the distraction.
“Your room comes with three meals a day. If you have laundry, it’ll cost extra.” Rose smiled. “Of course you can always do it yourself if you choose.”
“I’ll have you do it for me or teach me how.” The heat crept to Mattie’s face again. “I’m afraid I have no domestic skills.”
Rose smiled, and shook her head before she disappeared just long enough to return with bowls of chicken and dumplings.
“I’ll make you a deal. You learn to do laundry and help with the house, and I’ll pay you fifty cents a week plus room and board.” Rose placed a bowl in front of the stoic stranger and the other in front of Mattie.
“I’ll give it a try.” She smiled at Rose. With the knowledge she was safe for a while, Mattie no longer needed to find a job in the public eye. Although it would cut down on her chances to find the other assassins, it would allow her to work on a plan. Keeping up with the Howards shouldn’t be hard. They can lead me to the killer. Have patience Mattie, have patience.