Charity (Brides of the Rio Grande Book 4) Read online

  Aggie shook her head and gave her an exasperated look. The train chugged into town and shuddered to a stop. The conductor stood at the end of the train aisle and blew his whistle still holding the gun on the bleeding bandit.

  Another conductor entered the car. “You need something—” The man stopped short when he saw his fellow employee holding a gun on a bleeding man and another co-worker bleeding from one of the train seats.

  “Go get the sheriff, Elmer. And hurry.” The man’s voice trembled and the gun shook in his hand.

  The second man nodded and left. Charity sighed to Aggie. “Yes, ma’am. I’m so glad to be home. There’s really no place like it, don’t you think so?” She wasn’t really expecting an answer, so she stood and nodded politely to the remaining passengers who seem rooted in their seats. They stared at her and slowly nodded in return.

  Charity pulled her plissé from under her seat and lead the way up the aisle to the other end of the train car. Aggie followed close behind.

  She stepped out of the train car and ran straight into the broad, hard chest of the man behind a lawman’s star. The lawman's star. Strong fingers gripped her arms to keep her from falling backwards.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am. I—” His deep voice vibrated against her body when he spoke.

  She pulled her eyes from the star on his chest to his mouth. And then higher. All the way up to those gray eyes of his. They were just as she remembered and her heart leapt with joy to see him again. “Miles.” She whispered.

  The man's eyes rounded in shocked recognition. Two heartbeats passed before he removed his hands from her arms and took a step back. He looked her up and down taking in her new appearance as if his eyes were lying to him.

  His lips moved as if he were trying to find the words to describe what he was seeing. Finally, he managed to speak her name. “Charity? Is…that you?”

  She nodded and gave him her sweetest smile. "Hello, Sheriff Grayson. It's been a long time hasn’t it? I'm so glad to see you looking so…well." Charity recited her lessons in her head. A lady never allows a gentleman to know she’s happy to see him. A lady never makes the first advance. A lady never—oh there was a whole list of don’ts on the subject of a proper greeting to a gentleman.

  But right now, all she wanted to do was throw her arms around his neck and kiss the holy hell out of him. She resisted the urge. After all, her sisters and Aggie had convinced her that the only way she would ever gain Miles Grayson’s attention was to be the kind of lady he preferred. They better be right.

  She turned to Aggie. “I do believe I see Hiram over there by the carriage waiting for us.”

  She hooked arms with Aggie and turned her back on the one man who had the power to turn her world upside down. She hoped her lessons would make it possible to turn the tables on him instead.

  Sheriff Miles Grayson stood rooted in place while he watched the woman, who had turned his world upside just a few short years ago, walk toward Hiram Hanover’s carriage. It had been two years since he had barged into the Hanover home and threatened to hog tie her and throw her over his saddle and deliver her to the nearest fort.

  It wasn’t what she had done that was so heinous. In fact, he couldn’t really remember anything about the day except when she had caught him alone in his office alone, she had herself into his arms and kissed the hell out of him. He remembered that like it was this morning.

  What the hell had she done to herself? She had changed dang near everything. She looked nothing like the woman who arrived from Kansas City to help her sister, Grace, fight that murder charge a few years back.

  That woman had been hell-on-wheels from the second he laid eyes on her. And he had never wanted any woman more. But the tall, red-headed wild child had made it clear she wanted him too and he couldn’t allow his attraction for her to affect his abilities to protect and serve as a lawman. Distractions were not an option. He had learned that painful lesson from his father’s mistakes.

  He openly stared at the woman as Hiram helped her and his wife into the carriage. What the hell? She looked like—an honest-to-goodness…woman. And that meant he was gonna have to double-down in his efforts to stay as far away from her as he possibly could.

  “Sheriff? Are you alright? The robber is in here.” The train conductor pointed to the same car Miss Montgomery had just vacated. He could still smell her perfume in the air. Damn it to hell.

  He tore his gaze away from the one woman who could make Calamity Jane look like a Sunday school teacher while making a man throw caution to the wind. He had been aware of the rumors that she might be coming back to Creede, but he had no idea it was today. He wished he had known so he could have been better prepared for her appearance.

  “Sheriff?” The conductor called out again.

  “I’m comin’,” He pulled his side arm out of its holster and stepped aboard the train. He immediately saw one of the train conductor’s holding a gun on a man that was lying on the train car floor. Dried blood covered his nose, mouth, and chin. His eyes were beginning to blacken and there was a telltale stain of blood on his pants surrounding a bullet sized hole.

  “What the hell?” He looked at the conductor for answers.

  “This here varmint tried to rob the train between Wagon Wheel Gap and here. He shot one of my co-workers and threatened my passengers.” The conductor offered by way of explanation.

  “You do this?” Miles looked at the small bullet hole in the man’s pants and the large caliber gun the train employee was holding. The caliber was different.

  “No, sir. I just picked up his gun when the lady told me to.” He tried to hand the gun to the sheriff.

  “I’ll take it after we get him handcuffed.”

  Miles took out his handcuffs and cuffed the man’s arm in front of him. Once he had the man secured, he took the gun from the conductor. “You said a lady told you to take the gun. What lady?”

  Miles already had a sinking feeling he knew exactly what lady the man was referring to. He didn’t believe in coincidences.

  The man on the floor spoke up. “It was that damned she-devil that did this to me, Sheriff. You otta be arresting her for putting my life in jeopardy.”

  He jerked the man to his feet, giving him time to catch his breath from the pain of the bullet still in his leg. “You put your own life in jeopardy when you decided to rob this train, you mule-headed jackass. Now move.”

  Miles pushed the man down the train car aisle without too much regard for his injuries.

  “So are you telling me that a woman did this to you? That doesn’t say too much for your bad hombre reputation, now does it?” He goaded the man’s pride.

  “She waddn’t no ordinary woman, sheriff. You shoulda seen her. She punched me in the damn nose—with her fist, mind you. Now what kinda woman rolls up her fist and punches a man in the nose? I’m tellin’ you, sheriff. She was some kinda crazy woman. Ain’t never seen nothin’ like her before.”

  A ghost of a smile crossed Miles’ lips. “Yep, she is some kinda crazy, that’s for sure,” he mused more to himself than the man he was escorting to the doctor’s office.

  He pushed the man out of the train in front of him. “What’s your name?”

  “Ain’t tellin’ you nothin’, Lawman.”

  “That’s fine. I’ve got a drawer full of wanted posters back at the jail and I suspect your ugly mug is on one of them. Now, get movin’.”

  The nameless would be robber limped in front of him for the two blocks to Doc Howard’s office. Miles nodded to a couple of men they passed on the street. The ladies left the boardwalk or ducked inside a store when they saw them coming. He understand their trepidation. A man in handcuffs and a pant leg covered in blood was a sight to see, and that didn’t include his battered face. The man looked like he’d run straight into a charging bull. Miles knew now it wasn’t a bull that did this damage.

  He turned the man down the alley to where doc’s office was located and pushed the man inside. The doc was hunched
over his desk writing in a journal.

  “Hey, doc. I gotta patient for you.” Miles pushed the man over toward the examination table. He stood back and gave the doctor room to look after his prisoner, but he was ready in case his prisoner decided to make a break for freedom.

  Doc rose from his desk, helped the man on to the examination table and made him comfortable. “And what do we have here?” Doc asked the man as he laid him back and began looking at his patient’s nose.

  Miles answered for him. “What we have here is a man who decided to rob this afternoon’s train coming up from Wagon Wheel Gap.”

  Doc’s eyebrows rose. “Is that right? It doesn’t look like you faired too well, young man. You might want to rethink your career choices.”

  Miles smiled. “I always did like your sense of humor, Doc.”

  Doc Howard grinned back and turned back to his patient. “Okay, now, let’s start with that bullet hole in your pants leg. Hum, you musta give the sheriff a real hard time. Sheriff’s not usually that rough on his prisoners.”

  “It waddn’t the sheriff that did this, doc. It was that red-headed she-devil on the train.”

  Doc Howard cut the man’s pant leg and cleaned around the bullet wound.

  Doc turned to Miles. “Red-headed she-devil? If I didn’t know better, I’d say that description sounds like—”

  “Exactly like. It was her. I saw her myself. She arrived on the train today. Same one he tried to rob. She stepped off the train just before I arrested, or rather rescued, him.” He nodded to the man on the table.

  “So, Charity Montgomery has come home to roost.” The doc grinned at him again. This time, Miles didn’t find as much humor in the man’s wit. He didn’t comment either.

  “That must have been quite a surprise for—some folks.” Doc cut him another amused glance and then approached his patient. “Are you ready to get this over with?” The man nodded, but if Miles was judging by the look of fear in the patient’s eyes, he was anything but ready.

  Doc pulled his medical bag closer and cut the man’s pant leg off.

  “Well, the good news is, since the small caliber bullet was fired at close range, it went clean through the muscle. I’ll stitch up the hole and clean it up to prevent infection. Your prisoner here should be good as new in about two to four weeks.”

  “Thanks, doc.” The man grimaced as doc stitched him up. When Doc Howard was finished with the leg wound, he wiped his hands on a towel and studied the man’s face.

  “She do this too?” His question directed to Miles.

  “I suspect so, at least according to my prisoner here—and the other witnesses on the train.”

  “I thought she was at a finishing school back east somewhere for the last two years. You would think the first thing that school would teach a young woman was not to punch a person in the nose. And the second thing would be shooting people was impolite.”

  Miles grimaced. “I’m sure they did their best. You forget who we are talking about here, Doc.”

  “Stubborn if I remember correctly.” Doc turned back to his patient.

  “Stubborn doesn’t even come close.”

  “Now this is gonna hurt like hell, son. I’m gonna straighten that nose of yours and then I’m gonna tape it to your face so it don’t move. Here’s a double shot of whiskey. I’ll give you a minute before I do it, okay?”

  The man didn’t look like he thought much of the idea, but he drank down the glass of whiskey anyway.

  “Here goes.”

  Doc placed his hands on the man’s face, his hands on each side of the man’s nose and in a split second snapped the bones and cartilage back into place.

  The man let out a holler a person could hear all the way to the north end of town. “Damn, doc. That hurt like hell.” The man moaned.

  “I told you it would, did I not?” Doc grinned at Miles while he taped the man’s nose tight against his face. “That should hold it in place if you don’t get into another fist fight.”

  “He won’t have to worry about that. He’s got a private cell all to himself.”

  “There you go, sheriff. Your prisoner is ready for a good night’s sleep in your jail.”

  Miles nodded. “Come on. Let’s get you settled in. Then, I need to pay a visit to a red-headed she-devil.”

  2

  Charity was just finishing up supper with Hiram and Aggie when a knock at the front door announced a late visitor.

  “Now, who could that be?” Aggie wondered.

  “Don’t worry, my dear. I’ll see who it is. Perhaps friends of Charity’s have heard of her return and wish to welcome her home.”

  Charity nearly snorted, but her education demanded otherwise. She straightened her spine and adopted an indifferent air. “I hardly think that a possibility, Hiram. I didn’t have any friends when I left Creede, remember?” She teased even though it hurt to admit as much.

  “Nonsense, my dear. I’m certain there are any number of ladies—and gentlemen—who are chomping on the bit to reacquaint themselves with you. You know how news travels in this town. Why, I’ll bet there will be at least half a dozen gentlemen callers at our door by week’s end.” Hiram winked at her and left the dining room to answer the door.

  Charity didn’t care about the half dozen gentlemen callers. All she cared about was one stubborn-as-a-mule, and highly opinionated, lawman.

  Hiram’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. “Of course, Sheriff Grayson. You are always welcome. Please, do come in. If you will wait in the parlor, I’ll ask Miss Montgomery to join you.”

  Charity’s heart stumbled against her ribs. She shot a surprised glance to Aggie. “The sheriff is here to see me,” she whispered.

  Aggie smiled at Charity and nodded. “Looks like word has spread faster than we anticipated.”

  “Why do you think he's here?" Charity wouldn't let herself believe he was here because of her. Instead, she used subterfuge to protect herself from disappointment. "He’s here because he knows by now that I shot the train robber. He’s probably gonna threaten to throw me in jail again for disturbing his peace,” she mimicked his deep voice of authority.

  Aggie laughed at her imitation of the lawman. “You won’t know until you ask him, now will you?"

  Hiram returned to the dining room. “Charity, it seems you have a visitor. Sheriff Grayson would like to speak with you. Are you agreeable?”

  She should say no. “Keep the gentlemen guessing” had been her classmates staunch instructions to her when she confided in them her feelings for Miles. "Don't let him know you have feelings for him,” they admonished. “Men are vain and egotistical creatures. Make him come to you."

  Charity inhaled a deep breath. It helped to calm her nerves. Her classmates would probably tell her to turn him away, but she had waited two long years for this moment. Her heart wouldn’t let her miss the opportunity to sit in the Hanovers’ parlor with the man who still set her blood on fire.

  “Yes, of course, Hiram. I will see the sheriff. I’m sure it has to do with the incident on the train today.”

  Hiram grinned at her. “I suppose that’s possible, but then again, the man does seem quite eager to see you. And a bit nervous. If you ask me,” Hiram added.

  Aggie reached over and touched her hand across the table. “Sweetheart, you have worked hard over the last two years to put your best foot forward. Why don’t you focus on showing the sheriff what you’ve learned. Surprise him. Make a good first impression.”

  Charity nodded in agreement and grinned. “I will definitely do my best to make an impression. A good one,” she added.

  Hiram pulled her chair out for her to stand. “Aggie and I shall linger here over dessert so you may have the parlor to yourself.”

  “Thank you. To both of you. For everything.” Charity felt her throat constrict with emotion. These two dear people had taken in four orphaned young women and treated them as their very own kin. They were truly the family Charity, and her adopted sisters, had ever know
n and she loved them so much.

  Charity smoothed her skirt and inhaled another deep breath for courage. Usually, she wasn’t afraid of anything, but she was afraid of Miles Grayson if only because he had to power to break her heart. Again.

  She took her time getting to the parlor. The old Charity would have tackled the man the minute he walked through the front door. But the new, and improved Charity, had learned a few off-curriculum lessons during her education at Mrs. Fitzgerald’s prestigious finishing school. Her classmates had been very enlightening behind closed doors after lights out.

  Her soft leather shoes made it possible to approach the parlor door without giving away her presence. It gave her a moment to study her heart’s desire without him knowing that she did.

  And, there he was in all his handsome maleness. He stood near the fireplace studying a figurine on a shelf. Her heart skipped a beat and fluttered against her ribs. He was so damned handsome.

  The old Charity would have stomped across the room, backed him into a corner, and kissed him right on the mouth. And the new Charity wanted to do that too, but she had learned the art of self-restraint and she would use it to get what she wanted if it killed them both.

  “Hello, Sheriff Grayson. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this evening?” She stood in the doorway and waited for him to notice her.

  He whirled at the sound of her voice and the figurine he had been studying slipped from his fingers and shattered to the floor.

  “I’m sorry, I…” He faltered. Charity had always known he was skittish around her, but he seemed a lot more than skittish at present. He seemed down right nervous. Just like Hiram had said he was. Interesting. She hadn’t seen this side of the stoic lawman before. And she liked it. A lot.

  She glided into the parlor and glanced at the broken figurine on the floor. “Please don't give it another thought, sheriff. I’ll ask Sarah to clean it up later. Sit.”

  The man remained motionless. “Why don’t you take that chair and I’ll sit over here on the settee.” She enunciated every syllable while she took her seat. She gestured to the chair across from her. “Please. Sit.”