me.”
“Mm. Anything else you want around here?”
“If it’s all right, the druggist has some nice lotion at his shop, and I wouldn’t mind some soap easier on my skin than what you use.”
Amiably they headed to the druggist’s.
On the wagon seat again, Cord asked, “You want to go straight home, or shall we press our luck at the cafe? I’d sure like a steak.”
Anne was feeling almost giddy with the success of the day so far. “Let’s try the cafe. All that can happen is Dora won’t wait on us, and we’ll sit a while and walk out.”
He drove up the street.
Anne started to believe her worst that could happen prediction was going to come true. The cafe’s owner, cook, and waitress, Dora Bagley, acted as if they weren’t there. Dora was stout, red-faced, and formidable, and trying to force her to feed them would probably get them poisoned.
They sat quietly for a few minutes before Cord reached for his hat, signaling to Anne he was ready to admit defeat and leave. Just then, however, Noah Reynolds walked into the little restaurant, argued vigorously with Dora, walked over, and sat down at their table.
“Do you mind company?”
Cord regarded Noah thoughtfully. “Nope, but if you’re planning on eating anything, you won’t get it done here.”
Noah chuckled. “Dora’s changed her mind. It wouldn’t do to refuse the town’s sheriff his piece of pie just because of the company he keeps.”
Sure enough Dora came over, thumped down three coffee cups and filled them with strong looking brew. “I know you want pie, Noah. What about these two?”
Cord’s eyes met Anne’s for an instant, and she saw a what the hell glint. He said only, “Two steaks with everything.”
Dora never looked at him but left with a swish of skirts.
Cord leaned back in the chair, looking so relaxed as to be boneless. “‘Preciate that, Noah. We’ll treat you to the pie.”
Noah shrugged. “When I heard you were here, I thought I’d better tell you, those Double M Men all quit and moved on. Meeks and Samuels were in to see Doc. Meeks had a pretty good shoulder wound, and you hit Samuels in the side. They must have hurt for a while, but they weren’t in much danger of dying. I suppose you were trying to kill them, weren’t you?”
“Trying to gutshoot them, but I wasn’t too steady at the time.” The off-hand, casual way he said it made the statement more chilling.
The sheriff’s mouth tightened with disapproval. “Well, they didn’t say where they were headed, in case you have any notion of going hunting.”
Cord’s only answer was a slight headshake.
Now Noah brought up a second reason for his visit. “Also, I’m here because I’m as curious as the rest of the town. I figured Frank and Eph would have had Anne in Chicago long ago. What are you two doing here like this?”
Cord just looked out the window, answering the question in his usual way. Anne said, “We decided to stay married.”
Surprise showed in Noah’s face. “Just like that.”
“Not exactly just like that, but that’s how it ended up.”
Noah was struggling for words, at a loss. “But what about Frank and Ephraim?”
“Well, they came the day after you did, but they made me angry, so I sent them away.”
Noah did not understand. “Sent them away?”
Cord rejoined the conversation. “Ran them out of the house with a rifle.”
Noah couldn’t have shown more astonishment if they’d said a mouse had killed a cat. “ You ran Frank Bennett out of the house?”
Anne felt slightly embarrassed and knew it showed. “Well, he started yelling ugly things, and I lost my temper.”
Noah slumped in his chair, looking back and forth between the two of them.
The food arrived, and there was no more conversation while Noah dawdled over his pie and Cord and Anne dug into the steaks. Cord’s plate was already spotless when Anne put down her fork and said with regret, “I hate to waste, but I really can’t eat any more of
“Mm. Anything else you want around here?”
“If it’s all right, the druggist has some nice lotion at his shop, and I wouldn’t mind some soap easier on my skin than what you use.”
Amiably they headed to the druggist’s.
On the wagon seat again, Cord asked, “You want to go straight home, or shall we press our luck at the cafe? I’d sure like a steak.”
Anne was feeling almost giddy with the success of the day so far. “Let’s try the cafe. All that can happen is Dora won’t wait on us, and we’ll sit a while and walk out.”
He drove up the street.
Anne started to believe her worst that could happen prediction was going to come true. The cafe’s owner, cook, and waitress, Dora Bagley, acted as if they weren’t there. Dora was stout, red-faced, and formidable, and trying to force her to feed them would probably get them poisoned.
They sat quietly for a few minutes before Cord reached for his hat, signaling to Anne he was ready to admit defeat and leave. Just then, however, Noah Reynolds walked into the little restaurant, argued vigorously with Dora, walked over, and sat down at their table.
“Do you mind company?”
Cord regarded Noah thoughtfully. “Nope, but if you’re planning on eating anything, you won’t get it done here.”
Noah chuckled. “Dora’s changed her mind. It wouldn’t do to refuse the town’s sheriff his piece of pie just because of the company he keeps.”
Sure enough Dora came over, thumped down three coffee cups and filled them with strong looking brew. “I know you want pie, Noah. What about these two?”
Cord’s eyes met Anne’s for an instant, and she saw a what the hell glint. He said only, “Two steaks with everything.”
Dora never looked at him but left with a swish of skirts.
Cord leaned back in the chair, looking so relaxed as to be boneless. “‘Preciate that, Noah. We’ll treat you to the pie.”
Noah shrugged. “When I heard you were here, I thought I’d better tell you, those Double M Men all quit and moved on. Meeks and Samuels were in to see Doc. Meeks had a pretty good shoulder wound, and you hit Samuels in the side. They must have hurt for a while, but they weren’t in much danger of dying. I suppose you were trying to kill them, weren’t you?”
“Trying to gutshoot them, but I wasn’t too steady at the time.” The off-hand, casual way he said it made the statement more chilling.
The sheriff’s mouth tightened with disapproval. “Well, they didn’t say where they were headed, in case you have any notion of going hunting.”
Cord’s only answer was a slight headshake.
Now Noah brought up a second reason for his visit. “Also, I’m here because I’m as curious as the rest of the town. I figured Frank and Eph would have had Anne in Chicago long ago. What are you two doing here like this?”
Cord just looked out the window, answering the question in his usual way. Anne said, “We decided to stay married.”
Surprise showed in Noah’s face. “Just like that.”
“Not exactly just like that, but that’s how it ended up.”
Noah was struggling for words, at a loss. “But what about Frank and Ephraim?”
“Well, they came the day after you did, but they made me angry, so I sent them away.”
Noah did not understand. “Sent them away?”
Cord rejoined the conversation. “Ran them out of the house with a rifle.”
Noah couldn’t have shown more astonishment if they’d said a mouse had killed a cat. “ You ran Frank Bennett out of the house?”
Anne felt slightly embarrassed and knew it showed. “Well, he started yelling ugly things, and I lost my temper.”
Noah slumped in his chair, looking back and forth between the two of them.
The food arrived, and there was no more conversation while Noah dawdled over his pie and Cord and Anne dug into the steaks. Cord’s plate was already spotless when Anne put down her fork and said with regret, “I hate to waste, but I really can’t eat any more of
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