keep an eye on Dade Logan.
“Sheriff Logan,” Benjamin Willis began, “I trust you will swear in the new deputy and apprise him of his duties.”
Dade dipped his chin. “Yes, sir. No time like the present.”
“Duane, raise your right hand and repeat what I say,” Dade ordered him as he said the vow he’d taken when he’d been sworn in.
The former army scout snapped to attention and did just that, saying his vow to uphold the law with his life if necessary in a clear loud voice. The man surely didn’t lack bravado.
“Congratulations, Deputy Tenfeather,” Dade said. “You’renow an official officer of the law in Placid. Come by the jail and we’ll hunt you up a star.”
“Yes, sir, Sheriff Logan,” Duane said, then strode off looking proud as all get out.
Some of the townsfolk clapped. Some merely nodded approval before they turned and went on about their business.
Doc set off in his buggy as well, and Dade silently groused that Maggie didn’t pay him a passing glance. He watched them disappear for too long before the lone man on the boardwalk caught his attention.
Saying the man wanted retribution didn’t do justice to the look Lionel Payne fixed on him. “I’ll be watching you.”
“You’ll be bored then.”
He whirled his chestnut gelding around and headed toward the livery. If nothing else, today’s events convinced him that his time here was over.
Foremost on his mind, he’d never find Daisy staying here. Now that he had an idea where Daisy had been claimed by a family, he was chomping at the bit to head to Kansas.
Though he’d been pissed to high heaven when he found out Maggie was pretending to be his sister, he was glad now that she’d done so. Hell, she was the first person he’d met who remembered Daisy.
Nope, if not for her, he’d be tramping from town to town, trying to find a hint of where Daisy had disappeared to. He wasn’t at all sure he’d have had any success.
Even so, it still wasn’t going to be easy to find her.
Dade left his gelding at the livery and headed down the boardwalk. Hard to believe that several hours ago there’d been a holdup here. But then the town had looked much the same the day he rode in six months past.
Of course folks were hiding then after the murder of their sheriff. Now? Now they believed they were safe witha new sheriff and a deputy. Never mind that the deputy was green as grass and Dade was kin to outlaws.
He poked his head in the saloon. A trio of cowpokes were playing poker at a back table. Another was standing at the bar with a shot glass of whiskey in his hand.
The bartender looked his way and nodded. “Ready to wet your whistle?”
“I’ll pass for now,” Dade said. “That bounty hunter who came through a few days ago. You see him around?”
“Nope. Far as I know he headed out for good.”
He sure as hell hoped so. “If he comes back, let me know.”
“Sure enough.”
Dade headed across the street toward the jail. Not surprisingly, Duane Tenfeather stood outside the door. Seeing as he’d been a soldier, he knew the dangers he’d face upholding the law in Placid. He stopped before the man whose Adam’s apple seemed to be working double time in his dark bronzed throat. “How’s your gun hand?”
Duane lifted his right hand and flexed the fingers slowly. Too slowly. “I still got a good eye with a rifle.”
“What about sidearms? Have you been practicing?”
Duane’s skin darkened, looking more coppery than black. “No, sir, I surely ain’t.”
Just what Dade feared. “Then let’s head out to the bluff and see how you do.”
The last thing he wanted was to feel responsible for Duane getting killed. Nope, before he left this town, he wanted to believe Duane could hold his own against anyone. Including the Logan Gang.
Doc parked the buggy before the boardinghouse, and Maggie restrained herself from leaping out and sprintingto the front door. When he started to get out to assist her, she laid a hand
“Sheriff Logan,” Benjamin Willis began, “I trust you will swear in the new deputy and apprise him of his duties.”
Dade dipped his chin. “Yes, sir. No time like the present.”
“Duane, raise your right hand and repeat what I say,” Dade ordered him as he said the vow he’d taken when he’d been sworn in.
The former army scout snapped to attention and did just that, saying his vow to uphold the law with his life if necessary in a clear loud voice. The man surely didn’t lack bravado.
“Congratulations, Deputy Tenfeather,” Dade said. “You’renow an official officer of the law in Placid. Come by the jail and we’ll hunt you up a star.”
“Yes, sir, Sheriff Logan,” Duane said, then strode off looking proud as all get out.
Some of the townsfolk clapped. Some merely nodded approval before they turned and went on about their business.
Doc set off in his buggy as well, and Dade silently groused that Maggie didn’t pay him a passing glance. He watched them disappear for too long before the lone man on the boardwalk caught his attention.
Saying the man wanted retribution didn’t do justice to the look Lionel Payne fixed on him. “I’ll be watching you.”
“You’ll be bored then.”
He whirled his chestnut gelding around and headed toward the livery. If nothing else, today’s events convinced him that his time here was over.
Foremost on his mind, he’d never find Daisy staying here. Now that he had an idea where Daisy had been claimed by a family, he was chomping at the bit to head to Kansas.
Though he’d been pissed to high heaven when he found out Maggie was pretending to be his sister, he was glad now that she’d done so. Hell, she was the first person he’d met who remembered Daisy.
Nope, if not for her, he’d be tramping from town to town, trying to find a hint of where Daisy had disappeared to. He wasn’t at all sure he’d have had any success.
Even so, it still wasn’t going to be easy to find her.
Dade left his gelding at the livery and headed down the boardwalk. Hard to believe that several hours ago there’d been a holdup here. But then the town had looked much the same the day he rode in six months past.
Of course folks were hiding then after the murder of their sheriff. Now? Now they believed they were safe witha new sheriff and a deputy. Never mind that the deputy was green as grass and Dade was kin to outlaws.
He poked his head in the saloon. A trio of cowpokes were playing poker at a back table. Another was standing at the bar with a shot glass of whiskey in his hand.
The bartender looked his way and nodded. “Ready to wet your whistle?”
“I’ll pass for now,” Dade said. “That bounty hunter who came through a few days ago. You see him around?”
“Nope. Far as I know he headed out for good.”
He sure as hell hoped so. “If he comes back, let me know.”
“Sure enough.”
Dade headed across the street toward the jail. Not surprisingly, Duane Tenfeather stood outside the door. Seeing as he’d been a soldier, he knew the dangers he’d face upholding the law in Placid. He stopped before the man whose Adam’s apple seemed to be working double time in his dark bronzed throat. “How’s your gun hand?”
Duane lifted his right hand and flexed the fingers slowly. Too slowly. “I still got a good eye with a rifle.”
“What about sidearms? Have you been practicing?”
Duane’s skin darkened, looking more coppery than black. “No, sir, I surely ain’t.”
Just what Dade feared. “Then let’s head out to the bluff and see how you do.”
The last thing he wanted was to feel responsible for Duane getting killed. Nope, before he left this town, he wanted to believe Duane could hold his own against anyone. Including the Logan Gang.
Doc parked the buggy before the boardinghouse, and Maggie restrained herself from leaping out and sprintingto the front door. When he started to get out to assist her, she laid a hand
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