Loving the Lawman (Roses of Ridgeway) by Kianna Alexander Page B

sleepy." He sipped a bit of the brew.
    Valerie yawned. "They make me sleepy, too. Goodnight, Papa."
    "G'night, honey."
    She squeezed his shoulders briefly, then slipped down the hallway to her room.
    While she lay in her warm bed, the rain continued to fall outside. As the remnants of the storm lingered on, so did the odd feeling of dread. Doing her best to dismiss it, she pounded her feather pillow a bit, then lay back down and waited for sleep to claim her.
     
    **
    Draining the last of his morning coffee, Noah set the cup down on his desk, setting eyes on the two men across from him.
    Greg was reclining comfortably in a chair, while the nervous looking Uriah Stevens paced back and forth, wringing his hands.
    "Uriah. Stop that before you wear a trench in my floor." Noah kept his eye on the young man, who had been pacing ever since his shift had begun a quarter of an hour ago.
    "Sorry." Uriah halted his steps, and dragged over an empty chair from the stack kept in one corner of the office. Sitting down, he managed to be still for only a few moments before he started wringing his hands again.
    "Alright. I'm going over to Cedarville to pick up the doctor coming in from Stockton."
    Greg's face registered his confusion. "Why can't he just take the stage?"
    Noah shook his head. "I've been wiring back and forth with the sheriffs in all the neighboring towns, and we've agreed to stop the stagecoach service until we smoke out the Bitters gang. No need to tempt them into committing more crimes."
    Greg nodded. "Sounds reasonable. How'd the coachmen take the news?"
    "They hate to lose business, of course, but they know the risk is just too high with those ruthless cads skulking about."
    Uriah grunted. "We'll catch 'em soon, Sheriff. They gotta slip up sometime."
    "I shouldn't be gone but a few hours. Uriah, you're in the office today. Greg, patrol the perimeter of the town, and be on the lookout for anything, and I mean anything, that doesn't look right to you."
    Uriah groaned like a child denied a piece of penny candy. "Desk duty again? When are you going to let me go out on patrol?"
    Noah looked at the young man, in his blue plaid shirt and denims. He was a bit on the lanky side, but he was tall, and could sit a horse with confidence. "I don't think you're ready for patrols just yet, Officer Stevens."
    The young man folded his arms across his chest. "I've been practicing with my sidearm on my own, even after practicing with you. I can do this. Just give me a chance, will ya?"
    Noah looked to Greg, who shrugged. "Worse case, he gets plugged, best case, he comes back in one piece. Either way, he'll have done a patrol, and he'll quit pestering us."
    "Fine. Greg, you work the office. Uriah, patrol the borders." Noah locked his gaze with that of his youngest light horseman. "But be careful out there. I don't want Mrs. Stevens having to put you in the ground."
    "I will." Uriah couldn't seem to sit still, and began squirming in his seat.
    Greg rose and went to the storage closet, returning with a gun belt. He tossed the leather belt at Thad, who caught it. "Well, your reflexes are all right. You might have to add another notch to that thing, to get it to fit your narrow waist."
    Uriah got to his feet, and tried the belt. It was too big, until he used the tip of his pocket knife to add a hole that made it fit perfectly. With the belt on, he inserted his pocket knife, as well as the Colt he'd had tucked into his waistband, into slots on the belt. When he finished, his face was beaming with pride.
    Noah couldn't help smiling. While he still had his reservations about letting Uriah do a patrol, he remembered what it was like to be a green lawman, just itching for some action. He hoped for Uriah's sake that it proved to be a quiet day.
    Rising from his desk, he gathered his pack, shrugged into his long duster, and placed his hat atop his head. "Greg, see that Officer Stevens is properly outfitted. See you two later this morning." With a wave, he