The Sherriff's Daughter: WESTERN ROMANCE (Cowboy Alpha Male Bad Boy Romance) (Rancher Pregnancy Romance Short Stories) (3 page)

I prayed to my father, to the biological parents whom I didn’t know and every saint that I remembered from the Bible. I counted the bars on the jail cell and talked to a spider crawling by. When I detected a passerby, I screamed at the top of my lungs but no one seemed to hear me. I braided my hair and sang songs, which varied from church hymns to bawdy ones I had, heard from prisoners. I was in the cage as the sun rose and now it began to set. I realized that Sawyer must have been worried that I did not meet him as promised. Finally, I tried to sleep on the filthy mattress that I never got around to flipping. A pounding on the door to the Sheriff’s office shattered my light sleep.

“Hello, Sheriff Bask. Hello, is anyone there it’s Daryl Sawyer with Pinkertons and I’m afraid something happened to Beth Grant.”

“Sawyer; it’s me Beth and I’m stuck in the jail cell with no way to get out. Knock down the door if you have to.”

Clay had not bothered to lock the front door so Sawyer opened it and walked in.

“Beth; who did this to you? Tell me where the keys are and I’ll let you out.”

“Clay has the only key and he’s the one who locked me in here. He thought he could keep me from you. He and Dizzy Moon don’t trust you for some reason.”

Sawyer thought for a moment of a way to get me out. “Do you have a hair pin Beth?”

“I do. Are you able to pick the lock? How on earth did you learn such a skill?”

Sawyer ignored my question and fumbled with my hairpin, which wasn’t strong enough. “Stand back Beth.” Sawyer pulled a gun out of his holster and blew open the lock.

“Come with me Beth. You never have to see Sheriff Bask or that Dizzy Moon again. I love you so do as I say. We are going to run away and never have to worry about Gaffney, South Dakota again. Grab anything of value you have and hop on your horse.”

As I was grabbing my things to leave I hesitated because Dizzy Moon was my friend and Clay wasn’t so bad. I had gotten used to the self-centered twit and thought that deep down he had a good heart. Was leaving what my Father would have advised me to do? I didn’t have time to think when Sawyer grabbed me out of the barn and threw me on my horse.

“Where are we going Sawyer?”

“First we are heading to the foothills where no one will find us and then we will discuss where we go next.”

As we rode out of Gaffney, I realized that I was seeing a different side of Sawyer. He was forceful and brusque but I kept following because he said he loved me and no one had ever said that to me other than my father. We arrived at a cave that looked like people had stayed there before. There were crates stacked against the wall and empty liquor bottles on the floor. We sat while we caught our breath.

“I’m scared Sawyer but I know that being with you will be worth any risk. Where will we go and what will we do for money? I suppose working for Pinkerton provides you with a good living.”

Sawyer grabbed a flask out of his vest pocket and took a swig.

“Sit still Beth while I make sure that no law men followed us.” Sawyer walked over to the stacked crates and pulled out a shotgun.

I was confused but did what he said. I thought that men who worked for Pinkerton Security were officers of the law. As far as I knew they helped prevents stage and rail robberies. My Father taught me to ask questions if there was something I didn’t understand.

“Sawyer; Sheriff Bask is a lawman, are you planning to use the shotgun on him if he comes looking for us?” I asked.

“You say you love me. Is that right?”

“Yes, but…”

Sawyer cut me off. “Yes then you’ll understand that anything I do from here on out is for us. No more questions. You are no longer under the control of a man like Clay Bask and you should be thankful to be rid of him.”

As Sawyer was making sure we hadn’t been followed, I peeked in the boxes and saw nothing but guns and ammunition. I touched a weapon and it sent shivers down my spine. My Father was a sheriff so I was used to being around guns but not in mass quantities. Sawyer lurched back into the damp cave when he was satisfied that no one had followed us. We were alone and my instincts told me that I was not where I was supposed to be or with whom I should be with.

“We jumped the gun Sawyer. Clay and Dizzy Moon can be reasoned with and you might even find a place in the community. Sheriff Bask recently hired a new deputy but he may still need another. It would be swell if that could be you and we could reside in Gaffney together. You already made friends at church and the town is growing every day. There is talk of building a schoolhouse and maybe even a bank someday. What do you think about going back and figuring out this nonsense?”

“I don’t want your feedback Beth. What I want and need is your love and cooperation. Remember the day we had at the riverbank when I first kissed you.”

“Of course Sawyer.” I blushed.

“Keep that in mind because we will have days to come just like that if things go my way. Trust me Beth.”

I was thinking of Clay and how worried he must be seeing the jail cell empty and no sign of me. A part of me was wishing he would come looking for me. He treated me as his property. If he lost something, he would search for it so it made sense that he would come for me. Dizzy Moon and some of the other Sioux were excellent trackers so there was a chance they would find me. However, Sawyer’s gun made things dangerous.

“I trust you Sawyer. Tell me what I can do because I want us all to get along.”

“We can get out of here faster if we had horse like the ones Dizzy Moon is stashing away. Pinkerton will want me back so I can report my findings. One thing they want is the horses and gold from the Sioux that were stolen from us.”

“Dizzy Moon didn’t steal. There are Indians who would steal but not the tribe near Gaffney. They trained the wild stallions when no one else could and they mined the gold themselves. Pinkerton isn’t about stealing they’re about stopping theft. Isn’t that right Sawyer?”

“Beth, do you look around and really believe I’m a security officer from St. Louis?” Sawyer sneered.

“You set me up. You know that I am one of two people that knows where the treasures are. You were never going to get the information from Sheriff Bask so you decided to charm it out of me.”

“It took you a while to realize what was happening. I started to pity you at one point because you’re so pathetic. Your Father wouldn’t give up the Sioux’s secrets and look what happened to him. You’re going to lead me right to where I want to go because you lack the strength of your dead Daddy.”

“You killed my Father.” I screamed and spit in Sawyer’s face.

“I’ll take out the entire town if I have to, starting with Sheriff Bask if you don’t start talking.”

I thought about my next move as I sat motionless in fear. I would have to use the cunning taught to me by the Sioux and my Father. I hoped that Clay would do the same and that he would be waiting by the watering hole where the horses were kept.

“The treasures are located at a secret watering hole. A place where the horses can drink. I’ll lead you there if you promise no more violence,” I said.

“We’re leaving you’re horse behind and you’ll ride with me. That way there’s no chance of you pulling anything.” Sawyer approached me and stroked my cheek with his filthy hand. “You made another promise to me. Do you remember?”

There was no way I was going to let the bastard have his way with me. “We have to get to the watering hole by sundown. There’s no time.

Sawyer sniffed and got his horse ready to ride.

We walked out of the cave and without Sawyer noticing, I untied Perk and whispered in my horse’s ear. Dizzy Moon had taught me to respect animals because they understood more than we realized. “Ride home girl.” I had a link of sausage from breakfast stored in my coat pocket and I gave her a nibble.

“Let’s go and make me and my boys rich men.”

I hopped on Sawyer’s horse with him and we rode towards the watering hole. Along the way I left bits of sausage on the ground to create a trail. I held on to Sawyers waist as we rode, which was tortuous. Touching the man who killed my father stirred up rage in my belly.

“We getting close Beth?” Sawyer barked.

“Yes, it’s just around the bend.”

“Good. We’ll check it out and then round up my gang to come and take what’s rightfully ours.”

“What happens to me?”

“Haven’t figured that out yet. Might hold onto you as a bargaining chip until we get out of this territory.”

As we approached, I heard rustling, which to the untrained ear would just be squirrels or rabbits. I knew it was humans because Morning Breeze had taught me the difference. We saw the stallions through the trees, which distracted Sawyer. I jumped off the horse and screamed.

“He has a gun. He killed Sheriff Grant.”

The Indians came charging out from the bushes with Dizzy Moon and Clay leading the charge. The sound of gunfire was deafening as Sheriff Clay Bask shot Sawyer dead. I curled up in a ball beneath the bushes until Clay appeared at my side.

“Are you hurt Beth?”

“No, I’m unharmed but shaken,” I said to Clay.

“I knew that Sawyer was up to no good but I needed time to prove it. That’s why I locked you up. I didn’t think you were capable of a jail break.” He chuckled. “Dizzy Moon was stuck on your Father’s final words which were red, red, red. He was doing his job to the very end and he was trying to tell us that his killer had red hair.”

“I feel stupid for believing Sawyer. I should have listened to you and trusted in your doubts.”

“I was wrong too Beth. I have been treating you as a child and bossing you around like I was your father. I have become friends with Dizzy Moon and he has taught me about patience and letting go of control when it’s the right thing to do. I was enraged when you were missing and not because you defied me but because I wanted you to come back to me. I almost let a good thing go Beth and now I have a chance to do things differently.”

“I’ve never heard you speak like this Clay. I’m flattered. I do have a question about what all these men in leg irons doing here.”

“I didn’t know if Sawyer was coming alone or with the rest of the gang. I thought I’d put the work crew to good use. I’m keeping them around to protect this place in case the gang comes looking for Sawyer. Dewey will supervise him. He likes it and it gives him something to do. I figure we can handle things in town. I’m thinking of giving you more to do than just make breakfast.”

“Are you going to deputize me Clay?” I asked.

“One step at a time Beth.” Clay winked.

****

Order was restored in Gaffney South Dakota. Sheriff Clay Bask was respected throughout the west for his innovative ideas. He created a chain gang militia that kept crime out of small towns like Gaffney. I was never officially deputized but wasn’t only cooking and cleaning. I helped with decision-making and did eventually get a title. I was Mrs. Clay Bask, the first mayor of Gaffney South Dakota. The only thing that Clay and argued about was who has more power, the sheriff or the mayor.

THE END