the horse’s nose and stared into the animal’s eyes. What he was doing?
“I do,” she lied. “I’m looking for the Rivera family. I’m a distant relation, and I wanted to say hello while I was in town. Don’t know how long I’ll be staying, but it would be nice to say hello.”
“I don’t know them.”
“Too bad,” she said, trying to pay attention to the livery kid, but also watching Deke caressing the horse’s face with his fingertips.
“Hey, mister, I wouldn’t get too close to that horse. He’s a mean one,” the kid warned.
“He’s not so bad. What you’re feeding him is giving him gas. He’s in pain.”
The kid stared at Deke like he’d lost his mind, and Ruby wondered how Deke knew these things about horses that no one else did. After Deke had recommended they separate Ruby’s and Caroline’s horses at night, Caroline’s mare had done better. But just watching him with the animals, Ruby didn’t know how Deke determined what the horse needed.
The stable boy turned back to Ruby. “Miss, I’d be happy to bring your saddle down to the hotel for you.”
“Why, thank you. What’s your name?”
“Tim, ma’am.”
“Nice to meet you, Tim. I’m Ruby Callahan,” she lied, not willing to give her real name. Afraid if the town had heard of Ruby McKenzie, they would indeed go after her.
An older man appeared in the doorway, his hat pushed back, his stomach hanging over his pants, with a gun slung low around his hips, staring at them. A star was pinned to his shirt. He glanced over them from head to toe as if memorizing every detail. “Who are you folks?” he asked.
“I’m Ruby Callahan,” she said, stepping forward and offering him her hand, smiling. “I don’t know the name of this gentleman. We just happened to ride into town at the same time.”
“Deke Culver.” Deke’s voice was low, and she watched the two men eyeing each other like a pair of bullfighters in a ring, circling.
“What’s your business here in town?” the sheriff asked.
Boy, what a friendly place this was. The welcoming committee was the local law wanting to know why you were here.
“What’s your name?” Ruby asked, lifting her chin, staring him in the eyes.
“Sheriff Wyatt Thomas,” he said.
“I’m looking for employment.”
“At the saloon?” he queried.
“Maybe,” she said, not willing to say much in front of Deke. He would only disapprove, and she didn’t want to hear his reasoning.
“What about you, sir? What’s your business in town?”
“I’m looking for my brother. I’m here to do God’s work.”
Ruby had to clench her jaws to keep them from popping open, leaving her mouth hanging wide. She wanted to roar with laughter, but knew that would get them a quick ride out of town. The least said the better. But Deke, a man of God? Really, the man who was married and kissing a single woman?
“We got all the preacher men we need in this town,” the sheriff said, not welcoming. In fact, he seemed rather hostile to the fact that Deke was here. With startling clarity, she remembered how the sheriff of Dyersville had warned them this little country village was known for being a place where the law was corrupt and criminals openly walked the streets.
“Maybe so, but I’m also looking for my brother, Jacob Culver. Have you seen him?” Deke asked, eyeing the man more like a gunfighter than a preacher. Oh, he had just made this trip a little more exciting. The kind of excitement they didn’t need, throwing verbal spears at a crooked lawman.
“No, and the name is not familiar,” the lawman said, crossing his arms across his chest and staring at them.
“My brother rode with the James gang until recently, when he received the calling of Jesus Christ to be saved.” Deke tensed, and Ruby knew he was poking at the lawman.
“Check with the reverend. He might have heard of him,” he said with a nod. He glanced between the two of them. “How long you planning on staying in
“I do,” she lied. “I’m looking for the Rivera family. I’m a distant relation, and I wanted to say hello while I was in town. Don’t know how long I’ll be staying, but it would be nice to say hello.”
“I don’t know them.”
“Too bad,” she said, trying to pay attention to the livery kid, but also watching Deke caressing the horse’s face with his fingertips.
“Hey, mister, I wouldn’t get too close to that horse. He’s a mean one,” the kid warned.
“He’s not so bad. What you’re feeding him is giving him gas. He’s in pain.”
The kid stared at Deke like he’d lost his mind, and Ruby wondered how Deke knew these things about horses that no one else did. After Deke had recommended they separate Ruby’s and Caroline’s horses at night, Caroline’s mare had done better. But just watching him with the animals, Ruby didn’t know how Deke determined what the horse needed.
The stable boy turned back to Ruby. “Miss, I’d be happy to bring your saddle down to the hotel for you.”
“Why, thank you. What’s your name?”
“Tim, ma’am.”
“Nice to meet you, Tim. I’m Ruby Callahan,” she lied, not willing to give her real name. Afraid if the town had heard of Ruby McKenzie, they would indeed go after her.
An older man appeared in the doorway, his hat pushed back, his stomach hanging over his pants, with a gun slung low around his hips, staring at them. A star was pinned to his shirt. He glanced over them from head to toe as if memorizing every detail. “Who are you folks?” he asked.
“I’m Ruby Callahan,” she said, stepping forward and offering him her hand, smiling. “I don’t know the name of this gentleman. We just happened to ride into town at the same time.”
“Deke Culver.” Deke’s voice was low, and she watched the two men eyeing each other like a pair of bullfighters in a ring, circling.
“What’s your business here in town?” the sheriff asked.
Boy, what a friendly place this was. The welcoming committee was the local law wanting to know why you were here.
“What’s your name?” Ruby asked, lifting her chin, staring him in the eyes.
“Sheriff Wyatt Thomas,” he said.
“I’m looking for employment.”
“At the saloon?” he queried.
“Maybe,” she said, not willing to say much in front of Deke. He would only disapprove, and she didn’t want to hear his reasoning.
“What about you, sir? What’s your business in town?”
“I’m looking for my brother. I’m here to do God’s work.”
Ruby had to clench her jaws to keep them from popping open, leaving her mouth hanging wide. She wanted to roar with laughter, but knew that would get them a quick ride out of town. The least said the better. But Deke, a man of God? Really, the man who was married and kissing a single woman?
“We got all the preacher men we need in this town,” the sheriff said, not welcoming. In fact, he seemed rather hostile to the fact that Deke was here. With startling clarity, she remembered how the sheriff of Dyersville had warned them this little country village was known for being a place where the law was corrupt and criminals openly walked the streets.
“Maybe so, but I’m also looking for my brother, Jacob Culver. Have you seen him?” Deke asked, eyeing the man more like a gunfighter than a preacher. Oh, he had just made this trip a little more exciting. The kind of excitement they didn’t need, throwing verbal spears at a crooked lawman.
“No, and the name is not familiar,” the lawman said, crossing his arms across his chest and staring at them.
“My brother rode with the James gang until recently, when he received the calling of Jesus Christ to be saved.” Deke tensed, and Ruby knew he was poking at the lawman.
“Check with the reverend. He might have heard of him,” he said with a nod. He glanced between the two of them. “How long you planning on staying in
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