Read Online The Sheriff (Historical Romance) by Nan Ryan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Nan Ryan
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical, Adult, Western, California, Native American, Law Enforcement, 19th century, Bachelor, sheriff, Protection, stranger, Forever Love, Single Woman, Hearts Desire, American West, Love Possibility, Frontier & Pioneer, Victorian Mansion, Gold Mine, Miners, Lawman, Gentleman, Suspicious Interest
Ads: Link
don’t turn you over my knee.”
He tipped his hat and left Kate glaring after him. She watched him unhurriedly cross the street, and felt again the heat of his arm around her waist when he’d sat her on his knee. She shivered inwardly. There was an air of mystery and power about the town sheriff that both repelled and excited her. He was handsome in a ruthless way and she had no doubt there were women who looked upon him with favor.
Kate shook herself out of her foolish reveries and hurried back to Dr. Ledet’s office to check on the patient.
For the next hour she stayed at the physician’s elbow, assisting in any way she could while he worked on Chang Li. Dr. Ledet had given the suffering man a liberal dose of laudanum, and Chang Li was now sleeping soundly.
When finally the doctor was finished with the task, and both he and Kate had washed their hands, he quietly motioned her to precede him out of the room.
Once they were in the front office, Kate reached for her reticule. “How much does he owe you, Doctor? I want to pay.”
“Not a thing, Kate.” He smiled as he rolled hissleeves down. She tried again, but he refused to take any money. He said, “Chang Li is resting well, so we’ll leave him here in my office for a couple of days. He’s going to be fine. Sore for a while, but no permanent damage was done.”
Kate nodded. “Thanks to you.”
“No, I’d say it’s thanks to you, child.” He chuckled and said, “You faced down the town bullies. I don’t know of many men, much less a woman, who would….”
A disturbance outside caused the doctor to stop speaking. He and Kate exchanged glances, then quickly turned to look out the window.
Marshal Travis McCloud, mounted atop a snorting Appaloosa stallion, came riding down the center of the Main Street with two big, dirty prisoners—one with a black eye patch, the other with a full red beard—stumbling behind him. A long length of rope was wrapped around their bound hands and tied to the sheriff’s gun belt.
Bordello girls, bartenders, hotel clerks, store proprietors and anybody else who happened to be in town spilled out into the street. The spectators pointed at the humiliated pair and laughed merrily. They shouted and whistled and applauded.
“Dr. Ledet,” Kate said, aghast at the sight of the men’s bloody noses and blackened eyes. “Those prisoners have been beaten. Did the marshal…?”
“Indeed he did. Found them and fought them bothand brought them in to jail. And look at Travis—not a scratch on him,” the doctor said admiringly.
Kate’s jaw dropped. “You approve?”
“Absolutely,” he declared with a smile. “Street fighting, stabbing, shooting and claim jumping. You name it, Travis handles it with ease. He’s the bravest, finest sheriff in all California.”
Ten
“D on’t shoot!” shouted a strapping, ruddy-faced man in dirty overalls, raising his big hands in the air.
“I surrender!” called another, pretending to be frightened.
“Take me prisoner, please!” pleaded a grinning young boy as he fell to his knees on the sidewalk and offered up his wrists.
Everyone guffawed and whistled.
The teasing was directed at Kate.
And she could thank Doc Ledet.
The miners had learned from the physician that the pretty newcomer had boldly stepped into an alley, fired her big Colt in the air and threatened Kelton and Spears.
Now when Kate went to check on Chang Li, the miners clowned with her as she walked down the street. Unconcerned with their childish ribbing, sheheaded directly to Dr. Ledet’s office two doors past the Eldorado Hotel.
“Dr. Ledet?” Kate called softly as she stepped into the front office. “Are you here, Doctor?”
The physician came through the back room’s curtained door and placed a finger to his lips. Kate nodded in understanding.
In low tones, the doctor said, “Chang Li is resting. He awakened earlier this afternoon and ate a little broth. He told me the whole story of how you saved
He tipped his hat and left Kate glaring after him. She watched him unhurriedly cross the street, and felt again the heat of his arm around her waist when he’d sat her on his knee. She shivered inwardly. There was an air of mystery and power about the town sheriff that both repelled and excited her. He was handsome in a ruthless way and she had no doubt there were women who looked upon him with favor.
Kate shook herself out of her foolish reveries and hurried back to Dr. Ledet’s office to check on the patient.
For the next hour she stayed at the physician’s elbow, assisting in any way she could while he worked on Chang Li. Dr. Ledet had given the suffering man a liberal dose of laudanum, and Chang Li was now sleeping soundly.
When finally the doctor was finished with the task, and both he and Kate had washed their hands, he quietly motioned her to precede him out of the room.
Once they were in the front office, Kate reached for her reticule. “How much does he owe you, Doctor? I want to pay.”
“Not a thing, Kate.” He smiled as he rolled hissleeves down. She tried again, but he refused to take any money. He said, “Chang Li is resting well, so we’ll leave him here in my office for a couple of days. He’s going to be fine. Sore for a while, but no permanent damage was done.”
Kate nodded. “Thanks to you.”
“No, I’d say it’s thanks to you, child.” He chuckled and said, “You faced down the town bullies. I don’t know of many men, much less a woman, who would….”
A disturbance outside caused the doctor to stop speaking. He and Kate exchanged glances, then quickly turned to look out the window.
Marshal Travis McCloud, mounted atop a snorting Appaloosa stallion, came riding down the center of the Main Street with two big, dirty prisoners—one with a black eye patch, the other with a full red beard—stumbling behind him. A long length of rope was wrapped around their bound hands and tied to the sheriff’s gun belt.
Bordello girls, bartenders, hotel clerks, store proprietors and anybody else who happened to be in town spilled out into the street. The spectators pointed at the humiliated pair and laughed merrily. They shouted and whistled and applauded.
“Dr. Ledet,” Kate said, aghast at the sight of the men’s bloody noses and blackened eyes. “Those prisoners have been beaten. Did the marshal…?”
“Indeed he did. Found them and fought them bothand brought them in to jail. And look at Travis—not a scratch on him,” the doctor said admiringly.
Kate’s jaw dropped. “You approve?”
“Absolutely,” he declared with a smile. “Street fighting, stabbing, shooting and claim jumping. You name it, Travis handles it with ease. He’s the bravest, finest sheriff in all California.”
Ten
“D on’t shoot!” shouted a strapping, ruddy-faced man in dirty overalls, raising his big hands in the air.
“I surrender!” called another, pretending to be frightened.
“Take me prisoner, please!” pleaded a grinning young boy as he fell to his knees on the sidewalk and offered up his wrists.
Everyone guffawed and whistled.
The teasing was directed at Kate.
And she could thank Doc Ledet.
The miners had learned from the physician that the pretty newcomer had boldly stepped into an alley, fired her big Colt in the air and threatened Kelton and Spears.
Now when Kate went to check on Chang Li, the miners clowned with her as she walked down the street. Unconcerned with their childish ribbing, sheheaded directly to Dr. Ledet’s office two doors past the Eldorado Hotel.
“Dr. Ledet?” Kate called softly as she stepped into the front office. “Are you here, Doctor?”
The physician came through the back room’s curtained door and placed a finger to his lips. Kate nodded in understanding.
In low tones, the doctor said, “Chang Li is resting. He awakened earlier this afternoon and ate a little broth. He told me the whole story of how you saved
Similar Books
