Read Online Train From Marietta by Dorothy Garlock - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Dorothy Garlock
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hand. She ran her tongue over her lips, savoring every bit of peppermint goodness.
Tate pulled the truck to a stop in front of the post office, got out, and reached for Emily. At the door, he paused and held it open for a young woman and a small boy. The woman smiled, but the boy never even glanced up; his head was bent down as he worked on a candy stick. Emily stared at him. Tate tipped his hat and went inside.
“Glad you’re back, Tate,” Leroy Gaines, the town postmaster, called out from behind a barred cage. He wore a visor cap and bow tie. The sleeves of his shirt were held in place with garters. Wide suspenders extended from his pants over his ample belly to his broad shoulders. The air in the post office was hot, and rivers of sweat poured down the man’s jocular cheeks. Leroy didn’t seem to mind as he grinned from ear to ear. He bounced up out of his seat, pulled three envelopes out of a cubbyhole, and slapped them down on the counter.
“Thanks, Leroy.” Tate scooped the letters up and glanced at them. There was one from the government and two from relatives who had moved to the West Coast. None to Emily from her mother. He put the letters in his pocket.
“Sell your horses?” Leroy asked.
“Sure did.”
Does everyone in the county know I’ve been to the fort to sell my horses?
With Emily on his arm, he said his good-byes and left the post office.
They were nearly to the truck when a voice from behind them called out, “Hey there, Tate.”
Tate turned at the sound and saw a familiar face. The man coming toward him was short, with bowed legs and long arms. Light blond hair, a smooth baby face, and an easy smile made him look more like a preacher than what he really was. Nothing about him suggested that he was a well-known and feared Texas Ranger.
“Hello, Lyle. What brings you all the way out here?”
“Well,” Lyle started, flashing the easy smile, “I could say we’re meeting accidentally, but the truth of the matter is that I came to see you.”
“Uh-oh. I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Now, is that any way to talk to an old friend?” Lyle said, his smile getting wider and more preacherlike.
“Depends on why you came to see me.”
The Texas Ranger’s smile vanished, and his brow creased in a serious look.
“I need your help, Tate.”
“No, Lyle. The last time you came here for my help I was almost killed. I don’t know what kind of case you’ve got, but I can’t get involved. I may not be a very good parent, but I’m the only one Emily’s got.”
Lyle turned to look at the little girl, his preacher’s smile back on his face. “And a fine hello to you, Miss Emily.”
Glad to have been brought into the conversation, Emily blurted out her important news. “Daddy brought me a doll that closes its eyes. Come out to my house, and I’ll show her to you.”
“You know, I just might do that.”
“You’ll not talk me into anything, Lyle.”
“I wouldn’t think of trying, Tate,” Lyle said. As he turned back toward him, Tate noticed that he’d kept the smile. “Thing is, I’ve got a problem that I think you can help me solve. You know this country better than just about anybody. Just give me a couple of minutes, and I’ll be out of your hair. If Yelena’s planning on making some of her biscuits and milk gravy, I could come out tonight. She does make the best durn biscuits in Texas.”
Tate thought for a moment before he said, “I agree to that.” The least he could do was feed the man.
“You’ll eat with us?” Emily was all smiles. “Yelena will make a cake.”
“She needn’t go to all that trouble.” Lyle laughed heartily. “Well, all right. She can go to a
little
trouble.”
“We’ll see you tonight,” Tate said.
“Tonight, then.”
Lyle turned and walked away, his bowlegs rocking him down the dusty street. Fifteen feet away, he stopped, turned, and fixed an earnest look on his face. “By the way, I heard Hayden’s back in these
Tate pulled the truck to a stop in front of the post office, got out, and reached for Emily. At the door, he paused and held it open for a young woman and a small boy. The woman smiled, but the boy never even glanced up; his head was bent down as he worked on a candy stick. Emily stared at him. Tate tipped his hat and went inside.
“Glad you’re back, Tate,” Leroy Gaines, the town postmaster, called out from behind a barred cage. He wore a visor cap and bow tie. The sleeves of his shirt were held in place with garters. Wide suspenders extended from his pants over his ample belly to his broad shoulders. The air in the post office was hot, and rivers of sweat poured down the man’s jocular cheeks. Leroy didn’t seem to mind as he grinned from ear to ear. He bounced up out of his seat, pulled three envelopes out of a cubbyhole, and slapped them down on the counter.
“Thanks, Leroy.” Tate scooped the letters up and glanced at them. There was one from the government and two from relatives who had moved to the West Coast. None to Emily from her mother. He put the letters in his pocket.
“Sell your horses?” Leroy asked.
“Sure did.”
Does everyone in the county know I’ve been to the fort to sell my horses?
With Emily on his arm, he said his good-byes and left the post office.
They were nearly to the truck when a voice from behind them called out, “Hey there, Tate.”
Tate turned at the sound and saw a familiar face. The man coming toward him was short, with bowed legs and long arms. Light blond hair, a smooth baby face, and an easy smile made him look more like a preacher than what he really was. Nothing about him suggested that he was a well-known and feared Texas Ranger.
“Hello, Lyle. What brings you all the way out here?”
“Well,” Lyle started, flashing the easy smile, “I could say we’re meeting accidentally, but the truth of the matter is that I came to see you.”
“Uh-oh. I don’t like the sound of that.”
“Now, is that any way to talk to an old friend?” Lyle said, his smile getting wider and more preacherlike.
“Depends on why you came to see me.”
The Texas Ranger’s smile vanished, and his brow creased in a serious look.
“I need your help, Tate.”
“No, Lyle. The last time you came here for my help I was almost killed. I don’t know what kind of case you’ve got, but I can’t get involved. I may not be a very good parent, but I’m the only one Emily’s got.”
Lyle turned to look at the little girl, his preacher’s smile back on his face. “And a fine hello to you, Miss Emily.”
Glad to have been brought into the conversation, Emily blurted out her important news. “Daddy brought me a doll that closes its eyes. Come out to my house, and I’ll show her to you.”
“You know, I just might do that.”
“You’ll not talk me into anything, Lyle.”
“I wouldn’t think of trying, Tate,” Lyle said. As he turned back toward him, Tate noticed that he’d kept the smile. “Thing is, I’ve got a problem that I think you can help me solve. You know this country better than just about anybody. Just give me a couple of minutes, and I’ll be out of your hair. If Yelena’s planning on making some of her biscuits and milk gravy, I could come out tonight. She does make the best durn biscuits in Texas.”
Tate thought for a moment before he said, “I agree to that.” The least he could do was feed the man.
“You’ll eat with us?” Emily was all smiles. “Yelena will make a cake.”
“She needn’t go to all that trouble.” Lyle laughed heartily. “Well, all right. She can go to a
little
trouble.”
“We’ll see you tonight,” Tate said.
“Tonight, then.”
Lyle turned and walked away, his bowlegs rocking him down the dusty street. Fifteen feet away, he stopped, turned, and fixed an earnest look on his face. “By the way, I heard Hayden’s back in these
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