Heart Of A Lawman

“But Tucker and me were men of vision,” Emmett insisted, “even if Noah couldn’t hack it,” he said of a third partner who Bart had never met. “We should’ve found a way through the setbacks. Tucker might’ve given up and moved over to Taos, but not me. I’ve just been waiting for my chance…uh, a chance for us all, that is. I say it’s not too late if the Quarrels men all pull together.”

Bart realized he’d been right. Even serious illness hadn’t dampened his father’s will. Pa was making plans like there was no tomorrow.

“Pa, you’re stuck in some damn dream. When I was a kid, it was already too late! We’ll be lucky if we can hang onto the Curly-Q and a way of life that’s mostly gone now.”

But his father had never been able to accept defeat when he took a notion. “More’n one way to skin a cat,” Emmett grumbled. “It seems tourists like visiting Silver Springs. Tourists have money burning holes in their pockets. And some people actually have been moving in, trying to make a go of it. Population in the town proper is more’n seventy now…give or take a body.”

“Seventy? And you think I should—what?”

“You’re a lawman! Do what a lawman is supposed to do. Protect its citizens. Turn Silver Springs into a shiny town that’ll attract new families. Grow it back to what it once was, for God’s sake!”

Good Lord, the old man was deluded!

“I turned in my badge, Pa. I gave up work I loved to run this ranch, remember?”

Emmett slid his eyes away. “Yeah, yeah, I remember. But part of you will always be a lawman, badge or no badge. Can’t take that out of a man. Besides, I figure you’re gonna have lots of help around here, so you can whip Silver Springs back into shape in your spare time.”

As much as the idea appealed to him, Bart recognized a pipe dream when he heard one.

“This ranch will take every drop of sweat I’ve got. Reed’ll put his back into the place, but he’s not a leader. As for Chance, he’s not much of a worker, as I recall.” Suspicions rising once more, Bart narrowed his gaze and glared at his father. “Unless you mean something else.”

Emmett said, “All I meant is if you three boys all pull together, you can do anything.” He put his hand to his chest and sighed. “Arguing knocks the stuffing outta me these days. I need my rest now.”

Exasperated, Bart backed off. “All right. We can finish this later.”

“Since you have time on your hands,” Emmett suggested, “why don’t you check on Silver Springs this afternoon personally and see what you think.”

“Already did that. Wasn’t impressed.”

“Then look up Alcina Dale and hear what she has to say. Might change your mind.”

“Alcina?” Barton appeared surprised. “Haven’t seen her in nearly twenty years.”

“That girl restored the old family home on her own,” Emmett said, “turned that spook place into one of them fancy bed-and-breakfasts that tourists like so much.”

“Bed-and-breakfast?” Bart echoed. He’d seen the place, all prettied up, on his way through town. “Not the Springs Bed-and-Breakfast?”

“How many do you think a town like Silver Springs could handle? Of course that’s the one!”

Mulling over that information, Bart said, “Hmm, maybe she does know something I don’t. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt anything to talk to her.”

“Good. You could do worse than a beautiful, smart, ambitious woman—even if Alcina is that reprobate Tucker’s daughter.”

“Pa, whoa.”

Was Pa now trying to manage his love life? Bart wondered, not exactly ready for one, even though Sara had been dead long enough that he missed a woman’s company. But his family took up all the emotion he had in him.

His family…that included his father.

“Pa,” Bart said, a knot of worry making him ask, “you are okay, aren’t you?”

Emmett stared at a crack in the adobe wall that needed fixing. “As well as can be expected.”

Bart swallowed hard. “Can I tell the kids they’ll get to see you at the supper table?”

“If I’m up to it. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a family dinner in this house.”

“I’ll let you get your rest, then,” Bart said, opening the door. “And, Pa…”

“Yeah, son?”

Bart shifted his piercing gaze from his father’s face to the foot of the bed. “You might be more comfortable resting…without your boots.”

Chapter Three

Bart Quarrels was the last person Josie expected to find planted on the front porch of the bed-and-breakfast when she opened the door later that afternoon. But there he was, bigger than life, all but blocking out what was left of the waning sun.

“You!” she said.

“You!” he echoed. “Long time, huh?”

To be truthful, he didn’t seem at all surprised. And why should he, Josie thought—she’d told him where she was staying, so he’d known exactly where to find her.

“It’s been all of several hours,” she muttered.

Her mind raced as fast as her pulse. What was he doing there? What did he want? The way his gaze seemed to pierce right through her…Her stomach churned, leaving a faint taste of acid in her mouth. Somehow, she convinced herself to calm down as a simple reason for his seeking her out occurred to her.

Her knuckles white on the door where she clung to it, she said hopefully, “So you what…played detective and tracked down Miss Kitty’s owner?”

He shook his head. “Sorry. I’m here on another matter altogether.” But before she could panic, he added, “Could you tell Alcina I’m here?”

“Oh.” Then this didn’t have anything to do with her, after all. Feeling foolish, Josie took a deep breath. “She’s not here at the moment. She headed over to the store.”

Alcina had decided to do the shopping herself, especially since getting supplies for the cat—including litter—meant taking the car.

“I can wait,” Bart said.

While Josie wished she could find some excuse to refuse him, Alcina undoubtedly wouldn’t like that.

“Well, c’mon in, then.”

She backed off and gave him extra room to enter. But Bart Quarrels didn’t have to touch her to make her aware of him. All he had to do was show up, Josie thought, not liking the uncomfortable fact one little bit. And when he removed his Stetson, she liked her reaction even less. Had to clench her jaw to keep from gaping.

The man was more ruggedly attractive than she’d realized, if that was possible. Thick, nearly black hair spilled over a high forehead. And while she’d noticed the blue of his eyes before—how could she not when they’d seemed determined to split her in two and reveal all her secrets—she’d missed just how thick and long his eyelashes were.

Realizing she was staring and that, if his raised eyebrows were any indication, he was reading her mind, Josie felt heat creep up her neck.

“Uh, you can have a seat here in the front parlor, if you like,” she said far too breathlessly. She wanted to kick herself. Really. Closing the door, she shouldered past him where he’d stopped as if to block her. “I need to get back to the kitchen.”