KC Murray

A couple days later, KC finished his chores early. He’d started on some of them at three that morning, so he would have some free time that day. He needed to see what he could find out about the missing homesteader. If Bad Egg Baldwin had met with suspicious circumstances, KC might find out more about all the others by looking around the man’s old place.

He rode out just after noon, telling Ellis he had a few things he needed to do in Creede. He’d ridden east a while, then doubled back to go to the Baldwin homestead.

“You gonna follow me everywhere I go, MayBelle?” he asked as the donkey trotted along beside Merlin. He certainly hadn’t decided to take her along. She just showed up.

The donkey snorted and shook her head.

Looked like a no to him. “Good to know.”

It would take him less than an hour to travel the five miles. Plenty of time to question and chastise himself for getting involved with someone during an investigation. He’d almost made a tactical error in the wagon. KC knew needed to stop thinking about Eliza. He’d learned two valuable lessons when he became an agent—trust no one, and put no one else at risk.

He moved his horse off the road and took a trail through the forest the rest of the way. As he approached the shack, he saw three men.

“No braying.”

MayBelle’s lips parted in a grin.

His attention returned to the men. He knew two of them. They were the image of the Holmans he’d dropped off in Del Norte a few weeks ago. That was enough to throw heavy suspicion on Baldwin’s disappearance. The other man was heavyset and dressed very well. KC wished he could get a good look at the man, but he had his back to KC.

As KC surveyed the area around the shelter, he caught a flash of light in the forest across the way. After a second flash, he pinpointed its origin—Eliza was standing behind a bush with the spyglass, watching the men as he was. He admired her spunk until icy blood flooded his veins. She was taking a risk—too big of a risk. She’d written a letter and asked for help. She needed to stay out of the investigation now.

KC realized that he knew who she was, but she didn’t know that he was a Pinkerton. He’d have to tell her so she would back off.

He stayed focused on her as she lowered her glass and moved to a different spot, wearing her brother’s clothes as she’d been the first time they’d met. She was easy to track through the trees. KC glanced at the men to see if they noticed her movement. It didn’t appear that they so much as looked her way. If they did, he had no doubt two of those men would shoot now and ask questions later. Or more like, bury the evidence later.

The men walked to the small carriage, and the older man slipped into the seat and pulled away. The Holman boys retrieved their horses and left, too. KC sat where he was until even the dust from the men leaving no longer lingered in the air over the road. He watched as Eliza sneaked out of the forest and toward the shack. He had no idea if the place was empty or not, but he wasn’t going to let Eliza be alone when she found out. He left the trees when he was behind the three-walled horse shed.

When he came around the corner, the door to the shack was open, and Eliza wasn’t in sight. MayBelle looked ready to run ahead.

“Hold.”

MayBelle stopped and looked at him. KC pointed to the ground, and she stayed put.

Eliza had gone into the one-room building. Part of KC wanted to charge in there with her, but the other part wanted to guard the perimeter in case anyone came back. He positioned himself close enough to do both, if needed.

Moments later, Eliza came out and headed back to the woods, a paper in her hand. She had guts. She was efficient. And this was the last thing she should ever be doing.

He would have to talk with her—and keep a closer eye on her. Then he looked at the donkey—and keep an eye on her, too.

On Friday, Creede celebrated spring with a festival and dance. The whole Turley family had been up early that morning doing chores, then dressing in their finest. KC entered the house and nearly tripped over himself at the sight of Eliza in a blue-and-white gingham dress, putting jars into a basket. She was beautiful. He thought so each day, but today was overwhelming. Her hair, which was always pulled up when she worked, hung around her shoulders and down her back in dark auburn waves with the front pulled back and tied with a red ribbon.

They packed the jars of food and several quilts into the back of the wagon and set off for Creede. KC rode Merlin. It seemed that every family in Creede had turned out for the party as buggies and wagons lined the empty field south of the church. Two girls ran up to the wagon before it stopped.

“May Kailin come with us?” the tallest girl asked Eliza.

“Sure. Stay together.”

Kailin jumped from the wagon, and they all ran off. Rayna began to cry.

“You can stay with us, little one.” KC picked up the girl and swung her onto his back. She clung on like a circus monkey as he helped Eliza carry their basket and blankets. They were still a few yards before the clearing where they would be setting up when Eliza stopped, and he had to spin the basket to the side to keep from ramming it into her. As far as he could tell, there was no one in her way, but then he saw her staring toward a couple. They stopped walking, and the man smirked in her direction.

“Lance,” Eliza whispered, making the word sound distasteful.

From the beginning, KC had known she’d broken an engagement. Was that the man? The girl hanging on his arm was wearing a gown more suited to a ballroom than this country field. Eliza turned around and looked as if she was going to run.

“Let’s put our things down. Where would you like to sit?” he asked. The man’s attention seemed to be on them.

Her round eyes relaxed a bit, and she nodded her head the other way.

“All right, sweetheart. Anything you want.” He raised his voice enough that the man gave him a puzzled look in response. He was sure Eliza wore the same one.

Eliza took tiny steps and seemed stiff. He wondered what caused that response. Would she tell him if he asked? He’d think on that.

As soon as they set things down, Ellis arrived with the woman from the church meeting on his arm. “There’s a shooting contest. You gonna join?” he asked KC.

“Yes,” Eliza answered at the same time as KC did.

“My pa says I’m a hooligan, and there’s a twenty-dollar prize. I’m joining,” Eliza said.

“Me too,” KC answered.

“The foot races are first,” the woman with Ellis added.

“Dorothy Moore, this is KC Murray.” Eliza gestured to him. “He’s working on the farm until our parents return.”

Knowing that his time with Eliza had an ending date caused sadness. He wanted to spend more time with Eliza, and he wanted solve this case soon. They were completely opposed. Several times in the past few days, he’d considered taking her into his arms. Each day brought a stronger desire to do just that. He knew he couldn’t. He would savor today. “Pleased to meet you.” KC nodded toward Miss Moore.

“Will you join the footraces?” she asked the group.

Lance walked by and began laughing. “Maybe they’ll have a race for the lame.” The girl on his arm forced a laugh too.

Eliza’s jaw clenched. She had a competitive spirit. She probably used to enjoy racing before whatever happened to her.

“No, thank you. I have delightful company to keep,” KC answered Dorothy, then smiled at Eliza. He stepped to the side and stood in front of Lance when he tried to join the group. The man shifted to the side and so did KC, determined not to make the man feel welcome.

“Come along, Penny. Let’s go find hospitable company.” Lance stormed off.

Before long, Kailin and her friends came by the Turleys’ quilt. Kailin was flipping a silver half-dollar into the air. “First place in the girls’ foot race. Mr. Anders himself gave me the prize money.”

KC noted that Eliza stiffened at that.

Kailin locked elbows with her friend. “We’re going to do the egg toss next. Come with us, Eliza.”

“I’ll need a partner.” She glanced at KC.

“I accept.” He asked the third girl, “Could you mind Rayna for me?” She nodded.

When they lined up facing their partners, KC and Eliza were beside Ellis and Dorothy, but Lance and Penny squeezed in with Lance between Eliza and Dorothy.

Penny’s hands wrapped around KC’s arm as she pretended to stumble. “Oh, thank you for catching me. I thought I was going to fall.” Her hands stayed there, and KC wasn’t sure how to get out of her clutches.

“I’m Penny Crowther. My parents own the dry goods store. I haven’t met you before. Are you new to Creede?” she asked.

At first, KC thought something was in the girl’s eye and then realized she was either winking or batting her eyes at him. The men handing out the eggs stepped up to them, and KC was grateful to turn his attention elsewhere. The young woman removed her gloves, holding them in one hand. She also took an egg. Good. Her hands were full.

The contest started with alternating tosses and then alternating steps taken away from their partners, increasing the gap. During each successive round, partners were disqualified as their eggs broke. KC tossed. Eliza caught the egg, letting her hands fall back with the momentum of the thrown egg.

The couples took another step away from each other. KC noticed that whenever they were taking steps backward, Lance said something to Eliza that soured her expression.

Soon after Eliza and Lance both threw their eggs, Lance made a remark, and Eliza slapped him. That was enough for KC. His concentration narrowed to a pinpoint on Lance’s face. He hurled the egg at him, hitting him on the cheek. A yellow glob dripped off his chin onto his shirt. Before Lance could take a step, a second egg hit him in the chest.

“You missed your partner by a bit there, KC.” Ellis laughed.

“You too. Tricky distance this time, wasn’t it?” KC shouted to be sure Lance heard.

Ellis chuckled. “Looks like you have egg on your face, Lance.”

“It’s fitting on you,” KC called across the space. “We’re out, sweetheart. Let’s go get ready for the shooting contest.” He jogged over to extend his arm to Eliza, her cheeks a beautiful blush, and escorted her away from the game.

“Eliza. Eliza!”

KC turned to see a man and woman hurrying toward them, each carrying a box. The woman’s bright red hair waved behind her.

Eliza turned around and opened her arms. “Millie!”

Millie shoved the box into KC’s hands and embraced Eliza. She let go and extended her hand toward KC. “I’m Millie Bing, Eliza’s best friend.” He put the box down and shook her hand.

“That’s true. Millie is everyone’s best friend.” Eliza laughed. “Hello, Edwin. This is KC Murray.”

“Edwin McRae,” he said as they shook hands.

Kailin waved goodbye to her friends, then stretched her neck a little to look in Edwin’s box. “What’s for lunch today?”

Edwin put his box down and picked up a bowl from inside the box, removing the towel on top. “Fried chicken.”

Millie did the same and added, “And corn bread with butter and honey.”

KC didn’t need to hear more and pulled out his change purse. “We need enough for five, please.” He saw the questioning look on Eliza’s face and said, “I’m not feeding Ellis. I need two. Throwing eggs is hard work.”

Eliza laughed and swatted his arm, then she shook out some linen napkins from her basket, and Edwin placed the food on top.

Millie put a plate from Eliza’s basket on the quilt, then hooked arms with her. “Will you serve out my corn bread, Edwin? I have something to talk with Eliza about.”

Before the man agreed, the women walked a ways away and whispered between them. Occasionally, Millie looked at KC. The women giggled with their heads close. It made KC a bit on the nervous side. He was being self-conscious. They were probably talking about something else. That’s when Millie turned completely toward him, looked him up and down, and then turned back to Eliza, saying something excitedly. Nope. He was wrong. They were talking about him.

The only thing he was sure he heard was “Penny.”

The women came back over, and Kailin wasted no time. “What were you saying about Penny? I saw her grabbing at KC during the egg toss.”

“Not a thing,” Millie said. “Except that there are four girls in that family. All dark-haired. All beautiful.”

“All terrible flirts,” Kailin added. “Nineteen, eighteen, and seventeen and all in a fat hurry to get married.”

KC laughed, but Eliza gave Kailin a look he’d seen on his own ma when he needed to hold his tongue. “The oldest is married now—to the preacher.” Eliza nodded like she thought that would be the end of the subject.

KC felt one of his eyebrows quirk up before he could stop it. He didn’t like the man.

Kailin caught it, too. “Hah. It was rather sudden. They deserve each other.”

“Kailin Marie.” The smile melted from the girl’s face at Eliza’s use of both names. “Eat your chicken.”

The shooting contest was held in the west end of the field near a rise in the hillside. They set up ten whiskey bottles for each man to break. The first one to finish was the winner. KC took a wide stance with two ivory-handled Colt revolvers holstered at his hips. At the sound of the start, he pulled both guns. His eyes stared in concentration at the bottles as he squeezed the triggers again and again. In seconds, he replaced his guns and won the contest while his nearest competitors had half their bottles still standing.

Eliza was up next. The women’s competition required that they use a rifle and shatter five bottles. She was using a Henry rifle, an older gun, but with sixteen shots loaded at once, it was practical. She could still win this if she was accurate.

She sighted the rifle methodically, obliterating each bottle. Eliza cocked the gun smoothly, then it shot the shell out and aligned the next bullet—all in a graceful dance with that firearm. He could see the concentration on Eliza’s beautiful face, her finger easy on the trigger, and the confidence she had in her aim as she squeezed off the fifth shot. The bottle shattered. Eliza also won.

KC’s heart pounded. That might have been the most attractive thing he’d seen her do over the past few weeks. Was it possible he’d found the perfect wife for him? He loved everything about her. Loved? The elation he’d felt a second before deflated completely. He was leaving—to go who knew where—as soon as this mystery was solved. What kind of a life could he offer her? None.

A man and woman walked with Eliza back to KC. “KC Murray, this is Henry and Hannah Wheeler. Henry is the U.S. Marshal around here. They live in Topaz.”

“Pleased to meet you,” KC said, recognizing the scrutiny of a seasoned lawman, suspicion in his gaze as he looked a newcomer over.

“That was some impressive shooting. Made the other men look like they were standing still. I don’t think you wasted even one shell. Reckon it took a lot of practice to do that.” Marshal Wheeler’s words were friendly enough, but KC heard a little interrogation in them. He was checking to see if this town was safe while KC was there or if he had to look out for the man to make trouble.

“I rode with some posses during range wars in Arizona. Using a gun became a priority if I wanted to live.”

“You did great too, Eliza. You won.” Hannah hugged Eliza.

Another couple joined them then. “Julianne!” the new woman squealed, and the three of them joined together for another hug with Eliza. He could see that there was a bond between the three women. He supposed that came with belonging to a town. He’d moved around more than he’d set still over most of his adult life. He didn’t have friendships to look forward to. Just maybe he wanted them.

“Just another thing that makes you special, lady,” Julianne called out.

Eliza waved toward the newcomers. “KC, this is Julianne and Hugh Fontaine.”

“KC Murray,” he said as he extended his hand to Hugh.

Julianne held the bundle in her arms. “This is baby Rose, who has to take a nap. We’re headed back to Bachelor, but I’m so glad we saw you today.” Julianne hugged Eliza again.

“I wish we lived closer,” Eliza said.

Julianne and her husband gave each other sly smiles. “We just might be able to do that soon. Bye now,” she said.

Eliza and KC were called to the stand and received their twenty-dollar gold pieces from Mr. Anders. KC noticed that Eliza was not just unimpressed with the man but bordered on being repulsed.

A dance was taking shape near the church house if the sound of fiddles told him anything. He cocked his head toward the music. “May I have a dance, Miss Turley?”

Though she tried to smile, her face faded into sadness, and she shook her head.

“A stroll, then?” he asked.

“That would be nice.”

He ended up sauntering her down by the dancing. He even sneaked off to request the musicians play a waltz. He wanted Eliza in his arms. Only for today he told himself.

When the music turned slower, he bowed in front of her. “Just one dance, please.”

Her eyes softened, and her head tipped toward her shoulder. He hoped that look signaled that she was going to give in.

Eliza placed her hand in his, and he escorted her to the forming group. When the music started, he took a small step and led her into the dance. Perhaps he could tell her who he really is and why he was here. If he did, maybe he could have her in his life and keep her safe from what was going on. Being with her like this made him believe he could have it all. Small steps, close embrace, looking into her eyes—this was heaven.