28

That night, Kate stifled a yawn and poked the brown mass of taffy on the marble slab with a finger to see if it had cooled enough to pull. “I think it’s ready.”

Aunt Letty laughed.

“What’s so funny?”

“I was just thinking of your uncle. Remember how he’d insist on making taffy over an open fire?”

“Yes, and he had a fit when you ordered the cookstove. Said it didn’t belong in a candy kitchen.” The memory brought a smile to Kate’s face. “I wonder what he’d say about the talking machine they call a telephone.” Haywire didn’t have telephone service, but the mayor insisted that was about to change.

Aunt Letty rolled her eyes. “Lord have mercy. I shudder to think. Remember how he carried on when they first laid the railroad tracks here?” She oiled her hands and wiped the excess off with a towel. “Your uncle said progress was the exchange of one nuisance for another.” She plunged both hands into the sugary mound before her, adding, “That reminds me. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something.”

Kate pulled a ribbon of brown taffy and folded the ends together. Thanks to the sudden turn of mild weather, the taffy was the perfect consistency. “Oh?”

“What do you think about hiring someone to help out around here?”

Kate’s hands paused. “Whenever I suggested such a thing in the past, you rejected it. What made you change your mind?”

Her aunt paused before answering. “The town is growing by leaps and bounds. Business has almost doubled this past year. As a result, we’ve both been putting in long hours. I mean, look at us. It’s almost eight o’clock, and we’re still here. Lawdy, we should have been home hours ago.”

Kate couldn’t argue with her aunt in that regard. The arrival of the railroad had changed the community in many ways. There was even talk about building an opera house, which meant no more having to travel to Austin to see a play.

Aunt Letty pinned Kate with a meaningful look. “Unless I miss my guess, you’ll soon be busy setting up your own household.”

Kate snapped the taffy ribbon in half. “Things between Frank and me are still up in the air.” She hated not being completely honest with her aunt, but she had promised Frank to keep their arrangement secret.

“You can’t keep him on the hook forever. Either you’re going to have to reel him in or let him go.”

“These things can’t be rushed.”

“Rushed? Mercy, child!” Her aunt held her hands in midair for a moment. “You’ve known him since you were six. That’s a whole lot longer than I knew your uncle before I married him.”

“Some people take longer to get to know,” Kate said. “Others you know immediately, like…” Surprised to find Brett’s name on the tip of her tongue, she quickly searched for a substitute. “Like…like Uncle Joe.”

“Frank’s a pretty open book. I can’t imagine what more there is to learn about him.”

“I didn’t know that Frank had a romantic side.”

Her aunt pursed her lips. “Come to think of it, I didn’t know either. Not till he sent those flowers and that note.”

“See what I mean?” This new tender side of Frank not only surprised her; it taught her something about herself. She liked being treated like a lady. Liked it a lot. It made her feel special, and Frank had never before made her feel that way. Perhaps the problem wasn’t so much that Frank had changed. Maybe the change had come in her.

Aunt Letty’s lips puckered. “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

Kate frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Has anyone else caught your fancy?”

Kate sucked in her breath. Leave it to her aunt to ask the question she hadn’t dared ask herself. “You mean other than the two different Franks?” she asked, biding for time.

“I just want you to be happy. And if I thought for one moment that Frank wasn’t the right man for you, I wouldn’t push so hard.”

“I know that, Aunt Letty. It’s just…so much has happened in recent weeks. It’s hard to think.”

“Maybe you’re thinking too much,” Aunt Letty said. “Sometimes, it’s better to just let yourself feel.”

Kate nodded. “Maybe you’re right.”

“’Course I’m right.” Aunt Letty bent a ribbon of taffy in two. “You know, Charley Watts is into that thinking stuff too. By the time he made up his mind who to vote for, it was too late. The election was over.”

Kate couldn’t help but laugh. Only her aunt could compare picking out a husband to voting for a candidate.

“So,” Aunt Letty continued, “how do you feel about hiring someone?”

Kate welcomed the idea but still couldn’t help but worry. It was true that business had doubled. And they had put in a lot of long hours of late. But was that the only reason for her aunt’s change of heart? Or was something else going on? Aunt Letty had seemed distracted recently and lacked her usual spunk.

“Is there something you’re not telling me? You’re not ill, are you?”

Her aunt drew back in surprise. “Ill? Certainly not. Who has time to be ill? It’s just… I’m not getting any younger, and neither are you. I think we could both use some time to ourselves. Maybe if you hadn’t been so tied down here, you and Frank would have resolved your problems by now.”

Kate’s heart sank. Back to Frank again. Fortunately, the jingling bells signaled that someone had entered the shop, effectively stopping further discussion.

“Who could that be at this late hour?” Kate asked. Whoever it was deserved a hug—or, at the very least, extra sweets—for the timely arrival.

“Probably someone picking up an order,” Aunt Letty said, stifling a yawn. Wiping her greasy hands on a towel, she started for the door. “I’ll take care of it.”

Her aunt’s cheery voice wafted from the front of the shop. “Oh, I didn’t expect to see you tonight. Don’t tell me. The usual, right?”

A man’s low, rumbling voice wafted into the kitchen, but Kate couldn’t make out who it was. Her main thought was to finish up so she and her aunt could call it a night.

Just as she reached for a sponge, her aunt’s voice stopped her. Puzzled, Kate frowned. It sure did sound like her aunt had said she’d gone home.

That couldn’t be right; she must have heard wrong. What possible reason would her aunt have for saying something that wasn’t true?

Still, the oddly disturbing tone of her aunt’s voice raised the hairs on the back of Kate’s neck. Wiping her greasy hands on her apron, Kate tiptoed to the door. The mirror on the far wall allowed her to view part of the counter area unseen.

She spotted Ringo in front of the counter. Head tilted, ears cocked, the dog appeared to be waiting for his treat. Sighing in relief, she forced herself to relax. It was only Lucky Lou.

Obviously, she’d heard wrong.

Maybe her aunt was right; she had been working hard. They both had been. The train robbery hadn’t helped, and now she was imagining danger where none existed.

Hiring an employee was definitely a good idea. She was about to go back to work when once again, her aunt’s voice made her pause. “You’ll never get away with this.”

Puzzled, Kate shifted slightly to the right to gain a wider view in the mirror on the far wall, and her jaw dropped. Was that a gun in Lucky Lou’s hand?

She pulled away from the doorway in disbelief. Back against the wall, she pressed her hands on her chest to calm her racing heart. What was Lucky Lou doing holding a gun on her aunt? Not sure she could believe her eyes, she braced herself with a deep breath and chanced another quick glance. There was no mistake. She couldn’t see Lucky Lou’s face, only the hand holding the weapon.

Confusion spurting through her, Kate pulled back. What was the matter with him? Was this some sort of joke? Had he lost his mind?

Fearing for her aunt’s safety, she considered her options. She could sneak out the back door and race up Outhouse Alley for help, but she didn’t want to leave her aunt alone.

Another quick peek told her things had taken a turn for the worse.

Her aunt was moving ever so slowly around the counter, hands held above her shoulders. Lucky Lou was now in full view, and Kate hardly recognized him. Face dark as night, he didn’t look like himself. The wild look in his eyes was even more worrisome than the gun. He turned his head, and Kate ducked out of sight.

After a moment, she looked again. This time, her aunt was heading for the door, the gun pointed at her back. Kate’s mind scrambled. Where could he be taking her? It was late, and most of the shops and businesses were closed. Anything that happened after dark took place beyond the Dead Line, and that was three blocks away. There was a good chance that no one would see them.

Forcing herself to remain calm, Kate curled her hands at her side. This was no time to panic. Think! She glanced about the kitchen in search of a weapon.

Grabbing hold of a sturdy pot, she braced herself with a deep breath and slipped off her shoes. Bent at the waist, she left the kitchen on stockinged feet. She ducked behind the counter, keeping her head low. Her heart thumped against her ribs, and she feared the sound would give her away.

Her aunt was clearly stalling for time. “I-I won’t tell anyone that you’re a bank robber.”

Kate stiffened and almost dropped the pan. Lucky Lou a bank robber? That could mean but one thing—he was a Ghost Rider.

“I-I won’t say a word to anyone,” Aunt Letty stammered.

“Shut your mouth and move!”

Crouching behind the counter, Kate prayed her pounding heart couldn’t be heard. Oh God. As incredible as it sounded, it all began to make sense. Now that she thought about it, Lucky Lou had been at the bank the day it was robbed. He’d also been at the station after the train robbery, questioning her and others as to what they might have seen. She’d thought it was just curiosity on his part, but now she suspected an ulterior motive. He’d wanted to make sure that no one had recognized him beneath the flour-sack hood.

It sickened her to think that all this time, a Ghost Rider had been under their very noses.

“I said move it!” Lucky Lou’s harsh voice made Kate jump.

“I’m going, I’m going,” Aunt Letty muttered.

Kate gulped and tried to think. She needed to create a distraction. She glanced around and spotted a box of doggie cakes. Reaching for one, she dropped all the way to the floor and crawled crablike toward the end of the counter.

Catching Ringo’s eye, she waved and pulled back. Ringo barked.

“Hush, boy,” his owner rasped.

Kate held the doggie cake out again, and this time, Ringo tried pulling loose. Jerking on the leash, Lucky Lou turned his head—a mistake. Because Aunt Letty grabbed hold of the gun, and a tug-of-war ensued.

With no time to spare, Kate leaped to her feet and raced to her aunt’s defense. Fortunately, Lucky Lou was too occupied to notice her.

“Why, you…” Letting go of the leash, Lucky Lou yanked the gun out of Aunt Letty’s hands.

Sneaking up from behind, Kate raised the pan and whacked him good and hard over the head.

He stiffened, and Kate held her breath. She was just about to hit him again when the gun fell from his hand and he crashed to the floor.

She dropped the pan as if it were on fire, and Ringo jumped back. Rushing to her aunt’s side, Kate checked her up and down. “Are you all right?”

Aunt Letty leaned against the counter, her hand on her chest. “I’m fine. Just a bit shaken,” she said, staring down at Lucky Lou’s prone body.

Ringo sniffed at his owner and whined.

“It’s okay, boy,” Kate said, stooping to run her hand along the dog’s back.

She picked up the gun and pointed it at Lucky Lou. A spot of red blood oozed from the back of his head where she’d hit him. “I heard you say he robbed the bank.”

“That’s right. He…he’s the man who knocked me over.”

“Thank God you’re all right.” Kate looked around the shop. “I need to tie him up.” She undid the ties around her waist. “Where’s your apron?”

“I took it home with the others to wash.”

Kate pulled off her apron and dropped to her knees. She wrapped her apron strings around Lucky Lou’s hands, testing the knot to make sure it was tight. “Let me have Ringo’s leash.”

Aunt Letty tried to grab hold of the leash, but suddenly, the dog wanted to play and ran around the room like a kid out of school.

After her aunt had made several unsuccessful attempts to unhook the leash, Kate said, “Maybe there’s rope or something in the kitchen.”

“I’ll see if I can find some.” Looking winded, Aunt Letty hurried to the back room. What seemed to take forever but was probably only seconds later, she returned with ribbons of taffy draped over her arms. “Couldn’t find any rope. This will have to do.”

Kate stared at her in disbelief. “Taffy. You want me to tie him up with taffy?”

Aunt Letty shrugged. “It’s the only thing I could find. Maybe it’ll sweeten his disposition.”

“I sincerely doubt that.” Kate swiped a stray strand of hair away from her face. “I’m not tying him up with that.”

“Well, we better tie him up with something. You know what happened to Mr. Benson when he forgot to tie up his bull and—”

“Aunt Letty, please! I’m trying to think.” If only Brett were there; he’d know what to do. “I’ll watch him while you go for help.”

Lucky Lou groaned, and both women jumped.

“Oh God. Hold this.” Kate shoved the gun in Aunt Letty’s unwilling hands and lifted a long length of taffy off her arm. I must be out of my mind!

She wrapped the sugary rope around Lucky Lou’s ankles, careful to avoid the sharp-edged wheels of his spurs. Ringo sniffed at the candy rope, and Kate had to keep pushing the dog’s cold nose out of the way.

Holding the gun in one hand, Aunt Letty picked up the leash with the other and pulled the dog to her side. “Sit!”

Kate worked quickly. Not only was she worried about Lucky Lou gaining consciousness, but the taffy was hardening fast, and it took quite a bit of pulling and tugging to wind it around his leg all the way to his knees. She overlapped the edges to make it as strong as possible.

She sat back on her haunches with a worried frown. “That’s not going to hold him for long.” The taffy would crumble into pieces with the least little pressure. She only hoped that if Lucky Lou came to, he would be too dazed to figure that out. As much as she hated to think so, it might be necessary to give him another whack.

Standing, she took the gun out of her aunt’s hand, careful to keep it pointed at Lucky Lou. She wasn’t about to take chances. “How do you know he’s the one who knocked you down?”

“I knew there was something familiar about the man. I just couldn’t put my finger on it.” Her aunt tossed a nod at him. “Until tonight. You know how he’s always bragging about being shot at three times?”

Kate nodded. “Yes, and he wears the bullets around his neck.”

“That’s how I knew it was him,” Aunt Letty explained. “If he moves a certain way, the bullets knock against each other and make a rattling sound. I thought it was keys I heard that day in the bank.” The corners of her aunt’s mouth drooped. “When he walked in tonight, that’s when it hit me. It wasn’t keys. It was his bullets.”

“Oh, Aunt Letty, you could have been killed.”

“You’re telling me!” A rueful expression crossed Aunt Letty’s face. “I just wish we didn’t have to waste good taffy on the likes of him. I dread the thought of staying up all night to make another batch.”

“We’ll worry about that later. Right now, I need you to fetch the sheriff. I’ll stay here. Take Ringo with you.”

Aunt Letty frowned. “Are…are you sure you’ll be all right?”

“I’ve got a gun, and I know how to use it.”

Aunt Letty rolled her eyes. “That’s what scares me.”

* * *

Brett raced back to town as quickly as his horse could carry him. Even so, it was dark by the time he arrived, and the main part of town was deserted as he urged his horse along Main Street.

He hoped to find the sheriff still at the office. Otherwise, he’d have to bother him at home. Neither prospect appealed to him, but he was obliged to keep the sheriff informed of any new leads.

The light from the candy shop window fanned over the wooden sidewalk. Kate was working late again, and the thought made him ache inside. He envisioned her as she’d looked the night they’d pulled taffy together. Recalled in worrisome detail the way her eyes had sparkled as they’d worked, the way her smile had brightened the room. The way her lips…

Grimacing, he forced the memories away. He had no business dwelling on such thoughts. No business at all. Not while the man he blamed for his sister’s death still roamed free. He had work to do, and there was no time to waste. Before the night was over, he hoped to escort one, if not more, of the Ghost Riders to the hoosegow.

Drawing closer to the shop, he willed himself to keep going with nary a glance in the shop’s direction. He might have succeeded had he not recognized the horse tethered in front. The horse belonged to Lucky Lou, and knowing that made Brett’s mouth run dry.

What in blazes is he doing at the candy shop this time of night?

Reining in his horse, Brett quickly dismounted and wrapped the reins around the hitching rail. The curtains were drawn, which was odd. The shop’s curtains were always left open, day or night.

A chilling possibility ran through his mind, and a cold sweat washed over him. Kate was in danger!

With a hand on the butt of his Colt, Brett ran up the steps to the boardwalk. Whipping his gun out of its holster, he burst through the door.

And found himself staring at the business end of a pistol.