Convenient Christmas Bride (9781460389034) Read online

  Josiah shook his head. “There’s nothing wrong with them. I just realized a few moments ago that I don’t know what size to get the girls.”

  “Would you like for me to call Carolyn over here? She might know,” he offered.

  “No, I think I’ll just wait and ask Annie if she thinks I should get them anything else for Christmas,” Josiah answered, wishing he was out on the trail of an outlaw right now instead of in a store thinking about the women in his life.

  “All right. Is there anything else I can help you find?” Wilson swept a clump of dirt out from under the shelf.

  Josiah shook his head. “Naw, I think I’m about done for the day.” He walked back to the counter, where Carolyn waited. He paid for the ring and the ribbon and slipped them into his pocket.

  The cold air felt good against his warm cheeks as he stepped outside. He walked back to the jailhouse. The air tasted of snow and sent a shiver down his spine. Josiah decided to check in with Wade, and if everything was fine, he’d head home before the snow hit.

  “Glad to see you back, Sheriff.” The young deputy stood by the stove warming his hands.

  “Why’s that?”

  He poured a cup of coffee and handed it to Josiah, then poured a second cup for himself. His boots clomped across the wood floor as he walked over to the desk. “These just arrived in the mail. Thought you might like to take them home and study them.” He handed Josiah two wanted posters.

  Josiah read them. “Looks like these’re the fellas suspected of holdin’ up the banks in these parts.”

  “That’s what I got from reading them, too, but I don’t think they’re right,” Wade said, leaning against the bars of the only cell.

  Josiah moved to his desk and sat down. “No?”

  The young man shook his head. “I think the cattle butchers and the bank robbers might be one and the same. And if that’s the case, then we’re looking for four or maybe even six men, instead of just two.”

  “What makes you think that?” Josiah leaned back in his chair and propped his feet up on the desk.

  Wade sipped his coffee. “Well, it seems to me that a couple of days go by and during that time a bank gets robbed, thankfully not ours.” He paused as if considering his words. Josiah had learned to just wait him out. “Then the next day we find a dead cow someplace.”

  Josiah had to agree that that was the way it seemed, but that still didn’t mean they were the same men. He studied the wanted posters and waited. Wade would continue as soon as he got his thoughts together.

  “If I was a robbin’ them banks and I didn’t want people to think it was me, I’d do something else to throw them off the scent. I think that’s what the robbers are doing. They rob the bank and then butcher a cow to confuse the law.” He took another sip of his coffee, then stood up straight. “’Course, I could be wrong. It might be different men, but my gut says I’m right, even if I ain’t makin’ a lick of sense.” Wade finished his coffee and set the cup down.

  Josiah pondered what the young man had said, then nodded. “Well, you could be right. I’ve learned to listen to my gut and if yours is saying they might be the same, well, they might just be.” He folded the wanted papers and placed them on the desk. “We’ll continue to keep our noses to the ground. They’re sure to slip up somewhere along the way.”

  Josiah dropped his feet back down on the floor, took the ring box from his coat pocket and dropped it into the lap drawer of his desk. “When they do, we’ll be there to get ’em.” He tucked the blue ribbon deeper into his pocket to take out at home.

  Wade nodded. “That sounds good to me, boss.”

  “Don’t call me boss,” Josiah scolded as he stood. He picked up the wanted papers and stuck them in his front coat pocket. “You ready to take over the town?” he asked, walking toward the door.

  “Just for the night, Sheriff. She’s all yours come morning.” Wade pushed away from the bars and followed Josiah to the door.

  “I’ll see you then.” Roy snorted as Josiah climbed up.

  “Sheriff?”

  Josiah turned to see what his deputy wanted now. “Yes?”

  The young man ran his hand along the back of his neck. Josiah grinned. The lad was picking up his bad habits. Wade looked him straight in the eyes. “You be careful heading home. No tellin’ where those mangy thieves are hiding out.”

  Josiah nodded. It pleased him that Wade cared enough to offer a warning. “Will do. You watch yourself, too.” He turned the horse toward home. “Let’s head home, boy. If I know Annie, she’s got dinner on the stove and a fire in the fireplace.”

  Roy knew the way to his warm barn, oats and hay. The gelding wasted no time getting there.

  For the next half hour, Josiah let Roy have his head while he thought about the robbers, the butchers and Wade’s comparison of the two. Was it possible they were one and the same? If so, was his little family in danger out on the farm alone every day?

  A bitter thought entered his mind. He hadn’t been able to protect Mary in town. What made him think he could protect Annie and the girls out on the farm?

  Chapter Twenty

  Snowflakes, big and fluffy, cascaded gracefully to the ground at a fast pace. Anna Mae and the girls laughed and looked up into the gray sky. “I love this time of the year, don’t you, girls?”

  “Me wuv no,” Rose answered, and stooped down to touch it.

  “Uby wuv no, too.” Ruby knelt beside her sister to examine the freshly fallen flakes. They giggled and shivered, all the while poking holes in the snow with their little gloved fingers.

  Anna Mae set the bucket of warm milk beside the barn and then danced about in the snow. Thankfully, it hadn’t gotten deep enough to keep her from her fun movements.

  The girls jumped and leaped about also, laughing and trying to catch snowflakes on their tongues. Both fell and giggled, then pushed themselves up from the frozen ground, only to fall back down again.

  “It’s wet enough that we might be able to build a snowman tomorrow, if it keeps snowing,” Anna Mae told them as they squealed and rolled about on the ground, looking like bundled-up snow babies.

  She laughed at their antics. According to the locals, this winter was the harshest they’d had in many years. Anna Mae loved the snow and was glad to see it, even if the townspeople weren’t thrilled. Still, the cold started seeping into her body, and sleet mixed into the snow, which began to fall faster. “Come along, girls. Time to go inside and warm up.”

  Anna Mae grinned as Rose and Ruby pushed themselves up from the frozen ground. They were a pair and a sweet pair at that. Once on their feet, they toddled after her.

  She’d just gotten them out of their coats and into their high chairs when a knock sounded at the door. Anna Mae hurried to answer it, thinking that perhaps Josiah had his hands full and couldn’t open it himself. She was surprised to see a large man with a big heavy coat standing in her doorway.

  “I hate to disturb you, ma’am. My name is John Meeker and my horse has thrown a shoe. I’m afraid to ride him much farther. Would it be all right with you, if I put him up in the barn for the night?” He tilted back a flat brown hat, and green eyes the color of summer grass looked into hers.

  Anna Mae swallowed hard. She should have called out to make sure that whoever was at the door was Josiah. Now here she stood, facing a mountain of a man and having to make a decision that only Josiah should be making. Cold air blew in and caused her to shiver.

  If the man was telling the truth she couldn’t leave him and his horse out in the cold. Anna Mae nodded. “You and your horse are welcome to spend the night in the barn.” She thought about adding that Josiah would be home soon, but decided it was better not to alert the stranger that she and the girls were alone.

  He tipped his hat toward her. “Much obliged.” John Meeker stomped as he
went off the porch.

  Was he angry that she’d said he and his horse could stay in the barn? Had the big man expected to be invited into the house for the night? Anna Mae didn’t care what his expectations were, she would not endanger the twins by inviting a stranger into their home.

  Her gaze went to the road. Darkness was falling almost as fast as the snow. Anna Mae closed the door and dropped the heavy bar over it. Lord, please hurry Josiah home.

  * * *

  Josiah followed the hoofprints and realized they were headed to his place. Like before, the prints were that of a horse with only three shoes. This horse usually seemed to trail the other outlaws, but this time the hoofprints were alone. Josiah’s heartbeat picked up two paces. He kneed Roy. “Hurry, boy, he can’t be that far ahead of us.”

  The night was quickly descending and so was the sleet and snow. Those prints had almost been filled in when he’d noticed them. Now Josiah was afraid he’d lose the man again in the snow and dark.

  A few minutes from the house, he lost the tracks. Snow created a white blanket with no blemishes. Fear crawled up his spine and chilled him to the bone. He shivered both from the cold and the worry that the stranger would get to his place before he did.

  Roy thundered into the front yard, kicking up snow as if driven by a need to spread the white stuff himself. Josiah was off and running up the porch steps before the horse came to a complete stop. Josiah pushed the door, only to find himself barred from the house. “Annie!”

  He heard someone fumbling with the heavy piece of wood and then the door flew open. Anna Mae grabbed the front of his coat, pulling him through the opening, her eyes filled with a curious intensity. “I’m sorry it was locked, Josiah, but we have a visitor in the barn and I wasn’t taking any chances.”

  He shut the door behind him and dropped the safety board into the slots. “Tell me about this visitor. Did he introduce himself? Or just head for the barn?”

  His gaze darted to the girls, who quietly sat at the table in their high chairs. Their little bodies seemed poised for action, as if they knew something was up, but were uncertain if it would prove good for them or bad. He winked and they visibly relaxed, grinning at him around mouthfuls of bread.

  Anna Mae answered, “He said his name is John Meeker and his horse is missing a shoe. I told him that he and his horse could stay in the barn tonight.”

  “What time did he arrive?” Josiah returned his attention to her. Her hair was down, giving her a soft, vulnerable look. He shouldn’t have left her and the girls out on the farm alone. What had he been thinking?

  She brushed her hair back. “About fifteen minutes ago.”

  Josiah placed his palm on her warm shoulder. “Did he threaten you or the girls in any way?”

  “No, he was very polite. Just asked if the horse could stay the night in our barn.” She laid her hand on Josiah’s and sighed. “I’m glad you’re home.”

  He raised his fingers and touched her soft cheek. “Me, too.”

  “Papa!” Rose called from the table. She was bouncing in her chair, wanting attention from him, too.

  Ruby swallowed her bread and echoed her sister’s excited cry.

  Josiah dropped his hand and turned to the twins. “Hello, girls. Papa has to go check on something in the barn. You be good for Annie. I’ll be right back.” He turned to Anna Mae. “Bar the door behind me. I’m going to go check on our visitor and put Roy away for the night.” He could have mentioned that he speculated that they had a thief in their barn, but didn’t want to alarm her more than she already was. Josiah reached for the bar.

  Anna Mae put a light, restraining hand on his arm. “Josiah, please be careful. He’s a big man.”

  For the second time in one day, someone had warned him to use caution. Josiah heeded both of them. “I will be. You just stay inside until I come back.” He removed the bar.

  At her nod, Josiah stepped out the door. He waited until he heard the bar fall into place before grabbing Roy’s reins and heading out to the barn. What would he find there? He felt sure that this man was the same who had given him a merry chase all week.

  Mentally, Josiah brought every wanted poster into his mind. He traced each face, checked that it was in his memory and then slowly pulled the barn door open. He intended to slip inside quietly.

  “’Bout time you got home.” The gravelly voice sounded familiar. Josiah ducked just as a beefy fist plowed into the door frame. And another punch knocked the gun from his hand.

  Josiah turned and connected his fist with the big man’s right rib cage. A grunt from his opponent gave him some satisfaction. He grinned.

  “Faster than you used to be, too.”

  The sound of a rifle being cocked stopped both men in their tracks. “Take another step and I’ll blow your big brains out.” The threat was as cold as a rattlesnake’s eyes and just as deadly.

  Josiah recognized that voice, as well. Although he’d never heard it sound so lethal. He slowly turned to his bride. “Annie, put the gun down,” he said, cautiously moving toward her.

  She held the weapon steady as a rock, pointed dead center at the green eyes of the man she had in her sights. “I don’t take kindly to anyone trying to kill my husband,” Anna Mae threatened through clenched teeth, as if she hadn’t heard him.

  If the circumstances hadn’t been so dire, Josiah would have grinned proudly, but right now he feared for Meeker’s life. “Annie, we were just horse playing. I’d like you to meet Grady Meeker. Remember? I told you about him?”

  Her gaze swept to Josiah, confusion in their beautiful brown depths. “Sheriff Grady?”

  “One and the same,” the big booming voice confirmed.

  Anna Mae lowered the rifle. She handed it to Josiah, turned, and with stiff dignity stomped back to the house. At the porch she yelled back at them, “Since you forgot to mention that you know my husband, you’ll definitely be staying in the barn.” She sized up Josiah’s grin. “You know what? You can both stay out here tonight.” Her skirts swished as she slammed the front door.

  Josiah watched her go. She’d followed him. Put herself in danger, put Grady in danger, and now she was mad at him. Josiah couldn’t help but wonder if he wasn’t the one in the most danger.

  Booming laughter filled the barn and a hard hand slapped him on the back. “Well, I’ll be. She’s a little spitfire, isn’t she?” Grady picked up the gun he’d knocked from Josiah’s hand.

  “It would seem so,” Josiah answered, taking his gun and sliding it into his waistband.

  “You didn’t know she was a spitfire? How long you two been married? I saw a couple of young’uns in there that says you should have known her for at least three years. I declare, son, I thought you was smarter than that.” Grady returned to the stall where his horse was stabled.

  Josiah shook his head. “Annie is my second wife. We’ve only been married about six weeks.”

  “Looks like we’ve got a lot of catchin’ up to do.” Grady sat down on a bale of hay. “Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what all you’ve been up to since last we met.”

  He nodded. That had been over three years ago. Maybe by the time he finished catching Grady up, Anna Mae would have cooled off some. Josiah knew he’d have to go into the house sooner or later, and decided later might be better. Anna Mae probably wasn’t ready to hear that he’d had no idea Grady Meeker was in the area or going by the name John Meeker. Plus, he needed to find out what his old mentor was doing in Granite.

  Two hours later, Josiah slipped into the house. He heard Anna Mae saying good-night prayers with the girls, and went into his room to consider what he should say to her.

  Once she heard that Grady was on the trail of the bank robbers that were in the area, and that Josiah hadn’t known about him being here, she’d understand. At least he prayed she would. He li
t the lamp. The room had been cleared of his things. What had the woman done? Thrown them out the back door? Even his Bible was missing off the nightstand. This didn’t bode well at all.

  “I moved your things into our room.” He jumped at the sound of her voice.

  “Why?”

  Anna Mae’s brows drew together in an incredulous squint. “Because I assumed you wouldn’t want your friend to freeze in the barn tonight.” She walked out the door and into the kitchen.

  Josiah followed like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs. She poured a cup of coffee and took a sip. Now why had he thought she was getting it for him? “Look, Annie. I didn’t know Grady was in town or that he’d started using his given name when out on the hunt. He’s a lawman, like me. After the same thieves as I am.” Josiah paused. She still stared at him with steely brown eyes.

  “Well, you both scared the living daylights out of me,” she said, looking over her cup at him.

  “How do you think I felt? There you stood, pointing a gun like you were willing to kill a man.” He could no more stop the grin that crossed his face than he could stop breathing. “I sure hadn’t expected you to come and protect me. But I’m glad you did. Thank you.”

  She sighed and let her shoulders drop. Anna Mae slipped into a chair at the table, as if her legs would no longer hold her up. “Why don’t men just say hello like normal people?” She set the cup down and sighed again.

  He shrugged. “No idea.”

  Picking up a clean cup and the coffeepot, he poured himself coffee, too. Josiah leaned his hip against the warm stove. “Now what’s this about sharing a room?”

  “I figured you didn’t want him to guess that this is a marriage of convenience, so I moved you into mine and the girls’ room. That way he won’t know and no one else will find out, either.” She traced a pine knot in the table.

  He chuckled. “You told him he has to stay in the barn.”

  “I told you to stay there, too,” she reminded him with a cheeky grin.

  Josiah laughed, glad to see his good-humored wife back. “I don’t think a woman’s ever made Grady Meeker sleep in the barn.”