Page 56 of The Sheriff and the Outlaw

“I hope you’re not lying to me.” Austin’s voice was even but his eyes never wavered.

But neither did Daxton’s. “Is that a threat?” He laughed without humor. “You don’t want to threaten a lawman.”

Austin nodded, arching an eyebrow. “And you don’t want to lie to me.” He laughed, too. “You don’t want to know what I do to people who lie to me.”

“And that is a threat.” Daxton held his hand over his gun.

Austin was quick to hold his hands up over his head. “No threat, sheriff. Just having fun.” He looked around and two men were waiting a short distance away, leaning casually against a fence post, smirking. “I’m leaving.” He clicked his tongue. “Until we meet again.” Then he walked away and joined his other men.

Not wanting to turn his back on Austin, he waited until they were gone. Then Daxton hurried through the crowd and up the bleachers, looking around frantically for his children. He sighed in relief when Andrew waved at him. Lillian was sitting right by his side.

Daxton hurried over to his children and pulled them both into his arms. “What happened?”

“Dad, you’re hurting me,” Andrew said against his chest, obviously not wanting to be embarrassed in public. But Lillian clung to him for dear life.

Daxton grabbed his shoulders and shook him once. “What were you thinking?”

“Pa, it wasn’t me!” Andrew’s eyes widened.

“Pa, it wasn’t him!” Lillian mimicked. “We went around a corner and that man stopped us.”

Daxton pulled them both to his chest again. “I know. I’m so sorry. But seeing you with him… just scared me.” After a moment, he released his son and looked into his eyes. “Now, both of you sit down and tell me what happened.”

Andrew did as his father said. “We were headed for the bleachers when this man stopped us and told us he wanted to talk to us.”

Daxton’s heart stopped. “What did he say to you?”

“He asked us about Josey,” Andrew answered.

Daxton clenched his jaw. “What exactly did he ask?”

Andrew shook his head.

“He asked if we knew a Josey Slater,” Lillian supplied.

“Josey Slater?” Daxton asked in disbelief. “What did you tell him?” Daxton’s blood boiled, knowing how close his children had come to being killed.

“We didn’t tell him anything,” Andrew replied. “I wore my Poker face like Josey taught me and said that I didn’t know anyone named Josey.”

“What did you tell them?” Daxton asked Lillian.

Lillian’s eyes were wide. “No, Pa. I didn’t say anything.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Daxton breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled his children to his chest. Then something occurred to him, and he pulled back to look at them. “Why did he ask the two of you and not someone else?”

Andrew glanced over at his sister, and she shook her head.

“Tell me... please.” Daxton looked between them. “You won’t get into trouble. I promise. But I have to know.”

Andrew squared his shoulders, releasing his breath. “James was standing behind him and nodded at us, then he walked away.”

“James?”Daxton’s voice rose about three octaves. He was attracting attention, but he didn’t care. “The James I work with? James Harding? My deputy?”

Andrew nodded, biting his lower lip. “Yes, Pa. He hurried away, but I got a good look at him. It was him.”

“I’m going to kill him.” Daxton clenched his fists at his sides. He stood and looked around the crowd but didn’t see any of them. “The next time I see him, I’m going to kill him.”

After what happened, Daxton didn’t dare leave his children alone, not even for a second. But he knew they couldn’t stay there. Not with a gang in town. He had to alert the local sheriff and then get back to Whiskey River, where he could better protect his family.

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