Page 9 of Conveniently Wed
Likely spending time with one of his many sweethearts. Where Edgar shied away from women at all costs, Ricky had been caught kissing behind the barn—and the church and the schoolhouse—too many times to count.
“Job’s not finished,” Edgar told his brother. “I need you with me, not out fooling around.”
Ricky rolled his shoulders beneath his faded work shirt, as if he was looking for a wrestling match. His brother’s penchant for using his fists to communicate had been a recent development, started when Ricky was caught flirting with another young buck’s sweetheart. Normally Edgar would’ve been happy to oblige him, but not this time.
“Pa left me in charge while he’s gone,” he reminded his younger brother.
Ricky had no argument for that.
They stared at each other for a long, tense moment. For a few seconds, Edgar thought Ricky would turn and walk away.
“Until those cattle are delivered to Pa’s buyer, I need you to quit with the tomfoolery and help me. You owe Pa that much.”
The reminder of everything Jonas had done for them was a low blow, but Ricky gave a tight nod.
“Now what do you mean the station’s closed?” Edgar asked.
Ricky shrugged, looking across the street with hooded eyes. “The agent said the tracks are out both east and westbound and that he’d had a wire from Calvin. Their station is closed too.”
“When do they think it’ll be repaired? Not in time for our shipment, anyway.” Edgar answered his own question, thinking aloud.
“Agent said Tuck’s Station has the closest operational rail stop.” The small town was about halfway to Cheyenne, a good forty-five miles.
Edgar took off his Stetson and ran one hand through his hair, again noticing how long and messy it had gotten. It was a wonder Penny hadn’t taken him to task and cut it for him, but then she’d been busy with preparations for their trip to Philadelphia.
He idly scanned the area, still unable to believe that the railroad they’d relied on for years to ship their livestock could let them down like this. The agreement between his pa and the buyer had been for delivery in Cheyenne by the first of June. Edgar had planned for an early delivery, but now they would be pushing it to get the cattle there on time.
It looked like they were going to be forced to do a cattle drive. They hadn’t had one in years, not with the railroad making things convenient for local ranchers. With it being spring, others might be affected by the outage, as the White ranch was going to be. Maybe he could rustle up some additional funds by helping out their neighbors, taking their cattle for sale as well.
Raised voices from down the street brought his gaze around and stalled his thoughts. Here came the sheriff, with the matron, the circuit judge and several other folks trailing behind.
The pretty liar looked up from her seat on the step, and their gazes collided.
He quickly shifted his feet, breaking the almost palpable contact and turning away. He needed to get on his way. Had things to attend to.
And yet his feet felt like bricks, heavy and unmovable.
And he had to wait on Matty anyway.
“I want her prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law—” The chaperone lady’s voice was loud enough to carry down the street.
He’d heard her outside the overturned train car, going on and on about how Fran had cheated the orphanage that had sent the kids west. He figured everyone who’d been on the passenger car, plus those who’d come from town to help, had heard about the girl and the situation, and that the matron wanted her to pay.
And between the two groups of folks, the entire population of Bear Creek was likely to hear the story before sundown. Especially since he’d spotted Matilda Carter, the biggest gossipin town, in the group. She was likely to spread the story like wildfire.
If the girl wasn’t a real orphan—at least not an underage one—and if the folks in town were turned against her, she wouldn’t be able to find a decent job and would have to move on. He could only hope.
Except he did feel a little twinge behind his breastbone. He knew what it felt like to have all your choices taken from you. He’d been the last orphan at the last stop on the orphan train when he’d been sent west. And no one had wanted him. Not one family had taken a look at his mug and said, “That kid needs a family,” or even, “That kid looks like a hard worker.”
Until Jonas had arrived. If his pa hadn’t come along, Edgar didn’t know what he would’ve done—he’d had no way to survive on his own back then.
He didn’t want to feel any sympathy for her. He didn’t want to feel anything for her. He wanted her gone.
Matty came up the street from the other direction, towing a cloth-wrapped basket from the local cafe.
The itch on the back of Edgar’s neck told him it was time to get out of there.
Fran had a hard time concentrating on all the voices arguing around her. Her nose had picked up on something savory from the basket Matty had brought back and it seemed her hunger pains had taken over her brain.
