Page 51 of Redeeming the Outlaw
“A sister? Do we need to worry about her?” Whit’s head was hurting.
Briggs shook his head. “I don’t think so. The brothers are just boys. Oldest isn’t even sixteen. They may not know who their kin are,” Briggs said with a humorless chuckle. “Truth is, I’m stretched too thin. Between the Richards causing chaos and trying to keep the peace in town, it’s been a juggling act.” Briggs leaned back in his chair, the weathered wood creaking beneath his weight.
The Richards gang had proven themselves to be a relentless and unpredictable foe, striking fear into the hearts of thetownsfolk with their brazen attacks. It would take more than one man to keep them at bay.
“Do you think the boys will cause trouble if they learn the truth?”
“I don’t know. I just know someone needs to watch them.” The legs of the chair slammed to the floor with a thud. Whit nodded, understanding the marshal’s dilemma all too well.
“I’m worried about the town, Whit. I can’t be in two places at once, and I’m not getting any younger. There aren’t any new marshals for the Nebraska Territory.”
“What do you need me to do?” Whit asked, his voice steady. He knew he couldn’t consider his job done yet, not until he brought the last of the Richards to justice. His priority was keeping Esther safe.
Briggs regarded him for a long moment, a flicker of something akin to respect in his eyes. Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he reached into his desk drawer and pulled out a weathered nickel star. The six-pointed badge gleamed in the sunlight, with each point ending in a raised ball which symbolized the justice the sheriffs swore to uphold.
“Equity, moderation, right conduct, purification, endurance, and compassion,” Briggs recited, his fingers tracing over each end. “These are the qualities a true lawman must embody, Whit. Qualities I see in you, even if you don’t see them in yourself.”
Whit stared at the badge, his heart thundering in his chest. He had never aspired to be a lawman, had never thought himself worthy of such a calling. As he looked into Briggs’ eyes, he saw a flicker of something which looked like faith. Faith in him, in his ability to protect and serve the people of Flat River.
“I don’t know if I’m cut out for this, Marshal,” Whit said, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m just a man trying to do right bythe people I care about. For me, it was about finding the truth for Ma and finding Vangie. Then it became about protecting Esther and rescuing her family.”
“Which is exactly what makes you the right man for the job,” Briggs replied, moving the badge from one hand to the other. “You have a heart for justice, Whit. A heart for doing what’s right, no matter the cost. You are what Flat River needs now more than ever.”
As Briggs flipped the badge between his fingers, Whit felt a sense of purpose settling over him like a mantle. He knew the Richards would stop at nothing to see him and all he held dear destroyed. With the weight of the law and the town behind him, he would not be alone in this fight.
“This badge was yours, wasn’t it?”
Briggs slid the badge across the desk. “Before I became a marshal, I was the sheriff in a small podunk town. Smaller than this. I kept the badge to remind me where I came from. Don’t forget your roots, Whit. All your experiences make you the man you are today.”
“Do you just announce to the town, ‘Hey, Whit Hartman is your sheriff, and you need to listen to him’?”
Briggs laughed. “No. There is an election involved. You’re nominated, and then if there isn’t any opposition, you are sheriff by default. If there is someone else who wants to run, then we take a vote.”
“I suppose it will take a bit of time to get this done.”
“Already done. It will be announced at church on Sunday.”
“What? How?” Whit’s head swam with the news Briggs had been coordinating something in the background. “The people in town know me. They know my father and where I come from. I just had Bobby Fairfax asking me about being a part of theRichards gang. Reverend Billings thinks I violated his daughter. If the town thinks I betrayed them, how will they trust me with keeping them safe?” Whit slid the badge back across the table.
“You have two days to figure it out.” Briggs curled his fingers around the badge and slid it back into the drawer. “Then again, you could just run off with the pretty preacher’s daughter and raise a gang of your own.”
The left corner of Whit’s lips quirked up in a slight smile. “I have two days to figure it out, don’t I?”
Two days later.
“Do you think he’s coming?”
Esther paced back and forth in the small room at the back of the church, her heart fluttering with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The delicate lace of her wedding gown brushed against her ankles as she moved, a gentle reminder of the momentous occasion which should await her after services.
“He’ll be here,” Ruth said. “He promised you.”
Esther nodded, wanting to believe her sister’s words, but doubt crept in like an unwelcome visitor. She hadn’t seen Whit since he dropped her off. Briggs only stopped by for ten minutes and couldn’t stay to talk. She needed answers.
Naomi pushed the door open and peeked her head into the room. “Ma said it’s time for services. She wanted me to come get you.”
“Thank you, Naomi. Have you seen Whit?”
With a shake of her head, Esther’s sister walked out of theroom and left the door ajar. Trying her best to hold back tears, Esther turned to Ruth for comfort.
