Page 8 of Kissing the Sheriff
The boy’s face scrunched up as he thought. “Uh, well, there’s been a few. That’s what Pa says.”
“And your father’s right. Several families have left since the incident that shall not be named. If any more leave, we won’t have a town to live in. I like our little town, don’t you?”
The three children nodded.
“Very well, then, we need to keep those gentlemen around. And the best way to do that …” He rubbed his hands together. “… is to get them married.” He waggled his eyebrows.
Lacey’s jaw dropped. “Married?” Flint started making kissing sounds as Billy batted his eyelashes at him.
“Attention!” the captain bellowed.
The children snapped to attention and stood. “Yes, Captain?” Billy said.
He paced in front of them. “Now, hear this. Letty and Sterling are already courting. All we have to do is take care of the rest. There are five Englishmen that need wives. I believe I have them paired properly. One of them is currently working on Sheriff Cassie’s house.”
Flint gasped. “But Captain, she’ll shoot him!”
“That’s where you come in. Make sure she doesn’t. That trigger-happy lass is liable to kill off the best thing that ever happened to her.” He went to an overturned crate and sat. “Now, all you have to do is make sure that they spend time together. Now, which of you will volunteer for the task?”
Lacey held Mrs. Winkle tight. “Is that how people fall in love?”
“Well, it helps,” the captain said. “I know he’s working on her house, but she’ll spend all her time at the sheriff’s office. Give her reasons to go home, or give him a reason to go see her.”
“You want us to get him arrested?” Flint asked. “That doesn’t seem right.”
Captain Stanley rubbed his bearded chin a few times.“Hmmm … not a bad idea.”
“But Captain,” Billy said. “If we get him arrested, then he’ll have to spend the night in jail.”
“Aye. And Cassie will want to guard her prisoner …”
“No, she won’t,” Lacey said. “She’ll want to go to bed, then get up and have her coffee in the morning. Mama says so.”
“That’s true,” Flint said. “Ma says that if Cassie doesn’t get her coffee, she gets real cranky.”
The captain chuckled. “Aye, that she does. All right, then, we won’t get him arrested just yet. But we do want them spending time together.”
“I could find out if Mr. Darling likes to go fishing,” Billy volunteered.
“Sheriff Cassie likes to fish,” Flint agreed.
“Now you’re thinking, lads,” Captain Stanley said with a grin. “Billy, get the two of them to fish together. Lacey, you and Mrs. Winkle could make a picnic lunch for them to take.”
Her jaw dropped again. “I don’t know how to cook. Mama won’t even let me make a sandwich.”
“That’s because she makes a big mess,” Flint said.
Captain Stanley folded his arms. “Aye, I recall seeing one of those messes. How about I have Dora make the picnic lunch? I can drop a hint here and there so when the time comes, she’ll toss something together.”
Lacey smiled and hugged Mrs. Winkle. “That’s a good idea.”
He rubbed his hands together again. “Perfect. We’ll execute our plan immediately.”
“But Captain,” Billy said. “It’s getting late. What if Mr. Darling isn’t at the sheriff’s house anymore?”
“Then you ask him tomorrow, lad. Either way, we’ll get the two of them fishing and sparking.”
“What’s sparking?” Flint asked.
