The Firecracker Gets Her Man (2 page)

“How long ago did she pass, sir?” Lance asked politely.

“It has been three long years,” Caleb admitted. “It’s been hard on me, but it’s been even harder for little Rachel. She never would have run off to marry that no-good Jess Archer if my Estelle were still alive. I said all the wrong things.”

“You should have put her over your knee and walloped her and then tried to talk to her. You would have had her full attention then.”

“Probably, but I just couldn’t do that, Lance. She came to Estelle and me after we were married nearly eighteen years, and she was born way too early. So tiny, and I didn’t hold out much hope that she would live, but my Estelle worked day and night to save Rachel’s life, and she did it, but I am still afraid she will break if I put a rough hand to her behind,” he confessed.

“That explains why she is so feisty and sassy,” Lance said aloud and the older man looked at him thoughtfully.

“You sound as though that pleases you, young man.”

“I like a sassy, spunky redhead, sir. Your daughter is very pretty, and I would like your permission to take her for a walk after dinner?”

“You will need
her
permission, Lance,” he answered with a chuckle. “Don’t make the mistake of thinking she is of low virtue because of that fancy talker she ran off with. I know my girl, and she is still as innocent as the day she was born.”

“Yes, sir, she is. She refused to be with him when he wouldn’t put a ring on her finger. Stupid man ran out on her a couple of days after they left here,” he added.

“And you know this how?”

“I asked and she answered me. I wanted to know if I needed to track the bastard down and beat him half to death for mistreating her.”

“And you just met my child when she stepped off the stage?”

“Yes, sir.” He looked at the doctor and then said, “I don’t act this way normally, sir. There is simply something special about Rachel.”

“Yes, there is. Don’t try to talk her into anything improper, son, or else. I might not raise a hand to my daughter when I should, but I could make you hurt in ways you cannot imagine.”

“I am not like that either, sir. I have nothing but respect for Rachel. You need to trust her. She is a good girl; she misjudged a man who was trying to lead her astray and told him to get lost when she learned the truth. Rachel is a smart lady.”

“You met her less than an hour ago!” The doctor shook his head. “You have it real bad, son.”

“I sure do, don’t I?”

“Make sure you don’t forget about Jared Cane.”

“I won’t forget. I want to put him behind bars and watch him stand trial for all the wrongs he’s done. Sir, Rachel shouldn’t leave this house alone. She would be easy prey for Cane if he figures out she is here. I don’t want her where he can see her and shoot her.”

“I don’t want that, either!” Rachel said as she entered the parlor. “But, you needn’t worry about me, Lance. I am armed, and I will shoot Cane if he comes near me.”

“I don’t want you to take any chances, Rachel. It’s only a few days, and surely you can find something to do inside while I capture that man.”

“Yes, of course, I
could
, but I don’t want to. I want to help capture Cane and put him behind bars, and I want to testify against him and prove he killed Dr. Merritt.”

“I understand your feelings, Rachel, but it is too dangerous. The answer is no,” Lance said firmly.

Rachel smiled and tipped her head to one side, “You have no say over what I do, Ranger Underwood. I am going to capture that horrid man, and you may bet the farm on it.” She took a deep breath and then added, “Our dinner is all ready, and I hope you won’t mind that we are eating in the kitchen. I am too lazy to carry everything to the dining room and then back to the kitchen, so we will eat at the kitchen table. Papa, is that all right with you?” she asked.

“We eat nearly all of our meals in the kitchen. A dining room is a waste if you ask me, but your mama loved using it for her fancy parties.”

“Yes, she did, and there are times it is fun to be festive, but today we are eating because we all have a huge appetite. The kitchen seems perfect.”

“We never had a dining room in the house I grew up in,” Lance admitted. “I prefer to eat in the kitchen.”

“It’s all settled then,” Caleb said with a smile. “Daughter, I think a bottle of wine is called for this evening. We need to celebrate your homecoming.”

“I am ahead of you, Papa! In fact, I brought you a bottle of something I knew you would love.”

“Well, I am impressed. Of course, I won’t dare have more than half a glass,” he stated. “I am so tired that I would sleep around the clock, and you know that I could get called out at any time.”

“We’d best eat quickly then,” Rachel said with an understanding smile as she led the way to the kitchen. “Please sit on Papa’s left, Lance.” They all took their seats, and Caleb said a short blessing before picking up the platter of fried chicken and offering it to Lance.

“Help yourself, young man. There is plenty, so don’t be shy.”

“Yes, there are plenty of vegetables too. And I made biscuits,” Rachel said proudly.

“This all looks real good, Rachel, smells good, too!” Lance helped himself and passed the food across the table so that Rachel could fill her plate.

“Delicious, honey!” Caleb bragged on her. “I haven’t had food this good since you left!”

“I agree that this is real good cookin’, Rachel. Thank you for inviting me and sharing your table. It’s been a long time since I had anything this good to eat. I love this chicken. It’s so crispy on the outside, and tender and juicy on the inside.”

“I am going to get a big head!” she responded, blushing.

When they ate their fill, she produced bread pudding for dessert, and Lance wanted to propose marriage! “This tastes like my Ma’s, Rachel. It really is good!”

“Thank you for the compliment, Lance,” she said, blushing again. She wasn’t used to anyone but her father saying nice things to her, and it was going to her head. The man was too handsome for words with his dark, wavy hair and his warm brown eyes that seemed to see everything around him all at once. His voice was deep and sexy and she wondered if he could sing as well as she thought he could. “After I do up these dishes, perhaps we can gather at the piano? I’ve learned a few new songs and would play them for you and Papa.”

“Honey, I am sorry, but I must go and lie down for a while and get some sleep. If I am needed, come wake me, please. Don’t worry that the music will wake me; I won’t hear a thing.”

“Yes, Papa. Good night.” She jumped up and gave him a hug. “I am so happy to be home. Thank you for welcoming me; I am not sure I would have been so forgiving in your shoes.”

“I love you, Rachel. The past is over, done and forgotten. Good night, daughter. Good night, Lance.”

They heard the doctor’s feet on the steps, and then Rachel started clearing the table. She was amazed when the big man started helping her, and he did it as if he actually knew what he was doing! “You are a guest, Lance. I don’t expect you to help clean up,” she protested.

“I was taught to show my appreciation for an invite to a good meal. My Ma made sure us boys knew how to use a dishtowel, and I can tell you I watched my Pa put his hands in the dishpan nearly every night unless he had something else going on that needed his immediate attention.”

“I am honestly impressed,” she admitted. “I have never seen a man willingly do the dishes, not even Papa. Mama never asked his help, and he never offered it.”

“Ma said that a dish couldn’t tell if it was a male or a female washing, drying, and putting it away. She wasn’t afraid to shovel out a stall in the barn, or feed livestock, either. I like to think I learned to appreciate her viewpoint on work as I grew up. I’ve seen women who ran their own ranches, and men who worked as cooks. I didn’t think less of them for it either.”

“I think you are a good man, Lance, and I do appreciate your views on this subject. It will make it easier for us to devise a plan to capture Jared Cane!”

“No, young lady! It is too dangerous!” Lance shook a finger at her. “I absolutely will not permit you to go anywhere near Cane. He is evil, and he would shoot you on sight!”

“I so hoped we could do this together, but if you are going to be impossible, I will just have to come up with my own plan to take him in custody!”

“I hope you are just being sassy right now and that you know you aren’t going to do any such thing. Cane is a killer, and he uses women.”

“He has a girlfriend who is carrying his child!” she argued.

“Rachel, as you told the sheriff, you are a doctor’s daughter. I am sure you have seen women who have been forced? Cane loves to hurt women; it makes him feel powerful. I want your promise that you will stay here in this house and let me deal with Cane.”

“I can’t promise because I already made a promise that I would be the one to march him into a jail cell.”

“Who did you promise?” he demanded, positive he was going to pound someone for letting a little girl make a promise like that!

“Myself!”

“Yourself?” he repeated, struggling for patience. “Good, you can unmake your promise to yourself and make a promise to me. Is that understood?”

“No! I do not change my mind on a whim just because some man demands I do so! Doctor Merritt was a good, kind, and compassionate man. He treated me well, and he made sure I was paid enough that I could support myself decently. He also saw to it I was included in things at the church! He didn’t have a wife or children, and he was lonely as could be. He treated me like he would have a little sister. I miss him, and I am grieving for him!”

“Were you in love with him?” Lance asked, suddenly jealous as could be.

“No, he wasn’t like that, Lance. He didn’t appreciate women in that way, if you understand. He had a—” She struggled to find a word. “Friend, but he died a year or so before I arrived in town. There is no one else to care, really care, that the man who murdered him is brought to justice. I promised, and I will keep my promise!”

“Would the good doctor want you to be beaten and raped, or killed, by that madman?”

“No, of course not!” She waved her arm impatiently. “You act as though I have no common sense! I have no intention of giving Cane an opportunity to get to me first. He doesn’t even know I am here. I will be able to get the drop on him in such a way he won’t anticipate. He thinks that the Fourth of July celebrations will cover him, but it will also cover me. I am going to set him up in such a way he cannot escape.”

“No, you are not!” Lance said slowly and purposefully. “You are going to let the law handle this, hear me?”

“The law certainly didn’t do much good for Dr. Merritt. Where was the law when he was alone with Jared Cane?”

“That isn’t the issue here, little girl. Your safety is what matters; there is nothing we can do to change what happened to the good doctor, but we can keep you safe in his name, and that is what I intend to do. I—” He was interrupted by a loud pounding on the front door. “You let me answer the door, Rachel. I don’t trust Cane.”

“Don’t be ridiculous; it is someone for Papa!” She darted around him and was opening the door before he could stop her!

“Miss Rachel, hello! Is Doc here? I got me a bad wounded man in my wagon!”

“Let’s get him inside Papa’s examination room,” she said, taking charge. She ran outside to the wagon, and jumped up inside the wagon bed to examine the man. “Who did this?” she asked.

“I don’t know, Miss Rachel. I done found this guy lyin’ in the road as I was drivin’ into town. I knowed I couldn’t do anythin’ for him, so I brung him to Doc.”

“You did the right thing, Maynard. Help me get him inside. We don’t want to be rough with him, or the bullet could move. Lance, please go and wake Papa.”

“You go and wake your father, and I will help carry this man inside. He is too heavy for you to carry with any safety, and what would happen if you dropped him? Now, don’t fuss at me. Go get your father,” he bossed in a firm tone.

By the time Lance and Maynard carried the man inside, Caleb was downstairs and in his office, alert and wide-awake. “Sure glad you’re here, Doc.”

“Thanks for bringing him in, Maynard. We’ll do our best for him.”

“I knowed that, Doc. I’ll go and tell the sheriff what happened, and I reckon he’ll come by to talk to him – if he wakes up.”

“Tell him it will be some time before he can talk. I need to dig out the bullet and he will sleep after.”

“Sure will tell him, Doc.” Maynard ran out of the house and climbed up on the seat of his wagon.

“Lance, there is nothing more you can do in here,” Caleb stated. “Please wait in the parlor if you wish to stay.”

“I need to know who this man is, who shot him and why. I don’t believe it is a coincidence that he has been shot at this time when we know that Jared Cane is in the area.”

“As soon as we know what happened to him we will tell you, son. Now please go and help yourself to some coffee and let me try to save this man’s life.”

Lance got his coffee and went outside to have a seat on the porch.

It was just a short time later that the sheriff came walking up on the porch. “I saw you down watching the stage this afternoon. What are you doing here now?” the man demanded, frowning and trying to intimidate Lance.

“I saw you at the stage too, and you were being rude to Miss Waterford. What did she do to earn that, Sheriff?” Lance purposely baited the man.

“That ain’t none of your concern, mister. You can start by tellin’ me your name and who that shot up man is to you?”

“My name is Lance Underwood, and I don’t know the man. I was hoping you could tell me who would do something like this?”

“Now, how would I know that? I ain’t talked to the guy yet.” He started to head for the doctor’s office, and Lance moved to stop him.

“The doctor doesn’t want anyone in there. He asked me to tell you to have a seat in the parlor and wait. The man won’t wake up for a while after surgery.”

“Just who the hell do you think you are, mister? You been in this town one damn day and you’re tellin’ me what I can and can’t do?” The sheriff was furious.

“I’m only doing what Doc said to do. If you have a problem with that, then too bad. The doctor doesn’t want to be interrupted while he is holding a man’s life in his hands.”

“Why are you in town?”

“I’m here to visit with Miss Waterford. She is a good friend of mine. She saved my sister’s life when things went wrong with having her baby.”

“You’d do better to look elsewhere. That one ain’t no good.”

“Oh?” Lance felt his temper soar. “Would you clear that up, Sheriff? I guess I ought to warn you that I’m not going to like it if you slander the lady.”

“Slander? I don’t know what that means,” the sheriff sputtered angrily. “All I know is that one ran off with a man after her Pa done told her not to. She ain’t no good for marryin’ up with.”

“And now you have slandered Miss Waterford. You lied about her, and she would be within her rights to file charges against you and take you to court. I will be happy to be her witness too, as would her father. You are a fool, Sheriff. I don’t know how you got that badge, but I mean to see to it that you don’t keep it.”

“I ought to lock you in jail, you worthless bastard.”

“More slander. I work, and I am certainly not a bastard.” Lance stepped toward him. “I think you should leave, Sheriff. You won’t get your questions answered before morning, and I don’t think the good doctor would want to have you sitting in his parlor thinking the way you do about his daughter.”

“You don’t have the right to tell me to leave.”

“Actually, I do. Now git!”

The sheriff made the mistake of going for his gun, and then blinked in shock as Lance was so fast the sheriff didn’t have time to clear his holster. Lance took his gun. “I suggest you leave before I lock you in your own jail.”

“There’s got to be a paper out on you!” he muttered.

“Afraid you won’t find one, but looking for it will occupy your time. In the meantime, stay away from Miss Waterford.”

Lance enjoyed getting rid of the obnoxious sheriff and he sat and waited patiently for the surgery to end. He wanted to talk to the patient before the sheriff had a chance to bungle things. Finally, he decided he needed something to do, so he wandered inside to the parlor, where he allowed temptation to take control. He sat down at the piano and ran his hands lovingly over the keys. The piano was in tune, and it sounded beautiful. It made him think of his sweet Ma, and he started playing, caught up in the music, and soon he was singing his Pa’s favorite hymn. He was unaware anyone was with him until the applause started. He whirled around, his face red at the thought of being taken unaware by an enemy. Thankfully, it was Caleb and Rachel standing there, smiling.

“I knew you would have a splendid singing voice, Lance!” Rachel said with glee. “I’m so happy I am right!”

“I am embarrassed at being caught out,” he admitted.

“Don’t be embarrassed of a gift of music, Lance. We love to hear people sing. My wife was very musical and she encouraged us to be too.”

“How is your patient?” Lance purposely changed the subject.

“He woke once, and it sounded like he was asking for his wife. I put him out again before he could rip out his stitches trying to get up.”

“He was trying to rise?” Lance asked, frowning.

“Yes, fighting with Papa,” Rachel admitted.

“Do you suppose he could have been traveling with his wife and was jumped and he was shot trying to protect her?” Lance was on his feet. “I’m going to see if I can do some scouting and try and learn something. Do you know where the area is that Maynard found him?”

“Yes, I can show you,” she offered.

“No,” he firmly stated. “You need to stay here with your papa, Rachel. I have a gut feeling that Jared Cane is behind this shooting. Besides, I made the sheriff mad earlier. I told him I was a friend of yours, and that you saved my sister from dying in childbirth. I don’t normally lie, but that man is an imbecile. Do not see him without your father with you. He thinks you’re a fallen woman and I don’t trust him not to try and force himself on you. I’m sorry to be so blunt, Rachel. I know it isn’t true, and I told him Doc wouldn’t let him inside his parlor if he was slandering you.”

“You’ve got that right. Thank you for dealing with him. Rachel, the man is a fool; I think we can best help Lance by doing as he says and giving the sheriff smoke to deal with.”

“Very well, Papa. I will obey you. I want to help all I can.”

“You are helping, Rachel. Thank you for your efforts,” Lance told her with a smile, and then, to his shock and her surprise, he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. “Gosh, I didn’t know I was going to do that! I meant no offense, Rachel. I think you so sweet, and I am leaving before I put my other foot in my mouth!” He hurried from the parlor and the house with the doctor’s laughter ringing in his ears.

“That boy is head over heels for you, honey,” Caleb told his perplexed daughter. “Do you feel anything for him?” he questioned.

“I think he is very handsome, Papa. I like him – a lot!”

“That’s good. I think he is planning to court you once he captures Jared Cane.”

“I am going to help him do that,” she whispered, and then they heard a crash from Caleb’s office. They took off running and found their patient lying on the floor.

“Here, here! What are you trying to do, young man?” Caleb scolded as he helped him back into the bed.

“They have my wife! I’ve got to help her!” he weakly protested.

“Can you tell me what happened?” Rachel asked, and listened carefully as he haltingly told his story. He fell into a troubled sleep once again, and Rachel turned to her parent. “I have to go and tell Lance what happened.”

“He said for you to stay here,” Caleb reminded her.

“I know, but he could come across Jared Cane and his gang and be taken unaware. I must go, Papa. I will hide the fact I am a woman and I will be very careful, I promise.”

“No, daughter!”

“Papa, I must! You cannot go because of our patient, and we wouldn’t know who we could trust to protect Lance’s identity. You heard him tell us the sheriff is not happy with him right now, and I have always thought the man an incompetent fool! I really must go.”

“Carry a gun, and for God’s sake, wear a hat and hide your hair!” Caleb reluctantly ordered. “I suppose I should warn you that Lance believes in spanking, and I promise you I shall not do a thing to stop him if he decides to take you across his knee and wear out his hand on your posterior.”

“Papa! You really don’t think he would attempt to punish me like I am some naughty schoolgirl?” The thought truly gave her pause.

“To quote him, ‘No female ever gets too old for a good spanking.’ I would think him quite capable of paddling the pants off of you if you push him too far, and since he has told you more than once to stay inside this house—”

“But this is an emergency, Papa. Lance needs to know about this man’s wife! I am going to change and be on my way.”

“Very well. Gray is in his stall, and he will be happy to see you are home.”