Page 38 of Reckoning with the Cowboy
“You’ll see. I have all kinds of plans. Think I might have a soft opening as early as the spring.”
Max envied his brother for taking on such a project, although he had no idea what a soft opening was. “If anyone can do it, it’s you,” he said truthfully. This Cordell could do anything, he thought. His kid brother had definitely changed, and he wondered how much Josie Brand had a hand in it.
“I’m going back to work next week,” Max announced.
“You sure you’re ready for that?” Cordell asked, looking concerned.
“Why would you ask? I’m healthy as a horse. Doc told me at my checkup.”
“I don’t know,” his brother admitted. “I just feel like maybe you’ve lost your drive to be sheriff. If you want to hang up your star, you can go into business with me at the hotel.”
Max shook his head. “Nothing’s changed,” he lied. “So how are things between you and Josie?”
“I’m taking it slow. I need to prove to her the kind of man I am now,” Cordell said and grinned. “One of these days, I might even ask her out.”
* * *
Josie couldn’t helpher shock when she looked up from her office to see Esther Mason standing in the doorway. Her disgust for the woman must have shown, because Esther bristled and propelled herself forward as if on a mission.
Bracing herself, Josie sighed and leaned back in her chair, ready for the onslaught.
“I just wanted you to know that a lot of lonely women write to prisoners,” Esther said. “The whole town wants to make me into the villain. How was I to know that Roger was going to come here and—” She waved a hand through the air before narrowing her eyes at Josie. “You believe what you want, but those boys tried to kill him. That’s what brought him here. Wasn’t anything I told him.”
“I see no reason to debate this, Esther. Roger Grimes is dead. Cordell and I have been cleared in his death. Max is getting better. It’s over.”
The older woman puffed up like a blowfish. “I know for a fact that he wasn’t the only one writing to someone from around here.”
That took Josie by surprise. She had hoped that Esther was the only one who’d had contact with Grimes. “You know that for a fact?”
“Roger told me.”
“Did he tell you who?” She could feel her skin crawl, her blood pounding in her ears. Esther was enjoying knowing something Josie didn’t. But it quickly became apparent that she didn’t know much.
“He wouldn’t say, just that I’d been more helpful.”
“I’ll just bet you were,” Josie said, losing patience. “Is that all, Esther?”
The elderly woman looked indignant for a moment. “This is a hateful town. I’m so glad I left it.”
Not as glad as the residents, Josie thought, but bit her tongue.
“But you should know. There is someone among you who is deceiving you all.” With that, Esther turned and left, slamming the door behind her.
Josie sighed, hoping she was wrong, but worried that she wasn’t. If someone in town had been writing to a prisoner and Roger Grimes knew about it, then the two criminals must have known each other. Even been friends?
But other prisoners didn’t have any reason to want to hurt anyone in Dry Gulch, she reminded herself as she tried to brush off what Esther had told her. It was just Esther stirring the pot. At the same time, she hated that now she would be unconsciously looking for the letter writer among the town’s female residents.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Cordell grinned when he looked out to see Josie standing on the sidewalk in front of his hotel. She walked by every day, trying to peer into the soaped-over windows, as if wanting to see how the remodel was progressing. Or just maybe, wanting to see him. He could only hope, he told himself, as he went to the front door and threw it open.
Startled, she jumped back and tried to pretend she hadn’t been snooping.
He laughed at her embarrassment at being caught. He’d purposely left her alone the past few weeks. He wasn’t exactly playing hard to get. More like hoping she’d come to him when she was ready.
Eyeing her now, he couldn’t imagine her looking any more beautiful. She’d always taken his breath away. Nor had he ever met a stronger, more determined woman. Her long dark hair was pulled back with a clip that he yearned to open to release her mass of curls. Her lips were freshly glossed, just begging to be kissed.
“Hello, Counselor,” he said, trying to rein his bad-boy thoughts in. “Nice of you to stop by.”
