Cassandra Austin Read Free

believe she’d love me.”
    Andrew returned to his chair behind his desk. He shouldn’t feel sorry for the man. DuBois had spent most of his time drunk, pulling crazy stunts during the worst of it. It had only been a matter of time before someone got hurt. True, the dead man wasn’t much better, but that wasn’t the point. The jury had found Francis DuBois guilty of manslaughter, and he would hang on Saturday.
    Still, Andrew couldn’t help but wonder. If the incident had had the opposite outcome, if Louis DuBois had been the one to die, would the banker’s drunken brother-in-law have received equal justice?
    “I like you, Haywood,” DuBois said abruptly. “Always have. Do you know my Cally?”
    Andrew came to stand beside the cell, studying the broken man. “Cally comes to see you every day,” he said, absently rubbing the wound on his arm.
    DuBois stared at the floor. “I remember the day she was born. I looked down at that red hair and turned-up nose, and I said to Deirdre, ‘She’s a Calloway.’ And that’s what we named her.” His haggard face rose slowly. “Will you look out for my Cally, Sheriff?”
    Andrew stared a moment. That was most certainly not part of his job! “There’s got to be some family,” he suggested.
    DuBois shook his head. “I got none. Deirdre’s…well, ya see, they never took to me. I’m afraid I lost track of them long ago.”
    Andrew turned away. He paced across the office and back. DuBois wiped his mouth with a shaky hand, no longer looking at him. After considering a moment, Andrew went to the desk and pulled out a flask and shot glass. He filled the glass half full and handed it through the bars to DuBois.
    DuBois looked at it, licked his lips and glanced at Andrew. “Obliged,” he said, reaching for the glass. He drank it back in one swallow. “Ain’t been worth much since—”
    His watery eyes turned to Andrew again. “She’s right pretty, really. Always been a hard worker and not one to complain. Cooks real good, too. If you don’t want her for yourself, you could see she hooks up with someone decent. I’d a done it afore now, butshe never showed no inclination to marry and, well, I wanted her around.”
    Andrew turned away from the cell. He didn’t see how he could refuse. The damnedest thing was he did feel responsible. He had arrested the old man. He was going to lead him to the gallows.
    He shook his head abruptly. That little wildcat could take care of herself!
    DuBois persisted. “I’d rest easier, knowin’.”
    Andrew cursed himself even as he answered, “I’ll look out for her.”
    The ride back to the farm had seemed long and dismal. Cally couldn’t enjoy the quiet that settled around her as she left the town behind. She couldn’t take any pleasure in the lovely sunset or the light wind that rustled the dry leaves. She had left Pa behind. She had failed again.
    He had been right, of course. She had known all along that she couldn’t just bring him home if she broke him out of jail. They would both have to run. Jewel was a wonderful mule, but her running days were over. They would have to trade her for something better as soon as possible.
    And Queen, Royal’s old mother, wouldn’t want to leave the farm. Every evening when Cally went to see Pa, she told the old dog goodbye and prayed someone would come by and find her and the cow and the chickens soon.
    Tears were threatening again, and she bit her lip. She didn’t want to give up! Pa hadn’t meant to hurt anybody. She had promised the judge that she would watch him better if they would let her take him home.Even as she had pleaded, she had known he wasn’t listening. What was done, was done, and Pa wasn’t going to get a second chance.
    The road dropped down to ford a small creek and Jewel and Royal splashed across the little trickle of water. Once they were away from the trees Cally could see the apple tree on the hill silhouetted in the distance, then the dark shape of the barn. As