Tags:
Fiction,
Romance,
Historical,
Adult,
Western,
California,
Native American,
Law Enforcement,
19th century,
Bachelor,
sheriff,
Protection,
stranger,
Forever Love,
Single Woman,
Hearts Desire,
American West,
Love Possibility,
Frontier & Pioneer,
Victorian Mansion,
Gold Mine,
Miners,
Lawman,
Gentleman,
Suspicious Interest
dear, there’s never been a single ounce of gold brought out of that mine.”
Kate smiled, undeterred. “That’s excellent, Dr. Ledet.”
“It is?”
“Why, yes. Obviously all the gold is still inside, just waiting for me to bring it out.”
Charmed by her childlike exuberance, the elderly doctor had no wish to burst her bubble. That would happen soon enough. He said, “Could well be, child. Could well be.”
Kate kept glancing out at the changing scenery. The banks bordering the ever narrowing river had become lofty cliffs forested with tall, fragrant pines. She was enchanted.
And all the while she conversed with her congenial companion. Kate learned that the doctor was achildless widower who had left his San Francisco practice after Mary, his cherished wife of thirty-three years, contracted scarlet fever from one of his patients. She had died three days later.
Dr. Ledet had been in Fortune for the past six years, and Kate had plenty of questions about the community she planned to call home. He had all the answers and was glad to share them. Enjoying his captive audience, Milton Ledet regaled Kate with tales of the wild and woolly town where he practiced medicine. He knew just about everyone who lived in Fortune and had a story to tell about most of them.
Kate was fascinated by the colorful yarns, which made the time pass quickly. As morning turned to afternoon, Kate noticed that the air thinned so dramatically she was having a little difficulty breathing.
She heard the physician say calmly, “Take a deep, slow breath, Miss VanNam.”
Kate nodded and obeyed.
“They say it’s the air the angels breathe,” he stated. “We’re getting close to Fortune.” He rubbed his chin. “Now where was I?”
He continued by telling her that at one time or another, he had cared for just about every citizen in town.
The steamer rounded a bend in the narrowing fork of the river and the buildings of Fortune loomed just ahead.
Laughing, Dr. Ledet said, “All but one, that is. The sheriff.”
“The sheriff has never been sick or injured?”
“No doubt he has, but he’s never sought my services,” said the doctor. “He patches himself up and goes on with business. He’s one tough son of a gun, begging your pardon for my crude language, Miss VanNam. He was hired by the Committee of Vigilance—of which I myself am a senior member—to keep the peace, and Travis McCloud rules Fortune with fast fists and faster guns,” he declared, his eyes twinkling. “Step out of line and you have to deal with the fearless Marshal McCloud.” He paused, then smiled at Kate.
Feeling as if she were expected to comment, but not knowing what to say, she said, “And this courageous sheriff, is he from San Francisco or…?”
“No, no. McCloud’s a native Virginian. Came from an aristocratic Tidewater family.” The steamer was sliding slowly toward Fortune’s levee. “McCloud was educated to be a physician like me, but he—”
“He’s a murderer!” muttered the man in irons from across the aisle. He was then roughly urged to his feet. “Killed a man back in—”
“Move it!” ordered the armed, sandy-haired guard, prodding the prisoner up the narrow aisle.
Kate gasped at the startling accusation. She immediately turned questioning eyes on her companion. “Can that be?”
The steamer’s whistle blasted loudly in the thin mountain air, silencing her.
“We’re here,” Doc Ledet announced as the vessel came to a stop, its hull slapping gently up against the wooden dock. Smiling, he pointed and said, “There’s our sheriff now.”
Curious, Kate looked out the porthole.
A tall, broad-shouldered man in a black hat with the brim pulled low over his eyes stepped up to the lowering gangway. He wore a white, long-sleeved shirt, black leather vest and black trousers. A gun belt with a brace of Colt revolvers rode low on his slim hips.
As Kate stared, he lifted a hand and with the tip of his long index finger, he
Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson