“You don’t have a mother?” Kate’s eyes were kind, her hand reaching to clasp Ellie’s fingers. “No one to talk to?”
Ellie shook her head. “No, just my pa. And he’s never been one to do much talking. At least not to me.” She glanced toward the door. “It’s quiet out there. Do you suppose Doc convinced my pa to leave?”
“He’s gone for now,” Win said from just beyond the screen door. “Didn’t mean to eavesdrop, ladies,” he said, opening the door and stepping inside the kitchen. “I’m afraid I made him angry, Ellie. He’s determined to give you a bad name, it seems.”
“I think I’ve already done that, without any help from him,” Ellie said, resignation shadowing her words. She picked up her cup and held it between trembling hands.
“Is there any chance you might marry the baby’s father?” Kate asked quietly.
Ellie shook her head. “He’s gone back East with his folks.”
“Sounds like a fine specimen of manhood to me.” Kate’s eyes flashed with scorn as she rose to find a cup for Win. “Have a cookie, Doc,” she said. “It’s good for what ails you.”
“I thought maybe you could keep an eye on things while I’m out making house calls this morning, Kate. In fact, it wouldn’t hurt for Ellie to keep an eye on you. Are you feeling all right?” He cast a measuring look at Kate, and she rested her hand atop the rounding of her belly. “You’ve dropped, haven’t you?”
“It’s easier to breathe, the past couple of days,” she admitted with a grin. “Is that a good sign?”
“The best,” Win said. “It won’t be long now.” He frowned at the coffee and shook his head. “I don’t have time for this, but I’ll take a couple of your oatmeal cookies with me, if that’s all right.”
Kate laughed. “There’s more where those came from. Tess told me I’m nesting. I’ve been baking and cleaning house like a madwoman this morning. James made me promise to send for him if I have so much as a twinge, and now you’re siccing Ellie on me. I don’t stand a chance, do I?”
“Well, Ellie’s worked hard ever since she got here. It won’t hurt her to take a day off.” Win headed for the door. “I’m going to stop by and talk to James. I’ll let him know you’re in good hands, Kate.”
“Billy Barnes is Cilla’s current flame, Doc.” James leaned back in his chair and shrugged. “She’s clammed up about the whole episode, so there’s no use in you worrying about it.”
“Has he pulled this kind of stunt before?” Win asked. He settled on a straight chair across from the sheriff’s desk and crossed his ankles. “You know, I put in a nasty thirty minutes with her. There’s no excuse for a man hurting a woman that way.” His disgust reflected in his voice and manner.
Win drew a deep breath. “It’s bad enough when someone gets shot up or falls off the roof, but to see a female used the way Cilla was makes my blood boil.”
James nodded agreement. “I think they go back a ways. He’s been hanging around the Double Deuce for over a year, and Cilla’s the only girl he pays much attention to. Matter of fact, he used to do carpenter work around town till just lately. Now he’s dabbling in ranching out at Caleb’s place.”
“Well, I don’t like the man, and I’ve never laid eyes on him,” Win said bluntly. “And I’m about half-mad at Cilla, that she’s not willing to make a fuss over it, but…” He paused. “I guess I understand. She’s afraid of him.”
“Saloon girls are a breed apart,” James told him. “I’m just happy I’ve got Kate. I never had much truck with the women in saloons. I think a man’s got to be pretty hard up to…” He paused for a moment, and then a grin lit his face. “I didn’t know how lucky I was gonna be the day Kate came to town.”
Win sat up straight in his chair, another thought manifesting itself at James’s words. “You know that Ellie Mitchum is living at my place, don’t you?”
James nodded. “I heard. Her pa came by here a few minutes ago and told me she was living in sin.”
“And what did you say?” Win asked mildly.
“Not much I could say. It’s none of my concern. Not unless George tries to force her back home. I heard from one of his hands that George roughed her up and sent her on her way. Seems like he’s singin’ a different song today. I’ll warrant he’s missing having regular meals and clean clothes. The talk is that he treated her like a servant. I don’t think there’s many folks would take kindly to him dragging Ellie back home.”
“He’s not dragging Ellie anywhere,” Win said, rising and stalking to the doorway. His anger was quick, remembering the belligerent stance George had taken. “He thinks I’ve taken the girl to my bed, James.”
“She’s a good-looking young woman,” James said quietly. “I think he won’t be the only one with that opinion.”
“It’s not true.”
James nodded agreeably. “Not yet, anyway.”
“I won’t take advantage of her.” Win felt a heated flush rise to his throat. His thoughts had been roaming in that direction last night, he reminded himself.
“You need a wife,” James told him. “Ellie wouldn’t be a bad choice for you.”
“You ever heard about falling in love with a woman first?”
“Yeah.” James grinned. “But sometimes there’s other reasons for marriage. And having a woman around isn’t the worst of them.”
“Wait till I tell Kate you said that.”
James shrugged. “Kate knows I love her, and a lot of that came later down the line. Ellie’s a good girl. There’s never been a breath of scandal about her till the Jamison boy started keeping company with her. And then the whole damn family vamoosed and went back East. It’s not too hard to figure out why, I guess.”
“Well, her father’s not going to drag her home,” Win said harshly. “If I have to, I’ll marry her myself. There sure isn’t anyone else lining up for the job.”
“Now, I heard that Tess has been scouting up women for you to consider ever since you came to town.”
“That’s true. The woman can’t stand to see an unmarried man.”
James leaned forward over the desk, looking up at Win. “All joking aside, Ellie would make a good wife, Doc. You could do a hell of a lot worse.”
“How did we get into this discussion?”
“You brought it up,” James told him. “I just pointed out a few facts. Just thought you might like to consider all the angles.” He grinned up a Win. “I’m an agreeable sort, Kate tells me.”
“Well, I’ve got a couple of house calls to make,” Win said. “I just wanted to let you know that Ellie’s keeping Kate company for a while. In case her father comes back, I’d just as soon she wasn’t alone at my place.”
“You going to church next Sunday?” James asked as Win stepped over the threshold, bringing him to a halt.
“You got some reason for asking?”
“If you take Ellie with you, it’ll set folks talking, you know.”
“They’re probably already hashing me over,” Win said defensively. “If Ellie wants to go to church, I’ll take her.” He stomped across the sidewalk and headed for the livery stable, where he kept his horse and buggy. And then paused midstep. He’d forgotten his bag with all the to-do about Ellie and her father.
It