“It’s the only hotel in Rusty Spur,” a small, thin boy said.
“Hush, up, Jimmy.” The gray-haired woman patted him on the head.
“Pleased to meet you,” Lark said. “I’m Lacey Van Schuyler.”
The older woman looked sympathetic. “Reckon the boys have made a joke, but they meant well. Now let’s get you up to your room and give you a chance to rest and clean up.”
She’d vote for that. It would give her a chance to figure all these unexpected surprises out. “I really would like to rest a little.”
“We don’t get many young ladies out here.” The plump woman pushed a wisp of gray hair back in her bun. “I think in honor of your arrival, Miss Van Schuyler, we’ll arrange a barn dance tonight.”
A chorus of agreement ran through the crowd.
Lark started to get to her feet, but the sheriff protested. “You may be a little dizzy yet, miss. I’ll carry you up to your room.”
“You needn’t bother—” she began. “I think my legs still work.” She stood up, a little dizzy, and took an uncertain step.
“I reckon you need some help, miss.” Lawrence? Larado? scooped her up in his big arms and started toward the stairs with long strides, followed by the crowd.
“Really, I think I can manage fine,” she protested, but the big man kept walking. He made her feel tiny in his embrace.
“Don’t want anything to happen to you, Miss Van Schuyler,” he said in a resolute voice. “You might fall down the stairs or something.”
“What?”
“You heard me, ma’am.” He kept walking with the crowd following along behind.
Was that a threat? If he was Larado, she seemed to be the only one who knew his secret. He might do her in just to keep her quiet. But he had such a handsome face, and she fit into his big arms like she belonged there. He kicked open the door of a room and carried her in, dumping her on the bed. “There you are, ma’am.”
The crowd had followed along behind and were gathered around, staring in open curiosity.
“Heavens,” scolded Mrs. Bottoms. “Everybody clear out and let the lady rest up some. Lawrence, you’ll come pick up the lady for the barn dance tonight?”
He hesitated, fidgeting like he had ants down his long handles. “Well, somebody’s got to patrol the town. Maybe Paco could pick her up. There’s lots of fellas that’ll be willin’ to dance with her.”
“Hear! Hear!” yelled several of the men in the crowd.
The young Mexican grinned. “I’d be mucho pleased to, señorita.”
Well, maybe the sheriff wasn’t Larado. She couldn’t imagine the man she’d known passing up a chance at dancing and some fun. This one was worried about patrolling the town. He looked as serious as a hanging judge.
“That will be fine,” Lark said and breathed easier. “What time will the dance start?”
“Eight o’clock,” Mrs. Bottoms announced. “That gives the ladies time to whip up some refreshments. Now everyone clear out.”
Larado? Lawrence? touched the brim of his hat with two fingers. “Good day to you, Miss Lacey. Hope you enjoy your visit to Rusty Spur.” He seemed sincere enough.
The whole crowd left slowly and reluctantly, but Larado or Lawrence or whoever he was cleared out like his pants were on fire. Lark was left sitting on the bed in disarray trying to figure this mess out. If this sheriff was Larado, he certainly didn’t have the easy charm that she remembered. This man acted almost awkward around women. Could Larado really have a twin brother?
She groaned aloud. What kind of mess had she made? True, she was in a sleepy, remote settlement where she might be safe enough, but now she was going to have to continue to masquerade as her sister, Lacey—that perfect and prissy lady. Lark wasn’t sure she could do that, but until she could figure out what to do next, she’d have to keep up the masquerade. She didn’t even have enough money to catch the weekly stage.
Lark got up, went to the window, and stared out. She saw the sheriff crossing the street with long strides, maybe heading to his office. My! He had wide shoulders.
Don’t even think about him, Lark. He surely isn’t interested in you. That hurt her pride a little. The street below her was dusty and quiet. A lone bay horse stood tied to a hitching rail down by the general store and a hound dog lay asleep in the middle of the dirt street. This really was an isolated place, Lark thought as she leaned out for a better look. A feed store, a church, a blacksmith shop, four saloons, but three of them looked to be boarded up. Why, there didn’t even appear to be a bank in Rusty Spur.
She had an urge to grab her bag, slip out the back door, and leave. Leave, how? The stage was gone. Yet she had always run when faced with an bad situation, and she didn’t see why she should change now. Well, land’s sake, she was stuck in Rusty Spur for at least a week. Lark wondered if the upright Lawrence had any idea his brother was an outlaw and a bank robber. Maybe that was what had driven him into law enforcement, trying to clean up the family name from the shame his rascal brother had heaped on it.
The little boy called Jimmy brought her a pitcher of water. He was a thin child with big, dark eyes. “Have you ridden a train? I like trains.”
“Yes, I have.” She smiled at him.
“Mrs. Bottoms said this was so you could wash up.”
Lark loved children. “Are you Mrs. Bottoms’s grandson?”
He shook his head. “Nope. My folks died of the typhoid last year. She took me in.” He looked up at her curiously. “You gonna marry our sheriff?”
She felt herself flush and shook her head. “I don’t think so, it’s all just been a big mistake.”
“Oh.” He looked disappointed. “We all like the sheriff. I thought if he got married, he’d adopt me.”
“I’m sure he’d be pleased to have a fine son like you, Jimmy, but maybe not yet.” She patted his shoulder. “Now you’d better run along and help Mrs. Bottoms get ready.”
He looked at her gravely, nodded, and left.
Such a sweet little boy. Someday she hoped to have one just like him. Lark filled her washbowl and rinsed off the west Texas dust. So the sheriff wasn’t even going to bother coming t o the barn dance? If he’d been Larado, no doubt he’d have wanted a chance to talk to her and beg her not to tell what she knew, but he hadn’t bothered. Maybe he was indeed a straight-shooting, honest lawman. Lark sighed. Somehow, she had preferred the charming rascal.
“Lark, you ought to be ashamed of yourself for even thinking that,” she scolded herself aloud. What was it women found so intriguing about bad boys? She reminded herself again that Larado had gotten her in big trouble and then run like a jackrabbit. If she ever saw him again, she intended to see if she could get him thrown so far back in jail, the deputy would have to ship daylight to him.
She didn’t really want to go to the barn dance and face all the curious stares. Word had probably already spread about what the sheriff’s pals had done, and everyone would feel sorry for her—the jilted mail-order bride. That smarted and hurt her pride a little. Okay, she’d go anyway and hold her head high. Maybe everyone would think she’d turned him down.
She tried to decide what to wear. She really only owned two good dresses besides the severe dark blue traveling outfit she wore—she preferred men’s pants and cowboy boots. She laid out the yellow dress and then smoothed