“Don’t start with that again, John.” She knew she didn’t look great. Her hair was tied in a tight bun, she wore no rouge, and her extremely conservative dress looked more like a housecoat than a dress. Plain and baggy. But she could hardly care less. The past couple of weeks had taken their toll on her. She had no energy to enjoy life anymore.
Now that her spying work had ended and Isabelle LaRue and her gang caught or killed, there was no reason for her to continue her charade of singing at the saloon. The fact was, she didn’t really enjoy it. She loved to sing and play piano, but to have horny, perverse men drooling at her night after night turned her stomach.
There were only two men she wanted horny and gawking at her, and they were many, many miles away in Texas. They left the day after they captured LaRue. They tried to talk to her several times that day and the day before they left, but she refused. She hid out at John’s place and asked him and Mat to make excuses for her. She knew if she’d seen them, then her heart would shatter into a million pieces and never mend again.
But unfortunately, it still shattered in a thousand pieces, and so far, she still hadn’t put it back together. Hopefully, with time, she’d be able to move on. In the meantime, when Mat came to her room this morning telling her Sam wanted her to come to the office to talk to her and that it was important, her spirits lightened a bit.
She hoped her eldest brother had finally come to his senses and realized what an asset she’d be as one of his deputies in Little Rock. She asked him time and again to let her try out for the job, but he refused.
After both their parents died in an accidental fire when Belle was only thirteen, he took it upon himself to take care of his little sister. Even though, she grew up before his eyes, he obviously still saw her as his baby sister. The job would be too dangerous for a girl, he had told her over and over again.
Mat and John disagreed with him and let him know their opinions, but unfortunately, their reasoning landed on deaf ears. He was the sheriff, and his decision was final.
To prove her overprotective brother wrong, Belle came up with this whole complicated plan of going to Fort Smith. Mat and John refused to help her in the beginning, but once she explained her detailed scheme, they agreed with hesitations.
She found out Eden’s Paradise looked for a singer, and she decided to try out for the job. She knew Eden’s Paradise was the most popular saloon in all of Arkansas and if the bandits responsible for the train robberies in these parts were still here, then that would be the place they’d frequent.
She’d been right. Of course, she didn’t figure out Sally was really Wild Isabelle LaRue and that she and her gang had been responsible for all the heists. But when all the cards were played, she did end up catching the criminals responsible. So it had to count for something, right?
Looking around in the office this morning, she asked, “Where’s Sam?”
John pointed to the office in the back. “In there. He’s with someone.”
“Okay, then I’ll wait.” She moved to sit next to him.
But before she could sit, he added, “No, he told me he wanted you to go in. Whoever it is wanted to talk to you.”
Creasing her forehead, she stood straight and mumbled, “Hmm,” as she headed for the door.
Knocking, she heard her brother respond, “Come in.”
When she opened the door, her eyes registered a tall, husky man stand to greet her. Her brother did the introductions as she closed the door behind her.
“Belle, I’d like you to meet Captain Peak. He was the Texas Ranger captain in charge of the train robberies case you solved.”
“Howdy, Miss Belle.” The captain’s smile widened as his hand stretched out before him. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet the lady who took down one of the most notorious outlaws in the West.”
“Thank you, Captain Peck.” Her cheeks heated at the compliment as she shook his hand.
He gestured with his hand. “Please, have a seat.”
He glanced at Sam, then continued. “I came in a few hours ago and have been talking here with your brother. He has been filling me in on all the details of Isabelle LaRue and her gang’s capture and just how much you were involved in the takedown. And that is why I asked him to call you here.”
“Oh?” Belle looked at her brother in confusion.
The captain turned more to his side, toward her, and leaned his elbows on his knees as he continued. “Well, the Texas Rangers are in need of more Rangers, and from all I’ve heard about you and your quick draw and cunning, I believe you’d be the perfect Ranger. There is a particular case that’s been on my desk for the past few months, and we’ve been having one hell of a time solving it.”
He took a deep breath. “Truth be told, we need a female Ranger spy on this particular case, and unfortunately we have no female Rangers at this time.” He paused a second and then asked, “So, Miss Belle, would you be interested in joining our team?”
She could hardly believe her ears. Could this be happening? She stared at her brother, waiting for him to show his opposition to his offer.
Instead, he nodded and said, “Belle, I think you’d be a great Ranger. You proved to me just how good a law woman you are.”
Her jaw fell even though she tried to keep it closed. She wanted to pinch herself to see if this was all a dream, but figured she’d look pretty foolish if it wasn’t. What the hell, she’d play along with it, and if she woke up and it had been a dream, then it was fun while it lasted.
Smiling broadly, she gazed at the captain. “I’d be honored to become a Texas Ranger. Thank you, Captain Peak, for offering me the job.”
He stood up and reciprocated her wide smile. “Now that’s what I like to hear.” He put his hand into his jacket pocket and took out a ticket. “I was hoping you’d say yes and brought a train ticket for you for Austin, Texas. That’s where our division is situated. The departure date is in a couple of days. Will this be enough time for you to get your things together by then? If not, we can change the date for later, but I would prefer you get started on the new case as soon as possible.”
Her eyes sprang open with her will to register the realness of everything happening so fast.
“Oh, that’s fine. I can leave then. There’s no problem.”
“I must be going now. I have further business to take care of in Fort Smith, but I’ll see you when you arrive back in Austin.” He looked at Sam and back at her. “I’ll have someone pick you up at the train station.” He extended his hand first to Sam. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Sheriff Samson.”
“The same goes for me, Captain Peak.” Sam shook his hand vigorously, smiling back.
The captain turned to her and grinned wide while he shook her hand. “Welcome to the team.” Then he walked over to the door and left, saying, “Bye,” right before he shut the door behind him.
Belle slumped into the chair behind her, sighing and gazing at the ceiling. John walked in then and looked at Belle and Sam with wide eyes.
“So who was that? And what did he want with Belle?” he asked.
Sam replied for her since her giddiness made her slow to react. “That was Captain Peak, a Texas Ranger, and he offered our sister, here, a job as a Ranger. She leaves for Austin, Texas, in a few days.”
“Austin, Texas?” A frown came over John’s face.
Then it hit her. She’d be leaving her family behind. Suddenly, the high she had been riding on came crashing down and sadness began to choke her.
Chapter 13
Belle waited in Captain Peak’s office, fidgeting with her gloves. She was excited, terrified, and exhausted all at the same time.
Throughout the long and tiring train trip, she had been thinking about her brothers and how hard it would be leaving Little Rock and them behind. But Sam convinced her it was an opportunity of a lifetime, and she shouldn’t throw it all away. It was time she stood on her two feet and forged her way in law enforcement. Only good things were on the horizon for her from now on.
They promised they’d come visit her next month when she was settled in her job, and that helped reassure her in her decision.
