“When I get out…”
Rosalie spoke over him. “Your threats are boring me. You are going to hang for your crimes, and I will have a front row seat.”
“What do you know about my crimes?” he asked, his eyes narrowing.
She met his gaze, unflinchingly. “You killed Sheriff Addis.”
“Who?” he scoffed, but she saw the flicker of fear in his eyes.
Rosalie knew he was baiting her. He wanted her to make a mistake. But she did not make mistakes. Not anymore.
“Playtime is over, Mr. Boswell,” she proclaimed, shoving him toward the back door. “I hope you enjoy the noose.”
Mrs. Townsend appeared from a side room and opened the back door, revealing Sheriff Vance standing guard.
Seth stopped short, feigning outrage. “I can’t go outside. I’m not even dressed.”
“I’ll take it from here, Miss Addis,” Sheriff Vance said as he stepped inside and grabbed the prisoner’s arm. “I have your reward money at my office. Would you like to collect it now?”
Rosalie glanced down at her red gown. “I would very much like to change first, but I will be along shortly.”
The sheriff nodded his understanding before he dragged Seth out into the alleyway.
Turning toward the madam, she reached into a pocket and pulled out a few bills. “This was our agreed upon price for your cooperation.”
Mrs. Townsend shook her head. “You did us the favor, Miss Addis. Good riddance to that horrid man.”
“Thank you for helping me bring that man to justice,” she acknowledged, smiling gratefully.
“It was my pleasure,” the madam replied.
Rosalie went back to the room to change, knowing one more member of the gang that killed her father would face justice. She had spent the past four years tracking down these men, one-by-one. She would never stop until they paid for their sins.
They hadn’t shown her father any mercy when they gunned him down in the middle of the street, in broad daylight. And she intended to repay the favor.
Dressed in a dark blue, well-fitted, bodice jacket with a matching ruffled skirt, Rosalie stepped into Sheriff Vance’s office at the edge of the small town. A desk sat in the middle of the room and a jail cell ran along the length of the back wall.
“Miss Addis, thank you for stopping by,” the middle-aged sheriff said, rising from his chair, his brown hair sticking out from under his black Stetson. “You are looking especially lovely this afternoon.”
Rosalie gave him a gracious smile. “Thank you. I am glad to be back in my own clothes.”
Pulling out a desk drawer, Sheriff Vance reached in and pulled out a wad of bills. “Here’s your reward money for the capture of Seth Boswell.”
A loud humph came from the jail cell before the prisoner rolled to his side on the cot.
“It would appear that Mr. Boswell is not pleased about being behind bars,” Sheriff Vance joked.
She accepted the money and placed it into the reticule tied around her wrist. “Thank you again for your assistance.”
“It was no trouble at all.” He came around his desk, his eyes focused on her. “May I buy you supper, Miss Addis?”
Reminding herself that women were scarce in these parts, Rosalie attempted to appear flattered by his offer. “I appreciate the kind offer, but I really should be on my way.”
“Another time, perhaps,” he said, disappointment crossing his features.
Murmuring her goodbye, Rosalie exited the sheriff’s office and walked down the dirt road toward the plain, two-story boarding house. The town wasn’t large enough to have a hotel, but it did have a restaurant, mercantile, and a post office.
She walked into the boarding house, causing the bell hung above the door to jingle. She smelled the most delightful aroma of freshly baked bread. Mrs. Tyson walked into the foyer, her white hair pulled back into a tight bun, and a floral apron tied around her waist. “You are back. I have the most delightful news.”
“Which is?” Rosalie asked while removing her gloves and placing them in her right hand. She had spent the past week with the widowed Mrs. Tyson, and she had enjoyed her time with the aging proprietress immensely.
“We have a new boarder, and the handsome man has agreed to join us for supper.”
Rosalie attempted to show excitement for her kind hostess, but it fell flat. “I am looking forward to it,” she lied.
Perhaps it would be best if she just ate supper in her room. She could always pretend to have a headache.
“Do you still intend to leave tomorrow?” Mrs. Tyson asked her.
“I do,” she confirmed. “It is time to move on.”
A male voice came from the drawing room. “To where, exactly?”
Rosalie recognized that rich, baritone voice; she had heard it in her dreams often enough. Why would Paden Brooks be here, in the town of Silver Water, of all places?
The sound of booted footsteps came closer to her, but she didn’t dare turn to face him. If it was him, she wasn’t prepared to see him after four years.
Mrs. Tyson walked closer to her. “Rosalie, dear, allow me to introduce you to Mr. Paden Brooks.”
Rosalie closed her eyes. This couldn’t be happening. How did he find her?
“Actually, Miss Addis and I are already acquainted,” Paden admitted, moving to stand next to her.
“Is that so?” Mrs. Tyson asked, glancing curiously between them.
Knowing he was watching her, Rosalie squared her shoulders, plastered a smile on her face, and turned to greet him. “Hello, Paden. It is good to see you.”
He lifted his brow. “You haven’t seen me in four years, and that is how you greet me?”
“I don’t understand your meaning,” she replied, reminding herself that it was not polite to stare.
Paden had grown even more handsome since she last saw him, and she wondered how that
