He opened the door, stepping aside for Rosalie to go first. To his surprise, she walked right up to him, stood on her tip-toes, and pressed a lingering kiss on his lips. When her feet were back on the ground, she said, “Whenever I was about to go into a dangerous situation, I always dreamed about kissing you, and it gave me the strength to press forward.”
Not sure what to say, he was grateful when Rosalie turned to walk down the hall. He had not expected a kiss when he walked into the room, but he had to admit that it brightened up his morning and gave him a glimmer of hope. He met up with Rosalie at the top of the stairs and together they headed toward the kitchen. After a quick bite, they left the hotel, retrieved their horses from the livery, and rode up to the sheriff’s office.
After securing their horses to a post out front, they stepped into the sheriff’s office. Deputy Charlie was sitting at his desk with a cup in his hands. He didn’t attempt to hide his yawn when he saw them. “Just give me a moment for the coffee to kick in,” he stated in a grouchy tone.
Sheriff Walton chuckled from behind his desk. “You may have heard my deputy shout at the roosters that roam the town. He doesn’t like to be woken up before sunrise.” He directed his next comment to Deputy Charlie. “You need more rest.”
“I have a three-month-old at home,” Deputy Charlie grumbled, bringing the cup up to his lips. “No one is getting sleep at our place.”
“I remember those days. Trust me, it will get better,” Sheriff Walton remarked.
Noticing the empty jail cell, Paden asked, “Did you not arrest Mr. Holmes?”
The sheriff shook his head. “We interrogated him for hours last night, and we don’t believe he willfully aided Garrett and his gang. We are going to leave it up to the Mayor to decide if charges will be filed, assuming Holmes will pay restitution to the town.”
“Did you know that Mr. Holmes has been working without pay for quite a while now? We believe that his income was helping to finance the bank until the gold shipments arrived,” Rosalie pointed out.
With an uplifted brow, the sheriff inquired, “How did you make that discovery?”
Rosalie waved a hand in front of her dismissively. “We learned that tidbit when we broke into the bank to review their ledgers.”
Paden shot her a look of astonishment. What was she thinking? Why would she reveal that information?
“I should lock you up for robbing a bank,” Sheriff Walton said, pointing between them. “It would serve you two right.”
“There was no money to steal,” Rosalie informed him. “Besides, we don’t have time for that. We need to start searching for Emeline.”
Pushing back his chair, Sheriff Walton rose. “I am the sheriff of this town, and I’m in charge of this posse. I expect you both to follow my orders. Do I make myself clear?”
Paden nodded his understanding. “Pinkerton agents work with the law, not against it.” He turned toward Rosalie. “Right, Agent Brooks?”
Rosalie reluctantly nodded. “Yes, Agent Brooks.”
“It appears that your ‘talk’ last night went well,” Sheriff Walton teased as he came around his desk.
Deputy Charlie took a long drink from his cup, then remarked, “I have never tried tossing my wife over my shoulder before, but perhaps I should try it.”
“Amanda would never let you sleep in her bed again if you did,” Sheriff Walton quipped.
“Good point,” Deputy Charlie said, placing the cup onto his desk. “I have had enough coffee to focus now.”
Paden saw that Rosalie was visibly annoyed at the lawman’s jokes, but she kept a tense smile on her face. “Are you ready to ride?” he asked her.
“I am,” she answered. “Are you still good at tracking?”
A smug smile formed on his lips. “What do you think?”
Sheriff Walton interrupted their conversation. “There is no need for either of you to track. Deputy Charlie can pursue a suspect through the mountains with no issue.”
“Assuming he’s had enough coffee this morning,” Rosalie joked as she walked out the door.
“It seems that your wife hasn’t learned her lesson yet.” Sheriff Walton smiled. “Why don’t you toss her over your shoulder again and remind her who is the boss?”
Ignoring Sheriff Walton and Deputy Charlie’s laughter, Paden stepped outside and saw that Rosalie had already mounted her horse. He walked up to her and said, “You must be on your guard. There is a chance that this is a trap since Garrett knows that you’re here.”
Rosalie’s alert eyes scanned the foothills surrounding the town. “I’ve already considered that possibility.”
“Remember, you’re not alone. We are partners, and we look out for each other,” he said in a firm tone.
Her eyes met his gaze, and he saw longing in them. “It is nice not to be alone anymore.”
Before he said something crazy like ‘I love you’, he mounted his horse. He needed to put his feelings aside and focus on their assignment.
Again, much needed to be discussed, but only if they both survived this day.
Chapter 12
Paden took off his hat and wiped his brow with the bandana in his pocket. They’d been in the saddle for hours and appeared to be no closer to finding Garrett’s hideout. He turned toward Deputy Charlie, who had dismounted and was trying to find the missing trail on foot.
“Do you suppose that tracking means something different in Shelbrook?” Rosalie muttered under her breath.
He frowned. “We appear to be going in circles.”
“That’s what I was thinking as well,” she sighed.
There were far too many trees preventing Paden from seeing very far ahead as he led his horse toward a running creek. As he dismounted,
