In the commotion, Ledbetter saw an opportunity and took it. Cully’s eyes watched the screaming man, no longer pointing his own revolver at the crooked mayor. The mud-covered man scrambled to his feet and raced toward the livery.
At Fred’s shout, Cully went after Ledbetter. Launching his body through the air, he landed on Amos who once again rolled into the mud, face first this time.
Standing, Cully gripped Ledbetter by the arm and pulled him to his feet. The deputy began walking him to the jail but halted, taking a good look at the filthy man.
“Seems all his mud throwing today has come home to roost. Literally.”
The typically meek lawyer growled at that and strained against the deputy’s grip. “Shut up, you idiot. There’s no evidence against me so you’ll be out of a job as soon as I get this mess straightened out.”
Cully laughed. “There’s a bird in a cage who’s tweeting about the boss in Idyll Wood.”
When Amos looked at him blankly, the deputy nodded to Fred. “Explain it sheriff.”
Fred returned the nod and fished a paper out of his pocket. “See this telegram, Mr. Mayor. It’s from the warden at Halderson’s prison. Seems Halderson named you as the ringleader.”
Fred smiled broadly. “He even told where to find the ledger I need.”
The deputy shook the suddenly boneless man. “That should be evidence enough. Along with Miss Melrose’s testimony.”
As the prisoner reached the jail, Morrison stepped out onto the boardwalk. When his niece rushed to stand next to him, his glance flicked from Charity’s bruised eye to Ledbetter. “If your hands weren’t restrained, I’d pay you back for her black eye.”
A fist flew next to him. A scream followed a meaty thunk. Charity shook her hand and blew on her skinned knuckles.
At her uncle’s surprised expression, she shrugged. “Didn’t bother me about his hands.”
Morrison shook his head and smiled. “That’s my girl.”
Fred glowered at the girl before spouting commands. “Cully, you take Ledbetter. I don’t trust Morrison with him.” Then he pointed at that man. “Morrison, go see to the man your niece shot.”
When the detective nodded, Fred smiled tightly. “I have a bride to comfort. And I can’t think of anything I’ve ever wanted to do more than that.”
Epilogue
Autumn
Lilah watched Marta croon to her baby and thanked the Lord again that finding the young mother had been easily done. She’d been ready to hire Morrison to track her down, just to check on her well-being. But, the girl hadn’t gone far, and Cully had found her working in the Beer Garden.
It had been while Lilah stayed with Myra and watched the bond she had with Samuel that the urge came over her. She knew she had to try at least to find Blossom’s mother. Even though she and Fred already loved that little baby, Lilah felt certain Blossom’s own mother did, too.
Also, the baby refused the bottle. No matter how many times Lilah tried to coax the nipple in, Blossom wailed pitifully and pulled away. It left Lilah with a hollow grieving feeling for the baby who wanted her mother’s nourishment.
Only two days after the wedding, the day after the sham election that Fred easily won, Cully found Marta and brought her to the farm. The poor woman—really a girl at sixteen—saw her baby and cried until Myra chastised her, cautioning that she’d ruin her milk for the baby.
For the last month, the young mother and Rose Blossom had lived in the house Lilah had built for them. Well, for them and others like them. Out of gratitude, Marta had kept the name for the baby that Fred and Lilah gave her.
Lilah had put about the word that other young mothers could find a place to stay by coming to Idyll Wood. Already, she had three mothers, including Marta who did the cooking for those in the house. The young women living there shared the cleaning and laundry.
Using her contacts in Chicago, Lilah was working to find jobs for the women, ones that would allow them a place to live with their baby. So far, she didn’t have any jobs located, but she was hopeful. For now, she toyed with thoughts of opening a bakery and having the women help with that. It would contribute to paying for the cost of running the house.
Sighing softly as she watched the eight-month-old baby, Lilah rose and moved to the pair. She softly kissed Blossom’s head, bringing a gurgle of delight from the happy infant. As she breathed in the scent of this baby, Lilah longed to hold her own child.
Oddly, at that same moment, that child kicked her. Hard. Maybe he wanted to be born as badly as Lilah wanted him with her. The next three months would be the longest of her life she suspected.
Marta watched her with a worried expression. When Lilah noticed, she patted her friend’s arm. “I’m fine. Just tired of waiting for this baby. I want him now.”
The girl’s features relaxed and curved into a smile. “Well, you can’t hurry a baby. Bringing baked goods won’t wear it down like a certain man I could name.” She ended her words with her sweet, little girl laugh.
With a shake of her head, Lilah grinned. “You heard about that. Poor man. I did stalk him and all because of that letter in the newspaper advising me to be available to him.”
A sort of longing glowed in Marta’s eyes. “At least it worked. Look at you, married and expecting. A girl’s dream.”
Obviously Marta’s dream. Well, Lilah didn’t intend to be a matchmaker just
