Ruby sat quietly as she fed Timmy. Her eyes scanned the inside of the building. It had very unusual décor for what one would have thought of a jail house. There were blue and white gingham curtains on the window, a cabinet with blue willow plates and tea cups. The wooden table was covered with a matching gingham table cloth and on the walls were several lovely framed paintings of hills covered in blue flowers.
Timmy drifted to sleep and Ruby stood up, stretching her aching limbs. She left the cell and moved around the room, looking more closely at the paintings.
“These are lovely flowers. What are they called?”
“Bluebonnets.”
“Hmm, I’ve never seen any before.”
“They only grow in Texas.”
Ruby realized from his short answers, Seth Miller was not very interested in talking to her, but she pressed on anyway.
“This room is decorated… differently than how I would expect a jail to be decorated.” She tilted her head, questioning.
“Well it would seem we both are not seeing things that meet our expectations.” Ruby blushed. Seth narrowed his eyes at her, then sighed. “But, you’re right. It’s a long story, but the jail is decorated like this because we’ve had four women sheriffs in this town. I’ve only been sheriff for a short time, and haven’t felt like taking down their pretty things. They give the place a nice atmosphere.”
Ruby was very interested in hearing more about women sheriffs, but she knew there were other things Seth Miller and her needed to discuss.
She turned a chair away from the table and faced the desk, then primly sat down.
“Mr. Miller, I’m completely aware of what you must think, me showing up here several weeks late, dressed like this,” her hands swished up and down in front of herself, “and with a child.”
She watched his face. A muscle twitched in his cheek but otherwise he didn’t move except to say, “Call me, Seth.”
“Umm, Seth. If you will let me explain…” She cringed when he began to shake his head back and forth. “Please, hear me out. I’m not asking for anything more from you, but I do want you to know the truth.”
The man sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. A sure sign he was not open to this conversation, but still she plunged in.
“My name is Ruby Dawson. I just found out I was named for this necklace I’m wearing, but that comes later in the story. I do not, have not and never have worked at a saloon. However, my mother has worked in the Golden Dawn Saloon my whole life.”
His frown deepened.
“My mother, although not very loving, allowed me to go to school, so I am educated and I never had much to do with the saloon except that we lived above it. However, she recently informed me that on my eighteenth birthday, she expected me to join her as a dancer in the saloon. She loves that lifestyle and I suppose in her own way she thought she was doing the right thing by wanting me to join her. That was not to my liking so I started to search for an alternative.”
“My ad was your alternative?” Seth whistled low and long. He’d wasn’t sure what to expect from a mail order bride, but finding out he was a little better than life as a saloon girl didn’t set well with him. Seth’s eyes looked around the girl and settled on the boy. Questions flashing through his mind.
“Timmy is my little brother. He too was not being loved and I wasn’t sure if leaving him behind was the right thing to do. That issue was decided when my mother informed me, she’d decided to place Timmy in an orphanage. I couldn’t allow that, so I brought him with me.” She lifted her chin slightly, almost daring him to tell her she’d done wrong.
Seth sat back and looked up; wondering why God had allowed this situation. This was worse than he could imagine.
“You do realize you’re a kidnapper? If your mother comes looking for the child, you could be put in jail.”
Seth watched the color drain from her face, but she shook her head back and forth.
“She won’t come looking for me. She doesn’t care about me or Timmy.” She reached up and touched the necklace. “But she might want this. I could sell it, but I’d rather send it back to my mother so she won’t come looking for it.”
Seth sat up straight and cupped his knees with his hands. “What do you think I should do?” He asked.
The girl tilted her head in thought. “Could you help me find a job?”
Seth shook his head. “Nothing in this town for a woman to do. We already have a diner run by a woman and she handles it all on her own, It’s Called Dan’s Place; Dan was another one of the lady sheriffs. The trading post is owned by Tom Boyd and his wife, Jo; another of the lady sheriffs. Otherwise, there isn’t anywhere you could get a job. We had a boarding house for a short time, but the owner moved on so we have a place where you can live.”
He watched her bottom lip quiver. “I’m sorry for all the problems. I had hoped I would make a good wife. I’m a good cook; I sew and I’m good with growing vegetables.” Her words tore at his soul. The girl might not be what he’d hoped for, but she shouldn’t have to list off her qualities like an advertisement in a catalogue.
“There is only one option I can think of.” Seth stated and stood up.
She stood as well, expecting him to show her to the door and tell her to leave. Instead, he stepped closer and lifted her hand in his. She
