He retrieved the canteen from the saddle, and they took turns drinking. After handing it back to him, Olivia used her fingers to delicately wipe away the drops clinging to the corner of her lips.
Neil found the unconscious gesture to be so very sensual that he had to take another draw from the canteen. It came to him then that he should probably take her home. Granted, some men used a virgin’s heady reaction to carnal play as a lead-in to seduction; a woman befuddled by desire might agree to whatever the man might choose to suggest, but Neil had more honor than that. “It’s time I took you home.”
Olivia didn’t want to leave but knew it was for the best. Her reactions to his kisses proved just how wanton she could be, and after all she’d experienced tonight, she wasn’t sure that newly awakened part of herself would return to the depths without protest. Going home would keep her from crossing into far more dangerous territory.
He kicked dust onto the blaze until it died back to embers, then walked her and the horse back to the front of the house. He left the saddle hidden inside of the soddy and helped her mount to the horse’s bare back. She sat sideways, and he mounted behind her. Without a word, Olivia leaned against his strong chest and hooked her arms around his waist. Cuddled against him, she closed her eyes and let him take her home.
When they reached her house, the night was just as silent as it had been earlier. The moon had risen, bathing the plains in a bright, soft light. She reached up and touched his face, letting her senses and touch memorize the strong planes of his face and the shape of his masterful lips. “I can’t see you again, Neil.” If only he weren’t who he was.
“I know, darlin’. I know.” And he did. He was an outlaw. She was a respectable woman who deserved a respectable man.
She leaned up and kissed him with all the regret and passion she could muster. “Good-bye, Neil.”
He stroked her cheek. “Bye, Olivia.”
He dismounted and helped her down. Without a further word, and without looking back, Olivia went into the house and closed the door.
Chapter 7
Olivia spent the days leading up to the Wednesday swearing-in ceremony sewing the finishing touches on a new ensemble she’d designed for the occasion and trying to forget the passionate Mr. Neil July. The first task was easy; the second seemingly impossible. No matter where her mind settled, he appeared, making her remember his smile, his kisses. By her estimate, she pushed away her yearning for him at least fifty times a day.
On Wednesday evening, dressed in her new blue walking suit and matching hat, Olivia left the house and headed to Sophie’s, where the ceremony would be held, followed by a reception. On the walks, heading in the same direction, were men in their best suits and women in their Sunday hats. It warmed Olivia’s heart to see so many people showing their support.
The atmosphere inside of Sophie’s newly painted dining room was subdued, as befit the occasion, but everyone met her entrance with smiles. She smiled in return and accepted more rounds of congratulations before walking over to greet the Two Spinsters, who stood near Cara Jefferson and Sophie Reynolds. Hugs were shared, and as they waited for the ceremony to begin, Olivia did her best to control the butterflies flapping crazily in her stomach.
Asa stepped forward. “Miss Olivia, would you come up, please.”
Applause filled the room. Feeling shy, nervous, and a bit embarrassed, Olivia walked to the front of the room where Asa stood. Once all the clapping died down, he held out a Bible and she placed her hand upon it. Then, repeating his words, she recited her oath: “I, Olivia Sterling, do solemnly swear to serve the citizens of Henry Adams to the best of my ability—to uphold the law and conduct myself in an honorable manner.”
When that was done, applause rang out, and Olivia looked through the tears in her eyes at the faces of her jubilant neighbors. She was truly glad she’d chosen to start her new life here, and she planned to do them proud.
Neil was finally ready. Four days had passed since his last visit with Olivia, and he’d spent those four days debating with himself; should he leave, should he stay. Common sense said saddle up and ride out—be content with Olivia’s memory and move on with his life. However, it was turning out to be a bit more difficult than that. In reality he knew so little about her that he didn’t even know if she had a middle name, yet he was so infatuated with her that he couldn’t sleep. Dreams of her haunted him each time he closed his eyes, and when he opened them in the morning, she was still there. He felt bewitched. The lure of her was stronger than a fully loaded gold train, and forcing himself to sit here and not ride over to her house for another taste of her sweet kisses had to be one of the damndest experiences of his life. He kept telling himself there’d be other women, but he didn’t want another. He wanted Olivia Sterling.
With that in mind, and the fact that in the end she’d never be his, he was saddling up. In a few days, he planned to be at the border of Indian Territory. Maybe being with Shafts and their sister, Teresa, would help him forget. Neil was certain it would take time, but he planned to start today.
Seated in the saddle now, he took one last look around the camp to make sure he had everything. Only after he was sure did he turn his horse and ride south.
That evening, Olivia sat on her porch looking out over the plains and wondering about Neil. Had he finally ridden away? She assumed he had. Their bittersweet parting had struck her as final. She’d probably never see him again. The surety of that saddened her, but she knew it to be for the best. She couldn’t hitch her star to an outlaw, a man who robbed trains for a living. It didn’t matter why he’d taken up the occupation; he was wanted, and because of that, life with him had no future.
In Henry Adams there was no official mayor’s residence. The mayor ruled from an old desk stuck in the corner of the sheriff’s office. It had always been that way. Although Armstead Malloy had included the building of an independent space in his campaign promises, Olivia couldn’t see spending the town’s limited funds on something so cosmetic. So she was at the desk now, going through the items left behind by the late Mayor Stuckey.
Seated at his desk on the other side of the room, Chase said with a laugh, “If you find any gold in there it’s mine. Martin owed me five dollars from a poker game.”
Olivia smiled, then went back to her rummaging. She didn’t find gold. She did find pens, a few old newspapers, a map of Topeka, and a program from last year’s regional mayor convention. There were also personal items like a pair of socks and one cuff link. In the bottom drawer was a large ring of keys. “What are these?”
“Keys to all the businesses on Main Street. I have a set, too.”
Olivia studied them. “Why does the mayor have a set?”
“Well, in case I can’t find mine, and so Martin could go over and snitch cigars from Armstead Malloy’s stock every now and then.”
Olivia’s eyes widened. “You aren’t serious?”
He held up his hand. “I took an oath to tell the truth.”
She laughed. “Well, as long as I’m in office, Malloy’s cigars are safe.”
She placed all of Mayor Stuckey’s personal items in a crate. By rights they should go to his widow, but the young woman had left town the day after the funeral, taking with her every penny Stuckey had had in the bank. Olivia was just about to ask Chase where she could store the crate when Armstead Malloy strolled in wearing a brown-and-black checked suit. He gave both Olivia and the sheriff a patronizing smile, then said, “Good. I have you both here. I’m about to embark upon a new business venture.”
Chase asked, “Which is?”
“Rebuilding the Liberian Lady.”
“No,” Chase said plainly.
“Why not?”
“Town doesn’t need a saloon.”
Malloy laughed. “Of course it does.” He then turned his attention to Olivia. “I suppose you haven’t changed your stance?”
“No.”
“Well, since there’s nothing in the charter that forbids
it, I’m going to introduce my plan at tomorrow’s Elders meeting.”
Olivia’s voice was cool. “That is within your rights.”
“As is rebuilding that saloon. According to what some of the old-timers tell me, the Lady was originally owned by the son of the richest person in town. Man named Miles Sutton. Are they correct, Sheriff?”
“They are. And did they also tell you that it burned down one night because Sutton was a snake?”
Malloy tossed back, “Is that a threat, Sheriff?”
“No, Malloy, just some history. If I threaten you, you’ll know it.”
Malloy turned and looked up at the board on the wall that featured the faces and names of men wanted by the law. He seemed particularly interested in one featuring the Terrible Twins. “Anybody catch July and his Injun brother yet? Says here they’re worth a thousand dollars apiece.”
Olivia’s lips tightened.
Chase replied, “Not that I know of.”
Malloy asked Olivia, “You wouldn’t know anything about July’s whereabouts, would you, Miss Olivia?”
She didn’t respond.
“Are you done here, Malloy?” Chase growled. “If so, there’s the door.”
“Just curious, that’s all, Sheriff. We wouldn’t want our mayor implicated in a scandal that may make her resign.”
Olivia slowly folded her arms. The only scandal she was worried about was the one that would result from her feeding Malloy headfirst into the nearest horse trough.
Malloy gave them that patronizing smile again, touched his brown bowler, and exited.
For a moment, there was silence in the sheriff’s office, then Chase and Olivia said in unison, “Nasty little man.” They shared a look and laughed.
While Chase went home for lunch, Olivia sat at her desk and thought about Malloy. He was determined to make her job difficult. She was certain that his plans for the Lady would be the first in a series of proposals designed to vex her, but she was determined to stand her ground. The women in Olivia’s family had always been active in their communities. Her paternal grandmother, Hattie, had been one of the founders of the nation’s first female anti-slavery society formed in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1832. Olivia’s mother, Eunice, had been a member of Philadelphia’s famous Mother Bethel AME Church and had participated in the Free Produce campaign, the abolitionist marches and conventions. Olivia’s activist parents began taking Olivia to rallies before she could walk. The parlor of their home was always filled with men and women discussing politics and the state of the Union. When she became old enough it was only natural for her to follow in the footsteps of her family, and she too did her part by volunteering to lift the race. She was certain those experiences would serve her well in her capacity as mayor if she could survive Armstead Malloy.
Friday night’s meeting of the Elders turned out to be more fractious than she’d imagined. Everyone had an opinion on the resurrection of the Liberian Lady, and the meeting was descending into chaos. In an attempt to restore order, Olivia banged her gavel for what seemed like an eternity. This was the first community discussion on the subject, and she couldn’t imagine what the subsequent ones would be like. “Order!” she yelled, but no one seemed to be listening. “Order!!”
Folks were arguing, yelling, and confronting those who disagreed with them. As a result, no one could hear anything. Olivia looked over at the sheriff and called out over the din, “Sheriff Jefferson, I want you to remove anyone not in their seat!”
He stood and yelled, “All right, who wants to be the first to go?”
One of the men shot back, “Take the mayor, she’s the one who can’t keep order.”
To her dismay, a chorus of male voices said, “Amen!”
Olivia had had enough. “Sheriff. Remove that man.”
Suddenly you could hear a pin drop on cotton. Olivia had come to the meeting determined to treat the representatives on each side of the issue with respect, but apparently there were those in the crowd who weren’t operating under the same rules. She was aware that some of the men resented her victory, but she refused to turn tail and run because of it. Her papa had always said, Show a jackal your teeth and it’ll back down. Well, they were about to see her teeth. The man she’d singled out, a prominent farmer, was staring at her as if she’d grown another head. “You can’t have me ejected.”
“Since I was duly elected, I can have you thrown in jail if I choose, Mr. Pierce.”
He appeared stunned.
Olivia asked in a firm voice, “Are you leaving or staying, Mr. Pierce?”
He sat down angrily, and the silence in the hall grew.
Olivia looked over at Sophie, and the wink Sophie threw her way buoyed Olivia. Feeling more in control, Olivia told the large crowd, “Now, this is a very important issue, so let’s discuss it as if it is. Mr. Malloy, state your position.”
He stood and said grandly, “My position is: I have the money. There is nothing in the town laws that prohibits a saloon, so I see no need to discuss the matter further. I came to the board as a courtesy. That’s all.”
Olivia sighed with impatience. “Are you saying that you don’t need the board’s approval?”
“Yes, Miss Olivia. I’m saying I don’t need your approval.”
She turned to the Elders seated at their table in hopes they would verbally support her but received only shrugs instead. She plowed on alone, “We don’t need a saloon here, Mr. Malloy.” Much applause followed that statement. “Saloons breed disaster for the wives and children of those who imbibe too much.”
“You don’t understand,” he replied slowly, as if talking to a child. “I am rebuilding the saloon. Unless you have the legal means to stop this enterprise, I’ll see you at the ribbon cutting.”
And he left.
Some of his supporters laughed at the dumbstruck look on the faces of those who opposed the saloon, then they followed him out.
Olivia wanted to punch something.
Olivia and Chase spent Saturday morning poring over the town’s charter, looking for a way to stop Malloy, but they found none. And because the Liberian Lady had existed in the past, the town really hadn’t a leg to stand on in terms of precedent.
Olivia cracked, “I’ve been mayor less than three days and Malloy has already given me my first defeat. Who knows what other plans he has up his badly dressed sleeves.”
Chase nodded his agreement.
Olivia gathered up the charter papers. “I’m going to take all this home. There has to be a way around Malloy, and I’m going to find it.”
“Good luck. Lots of folks are pulling for you.”
“And an equal number are not.”
“True, but you didn’t think being mayor was going to be easy, did you?”
“In a way, yes. The elders do most of the work—all Mayor Stuckey ever did was ride in the parades.”
He smiled at her. “True, but things will work out. You’ll see.”
Not certain she shared the sheriff’s optimism, Olivia went home.
But in going over the charter again and again, she had no better luck finding a way out of the dilemma than she had earlier. About an hour later, Cara entered the shop, and Olivia was glad for the distraction.
Cara took a seat on one of the chairs. “How are you doing?”
“Terrible. Malloy is going to win this round, unfortunately.”
Cara’s face mirrored her sympathy. “Well, with any luck somebody will burn it down like they did last time.”
“You were living here then? What happened?”
Cara shrugged. “No one knows.”
“Your husband said no one liked Miles Sutton.”
“Miles Sutton was a snake. By the time the place burned down, not even his mother wanted anything to do with him.”
Olivia wondered what kind of relationship Malloy had with his mother. “What happened to him? Did he pull up stakes and settle elsewhere?”
For a moment Cara didn’t reply.
Olivia as
ked, “Cara?”
Cara finally met her eyes. “You may as well know. It’s not as if it’s a secret. Miles was trying to kill Chase, so to keep that from happening I shot Miles and killed him.”
Olivia stared.
“It was an awful experience.”
Olivia wanted to ask more, but she could see the pain in Cara’s eyes, so she didn’t press for more details.
Cara said, “I’ll share the whole story with you someday, but right now, I have a question for you.”
“Shoot.”
“What is this I’m hearing about you night riding with Neil July?”
Olivia dropped her shears. “What?”
Cara smiled. “By your face I’m assuming it’s true.”
Olivia was speechless.
“The spinsters saw you.”
Olivia’s knees went weak.
“They won’t tell anyone, but you should be more careful. Rachel and Daisy may not have been the only ones.”
Olivia took in a deep breath.
Cara said, “I knew something was going on with you two the morning he came to see you after your heatstroke faint. I could feel the sizzle in the room.”
Olivia was too embarrassed to meet Cara’s eyes.
“No sense in being ashamed. Take it from a woman who knows—these things happen. Chase wasn’t exactly suitable when he and I first met. Falling in love with him almost got me run out of town. I was dismissed from my teaching position. Biddies hissed at me in church.”
Olivia looked up. “I’m not in love with him.”
Cara held Olivia’s eyes.
Olivia repeated, “I’m not. It’s just—he’s so different from the men I’m accustomed to meeting.”
“And?”
“And I know better than to fall in love with an outlaw. I’m not that addled, but—”
Cara waited for her to finish.
Olivia had no idea how to explain to her friend the myriad emotions that connected Olivia to Neil July. “I can’t explain.”
“It’s okay. I do understand. Chase hit me the same way.”
“It’s all so strange, Cara. Here I am, a fine, upstanding, well-raised woman, sneaking around with a wanted man. I keep telling myself that every woman has at least one man in her past who was unsuitable and that Neil is mine, but…” Once again she couldn’t explain. “I suppose I’m having a hard time explaining it because I’m still trying to explain it to myself.”