Cowboy Lawman's Christmas Reunion. Louise M. Gouge

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      “That’s a good start.” Nate appeared finished with the conversation and his breakfast. He stood and kissed Susanna. “Bring him out to the barn after he eats. I’ll get the buggy ready for you.” He strode from the room, whistling slightly off key.

      Susanna watched him leave and exhaled a sweet sigh, clearly still in love with her kind, handsome husband. “Well, let’s get the children up and fed.” She stood and put feet to her words.

      Following her, Evangeline felt a bitter pang. Susanna assumed she’d had a happy marriage, too, but that was far from true.

      Evangeline didn’t have time to ponder the matter. Awake and full of energy, five children demanded attention and food. After tending their needs, she and Susanna delivered Gerard to Nate and boarded the buggy with the other four. The instant friendship sprouting between Isabelle and Lizzie reminded Evangeline of her own closeness to Susanna when they were growing up. At least her daughter found a reason to be happy with the changes in her young life. Maybe Gerard would enjoy the challenges of learning about ranching.

      Susanna drove the horse down a nearby lane leading to a house similar to her own. After introducing Evangeline to her sister-in-law Marybeth, a pretty Irish girl who’d married Rand, one of Nate’s brothers, Susanna instructed her three children to mind their aunt.

      “I’ll bring you some penny candy, but if you haven’t behaved, you won’t get any.”

      All four, including Isabelle, nodded solemnly. “Yes, ma’am.”

      Evangeline smiled at her daughter, who never needed such a warning. The child strove to please almost to the point of perfectionism.

      “I’m sure they’ll do fine.” Marybeth handed Susanna a shopping list. “Be sure to get the oatmeal. It’s about the only thing I can eat these days.” She patted her slightly rounded belly. “You’d think I’d be past this morning sickness by now. With Randy and Beth Anne, I felt better at four months.” She gazed fondly at her own two offspring, who appeared to be about five and three years old.

      “Oh, dear,” Susanna said. “Shall I get something from Doc for you?”

      “No, thanks. I’ll be fine. You girls go have fun.”

      With her blessing and the children’s enthusiastic farewell waves, Evangeline and Susanna were on their way. Evangeline hadn’t noticed even a hint of envy in Marybeth’s behavior over not going into town with them. Her own so-called friends in New Orleans had been far more exclusive regarding friendships. If Susanna’s other acquaintances in Esperanza were as generous, perhaps this was a place where she could truly rest her heart instead of fighting on every side simply for survival. Keeping Justice from learning about her past as they worked side by side and providing for her children were enough to contend with.

      The mid-October breeze cut through Evangeline’s cloak, and she shivered. Her wardrobe and those of her children would never be sufficient in this cold climate. But Evangeline’s rapidly dwindling money wouldn’t be enough to buy material to make winter clothes. When she’d fled New Orleans, with its warmer weather, suitable clothing for Colorado winters had been the last thing on her mind.

      As though hearing her thoughts and perhaps noticing her shiver, Susanna leaned into Evangeline’s arm. “It’s a good thing we’re about the same size. I have some warmer clothes you can wear until we can make some for you.”

      “That would be lovely.” Evangeline enjoyed sewing and always preferred to make her own clothes. Her society acquaintances scoffed at her refusal to patronize the fashionable modistes in New Orleans, but even they admitted she was every bit as talented as those seamstresses trained in Paris.

      “We can get some fabric today and get started. Won’t that be fun? I have a Singer, so it should go pretty fast. Just think. Sewing together as we used to.” Susanna giggled, which warmed Evangeline’s heart and reminded her of their merry girlhood adventures. “I’m sure Mrs. Winsted still has plenty of wool, heavy muslin and denim left, and she’ll be receiving new shipments by train until the Pass closes.”

      “That sounds wonderful.” Evangeline didn’t know how she’d pay for the fabric, but perhaps Mrs. Winsted would give her a line of credit. She could pay her later from her earnings at the library.

      They arrived in Esperanza shortly before nine o’clock along with many other people. Buggies, wagons, horses and pedestrians seemed to be streaming into town from all directions.

      “It certainly is busy.” Evangeline scanned the various businesses. “What’s happening?”

      “Ranchers and farmers come to town on Saturdays to do their shopping. And many people are stocking up for winter.” Susanna reined the buggy horse to a stop in front of a store with a large sign on the roof reading Winsted’s Mercantile. “Oh, my. Whatever happened here?”

      Broken glass lay on the boardwalk in front of the door and was strewn over items displayed in the shattered window.

      Susanna stepped down from the buggy and tied the horse to a hitching rail. “Come on, Evie. We need to help Mrs. Winsted clean this up.”

      Evangeline followed her, carefully stepping over the shards. Inside the store, she stopped short. Near the counter, Justice stood talking to a woman perhaps in her late fifties, who wrung her hands. Every nuance of his posture and expression bespoke kindness and sympathy for the weeping woman. This was the Justice she recalled from long ago.

      “We followed their tracks south beyond Cat Creek, but they mingled with too many others for us to sort them out.” He set a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, ma’am. We’ll find the men who did this, and before I ship them off to Canon City Penitentiary—” his voice took on a hard edge “—I’ll make them repay every penny it costs to replace your window and any ruined merchandise.”

      While the woman gave him a grateful smile, Evangeline’s heart froze. No, this was not the young man she’d grown up with. True to his name, Justice would see punishment meted out to the vandals. He’d become an unbending lawman and would show her no pity if he learned about her flight from her debts, both real and false.

      “Mrs. Winsted.” Susanna hurried over to embrace the lady. “Let us help you clean up this mess.” She beckoned to Evangeline. “This is my cousin I told you about. You give us a broom and a dustpan, and we’ll make things right as rain in a jiffy.” She looked up over her shoulder at Justice. “Hello, Justice. Are you going to help out or just make promises?”

      He scowled at her and slid a brief glance in Evangeline’s direction, never actually focusing on her face. “Well, of course, I’m going to help, Susanna.” He pulled a pair of leather gloves from his belt and donned them. “You going to run this cleanup, or shall I?”

      If Evangeline weren’t so nervous in his presence, she would laugh. Despite her diminutive size, Susanna had always been bossy and obviously hadn’t changed.

      “Why, I am, of course.” She led Mrs. Winsted to a chair. “Now you sit here and catch your breath, honey, and we’ll take care of everything. Evie, honey, fetch us some of those work gloves.” She pointed to a shelf. “We’ll have Homer Bean—he’s the store clerk—put them on my tab when he gets here. Now, you two get busy.” She waved Evangeline and Justice to work.

      “Guess we’d better do what she says.” Justice’s bemused expression didn’t look entirely sheriff-like.

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