Free Flint Hills Bride by Cassandra Austin

excited her the way Lynnette’s books described it, but ithadn’t repelled her like this. Perhaps she was experiencing some unmentioned effect of being with child.
    She murmured goodbye and started the climb back toward the path. She found herself thinking about Lynnette’s books as she made her way home. The heroine always longed for her lover’s touch and, though she never got to the details, the reader was led to believe that intimacy was enjoyable to both parties. Emily wondered how her sister-in-law could continue to write that way even after she knew better.
    She was so preoccupied that she nearly forgot to use caution when she got back to the ranch yard. Fortunately, if anyone saw her, they didn’t question her, and she was able to return to her room to pack.
    Sheriff Tom Chaffee was leaving the courthouse when Jake rode up. “I was just going to send someone out your way,” he said, when Jake had dismounted. “Come on inside.”
    Jake didn’t like the sound of that. He followed his boss into the building and down the steps to the office, trying to hide his impatience.
    “What’s up?” he asked, closing the door.
    Tom eased into his chair behind the desk before he spoke. “Your friend Berkeley’s got himself in trouble again. Seems he demanded money from his pappy, but the old man refused. Said his son stormed out carrying a carpetbag.” Tom waved one hand in the air. “Boy says he’s never coming back. Old man says good riddance. Whole big fight. Anyway, later that night in comes a report to the police. Some guy, says he runs a dance school, was robbed.”
    “Dance school?” Jake interrupted. “How much money would there be at a dance school?”
    Tom raised his brows. “Well, this particular dance school had a lot of late-night business, if you know what I mean.”
    “A saloon.”
    “In our own dry state of Kansas. Hard to believe, ain’t it?” Tom gave Jake a wink before he went on. “The guy took a chance coming in. Said he recognized Berkeley as a…uh…student who caused him some trouble in the past. He managed to keep Berkeley from getting much more than a few bucks, but he wants the boy charged for roughing him up.”
    Jake felt a prickle of fear at the base of his neck. Tom didn’t get this much information from a telegram. “When did all this happen?”
    “Night before last. Got a complete report this afternoon.”
    “He could have taken the train here yesterday. He could already be at the ranch!”
    “Take it easy, son. We both know that’s not likely. More’n likely our boy found some place to hole up. I reckon he’ll try again for some money and get caught this time. Or shot.”
    Jake wasn’t reassured. Though he was glad he had come to town to get the information, he regretted deeply leaving Emily at the ranch. He wouldn’t be able to make it back before dark, and it got cold when the sun went down. It wouldn’t be a good idea to try it, though it was all he could think of at the moment.
    Tom spoke again, interrupting his thoughts. “They sent me the report because of the girlfriend, of course.There is the off chance that he’ll try to get help from her.”
    “Off chance,” Jake repeated, making it sound like a curse.
    Tom laughed. “I wired back. Said we already had the girl under surveillance.”
    Jake eyed his boss for a moment. Tom found the oddest things to make jokes about. “Not tonight, she isn’t,” he reminded him.
    Tom stood up and started around, his desk. “Relax, son. The boy isn’t coming all this way for a girl. There are plenty closer at hand. Besides, she’s got her brother and his family out there. It’s not like he could knock on her door and not have somebody else know it.”
    Jake stood to leave, trying to believe what his boss said was true. “All the same, sir. I think I’ll head back.”
    Tom slapped him on the back as he went around him. “You’ll freeze your nuts off, boy. Some good you’d be then.” He laughed and headed out