Free Misty's True Love (Mail Order Brides of Pioneer Town, Book 2) by Ruth Hartzler Page B

It hadn’t gone quite how
she had expected it to, but the abrupt ending was what filled her
with the most concern. She could not figure out precisely why her
stomach felt like it was in knots, but one thing was clear:
something didn’t seem right.
    Shrugging off the odd sensation, Misty
spent a pleasant morning with Indiana. When there was a heavy knock
at the door, both women exchanged glances.
    “ Who could that be?”
Indiana asked, before crossing the room. She soon returned with a
tall, burly gentleman behind her. He wore a dark brown vest and a
large, wide-brimmed hat atop his sandy hair. It wasn’t until they
were upon her that Misty noticed the shiny, star-shaped badge that
was tacked to his lapel. Was that the sheriff?
    “ Is something wrong?” Misty
asked. At once, the most awful feeling of foreboding overwhelmed
her.
    Indiana nodded, crossing her arms as
she stood there, presumably to hide her trembling hands. “This is
Sheriff Baker. He needs to speak with you about
something.”
    Misty swallowed hard as her throat
tightened. She had an uneasy feeling that the man’s sudden arrival
did not bode well for her
    “ Let us sit in the drawing
room to discuss this matter, if you’d like, Sheriff,” Indiana
said.
    Misty wondered why the law had come to
good friend’s home.
    After they had taken their seats in
the drawing room, Indiana spoke first. “Sheriff, I’m not quite sure
why you’ve come all this way, but if there is anything that I can
do to assist you, please just let me know.”
    “ Well, there is something
you can do,” he said, clearing his throat as he leaned forward in
the chair. “Miss Fields, can you tell me where you were today? Any
place other than this ranch?”
    Misty paused for a moment, thinking
carefully about where she had gone that day—but it didn’t take long
for the thought of Rosamund to pop back into her mind. That woman’s
house had been the only stop she had made all day. “I only left the
ranch for a short time earlier. I met with an acquaintance at her
house in town, but I have not been anywhere else.”
    The sheriff paused, looking down at
his feet before speaking. “This person that you met with today—did
she give you anything?”
    Misty sat there quietly, swallowing
rapidly as she tried to make sense of what he was asking and why.
“Did she give me anything? Well, we had tea together and then she
tried to give me a cake, but she dropped it.”
    “ Okay, so everything went
well with your meeting?” he asked, completely ignoring her last
remark.
    “ Yes…” Misty said. Her
voice trailed off as she replayed the meeting in her mind. There
had to be something that she was missing, but what was it? Why was
he there?
    “ I don’t know how else to
put this, then, but I have reason to suspect that a crime has been
committed. Would you give me permission to search through your
belongings? If the accusations are false and I find nothing, then I
will wash my hands of the allegations and leave,” the sheriff said
slowly.
    “ Crime? What kind of
crime?” Indiana asked in shock, her hands flying to her
throat.
    Sheriff Baker did not respond to her
question. His eyes didn’t leave the floor until his gaze fixated on
Misty. He watched her carefully as she tried to find the right
words with which to respond, but struggled tremendously. After
composing herself, she spoke in the most confident tone that she
could muster. “May I ask what it is you’re looking for? Perhaps
there’s been a misunderstanding.”
    “ That could very well be
the case, but it can’t stop me from doing my job, Miss Fields. And
as far as telling you what I’m looking for, I’m afraid I cannot do
that,” the sheriff said, scratching his forehead.
    “ Oh,” Misty said, feeling
trapped in the moment. Maybe she was just letting her emotions get
the best of her, though. She forced herself to regain her composure
before she fell apart again. “Of course, Sheriff. I am not sure
what this is