Free Much Ado About Marshals (Hearts of Owyhee) (2011) by Jacquie Rogers

handsome stranger, set about following Daisy’s instructions. And, Daisy mused with satisfaction, to put this man to sleep for a long while. She hoped to have him behind bars before Sarah got herself too smitten.
    The stranger’s eyes fluttered shut again. Daisy shook him, but he didn’t waken. “Just drizzle a little into his mouth, then rub his throat until he swallows.”
    “I know,” said Sarah. “I’ve seen Doc do it before.”
    * * * * *
    “I gotta go,” Bosco announced. “Mrs. Proctor’s got supper waiting on me.”
    Cole thought Bosco was headed for trouble—first Mrs. Courtney and now Mrs. Proctor. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
    “Sure ‘nuff.” He patted his belly. “I tell ya what, Cole, I like this here town. Good people and they feed you real good. And I’ll tell you another thing,” he waggled his finger and grinned, “Miss Daisy’s been feeding you right fine, too. Why, I bet you’ll be in her house, tight and cozy, sucking up vittles every day here purty soon.” He nodded his agreement with himself.
    “You know I can’t do that.” No person could exasperate him like Bosco, but then, no one would stick by him like Bosco had, either. “We’ll be leaving this town as soon as we put those damned miners in the county jail, so there’s no sense in making a lot of friends we’ll have to leave behind.”
    “But I’m a thinking Miss Daisy’s sweet on you, Cole. Purty little thing, danged ne art as purty as her sister. ”
    Cole put up his palm. “Bosco, I don’t want to hear it. And I don’t even want to think about her sister. You don’t want to think about her, either, unless you want your neck stretched out about six inches longer.”
    Bosco swallowed and rubbed his throat.
    “Speaking of which, I want you to find out the name of that fellow that who claims to be Sidney Adler. And are you sure he’s out cold?”
    “Yes, sirree. And Miss Daisy done fed him laudanum, even though he was already out.” Bosco scratched his head, then his chin. “I best shave before I head over to the Widow Proctor’s.” He took a step toward the door.
    “Wait a minute. Laudanum? She dosed him with laudanum?”
    “Sarah actually did the feeding. But yup, it was surely laudanum.”
    “I want you to stop by after you eat supper and dose him again. But you’ve got to be careful and not give him too much—we don’t want to kill him. Did you pay attention to how much she gave him?”
    “Sure did. And how to make him swaller it, too.”
    Cole smiled. “Good. And I want you to arrest Porker Rankin for theft if you see him around. He stole a pair of boots from Gardener’s Mercantile today.” Cole hoped Gib Rankin would try to break his brother out of jail, then they could arrest him, too. In no time at all, Cole would have the two brothers put away for at least several months. The creek would have time enough to recover, the cattle wouldn’t die of thirst, and he could get away from Oreana—and Miss Daisy’s breasts. Lips. Waist. Smile. Oh, Lord!
    “Will do.”
    “Huh?”
    “You here, Cole?” Bosco asked, waving his hand in front of Cole’s face.
    Cole batted Bosco’s hand away. “And be careful with those widow women.”
    Bosco put on his sorely bent hat and went on his way. Cole thought there was just a bit more spring in his step than was good for him.
    Forrest Gardner ran into the office, followed by Winky. The ugly yellow mutt stood clear up to the freckled boy’s armpits. What a combination of piss and vinegar.
    “Marshal Adler, I’m here for my sentencing.”
    “All right. Stand in front of my desk.”
    The boy straightened to attention and gulped. “I’m ready, sir.”
    “I hereby sentence you to do your homework every single day … ”
    The boy groaned.
    “… in my office. I’ll check your work.”
    “Aw, marshal!”
    “And further, I sentence you to sweep out the jail and the office three times a week for the next month. There won’t be any need to