Page 12 of Kissing the Sheriff

The next dayConrad arrived at Billy’s right after breakfast. Mrs. Watson had Billy ready and even packed him a lunch. “Well, aren’t you the lucky chap?” Conrad said. “No one prepared me a lunch.”

“That’s because your ma ain’t here.” Billy pointed to the fishing poles on the porch. “Those are for later.”

“Splendid,” Conrad smiled. “Shall we be off?”

Billy didn’t say anything, just headed for the street.

“We appreciate this,” Mrs. Watson said. “A day of work will be good for him.”

“I’m not sure I’d call it work,” Conrad said with a smile. “But if he’s eager and willing, then I’ll see what I can do to keep him busy. Cassie may have something for him too.”

“I know her garden needs weeding. She has little time for it.”

“Oh? She doesn’t work on it in the evenings?”

She shook her head. “No, Cassie likes to visit her pa when she can.”

Conrad’s eyebrows rose in question.

“His grave.”

“I see. I hadn’t noticed a cemetery. Is there one?”

“Yes, but it’s not near the church. It’s on the other side of one of the apple orchards.”

“The one behind the saloon, perhaps?”

“Yes.”

“I noticed something after finding Captain Stanley’s crow’s nest. A tiny lane on one side of the orchard, but I wasn’t sure where it led.”

She smiled. “Now you know. Have a good day.”

He tipped his hat and joined Billy in the street. “Ready?”

“Ready!” Without waiting, Billy started to run.

Conrad laughed. “I’m not chasing you!”

Billy didn’t answer. He just kept running.

Conrad followed at a leisurely pace and studied the other houses. An older couple lived on this street, among several other families. Sarah Crawford’s house he’d heard was just out of town and definitely in disrepair. He hoped Irving was up to the task when the time came. Maybe he could talk him into helping with Cassie’s place.

Cassie. The poor thing must miss her father terribly. Why else would she visit his gravesite so often? He remembered visiting his grandmother’s grave after she died, but not daily.

When he reached the house, he found Billy on the porch speaking with Cassie about fishing. “Are you going with us later?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “It all depends on when Mr. Darling and you get done today.”

Conrad stopped and tried not to stare. She wore a yellow calico dress, her gun belt, and a silver star pinned to her chest. He tried to picture her wearing trousers and couldn’t. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” She adjusted her gun belt, then looked at the porch. “Talk to Alma Kirk about posts. She knows one of the carpenters in Virginia City. That is, her father did.”

“Good. I’ll speak to her later.” He leaned against the porch railing as she started to leave, and hoped it held. How embarrassing would that be if it didn’t?

“Lunch?” Conrad called after her.

She turned when she reached the last step. “Excuse me?”