Page 63 of Kissing the Sheriff

“You.” She smiled at him.

“Me?” He frowned. “You’re going to test me, aren’t you?”

“Of course. If you’re to act as my deputy, I need to know how well you can shoot. No better place to practice than Snake Canyon.”

“Is there anything there to shoot at, other than rocks?”

“Oh, no, we’re not shooting at anything that can cause a bullet to ricochet. We’ll stop by the saloon and get some old bottles from the captain.”

“I see.” He went to the table and sat. “I haven’t seen him since he returned.”

“He’s in the orchards most of the day.” She stirred the stew, then started making biscuits. “We can stop by there and see if he’d like to come along.”

“Oh, no. I can only stand to be outshot by so many people. One’s enough.”

“Who says I’m going to outshoot you?” She smiled as she measured flour.

“I already know you can. As I told you, I don’t shoot all the time. Only hunting.”

“Oh, yes, I forgot about that. Too bad. Only a good shot can be my deputy.”

“I hope I can shoot well enough for that.” He left the table and went to the hutch.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Setting the table, unless you’d like to do it.”

She smiled. “No, go right ahead. I just noticed that the longer you and your brothers are here, the more you surprise me. As Billy would say, setting the table is ‘women’s work’.”

Conrad laughed. “Not according to Billy. Though he loathes having to do dishes, he does set the table at his house.”

Cassie laughed. “Poor Billy. Now there’s someone who’d make a good deputy or sheriff.”

Conrad brought dishes and silverware to the kitchen table. “Why do you say that?”

“He’s a thinker. He asks questions. Pa always said that someone who reacts to things doesn’t make a good lawman.”

“What did he mean by that?”

“Well, as he explained it, you have to learn torespondto things, think things through. With enough practice your responding is an instant reaction. Like automatically drawing your gun when there’s danger.”

“Or in my case raising a rifle. I’m afraid I’ve never shot a gun like this.” He nodded at the gunnysack. “May I?”

“Go ahead.” She added a few more ingredients to the bowl and started to stir.

He took the gun out of the sack. “Was this your father’s?”

“Yes. So be careful with it.”

“Is it a good gun?” He looked it over but honestly didn’t know.

“For the make, yes. Pa bought it a few years ago. He liked it.” She got back to stirring.

Conrad noticed her arm making rapid circles. If she stirred any faster, she was liable to lose the bowl. “I look forward to our lesson.” He put the gun back in the sack. “Where should I put this?”

“In the larder for now so it’s out of the way. And bring me a pan.”

“Yes, Sheriff. Your wish is my command.” He went into the larder, put the sack on the shelf then grabbed a pan he’d seen her use for biscuits. When he returned her cheeks were pink. “Was it something I said?”