Page 74 of Kissing the Sheriff

“Not yet, but he is trying.” Phileas looked at Billy as he swung him around to face Conrad. “Aren’t you?”

Billy grinned sheepishly. “Can I help it if I like muffins?”

“You won’t like them if they give you a bellyache.” Conrad glanced at Cassie. “Let’s go.”

Before they left, she put the bowl of muffins on a high shelf in the larder. “There, now we’ll have some for lunch.”

They laughed and left the house. Conrad strolled beside her and noticed she was smiling. The day was warm, the sky blue, and Cassie looked happy. Content. Was he the cause? He liked to think he was. “So, where to first?”

“The captain’s. I want to see if he has any swords.”

“You’re serious?”

She looked at him and smiled. “I am.”

“You want to learn how to fence. Well, if he does, we’ll need more than swords if I’m going to teach you anything.”

“Like what?”

He fought the urge to offer his arm. It wouldn’t do to have the town sheriff and her deputy walking arm in arm down the boardwalk. “Some sort of padding so neither of us stabs the other.”

“Oh, I see. Hmmm, we’ll think of something.”

When they reached the saloon, Cassie waltzed in like she owned the place. “Captain Stanley?”

He came out of a room upstairs. “Who goes there?”

She waved. “It’s me, captain, and Deputy Darling.”

The captain cringed. “Oh, it is, aye?” Hands on the balustrade, he leaned toward them. “I suppose you want to come aboard?”

“Aye, Captain,” Conrad called. He did his best not to smile but it was hard.

“All right, permission granted.” He started down the stairs.

Cassie winked at Conrad. “I have a question,” she said when the captain reached them.

“Aye?”

“Conrad says he can teach me how to fence. Do you have any swords we could borrow?”

“Fence?” Captain Stanley said in surprise. “Why would you want to learn … oh, but wait.” His eyes lit up. “If you did, you could serve on my ship. Hmmm …” He ran his hand over his beard. “Yes, I could make a swashbuckler out of you.” He eyed Conrad. “How well do you fence?”

Conrad stood proudly. “I’ve fenced for years. All of us have.”

“What?!” Captain Stanley grinned ear to ear. “All of you?”

“It’s part of … well …” He was close to letting them know he was upper-class, something they’d been trying to keep quiet. “… yes, all of us brothers.”

“Splendid!” The captain headed for a door under the stairs. “Follow me.”

Cassie and Conrad exchanged a look. “He has swords,” she stated.

“It appears so.” He trotted after the captain.

The door led into a small storage room. “Let me see, I know I’ve got some around here.” The captain moved crates and barrels as he dug his way to a corner where a large barrel sat, its lid covered in dust. “Aha! There it is.” He moved a few more things aside to reach it. “Fetch a lantern, lass.”

Cassie nodded and left the little room. Conrad watched her go, then focused on the barrel. “What’s in that?”