The Lawman's Redemption

Mel must’ve believed him, because she stood, then put the gun back in the drawer she’d taken it from. “Daisy always said she hated him.”

“She’d told me the same thing.” And if he hadn’t been shot, then seen her kissing Ben, he’d have still believed it.

Silence filled the room, and he looked around. The room was just as nice as what he’d been given at Rafferty’s hotel, only made a little more like home with some personal items strewn about. Mel was clearly not some throwaway woman of the night.

Will walked to the bureau and picked up a framed portrait of two young girls. “This the two of you when you were younger?”

Mel stood and joined him, taking the frame out of his hands. “Before our father died, yes.”

It was easy enough to piece together the rest of the story on his own. Without anyone to care for them, Mel had adopted the world’s oldest profession to provide for her younger sister. He looked at her, wishing he could do something about the tears in her eyes or the way she gripped the frame tightly.

“I did everything to give her a good life.” Mel returned his look with a mournful expression that made his gut wound ache even more. “Why would she take up with Ben Perry?”

Will would like to ask that question himself. Why would she take up with Ben Perry? Not just of Daisy, but of Mary, a sweet woman who spent her time working with a preacher and feeding down-and-out miners. How could such goodness be attracted to such evil?

“I wish I knew,” he said softly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t give you better news of your sister. If I hear anything, I’ll let you know.”

Then he turned toward Mel. “I still plan on taking down Ben Perry. I’d be obliged if you’d keep an ear out for me.”

“We’ll see.” The hard expression had returned to her face. Mel wasn’t likely to do anything that would jeopardize her chances of finding her sister. For Mel’s sake, Will hoped Daisy wanted to be found.

He gave her a nod, then turned toward the door.

“Not that way,” Mel said, pointing to another door. “We’re not supposed to bring men into the boardinghouse, so I need to take you back through the saloon. Alma will be furious if she finds out I had you in here.”

“Alma?”

“She owns the place. Thinks that if she gives us women of the night a good home we’ll eventually see the light and repent of our sins. Alma means well, even if it’ll never get her anywhere.”

Mel’s frank assessment made Will sadder for Alma than he would have thought. The realities of the lives of women like Mel were not that they changed.

Yet he couldn’t forget the wistful look in Mel’s eyes as she talked about wanting a better life for Daisy. He had wanted a better life for Daisy. Stupidly, Will had thought he’d be able to provide it for her.

Perhaps he and Mel weren’t so different after all.

A lightness he hadn’t known since the shooting filled his heart. Yes, he’d loved Daisy, but for the first time it hit him that maybe it wasn’t the romantic kind of love he wanted in a wife. Maybe it was the sister kind of love. Sure, he’d kissed Daisy, but most of them had been on the forehead. The couple of times he’d tried to kiss her on the lips, she’d turned her head, and he’d gotten her cheek instead. He’d already known that he was over her, but now maybe he could accept that he’d never truly loved her at all.

A knock sounded at the door. “Mel?” The whispered voice was urgent.

“It’s okay, you can come in,” Mel called back. She glanced at Will. “Get behind the changing screen.”

He moved quickly, positioning himself to be out of view but able to see what was happening through a crack in the side. The woman who entered looked even younger than Daisy and was sporting a bleeding lip and what would probably be a bruised cheek in the morning.

“What happened?” Mel rushed to the woman and escorted her to one of the chairs.

“Ben said I sassed him, so he had Big Jim hit me.” Tears filled the girl’s eyes. “I didn’t mean to sass him, I promise. Ben said that I’d be all his last night, but he just got here, and the sun’s almost up. When I asked him about it, he told Big Jim to take care of me.”

The girl’s words brought a new fire to the hole in Will’s gut. What kind of man asked another man to do his dirty work like that? Bad enough that he’d wanted to strike a woman, worse that he’d made someone else do it.

The woman’s sobs strengthened Will’s resolve. Someone had to take down Ben Perry. Not only were the banks not safe, but countless women were in danger, as well. It was as if Ben made them impervious to his misdeeds. To what a foul person he was.

Once again, his thoughts drifted to Mary Stone. Everything about her spoke of a kind and decent woman. But somehow, Ben had managed to trick her into thinking that...

That what? Was it really his job to save Mary from Ben? He’d tried with Daisy. If he’d just done his job and followed the evidence and arrested Ben, he’d have never been shot. Never let Ben get away. But no, he’d thought Daisy had needed rescuing.

He glanced back over at the woman Mel consoled. She was putting some kind of poultice on the woman’s injuries.

“Thank you, Mel. I just hope it doesn’t show too badly so Ben doesn’t send me away. I’m sure if I tell him I’m sorry, things will be fine.”

Will looked away, but not before catching the warning look on Mel’s face.

No, he wouldn’t be saving anyone. At least not here. But if someone didn’t do something about Ben Perry, and get him in jail where he belonged, there’d be more women like Daisy, like this woman before him and, God help him, like Mary Stone, who’d fall victim.

He’d just have to find a way to do it and not let himself get entangled with Mary. No matter how often her image popped into his thoughts.

Chapter Four (#ulink_9fd789be-d372-5f23-bd52-ca6291ac4aaa)

This time, when Mary went on her errands, she brought Polly with her. Rose still wasn’t speaking to her, but perhaps that was for the best. Mary wasn’t sure she had any energy left to defend her position while keeping her secrets.

“Can we finally talk about Ben?” Polly’s eyes glimmered in the early-morning sunlight, perfectly matching the blue sprigged muslin dress she wore.

Mary let out a long sigh, wishing she felt half the energy her friend appeared to have as she swung the basket of goods Maddie had given them to deliver.

“Ben was a youthful—” well, there was only way to put it “—indiscretion.” Trite as it sounded, it was the only fair way to describe things without revealing the whole truth.

“I thought I loved him, but once I found out his true character, I knew he wasn’t the man for me.” Mary looked at her friend, hoping to convey the full depth of her lack of feelings for Ben. “But he doesn’t seem to understand that.”

They passed by a pawnshop, and Mary couldn’t help but notice a brooch displayed in the window. Not her aunt’s, but enough to remind her of Ben’s threats. How was she going to fully extricate herself without being implicated in Ben’s evildoings?

“Could you have played a role in the change of Ben’s character?” Polly gave her a long look. “He said he’s going to church now. Maybe he realized the failings you pointed out and decided to improve upon them. He sounded quite earnest.”

Mary stopped. Stared at her friend for a moment. “Have you gone mad?”

“What?” Polly’s eye held the twinkle Mary knew and loved. “He is rather fine-looking. And unlike most of the men in this town, he’s got nice manners. He seems to be everything a man ought to be.”

That was precisely the problem...he seemed to be a lot of things. The trouble was, he was none of them.

“And to think just yesterday, you were telling me how all men were less useful than the sludge that comes from the smelters.”

Polly sighed. “True. I’m sure your Ben is just as useless despite being so handsome to behold. Still, a girl can always dream that there’s happiness to be found for someone, at least.”

“A man’s looks can be deceiving, surely you know that.”

The darkness Mary had come to recognize being part of Polly returned to her face, and Mary regretted teasing Polly about hating men. The man who’d recently broken Polly’s heart had supposedly been very handsome. Mary hadn’t meant to rub salt in Polly’s wounds.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—“

“Leave it. You don’t want to talk about Ben, I don’t want to talk about the past.”