The Heart Of A Hero

Rory offered a gap-tooth smile. “Who don’t?”

“Cassie used to bring him in with her every Saturday, you know, give him licorice if he was quiet while she shopped.”

“He’s not talking much these days,” Jess said. “Maybe this will do the trick.”

“Bribing the child into talking? I should hope not.” A woman breezed in through the curtain from the back room and stared disapprovingly at the men. “Leo, I think you’d know better.”

“Now, Emma, honey,” Leo said, “we’re not hurting anything.”

Efficiently she straightened the counter beside Leo and gave Jess a glance. “You’ve certainly got your work cut out for you, young man.”

Memories stabbed him like a knife, Leo’s wife looking at him in that way, using that tone of voice, those exact words so many years ago. Years had changed her looks, but that was all.

Jess nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Your sister was a treasure in this town. We’ll miss her.” Emma brushed the countertop with a linen cloth.

Rory coughed and sagged against his cane. “What about you coming over to the house and sit a spell, boy? Have supper with us?”

He could imagine the look on Alma Garrette’s face, seeing him walk into her parlor and sit down at her dining-room table. “Can’t today. Some other time.”

“I’m gonna hold you to that, boy.”

The bell jingled as . the door opened again. Leo waved. “Morning, Sheriff.”

Rory’s lip curled down. “Horse’s ass,” he muttered.

“Morning Leo, Emma.” The sheriff sauntered to the counter, hung his thumbs in his gun belt and reared back, giving Jess the once-over. His lips curled down. “I know who you are, Logan.” .

Jess’s back stiffened. He hadn’t especially liked Sheriff Buck Neville when he’d first arrived in town and asked about his sister’s children. Now, looking at the stocky, muscular man with the tin badge pinned to his vest, he liked him even less. “Is that so?”

“Yeah, that’s so.” Sheriff Neville leaned forward, crowding Jess. “I know about you. I know about what you did over in Kingston.”

Jess felt every gaze in the room bore into him; apparently everybody knew about Kingston. Jess’s gut tightened but he didn’t flinch.

“I run a clean town here. I don’t like your kind hanging around. You so much as spit wrong, Logan, and I’ll throw your ass in jail so fast you. won’t know what hit you.” Sheriff Neville jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t you forget it.”

He left the store and slammed the door behind him.

A long awkward moment dragged by before Leo spoke. “Don’t pay him no mind, Jess.”

Rory squirted a wad into the spittoon. “Mighty uppity for a lawman in a sleepy little town like Walker.”

“Well, I think Sheriff Neville is doing a fine job,” Emma declared. “I don’t know where you could find a better lawman.”

Rory waved away her comment. “He thinks he’s some big-time sheriff, stopping train robberies and rounding up gangs. Just like—what’s his name? That lawman in them dime novels. Who is it, Leo?”

Leo laughed. “Oh, yeah, I know who you mean. He thinks he’s Leyton Lawrence.”

“Show him.” Rory pointed at the display of dime novels behind the counter. “Show ol’ Jess.”

“Just got these new ones in yesterday.” Leo took the slender book off the shelf and held it up. “See? Leyton Lawrence, The Legendary Layman.”

“Yeah, that’s him.” Rory laughed, then fell into a coughing fit.

“Honestly, you men.” Emma breezed past them. “You’ll all be singing a different tune if the Toliver gang heads this way. You’ll be glad Sheriff Neville is on the job.”

Leo shook his head. “Oh, Emma, the Toliver gang hasn’t been to these parts in months.”

Rory squinted up at him. “I’ll bet ol’ Neville wishes they’d come this way. Maybe he could have got a book writ about him, too.”

“Don’t be silly,” Emma said. “That Leyton Lawrence isn’t real.”

Leo shrugged. “You wouldn’t know it by the way these books sell. I can’t keep them on the shelves. Everybody wants to read about the next adventure of the Legendary Lawman. You ever read these things, Jess?”

Jess eyed the book, then blew out a heavy breath. “Read them? No.”

“Ol’ Sheriff Neville does—I’ll guarantee it.” Rory laughed again.

“I need some supplies, Leo.” Jess passed the dime novel back to him.

“Sure thing. Your sister ran an account with me.

You want me to add it to hers?”

Jess caught Emma’s disapproving glare. He shook his head. “No, I’ll pay cash. Did Cassie owe you anything?”

Leo waved him away. “Nothing worth mentioning.” ,

“I want to make it. right.”

Jess ordered his supplies and paid for them, including Cassie’s tab, and made arrangements to pick them up later on the way out of town.

“See you later, boy,” Rory called. “And watch out for that Legendary Lawman.”

Jess chuckled as he guided Jimmy but of the mercantile ahead of him. That laugh caught in his throat, though, as Alma Garrette stepped up onto the boardwalk in front of him.

“Morning, Mrs. Garrotte.” Jess tipped his hat.

She bristled. “I’didn’t see you at services on Sunday. Everybody wanted to know why. Your sister always brought the children to services, you know.”

He hadn’t felt like praying lately, and certainly not in this town where he knew everyone would stare a hole through him if he walked into the church.

Alma bent and pulled Jimmy closer. “Now, let’s have a look at you.” She tugged at his clothes and peered behind his ears. “Thin, mighty thin. And in need of a good scrubbing, too. Did you let him bathe himself?”

Jess frowned. Was he supposed to wash the boy? He’d set out soap and a pan of water for him in the kitchen, wasn’t that enough?

“Humph! I thought so.” Alma’s lips drew together in a tight pucker. “The good people of Walker aren’t going to stand by and let your sister’s children fall to ruin, Jess Logan. You best remember that.”