“Right over there.”
He looked in the direction she pointed and sighed with relief. Avery was cuddled up in the cushions of a soft leather chair, fast asleep, two of the dolls from the display nestled in her arms. He hated to wake her. She hadn’t been sleeping well and it had been a long trip from Albuquerque to Serenity.
“Don’t wake her.” She did touch him then, resting her hand on his forearm, the warmth of her fingers seeping through the fabric of his shirt. “I’ll bring her with me when I come to fix your threshold.”
Her gaze stayed on his daughter, a softness stealing into her eyes, making the pansy color seem more pronounced. The woman appeared to like children and Avery certainly liked her. He didn’t hesitate long before agreeing to her suggestion. After all, this was the woman he’d hired. She was just starting the job a little sooner than they’d originally thought. “If you’re sure.”
“I am.” She returned her attention to him. He didn’t miss the sweet smile on her face, nor the longing in her eyes. “We canstop at the Wagon Wheel and pick up something for dinner as well.”
Was she simply being kind? He didn’t know, but again, he accepted what she offered. “I…uh…thank you.”
“We’ll see you after six then.”
He left the store, a little at odds with himself, realizing he was trusting a woman he’d just met. It was a different feeling for him, but at the same time, it felt right. He hadn’t lived this long in a position where one could be killed on any given day without having faith in his instincts. Avery would be all right in Mrs. Morgan’s care.
He crossed the street and entered the town square once more, traversing the meandering paths quickly. There were still people there—relaxing, chatting with one another, watching their children play. Once again, they waved at him. He returned the gesture though he didn’t stop his stride. Time enough to meet everyone who would be under his protection later, but for now, he wanted to meet his deputies. He was a little apprehensive. Would there be animosity because he’d been appointed to the marshal’s position over them, sight unseen, after Marshal Kimball decided to retire from thirty years of service. He’d been assured that none of Serenity’s six deputies had wanted to move up and take the job. He hoped nothing had changed.
A few minutes later, he stepped up on the raised sidewalk outside the Marshal’s Office on the other side of the town square and let himself in. Instantly, he felt at home. Perhaps the layout was different than his last post, but still, it was all familiar. The Wanted Posters hanging on the wall, a small Ben Franklin stove to heat the place in winter, the cabinet filled with guns and rifles of every sort. He didn’t see a coffeepot on the stove, but he smelled coffee, the rich brew filling his nostrils. The jail cells, two of them, were directly in front of him, the doors open as theywere both unoccupied, their keys on a heavy metal ring hanging from a hook between them.
He noticed a door to his right, which was wide open, and saw the corner of a table, the arm of one chair, and part of a window, but nothing else, though the smell of coffee seemed to be coming from there. Perhaps it was a small kitchen, though he couldn’t be certain.
He turned his attention to the main room, which was organized and very neat, exactly how he thought a Marshal’s Office should be—clutter made him anxious. There were four desks, two on each side of an aisle, facing each other, only one of which was occupied by a completely bald-headed man studiously writing in a ledger, the pen scratching the paper.
The deputy looked up from the record book on his desk and gave him a friendly, welcoming smile, the edges of his bushy horseshoe mustache lifting as he did so. “Can I help you?”
He stepped through the small gate that separated the office proper from the entry way. “I’m Devlin Goodrich.”
The man stood up immediately, pen still in his hand, his smile widening, making his horseshoe mustache lift even further. He extended his hand over his desk. “Merrill Shotton. A pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well.”
“Rafael is out walking the town,” Merrill continued as he checked the clock on the wall. “He should be back in about ten minutes or so.” He gestured to the chair beside the desk. “Please, sit. We weren’t expecting you quite this soon, otherwise I would have arranged for everyone to come in and meet you.”
Devlin did as he was asked, seating himself in a chair beside Deputy Shotton’s desk. “I actually wasn’t expecting to have time today, but things worked out differently than I had planned.”
“I assume you’ve already seen Lucy Hart. She give you the key to the house?”
“She did. And arranged for ice and milk to be delivered.”
The big man nodded. “That’s our Lucy. There’s a reason she’s the head of the welcoming committee—no detail goes unnoticed, no matter how small.” He paused, his eyes narrowing just a bit as Devlin found himself on the receiving end of a very thorough scrutiny. He didn’t mind. In fact, he’d be suspicious if the man hadn’t studied him. After a moment, as if he’d passed inspection, the man gave a short nod. “What about your horse?”
“Challenger is still at the hotel stables, for now. Mrs. Gonzales said I could keep him there until I was settled.”
“You can bring him here. We have a small stable behind the building. Pete Mackinaw’s son comes twice a day to feed, water, and clean the stalls.”
Devlin took in the information, a little surprised but extremely grateful. Everyone he’d met so far had been friendly and generous. He and Avery could be happy here. At least, that’s what he hoped. “Thank you. I’ll bring him over later.”
“And the house? Everything good?” Merrill asked.
“It’s a nice house. Avery and I will be fine.”
“That’s right. You have a daughter. Lucy mentioned that. So did Marshal Kimball when he told us you were coming. How old is she?”
He couldn’t help the smile that twitched his lips. “She’s almost five and as stubborn as the day is long.”
The big man smiled and nodded again but didn’t make a comment regarding Avery. Instead, he asked, “Coffee? I just made a fresh pot.”
“Yes, please.”
