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“Sunshine, you may have just solved a very large, complicated problem that I had twisted all out of proportion with a very simple, perfect solution.”
Sunshine beamed at him. “I aim to please.”
Adam pushed away from the wall. “Do you have anything else for me to do for a while?”
Sunshine shook his head, knowing before Adam even asked what he wanted. “I don’t have any immediate tasks if you’d like to head on home for the afternoon.”
“Mr. Sunshine, you’re a saint.”
“Be sure to tell the sheriff that. I just know he’ll love to hear it,” Sunshine said, laughing so hard his face turned red as he waved Adam off.
Adam hurried across the street to the general store first. Nora had mentioned stopping by there later to pick up a few supplies that Martha had ordered for her.
Martha just chuckled when he asked for Nora’s order. “I’ll be seeing her in just a few minutes for our weekly lunch, but if you want to take her order now, it’s all ready for her.” She indicated a basket at the end of the counter. “Tell her I tucked in that bonnet and dress from Mrs. Riley that needed altering. Ach, never mind, I’ll tell her myself. Now shoo, I’ve got to get the rest of this order put away before I can head over to Mrs. DuVere’s.”
Adam nodded his thanks, gathered up the basket, and stepped back outside. He sucked in a lungful of clean, crisp air, feeling optimistic for the first time in a long time. He and Nora were going to sit down and have a long overdue conversation. Spill everything. No more secrets. No more hidden agendas. He wanted her. And if she wanted him as well, that’s all he needed to know. They could work the rest out. Together.
Now all he needed was his damn horse…
He frowned, looking at the front of the sheriff’s office where he’d left Barnaby that morning. And the horse had been there a few minutes before when he’d gone into the general store. But now…
He glanced down the street and shook his head with an amused snort.
“What is it?” Martha asked, following his gaze. “Ah,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t think you’ll be going anywhere just yet. At least with Barnaby.”
She was right. Because Barnaby was currently busy trying to get Birdie’s attention in front of Mrs. DuVere’s. But as Birdie was in the middle of her midmorning nap, he was going to have to wait a bit.
“Oh well, it’s a nice day for a wal—”
He jerked to a stop, his arm shooting out to grab Martha and pull her behind a porch post with him.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked.
“Shh,” Adam said, peeking out from behind the post, his gaze focused on a gentleman who was slowly riding into town, his eyes scanning the street from side to side.
Adam cursed and swung back around to the store, which was locked. “Open the door. Quick, Martha, quick!”
“What is wrong with you?” she said, scrambling with her keys as she hastily unlocked the door.
The second it was open, he swept them both inside and slammed the door shut, relocking it and making sure the sign in the window showed Closed.
“You see that man,” he said, keeping his voice low, though the man outside couldn’t hear them.
She looked through the window where he pointed. “Yes, so?”
“So, that is Marshal Robert Spurlock.”
“Really?” She pressed closer to the glass. “I’ve heard of him. People say he’s worse than the criminals he hunts down.” She sucked in a breath and glanced over at Adam. “Is he here for you?”
Adam nodded. “I assume so. Though I imagine since there’s still a price on the sheriff’s head, Spurlock would be happy with either of us. And probably a few other men in town.”
Martha cursed under her breath, and Adam looked at her with surprise. It was always the sweetest ones in the bunch who had the most impressive vocabularies.
“Come on,” she said, grabbing his arm and hauling him toward the back of the store. “Out the back. And bring the basket,” she said over her shoulder.
They wound their way through her kitchen, but she stopped before pulling the back door open, turning to grab the basket from his arms. She quickly rummaged through it and pulled out the skirt and petticoat to the dress Nora was going to alter.
“Take off your coat and vest and put that on,” she instructed, opening the door a crack to peer through it. “Hurry.”
