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Her thanks was brisk.
The two men stepped outside and an amused Colt asked, “Scared to be alone with her?”
“After the look she gave me? You bet. And, she’s wearing a gun belt. We both know how good a shot she is.”
“When are you going to see Dun?”
“Later this afternoon. I need to finish my report on the stagecoach shooting and send it to the company and Circuit Judge Jinks.”
“Mind if I go with you?” Colt wanted to be there when he questioned Dun just to gauge his responses.
“No, you’re welcome. Will you be here or at home?”
“Home.”
“I’ll stop by before heading out.”
“Thanks.”
Whit left to go finish his reports. Colt set out for the store.
When he entered, everyone inside stilled, making him wonder how many of them heard Chauncey’s conversation with Regan. By the interest in their faces, he assumed most.
“Doc,” Chauncey said by way of greeting. “Your little lady tell you what she and I talked about? She didn’t look happy when she left, but I didn’t want her running up a bill you couldn’t pay.”
Although Miller was smiling, Colt knew he was deliberately being offensive. Colt was a small-town country doctor. Many of his patients didn’t have the money to pay for his services, so in exchange, he might receive eggs or vegetables, a side of venison or in some cases just a teary thank-you. It was a wonder he could clothe and feed his child at all on the little bit of money he made, but he managed. Chauncey, on the other hand, owned the only general store in the area, which meant he was financially well-off by Paradise standards, and he enjoyed flaunting the status his business provided. The only reason he didn’t get punched in the face daily by any number of people was because his wife, Lacy, was so well-loved. “Can we talk in your office?” Colt asked.
“Sure thing.”
Once they were behind closed doors, Chauncey smiled and asked, “So, how do you want to handle this? I know being a doctor here doesn’t pay well, and as I said earlier, I’m simply trying to look out for you.”
“My wife is able to back up anything she purchases.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Got yourself a rich one, have you?” He gave him a knowing grin. “She going to pay your tab, too?”
“No, I’ll keep paying you monthly, the way I always have.”
“Oh.” He sounded and appeared confused.
“Do you need anything else from me?”
“No.” He was apparently still stuck on why Regan wouldn’t be paying Colt’s bills, too. “Has she been to the bank to talk to Arnold?” Miller asked.
Colt moved to the door and opened it. “No, but I’m sure she will at some point.” And Colt wanted to be a fly on the wall when that happened. Arnold Cale was also the town’s mayor and his sense of importance topped even Miller’s.
As he walked back out to the store, everyone stopped as if waiting for him to divulge the details of his talk with the store owner, but Colt simply nodded good-bye and went on his way.
When he entered his office, Regan asked, “Will the man take my money now?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you. I should probably talk to whoever runs the bank, too.”
“Yes.” He studied her in her snug denims and man’s shirt and thought about the lush willing body hidden within. “I don’t mean to be rude or nosy, but how much money are we talking here.”
