Pearl River Junction Read online

  When Belinda left the Cotton house, she hurried into town, hoping that she wouldn’t run into either the sheriff or Dan Shaye. She made her way all the way to the south end of town and when she came to that Y junction in the street she went to the right. Before she reached the livery, she came to a hardware store and entered. The man behind the counter was busy with a customer, so she moved to one side and waited for the customer to finish his business and leave. Hurriedly, she ran to the door and flipped the OPEN side to the CLOSED side and locked the door.

  “Belinda—”

  The man came from behind the counter and they fell into an embrace, followed by a deep kiss.

  “You’re not supposed to come here during the day,” Alvin Simon scolded her.

  Simon was in his late twenties and had opened his hardware story only a year before. He and Belinda had met when he first came to town, flirted for a while, and then had become lovers six months ago. But they were determined to keep it a secret from the rest of the town—especially from Riley Cotton and his wife. To that end they rarely, if ever, met during the day, so Simon was surprised to see Belinda in his shop.

  “I had to come,” she said. “I just finished talking with Daniel Shaye.”

  “And? Has he accepted Little Matt as his grandson?”

  “No, not yet,” she said. She moved away from him and clasped her hands together. “He wants his sons to meet me and Matt first.”

  “So when will that happen?”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “Did you tell him about Jeb Collier and his gang?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?”

  “He never heard of Jeb.”

  “I told you,” Simon said. “Nobody has. He’s not such a scary man.” He walked over to her and took her hands. “I told you I can protect you if he shows up.”

  She pushed his hands away and said, “No, you can’t. He’d kill you without a second thought.”

  “If I’m such a pathetic man,” he complained, “why do you love me?”

  “I never said you were pathetic,” she replied, but like most men she’d known he was nearly pathetic and certainly easy to manipulate—every man but Daniel Shaye.

  Alvin Simon was a young man with a bright future, which meant that he had money and he had the means and the smarts to make more. That made him a good choice for Belinda. But if she could not convince Daniel Shaye and his sons to kill Jeb Collier for her, then Jeb was certainly going to kill Alvin Simon, Belinda’s golden goose.

  “But you’re not a gunman. That’s what it will take to kill Jeb,” she finished.

  “Gunmen like these Shaye men you keep talking about?” Simon asked. “I read about these men back East, Belinda. They are all killers…back shooters. How could you associate yourself with such…ruffians? First Jeb Collier and then Matthew Shaye?” He grabbed her arms. “You’re so much better than that, my darling.”

  She allowed him to draw her into his arms and laid her head on his shoulder. “You’re the only one who thinks so, Alvin.”

  “I don’t think so, I know so,” he said. “I’ll protect you, dearest. I promise.”

  “I know you mean to,” she said, but she knew that if she didn’t do something, Alvin Simon and his money would be lost to her.

  “That’s not possible,” Marion said when the sheriff finished his story. “Mr. Shaye must be wrong.”

  “Marion,” Cotton said, “she gets her way all the time.”

  “That’s because we love her,” Marion said, “not because she manipulates us.”

  “Are you sure, Marion?” he asked. “Are you sure it isn’t Little Matt that you love?”

  “Well, of course I love him.” She hugged the little boy close to her breast, kissing his forehead.

  “What if it is true?” Cotton asked. “Then what?”

  “You mean, that some desperados are on their way here and one of them thinks he’s this child’s father?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, you’re the law…you’ll tell them to leave town.”

  “Don’t be naïve, Marion,” he said. “You’ve been a lawman’s wife long enough to know it doesn’t work that way. It’s more than likely I’d have to make them leave.”

  “Could you?”

  “I don’t know,” he said honestly. “I really haven’t had to deal with anything like this since taking this job. Drunken cowboys, yes. Gunmen, no.”

  “But…you have deputies.”

  “Two young deputies,” he said. “They’re not equipped for this.”

  Marion began to pace, bouncing the baby as she did.

  “I can’t believe this,” she said. “If he’s right…we can’t let them take the baby, Riley. And if she’s been using us, we should put her out.”

  “And keep the baby?” he asked. “Her baby?”

  “Her baby?” She stopped pacing and faced him. “She never feeds him, I do. She never picks him up when he cries, I do.” Her anger was sudden and fierce.

  “Marion,” he asked, “how long have you been this angry?”

  “All right,” she said, “all right, so I know she’s using us. I see the way she wraps you around her little finger. But I love Little Matt.” She hugged the baby tightly. “I was willing to put up with her to keep him here.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She looked away.

  “I didn’t think you’d believe me,” she said. “She’s so young, so pretty…I see that way you look at her.”

  “Marion!” he said. “I never—”

  “I know you never have, Riley,” she said, “but sometimes I think…you want to.”

  “Marion,” he said, putting his hand on her arm, “I love you.”

  “And I love you, Riley,” she said. “What do we do?”

  “Well, we’ll let the Shayes make up their minds,” he said. “If they decide that this baby is part of their family, they’ll do whatever they can to protect him.”

  “You mean, they’ll fight this Jeb Collier and his men? And kill them?”

  “Yes.”

  “And then what?” she asked. “Will they want to take Belinda and the baby with them?”

  “I don’t think so,” he said. “I think I could convince them to leave the baby with us. After all, they’re three men living without a woman.”

  “But Belinda—”

  “Belinda can’t control Dan Shaye,” Cotton said. “He sees right through her.”

  “But how do we get Belinda to leave him here if we put her out?” she asked.

  “If what you say is true about her, then she won’t want to take him with her. Or if she’s the kind of girl Shaye thinks she is, maybe she’ll sell the baby to us.”

  “Sell him? My God, would she do that? Could we have been that wrong about her?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. He stroked Little Matt’s chubby cheek with one finger. He had to admit he loved the child too. He also had to admit—to himself, but never to his wife—that he had, in the past, entertained the thought of being with Belinda. If she would leave, then that temptation would be removed forever.

  “I think we’ll have to wait and see what happens when Jeb Collier and his men get here, Marion.”

  “But if Dan Shaye and his sons won’t face them, you’ll have to,” she said.

  “It’s my job.”

  “You could be killed.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I love this child, Riley,” she said, “but I don’t want to trade him for you.”

  He was thinking she wouldn’t have to. If Jeb Collier killed him, he and his gang would probably take the child—and Belinda—away with them.

  He didn’t tell her that, though.

  30

  That night when Dan Shaye turned in he made sure Thomas and James did as well. He didn’t want to take the chance of any more trouble with drunken ranch hands.

  At breakfast they talked about what they would do if they were to decide that Little Matt was, indeed, Matthew’s
son.

  “We could take both of them back with us to the ranch,” James said.

  Shaye and Thomas didn’t comment.

  “Are we goin’ back to the ranch, Pa?”

  “Well, we have to go back,” Shaye said. “Even if we decide not to live there, we’d have to sell it.”

  “Without a ranch,” Thomas said, “What would we do with a woman and a child?”

  “It might not be up to us,” Shaye said. “What if Belinda doesn’t want to leave here?”

  “But now that the sheriff knows she’s not who she pretends to be, would they let her stay with them?” James asked.

  “I don’t know,” Shaye said. “That would have to be between them. All we have to do right now is decide if the boy is Matthew’s or not. The rest will come after that.”

  Thomas pushed his plate away.

  “What if what she says about this gang is true?” he asked. “What if all she wants is for us to get rid of them? And the rest is a lie?”

  “I get the feeling this girl has lied a lot,” Shaye said. “Maybe the gang is a lie too. Today I’ll send some telegrams to find out.”

  James finished his coffee and set his cup down.

  “If we’re all done,” Shaye said, pushing his chair back, “we can go and do that right now.”

  At the telegraph office Shaye sent off three telegrams to lawmen he knew in the West.

  “We’ll be waiting outside for replies,” he told the clerk.

  “Yes, sir.”

  He joined his sons outside.

  “Think we’ll get an answer right away, Pa?” James asked.

  “Maybe,” Shaye said. “No harm in sitting right here and waiting until it’s time to go.”

  “Well,” Thomas said, sitting on one of three chairs, “Can’t get into much trouble just sittin’.”

  “We hope,” James said.

  That morning Cotton asked Marion, “Can you resist confronting her until later?”

  “I hope so,” she said. “For the sake of Little Matt, I’ll have to.”

  Cotton put his gun on, preparing to leave for his office.

  “We’ll have it out with her later, Marion,” he promised. “After Dan Shaye’s sons meet her and the boy.”

  “You go to work,” she said, patting his arm. “I have to feed the baby and make breakfast for her. Don’t worry. I’ll be good.”

  Sheriff Cotton kissed his wife good-bye and left for his office.

  On his way to open his office, Cotton passed the telegraph office and saw Shaye and his sons sitting out front. He crossed over and greeted them good morning.

  “I sent some telegrams about Jeb Collier,” Shaye told him. “Thought we should know for sure what his situation was.”

  “Good idea. Will you let me know when you find out?”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Gonna wait here until noon?” the lawman asked.

  “Why not?” Shaye asked with a shrug.

  “Sure,” Cotton agreed, “why not?”

  “Did you tell your wife what I told you?”

  “Yes, I did. She was upset.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. Turns out she’s known more about Belinda’s true character than I have.”

  “Is that a fact? And she was willing to put up with it?”

  “For the baby’s sake.”

  “He’s two, ain’t he?” James asked.

  Cotton looked at him. “Yes.”

  “Not really a baby anymore, is he?”

  “To my wife, he is.”

  “We’ll see you around noon, Sheriff.”

  The sheriff gave a small wave and continued on to his office.

  The telegram they were waiting for came at eleven-thirty. The clerk came out and handed it to Shaye.

  “What’s it say, Pa?” Thomas asked.

  “Jeb Collier was sentenced to two years for a stage robbery in Arizona,” he said. “He got out last month.”

  “And is he on his way here?” James asked.

  “No way to know that.”

  “Well,” Thomas said, “at least we know she told the truth about that.”

  “At least we know,” Shaye said, “that she can tell the truth—when she wants to.” Shaye folded the telegram and put it in his pocket. “Time to go.”

  31

  It was all Marion Cotton could do to hold her tongue all morning. When she saw the three men walking toward her house, she was relieved. As they got closer, she recognized Daniel Shaye. When they reached her backyard, she saw that his two sons were quite handsome. One seemed barely a man and the other several years older—and bigger. They all wore guns. She hoped that the three of them would be a match for the Collier gang.

  “Mrs. Cotton,” Shaye said as they reached the fence surrounding the backyard. He removed his hat and his sons followed his example.

  “This is my son James…and my son Thomas.”

  “Ma’am,” Thomas said and James just nodded.

  “I’m happy to meet you both,” she said.

  “Where are Belinda and the boy?” Shaye asked.

  “They’re inside,” she said. “I’ll go and fetch them.”

  “And your husband?”

  “He hasn’t come home yet,” she said. “He must have been held up at his office. Please, come into the yard and wait.”

  She opened the gate and the three men entered while she went into the house.

  In the house she told Belinda, “They’re here.”

  Belinda went to the window to look out at Daniel Shaye’s sons. She was impressed with the older one. He was tall, well built, and quite handsome. He reminded her of Matthew, but not as large.

  “I’ll get Little Matt,” Marion said. If Belinda noticed the coldness in her tone, she gave no indication. “Why don’t you go out and…talk to them?”

  “All right,” the younger woman said. “I’ll see you outside.”

  She went out the back door while Marion went into the bedroom to get the child.

  When Belinda appeared in the yard, wearing another simple gingham dress, both Thomas and James caught their breath. They could both see how she would be able to influence a man with her beauty. If she could do it to a mature man like Sheriff Cotton, then their brother Matthew would have had no chance against her.

  Shaye could see the reaction both his sons were having to the lovely young woman. He gave James no chance against her charms, but hoped that Thomas was old enough and smart enough to resist.

  “Boys, this is Belinda,” Shaye said. “Belinda, Thomas and James.”

  “It’s very nice to meet the two of you,” she said. “I can see the resemblance between you and your brother Matthew.”

  Neither Thomas nor James commented on that remark.

  “Where’s the boy?” Thomas asked.

  Belinda pouted, a gesture that annoyed Shaye.

  “Aren’t you interested in getting to know me first?” she asked.

  “The boy is the one we might be related to,” Thomas pointed out.

  “And you?” she asked, directing her gaze at James now.

  Shaye saw James swallow and hesitate. If they ever left him alone with her, he’d be lost.

  At that moment the back door of the house opened and Marion Cotton came out carrying Little Matt.

  “There he is,” Shaye said.

  While she walked toward them, Shaye noticed that Belinda had not removed her hot stare from James, who still seem mesmerized by her. Thomas must have noticed as well, because he stepped between the two of them, breaking the contact.

  “Let’s look at the boy, James,” he said.

  “His name is Matt,” Marion said, stopping before them.

  “We call him Little Matt,” Belinda said, “because his father was so…big.”

  Thomas walked toward the boy for a closer look, but did not touch him. James followed, but when he reached the woman and the boy he stuck his finger out as Shaye had done the day before. The boy immediately r
eached for it.

  “He’s got a strong grip, Pa,” James said.

  “I know,” Shaye said. “I felt it yesterday.”

  “It’ll take more than a strong grip and a big ass to make him Matthew’s son,” Thomas pointed out.

  Shaye noticed that the boy did, indeed, have a large behind. If nothing else, that reminded him of Matthew at the same age.

  “We’re never going to be able to find store-bought britches to fit him,” Mary had lamented. “I’m going to have to hand-make them.”

  “We can’t find store-brought clothes to fit him,” Marion said then. “I hand-make his britches for him.”

  Shaye took a step back, as if she had slapped him, then shook his head to dispel the voice in his head.

  “Hey, Pa,” James said, “didn’t Ma used to say—”

  “Take a good long look, boys,” Shaye said. “This is important. Is he part of our family, or isn’t he?”

  Thomas leaned in to examine the boy’s face, but Little Matt turned his head then, to look at his mother. Shaye noticed that Belinda was not looking at the small boy, but at James. It was as if she had sensed the weak link in them.

  Thomas moved around to get a look at the small face.

  “I can’t tell, Pa,” he said finally. “He’s a big one, that’s for sure, and his eyes…his eyes are right, but…”

  “James?” Shaye said sharply.

  His tone startled James, who turned his head to look at his father.

  “Pa?”

  “What do you think?”

  James looked at the boy.

  “I don’t honestly know, Pa,” he said. “Could be.”

  “Could be ain’t good enough,” Shaye said. He looked at Marion, not Belinda, because it seemed to be the older woman who was the more responsible one. “We won’t be able to decide today.”

  “I understand.”

  “But,” Belinda said, “we don’t have much time—”

  “For what?” Marion asked, cutting her off. “What don’t we have much time for, Belinda?”

  “Nothing,” the younger woman said, backing off.

  “There’s no hurry, Mr. Shaye,” Marion said to Shaye. “No hurry at all. We’ll be here.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Shaye said. “Tell the sheriff we’re sorry we missed him.”

  “I will,” she said. “I’m sure he was held up by something important.”