you'll see the kindness there and you'll get over your shivers then.




Both of those boys have real pretty blue eyes." Jessica forced a smile


in an attempt to hide her nervousness. "Why would I want to notice how


fine looking they are? " Exasperated, Tilly put her hands on her hips


and made a tisking sound.




"Because now you have that little bit of a boy to see raised and it


wouldn't hurt you to have a strong man helping." Jessica folded the


damp cloth and put it down on the countertop. "I know you mean well,


but I don't. need a man to help me raise Caleb. We're doing just fine


the way we are."




"Hogwash, " Tilly said. "I know you've got the spirit and the heart to


do right by that baby, but a man could ease the burden. That's all I'm


saying. If I were forty years younger, I'd go after one of them


myself.




I'd have a devil of a time deciding which one I wanted to put his shoes


under my bed, though. All I'm suggesting is that you notice, Jessica,


and I want you to notice too, Grace, because a good man would be the


answer to your family's prayers. Jessica, take that ribbon out of your


hair. It's lopsided."




"Yes, ma'am, " Jessica replied. She pulled the ribbon out and quickly


threaded her fingers through her curly brown tresses. She wasn't


trying to make herself attractive. She was simply placating Tilly.




"You've got such pretty hair, Jessica. You should show it off, and it


wouldn't kill you to do a little flirting while you're talking to


them.




I bet you don't even know how. You ought to try, though. Oh, I know


it's a serious matter they're here to discuss, but they're men first


and always, and they'll notice both of you. Grace, while you're


waiting your turn, you can take all those pins out of your hair and


give it a good brushing. Men like women to wear their hair down, not


pinned up like an old schoolmarm." Jessica and Grace had learned that


it was pointless to argue. Tilly was in one of her stubborn,


I-know-what's-best moods.




Grace was smiling at Tilly, but Jessica noticed her cheeks were flushed


with embarrassment.




"I guess I should go on out, " Jessica said.




"I guess you'd better, " Tilly agreed. "I'll take the baby upstairs as


soon as I find him."




"You don't feel well tonight, Tilly. Go on up and get in bed. I'll


take care of Caleb."




"I'll brew your tea for you and bring it right up, " Grace added.




"Jessica, Caleb can stay in the kitchen with me. I'll keep an eye on


him." Jessica took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Lord, I wish


I weren't so nervous." Grace nodded. "I feel like I've done something


wrong, but I haven't.




Oh, I wish I'd never come to this town. I had such grand hopes . .




.




" "I know you did, " Jessica said. "But it was wrong of Mr. Wells's


son not to honor his father's promise. He should have sold you the


grazing land as his father had agreed. A man's word is supposed to be


sacred."




"The younger Mr. Wells doesn't know that, " Grace said.




"You're going to find your ranch, " Jessica promised. "We'll look at


the property near Denver first, and if it isn't exactly what you want,


I've heard there's lush grazing land to be found in California. "


"There's so much to be done, and time's running out. I only have seven


months left to purchase the land and buy the cattle, or I must admit


defeat and go back home. If I hadn't wasted so much time here, I could


be in Denver by now."




"I'm glad you came to Rockford Falls. If you hadn't, I wouldn't have


met you, and I believe we've become good friends." Grace grabbed hold


of Jessica's hand. "Oh, we have become good friends."




"And now Caleb and I will be going with you to Colorado. Some good did


come out of this, didn't it? " "Will you two girls stop acting like


ninnies. Jessica, get on out to the porch." Tilly's impatience


discouraged further dallying. Straightening her shoulders, Jessica


hurried to the front door. She felt as though she were going to her


own trial, which was ridiculous, of course. She only had to convince


the marshals she hadn't witnessed anything.




Her hand shook when she reached for the doorknob.




"Good evening, Marshals. I'm sorry I've kept you waiting." She stood


poised just inside the door and looked serene, yet her hand gripped the


handle tightly, and she appeared ready to bolt. Experience had taught


Daniel Ryan that lawmen made people jittery. He quickly stepped


forward and tried to put her at ease.




"This should only take a couple of minutes, " he explained.




She glanced from one marshal to the other. Neither one of them was


smiling. Marshal Ryan looked earnest, but Marshal Clayborne looked


bored leaning against the railing. Lord, Tilly had been right. Both


men oozed masculinity.




"It's routine, " Cole remarked.




She nodded. "Yes, I understand." He smiled. "It would probably be


easier if you came out on the porch." She took a quick breath and told


herself to stop trembling as she walked over to one of the wicker


chairs and sat down. She folded her hands in her lap and pressed her


knees and ankles together so they wouldn't shake. Then she waited for


one or both of the marshals to begin.




"I guess we should introduce ourselves, " Ryan began. He dragged a


chair across the porch to face her.




"That isn't necessary. I know who you are. You're Marshal Daniel


Ryan, and he's Marshal Cole Clayborne. We met at the jail, remember?




" Ryan straddled his chair, and Cole stood a few feet behind.




She stared up at him. "You don't look like a lawman, " she blurted


out.




Her eyes turned back to Ryan. "And neither do you."




"What do we look like? " Cole asked.




"Outlaws."




"We look like outlaws? " Cole asked, laughing.




Their smiles helped, and she began to relax. She wanted Cole to sit


down. The man towered over her, and a day's growth of whiskers made


him seem menacing. Daniel looked just as ragged. She had to remind


herself that both of them were marshals and it was, therefore, their


duty to protect innocent citizens. She just needed to let them know


she belonged in that group.




"I haven't done anything wrong." Daniel nodded. "We know you


haven't.




Lawmen make people jumpy. I'm not sure why."




"I know why, " she replied. "You have the power to lock me in jail, "


she explained.




"Not without a good legal reason, " he countered.




She raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? I was locked in jail this


afternoon, and there certainly wasn't a good legal reason then."




"We didn't know Sheriff Sloan would go to such lengths, " Cole


interjected.




"He was convinced one of us was lying, but that still isn't a good


reason to lock someone in jail, is it? " She noticed Daniel remove a


notepad and pencil from his pocket and gave him her full attention.




"We know you were in the bank the day it was robbed, " he began.




"Yes, I was. Caleb was with me."




"Do you happen to remember what time it was? " She smoothed the


wrinkles out of her skirt as she answered, her gaze directed on her


lap. "As a matter of fact, I do remember. I was there at two o'clock,


give or take ten minutes. I went inside and got into line, but I


didn't happen to notice any of the other people there. I wasn't .




. . " "Paying attention? " Cole asked.




"Yes, that's it, " she said. "I wasn't paying attention to anyone


else."




"You didn't notice anyone in line with you? " Ryan asked with a hint


of skepticism. "I was very busy looking after Caleb. He can be quite


mischievous. The gate fascinated him, and he kept trying to swing on


it. Mr. MacCorkle became very upset and yelled at the baby.




He made quite a scene. I had my hands full, Marshal, and I simply


didn't have time to notice anyone else." While she'd been explaining,


she kept glancing up at Cole to get his reaction. He had to know she


was nervous because of the way she had rushed through her answer. Slow


down, she told herself, as she gripped her hands together. Slow down


and calm down, or they'll both think I'm hiding something.




Cole didn't look as if he thought she was guilty of anything. If she


had had to venture a guess, she would have said that the routine


questions were putting him to sleep.




She turned back to her inquisitor. "I'm sorry I can't be more


helpful.




" "Don't babies take naps in the afternoon? " Cole asked. "My little


sister always did."




"Yes, Caleb usually takes his nap right after his noon meal, but his


schedule has gotten all turned around lately. I was sick with


influenza, and because he sleeps in my bedroom, I kept waking him up


all night. He slept late today and then had a late nap. That's why


he's still running around now." She was rambling like an idiot, she


realized, and giving them far too much useless and boring


information.




"Did Sheriff Sloan show you the bag we found? " "Yes, he did, " she


answered. "He told us he found it under one of the desks. It doesn't


belong to me, " she added emphatically. "I never carry a bag." Ryan