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  “Nick’s down at the ranch,” she said as she filled two glasses, handing one to him. “He’ll be back later this afternoon, but…”

  “I came to see you, Grace.”

  Her eyes widened with concern. “What’s happened? Is it Emma or Lily?”

  “Everyone is fine,” he assured her and took a long swallow of the refreshing beverage, letting it relieve his parched throat. “The thing is there’s a stranger in town—Victor Johnson.” He watched carefully and saw the name meant nothing to her. “He seems to know Lily, and I wondered if maybe you’d ever heard her mention him.”

  The way Grace chewed her lower lip and busied herself refilling his glass told him she’d indeed thought of something. “Is this man dangerous?”

  Cody shrugged. “Hard to say. He’s well-dressed. Talks with an Eastern accent. Clearly not used to manual labor.”

  “Why is he in town?”

  “Well now, that’s a mystery. He’s been staying at the hotel for close to a week now.”

  Grace drummed her fingers on the table. “And why would you think he has anything to do with Lily?”

  “Just a hunch. He was at the lunch counter this morning, and Lily was filling in for the new girl, so she waited on us.”

  Grace’s eyes sharpened as she peered at him. “You and this man were having breakfast together?”

  “Coincidence. I was there, and he took the next stool. I think we were both surprised when Lily stepped out of the kitchen to wait on us.”

  “That doesn’t explain why you think Lily might…”

  “She was nervous, Grace. Have you ever seen Lily be anything but professional on the job?”

  “Maybe it was seeing you and had nothing to do with this stranger.”

  “It wasn’t me making her jumpy as a jackrabbit. The fella was flirting—sort of—but more like baiting her, watching to see what she would do.”

  Grace smiled. “That’s hardly unusual, Cody. Lots of men come to the lunch counter, or even the dining room, thinking they can trifle with a Harvey Girl the way they might with one of the girls at the saloon.”

  Maybe she’s right, Cody thought. “But have you ever seen Lily not be able to handle that kind of disrespect? I mean, I still have memories of a couple of standoffs with her while I had you in custody, and I was on my best behavior.”

  Grace laughed and drank her water. “I’ve been meaning to have Emma and Lily visit,” she said, patting her rounded stomach. “I mean these days, it’s not proper for me to be seen out in town, and I know Rita and John Lombard are planning a party for July—just close friends. Still, I miss Emma and Lily.”

  Cody grinned. “Nick sure is excited about that baby. If you like, I could carry a note back to Lily and Emma,” he offered.

  “What a good idea.” She went to the small desk near the window and penned a quick message. “I suggested Sunday, and maybe have Jake and Aidan Campbell come along as escorts—and you, if you’d like.”

  Cody folded the note and stuffed it in the pocket of his vest. “I expect Lily would be more comfortable with Jake.”

  “Ah, you see, I was right,” Grace said. “You do make her nervous, Cody Daniels, and that’s a good thing.”

  Cody felt the heat of embarrassment creep up his neck. “I should get back to town,” he said. “It was good to see you, Grace.”

  “And you.”

  She walked out with him, and it wasn’t until he was well on his way back that he realized Grace had deftly deflected his concern about Johnson and Lily, and he was no wiser on the subject than he’d been before coming. He thought about the note she’d given him to deliver, and it occurred to him that the sudden decision to invite her friends for a visit was not entirely innocent. Grace was being cautious. She wouldn’t betray a friend’s confidence until she’d had a chance to check with that friend. He just hoped the stalling wouldn’t cause more problems for Lily.

  Chapter 4

  Lily finished her shift at the lunch counter before going straight to the dining room to make sure everything was ready for the afternoon train. Emma was already checking each table to be sure the place settings followed the strict rules.

  “Honestly, Emma, you get more like Miss K every day, the way you’re always straightening a fork or moving a glass a fraction of an inch.” Lily had meant to tease her friend, but when Emma looked at her and frowned, she knew her tone had been snappish and annoyed. “Sorry,” she murmured.

  “You must be exhausted,” Emma said sympathetically. “Aidan told me the counter was unusually busy.”

  “Aidan, is it?” Lily grinned at her friend.

  Emma blushed. “He told us to call him by his given name when we weren’t around guests. You were there when he said it.”

  “Yep, I was. Well, Aidan was definitely right about the counter. As soon as one customer left, another was right there to fill the spot.”

  “Hopefully we won’t be nearly so busy for supper. Once the four o’clock comes and goes, I expect it will be a quiet night. Aidan said the hotel is fairly empty.”

  “Good. I could use a quiet night.” Lily inspected her tables to make sure they were ready to quickly serve the train passengers and get them back on their way on schedule.

  “Lily? Is something bothering you?” Emma’s voice was filled with genuine concern.

  “I’m fine. Just a little tired is all. I sure hope Nancy has a quick recovery.” She was aware that her voice shook slightly. The mere thought of Victor being so close by made her throat tighten and her insides clench.

  Voices from the lobby made both girls look toward the door.

  “Got a message,” they heard Cody tell Aidan.

  “It’s Sheriff Daniels,” Emma whispered and scurried off to the kitchen just as Cody stepped into the dining room and shut the door.

  Lily started straightening flatware that was already perfectly aligned on a table.

  “Hello, Lily.”

  She turned to face him. Golly darn, but he is so appealing! She cleared her throat. “Why, Sheriff Daniels, what brings you here? I mean we’re not exactly open for business yet, and come to think of it, you’ve already taken one meal at the Palace today. Highly unusual for you to grace us with your presence twice in one day.” She was babbling, and he was doing nothing to stop her. He just stood there, hat in hand, and waited, like he had nothing better to do.

  Lily clamped her mouth shut.

  “I brought you—and Emma—a message from Grace Hopkins,” he said, fishing a folded note from his vest pocket and holding it out to her.

  Lily took the note. “You saw Grace? How is she? She isn’t ill, is she? Or is it the baby?”

  The dimples in his cheeks deepened. “Read the note, Lily. She’s fine.”

  Partly for the light and more to escape the effect those dimples had on her, Lily moved to one of the large windows and read Grace’s message. “Oh, how lovely,” she murmured. “You saw her?”

  “I stopped by.”

  Lily had a niggling feeling his visit to see Grace hadn’t been entirely social. “Why?”

  “Why?” he repeated.

  She moved closer so she could read his expression. “Middle of a weekday when I assume you’ve got sheriff stuff to do, why ride all the way out to see Grace?”

  Her heart hammered. Grace had been badly injured in a fire that had killed a prominent Juniper citizen—the banker, Jasper Perkins. The man had stalked her and attacked her. Grace had gone to jail and only been declared innocent after Miss K and another waitress had stepped forward to reveal the same man had assaulted them. But if Cody had gone to see her, maybe Jasper’s widow had brought new charges. “Is Grace in some kind of trouble?”

  “Grace isn’t the one I’m worried about, Lily.”

  She started to assure him that she was just fine, but he stopped her from speaking by gently
touching her lip with his forefinger—and then pulling it away as if he’d been scalded. “Sorry,” he muttered. “The thing is that man at the counter this morning. You know him. He knows you, and he scares you.”

  “That’s ridiculous, and what on earth has any of that got to do with Grace?”

  “I wanted to see if the name Victor Johnson rang a bell with her.”

  Lily fought and lost the battle not to have her shoulders tense, and she knew Cody noticed.

  “So you do know him.” He studied her closely. “Look, Lily, if this man is harassing you in any way, maybe—”

  “My personal life is hardly your business, Sheriff Daniels, and I do not appreciate you going behind my back and questioning my friends. Unless you have some kind of official matter that involves me, please do not do that again.” She put the invitation from Grace in her apron pocket and started folding a stack of freshly laundered napkins. “If there’s nothing more, I have work to do.”

  He hesitated, then tugged on his hat and turned to go. “A word of advice, Lily,” he said as he reached the door. “Whatever’s going on, Grace sent this invitation for more than one reason.”

  “She wants to see her best friends,” Lily said.

  “That and she’s worried about you. She knows why Victor Johnson is a problem for you, doesn’t she?”

  Lily released a laugh she knew was as phony as the smile she’d greeted him with when he first arrived. “Is that the man’s name?”

  Cody turned to her so quickly, she gasped. He covered the distance between them until they were standing far too close for comfort. “Stop playing games. You know his name, Lily. You know him. The thing you don’t seem to understand is he might be trouble. People get hurt when someone like that is around. You could be hurt.”

  Lily reacted the way she always did when threatened or scared—she pretended she wasn’t. “And what’s that to you?”

  He allowed his eyes to roam over the features of her face, settling on her lips. He let out a long breath. “To me?” he murmured. “More than maybe it should be.” And with that, he turned and left, closing the double dining room doors behind him with a soft click.

  Lily hardly realized how hard she was clutching the stack of unfolded napkins until she heard Emma approach. “Are you all right?”

  “Of course. Look at this.” She smoothed out Grace’s note and passed it to Emma. “Grace has invited us for a visit on Sunday. She says maybe Jake and Aidan could come as well.”

  Emma studied the note and smiled. “And Cody—she mentions Cody.”

  “Cody will not be coming,” Lily said firmly. “Let’s just let it be the four of us with Nick and Grace, like old times.” She did not miss the curious look Emma gave her. “Please?” she added.

  “All right,” Emma agreed.

  Just then, they heard the whistle announcing the arrival of the four o’clock train. Miss K entered the dining room, opened the double doors leading to the lobby, and began her inspection while other Harvey Girls hurried to their stations. Outside the window, Lily caught a glimpse of Victor crossing the street.

  Please don’t let him come in for supper.

  To her relief, he headed for the Sagebrush Saloon, but she knew Cody was right about one thing. Sooner or later, she would have to deal with Victor.

  * * *

  Cody strode out of the dining room, barely acknowledging Aidan, who looked up from the hotel register and appeared about to say something. But Cody was in no mood to talk. He’d made a mistake with Lily. He’d let her know he cared. When he first started work as a lawman, he’d told himself romance could not be part of the picture. He dealt with dangerous men and situations. It would be unfair to put a woman in a position to get caught up in that.

  More than that, he was twenty-four years old, and he was ambitious. Taking the position in Juniper was a stepping stone. He had a dream of doing his part to shape the future of New Mexico as it moved from territory to statehood. Running for political office—that was the time to have a strong woman by his side. But was that woman Lily, especially with her tendency toward saying whatever fool thing popped into her head?

  He slammed open the door to his office, forgetting he’d arrested Sam Jones the night before on a drunk and disorderly charge and had left the man to sleep it off in one of the small cells.

  “What the…” Sam leapt to his feet and ran his hand over his shaggy beard.

  Cody grabbed the keys and opened the door to the cell. “Behave yourself,” he muttered as he walked back to his desk, leaving the cell open.

  “You letting me go?”

  “Looks that way,” Cody replied, and Sam was out the door before he could change his mind. A message he recognized as coming from Ellie Swift lay on his desk.

  Heard back from Santa Fe.

  He wadded the paper and tossed it in the wastebasket on his way out the door and around the corner to the Western Union office.

  “Ellie,” he said, tipping two fingers to his hat.

  She handed him a telegram. “Didn’t want to trust it with a delivery boy,” she said. “Seemed like it might be something you’d rather keep to yourself.”

  “For now,” Cody said as he scanned the message.

  HERE AND GONE STOP HOTEL HIT STOP NO PROOF STOP

  The hotel in Santa Fe was La Casita, a Harvey establishment. Was it possible Johnson had orchestrated a robbery there and was now casing the Palace? If that was true, then a lot of people Cody considered friends could get hurt. His mind turned to Jake and the two men Lily had seen with him in the hotel yard. Were they part of this? Was Jake? And where did Lily fit into the picture?

  “Thanks, Ellie.”

  The older woman nodded, already focused on something else. Cody knew he could count on her not to gossip.

  He returned to his office and drummed his fingers on his desk while he tried to figure out his next move. He couldn’t outright accuse Johnson without some kind of evidence. On the other hand, if the hotel was in danger of a burglary, he owed it to Aidan to warn him. Cody needed more information. He studied the brief message from Tyson Drake, his counterpart in Santa Fe. Maybe he should just go out there and talk to Ty about what had happened.

  A new thought occurred to him. If Lily went with him—if she heard from Ty how dangerous Johnson might be—surely that would scare some sense into her. He’d seen enough of her to know that Lily was the kind of independent and willful woman who thought she could handle whatever came her way. That made her vulnerable. There was no way she’d ever come out unscathed in a battle with a man like Victor Johnson.

  Sunday was two days away, when Lily and the others would go to visit Nick and Grace. And Cody had an invitation as well. The Hopkins place was more than halfway to Santa Fe. If he remembered right, the Harvey Girls had a ten o’clock curfew on Sundays. What if, later in the afternoon when the others were ready to return to Juniper, he asked Lily to ride on with him and have supper at La Casita—without telling her Ty would also join them? La Casita was the crown jewel of Harvey’s empire, at least in this part of the country. Cody was willing to bet Lily would have trouble turning down the opportunity to see the place for herself.

  He grinned, feeling better than he had for days. He would let Aidan know that La Casita had been robbed without giving away any details, keep tabs on Johnson, keep his distance from Lily—at least until Sunday—and hopefully by Monday morning, he’d have a lot more cause to suggest Victor Johnson move on.

  * * *

  The one thing Cody had learned on the job was things did not always go as planned. Late that night, he was wakened by a banging on his office door. He stumbled from bed, pulled on his trousers, and opened it to find Lily on his porch—again.

  “You’ve got to come now,” Lily demanded. “It’s Jake.”

  She gave him no further information as she raced back across the plaza and
around to the back of the hotel.

  Cody pulled on his boots, strapped on his gun belt, and followed.

  Once in the yard behind the hotel’s kitchen, he spotted Jake Collier on the ground, propped up against the wall, his face a bloody mess. Pretty much everyone who worked in the hotel had formed a circle around him. Emma sat on the ground next to him, gently dabbing at his cuts with a wet cloth.

  “Where’s the doctor?” Lily demanded.

  “Right here, young lady,” Doc Waters said as he made his way through the throng gathered around Jake. “Can we get the patient inside?”

  Two men from the kitchen staff picked up Jake and carried him into the hotel. He moaned with pain. Lily followed close behind, admonishing them to be careful.

  “What happened?” Cody asked Aidan.

  “Not sure. Jake didn’t show up for work this afternoon. I went to check his room, but he wasn’t there. Jake’s been here five years and never missed a day of work. The dining room was about half full of customers at the time, so we got them served and were just about to organize a search party when one of the girls saw him stumble into the yard and collapse.”

  “Did he say anything?”

  Aidan shook his head. “Though I’ll tell you, I’ve never seen any man more frightened than Jake was.”

  “Let’s see what Doc has to say.” Cody waved Aidan forward to precede him through the open kitchen door.

  Lily had directed the men to Jake’s small room off the kitchen. By the time Cody and Aidan got there, Jake was lying on the bed, his eyes closed, his head in Lily’s lap. She stared up at the doctor, her eyes brimming with tears.

  Cody and Aidan stood in the doorway, waiting for Doc to finish his examination. Emma squeezed between them, bringing a pan of water.

  “Finish cleaning those cuts, Emma, and then apply some of this salve. His jaw’s broken and his nose. Nothing but time for the nose. I’ll wire his jaw and bandage his chest—I suspect a couple of broken ribs—and I’m most worried about that lump at the base of his skull. We’ll see how he fares through the night.” He looked up and focused on Aidan. “He shouldn’t be left alone. We need to watch for any sign of fever, and with a beating this bad, there could be some internal bleeding.”