Return to Holliday Creek (12)

Where there is a will there is a way.

                                                    -By Robert Faulkender ©

Colorado River Crossing

Ted walked Leitha to the store. Millie had already opened up, and when she saw the two together, romance beamed from her face. Leitha scolded, “Now, don’t you get any funny ideas, Millie. The sergeant here, used to be the sheriff of this old town and a friend of my father’s. No spreading gossip all over the place.”

 

   Ted smiled sheepishly at Millie, tipped the wide brim of the hat that he lifted from Samuelson’s hall tree, and turned to Leitha. 

   

   “I’ll take a trip out to the XBARX, see if I can plant a seed in Howard, and I’ll drop in on Clara afterwards.”  He awkwardly shook Leitha’s hand; she smirked.

    By early afternoon Skillman had returned from the XBARX . He stabled his horse, and walked across the street to the café. Clara Maud turned away when he entered; without a blink, “Your table’s waiting for you, sheriff, or should I say, sergeant. Been a while either way.”

     “Good to see you, too, Clara Maud.” He ambled over and sat. 

     She produced a coffee cup. “No Hassen pfeffer, today. Meat loaf.” 

 

     “Just coffee, Clara. I want to talk to you about something.”

     “If it’s about you and Miss Leitha, you got my vote-- whole town’s vote, for that matter. You sure are slow.” She tried to look cross, but couldn’t pull it off. “Better late than never, I always say.”

     Skillman looked shocked; he turned red. His mouth moved, but the words stammered. 

    Clara observed Skillman’s pain with mild amusement. “You, of all people, should know it’s a small town. And you should also know that Millie is my niece.”

   Ted collected himself slowly. Eventually he came around to the purpose of his visit. The restaurant was quiet; Clara sat down, definitely intrigued by the thought.

     “But I haven’t enough money to make it happen,” she said. 

     Ted could see in her face the dream turning fuzzy. She fiddled with the salt seller.

    

     He leaned over an conspiratorial manner. “Not if you had a backer or partner.”

    Skillman told her about his meeting with Howard, and the idea that the cowboy might be a strong partner. 

   “Howard has a little money, and would be a good inside man while you are the face of the Emporium.” By the end of the third cup of coffee Clara Maud was on fire. She agreed to meet Howard who would be in town day after tomorrow.