jerked away and ran ahead of him. Slowly, Jess got to his feet. His heart ached, sharing the pain the boy felt. He just wished he knew how to help him.
Jess pulled his Stetson lower on his forehead and followed the boy into town.
The place had grown, Jess realized as he stepped up onto the boardwalk. Lots of new businesses had cropped up. The streets were full of horses, wagons and people, all looking prosperous. He gazed around until he finally spotted something familiar. Jess crossed the street to the Walker Mercantile.
The bell jingled over the door as he stepped inside. Jimmy ran in ahead of him. All sorts of merchandise filled the shelves, the pickle barrel stood by the door, and cane-bottom chairs that had seen better days surrounded the potbellied stove in the corner. Behind the counter was an array of teas, coffees and tins.
Cautiously, Jess surveyed the store. The merchant was tallying an order for another customer, and Jess’s tension eased a bit when he recognized the customer as Rory Garrette. At least he knew one friendly face in Walker.
“Morning, Mr. Garrette.”
The older man leaned on his cane and squinted up at him. “Jess, where you been, boy? I thought you’d left town again already.”
Before he could answer, the merchant looked up.
“Jess Logan?”
A moment ticked by before Jess recognized the man in the apron. Years had creased his face and peppered his dark hair with gray, but there was no mistaking that distinctive voice, deep and strong.
“Leo Turner.” Jess said, and nodded, unsure of the welcome he’d get here—or anywhere in Walker. “Good to see you again.” He offered his hand and they shook.
“Last I heard, you’d died in a Mexican prison. Good to see you, too. Sorry to hear about your sister.”
“Thank you.”
“Jimmy?” Leo took a licorice from the glass jar beside him and held it up. “Want one?”
The boy scampered over and Jess lifted him onto the counter. He took the candy and bit into it.
Leo chuckled. “That boy loves sweets.”
Rory offered a gap-tooth smile. “Who don’t?”
“Cassie used to bring him in with her every Saturday, you know, give him licorice if he was quiet while she shopped.”
“He’s not talking much these days,” Jess said. “Maybe this will do the trick.”
“Bribing the child into talking? I should hope not.” A woman breezed in through the curtain from the back room and stared disapprovingly at the men. “Leo, I think you’d know better.”
“Now, Emma, honey,” Leo said, “we’re not hurting anything.”
Efficiently she straightened the counter beside Leo and gave Jess a glance. “You’ve certainly got your work cut out for you, young man.”
Memories stabbed him like a knife, Leo’s wife looking at him in that way, using that tone of voice, those exact words so many years ago. Years had changed her looks, but that was all.
Jess nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Your sister was a treasure in this town. We’ll miss her.” Emma brushed the countertop with a linen cloth.
Rory coughed and sagged against his cane. “What about you coming over to the house and sit a spell, boy? Have supper with us?”
He could imagine the look on Alma Garrette’s face, seeing him walk into her parlor and sit down at her dining-room table. “Can’t today. Some other time.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that, boy.”
The bell jingled as . the door opened again. Leo waved. “Morning, Sheriff.”
Rory’s lip curled down. “Horse’s ass,” he muttered.
“Morning Leo, Emma.” The sheriff sauntered to the counter, hung his thumbs in his gun belt and reared back, giving Jess the once-over. His lips curled down. “I know who you are, Logan.” .
Jess’s back stiffened. He hadn’t especially liked Sheriff Buck Neville when he’d first arrived in town and asked about his sister’s children. Now, looking at the stocky, muscular man with the tin badge pinned to his vest, he liked him even less. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, that’s so.” Sheriff Neville leaned forward, crowding Jess. “I know about you. I know about what you did over in Kingston.”
Jess felt every gaze in the room bore into him; apparently everybody knew about Kingston. Jess’s gut tightened but he didn’t flinch.
“I run a clean town here. I don’t like your kind hanging around. You so much as spit wrong, Logan, and I’ll throw your ass in jail so fast you. won’t know what hit you.” Sheriff Neville jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t you forget it.”
He left the store and slammed the door behind him.
A long awkward moment dragged by before Leo spoke. “Don’t pay him no mind, Jess.”
Rory squirted a wad into the spittoon. “Mighty uppity for a lawman in a sleepy little town like Walker.”
“Well, I think Sheriff Neville is doing a fine job,” Emma declared. “I don’t know where you could find a better lawman.”
Rory waved away her comment. “He thinks he’s some big-time sheriff, stopping train robberies and rounding up gangs. Just like—what’s his name? That lawman in them dime novels. Who is it, Leo?”
Leo laughed. “Oh, yeah, I know who you mean. He thinks he’s Leyton Lawrence.”
“Show him.” Rory pointed at the display of dime novels behind the counter. “Show ol’ Jess.”
“Just got these new ones in yesterday.” Leo took the slender book off the shelf and held it up. “See? Leyton Lawrence, The Legendary Layman.”
“Yeah, that’s him.” Rory laughed, then fell into a coughing fit.
“Honestly, you men.” Emma breezed past them. “You’ll all be singing a different tune if the Toliver gang heads this way. You’ll be glad Sheriff Neville is on the job.”
Leo shook his head. “Oh, Emma, the Toliver gang hasn’t been to these parts in months.”
Rory squinted up at him. “I’ll bet ol’ Neville wishes they’d come this way. Maybe he could have got a book writ about him, too.”
“Don’t be silly,” Emma said. “That Leyton Lawrence isn’t real.”
Leo shrugged. “You wouldn’t know it by the way these books sell. I can’t keep them on the shelves. Everybody wants to read about the next adventure of the Legendary Lawman. You ever read these things, Jess?”
Jess
