“Only . . . wanted . . . to eat . . .” he wheezed as Cole kept him pinned to the dirt.
“That’s nonsense,” the woman said from nearby.
Cole glanced up. She had risen and was brushing off her skirts. Dust rose from her efforts, obscuring her in a brown cloud.
“I offered him food, and in response, he took my reticule.” She lifted her hand, and through the dust, torn ribbons dangled from her fingers.
Cole turned back to the man on the ground. The fellow was shaking his head, as if he wanted to dispute the woman’s accusation, but Cole had heard enough. He’d seen plenty of thieves in his day, and this man was clearly nothing more than a ruffian bent on taking advantage of a lady’s kindness.
He stood and removed the pistol at his hip. Training it on the man before him, he held out the little bag toward the woman. “I believe this belongs to you?”
She rushed forward and, with a grateful smile, took it into her hands. She was pretty, he realized, now that he could see her without the dust obscuring her features. Of a medium height with clear blue eyes and dark hair that likely shined in the sunlight when it wasn’t coated in dust, she made his heart stumble with her smile.
She examined her bag, that smile dipping into a frown. But when she looked back up at him, the frown faded. “I don’t know how I can thank you for your help, Mr. . . . ?”
“Cole Robertson,” he supplied as he let an easy grin turn his lips upward. “Why don’t you come with me to the sheriff’s office, and then perhaps I can buy you supper?”
Her sweet smile immediately disappeared. She raised a pointed chin and peered down her nose at him. “Sheriff Granger can find me if he has questions. For now, I’ll give you my thanks and bid you good day, Mr. Robertson.”
Cole swallowed a chuckle he was sure she wouldn’t take kindly to. She began to walk away, toward the road where he’d come into town. “Wait. Miss!”
She turned, fixing him with an impatient gaze.
He’d gotten under her skin, and for some reason, that made Cole smile again. “You didn’t give me your name.”
The woman made a strangled sound of irritation in her throat and began to turn away, clearly intent on leaving him without that knowledge.
“Icouldtell the sheriff that this fellow attempted to steal a bag from a beautiful lady with an icy demeanor, but somehow I think he might appreciate hearing her name.”
Fire flared in those blue eyes, and it took all of Cole’s self-control not to laugh.
“Miss Scott.” She’d barely gotten the words out of her mouth before she turned and stalked away.
Miss Scott. Well, it was better than nothing.
“I’ll see you again soon,” he couldn’t resist calling after her.
Her shoulders straightened. “I should hope not.” She neither stopped nor looked backward as she spoke.
As she walked away, he finally allowed himself to laugh. Miss Scott was quite the intriguing lady, and he certainly did look forward to meeting her again. Perhaps next time, he could coax her to give him that sweet smile.
No. What was he thinking? This was the very reason he’d left Riggs. Miss Scott would be nothing but trouble for him. Hadn’t he learned that yet? He motioned for the thief to stand and tried to shake thoughts of the pretty dark-haired woman from his mind.
The last thing he needed was another woman in his life. Not if he wished to stay in Last Chance.
