Izzy could do that easily, but she doubted there would be pay. “Perhaps something a little more frequent?”
Edie glanced at her as she wiped the teacups. “I’m surprised Tansy hasn’t come up with a hundred different things for you to do.”
“Well, yes . . .” Izzy trailed off. This was harder than she’d thought it would be. “I suppose I’m just looking to spend some time outside the boardinghouse.”
“I’ll let you know if I hear anything,” Edie replied. “How are your plants faring? I have some more herbs if you’d like them.”
Izzy smiled. “Thank you. They’re doing very well.”
“Oh!” Edie perched on the chair across from Izzy. “Do you remember how I was telling you about my father?”
Izzy nodded.
“Well, after we spoke, I thought about it some more. About how you miss your family, and I decided I needed to change my own thoughts about mine. So, I sat down and wrote my father a long letter. I told him about things that had happened since he was here, and about my friends and James.”
Izzy grinned. “That’s wonderful! Do you think he’ll write you back?”
Edie made a face. “My father isn’t one for words, but he’ll probably make one of my brothers write to me for him.”
Izzy laughed. It was exactly the sort of thing Papa would have made Carter do. “I sent my letter home after you visited last.” It was anguish waiting for a reply, wondering how Papa might react to her marriage and waiting to hear if Carter was well.
And possibly waiting to hear the truth.
The thought left her insides feeling cold, and she wrapped her arms around herself. Now wasn’t the time to doubt her own father. She knew the kind of man he was. And he wasn’t a greedy outlaw.
“I’m sure they’ll reply soon.” Edie set a cup of steeping tea in front of her and patted her arm.
Izzy smiled up at her gratefully. She wished she’d had a friend like Edie back in Wyoming. And she wished more than anything that she could pour out her heart to Edie now. Somehow, she doubted Edie would pass judgment.
Perhaps if her friend were married to a different man, Izzy could have done just that.
“Sugar?” Edie slid a little stack of sugar cubes across the table on one of her new plates.
“Yes, thank—”
“Edie? Edie!” A male voice called from the parlor. The voice sounded urgent.
Edie stood up immediately. “We’re in the kitchen.”
Izzy set her teacup down as Sheriff Wright burst through the door, a sheet of paper in his hand. He shoved it at Edie. “This just arrived in the company of a bounty hunter.”
Edie’s mouth formed a little “o” as she looked down at the paper—just as the sheriff noticed Izzy.
“Hello, Sheriff,” Izzy said as she stood too. Any other friendly words died on her lips at the look he gave her.
Izzy swallowed. Something was wrong. She knew without a doubt it had to do with her when Edie looked up, her expression a cross between sympathy and fear.
She suddenly wished she hadn’t come here at all.
Without a word, Sheriff Wright took the paper from his wife’s hands and held it out to Izzy. She clutched the edges of it, and her throat went dry as she saw herself reflected back at her.
Someone had figured out that the missing Sutcliffe boy was a girl.
The sketch was too realistic, and the description . . . Izzy dropped a hand to the back of her chair as she went dizzy.
Edie was immediately at her side, a hand on her arm. “Do you need to sit?”
Izzy shook her head, although she should have. The words kept spinning before her eyes, but she didn’t dare move. Not until she knew exactly what was on that paper.
