The Teacher's Star

one of her pranks. Delia stiffened at it.
“Miss Perkins, have you heard about the Sweetheart Dance?” Eenie Anderson’s innocent tone and rounded, blue eyes gave her the air of an angel. Delia wasn’t fooled for a moment. The girl was planning something.
Slowly, looking from daughter to confused father, she answered, “Well, yes. It’s in a few weeks, I think.”
“Hasn’t anyone asked you, yet, Miss Perkins?” Twinkling eyes turned to look at her father. “Don’t you think someone should take Miss Perkins to the dance, Daddy?” Sweetness dripped from the girl’s words. Why would she want Delia to attend the dance with her father?
He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Time to leave Miss Perkins to whatever she was doing.” Tapping his hat against his thigh nervously, the man nodded to her. “Thank you again, Miss Perkins. I am glad my girl’s behaving.”
Father hustled daughter out of the building. Watching them go, Delia tapped the top of her pencil against her lips. What had the talk of the dance been about? Did Enid know that her father planned to ask her teacher to the dance?
What would she say if he did ask? Would attending the dance with a criminal be like dancing with the devil?
Anticipation rose in her. She knew then what her answer would be if he did ask.
Jubal Yarborough cursed as the needle pierced his already torn cheek. “Take it easy with that, Yancy. I’m not a sock you’re darning!”
“It’s a darn hard thing to do, anyhow.” The man chortled at his pun. When Jubal didn’t respond, none of the others in the room at the back of the saloon laughed. Each one took his lead from Jubal. After all, his brains would make them a tidy profit after the stolen beef was sold.
“You never told us, boss, who done this to you. Did you have a knife fight in the saloon here?” Yancy prodded the wound even as he probed for information.
Jubal didn’t care to answer as he struggled with the pain so he ignored the man’s question.  Without turning his head, he barked out one side of his mouth, “Carter, you hear any more about a U. S. marshal in the area?”
Lowering the bottle he’d been about to swig from, the long-haired man shook his head, setting the matted tresses to moving around hunched shoulders. “Nah. Know a warrant was issued for Old Yancy there. No one’s shown up.”
The man paused and tipped up the amber liquor. Swallowing, he gained courage to continue. “Kept an eye for months on the sheriff’s office. No one new’s come here bouts.”
Carter was first-rate at hiding in alleys. If a stranger had visited the sheriff, Jubal knew Carter would have seen him. Giving a snort of approval in Carter’s direction, Jubal flinched at the pain the movement caused his cheek. Needing to focus on something other than his wound, he went on questioning his gang.
“Reynolds, you moved the beeves like I told you?”
The red-haired man named Reynolds flinched at his name on Jubal’s lips. The boss caught the movement out the corner of one eye. Reynold’s would bear watching. Something about him screamed trouble.
Reynolds wiped a hand across his sweating forehead and swallowed hard, like he had a wad of tobacco stuck in his throat. “Yep. Been watching the hands on that ranch. No one goes to that far pasture in winter. I’m sure as can be ‘bout that.”
Jubal fixed his gaze on the man as the cowboy spoke. He continued to stare after the man grew quiet. It was an odd man who could become sweaty in the cold back room. No, something definitely was off here. Yancy might need to get rid of Reynolds.
Shifting his weight on the wooden chair, the boss leaned his good arm on the table. The other had already been stitched up by Yancy. It was sore as the dickens.
Looking once around the room at each man, he wheezed out a chuckle. “Well, boys, we’ll be in the clear soon as that pass opens. Just need the snow to melt enough for us to move ‘em out of that valley.”
Any satisfaction Jubal felt fled as he remembered Delia Perkins. The woman was one more thing he’d need to take care of before he left Belle. She would pay. He’d enjoy hurting her as much as he planned to enjoy using her body.
He made a silent promise. Determination fueled his need for revenge and guaranteed that it would happen.

Chapter 4
It was as good a time as any. Rol watched the teacher leave with a basket hanging over her arm. To his way of thinking, that must mean she planned to shop for several items. After all, she needed a basket. Good time to explore her room.
Eenie stayed at the ranch, currying horses. That girl did have a God-given talent with the beasts. With most animals, actually. Keeping her away from them the weekend before as her punishment had hurt him even more than it had her. Her tears and sighs nearly had his resolve crumbling like overdone bacon.
Paps Johnson had been willing to leave the running of the livery to his helper. He’d come along as Rol’s lookout.
The old man was one of the few who knew Rol’s identity as a marshal. When he first came to Belle and explained his purpose to Sheriff Knight, the man directed him to Paps.
“His horse ranch will be the best place to rent stable space. He even has a small house on the property that’s vacant right now.” The sheriff’s advice had been spot on. Paps had provided them with everything the father and daughter needed.
When he’d approached the livery owner, Paps had sized him up and, with an arched brow, asked, “So what you really doin’ here?” There was no way, after being