The Cactus Creek Challenge Read Online Free Page A

no way for a grown man and a sworn officer of the law to act. If the citizens of Cutler County, Texas, knew how skittish he was, they’d take back his badge.
    “Good morning.”
    He whirled on his boot heel. Cassie replaced the stoneware lid on the water cooler in the corner of the entryway and tucked a stray curl behind her ear.
    “G’mornin’.” He tucked his fingertips into the pockets of his jeans. “Nine o’clock, you said.”
    “That’s right.” She crossed her arms at her waist, looking about twelve years old. “Do you want me to show you around?”
    “I suppose.” He followed her into the schoolroom. Long shafts of sunlight flowed through the east windows and lay in blocks on the floor and desks. The smell of paper and chalk dust and lunch pails took him right back to his own school days. Her skirts brushed the floor, and the fabric whispered and rustled with a sound he’d never associated with her before. She’d pinned her bright hair up high on her head, and the mass looked too heavy for her slender neck. How on earth would she manage the job of sheriff for a whole month?
    “The attendance book is here with all the children’s names, ages, and grade levels. I’ve placed a schedule in the back of the book. The students know the routine, and they’ll help you. You shouldn’t have any trouble as long as you stick to the routine. Though you should know that there are some pranksters in the group.”
    “We’ll do just fine.” He grinned, hoping he sounded more confident than he felt. “Teaching can’t be that hard. I’m pretty good with my figures and I spell good.” After all, if a girl barely out of pinafores could do it, surely he could.
    “You spell
well
.”
    “Yes, ma’am, I do.” He grinned.
    “So you think teaching is easy? That what I do is so insignificant?” She straightened, and her green eyes pinned him in place. “Do you place no importance on getting a proper education? How do you expect the next generation to take their place in society if they aren’t well schooled? Teachers have a great responsibility. You might be educating the next governor of Texas or president of the United States.”
    He burst out laughing at her passionate eruption, but when her eyes sparked and grew hot, he shifted his weight. “Not that it isn’t important, but do you really think one of those scoundrels outside is going to be president? You might be aiming just a bit north of optimistic.”
    She sighed. “Well, if you’re that confident, then there’s nothing else I need to tell you. I guess I’ll head down to the jail and begin my duties. If you’ll hand over your badge and gun, I’ll be on my way.”
    His hand was already reaching for the badge, but he froze. “My gun?”
    “Your pistol.” She pointed to the Colt holstered at his side. “You surely won’t need it in school. It wouldn’t be proper to have a weapon in the classroom.”
    He laughed and plucked the star from his shirt. “Cassie, you can
borrow
the badge, but the gun stays with me. This pistol goes with me everywhere—work, church, even the necessary. I’d feel unclothed without it. And you don’t need to worry about the kids. I never leave this”—he patted the gun butt—“unattended.”
    “How am I supposed to be the sheriff without a firearm?” She put her hands on her hips and stared up at him.
    He almost patted her on the head since she looked so cute and disgruntled, but he figured she’d take to that about as well as a rattlesnake to having his teeth brushed. “Well, your dad said you were a smart little thing who would figure out the best way to do my job without my help, so I’ll just leave that up to you.”
    “He said I was smart and resourceful. He did not call me ‘a smart little thing.’” She crossed her arms and tapped her lip with her finger.
    “Well, there you go. You always were a quick one. One of the sharpest little girls in school, I always thought. When you weren’t getting