the tale and he thought he saw her give a little shudder as she spoke that last line. Her eyes looked a little distant for a moment before clearing and she looked back at him.
‘Like I said Bill, maybe it was just a man and his liquor talkin'. Lizzie said the bed was empty when she woke this mornin' and there was no sign of him.’
‘I see. When he said eight miles from here, which direction did he mean?’
‘Lizzie never said but if you go eight miles from here in any direction you ain’t likely to run into nothin’ much, that is unless you go north. If you go north then you're gonna run into the Blackwater railway camp. They are creatin' a track that goes from Austin all the way to Sundown and it’s gonna take em a hell of a time to finish it but they reckon its gonna help little towns like this flourish with new trade.’
Bill thought on what Gina had said, not so much about the purpose of the new railway, but about there being a camp eight miles from here and about what that drunken man had told the girl. Maybe it was worth checking out. There was a chance it was a pile of horse-shit, but it might still be worth taking a look just to make sure everything was okay.
‘Well,’ replied Bill, rubbing the stubble on his chin, ‘If today proves to be a little quieter than yesterday, then I'll get your dad to ride out with me over there and make sure everythin' is as it should be and I really do appreciate you comin’ and tellin' me this. Like I said anythin' you hear that you think I might be interested in, just come tell me. Its good to know what people are sayin', specially when you are new in a town, as people don’t tend to share a whole lot of news with you.’
Gina nodded.‘Well, I got a business to prepare for another day, so I better get back otherwise they will be askin' why I was here for so long.’ A mischievous smile appeared on her face.
‘I don't usually care too much about what people think as people always want to think something about someone or other but make sure you tell them exactly why you came here if you're leavin' now as you haven't been here but a few minutes, so I can't have anyone thinkin' it was anythin' else as my reputation would definitely suffer.’
Gina laughed. ‘It’s a little early to be makin’ jokes like that isn't it Sheriff?’
Bill sat back in his chair. ‘Maybe you're right, I don’t know what came over me, though I kinda think you started it.’
‘I'll be the one to finish it then. I'll be seein' you Bill. Have yourself a good day.’ Gina said beginning to walk away but looked over her shoulder as she went.
‘I hope so and next time don't forget the cake.’ Bill said smiling after her.
He watched Gina go, captivated by the way she walked, she sure had a great way about her, Bill thought and found himself hoping he'd get to spend a lot more time with her.
13
Ken was sat at his desk, cleaning a pistol when Bill walked into the sheriffs office.
‘Sheriff,’ The deputy said looking up briefly.
‘Damn Ken, what time do you get here in a mornin'?’
‘Oh I’ve been here for a little while. I cant rightly recall what time I got in but don't feel bad as me and Gina are just early risers is all. I've always been that way and I guess she got it from me.’
‘Well, I can testify to that as she just paid me a visit.’ Bill replied taking a seat at his desk.
Ken looked up again, this time placing his pistol on the desk in front of him. ‘Oh she did huh? Let me guess, invite to dinner?’
Bill smiled . ‘No, not quite, she just came to tell me somethin' that she heard from one of her girls this mornin'.’
‘She hears a lot of things in that place of hers, you can’t pay most of it too much attention mind Sheriff. They get all manner of bullshit and fabrications
‘Like I said Bill, maybe it was just a man and his liquor talkin'. Lizzie said the bed was empty when she woke this mornin' and there was no sign of him.’
‘I see. When he said eight miles from here, which direction did he mean?’
‘Lizzie never said but if you go eight miles from here in any direction you ain’t likely to run into nothin’ much, that is unless you go north. If you go north then you're gonna run into the Blackwater railway camp. They are creatin' a track that goes from Austin all the way to Sundown and it’s gonna take em a hell of a time to finish it but they reckon its gonna help little towns like this flourish with new trade.’
Bill thought on what Gina had said, not so much about the purpose of the new railway, but about there being a camp eight miles from here and about what that drunken man had told the girl. Maybe it was worth checking out. There was a chance it was a pile of horse-shit, but it might still be worth taking a look just to make sure everything was okay.
‘Well,’ replied Bill, rubbing the stubble on his chin, ‘If today proves to be a little quieter than yesterday, then I'll get your dad to ride out with me over there and make sure everythin' is as it should be and I really do appreciate you comin’ and tellin' me this. Like I said anythin' you hear that you think I might be interested in, just come tell me. Its good to know what people are sayin', specially when you are new in a town, as people don’t tend to share a whole lot of news with you.’
Gina nodded.‘Well, I got a business to prepare for another day, so I better get back otherwise they will be askin' why I was here for so long.’ A mischievous smile appeared on her face.
‘I don't usually care too much about what people think as people always want to think something about someone or other but make sure you tell them exactly why you came here if you're leavin' now as you haven't been here but a few minutes, so I can't have anyone thinkin' it was anythin' else as my reputation would definitely suffer.’
Gina laughed. ‘It’s a little early to be makin’ jokes like that isn't it Sheriff?’
Bill sat back in his chair. ‘Maybe you're right, I don’t know what came over me, though I kinda think you started it.’
‘I'll be the one to finish it then. I'll be seein' you Bill. Have yourself a good day.’ Gina said beginning to walk away but looked over her shoulder as she went.
‘I hope so and next time don't forget the cake.’ Bill said smiling after her.
He watched Gina go, captivated by the way she walked, she sure had a great way about her, Bill thought and found himself hoping he'd get to spend a lot more time with her.
13
Ken was sat at his desk, cleaning a pistol when Bill walked into the sheriffs office.
‘Sheriff,’ The deputy said looking up briefly.
‘Damn Ken, what time do you get here in a mornin'?’
‘Oh I’ve been here for a little while. I cant rightly recall what time I got in but don't feel bad as me and Gina are just early risers is all. I've always been that way and I guess she got it from me.’
‘Well, I can testify to that as she just paid me a visit.’ Bill replied taking a seat at his desk.
Ken looked up again, this time placing his pistol on the desk in front of him. ‘Oh she did huh? Let me guess, invite to dinner?’
Bill smiled . ‘No, not quite, she just came to tell me somethin' that she heard from one of her girls this mornin'.’
‘She hears a lot of things in that place of hers, you can’t pay most of it too much attention mind Sheriff. They get all manner of bullshit and fabrications
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