Falcon led the three women in, hoping to make this quick because the woman who’d actually killed a man had agreed to marry up with him as soon as they were done.

And then it got complicated.

Oliver Hawkins showed up.

Falcon knew Hawkins had asked Cheyenne to marry him. She’d been sorely tempted when she lost her ranch.

Amelia, then later Hobart, had been his housekeepers, though Hobart had been what she called undercover. It sounded like the woman was a liar for a living, but she seemed to have no problem with that. Falcon decided to let that be between her and God and didn’t bother fretting.

Hawkins strode into the jailhouse like a proud banty rooster. His eyes went straight to Amelia Bishop. “Amelia, where have you been? What is going on?”

With a quick look between the sheriff, Hobart, Falcon, and Cheyenne—looking for safety, Falcon reckoned—Amelia moved to hide behind Cheyenne. Good choice.

But the woman looked plumb scared. There was no sign of the bloodthirsty woman she’d been in the canyon.

“Don’t you come near me, you foul, lecherous beast.” Her voice was high-strung, a woman near terror.

Cheyenne’s eyes narrowed at that. Amelia had said she’d run away from Hawkins with Percy Ralston because she didn’t like her boss, but she’d never said just why.

Falcon wasn’t sure what a lecherous beast was, but it sounded mighty bad.

He shifted so he stood shoulder to shoulder with Cheyenne. He was inclined to hate Hawkins just ’cuz he’d proposed to Cheyenne. If Amelia hated him, then Falcon would stand between Hawkins and her.

Cheyenne edged right next to Falcon, which was mighty nice. She whispered, “What’s a lecherous beast?”

He glanced sideways at her and shrugged.

“It sounds mighty bad.”

Falcon thought he and his feisty little Cheyenne were going to be about the happiest married folks who’d ever lived.

Cheyenne went back to standing straight, scowling at Hawkins. “We found Amelia. She’d run off with Ralston and married him. Now she’s going home to her father.”

“But, Amelia,” Hawkins pleaded. “You were the best housekeeper I’ve ever had. I want you to stay with me.”

“No, absolutely not. Cheyenne, don’t let him touch me,” Amelia whimpered.

Hobart came over and stood beside Cheyenne. “He will touch you only over my dead body, Amelia. You don’t have to be afraid anymore.”

While the women handled Hawkins, Falcon wondered if the two men left of the gang would be hanged. The outlaws had done a lot of trying and failing when it came to murder, and it was hard to say just who’d pulled the trigger on Wyatt.