Capturing the Cook, Page 3

  Patience nodded. “They did, but they served only a very brief sentence. One of the men responsible, Archie Grady, died recently, but I’m not sure if there are others that were in cahoots with him still running free.”

  Ashleigh felt outrage building up inside her chest. “That’s not right!” It made her wonder about her safety in the seemingly idyllic town.

  Patience looked miserable. “I’m sorry I told you all that. I hope you like Creede and decide to settle here instead of going on to California. I could use more female friends!”

  Ashleigh smiled. Despite the disturbing things Patience had just told her, she had taken a liking to the young woman. In Stillwater, there hadn’t been any young women that lived close to the Steepleton family. She was grateful for her friendship with her cousin Gilbert, but sometimes, she longed for female companionship. She didn’t know how long her cousins planned to stay in Creede, but as long as they were there, she would enjoy Patience’s companionship.

  Patience finished eating and stood up. “I need to check on my family,” she explained.

  “Your husband?” Ashleigh asked.

  “And soon, our little one,” Patience ran a hand over her stomach proudly.

  “I see.” Ashleigh nodded, surprised that she felt a twinge of jealousy. She hadn’t realized that Patience was expecting. Would she ever get the chance to start a family of her own? It was something she wanted more than anything else.

  “I only help out in the mornings at the restaurant these days. I can’t stay away!” Patience chuckled. She brushed her hands off. “I hope you have a wonderful day, and I’ll see you soon. There are others I’d love to introduce you to.”

  Ashleigh felt excitement as she considered the prospect of other friends. Her emotions confused her. Part of her wanted to continue on to the possibilities California represented, while another part of her saw an opportunity for a fulfilling life in Creede. As she puzzled over this, the older gentleman from the boardinghouse suddenly appeared before her. She hadn’t even noticed him walking up.

  “Good, you listened to me. Meet me right here after work today, understand?” the man commanded.

  Ashleigh frowned. This stranger was so bossy! If she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought he was related to her cousin William. “What are you talking about? Who are you?”

  The man sighed. “I’ll explain everything, if you’ll meet me here after work.”

  “Okay.” Ashleigh was eager to get answers. She looked back at the restaurant. Speaking of work, it was probably time to get back to her chores in the kitchen. When she looked back at the old man to ask his name, he was gone. Ashleigh frowned. For an old man, he was so quiet about the way he moved. She hadn’t even heard him leave.

  Ashleigh shook her head. Some things about Creede confused her greatly. She went back inside and returned to the kitchen. The Grahams kept her busy throughout the afternoon with various tasks and responsibilities. She felt soothed by the steady rhythm of work in the kitchen. Alexander, the handsome chef, mostly avoided Ashleigh, but once he came over and asked for a bowl of chopped onions from her immediately. Ashleigh wondered if he was always so stern and gruff or if it was just the way he worked.

  Although Ashleigh was in the kitchen the entire time, she knew from a few glimpses of the dining room that Graham’s Grub seemed to be a popular restaurant with the locals of Creede. The tables were almost always filled, and people ate, laughed, and talked loudly. The afternoon passed by in a blur.

  Soon, Ashleigh’s shift was over. She couldn’t wait to return to the boardinghouse and tell her cousins about her day. She wanted to tell Gilbert all about the people she’d met and what she’d learned about Creede. Although the restaurant was staying open, new workers would arrive to work the dinner shift. Ashleigh hung up her apron on a hook near the kitchen door and prepared to leave.

  She began to walk the few blocks to the boardinghouse, then stopped as she remembered the stranger’s words. Why had he asked her to meet here in the middle of town rather than at the boardinghouse? It seemed as if he was staying there, too, though Becky hadn’t heard of him.

  Ashleigh sighed. She had so many questions she wanted to ask the man. Maybe he could provide some insight on the strange things she’d heard about the dangers of Creede. She decided she would wait for him for a few minutes. If he wasn’t there, she’d return to the boardinghouse.

  Ashleigh went back to the spot where she and Patience had eaten lunch. An eerie quiet had fallen over the area. Patience had told her that between lunch and dinner, there was often a lull in the crowd at Graham’s Grub.

  Suddenly, a gloved hand clasped over Ashleigh’s mouth, and she tore at the hand to free herself. Someone roughly grabbed her arms and pulled her backward. “Give us your money!”

  Ashleigh wanted to cry out, but the hand covered her mouth. She fought against the hold she was in but couldn’t get out from the grip. Another body, wearing a mask and gloves, stood in front of her. “Where is it?” the other person demanded.

  Ashleigh shook her head frantically. Where was everyone? Even though many of the day workers from Graham’s Grub had left, there were still at least a few people in the kitchen. If she screamed loud enough, maybe they’d see what was going on and come to her rescue.

  Rough hands reached for a purse or pocketbook, but all they found were layers of her dress. Ashleigh had slipped the wages she’d received for the day’s work into a small coin purse that was strapped to her leg. She prayed these horrible people wouldn’t find it.

  Finally, the person covering her mouth released his grip. Ashleigh screamed loudly and bit down on the hand that was still in front of her. The man yelped and stole his hand away.

  “Help me!” Ashleigh shouted as loudly as she could.

  The man cursed and tightened his hold on Ashleigh’s arms. The other person moved menacingly close to Ashleigh. “Tell us where the money is, or we’ll hurt you so bad—”

  The man couldn’t finish the sentence because he suddenly fell to the ground. Standing behind him with a frying pan was Alexander Pierce, the sullen chef from the restaurant! Next, he swiftly moved behind Ashleigh. She heard another clanging sound as the man holding her hands behind her back let go and also toppled to the ground. The first man got up and ran away, crying out from the pain.

  Alexander put a gentle hand on Ashleigh’s shoulder. “Are you all right?”

  Ashleigh struggled to regain her breath. Her heartbeat was racing, and she felt dizzy from fear. As she was trying to form a response, the second man got up again. Ashleigh staggered backward, afraid he was going to try to hurt her again, but he simply ran away as well.

  They both disappeared behind one of the buildings on Main Street. Alexander shook his head. “I’d like to go after them, but I want to make sure you’re all right first.”

  “Thank you,” Ashleigh said shakily. “I think you just saved my life.”

  “Did they hurt you?” Alexander asked, his face filled with concern. He was so much more attentive and considerate than he’d been in the restaurant earlier. If Ashleigh hadn’t known better, she would have thought he was an entirely different person.

  Ashleigh stretched out her hands, where the men had grabbed her, and rubbed her jaw. “I’m a little sore,” she answered truthfully. “But I think I’ll be perfectly fine tomorrow. I’m glad you stopped them before they did something worse.” Although Ashleigh felt shaken by the incident, she also felt confident and safe now that Alexander was there. What was it about him that made her feel protected?

  “What were you doing out here by yourself? Hasn’t anyone told you that’s unwise?” Alexander demanded, a flash of his earlier impatience in the kitchen returning.

  Ashleigh shook her head. “I was meeting someone who asked me to come here. Do you know an older man who—”

  Alexander frowned, an angry expression coming onto his face. “What’s the man’s name? He should know better.”

  “That’s the thing. I
didn’t get his name,” Ashleigh admitted.

  “Then why on earth were you . . . you know what? That doesn’t matter. Where do you live? It’s more important that you get home now, safely,” Alexander told her, a perturbed look on his face. Although Ashleigh didn’t care for his tone, she had to agree with his plan.

  “I’m staying at Mrs. Franklin’s boarding house. My cousins and I are only passing through Creede for a short while on our way to California,” Ashleigh told him.

  “I’ll walk you home. Although this is normally a busy time preparing for dinner, they can spare me for a little while so I can make sure you get home safely,” Alexander said. He offered Ashleigh his arm, and she accepted.

  As they touched, Ashleigh felt a shiver of anticipation run through her body. It was like nothing she had felt before. She felt connected and close to Alexander. She almost laughed at herself. She was certainly getting carried away after the strange actions of the masked men.

  “I still can’t believe that happened,” Ashleigh admitted as they walked down Main Street to the boardinghouse. “Are attacks common in Creede?”

  Alexander frowned. “More common than I’d like. For a while, women were going missing. Thankfully, they were all returned safely, but our town is not a safe place for women on their own.”

  Ashleigh felt frustrated. She had found a reason to stay in Creede, a new friend in Patience and a job at Graham’s Grub. Why was her life so complicated? She couldn’t stay in Oklahoma because she had no prospects there, but she also couldn’t stay here in Creede because it was unsafe. What was she supposed to do?

  Ashleigh stayed quiet on most of the walk home. She was still reeling from the earlier events. As the evening grew dark, she was fearful that the masked men would return and try to hurt her. She felt safe with Alexander by her side, but what about when he left? Would the masked men hurt him if given the chance?

  When they arrived at the boardinghouse, Alexander walked her to the door and waited until she was safely inside.

  “I can’t thank you enough for helping me,” Ashleigh said, wishing she had something to give him or do for him as a token of her gratitude. If she were at home in Stillwater, she’d invite him over for supper, but that was silly because she lived in a boardinghouse and he was a chef at a restaurant.

  “No thanks is necessary. I’m glad you weren’t hurt. I’ll talk to the police this evening and see if there’s anything they can do,” Alexander said.

  Ashleigh felt silly. She hadn’t even thought about the police. She hoped the men who had tried to hurt her would be found and punished. It didn’t seem right that they were free and able to scare other women whenever they felt like it.

  As Ashleigh walked into the dining area of the boardinghouse, her cousins clustered around her. Gilbert wrapped his arms around her for a moment.

  “Ashleigh! Where were you? We were worried about you.” Gilbert had an immense look of relief on his face.

  “I’m sorry to worry you. I’ve had quite a day,” Ashleigh began. She would tell her cousins everything that had happened, but first she wanted to sit down.

  Within a few minutes, Ashleigh was sitting next to the fire with a mug of hot cocoa in her hands. It seemed like Becky Bowen had read her mind and knew Ashleigh needed a comforting atmosphere. Feeling warm and grateful to have her cousins by her side, Ashleigh recounted her story. She told of finding work at the restaurant, getting attacked, and Alexander’s rescue.

  William looked furious. “I’m going out to find the men who did this to you!”

  Philip put his hand over William’s. “William, not now! Please, let’s stay with Ashleigh and make sure she’s all right.”

  “They need to be brought to justice! Tell me again what they looked like.” William demanded.

  Ashleigh shook her head sadly. “I didn’t get a good look at either of them. They were taller than me, but they wore masks and gloves. I don’t know what they looked like at all.”

  “All that matters is that you’re all right,” Gilbert said emphatically. “And from now on, you’re not walking anywhere by yourself.”

  “That’s right. Why would you let her go off by herself?” William confronted Becky, who was now tidying the tables in preparation for dinner.

  Becky flushed with shame. “Creede has been safer lately. I didn’t think . . .”

  “That’s right, you didn’t think! And my cousin was nearly hurt or killed because of it!” William thundered.

  “Wait just a minute!” a man roared, coming out of the kitchen. “No one speaks to my wife like that!” Ashleigh realized he must be Becky’s husband, Amos Bowen. Becky tried to calm him, but Amos waved her off.

  Amos and William faced one another, each man clenching his fists and snarling.

  Philip leaped in between them. “Please, let’s sort this out later. It was a terrible thing that happened, but now Ashleigh is all right. We should be mad at the men who did this, not each other.”

  William and Amos stared at each other a little while longer, but finally, William offered a hand. Amos shook it, still seeming a bit uncomfortable with the situation. William slumped back down in his chair, and Becky carried on with their dinner preparations.

  “I’m so sorry,” Becky whispered to Ashleigh as she passed by, squeezing her hand.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Ashleigh assured her. There were many things she wasn’t sure about these days, but that wasn’t one of them. Becky had only shown her kindness. Despite the terrifying events of that day, Ashleigh felt lucky to be surrounded by people who cared about her. No matter what happened, at least she had her cousins and her new friends.

  Chapter Three

  The following morning, Ashleigh woke with a sense of purpose. She was determined to find a way to thank Alexander for saving her from the attackers. She wished her mother were still alive—Sarah always knew how to make someone’s day a little brighter. Ashleigh dressed quickly and went downstairs. She thought about all the things she and her cousins had brought with them. Clothes, a Bible, a few other books, and not much else. There was nothing she could give Alexander that he would find useful.

  Ashleigh tried to imagine what her mother might have done. She began thinking of her mother’s tasty pies and cakes. Men from ranches all over the area talked about how delicious they were. Ashleigh wasn’t sure what kind of baking supplies there were in the kitchen, but she decided she would at least ask Becky about it.

  Ashleigh wandered into the kitchen and found Becky inside, rolling out dough. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, Ashleigh!” Becky’s bright eyes were still full of concern. “How are you feeling this morning?”

  “Much better, thank you,” Ashleigh replied. She knew Becky still felt guilty about allowing Ashleigh to leave the boardinghouse on her own and wanted to set the woman at ease. “There is something you can help me with, though.”

  “Anything at all!” Becky said.

  “Alexander, the cook at Graham’s Grub, saved me last night. I’d like to do something to thank him. Would it be okay if I used some of your baking supplies?” Ashleigh explained.

  “Of course, that’s fine! I can even help if you’d like,” Becky offered.

  “Oh, no, I know you’re very busy preparing meals for the boarders. I’ll get started and try to stay out of your way!” Ashleigh said. She couldn’t believe how sweet all the women she’d met so far in Creede had been—Becky, Patience, Mrs. Graham. It was almost enough to forget about the dangers of the town everyone had warned her about.

  Becky showed Ashleigh where they kept flour, eggs, and sugar, and Ashleigh got to work quickly. She had less than an hour before she needed to be at work, and her cousins had worked out a schedule so that one of them would escort her each way.

  Ashleigh decided to make cookies, one of her mother’s recipes that she knew by heart. When she ran out of sugar, Becky told her there was some in a closet down the hall, toward the back of the building. Ashleigh set off to find it
. When she came to the narrow door, she pushed it open and jumped back in surprise.

  The old man was standing inside the closet, almost as if he had been waiting for her! She wasn’t sure if she should talk to him or call the marshal!

  “What are you doing in there?” Ashleigh cried, frightened.

  “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.” The man busied himself with looking through all the spices and bags of flour and sugar.

  Ashleigh was getting annoyed and frustrated. “Who are you?” Ashleigh demanded.

  The man handed her a sack of sugar. “Here you are.”

  Ashleigh refused to accept the bag. “I’m not leaving until you tell me who you are.” How had he known it was sugar she was looking for? He was starting to give her a very strange feeling! “You also need to explain to me why you told me to go outside when it wasn’t safe! I was attacked!”

  For the first time, the old man looked genuinely taken aback. “You were? But . . . you were . . . we were supposed to meet outside. I was there, but then I got called away. When I came back, you were gone. I thought you had forgotten or decided not to meet me.”

  “That’s because Alexander saved me. If he hadn’t been there, I could have been killed!” Ashleigh was growing angrier and angrier by the minute.

  “I didn’t know that was about to happen!” The old man looked down at his hands. “Well, this is a mess, isn’t it?”

  “Please, just tell me who you are and why you think you know what’s best for me.” Ashleigh hated that she had to repeat herself, but the man was just not understanding.

  “That’s a complicated question. But I suppose for now, you can call me Ernie,” the man said.

  Ashleigh frowned. How was what she had asked complicated? She folded her arms across her chest and waited for more.

  “I can’t explain now, but I do know what’s best for you. In fact, it’s my job. It’s all I was sent here to do,” Ernie continued.

  Ashleigh didn’t know what to believe. Ernie seemed like he was telling the truth, but what could he possibly mean by that? How could it be his job to tell her what to do? “I already have a cousin who thinks it’s his job to tell me what to do.”