Ruby lay on her belly, outstretched across her bed. A book was between her fingers. She was reading the latest installment of her favorite romance, Romeo of the Rodeo.

Penned by Lucia Lovelace, a forty-year old mother from New York, those anthologies chronicled every possible western romance ranging from passionate robberies of gold and hearts, steamy, forbidden romance between natives and maidens of the so-called 'civilized' towns and even steamier (and even more forbidden) romance between two shirtless cowboys with washboard abs.

For someone who was laced into a corset and a hoop skirt for a majority of the day, Ruby loved nothing more than reading such scandalous fiction and hoping for a little slice of western romance.

But unfortunately, all good page turners came to an end, especially when Nate burst through the door. She screamed and her novel flew up in the air, landing beside the bed.

"Look alive, Hawkeye!" he said, thrusting a gloved finger at her. "There's just been a murder in this town and that calls for justice!"

"Gah! Nate!" Ruby exclaimed, crossing her arms. "Can't you knock? I was…"

"I saw what you were doing!" Nate shouted.

He paused with a sky smile. "I could use a shirtless cowboy now and again too! But saddle up. We're going on a trip!"

Ruby was still bright red from having her inner shirtless sanctum invaded. She glared at him. "Saddle up? My lanta! Where are we going?"

"The town jail!" Nate grinned.

Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that down the street? Why do we need to saddle up for that?"

"Aw kid," Nate muttered. "You're killing my buzz. Because it sounds a lot cooler than saying "walk up!"

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***

The sheriff's office was distinguished with a giant wooden star on top, towering over everyone and hopefully casting a long shadow of justice across the town. Ruby had never met the sheriff before, but she imagined a big, burly and mustached man, perhaps with a grey stetson hat and an utmost devotion to the law.

They stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door. Ruby immediately found herself dazzled with an unusual sight.

The door swung open and there stood a tall, tanned and handsome woman with spiky blonde hair, a cowgirl hat, a bright yellow bandana and an enormous sheriff star badge that matched a pair of yellow star shaped earrings. She pulled a pistol out and exclaimed, "Reach for the stars!"

Both Nate and Ruby threw up their hands, but even at gunpoint, Ruby couldn't help but exclaim, "Wowie zowie…a lady sheriff?!!"

The buff but strangely beautiful woman smirked. "Oh thank my lucky namesake, it's the lawyers. You can take this case off my hands!"

She twirled her guns. "The name's Star. Sheriff Star! Get it?!"

Ruby put her hands to her cheeks. "I'm starstruck! I can't believe Holy Toledo has a lady in charge of the law! I'm surprised the mayor allows that!"

"Well," Star said, and she reached into the pocket of her sheriff vest. "He couldn't resist when he saw this…"

The sheriff held a kumquat between her fingers and placed it on Ruby's head. Her eyes rolled up in curiosity at the morsel on her head.

Sheriff Star pulled her pistol out again. She pointed it at Ruby and who squeaked in horror. "What are you doing?!! Eek Star!!!"

"Yee-haw!" Star shouted, firing the pistol.

Ruby gasped as the sound of fruit exploding filled her ears.

She opened her eyes and Nate had a bunch of seeds and fruit juice over his face.

"Wowie!" Ruby exclaimed. "You really are a sharp shooter."

Nate scowled, wringing the juice from his bowtie. "Yeah from two feet away. Bet she can hit the broad side of a barn too!"

Star completely disregarded the irate defense attorney. Her eyes immediately glinted when she looked at Ruby. "So you're the new attorney in town? Seems that the old bird has excellent taste in cute chicks!"

Ruby blushed. Even as a lady, Sheriff Star had a bit of machismo to her. "Umm, yeah hehe. We're here to help! Especially since this sounds like a foul murder!"

Sheriff Star leaned on the door. "Yes indeed, cutie. Nobody wants to whip this case with a ten foot cattle prod!"

Questions lit up Ruby's eyes. "Who is it?"

Star smirked. "The daughter of the general store owner. Some huffy puffy woman named May."

"May?" Ruby asked. "May I know what May did?"

Star's sapphire blue eyes went wide.

"This woman killed an indentured servant of the second richest guy in town. "