The assayer was at his desk when Doc approached it. “Ah, back early,” the dwarf smiled. “That makes it easier for me. Here are your forms, completed and ready to go. The gold tested out at good purity. It’s all in the forms. Here is what is left of the nugget.” Placing the paperwork and nugget on the desk, Friedrichsen put his hand on top of them.
Doc placed the fee down on the desk. “Thank you for your work, sir.”
Taking the money, Friedrichsen nodded, “Glad to assist. I take it I should be expecting business from your claim in the future?”
“You test all the ore brought into town?”
“I verify the ore that is being sold to the bank, which frankly is the only place in town that buys it.”
“In that case, yes. Gold and other minerals.”
“We only take currency metals. Anything else you’d need to see the smelters about. The bank pays better than the smelters for the currency metals, in case you’re wondering.”
“Good to know,” Doc said, picking up his paperwork and the nugget. “Thank you.”
“Of course. Have a good day.”
Doc trudged back across the town, hoping to make it before closing at the courthouse. He did, barely, but he did. The clerk was frosty as she verified his paperwork and signed the appropriate boxes. When Doc gave her the money for the claim, she sniffed, finished the paperwork, and gave him a slip of paper verifying his claim right before telling him that they were now closed.
Heading back to the Lily, Doc exhaled deeply. He was glad he’d finished a chunk of what he needed to get done for the day, but his available funds had taken a big hit. If I hadn’t placed in the tournament, it’d be even worse, Doc sighed.
Business was in full swing when he got back. All five poker tables were full, as were the regular tables. Doc paused inside the door and smiled at seeing the place so busy. As he made his way to the stairs, he was surprised when the piano player called out to him.
“Hey, you,” the half-elf said pointedly.
Doc paused at the base of the stairs. “Yeah?”
“Heard you took over for me the other day. That you knew different songs.”
“It didn’t last, but yes. I’m sorry I didn’t ask to use your instrument first.”
Shaking her head in irritation, the woman grimaced, making her scar stand out more. “That isn’t what I want. I want to hear you play a few.”
Doc winced, “Um, yeah... about that. You did hear how that ended, right?”
She sighed and rolled her eyes. “They aren’t here. Besides, you don’t seem like the yellow type to me.”
“What are you going to do while I play?”
“Sit here and watch,” she said, finishing her current song. “Come on.”
Doc met her eyes, “If you’ll answer one question for me.”
“What?”
“Would you do a duet with me afterward?”
The woman blinked at him slowly before a bark of laughter escaped her. “No one has tried to pick me up for over a year. At least no one sober.”
Doc chuckled, “Not a pick-up. It’s just that you are a wonderful musician and I’d like to play alongside you.”
Lips quirked in a smirk, she slid to the side and patted the bench. “Come on over, Slick. I only bite when I’m really excited.”
Doc shrugged and moved to sit beside her. The moment he did, he picked up several excited voices mentioning it behind him. The half-elf glanced at the patrons and frowned, jerking her eyes back to the piano when Doc ran a quick score to limber his fingers.
“Your name?” Doc asked once he finished the warm-up.
“Heather. You?”
“Doc,” he replied just before Jasmine appeared at the stairs.
“Would you play me a song to dance to?” Jasmine asked with a wide smile.
“Let me warm up with a song first, please? The song I want to play for you will be difficult without it.”
“I’ll wait,” Jasmine said, staying beside the stairs.
Heather grunted. She was clearly not happy that one of the girls was willing to wait for him, especially since no one had been dancing a few minutes ago when she was playing.
“Okay, let’s start with one they know,” Doc grinned as he played Green Onions.
Doc had only gotten through the first few bars when Lotus appeared from the back hall and jumped onto the stage. Doc laughed as he gave her the same extra-long version he had given her the first time.
Heather kept her gaze fixed on Doc’s fingers the entire time. When he finished, she nodded slowly. “That was an interesting song.”
Doc grinned, “Wait for it. Jasmine, are you ready?”
Jasmine had been swaying in place during the last song and eagerly moved to the stage when he asked for her. Lotus was busy dealing with the men who had been waiting to proposition her, so she stepped to the side to give Jasmine some room when she came over.
Doc flexed his fingers as he let the song he was thinking of play in his head. “Okay, pay attention and try to keep up.”
Heather snorted, “I already have the first song memorized.”
“Good, because that was easy compared to this. Jasmine, you ready?”
“Yes, Doc.”
Doc’s fingers danced across the ivory keys, the song starting with a slow build of the same few keys repeating quickly. Jasmine began to sway to the music and the moment it shifted, she began to dance in earnest. Doc’s eyes closed as he concentrated on the music in his head. The noise from the room dimmed while the song played, making Doc’s lips curl into a smile as he fell into the flow of it.
When the song came to the crescendo finish, the room erupted in wild hoots, whistles, and applause. Opening his eyes, Doc saw Lia and Fiala standing beside the stairs, both staring at him. There was a large group of men just a few feet behind them, already shouting to Jasmine.
“Doc, that was... different,” Lia said from behind her fan.
“Thank you,” Doc chuckled. “Fiala, dinner?”
“Please,” Fiala said, her eyes going to Heather.
Heather was staring at Doc with an appraising gaze. “I’d like him to join me when you are done, at least for a little bit. I didn’t catch that entire song.”
“I will come back if I’m not occupied,” Doc smiled. “I was hoping to get a spot at the high table.”
“I’ll make sure a seat is saved for you in say... two hours?” Lia asked.
“That would be good, thank you. Heather, it was a pleasure. After dinner for the duet?”
Heather blinked slowly before nodding. “Yes. I’m looking forward to it.”
“If you keep this up, I’ll need to see about a second piano,” Lia told him.
“I wasn’t going to play, but she asked,” Doc said as he stepped away from Heather.
One of Lia’s eyebrows shot up. “Interesting. I’ll have dinner taken to the private dining room for you. Good evening, Doc.”
“Thank you, Lia.”
Lia paused before bowing her head at him.
~*~*~
Dinner was good— a good slab of steak, baked beans, mashed potatoes, a bit of greens, and a dinner roll. Doc felt full by the time he stopped eating. Only remnants of the meal remained on his plate.
“Doc,” Fiala said, setting her fork down, “Heather doesn’t usually let men near her.”
“She just wants to know how to play the music I know,” Doc dismissed her implication.
“It might have started that way, but I’m not sure that’s true now,” Fiala said.
Doc thought about it. Since he came to this world, women were way more interested in him than they’d ever been. Even Lia was starting to banter with him now. “Okay, yeah, maybe.”
“Just keep it in mind,” Fiala said, taking his hand in hers. “She is good people and has had a very rough life.”
“Okay, but I’m not looking to do more than play music with her.”
Fiala smiled as she got to her feet, leaning over to kiss
his cheek. “You’re sweet. There is no woman in this building I would be angry at you for having fun with. Don’t feel like you need to push them away for me.”
Doc stared into her eyes. “What if I want to share them with you?”
Fiala’s smile grew wider, “Some I’d be glad to let join. Others... not as much.”
Luck, I think I owe you even more than I thought I did, Doc thought. Standing up, he swept Fiala into a hug and kissed her gently. When the kiss ended, he gave her a loving smile. “Don’t know if I deserve you, honestly. Women where I’m from aren’t quite so willing to share their men.”
“As long as I know about it and approve, I’m fine with sharing… even with the dryad.”
“I need to get some more money built up, so I might be a bit late coming to bed,” Doc told her.
“Wake me when you do come to bed,” Fiala purred as she leaned into him. “I would like to snuggle a little, at least.”
“Okay,” Doc murmured, holding onto her.
There was a knock on the door, announcing a young boy. “Excuse me, are you done with the meal?”
“Yeah,” Doc said. “Thank you.”
Nodding, he started to collect the plates and cups.
“I’m going to go to bed now,” Fiala told him as they left the room. “See you when you come to bed.”
“Of course,” Doc said, giving her a squeeze before they parted at the stairs.
Heather looked up and gave him a nod as she finished up the song she was playing. Doc moved to stand beside the piano, waiting for her to finish. When she ended the song, she slid to the side.
“Duet first, then the song again?” Heather asked.
“Sure. Will you let me lead?”
“What song are you going to have us play?”
“A new one. I’ll play the start, you repeat it on the higher end, then I play a new part, and you repeat it again. I know you can keep up with me, so it’ll work. Once we play about five back and forths, you flourish the ending, then take the lead.”
Heather nodded, “Skill test, back and forth?”
“Yes and no. It fails if the other party can’t keep up. It’s more a test of trusting the other player to keep it just within your range.”
“Very well.”
Doc limbered his fingers before placing his hands on the keys. “I need to warm up again, so the first set will be simplistic.”
Heather smirked, “Aren’t all men?”
“Yes, yes we are,” Doc said in agreement before he rattled off a short ditty that started to pull attention to the piano.
The pair played back and forth for a long time with Doc leading, then Heather, then Doc again. Whenever it switched back to Heather, she spun a complex piece, giving him a challenging glance when she finished. Doc cracked his neck and played it back. His fingers faltered on the last key, but Heather looked impressed and played another piece. Doc stumbled at the end again, but Heather just nodded and played an even more complex piece. Doc gave up when she gave him the chance to match her, instead playing the simple ditty he had started with before standing up and bowing to her.
“You win, miss,” Doc said. “You are more talented than I am.”
Heather smiled before she patted the bench. “Good. Now play that song you played before dinner. Jasmine, the song is about to start,” she called out.
Jasmine came rushing over, “Again?”
“Once more from me,” Doc told her. “Heather will be able to play it after this round, I’m sure.”
Taking the stage, Jasmine waited for the music. The noise in the room dimmed as most people focused on the stage. Doc shook his head and started to play the same belly-dancing song he’d played before dinner.
Chapter Thirty-five
Soft lips on his woke Doc from slumber. Wrapping his arms around Fiala, he returned the kiss. When she pulled away, he sighed in regret, “Morning?”
“Yes. You didn’t stir when Posy dropped off the water. I’m dressed and about to head down to breakfast.”
“I’ll be down shortly,” Doc mumbled as he pushed himself upright in bed.
“I’ll have coffee waiting for you.”
Doc thanked her before she left. Rubbing at his eyes, Doc grunted and pushed himself out of bed. Good game last night, but I should have ended it a bit earlier, he told himself. If wishes were horses, I’d have a couple of horses at least.
He waved at Dillon when he came downstairs, but did not stop to talk before walking to the back. Fiala and Daf were talking softly when he entered the room. “Morning.”
“Morning, Doc,” Daf said. “Did you want to eat first?”
“Healing first. I know you have work to take care of.”
“As you wish,” Daf said, giving him her hands.
Doc smiled when he felt Daf’s pancreas finally become fully healthy. “You’re good,” he said when he stopped healing her. “Not sure if it’ll come back, but we can keep an eye on it.”
“Bless you,” Daf said with reverence. She kissed the back of his hand twice before hurriedly getting to her feet. “If you need anything else, please tell me.” With that, she rushed out of the room.
“That was… a bit much,” Doc said as he picked up his fork to attack his meal.
Fiala finished her breakfast before Doc did. “I need to go work with Lotus and Jasmine again. Did they stay up late like you did?”
Doc frowned as he thought about it. “I don’t recall seeing them when I came to bed.”
“Good, maybe they won’t be as grouchy this morning. You’re going out?”
“Business paperwork, and then getting equipment bought for the mine,” Doc replied. “Rangvald should be showing up here soonish.”
“See you later, then.” Fiala kissed his cheek and made her way to the door. “Thank you for waking me last night. I enjoyed you holding me.”
Doc paused his eating to give her a soft smile. “So did I. Go on, get your work done.”
Doc had to stop eating again when the door opened and Lia walked into the room. “Lia?”
“Doc. Did you do well last night?”
“Good enough. I think I’ll be good for doing what I have to today. Oh, would any of the boys here want to work on a mine? My foreman mentioned a camp boy or two would be welcome at the site.”
Lia considered his question. “Two are old enough that they can do the work. They’re used to working with Daf, so they can do the basic cooking and camp chores.”
“Can you ask if they’d like the job? If you don’t mind losing them, that is.”
“What are you paying?”
“Fifteen a month. The site is to the west, so there is danger involved.”
Lia exhaled softly, “I’ll make sure they know the dangers. I’ll tell you tonight.”
“Thanks. Time to meet my foreman and see about getting the business set up.”
“A moment, please? Are you thinking the mine is going to be enough to entice the others to bet against you during the yearly tournament?”
“It will,” Doc said. “I have help to make sure that the ore is easy to find.”
Lia frowned as she stared at him. “Oh?”
Doc took a deep breath, “Rosa is helping me.”
The recognition in Lia’s eyes confirmed that she and Rosa might know each other. “The dryad of this area?”
“Yeah. Kind of rough for a first meeting, but we came to an arrangement.”
“You survived?”
“Touch and go for a bit, but yeah.”
“You truly are a Voice, then,” Lia murmured before she rose to her feet. “I’ll go see about your request.”
Doc watched her go, wondering if he’d made a mistake telling her. No time to worry now, I have things that I need to get done. Leaving the mostly empty plate on the table, he left the room.
Rangvald was sitting at a table with a mug in hand when Doc came out of the back. “Was wondering where you were.”
Suited for Luck Page 27
