by Sarah Hegger
“What time is it?” The water was cool and fresh in her dry mouth.
Cole looked up. “I would guess a little after midday.”
“I thought we were waiting out the heat of the day?” Her bottom ached enough to make walking difficult.
“I’ve let us rest for as long as I dare.” Cole rolled up the bedroll and secured it behind his saddle. “They must know you’re gone by now. I haven’t seen any sign of anyone, so we’re still ahead of them, but I want to keep it that way.”
That got her moving. After finding a useful bush, Ellie mounted with Cole’s help and they moved into the blazing afternoon.
He kept the horses to a walk, sticking close to the rock face and taking advantage of what shadow he could find.
Beneath her smart jacket, sweat slid down her sides. The sun beat down on her hat, and flies buzzed around her mouth and eyes.
Other than the occasional stop for water, Cole kept them moving steadily forward.
As the hours wore on, the shadows lengthened but the sticky heat remained. Her entire traveling costume felt like a sweat rag. It would be ruined.
Ahead of her, Cole sat his horse like he didn’t notice the heat or the flies.
The silence made each hour seem like an eternity. “Cole?”
He half turned his head.
“Are you married?”
He barked a laugh and turned all the way around. “Now you ask me?”
“Just making conversation.” She swatted a fly. A man being married was not a topic that came up much in a brothel. Besides, it was nothing to her and her girls if he was.
“I’m not married,” he said.
“Ever been married?”
“No.”
“Engaged?”
His back stiffened, and Ellie thought he wouldn’t answer and then he said, “Once. A long time ago.”
“What happened?”
Cole stopped his mount and turned in the saddle. “If you’re feeling chatty, why don’t we talk about why we’re out here in the first place?”
That she wasn’t going to risk doing until she could concoct a plausible enough lie, so Ellie kept her mouth shut.
“That’s what I thought.” He turned and got his horse moving again.
A gust of wind provided a few moment’s relief, and then it disappeared again, chasing dust devils across the empty expanse.
Ellie had not been out of Rattler’s Gulch since Pa had brought them from Pikes Peak after the seam there dried up. Then Pa had forced her to walk behind the wagon, so she’d not tire their one ox.
Theo had put her on his shoulders when her legs had gotten too tired to move, but it felt the same as this journey. Long, dry expanses of nothing and with no idea of where they were going or how long it would take to get there.
Pa had not allowed questions from his children. They had done what he said and not talked back.
Of course, there had been times when Theo had gotten mouthy with Pa, but mostly in defense of her or the twins. Theo had also paid for his disobedience.
“Cole?”
“Yep.”
“What brought you out here?”
“You.” He glanced over her shoulder. “You needed to leave town in a hurry.”
If she’d been any less hot and tired, she might have laughed. “No, I meant before. What brought you out west?”
“Ah.” Cole fell silent. Their horses’ hooves clopped on the hard-packed ground. “Not much different to everyone else. I came to make my fortune.”
“Where did you come from?”
“East,” he said. “I heard the stories about gold lying around in the streets, waiting for anyone to come along and pick it up.”
Ellie suspected there was a good deal more to his story, but she left it there before he got it into his head to start asking those questions of his own.
Nobody really knew where Cole “Whisky” Mansfield hailed from. Some said New York, others Boston, and others Philadelphia. What they knew of him for sure was this: he had the manners of a gentleman until provoked, the cards loved him and turned up sweet for him, and he was as fast with that Colt at his hip as if he’d been a gunfighter and not a gambler.
Another breeze sent a flurry of sand into her face and Ellie ducked. Longer shadows stretched over the parched red soil. A pair of turkey vultures rode the stifling air above them.
Ellie would give anything for a cold glass of Pearl’s lemonade. She hoped Pearl didn’t get into trouble for hiding her disappearance. Guilt smacked her. She had given no thought to Pearl when she had used her to aid her escape.
Jake had Pa’s mean streak. Theo could be tough, and nobody crossed him on purpose, but he was also fair, and one could reason with Theo. Even with his mean streak, Ellie would never have believed Jake could have done what he had threatened to do.
With the twins, nothing would surprise her. They weren’t called the Triggers for nothing. Patrick could never keep his mouth shut, and Paul was always there to take on anyone who took offense. Of the two, Paul scared her more. He was just plain mean and a little bit crazy. Get some liquor into either of them, and Ellie stayed well clear.
Still, she had believed her brothers loved her, cared for her at least. When Pa had died, they had taken care of her, bringing her into the business with them as soon as she was old enough to pass for grown.
Once Pa died, it was easy to expand their operation. When the local saloon owner had objected to the competition, Paul and Patrick had paid him a visit.
Ellie’s sigh came from her boots. She would never have thought she’d be running from her own brothers. Minnie’s influence over Jake was a terrible thing.
She wished for the thousandth time Theo would get back. He had a way of keeping the other three in line. If Theo knew what they were up to, hell wouldn’t be able to hide the other three.
Imagining Theo’s reaction kept her mind off the heat long enough for the sun to sink behind the horizon. And Theo would find out because he wasn’t dead. Ellie refused to believe her favorite brother was dead.
It took her bruised backside a while to catch on that they weren’t on a horse anymore. She followed Cole into the hotel of some dusty town she hadn’t caught the name of, her legs so bowed she’d have no trouble catching a pig in a passage.
Full dark had fallen a few hours by the time he led her into town. Curious gazes followed them, but the streets were quiet.
The familiar sounds of laughter, glasses and high-pitched giggles came from the saloon two doors down. Ellie was too darn tired and sticky to care.
Cole got them two rooms, and she dragged herself up the stairs after him.
Two rooms didn’t sound like he was going to collect on her debt tonight either. Two rooms also meant a nice hot bath, and a clean bed, and that damn near brought her to her knees.
Ellie felt downright cheerful as Cole handed her a key.
For a small town, it had a decent hotel. Colorful curtains fluttered in the breeze through the open window. A matching comforter made the bed look welcoming.
She dropped her bag, limped over to the one chair in the corner, and sat. It took several goes to get her tired body to bend over and untie her boots. Her toes gave a grateful throb as she wriggled them clear.
A knock on the door got her moving.
A round-faced maid stood on the other side. “Pardon, miss, but your brother said to get a bath ready for you.”
Her brother?
It had been so long since Ellie could claim to be any kind of respectable that she nearly burst out laughing. If this girl with the sweet smile had any idea who she really was, she wouldn’t be standing in the hallway looking like she wanted to help her.
“That would be greatly appreciated.” Ellie managed what she judged to be a respectable woman sort of smile.
The girl bobbed a curtsy. “Then I’ll get that sorted for you. Unless you need help with your dress.”
“Er…no, thank you.” Ellie wouldn’t inflict herself on anybody
right now. Nobody deserved that kind of grubby.
The girl disappeared down the hallway and Ellie limped back into her room.
Another knock revealed Cole at her door. Already bathed and looking like he’d stepped out for the first time that day, he grinned at her. “I asked them to arrange a bath for you.”
“They did.” Standing in front of his cool elegance, she felt every grain of dirt she carried and every drop of sweat she’d shed. “Thank you.”
“I’m going out.” Cole shoved his hands in his pockets. “Thought I might play a hand or two.”
Guilt assailed her. Cole must need to plump up his pockets. “I have money, you know.” She didn’t want him to think she was leeching off him. “Let me pay you back for the horse and the hotel.”
“Ellie.” His smile stopped her. The man could get a three-day dead mule back on its feet with that smile. It crinkled up the corner of his eyes and softened his features. He almost looked boyish when he smiled. “Save your money for Denver. In the meanwhile, I’m going to see who will let me lighten their pockets.”
“You do that.” Feeling strangely alone, she stayed in the doorway as he strode away. For years, she had lived in a house with fifteen women and her brothers. There was always someone demanding her time or her attention, always a task that needed doing or a chore to finish. All she had to do tonight was take a bath, eat her dinner and get into bed.
The girl came back with a couple of men. They made short work of filling the tub.
“Put your clothes outside the door.” The girl handed her a sack. “And I’ll see they get brushed and sponged.”
Once she was alone again, Ellie wriggled out of her clothes. She slid them in the sack and placed it outside the door.
Then, she sank into the hot, fragrant water.
And groaned.
It felt so good on her sore muscles that she groaned again. It had been beyond sweet of Cole to think of this for her.
She took the time to wash every inch, including her hair. The night stayed warm, so when she was done, she sat by the window.
They came to take her bath away and the girl brought her dinner.
Ellie sat by the table close to the window and ate her dinner. Some kind of chicken with a thick sauce that could have done with some more whisking smooth. But the biscuits were light, fluffy and hot, and the corn was buttered.
There was even a small jug of wine with her dinner and she felt like a grand lady as she sat by her window, ate her dinner and sipped her wine. Now that she’d put distance between her and her brothers, she could draw breath. This was the biggest adventure of her life, and she aimed to suck up every minute of it.
Chapter Seven
As sure as the bastard sitting to Cole’s left had nothing in his hand, Ellie was lying to him. Not outright lying but holding back the truth.
Funny thing, he’d always known there was something about her that didn’t quite fit. The outside picture was perfect, like that gaudy oil painting above the bar at the Four Kings, but something didn’t sit right. He’d made his living and stayed alive out here by his gut, and it had never led him wrong yet.
“Raise.” He tossed a couple more chips into the pot.
The bastard to his left raised again. The guy had a tell. He sucked his front teeth when he was bluffing, and he’d suck those teeth right down his gullet before this hand ended.
Enough. Cole saw him and laid down two pairs, ace high.
“Son of a bitch.” Tooth Sucker tossed a pile of crap on the table. “I felt sure you had nothing that time.”
Cole scraped his winnings to his side of the table. The air in the room was getting chilly, and he didn’t mean the weather. The cowboy to his right had lost a week’s wages and was already four whiskies down. Cole wanted to tell him to cash in and go home. Find a warm woman for the night and enjoy what was left of it.
But that would add insult to injury.
The most important thing about making your living by cards was judging the right moment to leave the table. Too soon, and they thought they’d scared you off, which got their thirst up for your money. Then they took it personally when you didn’t want to give them the chance to take it off you. Too late and you ran into the sore losers, who had seen more money than they could afford head into your pocket and felt it had to be because you’d cheated.
Now Cole couldn’t say he’d never cheated at cards. Back when he was young and new out west, he’d had to eat, and a couple of aces had found their way up his sleeves. But cheaters always got caught, and he’d gotten better at cards fast enough not to need to cheat anymore.
Across the table, an older man dealt. He was also starting to look twitchy.
Cole picked up his cards. Three sweet ladies peeked up at him. He sipped his whisky. What could he say? He’d always had luck with the ladies.
“Three.” He slid the lovely ladies facedown to the dealer as discards. His dance card was full tonight.
Liar or not, Ellie was in trouble, and trouble so deep she’d followed him on that hellish ride without complaint. She’d even made that ridiculous deal to get his help. It was kind of insulting she thought he was the sort to barter his help for her body.
He glanced at his cards. Of course, he had picked up trash.
The table looked to him for his bet. He checked his cards, fiddled with a couple of chips and then tossed them into the pile. “Raise.”
So far his plan for Ellie was to take her to Denver, and it hadn’t progressed much past that. Best he start thinking about what to do with her before he left for New York. Getting her to Denver and then letting her walk into a future of not much planned didn’t sit well with him. Somebody needed to make sure Sugar Ellie was taken care of until that same somebody could find Theo. If Theo was dead or remained missing, he couldn’t leave for New York not knowing if Sugar would be fine.
“Raise.” He let the betting go one more round until the pot started to make eyes gleam around the table, and then tossed his cards down. “Sorry, boys. I’m gonna fold.”
Smirks appeared around the table. There was enough money in the pot to get them chipper for a few more rounds.
“Well, hello there.” A busty brunette slid her arms around his shoulders. “Fancy some company?”
The cleavage thrust in his face might change another man’s mind, but she smelled of stale beer and sweat.
Cole managed a smile. “Not tonight, sweetheart.”
“Sure?” She pouted and batted her lashes at him. “I could put a smile on your face.”
“I don’t doubt it.” None of Ellie’s whores wore the same air of desperation as this sweetheart. Out west was a tough place for women. Cole admired the sort of grit it took for the women who came west, bad girls and good girls alike. “I’m gonna say no to that.” He pushed up from the table. “But why don’t I buy you a drink for your trouble.”
“You leaving?” Sore Loser glared up at him. “Without giving me a chance to win my money back?”
Cole suppressed a sigh.
His female companion had been at this long enough to read trouble on the wind and she disappeared. He wanted to pick the kid up and shake him. The golden rule to gambling, the one no gambler should ever forget, you never played with money you couldn’t afford to lose.
If he backed down now, he’d end up with a bullet in his back, or a knife coming out of the dark. “That depends.” He pushed his coat away from his Colt. “On whether you’re gonna let me buy the pretty lady a drink, or whether you want to make something of it.”
Indecision played across his face as the cowpoke gave it some thought.
Then his buddy leaned over and whispered in his ear.
The guy flushed bright red and swallowed. “Nope. Enjoy your night.”
Cole’s lady friend had drifted over to a group of filthy miners and seemed to have struck gold there.
At the bar, he ordered himself another whisky. He didn’t intend to play anymore tonight. He missed the excitement of pl
aying to keep clothes on his back. Now it was a way to take money off kids like that cowpoke. Money they could ill afford to lose.
“You Whisky Mansfield?” The barkeep slid a bottle his way. “You’ll be wanting that.”
With the bottle, Cole’s night improved. He slid some money and bit extra for the keep and poured himself another glass.
Three or four whores worked the saloon. He studied them, trying to find what it was about Ellie that was so different.
She lacked their sense of bone-deep weary. Despite her life, Ellie kept that light of hope in her eyes. And Ellie was smart as a whip. Smart enough to know the real money didn’t come in lying with a man. The real money came in being the one who made that happen.
Shit! He was out here worrying about leaving Ellie in Denver, and maybe it should be Denver he was worried about. A hazy plan formed in his mind. He could set Ellie up in her own place. Give her enough to make it classy.
Denver didn’t stand a chance. He raised his glass in a silent toast to Sugar Ellie.
Cole stayed for long enough to make sure there were no lingering hard feelings at the poker table. Then he let himself into the cooling, cloudless night.
Back east, summer heat clung to your skin, hot and muggy. Here it cut through harsh and bright, and faded away with the sun.
Whisky left a low feel good singing through his blood. Enough to take the edge off but not enough to forget he was a stranger in town and people tended to try their luck with strangers.
Ellie’s hotel room created a warm, yellow rectangle of light. Curtains fluttered at the windows.
Her silhouette crossed the light, a shadow made up of curves and swells.
It occurred to him that he did, in fact, want some company tonight. He was just particular about who that company was to be. Well, Sugar Ellie was the kind who knew the score between a man and woman and with the whisky making him feel kinda mellow and relaxed, he planned to drop by for whatever she had for him.
Nobody was about as he climbed the stairs from the small hotel lobby to the bedrooms. He’d had a hankering for Sugar Ellie for more years than he cared to count. Sure, he joked around with his outrageous offers, but if she’d said yes, he’d have paid the lady and followed her upstairs.
