by E. E. Burke
“Penny? Are you in there?”
Her alarm spiraled. Charlie? What was he doing here?
Her hands shook as she grabbed her shift off the bed. If she was quiet, he might assume the room was empty and go away.
The glass doorknob turned. Oh good Lord! It wasn’t locked!
Panicked, Penny tossed the shift aside, grabbed the silk robe on the chair and pulled it on.
Less than a second later, Charlie stood in the open doorway.
“Get out!” she cried, wrapping the gown around her.
Surprise flashed across his face, but then he narrowed his eyes. Rather than leaving, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. His gaze swept the room, returning to travel over her, from head to toe and back up again.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded.
What did he think she was doing? Entertaining a customer?
He scrunched his nose. “What’s that smell?”
If she started screaming, would it help? No. Then the whole town would know. Best to remain calm and get rid of him.
“Sage. I’m performing a cleansing. I’d like to get back to it, if you don’t mind.”
“You ran away from me so you could take a bath?”
The door swung open, and Pearl stuck her head in. “Mr. Hardt, you have to leave!”
Charlie spun around and pushed her back out into the hall. “No, you leave. I have business to discuss with Mrs. Jackson.” He closed the door and locked it.
Penny groaned. Now he’d made matters worse. Much worse.
“I’m going for Draven,” Pearl shouted.
“You do that,” Charlie answered. “And when you come back, bring the preacher with you.”
What was Penny hiding? Well, besides a beautiful body, and the damp robe didn’t hide that very well. He jerked his gaze to her face. “We need to have a talk about our future.”
Her eyes flashed silver. “Surely, we can talk after I have a chance to get dressed?”
If he left, she’d just find another way to avoid him, or she’d make sure other people were around. He’d gotten as far as the freight house when he realized he’d been duped. Penny wouldn’t have gone to his cabin. She’d leave town in a dirty dress before she’d risk getting caught alone with him again. Too bad, because he was keeping her here until she agreed to marry him.
“Are you finished with your bath? You can put on your clothes.” He should probably offer to turn around.
With a peeved frown, she hugged her chest. “I’m not just taking a bath. It’s a ceremony to get rid of evil.”
Her response shook him a little. “I know I can be a pest, but I’m not evil.”
“The cleansing is for me, not you.”
Charlie couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You don’t have evil inside you, Penny.”
“The curse then, bad luck, whatever you want to call it.”
He took a step forward, longing to close the distance between them and take her into his arms and make her forget all about this superstitious nonsense that had her so scared. “Darlin’ you aren’t any more cursed than I am, and I can guarantee you I have more reason to be cleansed.”
Uncertainty flashed across her face, but then her eyes pleaded. “Pearl is fetching the sheriff. Are you bound and determined to ruin me?”
He removed his hat and drove his fingers through his hair in pure frustration. “No! That’s not what I want. But you keep running away every time I try to talk to you. Look here, just agree to marry me then I’ll go downstairs and wait for you to get dressed.”
Penny turned away from him, but not before he saw her gaze fill with hopelessness. She was going to refuse him. Again.
He didn’t have time to ponder her reasoning, and wooing her with words wasn’t working. There was only one way to get through to her.
Crossing the room in two strides, he took her by the shoulders and spun her around, dragged her to him, then silenced her gasp with a kiss.
In less than a heartbeat, her lips softened. A moment later, her hands crept up his chest and she circled her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. Then she kissed him like the house was on fire.
Ah, this was his Penny, an intoxicating blend of fiery passion and sweet vulnerability.
He stroked his hands down her back and over the slight flare of her hips beneath the silky robe. Her natural form was slender, delicate, and softly curved. Perfect.
Lost in passion, he hardly registered the rattling of the door.
“Hey there, open up.”
Draven.
Charlie considered drawing his gun and shooting through the door. He loosened his hold on Penny, only slightly, but she took the opportunity to push him away, and ran to hide behind a silk screen painted with erotic scenes.
The sheriff pounded on the door. “You all right in there?”
“I’m fine.” Charlie replied dryly.
“Mrs. Jackson? You want me to break in?”
A horrified gasp came from behind the screen. “Do something!” she whispered.
All right, enough was enough. Penny wouldn’t come out from behind the screen and Draven, curse his innards, wasn’t going away until he knew she was safe.
Charlie went to the door and turned the key until the latch clicked.
“Not that!” Penny cried.
He opened the door.
“Where is she?” Draven peered around him.
“Behind the screen. Penny, tell the nice sheriff you’re all right.”
“I’m fine, thank you. Mr. Hardt was just leaving.”
Oh no. He wasn’t going anywhere without her. That kiss had convinced him she wanted him as much as he wanted her, and want was enough for now. They’d work out the other details later.
Charlie smiled and forced a lighter tone to his voice. “Nah, I think I’ll stay here and wait for you while you finish dressing, sweetheart. Sheriff Draven can let the reverend know we’ll meet him at the saloon in, say, half an hour? That ought to give you enough time to get ready for our wedding.”
Chapter 12
Reverend Hammond had managed to gather up a respectable crowd for the impromptu wedding. The lanterns hanging from the saloon’s rafters illuminated expressions ranging from elation to curiosity. The knot in Penny’s chest tightened when she met Fina’s questioning gaze.
The bath had been interrupted before it had time to work its magic. If indeed there was any chance it offered a mystical cure, which Penny doubted. She could count on nothing to reassure her she was doing the right thing by marrying Charlie.
Granted, she could’ve turned him down in spite of the subsequent humiliation. Scoundrel that he was, he deserved to be served a piece of humble pie. But that would mean abandoning him when time was running out.
“Congratulations, you two!” Reverend Hammond shook Charlie’s hand, looking mighty smug. The last time he’d suggested marriage, Charlie had choked him.
Felicity hovered at her husband’s side. She offered Penny a hug. “I’m so happy for you. You’re getting a very good man.”
“Sometimes he can be good,” Penny murmured. Other times, she wanted to kill him.
Oh no, that’s not what she wanted. She took it back before Fate could register the request.
Charlie tucked her hand in the crook of his arm, in a sense, anchoring her to him. Was he afraid she’d run again? All he had to do was kiss her, and she forgot all about the reasons she should run. So she had stopped running and let him catch her. He would get what he wanted—the railroad built through Noelle—and she would get what she wanted. Charlie. God help him.
“Are we ready?” the reverend asked.
“Absolutely,” Charlie replied.
Penny smiled. He never seemed to lack for confidence, so she would borrow a little. She nodded.
The conversations around them died down and the room grew silent. So quiet she could hear the wind buffeting the building. Another winter storm must be brewing.
Th
e preacher opened his Bible. “We’re gathered here today on this happy occasion to see these two wed.” He arched an eyebrow at Charlie. “It’s about time.”
A low titter rippled through the crowd.
“Dearly beloved,” Reverend Hammond boomed.
A loud bang made Penny flinch.
“Shut the door!” the barkeeper shouted. “Yer lettin’ in the cold.”
“Oh, sorry about that,” the intruder replied in a cultured tone.
Penny twisted to look. She knew that voice. Mr. Montgomery.
The Englishman removed his hat and unwound his scarf, looking confused as he surveyed the gathering. “I seem to have interrupted something.”
“I’d say.” His wife Minnie hurried back to where he stood near the door. “Where have you been? I left a note for you to meet me here.”
“Didn’t see it. I was testing a sample of galena that Mrs. Jackson gave me, and I came over straightaway to see if I could find Mr. Hardt to tell him the results.”
“You can tell me later.” Charlie shouted. “Take a seat or stand there by the bar. We’re getting married.”
Penny couldn’t move when Charlie took her arm in an attempt to turn her to face the preacher. Shock held her immobile. What were the chances the assayer would show up at this moment? It had to be some kind of sign. She dared not ignore it. “Tell us, what did you find?”
Charlie rolled his eyes. “Oh, good grief. It can wait.”
In her heart, she longed to turn her back on the interruption and continue on as if nothing had happened. They could find out after they were married. But that would be an act of pure selfishness. If this marriage wasn’t necessary, they needed to know before he committed the rest of his life. “I think we should let Mr. Montgomery share his news before we proceed.”
Penny trained her attention on the assayer so she wouldn’t have to see Charlie’s disapproving frown. In a moment, he might not be so angry.
Mr. Montgomery darted a glance at her groom and nodded once. Charlie gave him the go ahead. “Those tailings you gave me, I didn’t find much gold, but I did find significant traces of silver. I knew it wouldn’t be enough to warrant excitement, not unless we could track it back to the source. The rock you gave Mrs. Jackson, the one from the old mine, it contained a substantial quantity of silver. I think you may have found the source.”
Charlie’s face reflected stunned disbelief. “How substantial?”
“You could be sitting on a fortune.”
Gasps went up around the room, and then everyone began to converse in excited whispers.
Penny closed her eyes and fought to maintain her composure. Hadn’t she suspected something might happen? Fate had once again intervened and squelched her hopes.
Ironically, Charlie was surprisingly lucky. If he could walk into that meeting tomorrow and announce a big silver strike, the railroad board would fall all over themselves in their hurry to complete the line. And he would be spared an unnecessary, and unwanted marriage.
She forced calmness in her expression, in spite of the agonizing ache in her chest and burning in her throat. “What wonderful news. It appears the town will be saved, thanks to you, Charlie.”
When she tried to remove her hand from his arm, he held on. Maybe he didn’t understand, or it hadn’t hit him yet. “This certainly changes things. I don’t believe we need to go on.”
Everyone in the room had gone silent, as if they were collectively holding their breath.
He glowered at her. “Are you backing out?”
“I’m giving you your freedom.”
“What if I say I want to finish what we started?”
She could hardly believe he would, considering his adamant objections before yesterday and his reasoning for wanting to marry her in the first place. Perhaps he needed to be absolutely certain the railroad deal would go through. “Very well. Why don’t you go with Mr. Montgomery and check out what he’s discovered? Depending on what you find, you may change your mind.”
His features hardened like they were carved in hard rock quartz. But he finally let go of her hand. “Wait here. I’ll be back.”
Charlie took long strides as he left the saloon, fighting to control his anger. He wanted to shake Penny, or toss her over his shoulder and head straight for the cabin without further conversation. They communicated much better in bed. He decided it would be best if he took a break and cooled off so he wouldn’t lose his temper and yell at her.
Hugh kept pace, wisely mentioning nothing about Penny’s defection. “I’ve tested that one sample. I’d like to test more.”
“They’re in the back of my wagon up at the cabin. Take some of those as samples. I’ll go retrieve the dynamite I unloaded yesterday. We’ll need it to bring more of that rock out of the old mine. Let’s meet back here in an hour. That ought to give Mrs. Jackson enough time to make up her mind.”
He parted with Hugh at the corner and started up the same path he’d descended earlier.
Silver. Who knew?
His luck with mining thus far had been better than his luck with women.
Penny confused him. Was she worried whether he’d be rich enough to take care of her? That would explain why she took the rock to the assayer in the first place. He hadn’t thought wealth mattered much to her. But he’d been wrong about another woman, stupidly infatuated and blind to her faults until it was too late. Only…Penny hadn’t agreed to marry him thinking she’d be rich. In fact, she’d tried her hardest to dissuade him.
His sense of certainty wavered. He’d all but dragged Penny in front of a preacher, assuming it was fear that held her back. Maybe fear wasn’t the only reason she resisted.
His lungs were burning by the time he reached the entrance. This tight, painful throbbing in the center of his chest was due to exertion. Not rejection.
He put his hand on a thick crossbeam shoring up the entrance and leaned over to listen. Generally, he heard noises coming from inside: the pinging of pickaxes, squeaky wheels on rails, men singing or cursing. Today he heard…nothing.
Percy had been right. The crew was long gone.
Charlie had gotten past his initial anger, and he had to admit, hurt feelings. Even after being betrayed by people close to him, he still thought loyalty begat loyalty. As it turned out, it was all about money. Would the men have stayed if he’d increased their pay? As it was, he barely had enough to cover their salaries, and he’d drained his savings, pouring money back into the mine. He’d been careful about seeking out investors because of his former partner’s duplicity, and he didn’t trust Percy’s uncle after reading about all the railroad scandals. He refused to risk losing control over the mine, watching some rich Easterner take away the earnings that were meant to sustain Noelle.
He had to hunch over as he entered the narrow tunnel, one disadvantage of being taller than most of the miners who worked for him. He stopped to retrieve a miner’s candlestick wedged in between a crevice and lit the candle.
Further back, he came to a drift. Not far from where the men had been blasting. The area where he was sure they would find another rusty vein of quartz. His instincts had been off. This mine was played out when it came to gold. He hadn’t paid enough attention to its potential for silver. If Penny hadn’t trusted her instincts, he’d still be wasting his time chasing his tail. He owed her for that, and he would see to it that she got everything she wanted.
The tunnel opened into a cavernous space where he could stand upright, which was much more comfortable. He lifted the candlestick and saw only bare floor.
Where were the dynamite charges? He’d left them here early yesterday, along with the tools, hammer and drill-bits. Had that disloyal pack of coyotes made off with everything? If so, he would round up those son-of-a-guns and hang their sorry hides from the nearest tree.
Still swearing, Charlie turned and headed back the way he’d come. He hadn’t gone far before a startling wave of cold halted him in his tracks. He used his free hand to hug his arm. I
f he didn’t know better, he would think someone had opened a window and let in a Blue Norther. Only, there wasn’t a window in the mine, and this cold sensation wasn’t exactly wind.
Something—he shuddered—someone moved right through him!
Every hair on the back of his neck stood on end. What the hell?
A boom shook the floor beneath his feet, followed by a loud rumble.
He braced his hand against the rocky wall for support while holding tight to the miner’s candlestick so he wouldn’t drop it and be left entirely in darkness.
As the rumbling subsided, small chunks of rock broke free and bounced onto the floor of the cave. The cold seeped through his skin, feeling like ice water in his veins.
Chapter 13
At the saloon, Penny waited. Growing cold, she’d taken a seat close to the pot-bellied stove. The other ladies offered to stay with her, but she told them to go on and she would send word when Charlie came back. The saloon cleared out quickly after that, except for a few stragglers—
Genevieve, and her new husband; the preacher, who insisted there would still be a wedding; and his wife, who didn’t look quite so sure.
Genevieve drummed her fingers on the table. “Mr. Hardt will return, and he will marry you. I know this is what he wants. I could see it in his eyes.”
Penny couldn’t speak without getting choked up, so she just nodded. She’d seen promises in Charlie’s eyes too, as well as heat and hunger, passion and possessiveness, exquisite tenderness, even affection. But she had learned the hard way not to embrace hope too quickly.
She swallowed and recovered her voice. “What Charlie wants is to save this town. He felt he didn’t have a choice except to marry me. Now, it appears he has a choice.”
“He made his choice. You’ll see.” Reverend Hammond set his drink on the table and swung a chair around, his usual smile firmly in place, if a little frayed around the edges.
“I hope so.” Penny slid a furtive look at the door. Would Charlie take the chance to get away while he still could and not tempt fate?
