Keeping her head down, she silently urged Night on.
“Keep up, Lin,” Shadow ordered. Even his voice was different here. No undercurrents of laughter colored the deep baritone. Here it was flat and hard and…deadly, she realized.
Lin clucked her tongue. The mare picked up her pace.
It was not a friendly town.
From the right side of the street a man called out, “What’re you doing with a white woman, injun?”
Her heart sank. They couldn’t tell from that distance that Fei was Chinese. That would bring more trouble. Shadow kept riding. “Don’t look right or left, honey. Just ride.”
She kept her gaze locked between the horse’s ears.
“Lin, move that horse up here. Keep tight to me.” Lin didn’t hesitate. The boardinghouse was, fortunately, only four houses in, but word of their arrival was spreading up and down the street, stretching far beyond where they stopped. The house was a simple two-story building with a wide front porch, whitewashed walls and some of the most spectacular landscaping Fei had ever seen.
Shadow slid off the horse and held up his hands. She put hers on his shoulders.
She licked her lips, feeling the stares like a wall pressing in. “I did not know it would be like this.”
“It’s not like anything, honey.”
“They do not like us.”
“It’s my homely face they’re not happy to see.”
He turned and helped Lin down.
“Ain’t right, injun putting his hands on a white woman.”
The front door of the boardinghouse opened. A big woman with iron-gray hair came to the door, tall and heavy, dressed in a dark blue dress. In her arms, she cradled an old-fashioned shotgun. Stepping out onto the porch, she snapped, “You out here harassing my boarders, Paul Davis?”
“I ain’t harassing no one. Just making a stand for public decency. No injun’s got call to being so familiar with a white woman. Especially in front of decent folk.”
Fei turned around. “He is my husband.”
The crowd went immediately from amused to hostile.
“Shit!”
Grabbing her arm, Shadow gave her a shove up the stairs. “Go stand with Ida and keep your mouth shut.”
The old lady aimed her shotgun above her head into the crowd.
“Yes, get on up here, sweetie. No sense standing in the street.”
“You can’t be having those kinds of goings-on in your house, Ida,” Paul Davis called out. “It’s unnatural. No decent woman or man is going to stay there after such goings-on.”
Fei cringed, turned and gasped. Ida just snorted. So much derision captured in one short sound. Fei was impressed.
“Hell, Paul Davis, I let you stay here just last month with that spiteful wife of yours. If my business can survive that, I don’t see how this is going to even cause a ripple.”
The crowd laughed. Davis swore. Fei studied the woman named Ida. No wonder Shadow admired her. She was strong and unafraid, and commanded respect all by herself. This was the type of woman Fei wanted to be. This was the future she wanted for herself.
Davis spat. He was a skinny man with a big nose, wild beard and a bald head. “Never understood your fondness for that Indian, Ida.”
Ida didn’t miss a beat. “Well, I never understood your fondness for drink, so again, I would say we’re even.”
Fei watched as Shadow positioned himself between the steps and the crowd. Though he was standing, he gave the impression of being crouched and ready to fight. Her dragon. She looked longingly at her pack. A couple of sticks of dynamite would help the situation.
“Lin, get on up there with Fei.”
Lin hurried to comply. Her gaze followed Fei’s. “I thought Shadow took all your sticks,” she whispered.
“He took the ones I had in the pack at Culbart’s.”
He hadn’t thought to check her saddlebag after they’d left the burnt-out ruins of her home.
“She your wife, too?” another man asked.
Shadow straightened. The breeze whipped his hair about his broad shoulders as he stated, “She’s under my protection.”
Dragon.
A shiver of pride went through Fei.
“Coming into this town with two women you’re carrying on with, it’s not decent. We won’t stand for it.”
Shadow’s hand dropped to his gun. “You won’t?” he asked very calmly.
Davis backed up, looking around for support. Like rats deserting a sinking ship, people backed away until there was just Shadow and Davis caught within a semicircle of onlookers.
Ida shook her head and aimed the shotgun. “Paul Davis, you need to move along before I put a little lead in your ass.”
“You’re not scaring me away on this one, Ida.”
“The man brought his wife and his wife’s friend for a good night’s sleep. It’s no different than when you bring over your wife and your sister-in-law. Are you going to be telling me that you’re sleeping with both of them?”
“That’s scandalous talk!”
Ida just harrumphed and kept that shotgun pointed. “Well, you’re creating a scandal here on my porch. If you don’t want it thrown back at you, don’t be throwing it at anybody else. Now, it’s late, gentlemen, and my supper is waiting. So if you don’t mind, move along.”
“The sheriff isn’t always going to be able to protect you, Ida.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to protect myself, but for tonight you need to take your nonsense and your alcohol and just go.”
“It ain’t right.”
“Right or not, do it.” With a wave of the gun, she ordered, “Someone help him find his way.”
A couple of men detached from the crowd and took Paul Davis’s arms. Ida waited until they crossed the street before lowering her shotgun, taking Fei’s hand and shaking it.
“Ida Bond.”
“Fei Yen.”
“You’re Michael’s wife?”
Fei blinked in confusion and then remembered Shadow was a wanted man. He must have assumed a new name. Bowing, she said, “Yes.”
“Got a bit of Chinese in you, I see.” There was no censure in the comment.
“My father.”
“Ah.” Ida did an awkward bow in return. “Forgive me if it’s not as pretty as yours. My arthritis is acting up.”
Fei liked Ida more and more. “I am honored by your consideration.”
Ida turned to Lin. “And you’re her…?”
Lin took Ida’s hand before the woman could attempt to bow and shook it. “I am her cousin, Lin. You have a lovely home. I am honored that you share it with us.”
The rest of the crowd dispersed. “It’s my pleasure.”
Ida called down the stairs, “You know where the barn is, Michael.”
Lin cut Fei a questioning look. Fei shook her head. She didn’t have time to explain now.
“Unless you moved it, it should be behind the house,” Shadow called back.
Ida snorted. “When you get those horses settled, wash up and come in for dinner.”
Shadow tipped his hat. “You got any cheese biscuits baking?”
“I might.”
“Then I’ll hurry.”
“As if there was ever a doubt,” Ida muttered before calling out, “Be sure to close that door behind you, Michael. We don’t want any riffraff sneaking in.”
“I swear to God,” Ida said, ushering Fei and Lin into the house, “no matter how dire an event, a man never stops thinking of his stomach.”
“Do you have cheese biscuits?” Lin asked.
Ida chuckled and closed the door behind them, setting the shotgun just inside the foyer. “We will by the time he gets done.”
IDA’S HOUSE WAS VERY NEAT. The parlor had two horsehair sofas, a wingback chair and a small table. White lamps with pink flowers painted on the glass shades perched on lace doilies laid on well-polished side tables. On the wall opposite the door, a small fireplace sported a white wooden mantel. On t
he mantel was a bible. Everything was spotless. It was a room where people would come to relax and talk. It was perfect for a boardinghouse.
Ida motioned to the sofa. “Sit.”
Fei was too nervous to sit. She wanted to be with Shadow. To make sure he was all right. Crossing to the window, she pulled back the curtains.
Ida made mincemeat of her intentions with a slash of her hand. “You’re not going to do the boy any good pacing at the windows.”
Boy? She would call Shadow many things, but boy wasn’t one of them. “I am worried.”
Ida sat in one of the wingback chairs. “They won’t bother him in my shed. If they’re going to do anything, they’ll jump him when you all leave town. So, for tonight, at least, you’re safe.”
For tonight. One night. They were going to be in town more than one night, yet they only had one of safety. A pang of longing for the sheltered upbringing she’d fled struck Fei.
“It is very different here.”
Leaning forward, Ida patted her shoulder. “Don’t you go worrying about anything. It’s a good man you’ve got there. He’ll have it figured out before you wake in the morning.”
Lin took a seat on the sofa. Fei didn’t see any choice but to join her.
“How did you two meet Michael?”
Again, Lin looked to her. Fei didn’t have an answer. How much to tell? What was safe to say? Shadow was a wanted man. He was here under a false name. This woman thought she was his friend. But if Shadow hadn’t told her the truth, was she? Ida shook her head at the long hesitation. “Not much of a liar, are you?”
“No.”
Lin came to her defense. “There has not been much need to practice.”
“Uh-huh. Well, I was going to leave you both here while I went into the kitchen and made some tea, but I think you best be coming with me. You’re the jumpy sort. I never trust the jumpy sort.”
Fei was feeling jumpy and tea did sound good. This time when Lin looked at her, she nodded.
The kitchen was in the back of the house. A large, square room, it had the same feminine, efficient decor as the parlor. Fei liked it immediately, the same way she’d liked Ida immediately.
Fei’s mother had always said one could tell a lot about a person by the way they kept their kitchen and this one was neat, well stocked and everything was in its place. A bowl of orange flowers sat over on the cabinet, and some red roses stood in a tall vase in the center of the table. Lin walked over to the roses, touching the petals before inhaling the scent.
“I see you like my flowers.”
“They are beautiful.”
Ida nodded as she put fresh kindling under the front burner of the stove before filling the kettle from a bucket by the back door.
“I always said there’s nothing like a nice display of flowers to brighten the darkest days.”
Fei nodded. “I feel the same. My favorite flowers are orchids.”
“Can’t grow them here.” Ida sighed. “But I tried.”
“My favorites are roses,” Lin said.
“I could have guessed that from the way you went straight for them.”
Ida put the kettle on the stove.
“Are these from your garden?” Lin asked.
“Nope, those were a gift.” She winked at Fei. “Got me an admirer or two.”
Lin gasped and covered her laughter with her hand. Fei was so stunned, she forgot to cover her smile.
Ida laughed out loud. “I know, at your age, it’s hard to think that someone my age would have a man interested in her, but life doesn’t end at twenty and neither do any of the emotions we live with all our lives. To tell you the truth, inside I still feel twenty.”
Fei would like to have that kind of spirit when she was old.
“You enjoy your life.”
“Well, about the only choice a body has is to make the most of what they have or just curl up and die.” Ida motioned to the right. “Lin, could you bring three cups from the cupboard there?”
“Of course.”
Ida took a tin off the table. “Now, would you both like tea?”
“Oh, yes, please.” Fei and Lin spoke in unison.
Ida laughed again.
“Been that kinda day, huh?”
“It has been very challenging,” Lin said.
“That a polite way of saying Michael’s dragged you hither and yon?”
“Yes, but at our request,” Fei felt compelled to explain.
“No need to get to his defense. Just because I know him doesn’t mean I don’t like him. The opposite, as a matter of fact.” She put a measure of tea in a perforated metal ball and dropped it in the kettle. “I don’t have any boarders at the moment so supper is light, but I’ve got some ham and fresh bread to go with it if you’d like.”
Fei’s stomach answered for her, rumbling loudly.
Ida lined up the cups and saucers. “I guess that’s a yes.”
Fei was so flustered that she forgot her English. “Xei-xei.”
“You hungry, too?” she asked Lin.
“Yes.”
“Well, then, make yourself useful.” She pointed to Lin. “There’s bread over there. Why don’t you get to slicing. And, Fei, you can grab some tomatoes and greens from the basket over there by the window while I get to fixing those biscuits Michael sets such store by.”
Ida was like a commander, the way she barked out orders, but it was hard to take offense because there was no meanness in her manner. She was just a woman who liked order.
“Are not tomatoes poisonous?”
Ida shook her head. “Don’t go telling me you believe that hoo-ha.”
“Everyone knows this,” Lin answered.
“Well, I’m someone, and I’m not dead.” She poured the tea carefully into the cups. “I happen to love the things. Can’t get enough this time of year.”
Fei hesitated, knife in hand. Lin shrugged. Fei sighed. She’d come this far.
“I got me some buttermilk dressing here for our greens. You ever have buttermilk dressing?”
Fei shook her head.
“It’s heaven in your mouth.”
Right now Fei would eat any kind of dressing, she was so hungry. She wasn’t sure what to do with the tomatoes, though.
“Just cut them in wheels, honey.” She did, making them as thin as possible. If she were forced to eat one, she’d prefer it thin. There would not be so much poison that way.
Twenty minutes later the back door opened and Shadow stepped in, taking off his hat and hanging it by the door with the aura of a man comfortable in his environment. His hair around his face was slightly damp from washing up. He looked handsome and desirable.
Ida’s lined face dissolved into a smile. “Come here and give me a hug.”
To Fei’s surprise, Shadow smiled and did as he was told. She could only stare as he hugged the old woman back with every appearance of genuine affection.
“Don’t go getting jealous there—” Ida said over her shoulder. “I’ve known him a lot longer than you.”
“Are you jealous, Fei?” Shadow asked with a small smile as Ida stepped back.
The knife sliced through the tomato like it was butter. It hit the wood cutting board with a loud smack. Jealous? She was not jealous just because he gave another what she would want for herself. “If you grin at me in such a way…Michael, I will leave your biscuits to burn.”
He came over with the slow easy grace that melted her bones. His hand cupped her cheek, before sliding around to the nape of her neck. Anticipation shivered down her spine. “You don’t like the way I smile?”
She set the knife on the cutting board. “I like the way you smile at me right now.”
His eyebrow cocked up. “And how is that?”
She studied the softness of his mouth, the relaxed crinkle at the corner of his eyes. The genuine warmth in his eyes. She leaned into his hand. “Like you mean it.”
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