In Love's Territory: A Western Historical Romance
Page 26
“Now maybe you can do me a favor,” she said, once the bartender had gone back to the other end of the bar.
“Just a second.” He picked up the glass and held it unsteadily as he looked at it; even from his seat Nathan could see the liquor sloshing against the sides of the glass, threatening to leap out at any second. John set the glass down on the bar again and leaned over to inhale. As the brandy fumes filled his lungs, he smiled broadly. Then, in a flash, he picked up the glass and drained it dry in a single gulp.
“Now what were you saying?” He turned and leaned back against the bar, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. “Something about a favor?”
She took a deep breath. “Yeah, a favor. But I want you to promise to hear me out, okay? Just let me say everything, and then you decide. Deal?”
“Sure thing, honey.”
Cora leaned close and began to speak quietly in his ear. The man’s face was like a tableau of emotions as she whispered. He at first had the pleased expression that you would see on any man’s face if a beautiful young woman had just bought him a drink and then sidled up to nestle against him. Then lines appeared on his forehead as his eyes widened, and the smile melted away as his jaw dropped lower. He nodded a couple of times as she continued speaking, then a look of pure confusion spread over his face and he pulled away to look at her.
“What?”
She leaned in again and whispered.
“Married?!” he nearly shouted, throwing back his head as he burst out laughing. Nathan could see the rotten teeth in the back of his mouth.
Cora’s cheeks were burning brightly. “Would you keep it down?” she hissed, slapping him on the arm.
“Honey, I am not the marrying kind,” John said. “But how about we pretend we’re married?” He grabbed her arm and pulled her back over to him; now it was his turn to whisper in her ear.
If Nathan had any doubt about what sort of things he was saying, it became clear in a second. Cora’s eyes blazed as she ripped her arm out of his grasp, and she slapped John hard across the face. The crack of her hand across his cheek shot through the room, drawing even the miners’ attention.
“How dare you talk to me like that?”
John, now even more unsteady on his feet, raised one hand to his face and looked around, finding all eyes upon him. He turned back to Cora, straightened up and cleared his throat.
“Why would a whore be surprised when somebody speaks to her like a whore?” he said. Then his hands shot up to Cora’s shoulders and he pushed her hard, sending her onto her backside on the grimy, sticky floor.
Nathan was on his feet in a flash. He could see from Cora’s face that she was stunned, though John simply leaned back and rested his elbow on the bar as if nothing had happened. Nathan moved to help her up, taking her arm just as she was struggling to her feet on her own.
“Are you okay, Cora?”
She looked at him and searched his face. “Do I know you?”
“No, I just heard him call you Cora,” Nathan said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” She looked down and saw that he still had her by the elbow. “Would you let go of me? I don’t need your help.”
“I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“I said I’m fine.” She whipped her arm away and turned back to the bar just in time to see the bartender grab John by the collar.
“I don’t want to see you in here again,” he growled as they walked; he was holding John like a kitten by the scruff of its neck, and he barely paused at the door before pushing him roughly out into the street. “You come back here and you’re going to have trouble with me. You got that?” He let the door close, drowning out the truly imaginative stream of curses that John had aimed his way, and came over to Cora.
“How come I always have trouble when you come in here?”
“What, you’re blaming me for what he did? Didn’t you hear what he called me? Didn’t you see him push me?”
“I saw everything,” he said. “And if I remember right, you’re the one who bought him a drink in the first place. Maybe you should reconsider the company you keep.”
“Save it, Henry,” she said. She turned and noticed Nathan still standing there. “And what are you looking at?”
Nathan decided that it would be better just to keep his mouth shut, though he could have answered truthfully, a beautiful woman. She was so close that he could now see her eyes were a deep blue; put together with her light blonde hair, it was like she was made of sunlight and clear sky. He shrugged and returned to his seat in the corner.
Cora went to the bar and grabbed her purse, then stomped out of the bar without looking back. In a minute the normal ambience of the bar had restored itself, with the low buzz of conversation only interrupted by rowdy laughter from the miners and the occasional snore from the old man across from Nathan.
He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. It was too bad he had met her only tonight, when he was practically on his way out of town. Unfortunately, he didn’t have much say in the matter. Both his wallet and his stomach were empty, and that was a combination that man couldn’t survive for long.
“You gonna order something?”
He looked up to see the waitress standing in front of his table.
“You either gotta order something or you gotta go,” she said.
“Let me think for a minute,” Nathan said. She turned to make her rounds among the other tables, and he again searched his pockets for money, gathering every coin he could find.
“Well, what’s it gonna be?”
He looked down at the coins in his hand. Forty-three cents. For a quarter he could either buy the cheapest meal they offered—a bowl of potatoes in broth, with a scrap of meat attached to a chunky bone—or he could get another glass of whiskey. If he ate now, he probably wouldn’t feel the pangs of hunger again for another six hours. If he got a glass of whiskey, he’d sleep it off and wouldn’t notice his growling stomach for at least eight.
“Give me another drink,” he said, sliding the coins across the sticky wooden tabletop. The waitress smirked and scooped up the money, returning in a minute with another whiskey.
Nathan drank slowly, in no hurry to head back to his cold, tiny room at the boarding house. It was only a matter of hours now before he was forced to finally give up and go back home, and he was in no hurry to do that either. Might as well stay a bit and enjoy the show. Of course, the star of the show had just departed, so that took the shine off of things somewhat.
What could she have said to the guy that set him off like that? He had said that he wasn’t the marrying kind—had she asked if he was married? Why was she even interested in a little rat like that anyway? Surely she could attract the attention of better men. Like me, for example.
He straightened up in his seat and moved over slightly so that he could see himself in the mirror that ran the length of the back bar. Not bad, he thought, running a hand over his forehead to brush his dark hair back in place. My teachers always said I was a young man with excellent prospects. At least I’m still a young man. And I’ve got a strong back and legs. Just ask Mr. Gates down at the hotel.
He laughed at himself and took a drink. It’s probably just as well, he thought. A woman like that doesn’t need me. She made that perfectly clear. A tough girl like that probably didn’t need anyone.
Husband on Credit and all of Lucy’s other titles can be purchased on her Amazon author page. Enjoy!
Also Available
The following titles can be viewed on Lucy’s Amazon author page. Enjoy!
The Replacement Wife (Westward Hearts Book 1)
They wanted her to marry the most unpleasant man she’d ever met, but Amy had other plans.
When her guardian announces that she’s going to be married to a man she can’t stand, Amy Chase decides to escape that fate by becoming a mail-order bride.
Paired with a rich widower, Amy arrives in a western mining town only to find that she escaped the frying pan, b
ut landed squarely in the fire. Now, far from everything and everyone she knew, Amy must find a way out of her engagement before she ends up penniless in the street. With the help of an unlikely ally, she soon discovers that love can be found in the most unexpected places.
Second Chance Suitor (Westward Hearts Book 2)
Sometimes even true love needs a second chance.
Madeline Harrison’s life is falling apart. With no money and a failed harvest, she’s about to lose everything, including the family farm and her three year old daughter. When she looks into becoming a mail order bride, however, she finds a lifeline in a wealthy cattleman who asks for her hand. After years of hard work and scant reward, Maddie’s ready to begin a whole new life.
For Bill Parker, life in the Nebraska Territory is hard enough, and being single only makes things worse. The good news is that he’s found just the right woman to take as his bride. The bad news is that she’s engaged to another man. But then, nobody said finding true love was easy.
Hearts Upon a Midnight Clear
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Except at Harper Farm.
Emily Harper had it all: a caring, devoted husband, a comfortable home, and a baby on the way. Her family’s future in the Territories looked bright indeed, until an unspeakable tragedy robbed her of her husband. Now, on Christmas Eve, she can find little reason to rejoice. As the winter tightens its grip, she’s all alone with a baby, and to top things off, her son is sick.
Alex Sullivan only had one more visit to make before heading home for Christmas. When the young doctor finds himself snowed in at Harper Farm, however, he discovers that Emily’s son isn’t the only one who needs help. He knows how to heal the body. But will he be able to heal Emily’s spirit as well?
This story takes place approximately twenty years prior to In Love’s Territory.
In Love’s Territory
Lucy Evanson
Copyright © 2012 by Lucy Evanson
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, places, establishments, or people is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, places and events are either fictional or used fictitiously.
All rights reserved.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Epilogue
Thank You!
Excerpt from Husband on Credit
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