by Alice Addy
“Eve, are you suggesting what I hope you’re suggesting? You’d actually invite me to stay with you?” He was pleasantly shocked.
“I love you, Ty. Would it be so wrong if we spent private time together?”
He stopped, and took Eve into his arms. “Eve, I’d marry you today, if I thought you’d be happy. But I know that you’re not ready. Until then, I’ll take you any way I can get you, and I’ll marry you as soon as you say the word.”
Ty sealed his pledge with a kiss, a kiss that healed all previous wounds, and a kiss that promised so much more. It was a kiss that left Eve boneless in his arms and slightly dizzy. He had to force himself to pull away. “Whew!” he exclaimed, as he removed his hat and wiped the perspiration from his brow. “You sure do know how to make a man happy, Eve, but I think I better get you to town right quick—before I explode with the need of you.”
“Anything you say, dear,” she cooed, batting her eyes seductively.
CHAPTER TEN
The town of Hays City, Kansas was all abuzz over the new construction under- way at the old Six Gun—Paradise Saloon. A full second story had gone up and a larger kitchen with dining room had been added to the rear. An inviting porch ran the full width of the structure, just perfect for guests to lounge about and watch their children playing safely behind the white fence surrounding the small lawn. The gaudy Paradise sign had been taken down and was being repainted, emblazoned with the name of the newest hotel in town. The BIRDSONG HOTEL was boldly printed in tall blue letters with a bright red border running around the outside. Folks were excited with the progress that had been made, and were feeling happy for the little proprietress—everyone, that is, except the gambler at the Tumbleweed Saloon.
The Tumbleweed was one of the dirtiest and most disreputable bars in town. The watered down drinks were cheap and so were the women. Well past their prime, they were a lonesome cowboy’s last resort. A man would only venture through their doors if he was desperate and down to his last dime, unable to afford to go anywhere else. Such was the last stop for Sam Garrison.
Sam was practically unrecognizable as the devilishly good-looking stranger that came to town less than a year ago. He was always drunk and in a foul mood, looking for a fight. No one could prove he cheated at cards, but when he lost, you were afraid to collect your winnings. Sam was a real sore loser. It was known, about town, that it wasn’t his style to face his enemies out in the street. Instead, bad things seemed to happen to them, accidentally. No one, with any sense, played his table and he was growing more and more desperate for money.
Frieda and Whiskey had been very successful with their business and had managed to leave a sizable amount to their beloved Eve. In addition to the cash in the bank, Ty discovered a stash of gold and silver coins in a canvas bag, well hidden under a loose floorboard in Whiskey’s room. It must have been his emergency fund.
“The hotel is going to be so nice, Ty. Don’t you think so?” Eve asked dreamily.
“It sure is, honey, but who you gonna get to help you run it? I gotta get back to the ranch and help Pa.”
“Oh, I must have forgotten to tell you,” she said, excitedly. “I advertised for help. I sent ads to all the towns within a hundred miles, asking for single women interested in working at a hotel. They need to be clean, moral, honest, and in real need of work. I expect them to start showing up pretty soon. I’ll choose only one or two, at first.”
“Eve, you can’t just invite strange women to come and live here with you. They might not be all they say they are. You’re too trusting, sweetheart.”
Eve looked at her handsome lover. “I trusted in you, didn’t I? That worked out well, don’t you think?”
Ty felt the heat creep up his face and nodded. “Yeah, I guess it did, at that. Isn’t it about time we turned in for the night?”
She smiled coyly. “I do believe it is, but I’m not really all that sleepy. Would you tell me a story?” she giggled. “You’re extremely good at telling bedtime stories.”
Ty snickered and bounced his eyebrows up and down, mischievously. “Come on, darlin’. I’ll tell you the story about the lonesome cowboy saved by the love of a good . . . horse.” He laughed out loud as he swooped Eve up in his arms and carried her off to her room, nibbling on her neck, all the way.
The moonlight streamed through the open window, casting a soft glow upon the young couple entwined in the big bed. Sweat glistened off their hot, moist bodies, as passion filled the room. They didn’t seem to have a care in the world. As they lay in each other’s arms, well satisfied and content, Eve took in the smell of the fresh cut lumber used for the new structure. The window glass was spotless and the floors were still bare. Soon there would be colorful rugs, luxurious eiderdowns on every bed, and a crystal chandelier in the dining room. Fragrant flowers would sit in porcelain vases throughout the lobby and spicy sachet packets would be tucked in drawers. This was all hers, her new life, and she was pleased. Soon, with hard work and a bit of luck, the hotel would open for business and, to her great disappointment, Ty would have to return to his farm, leaving her on her own.
In the distance, she heard the lonesome wail of a train passing through the night, and wondered if it was transporting some soul to a new and better life, as it had her? Was it bringing a small child to an eagerly awaiting parent or carrying a young woman to her one true love? Eve loved that train and the tracks that brought it straight through town. It was an exciting time for her, and she looked forward to its arrival, each and every day.
* * *
“Trains in!” the little boy announced. “Union Pacific’s in!”
Everyday, that week, Eve had met the train in the hope she’d have at least one answer to her ad. If she could get good help, she’d be able to open in a week’s time. Standing on the sidewalk, just outside the depot, she had a clear view of the people disembarking. Watching this train had flooded her with memories of a similar train, so many years ago. It was the worst time in her life, but those tracks had brought her here, to where she was today. She felt herself smile at her good fortune. It was a good life she had now, with Ty to love her and the Birdsong Hotel getting ready to open.
While lost in the cobwebs of her memories, she missed seeing the four women stepping down together, from the last car. They were all chatting and laughing with one another, as they gazed out at the bustling town. They were not the least bit similar to one another, not in physical build or even age, yet they must have had something in common, for they appeared to be friends.
Eve brought herself back to the present, just in time to approach the ladies and inquire if they could possibly be looking for her. She, literally, crossed her fingers behind her back.
“Hello, ladies. I’m Eve Birdsong. Have you, by any chance, arrived here in answer to my advertisement?”
“Do you own the hotel, dearie?” the older woman asked.
Eve nodded.
“Then, in answer to your question, yes. We’ve all come in answer to your ad. How many of us do you need?”
Eve looked at the four eager, smiling faces. They were clean and pleasant looking women, and it was obvious they each needed this job, very badly. She could see the quiet desperation in their eyes and the flicker of hope, as well. She had once been desperate, with nowhere to go and no one to care. She knew what she had to do.
“I need four, and you’ll all do quite nicely, indeed. The wages will be low, at first, until we start getting a clientele, but you’ll have a clean bed to sleep in and a dry roof over your head. I promise you a well-stocked kitchen with whatever you need. I want you to be happy here, and feel safe. Hays City is a nice town. Do we have a deal?”
The women squealed with joy and the two younger women, jumped up and down, clapping their dainty hands together. In unison, they all responded, “Yes, oh yes, yes!”
“Ty will bring your bags. Just show me where they are,” Eve said.
The women looked back and forth to one another, and began to laugh. “We
ll, dearie. It looks like none of us are encumbered with much baggage,” the older woman chuckled. “I think we can carry what we have. No need to bother that Ty of yours. You lead the way.”
Eve liked this take-charge woman. She had a good, strong character about her, and that would be helpful with this little band of women trying to forge out a living on their own.
Upon arriving in front of the Birdsong, the women stopped and gasped in awe. The hotel was magnificent—all spanking new and waiting for their own personal touch. Smiles covered their faces and their eyes were alight with great expectations.
Cassie, the youngest, whispered in awe, “It’s so pretty . . . and to think . . . I live here.”
Her statement left a lump in Eve’s throat. She knew how it felt to be homeless, and she was grateful to be able to help this young girl find a home. Her eyes misted over, as she recalled the kind and compassionate face of her aunt, standing in a garish red dress, with her hands resting on her hips. Tall and imposing, she stood there, staring down at a little crippled orphan girl, guarded by a brave and mangy mutt. She could have turned them away, but Eve knew that option never entered her aunt’s mind. Eve closed her eyes for one moment. “Thank you, Aunt Frieda,” she said under her breath. It was an honor to pass her caring onto others.
“Let’s go in and have some tea and get to know each other,” she finally said, after having regained her composure. “I know you must have questions for me and I’ve got at least a million questions I’d like to ask all of you.” Looking around the large parlor, Eve motioned to the walls and high ceiling. “This used to be a saloon, so you may still see a few reminders, here and there. I lived here with my Aunt and Uncle. They’ve gone and left the business to me, and now, you’re here. That’s pretty much the whole story.”
Eve proudly led the women to the shiny new kitchen, where she twirled about, pointing to the state of the art cooking stove. Her face filled with the wonder of it all. “This is my pride and joy. By the way, do any of you cook?”
The women looked at one another and then burst out in a fit of laughter. They laughed so hard, tears streamed down their cheeks. Eve was laughing, too, when Ty walked in.
“Let me in on the joke.”
Wiping her eyes, Eve introduced the handsome cowpoke. “This is Ty Fenton, without whom, we wouldn’t be opening a new hotel. He’ll be around a lot, so get used to him. It’ll take some effort on your part, but he’s not so bad once you get to know him.”
With one fist on her shapely hip, the beautiful brunette sashayed up to Ty. She slowly circled around him, getting a good look at the tall, lanky stranger. Gazing directly into his astonished eyes, she smiled seductively, and gave him a wink. Ty swallowed and glanced over at Eve.
Eve’s cornflower blue eyes were shooting fiery sparks. Smoke could almost be seen coming from her ears. What had she done inviting this jezebel to Hays City?
“Hey, wait just an all-fired minute!” she hollered. “He’s mine!”
The women started to snicker, when the quiet one spoke up. “Don’t you fret about Emily. That’s just her way, I’m afraid. She’s teasing both you and him. You’ll get used to it.”
Still angry, Eve muttered, “Maybe she won’t be here long enough for me to get used to it.”
Hearing that, Emily stopped dead in her tracks. Looking stricken, she said, “I’m sorry, Miss Birdsong. I really didn’t mean anything by it. I was just foolin’. Honest. We all knew he was your man, the instant he walked in the door. It’s written all over his face . . . and yours too—if you don’t mind me sayin’. He’s dumbstruck in love with you.”
Ty was blushing from his hairline down past his collar. “You ladies know I’m standing right here, before you? I can hear everything you’re saying.”
“Sorry,” they all said in unison.
Eve took a deep breath and motioned for all to take a seat, while she fetched the teakettle. “Let’s start anew. You’ve all met Mr. Fenton, our all-around handyman and adviser. I’m Eve Birdsong, but I would like for you to address me as Eve. I was adopted into this little family. I don’t remember my true last name, but it doesn’t seem so important, now. After my Aunt Frieda died and her husband left town, I had to decide what to do with the Six Gun Saloon I had inherited. It was evident that I would not be capable, nor did I want to continue on with a saloon. One day, the solution suddenly came to me. Why not open the best hotel in town? There is a need for it and it is a respectable business. All I need to make my dream come true . . . is the four of you. I hope we’ll all be as close as family.
“Now, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to hear a little about each of you and where you come from—if you’re comfortable in sharing that information. If you’d rather not, I’ll understand.”
The older woman stood and addressed the small group assembled around the table. “Bein’ the eldest, by a month or two . . . ”
The girls giggled quietly to themselves. She was years older and proud of it.
After giving each of them a stern look, the lady continued on. “I said, a month or two . . . and it is left up to me to go first. My name is Dora Allen Cambridge and I’m originally from Ohio. I married my childhood sweetheart, Seth, when I was just sixteen. He was almost as purty as your Ty.” She grinned at Eve. “It was our dream to go West and get us a little farm and raise a passel of children. Got all the way to Colorado before we found our bit of heaven.” Her eyes clouded over with sweet memories of a time gone by. She sniffed once or twice before she could continue.
“We had a good life, together, on our farm. Didn’t have nothin’ to speak of, but our three babies, Ruby, Goldie, and Emmie. We laughed and said if we had another girl, we’d name her Pearl and have a whole collection of precious jewels.
“Three years back, we got hit with a flash flood. Washed ever’thing away, includin’ my man and my precious jewels.”
Silence covered the kitchen like a warm blanket. No one knew what to say. A tear trickled down her brave face, as Dora continued on. “Now, I’m on my own and lookin’ for work. It would be ideal if I could stay here and help you girls. I’m forty years old and strong as a mule. Some say I look like one too.” She smiled at Ty and winked. “And by the way, you’re gonna need me, girlie,” she said, looking directly at Eve. “I can cook!”
“Hallelujah!” Ty yelled, lifting the mood in the room.
Dora sat down and looked toward the youngest of the four women. Since meeting on the train, the young Cassie had glued herself to Dora’s hip, and the older woman didn’t mind one bit.
“Cassie, you want to talk now?” Dora prodded, gently.
The girl nodded, as she stood up, smiling at everyone. Her happy face lit up the entire room. She was beautiful, with hair so pale—it was almost silver. Her soft lavender eyes were large and fringed in dark lashes. Humor danced in those amazing eyes and she couldn’t stop smiling. She had a happy soul.
“Hello. My name is Cassie, or Cassandra, if you know my mother. I’m seventeen years old . . . almost. My last name is Miller . . . just plain old Miller. Isn’t that simply awful? I ran away from home—not going to tell you from where—to be an actress. Ha! That didn’t go too well. I’d love to be able to sing or maybe dance, but my mother would have a heart attack at the thought. After leaving Dodge City, I needed to find a home.” Her cheerful face grew serious. “It was scary in Dodge. I didn’t know who to trust. One night . . .” She looked over at Dora with fear in her enormous eyes. “I don’t want to talk about that,” she said softly.
The older woman smiled. “It’s alright, darlin’. Miss Eve said you don’t gotta say nothin’ you don’t want to.”
Cassie smiled again. “If you let me stay here, with Dora, I promise you won’t be sorry. I’ll work real hard.” She sat back down and scooted her chair a little closer to the older woman. Dora took Cassie’s hand in hers and patted it gently.
“It’s nice to meet both of you, Dora and Cassie. Thank goodness Dora cooks and I think Cassie will ma
ke an excellent hostess, greeting our customers and taking care of their needs.”
Looking askance at the ravishing brunette, Eve nodded. “You’re next, and you’ve got some explaining to do.” Eve grinned, slightly.
“Well taken, ma’am. I’m the proverbial troublemaker, or at least that’s my reputation. But I prefer to think I’m simply misunderstood. I’m as honest as the day is long, and I’ve never intentionally hurt a living thing. Don’t remember my childhood, or if I even had one. Don’t have a man—and I’m not looking for one, neither.” She grinned up at Ty, hiding behind Eve’s chair. “I’m clever with numbers, and I can shoe a horse. If you want to put in a garden, I’m your gal. I can, single-handedly, plant, weed, and harvest a garden bigger than this entire hotel, and produce vegetables that will make your mouth water. I noticed you need green grass out in front. I can tend the lawn and coax flowers to bloom anywhere. If needed, I can beat every rug and carpet in the place, too, on my day off. That’s about it.” She sat down.
Eve was left speechless. The woman was a veritable workhorse. “Is that everything? I hate to admit it, but you sound exactly what I’m looking for. However, there’s one thing you left out.”
“What? You want me to do more?” the girl asked, disbelievingly.
Eve grinned. “No, I think you’ll do quite nicely in the garden, that we don’t have yet, and it would be nice if the children could take off their shoes and play in the thick, soft grass. What you left out is your name. Who are you?” The extremely beautiful woman, with the large chip on her shoulder, intrigued Eve.
She stood, once again, with her head held high and her shoulders thrown back. “Sorry,” she muttered. “My full name is Emily Louise Falkenrath and I’m twenty-three years old—but I feel much older. I come from Sedalia, Missouri, and was raised on a hard scrapple piece of dirt that wasn’t worth the weeds that grew on it. I left as soon as I could walk. My background is similar to yours, Miss Eve. I too, lived in a type of saloon, only the men came more for the women than they did for the drinks. I hope you don’t have a problem with that.” She sat back down. That explained the chip.
