Gambling on Forever

by Becky Lower

  CHAPTER TWO

  After shouting every curse word she could come up with, in no less than three languages, Elise quieted and glanced around the small cabin. She needed to corral her energy—which had been riding high ever since this morning when she first spied the missing saddlebag.

  Taking some deep, calming breaths, she assessed her situation. She didn’t for a minute buy Mr. Garnett’s pronouncement that he had no ulterior motive. Everyone had an angle of some kind. Especially men. Especially men with a smooth exterior like Mr. Garnett. Like Bailey Snodgrass. Ever since he’d set foot in St. Louis and disrupted the lives of Elise’s best friend and her family, she’d been on guard against the many other slick men who had surfaced after the war. Carpetbaggers like Bailey, riverboat gamblers, sweet-talking handsome men…they were all the same in Elise’s mind.

  Susannah was hopefully on her way back to the ranch by now to round up the search party. Elise’s four brothers, each one bigger and fiercer than the next, would be coming for her shortly. Of that, she had no doubt. Their Indian blood and a lifetime in the wilderness rounding up wild horses made them expert trackers, but tracking one of the many riverboats clogging the Mississippi might cause some problems for them, even with their superior skills.

  But they would find her and would do serious damage to the pair who had the stolen merchandise. And Mr. Garnett? So far, she had nothing to report to her brothers about him. But the journey had only begun. And he was a man. She had no doubt he’d do something to trip himself up soon.

  The big steam engine had roared to life a few minutes ago while she spilled every obscenity in her repertoire, and the large paddle wheels started slapping against the waves as they rotated.

  If she were the weepy sort, she’d be shedding buckets by now over her plight. Here she was, alone on a strange, large ship, without even a change of undergarments. But crying never helped any predicament, so she’d calm herself and figure out what to do.

  Somehow, she had to get hold of Big Mo’s registration paperwork and jump overboard. Searching for a bright side, she realized she could kill two birds with one stone—singlehandedly save the family business, and show her brothers she didn’t need them always coming after her. They were probably already cursing her impulsive decision as they prepared to rescue her, but possibly now was the time for her to prove, once and for all, she could manage quite well on her own. Time to test her wings.

  If she was unaccompanied and underdressed, she couldn’t prowl the decks searching for the saddlebag without raising suspicion. So another plan needed to be devised. Maybe this evening she could convince Mr. Garnett she needed fresh air and exercise and, as they’d be strolling the deck, she’d entice him to agree to play a hand of cards with Big Mo’s papers up for grabs. She had no idea how to accomplish such a feat, but she’d come up with something. Her charms had worked on many an unsuspecting cowboy or ranch hand, and she’d always had fun toying with men’s affections.

  Mr. James Garnett might be a slick riverboat gambler and not a young cowboy, but she had faith she could get him to bend to her wishes, as well. Perhaps between them, they could coerce the Confederate duo to ante up the paperwork and Mr. Garnett could win the pot for her. It didn’t need to take long. She might be able to hightail it for home by tonight.

  She’d always been a strong swimmer. She’d give more thought about how to get off the boat later, after she and Mr. Garnett figured out the best way to get Big Mo’s papers. Right now, though, she needed a chamber pot and a good hot meal. It had been a long, hectic day.

  Her tumultuous thoughts collided into each other when the door opened and Mr. Garnett wandered in. Elise stared up at him. He’d changed his clothing since this afternoon, and now appeared every inch the part of a riverboat gambler.

  A very mouth-watering riverboat gambler.

  A starched white linen shirt with an ascot tie encased his broad shoulders and highlighted his tanned skin and dark hair. Black pants hugged his muscular thighs, and a long maroon leather jacket completed his look. He removed his black felt hat with the maroon band around the rim when he entered, flicking back the lock of hair that fell over his brow. He didn’t say a word, simply stared back at her.

  If this were any other situation Elise might have been impressed by the man’s appearance, by his wide shoulders and tapered waist. And that dimple flashing from his right cheek when he smiled would have been her undoing. But she was in the middle of the farthest thing from a normal circumstance.

  She broke their eye contact first. “I’m glad you’ve returned, Mr. Garnett. I’d love to have some dinner.”

  “Since ladies must be appropriately dressed to dine in the state dining room and you’re not, I’ve taken care of ordering for you, Elise. Your dinner is on its way. And I thought we’d agreed to use first names.”

  The smug expression on his face did nothing to appease her. She couldn’t go to the gaming room, and now, he was telling her she couldn’t eat in the dining room? What kind of backward boat were they on, anyway?

  Elise bolted to the other side of the room, away from his handsome face. And from his scent of sandalwood and tobacco. “I never agreed to use your first name, Mr. Garnett. And I never gave the steward the impression we were about to wed. May I at least have some privacy to wash up before dinner?”

  The man picked up his hat and handed Elise her whip, almost inviting a sharp sting to his back as he left the room. “As you wish, my lady.”

  Elise refrained from giving in to the taunt. The man had saved her from being put off the boat immediately by being a master of subterfuge and so quickly coming up with the story that they were engaged.

  But she told herself the only reason she stopped short of using her whip was simply because she didn’t wish to ruin his very expensive leather jacket, not because she’d enjoyed his unexpected kiss. He had something up his sleeve, some kind of angle in helping her. In true gambler fashion, he played his cards close to the vest, but he had to have some ulterior motive. Slick men like him always did. He was just like Bailey and she wouldn’t fall for his charms the way her best friend, Eleanor had done. And she certainly wouldn’t suffer the devastating consequences her friend had.

  Her mind whirled while she relieved herself, washed her face, braided her hair and straightened out her wrinkled skirt and shirt.

  She didn’t need to stay on board. Canoes were faster than the riverboat, so she and her brothers could meet the boat when it docked in New Orleans and apprehend the two who had stolen her father’s saddlebag and its contents. But by that time, they may have run out of money and used Big Mo’s papers as collateral in another card game—and they could belong to anyone on board.

  No, as much as she longed to jump ship, she needed to stay on board and keep an eye on the unscrupulous, thieving duo until she somehow retrieved the papers.

  The even more dangerous James Garnett had left her with a weapon and an unlocked doorway. She didn’t need his help. Despite her appearance, she could make her way through the boat, leveling any man or woman in her path with her whip, find the saddlebag, take the papers, and jump in the river before he’d even catch onto the fact she’d gone. Should she take a chance? She picked up her whip and took a deep breath before she opened the door to the hallway.

  And ran right into the hard chest of Mr. James Garnett.

  • ♥ •

  “Going somewhere, sweetheart?” James drawled as he latched onto Elise’s elbows to stabilize her. She shrugged out of the almost embrace and shot bullets at him with her eyes, not saying a word. He corralled her back into the room with his arms spread wide as if she were a wild heifer.

  At his heels were some of the ship’s crew, carrying two meal trays, a small table and two chairs they set up in the room without comment and quickly exited.

  The scent of roast beef filled the air, and Elise’s stomach growled. James grinned at the sound, tugged a chair out from under the table and motioned with a flourish for her to sit.


  She stood in place, glaring at him and not acknowledging his manners. He merely shrugged and sat in the seat himself, uncovering the meal before glancing up at her.

  “I thought I’d join you for dinner, so you don’t have to eat alone. But if you wish to be stubborn, so be it. I’m not going to let this good food go to waste." He cut into the beef and dipped a forkful in the dark gravy. Her stomach rumbled again.

  She blew out a breath, then yanked the remaining chair from under the table and plopped into it. She jerked the cover off her meal and dug in. She refused to make eye contact, and remained quiet.

  “Why don’t you tell me what you’ve been doing all day?” he asked, with a chuckle in his voice.

  She glared across the table.

  “Oh, that’s right. Without the proper attire and the proper escort, you’ve been confined to this room, no doubt plotting ways to nab the saddlebag and leave this boat.”

  “You find that funny, do you?” Each word held a shard of ice.

  “Considering I had no idea when I came on board I’d have a fiancée to entertain, yes, I do find myself amused.” He buttered his dinner roll as he spoke. “I imagine the steward is conjuring up all kinds of scenarios right now.” His gaze roamed leisurely to the connecting doorway between the rooms before it came back to her.

  Elise narrowed her eyes at him, refusing to take the bait he’d dangled. “Why don’t you tell me what you did all day? Have you won enough from the pair of ruffians who nabbed my father’s saddlebag to pay for my accommodations?” She glanced around the small room. “My prison.”

  “We did spend the afternoon at the gaming tables together. They are a desperate pair, for certain. I thought I’d seen the last of the Confederate uniforms, but those two still are clinging to their allegiance. One of them had a few cards up his sleeve that he used to better his hand. He’s a very poor cheater. Even a novice could tell those cards didn’t come from the deck we were using.”

  James dug into the mound of mashed potatoes and his gaze followed the line of gravy as it breached the gap caused by his fork before he glanced up and caught her interested gaze. “But I let them win a few hands today.”

  She gasped. “Why would you let them win?” Then she darted a glance at him. Her eyes became slits. “Oh, I see. Here I was, attempting to decipher if you were a dim wit or merely a fool. You’re neither. You’re giving them a false sense of security before you wipe them out. Similar to what you’re doing with me. Except we’re not playing with a deck of cards. Only words.”

  James shifted in his chair, his mind darting in different directions. She surprised him by dissecting his behavior so quickly. He’d spent the last few years perfecting his persona, at least the one he showed to the world. But she’d been able to cut right through his demeanor, making her a worthy combatant. This game they were playing would definitely be more interesting than the one he’d sat through during the afternoon, but he couldn’t show his hand so early in the game. He redirected the conversation. “Why don’t you enlighten me about how such a worthless pair were able to nab your father’s bag?”

  “Father had lunch in town yesterday with a fellow who is organizing a steeplechase race. Most folks who aren’t in the business aren’t even aware of the strict code enforced at these races, dating back to the 1700s and the British. One must prove that any horse entered into the race is the bona fide property of the owner, and must be certified as to age, in order to avoid having ‘ringers’ placed in the race.

  “He had taken Big Mo’s paperwork to show adherence to the rule and had it in his saddlebag, which he looped over the back of his chair as he ate.” She glanced around the room. “That’s when those thieves took it.”

  “Well, you should maybe count your blessings they didn’t spot you tailing them this afternoon. At the tables, they were discussing their next attempt at making money, if the gambling doesn’t pay off. They thought they could start supplying women to Josie, the madam at their favorite bordello in New Orleans in exchange for money. If they’d seen you following them they might have tried to nab you. All they got was a saddlebag instead.” James shook his head.

  Elise glanced at him, her startlingly deep blue eyes flashing. “I can handle those two with one hand tied behind my back. But Big Mo’s paperwork is vital to my father’s business. My first priority is to get those registration papers. I’ll deal with the men who took them later.”

  James shot her a look across the table. “Then, it would behoove you to work with me to figure out the best way to get back the slip of paper you find so important. I have a couple of ideas. Shall we go above deck and discuss our options?”

  Elise jumped from her seat. “Oh, yes, thank you. I do so need fresh air.” She grabbed her whip and took a step toward the door.

  Her eyes widened when he rose quickly and approached her, napkin in hand. She took a huge gulp at his closeness, but didn’t back away as his fingers latched onto her wrist.

  This woman didn’t need her big, angry brothers to take care of her. She was more than capable of handling herself. He lifted the napkin to a corner of her mouth, noticing her quick inhalation of breath, and dabbed her cheek lightly with the cloth.

  “You had a bit of gravy there.” He dropped the napkin, but his gaze locked on hers and he stepped even closer. She trembled a bit, but didn’t back away. He could lean in just a little and capture that saucy mouth, taste her, which he’d been hoping to do again ever since he’d laid eyes on her. This time, it wouldn’t be a kiss to impress a steward.

  Instead, he hoped to impress Miss Lafontaine as much as she impressed him. But he backed off, away from the temptation, and extended his arm to her. “Are you ready for our stroll around deck?”

  CHAPTER THREE

  Elise latched onto James Garnett’s arm as if it were a lifeline. The sooner she got on with the business at hand, the better. Whip in one hand, James in the other, she strode toward the door with sure, quick steps. She didn’t miss the smirk on James’s face as they ventured into the hallway leading to the upper deck. Or the way his dimple flashed.

  He could keep the wrong impression about her susceptibility to him, let him continue to perform what he thought were his considerable charms on her. Let him suspect her breathlessness was due to him and not the cloistered air of the stateroom with its one lonely porthole for ventilation. Once she got what she’d come aboard for, she’d be gone so fast his head would swim. While she swam away from him. And that smug expression would fade.

  “Before we get to the deck, let’s stroll through the grand salon. This boat is quite beautiful, and worthy of your attention.” James led her away from the deck and toward the interior of the three-hundred-foot boat.

  Annoyed by the delay in being able to map out her plans, Elise gritted her teeth and followed along. He led her down a grand circular staircase encased in wrought iron banisters worthy of the finest homes in St. Louis and her mouth popped open as she viewed her elegant surroundings. The soaring ceiling was encased in gold leaf, and the light from the gas lamps bounced off the decadent roofline and the mirror-covered walls. Each piece of furniture was sumptuous, luxurious and inviting, the draperies lush and the deepest red.

  Despite her dire predicament, she couldn’t help but be impressed. She had no idea riverboats could be this lavish. This one was certainly worthy of the title by which so many of these boats were referred to–a floating palace.

  If her circumstances were different, she might even enjoy their slow journey down the Mississippi to New Orleans. For a brief moment, she closed her eyes and imagined herself out of her gauchos and on her honeymoon in a fine gown, on the arm of an even finer man. A man such as James Garnett. Her eyes flew open again. Such a ridiculous thought.

  “You are certainly right, Mr. Garnett. This is beautiful. Riverboats have been described to me before, and I always scoffed at the idea they were so lavish. I see now I was a bit too hasty.” She gave in to temptation and sat for a moment on the purple velvet sofa, bo
uncing up and down, as its plush fabric and extra padding enveloped her backside. She ran her fingers lightly over the velvet, relishing the softness. If she weren’t in such a hurry, she could linger here.

  Mr. Garnett was already assisting her to her feet. “The name is James. The salon is breathtaking, but I prefer the upper deck. The fresh air is so invigorating. Shall we?”

  She tried to control her breathing as they finally strolled the upper deck. They were acting as if they were a couple taking their nightly turn about the boat before they retired to their room for a night of lovemaking. Just as the steward imagined. Elise took a sidelong glance at her companion. Did he conjure up the same scenario as the steward? She took in a huge gulp of the night air and reminded herself he was no different from Bailey Snodgrass.

  “So tell me, Mr. Garnett, how does one end up as a riverboat gambler?” Men did so love to talk about themselves and their accomplishments. She’d learned that tidbit of male behavior from her brothers and the other ranch hands her father employed.

  One side of James’s mouth quirked. “It’s James, sweetheart. Well, one certainly doesn’t start out with that ambition, unless they’re a fool."

  “And we’ve already determined you are not a fool. So why?” Elise surprised herself by wanting to continue the line of questioning to its logical conclusion. She really did have this crazy need to find out the answer.

  Stealing a sidelong glance at him, she had to admit he filled out his fine clothing well. He was the only ally she had at the moment, but she couldn’t allow herself to be deterred from her mission by dawdling with a man, handsome or not. Especially not a riverboat gambler.

  She shifted her gaze back to the water, searching for a canoe filled with her brothers. She took a deep breath of the humid air and continued to be on the lookout. And continued to wait for a proper answer to her question.