Delightfully Deluded

by Barbara Goss

  “I could apply at that eating house,” she said, pointing to a place called The Rest Stop.

  “All right. Let’s go,” Andrew said.

  Every place Eden went to look for work ended up making Andrew relieved when she was turned down, for some reason and he wondered why, especially when it meant he’d finally be rid of her. Why hadn't he wanted her to stay there, in Great Bend?

  “Well,” Eden said, “I guess the saloon is the only place left.”

  “No!” Andrew exclaimed.

  “What do you mean, no?” she asked. “You have no say in the matter. Go on to Hays and leave me be.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Andrew said. “If you disliked your intended in Dodge pawing you, you’d have to get used to it working in a saloon, believe me.”

  Eden sighed. “I can’t see as I have a choice.”

  “You could accompany me to Hays and I’ll settle you with my good friend’s mother. Mrs. Jordan would let you stay there until you figured out what you wanted to do.”

  Eden seemed to consider the suggestion.

  Andrew didn’t know why he wanted her to go to Hays with him, except that he knew, despite their animosity, he’d worry about her if he didn’t.

  “How long will it take to get the money your friend is wiring?”

  “It probably won’t arrive until tomorrow.”

  “So, where do we sleep tonight and what do we eat?”

  Chapter 9

  Eden was at a loss. They had no money or shelter, not to mention food, and she was starving. That morning, they’d just eaten leftover fish.

  “That’s it,” Eden said. “You have nothing for us to eat or a place for us to sleep. I’m going into the saloon and ask for a job.”

  “They’ll laugh at you. Don’t forget you’re dressed like a young man,” Andrew said.

  “Oh!” Eden said with frustration. “I’d forgotten.” She looked down at herself. “So, what now?”

  “I was thinking: we don’t need the horse anymore, since we’ll catch a train to Hays, so I’ll try and sell him,” he said. “It’s worth a try.”

  “Good idea.” She noted his budding beard and mustache and thought it made him look rugged. The kiss they'd shared was never far from her thoughts, though it balanced in her mind with how much she disliked him in a mental tug of war.

  “C’mon,” Andrew said as he pulled the horse to the livery where they tied the horse and went inside. Andrew found a buggy with a man’s legs sticking out from under it. “I have a horse to sell," he said. "Are you interested?”

  “Let me have a look,” the man said, sliding from under the carriage. He wiped his hands on a rag and followed them outside where he walked around the horse, examined his teeth, and said, “Sorry, fellows. He’s too old to be of much use here.” When he saw their forlorn expressions, he examined the horse again. “All right. I’ll give you five dollars for him—my mother could use a docile horse.”

  “He’s very gentle,” Andrew said. “Could you make it ten?”

  Eden held her breath, afraid he’d blow the whole deal by asking for more money. Five would have been more than enough for a nice meal and a bed for the night.

  “I’ll give you eight,” the man said.

  “Deal.” Andrew smiled and shook the man’s hand.

  Andrew led Eden to The Rest Stop where they gorged on chicken and dumplings. Eden couldn’t get the first few bites down fast enough. When the gravy drooled down her chin, she dabbed at it gracefully with her napkin.

  “Eden!” Andrew whispered. “A man doesn’t dab his chin like that.”

  “Well, how do they wipe their faces?”

  “Like this.” Andrew wiped his face roughly with the napkin. “Or they use their sleeves, but I have to wear this shirt one more day, so I won’t.”

  “That’s uncivilized,” she said. “And I no longer care if people think I’m a sissy-boy. Now that we have money, can't we just buy the ticket and go?”

  “We don’t have enough for a ticket, and we don’t know when the next train for Hays will be arriving, besides,” he said.

  “Can we find out?” she asked. “And do we have enough money for a hotel room?”

  Andrew nodded and winked at her. “Enough for one room if we want breakfast in the morning.”

  A thrill ran through Eden at the thought of having to share a room with a man she strongly disliked, but who made her heart thump whenever he smiled at her or touched her.

  “One room?” she asked.

  “Eden, we’ve already shared a bedroll for a night and a horse for a week—I think we can handle one more night together, don’t you?”

  They walked to the depot and learned that the next train going toward Hays wouldn’t arrive for two more days.

  When Eden expressed her surprise, Andrew said, “We’ll manage. Most likely, my money will arrive tomorrow. We’ll get baths and clean clothes, and a few good meals before we head for Hays.” He smiled at her and cuffed her chin. “You can even buy some female clothes.”

  “I can hardly wait,” she said.

  “For the female clothes?”

  “No, for the bath.”

  Andrew got them a pleasant room on the second floor of the only hotel in town. The room was plain but clean, with one double bed, a dresser, and a nightstand.

  “I hope you still have your bedroll,” she said.

  “I threw it out, remember? It was ruined after the rain.”

  She put her hands on her hips, stared at him, and said, “Where will you sleep, then?”

  “On the bed, of course,” he said firmly. “We’ve done it before. It’ll be fine.”

  “No, you misbehaved the last time and I—”

  “Wait! If I recall, it was you who had started it…and you returned that kiss as well,” he blurted out, interrupting her.

  “I might have a bit, but you tried to pull me on top of you. What was that all about?”

  He gave her his best sheepish look. “I got a bit carried away when you responded. I promise: it won’t happen again.”

  “It won’t because you’ll be sleeping on the floor.”

  “No, I won’t.”

  “You will.”

  “How do you plan on making me sleep there?” he asked.

  “I’ll…I’ll…” She stamped her foot. “Argh! You are the most irritating man I've ever met!”

  Andrew stifled a laugh but was unable to hide his smile. “We’ll sleep in our dirty, smelly clothes which is sure to nip any romance between us in the bud. Now, which side of the bed do you want?”

  “The side furthest from you,” she said.

  “That would be the left,” he said, plopping himself down on the right side. “Put out the lamp, will you?”

  After she put out the lamp, she crawled into the bed and rolled as far to the left side as she could.

  “You really don’t smell so bad,” he said.

  Eden sighed and whispered, “Go to sleep!”

  “I’m not tired,” he whispered back. “Let’s talk a bit.”

  “About what?”

  “When we get on the train, which of us will get the window seat?” he asked.

  She sighed. “You may have the window seat.”

  “Really? Thank you.”

  “Andrew?” she asked in a sensual whisper.

  The way she'd said his name gave him a warm feeling. It was one of intimacy that made him want to pull her close and kiss her again, but he knew he couldn’t—not only wouldn't she permit it, but he had to remember he'd been promised to marry Catherine.

  “What?” he whispered back.

  “What will I do in Hays?”

  “I told you,” he said, running his finger up and down her arm. “I know Mrs. Jordan would be delighted to have you stay with her for a while.”

  Eden pushed his hand off her arm. “Stay on your own side of the bed!”

  “I am…that was my hand.”

  “Keep that on your own side, too.”

&
nbsp; Andrew sighed. Here he was with a beautiful woman in his bed, and he had to behave.

  It wasn’t the sound of birds that had woken Andrew, but a warm, familiar feeling he feared would disappear if he opened his eyes. Maybe he'd only dreamed that a body had been pressed closely to his and that someone’s arm had been wrapped around his waist. He lay still—how could she blame him for not staying on his own side of the bed when she was the culprit…again. He pretended sleep because he feared that if she knew he was awake, she’d roll back to her side of the bed. However, a part of him that he had no control over had given him away. She had to have felt it.

  Andrew opened his eyes and saw she was still asleep. He lay there staring at her lush lips. He was dying to pull her closer to him and kiss her, but then she might wake up and…and…well, what could she do? Hit him? He could handle that. He bent down and touched her lips lightly, but they were so warm and delicious he couldn’t stop there. He took her lips with his and kissed her passionately, backed with all the emotion he had in him, continuing to press her close.

  From his position, glued to her lips, he wasn't able to see her eyes, but he was able to feel her lashes flutter against his cheek. He pulled her closer. If she tried to pull away, he wouldn’t let her. This was where she belonged. He wanted her. Good grief, she was turning him inside out. He groaned when she returned his kiss, matching his passion. She moved her arm from his waist and wrapped both of her arms around his neck.

  When the kiss finally broke, she lay quietly with her head resting on his chest, breathing as hard as he was. When they were finally able to control of their breathing, she pulled away and rolled over to her side of the bed.

  “We did it again, didn’t we?” she said softly.

  “I’m afraid so.”

  “Was it my fault again?” she asked.

  “You did come over to my side of the bed and wrap your arm around me. I’m only human, Eden—I couldn’t resist kissing you.” He stroked her golden curls, spread out on the pillow. “You’re a great kisser,” he said.

  “Thank you. You aren’t so bad yourself,” she said, sitting up. “When can we get a bath?”

  “There’s a bath for men at the barber shop, but not for women, I’m afraid.”

  “I can’t buy new clothes and put them on without a bath,” she said.

  “Maybe the hotel will bring up a tub. I’ll ask them.”

  “We should buy the clothes first. I can’t bathe and then put these dirty clothes back on.”

  “How might a lad go about buying women’s clothing?” Andrew asked.

  “I don’t really care what anyone thinks—I need clean clothes.”

  “All right. We’ll shop right after breakfast, then come back here, and I’ll let you bathe while I go to the barbershop for a bath and a shave.”

  “Shave?” she asked. “I rather like the rugged look.”

  “Do you? Well, I don’t suppose Catherine will,” he said, and he opened the door for them.

  Chapter 10

  “Well, I don’t suppose Catherine will.” Eden mocked his words in her head. She’d forgotten all about Catherine, though she no longer wanted Andrew to go to Hays to marry her. She'd had deep feelings for Andrew since their first kiss. Even her subconscious knew how she'd felt about him since she always ended up with her arms around him in the morning, drawn to him while she slept. Awake, he irritated her to no end.

  The fact of the matter was he was going to marry Catherine, so she had to fight the feelings she had for him. She had no choice in the matter. She had one more night with him to endure and then she’d be free of him, living with his friends until she was able to find a job.

  She wondered how Rachel was doing. She’d have to write to her and Erma once she'd reached Hays.

  After breakfast, Andrew took her to the general store, where she picked out a plain, pink, cotton dress, along with underclothes, stockings, and shoes. When he paid, she noticed he'd used the last of his eight dollars. If their money didn’t come through today, they’d be sleeping on the boardwalk.

  Andrew took his bath at the barbershop while she had a luxurious bath in their room. It felt heavenly to be clean again, and even more wonderful to slip into women’s clothing.

  The maid had lit a fire in the fireplace, and she sat near it to brush her wet hair. She still had the combs she'd used to put her hair up to hide it under the wide-brimmed hat, and she now used them to give herself a more feminine hairdo. When her hair was dry, she used a comb on each side of her ears to hold her golden curls back—it felt so good to be feminine again. After putting the final touches on her hair, a soft knock on the door told her Andrew was back. “Enter,” she called out.

  In walked Andrew, clean-shaven, and in a new suit of clothes. He looked so handsome, her heart felt like it had skipped a beat, but she’d be darned if she’d show it.

  She stood and said, “You got the money!”

  Andrew stared at her. “Wow!" he said. "Look at you!” He turned quickly away. “Yep. And he sent enough for us to have steak tonight and maybe even some dessert.”

  “I’d like a separate room for the night,” she said.

  He turned back to her and frowned. “I want you to stay with me.”

  “No,” she said. “It’s for the best, Andrew, you know it is.”

  “You look beautiful, Eden.”

  “Thank you. You look good, too.”

  “How would it be if I asked the clerk to send us up a cot or something?” he asked.

  “I think it’s best if we have separate rooms, Andrew.”

  Andrew threw his arms into the air. “All right!”

  “I’ll go downstairs and book it,” she said.

  “It'll feel strange being alone after having you so near to me for the past week, but if that’s what you want,” he said.

  “It’s not a matter of want, Andrew. It’s what’s best.” She left the room.

  Andrew felt upset over Eden having wanted her own room. It wasn’t the extra money, as Ross had sent him more than enough, but that she’d sort of grown on him. She no longer irritated him, and he'd actually miss her.

  Eden had looked so lovely in female clothes, but he’d known she would. He could tell she was beautiful and shapely, even in the male clothing. He wondered who in Hays would bid to court her first—maybe Ralph Landon or Buddy Hicks. Maybe it would be Martin Jordan, the minister, since his wife had died a few years ago, he might want to try marriage again—and Eden would even be living under his roof! The thought bothered him for some reason. He really needed to shake these feelings off. It had just been a kiss, and he had Catherine waiting for him, besides. Catherine's kisses would be just as sweet, maybe even sweeter.

  Eden’s room was right next to his. Andrew knocked on her door.

  “Enter,” she said.

  “Are you ready for dinner?”

  “Yes. Can we really have steak?” she asked, wide-eyed.

  “You bet. We deserve it.”

  After dinner, Andrew walked Eden to her room. “So, that’s it until tomorrow, then?”

  She nodded. “Yes, I’ll meet you at the train station.”

  He turned toward his own room and had his hand on the doorknob when she said, “Oh, and I’m sure Catherine will love your clean shave.”

  Andrew opened his mouth to respond, but she’d already gone into her room and closed the door.

  Andrew paced the floor of his hotel room. Dagnabbit, he missed her. He couldn’t wait to get to Hays and meet Catherine so he could forget all about Eden. At first, she'd irritated him so much he'd wanted to shake her, but now he wanted her company, and okay, he’d admit it: her kisses, too.

  He had no choice now but to put her from his mind and worry about how to smuggle her into Hays without Catherine seeing her. If Catherine found out he’d spent a week alone with such a beautiful woman, she’d never believe it had been innocent…well, almost innocent.

  There was no answer when he knocked on her door in the morning.
Had she checked out already? He'd thought they’d have breakfast together and then meet at the train station. Andrew walked to the train station to find Eden sitting there. “Aren’t you going to eat breakfast?”

  “I’m not very hungry, and I’m anxious to get this trip over and done with,” she said.

  He took her hand and pulled her gently to her feet. “You’ll eat breakfast with me first. I won’t let you travel hours without something to eat, and the train isn’t due for another ninety minutes.”

  Andrew pulled her along to The Rest Stop and ordered them both a full breakfast of eggs, ham, hash, and beans. She drank tea and he ordered coffee. Despite her protests that she wasn’t hungry, she ate half of her breakfast. Andrew had no trouble eating all of his.

  “I need help to solve a small problem that might arise once we arrive in Hays,” he said.

  “Like what?”

  “Like how do I get you from the train to Mrs. Jordan’s house?”

  She shrugged. “A buggy?”

  “What if someone sees us together?” he asked.

  “Like maybe Catherine?”

  “Yes, or anyone who might question why we were traveling together, and why I’m taking you to stay with the Jordans.”

  “You might say we met on the train and you found out I had no place to stay.”

  “That might work.”

  “I’ll cover for you by telling them I was traveling with my friend, Rachel, who met a man in Dodge and decided to stay there, which isn’t a lie. I’ll then tell them I decided to go further west.”

  “That’s good,” he said. “That way, if we should meet on the street, we don’t need to hide the fact that we’re friends.”

  “There. Problem solved,” she said. “Now, I think it’s time we went to the train station. I’d hate to miss the train since there isn’t another for two more days.”

  Andrew wished he could stall and miss the train, but since she’d gotten her own room, he'd spent the long and lonely night all alone, so there was no sense wishing they could stay in Great Bend longer.