Gabe's Golden Girl (The Red Petticoat Saloon)

by Maggie Ryan

  “Are you all right?” she asked, her eyes lifting to his, the lifting of her lips stating she knew the question was unnecessary.

  “I couldn’t be better,” he assured her, reaching out to cup her breasts, weighing them in his palms. “And these tetas couldn’t be better either,” he teased, bending forward to stroke each nipple with his tongue. Any experienced whore knew how to produce fake moans of pleasure but seeing each perky tip turn both darker and tighter, her flesh breaking out into little bumps, he knew that she was appreciating the pleasure he was giving her.

  “Eres muy hermosa,” he said.

  “That sounds so nice,” she said and then giggled. “But I have no idea what you said.”

  “I said you are very beautiful.” He was rewarded with another smile and her fingers encircling his shaft. “So you like the Spanish language?”

  “Yes, it is so romantic. Mr. Gabe speaks it all the time.”

  “Shall I teach you something else?” At her eager nod, he grinned. “Chúpame la verga.” When her forehead furrowed, he reached to remove her hand from his erection and then stood. His shaft was within a fraction of an inch from her lips. When she opened her mouth, he placed a hand on the back of her head. “What a quick learner you are,” he praised.

  Chapter 15

  Jewel’s head whipped around as commotion came from down the hall, overpowering the piano music. Before she could move, Moses had stepped in front of her. “No, Miss Jewel…”

  “It’s Jacob,” Jewel said, recognizing the miner. “Something’s wrong.”

  Her attempt to skirt around the giant was thwarted when he simply blocked her passage with one massive arm. “Charlie, watch the floor,” he said, his deep voice brokering no question. The notes stopped immediately and Charlie stood, moving away from the stage. Jewel also noticed that Ben had risen from his chair at the poker table, ready to offer assistance if needed.

  “Miss Jewel, it’s Slim. Someone tried to kill him! He’s hurt bad!”

  “Ben, run get the doctor,” Jewel instructed.

  “And the sheriff,” Moses added. When Jewel once again tried to step around him, she found her feet moving but not propelling her anywhere as Moses had simply lifted her off the ground.

  Moses’ voice boomed across the room. “No one leaves until the sheriff gets here.”

  Jewel felt ridiculous, her feet a full foot off the floor, the mountain of a man holding her as if she weighed absolutely nothing.

  “Laws, Moses, put that child down,” Nettie said from behind Jacob.

  “What’s going on?” They turned to see Deputy Slade striding towards them. “Ben said there’s been some trouble? Moses?”

  Evidently deciding that Jewel was safe enough, Moses lowered her to the ground.

  “Jacob, where is Stanton… I mean Slim?” Jewel asked once she was standing again.

  “Out by the privy. He was gone so long, I went to check on him. He’s bleeding bad.”

  “Show me,” Jewel said, stepping around him and rushing towards the bathing room and then realized Jacob hadn’t followed her but was moving towards the kitchen.

  “He came through my kitchen,” Nettie informed her. “Said the bathing room door was locked.”

  “Onyx took a customer in there a while ago,” Silver said. “Evidently the client doesn’t want to share because she hung the sign on the knob.”

  Jewel nodded, her eyes flicking to a sign that had “Privacy Please” written on it. Though miners usually didn’t mind sharing the room as there were two tubs, ones who were paying for a gem to give them personal attention were a bit more demanding of privacy. Though at least half of the men were illiterate, they’d learned the presence of the sign meant they’d have to return at another time. She moved to follow Nettie as they, the deputy, Moses and another miner hurried after Jacob as he ran through the kitchen and out the side door.

  They found Slim exactly where Jacob had said. Jewel dropped down beside him, grateful to hear a soft groan. “He’s alive,” she stated, reaching out to lay her hand gently on his arm. “It’s Jewel, Slim. Shh, don’t try to move. The doctor is coming. You’re going to be okay.”

  “He’s not going to be able to see anything out here,” Crawford said. “Let’s get him inside.”

  As the men discussed how best to move the injured man, Moses simply bent and picked him up. “Well, that’ll work,” the deputy said as Nettie and Jewel rushed back into the saloon.

  “We’ll put him on the table,” Nettie said. The two women had cleared the kitchen table by the time the men came in.

  “Wait,” Jewel said, placing a quilt she’d gotten from a trunk across the table.

  “He’s bleeding,” Jacob reminded her.

  “Don’t fret, it’s fine,” Jewel assured him.

  Moses gently laid Slim on the table as Doctor Norwood entered the room. After washing his hands, he began to examine his patient, easily finding the gash on the back of his head. “Someone walloped him pretty hard,” Anson said. Nettie handed him a bowl of warm water and several cloths.

  As the two worked together to clean the wound, the deputy turned to Jacob. “Any idea why someone would attack Slim? Did he get into an argument with anyone?”

  “Naw, we were just coming in to have a good time. We had a bit of luck this week and wanted to play poker and do a bit of fuck… um…” He paused and turned to Jewel. “Sorry, ma’am.”

  Jewel gave his arm a pat. “It’s all right, Jacob.”

  “So did you spend some time with a gem?” Crawford asked, returning the attention to him.

  “Naw… they were all busy so we ate dinner and were just about to sit down to play poker but there was only one seat. I took it and Slim said he’d get another drink and wait. I didn’t think nothin’ of it until two chairs opened up at the table and he didn’t come to play.”

  Crawford nodded. “Most likely robbery then. We’ll need to talk to your customers, Jewel.”

  “Certainly,” Jewel said. “Doctor, if you need anything at all, just ask Nettie. If Jacob needs to stay overnight, we’ll get a room ready.”

  “Head wounds bleed like a stuck hog but usually look worse than they are. He’ll have a hell of a headache for a few days, but should recover.” Anson informed them. Jewel followed Crawford from the room.

  “These men aren’t going to be happy having their night cut short. May I offer free drinks to soften the inconvenience?” Jewel asked.

  “I’m sure that would help, but let’s make it available after they’ve answered a few questions,” Crawford suggested. “Any idea how many gems are upstairs?”

  Jewel looked around the rooms. “Dottie must be, oh, and since Opal is behind the bar, Amy probably is as well. Diamond… I mean Delaney and Coal have been dealing cards all night, and Silver is over by the piano.”

  “What about Onyx?”

  “She’s in the bathing room. That’s why Jacob couldn’t go through there to the outhouse. The door is locked.”

  “Is that normal?”

  “Sometimes. When a client wishes to bathe in private or… well, you know.”

  Crawford nodded and was about to speak when another voice captured his attention.

  “How’s Slim?” They looked up to see Ben had returned with the sheriff.

  “Oh, Jeb, the poor man was attacked,” Jewel started as Crawford spoke at the same time to say he’d be fine.

  Once his deputy shared what he’d learned, the sheriff took over. “Anyone upstairs?”

  “I believe so,” Jewel answered. “Um, Amy and Dottie and their customers.”

  “Fine, but no one else is to go up. Slade, you take the poker room and I’ll start in here,” Jeb instructed. Jewel spoke with Opal and she began to pour a free shot of whiskey to every man cleared by Deputy Slade or Sheriff Justice. Ben remained by the door to make sure no one tried to sneak out before being questioned.

  “What’s going on?” Amy asked, coming down the stairs to a much quieter than normal crowd.
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br />   “Help Opal. She can fill you in,” Jewel said, repeating those same instructions a few minutes later when Dottie joined them. The miners were cooperative—none of them liked a thief. They worked very hard for their money and knowing that one of their own had been robbed and hurt pissed them off.

  Once the crowd had thinned considerably, Jeb motioned to Jewel. “Slade told me Onyx took a client into the bathing room. How long does one of these baths take? Seems like your gem has been in there a long time.”

  “Depends on what they are doing,” Jewel said. “This is a brothel you know.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I also know there’s a backdoor to that room. Who’s to say the thief didn’t leave through that door…”

  “Oh… Onyx… you don’t think… Jeb, maybe she’s hurt!” Jewel said, rushing to the door. Her hand lifted to knock but Jeb stayed her hand.

  Speaking softly, he asked, “Do you have a key?” Jewel reached into her pocket and removed a key ring, selecting the one that would unlock the door and handing it to him. “Stay back,” the deputy instructed, drawing his gun out of his holster.

  It didn’t take but a moment to ascertain the room was empty. “Where’d they go?” Jeb asked.

  “Not far,” Jewel said, bending to pick up clothing scattered before the fire. “These are Onyx’s.”

  Jeb had stepped out the back door only to return and lower the interior latch. “Upstairs perhaps?”

  “That’s the only option I can think of,” Jewel agreed. The two climbed the back stairs and Jewel led him to Onyx’s door, this time knocking. When no one answered, Jeb again moved her aside and drew his gun.

  “Sheriff, you don’t need that! If she were in trouble, all she has to do is pull the bell cord. They might be… um, in the middle of something?”

  “This is official business. Stay here,” Jeb said as he opened the door. “Onyx?”

  A moan was the only response and had Jewel pushing past him and hurrying to the bed.

  “Dammit, Jewel!” Jeb said, “I told you to stay outside!”

  Jewel didn’t bother to respond, instead was bending over the bed where Onyx lay sprawled across the quilt—in all her God-given glory. She’d just grabbed the quilt at the end of the bed when Onyx rolled over, sitting up.

  “Manny?”

  “No, honey, it’s Jewel.” She attempted to cover the woman but she pushed the quilt away, bending over, her head in her hands.

  “Ohhh, my head!” she moaned, her eyes slitted, pain twisting her pretty face. “Arggg…” she groaned as if the light from the lantern Jeb had lit was too much.

  “Honey, did someone hurt you?” Jewel could see no evidence of injury but the poor woman sounded like she was in pain.

  “No… oh… I’m gonna be sick!” She attempted to swing her legs over the edge of the bed while keeping one hand pressed to her forehead and the other over her mouth.

  Jeb grabbed the basin off the washstand, reaching her just in time.

  Jewel supported the gem as she was sick and then accepted a damp cloth from the sheriff thanking him as she washed Onyx’s face and then helped her sit back. Jeb accomplished what Jewel had been unable to do, drawing the quilt around the naked woman.

  “Wha… what are you doing here?” Onyx asked, her voice shaky.

  “Onyx, where is the man you were with?” Jeb asked, squatting at the edge of the bed.

  “Man… Manny?”

  “Is that his name?” Jewel asked.

  “I-I think so,” Onyx groaned. “Where… where did he go?” She turned her head as if expecting to find her client in bed beside her. “He’s supposed to stay.”

  “That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Jeb said patiently. “Honey, what do you remember?”

  A single shake of her head had the woman groaning again. “I-I can’t… can’t think…”

  Jeb turned to Jewel. “Do you know who she is talking about?”

  “No. He came in for the first time last night. I told Onyx to make sure to introduce him to us but I guess she forgot. And she should have informed me if she has an overnight client.”

  “Well, his clothes aren’t here and weren’t downstairs, so my guess is that he’s gone,” Jeb said. “Onyx, I need you…” His voice trailed off when a rather unladylike snore came from the bed. Onyx’s chin rested on her chest which rattled with another sonorous emission. “Christ, she’s out of it.” Jewel nodded and between the two of them, they managed to tuck Onyx between the sheets. Jewel smoothed the quilt over her and bent to kiss her cheek before following the sheriff from the room.

  “I’ll come back in the morning,” he said as they made their way down the stairs. Once they reached the bottom of the stairs, he turned to Jewel. “I promised Gabe to watch over you and the gems and yet I’ve already got some thief running around, a man injured behind your saloon and a madam who not only doesn’t mind my orders, but has gems who aren’t following the basic rules meant to keep them safe.”

  Jewel could practically feel her bottom crawling at the thought of how unhappy Gabe was going to be hearing things put so starkly. She knew that any pleas for Jeb to keep that information to himself was useless, but gave it a try. “Don’t worry. None of this is your fault, sheriff. I’ll talk to all the gems and remind them of the rules tomorrow.”

  “And I’ll be talking to Gabe about enforcing those rules,” Jeb said as if to remind the madam that he was not only the sheriff, but was the husband of a former gem who had a tendency to interpret rules to suit herself.

  Nodding, she saw him and his deputy out. Moses helped her lock up, the two extinguishing lanterns as they walked towards the back of the saloon.

  “You going to be all right, Miss Jewel?” Moses asked once they’d reached her bedroom.

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Come get me if you need,” the large man said. “I promise to leave a light on.”

  “I’m sure I won’t need it, but thank you. Good night, Moses.”

  “Night, Miss Jewel.”

  Crawling into bed, Jewel knew she’d prefer to be snuggling next to Gabriel even if she was doing so with a very hot bottom.

  Chapter 16

  Jewel stretched her arms over her head, biting her bottom lip as she attached the string around the greenery. She just about had the ends tied in a little bow when she screeched as she felt the support beneath her feet disappear. Looking down, she squealed and threw her arms around Gabe’s neck. “You’re home!”

  Gabe grinned, her expression of joy stating she’d missed him as much as he had her. He kissed her, their tongues tangling as he cupped the back of her head. When he finally pulled away, he smiled. “Now that’s a proper welcome.”

  “I’ve missed you so much.”

  Gabe slowly lowered her to her feet but kept his arms around her as she clung to him, her cheek pressed to his chest. “Querida? Are you all right?”

  Her blonde hair nodded but he wasn’t accepting that as an answer. Cupping her chin, he lifted her face to see tears shimmering within their blue depths. “What’s wrong?”

  “I-I just… just… don’t ever go away again without me!”

  “It’s nice to be missed,” Gabe said, murmuring the words against her lips before he cupped the back of her head and gave her another kiss.

  “Oh, look, pull up a chair, girls, it’s a show!”

  Hearing giggling, Gabe eased off the kiss but still pressed another to Jewel’s forehead before turning to find Nettie and several gems standing behind him. “Don’t you ladies have something better to do?”

  “No,” Amy said simply.

  “I feel like I’m at the circus,” Onyx said, nodding to where Tripp was in a deep kiss with Delaney. “All that’s missing are peanuts. Well, and the animals.”

  “No, I think we’ve got the animals,” Dottie corrected, giggling as Gabe gave a growl.

  “Don’t mind me,” Nettie said, shaking her head. “I just came to say dinner is ready.”

  Bending to righten
the chair that had fallen backwards when he’d plucked Jewel from it, she grabbed his arm. “Wait, I need to remove a berry!”

  “What?”

  Pointing above them, she said. “I was hanging mistletoe. I thought you knew because you grabbed me and kissed me… but, I forgot to pluck a berry!”

  “I grabbed you because that chair was teetering and what’s this about a berry?”

  Jewel explained that you hung mistletoe in a doorway and hoped to catch some unsuspecting person beneath it. “If you do, you’ve earned yourself a kiss and must remove one of the berries.”

  “And what happens when all the berries are gone?” Gabe asked with a grin. “After all, this is a very popular saloon.”

  “I’ll hang more,” Jewel said. When he quirked an eyebrow, and moved his hands to cup her bottom, she clarified. “I mean, I’ll ask you or Moses to.”

  Before Gabe could respond, Tripp pushed him aside, dragging his wife beneath the mistletoe. “Hey! Find your own doorway!” Gabe said. The couple ignored him and when they finally came up for air, Tripp reached up and plucked a berry.

  “Just thought I’d show you how it’s done.” Jewel and Delaney giggled as the two men gave each other playful shoves until Gabe’s eyes found Opal. The woman was standing with her friends and yet she was the only one without a smile on her face.

  Leaving the mistletoe to Tripp, he went to her side. “Don’t fret. John is coming back. I sent him up to the mine first.” He bent down and whispered in her ear. “And believe me, he wasn’t the least bit happy about it.”

  She visibly relaxed and her smile appeared. “I’ll make sure he’s happy when he gets here.”

  Gabe chuckled and kissed her cheek. “I have no doubt as to that.”

  “Enough of this, my food is getting cold!” Nettie called.

  Gabe grinned. “You heard the boss. Let’s eat. Gonna join us, Tripp?”

  “Seeing as how I’m ravished and plan on ravishing my wife, she’s gonna need some energy. Since there’s not a meal waiting for me at home… I think we can take a minute to eat.”