by Nerys Leigh
“Ouch!”
It was a bucket. On the floor in his living room. What on earth was going on?
He shuffled unsteadily to the door and reached automatically for the hook on the wall where his key usually lived. The hook was empty. So was the keyhole.
“I can’t find my door key,” he called to whoever was on the other side, wincing at how loud he sounded.
“Look on the floor,” Jo called back.
It took him a few seconds to find the key which was lying beneath the window, but he was too groggy to muse on why it was there or how Jo knew it would be. He picked it up and, after a couple of near misses, stuffed it into the keyhole.
Opening the door turned out to be both good and bad. The good was Jo’s beautiful face smiling at him. The bad was the light level increasing tenfold. He flinched and raised his hand to shield his eyes.
“Good morning,” Jo said cheerily. “How are you feeling?”
He cringed at her overly jovial tone. “You can come in, but please leave your perkiness outside.” She walked in and he closed the door and leaned back against it, rubbing both hands down his face. “I feel horrible.”
“I’m not surprised, the amount you drank last night.” She picked up the blanket from where it had dropped onto the floor and folded it.
Drank last night. Foggy memories plodded disconsolately across the deserted waste of his mind. “I remember being in the saloon and drinking some whiskey. A lot of whiskey. It gets a bit hazy after that.”
She placed the folded blanket onto the settee and righted the bucket he’d kicked over. “I brought you home and you went right to sleep. You didn’t even make it to the bed.”
“Why was my key on the floor? And why is there a bucket in here?”
“I had to take your key outside to lock the door after I left, so I dropped it back in through the window and pushed it shut. And the bucket was in case you needed to be sick, but you seem to be okay on that front.”
He grimaced and rubbed his stomach gingerly. “I wouldn’t go that far.” He gave her a small smile. “Thanks for looking after me. I’m sorry you had to.” Now he thought about what he’d done in the cold, too bright light of day, he couldn’t help feeling very embarrassed.
She paused before speaking again. “Why did you do it?”
He leaned his head back against the door, looking up at the ceiling. “I saw you with Rufus.”
A confused frown creased her brow. “Saw me with Rufus what?”
She was going to make him come out and say it.
“I saw him touch your face and then kiss your hand and you were smiling, and I thought...” He sighed and shook his head. “I don’t know what I thought. That I could get your attention if I went in, somehow became part of what you do in there. That he wouldn’t have you to himself if I went in and became, I don’t know. Like everyone else, I guess.”
“You were jealous? Of Rufus?”
He dropped his gaze to the floor. “Yeah.”
Good job, Zach. Just great. Now she knows you were behaving like a jealous, love-struck fool.
“Oh, Zach. You are such an idiot.”
He raised his eyes in time to see her stride across the room, grasp his head in both hands, and press her lips hard to his. It was less a kiss, more a pointed lesson in how stupid he was, and it was over before he even had the chance to be surprised.
Her eyes flicked between his. “For your information, there’s only one man in this town who holds any appeal for me, and I like him just the way he is.”
Relief, astonishment, elation and more relief swirled through his head so fast he felt dizzy.
She liked him.
Only him.
She liked him!
And she was standing right here, in front of him, her hands still either side of his face. What was he waiting for? The whiskey really had scrambled his mind.
His sluggish brain finally catching up, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulled her close, and turned her to press against the door.
Her eyes widened a little and then creased into the hint of a smile, lowering to his mouth. He may not have been entirely at full mental capacity yet, but he didn’t need any more invitation than that. Bending his head, he captured her upturned lips with his.
Despite every fibre of his being screaming at him not to, he started slow and soft, exploring her lips in the way he’d been wanting to since they met. Apparently, however, Jo had other ideas. His pounding heart leaped when she softened against him, sliding her arms around his neck and pushing up onto her toes to press closer. When he gave in and returned her passion with enthusiasm, she made a soft whimpering sound that just about buckled his knees.
He’d imagined kissing Jo, plenty of times. This was nothing like in his imagination. This was much, much better. She smelled like roses and she was soft and warm and responded to his kiss with a fervour that made his head spin. When their lips finally parted, he wasn’t even sure it was the same day. He was gasping for air. If he hadn’t been leaning against the door behind her, he was fairly sure his legs would have given way.
“I... uh... um...” He licked his lips, trying to gather enough brain power for a coherent sentence. “That was,” he swallowed, “unexpected.”
She nodded, appearing as stunned as he felt. “So... so...” she drew in a deep breath, “so no more getting drunk because of me. I don’t want anyone but you.”
He couldn’t hide a very satisfied smile. “I think I’m beginning to get that now.”
She nodded, unwinding one arm from around his neck to pat his chest. “Good.”
She was so beautiful, and everything he could ask for, and she wanted him. This might have been the best day of his life.
Eyes dropping to her mouth again, he leaned forwards. She raised her palm and his nose bumped into it.
“While that kiss was very nice,” she said, clearly meaning phenomenal, “your breath smells like something crawled into your mouth and died.”
His elation fading a little, he cupped one hand over his mouth and huffed into it. The resultant odour made him flinch.
“I am so sorry.”
Maybe the kiss had been less phenomenal for her than he was assuming. Reluctantly letting her go, he backed away, keeping one hand over his mouth until he was out of nose-shot.
“I’m going to go clean up. I’ll be really quick. You’ll be here when I get back?” He very much wanted to try another kiss, so he could show her what it was like when he didn’t smell like he’d been marinating in stale alcohol.
She laughed a little and nodded.
“Okay.” He raised his palms towards her. “You just wait there. I’ll be right back. Don’t move.”
“I’ll be here. But don’t take too long or we’ll be late.”
He stopped walking backwards, confused. “Late? For what?” He glanced at the clock. Surely he couldn’t have slept in so much that it was time for work already.
“Church.”
“It’s Sunday?”
She smiled and nodded.
Of course it was Sunday. The alcohol/kissing combination was really muddling his thinking.
“Okay, I’ll be right back. Stay there.”
He hurried to his bedroom, pushed the door shut behind him, and stopped to lean back against it.
He’d finally kissed her. And she’d kissed him back. Mercy, had she kissed him back. His headache was even gone.
Smiling, he pushed away from the door. If he was going to get more kissing in before church, he was going to need to hurry.
~ ~ ~
The moment Zach left the living room, Jo’s trembling legs gave in and she dropped onto the settee.
What had she done?
Kissing Zach was a terrible idea. Even as she had, she knew that she shouldn’t. That was until all the thoughts left her mind, which was roughly two seconds into possibly the best kiss she’d ever experienced. But how could she let him think she wanted another man? And Rufus, of all people.
Despite her chosen profession, if you could call it that, requiring her to be thoroughly calculating and emotionless, she was anything but. Oh, she could be as devious as the rest of them, but despite all her best efforts, the emotionless part had eluded her. Irritating feelings had a habit of bombarding her at every turn.
She’d met others in her line of work who seemed to be able to turn their emotions off at will, and some who didn’t seem to have them at all, but hers were always there, waiting to derail her best plans at the most inconvenient moments. It was how she’d been taken in by Clive. It was how she’d ended up penniless, when she could have been independently wealthy, living in a nice town in upstate New York. The myriad of schemes she’d come up with could have produced far more money than they actually had, if she’d been more ruthless. It was ironic that her parents had managed to instil a conscience into her while simultaneously having none of their own.
And so here she was, having destroyed her first chance at a halfway stable life with Gabriel because she felt nothing for him, about to have her heart broken by Zach because she felt far too much for him.
It would all be so much easier if Zach wasn’t so ridiculously irresistible, with his blue eyes and red hair and the way he kept making her laugh. How was she expected to resist a man who could make her laugh? And now she could add the ability to almost literally sweep her from her feet with just a kiss, even with his breath smelling terrible.
But, oh, he was a good kisser. She assumed there weren’t many women in Green Hill Creek, with the men sending for brides from elsewhere, but there must have been some who grew up with Zach because there was no way he could kiss like that without having had some practice.
She touched her fingertips to her lips, smiling. She’d thought Clive’s kisses pleasurable at the time, but compared to Zach’s they now seemed limp and uninspired. She’d felt Zach’s kiss all the way to her toes.
Sighing, she leaned back into the corner of the settee and closed her eyes. He would end up hating her for keeping the truth from him. A better woman would stop this now, before it went any further. But she wasn’t a better woman, and it was probably too late for that anyway.
At the sound of a door opening, she opened her eyes to see him walk from the kitchen. He’d changed into black trousers and the shirt the colour of his eyes that she liked so much.
He offered her his hand, pulling her to her feet when she took it.
“Better?” he said, sliding his arms around her waist.
She took in a deep breath of clean, soap-scented Zach. “Much.”
“Good.”
He drew her against him and she tilted her head to meet his lips. Oh yes, he’d definitely had some practice somewhere along the line.
Really, was it so bad to just have a little fun for now, while she still could?
Chapter 23
“Afternoon, Hiram. The usual?” Jo placed a clean glass onto the bar and took the bottle of whiskey, not the good one, from the shelf behind her.
“Thanks, honey,” he said, his usual roving gaze lowering. “Hey, would you like to help me celebrate?”
She poured two shots into the glass. “What are you celebrating?”
“No idea, just thought you’d like to help me.” He winked.
She burst into laughter. “Tempting, but I can’t drink while I’m working.”
He dropped a couple of coins onto the bar. “You don’t have to drink.” He winked again and licked his lips.
Hiram had a certain strange charm about him, but there wasn’t enough alcohol in the world. “You’re a handsome man, Hiram, there’s no denying it. But if I said yes to you, the others would get jealous. Couldn’t have that now. I have a living to make. So I have to restrain myself, tempting as you are.”
Picking up the glass, he smiled. “That’s a right shame. If you decide to leave this job, you come find me and we’ll have some fun.”
“The thought will keep me warm at night.”
With a wide grin, he turned and walked slightly unsteadily back to the faro table.
“Give me a bourbon, will ya, Jo?” Peg leaned on the end of the bar and ran one hand over her dishevelled blonde hair.
Jo gasped and rushed over to her. “What happened?”
“What do you think?” Peg touched her fingertips to her bruised cheek and winced.
“Who was it? I’ll send Solomon after him.” Jo looked round at the huge bouncer.
Peg touched her arm. “No, don’t. The man’s gone. He’s a regular anyway. Rufus lets him away with roughing us up, I think because they have some kind of business arrangement.”
Jo glanced over at Solomon where he sat at a table with a couple of the regulars by the door, his preferred beverage of a glass of milk sitting in front of him. If she asked him, he’d do something. He may have been the size of a bear, but he was a sweetheart. He cared about the women in the saloon.
“Please don’t say anything to Sol,” Peg said, watching her. “You know he’d get angry and that would get him in trouble with Rufus. I wouldn’t want him to get fired. He’s the only thing keeps us feeling halfway safe around here.”
Jo returned her attention to the darkening bruise on Peg’s face. “That’s not right. It’s bad enough you have to... you know. Those men shouldn’t be allowed to hurt you like that.”
“They shouldn’t, but they do. Well, he does, at least. The others generally don’t. They know Rufus wouldn’t stand for it. Could I have that bourbon?”
Jo fetched the bottle and poured her the drink. “Who is he?”
Peg downed the contents of the glass in one gulp and gave her a suspicious look. “Why?”
“Don’t worry, I won’t do anything that gets you or Solomon in trouble.”
Peg pursed her lips. “You promise?”
“I swear.” She meant it. She wouldn’t risk the women here for anything. The lowlife that was hurting them, however, was another story.
“Name’s Clay Dunbar,” Peg said, apparently satisfied. “He comes in here every couple of weeks for two days, has a girl or two, a bath, then disappears for another two weeks.” She held her hand just above her head. “He’s about yay high, ’round thirty-five maybe, dark brown hair to his shoulders, wears a ruby signet ring on his right pinky. Has a scar above his right eyebrow.”
Jo knew who she meant. She’d noticed the ring straight away when the man had come to the bar earlier. It was the same as the one Rufus wore. “I remember him.”
“What are you going to do?”
“It’s probably better you don’t know. Then if anyone asks, you can truthfully say you don’t know anything.”
Peg nodded slowly. “You’re right. I’m a terrible liar. Just tell me one thing though, will he suffer?”
A smile slid onto Jo’s face. “Oh yes, he’ll suffer.”
Peg’s smile echoed her own. “Glad to hear it.”
~ ~ ~
“Have you ever heard of a man called Clay Dunbar?” Jo said as she and Zach walked arm in arm towards the hotel later that night.
“Not that I can recall. He from around here?”
“I don’t know. Probably not the actual town, but he may be from the area.” She remembered what Peg said about him coming into the saloon every two weeks. “He might work somewhere else, but that’s just a guess.”
“I can ask my pa if you like. He knows just about everybody who lives round about.”
“That might help.”
“Who is he?”
“Just someone who was in the bar.”
She’d debated whether to tell him what had happened before she brought the subject up, and come to the conclusion she couldn’t. He’d just insist on coming into the saloon to protect her and she wouldn’t be able to carry out her plan.
He came to a halt, turning to face her. “Is he giving you trouble?”
“No, he’s not giving me any trouble. I just haven’t seen him around before and I wondered where he came from.” That was all essentiall
y true.
He searched her face. “You’d tell me if you were having any problems there, wouldn’t you?”
“Of course.” It slipped out before she could think about it, but it wasn’t entirely the truth and she didn’t want to lie to him. Not to Zach. “Probably.”
He huffed out a sigh. “Probably? How am I supposed to protect you if you don’t tell me if you need protecting?”
She would have kissed him for that, if they hadn’t been standing in the middle of the street. She slipped her arm back into place around his and they began walking again. “I love that you want to protect me, but we’ve been through this before. Sometimes I have to deal with things myself, but that’s okay. I’ve been doing it for a long time.”
“But sometimes it’s all right to let people help you too.”
She could tell he was frustrated, but she had no other choice.
“And when I need help, you’ll be the first one I come to.”
He leaned down to whisper into her ear. “You promise?”
Looking up at him brought him intoxicatingly close. “I promise,” she whispered back, her eyes drawn to his mouth.
It was a few seconds before she realised they’d stopped walking.
“We should probably, uh, get back to the hotel,” Zach said, licking his lips.
His very kissable lips.
She pulled him into motion again. “Let’s walk faster.”
Chapter 24
Clay Dunbar returned to the Royal Flush the following day.
He nodded to Rufus and walked straight to the bar. Jo was counting on that.
“What can I get you?” she said, giving him a smile.
“I’ll take a gin.” He leaned one elbow on the wooden surface, looking her up and down. “You’re new here.”
She took the glass she’d pre-prepared and placed it on the bar. “Just started last week.”
“What’s your name?”
“Josephine.” She poured out a measure of gin and watched him take a mouthful.
“I saw you yesterday,” he said. “Would have come to talk to you then, but Rufus and I had business to discuss. And after that, well, I was busy with other things.”
