Blowing Off Steam
Page 23
They had to go outside to reach the steps to the pilothouse, all three of them careening around the banister as they wrenched themselves upstairs.
Calliope cried, “With Brannan on our side, we’re going to be The Combination. We’re bigger than Haight now!”
In the pilothouse, Calliope leaned back against the window and allowed the men to sift through the potato patch problem. She saw the runaway house Tobias had referred to, and it didn’t look so threatening. It was easily avoided just by steaming across a former sandbar where willows used to stand silently in the summer heat.
Calliope Trueworthy found herself smiling. There would be many more days and years of cruising this river, navigating its twisting bends. Steaming the river in wintertime was refreshingly new to Calliope. Standing in the lee of the texas on a shining winter night, the stars were so bright they seemed to hover just above the crown of the smokestack. The chunking of the paddlewheels carried across the water on a still night. Field could count the engine revolutions by listening for variations in wheel rhythm. Then a farmhouse’s light would twinkle, a night bird would forlornly crow, and she knew she’d found where she wanted to be.
Everything was all right in her world. As long as she had her two men by her side.
THE END
WWW.KARENMERCURY.COM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karen Mercury’s first three novels were historical fiction involving precolonial African explorers. Since she was always either accused or praised (depending how you look at it) for writing overly steamy sex scenes, erotic romance was the natural next step. She is currently writing about the rough and tumble life of the California gold rush, and lives in Northern California with her Newfoundland dog.
Also by Karen Mercury
Ménage Amour: Going for the Gold 1: Working the Lode
Ménage Amour: Going for the Gold 2: Either Ore
Ménage Amour: Going for the Gold 3: A Good Prospect
Ménage Amour: Going for the Gold 4: Sure as Shooting
For all other titles, please visit
www.bookstrand.com/karen-mercury
Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com