She smiled as she approached. “Thought you were going to sleep the entire day away,” she said and lowered herself into the other chair. “How’s the neck?”
“Still there, but I’m thinking it’s gettin’ better. Doesn’t hurt a whole lot. Just aggravatin’ would be more like it.” He capped the bottle and slipped it into his coat pocket.
They sat quietly while his plate of eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes arrived shortly after she had.
The waitress was a young red-haired freckle of a girl, probably about the same age as Dolly. She seemed nervous as she asked, “Anything for you?”
Dolly watched her closely. “Yeah, as a matter of fact, I’d like a strong cup of coffee.”
“Ahh...sure. Whatever you say...eh...ma’am.”
The reason for her nervousness suddenly became evident as the girl flicked a quick peek at Dolly’s holster, then just as quickly, returned her gaze to Dolly’s eyes. So that’s it, Dolly thought and smiled. “You can rest easy. We haven’t killed anyone all day.” She then looked at The Kid, gave him a knowing wink, and then looked back at the waitress. “But then again...the day’s still young,” she added playfully, around a pleasing smile.
“I-I...I’m sorry if I appeared rude. It’s just that we’re...I’m not used to having gunfighters in here.”
“We’re not here to cause any trouble,” Dolly said disarmingly. “We’re...” she looked at The Kid apologetically, not at all meaning to make him a part of her troubles, “I’m in town looking for three sleazebags that need killin’, is all.”
The waitress chuckled lightly. “Boy, have you come to the right town. There’s surely a bunch of them around here. Why...just yesterday morning there were three fellas in here that if I’d a knowed which end was what I’d have been inclined to use a pistol on them myownself.”
The young waitress had certainly gotten Dolly’s attention. “Were they two brothers and their father? Did they say any names? Did they—?”
The waitress held up a halting palm. “Whoa! In the first place they were all three brothers, if I heard ’em right.”
The young woman borrowed a chair from the next table, and while indicating it, asked, “You mind?”
“No, not at all,” Dolly said. “Please...have a seat.”
She sat and clasped her hands together on top of the table. It didn’t take her long at all to begin, “These three were, like I said, three brothers. At least that’s what I gathered when I heard them refer to their pa being of a hardheaded nature that would surely get them in serious trouble if they didn’t find a way to come up with some needed money.”
“They say what they needed the money for?” The Kid asked, suddenly willing to show a bit more interest in what was going on as opposed to stuffing his face.
“Something about needing it to make a trip somewhere.” She grew thoughtful. “I’m pretty sure one of them said it was a cryin’ shame that they needed money just to buy another horse for their pa so they could head south.”
“Why would they need a horse for him?” Dolly asked.
“Now that I do know for sure. The one they’d called Walt said that their pa’s mare had stepped in a prairie dog hole just this side of Manzanola and broke her leg.”
Dolly was suddenly ecstatic; she had finally ran across their trail. “It’s them!” she exclaimed excitedly, to The Kid. “I don’t know anything about a third brother, but Walt was one of the names! And up north of Manzanola was where they gunned my father!” She turned back to the waitress. “Are they still around? Have they left town? When was the last time you saw them?”
The waitress got up from her chair as a pair of men entered amidst the gentle tinkling of the bell that hung above the doorway. She looked down at Dolly. “Don’t know, don’t know, and yesterday morning...like I said.” She smiled sympathetically. “I’ll go tend those fellas while my pa brings you your coffee,” she assured Dolly before leaving to wait on her newly arrived customers.
Dolly sat in silent contemplation as she watched the middle-aged man approach with her cup of coffee. “Thanks,” she said.
He nodded. “Yer certainly welcome, Missy,” he said and disappeared back into the cooking area.
The Kid kept his head down and did his best to appear engrossed in his plate of food while he watched her every move out of the top edges of his eyes. He was not at all sure what she would do next.
Finally, and to his relief, she sighed heavily and picked up her cup. “No use letting this coffee go to waste,” she said and raised it to her lips.
They spent nearly another hour talking with the waitress between customers. She was unable to give them any more than she already had, with the exception of the fact that she had gotten the definite impression that any one of the three of them would not hesitate to take advantage of a woman at the drop of a hat.
During that little piece of information, The Kid thought he detected a slight change in Dolly’s demeanor. It was as if...as if...well, he wasn’t exactly sure what had happened at that particular moment, but it had certainly caused her back to go ramrod straight, sitting her a bit more upright in the process. He discreetly decided to let it ride for the time being, opting for maybe asking her about it at a more opportune time.
Figuring the most logical move would be to head for the livery where most of the horses in town would more than likely be sold out of, that’s just what they did after paying what was owed.
The blacksmith, who also owned the livery, was a hulking sort of a man that Dolly had liked at first sight the evening before. He’d seemed to have had a genuine interest in the wellbeing of her horses and that had set real good with her.
“Hello again,” he said and nodded his bare head as they approached. “You two here ta pick up them horses a yourn?” He stood the massive hammer he had been swinging on its head atop the anvil, and using a pair of tongs, poked the horseshoe under the bed of coals that appeared to be piled about six inches deep in the open-air furnace. The sleeves had long since been cut from his shirt so he used a callused bare palm to mop the sweat from his brow.
“No…not yet,” Dolly said. “We’re just here to see if maybe you can tell us anything about three brothers who might’ve been here looking to buy a horse for their father.”
“Now that cha mention it, I just might.” Again taking up the tongs, he repositioned the shoe in the coals while pumping the leather bellows with a massive sweat streaked arm. He continued to talk while he worked. “I don’t know nothin’ about three fellas, brothers or otherwise lookin’ for a horse, but there was a fella in here yesterday that said he needed a good mare for his pa. Said he’d pay top dollar if I had one ta spare.”
“And did you?” The Kid asked.
They waited patiently as he pulled the glowing shoe from the coals and positioned it over the pointed end of the anvil. Picking up the hammer, he expertly began shaping the piece of iron with a staccato, rhythmic beat that quickly got it going in the right direction. He then plunged it back into the coals and said, “Yep...sure did. Only trouble was...he didn’t have the necessary forty dollars I was askin’.”
“So you didn’t sell him the mare?” Dolly asked.
“Nope never did.”
“Then maybe he’ll return at a later time to buy her?” she asked hopefully, already going over a plan to lay in wait and take whoever it was when he least expected it.
“I ain’t about ta make the mistake a thinkin’ that fella’ll come back,” the smithy said and again began pumping the bellows.
“Why’s that?” The Kid asked.
“Cuz someone snuck in here sometime durin’ the nighttime hours and stole that mare right outta the corral out back...that’s why. I’d be of a mind to think it coulda been that same fella...or maybe even them brothers you was talkin’ about. In any case...I’m out a prize mare and from the looks of it you’ll be needin’ ta get on the trail if yer wantin’ ta meet up with ’em.” He again pulled the partially formed shoe from the coals and
went back to hammering it while they thanked him and left him to his work.
They stopped out in front of the blacksmith shop to mull over what their next move might be. Dollies still hadn’t completely resolved herself into taking The Kid on as a trail partner, and include him in her plans without question. But she didn’t object too strongly as he voiced his desire to give her a hand, especially now that it looked like she was up against four of them instead of just three as previously thought; although three would have surely been problem enough.
It was pretty plain that after stealing the mare the brothers had hit the trail for wherever it was that they were headed. And until something better showed itself, she was forced into believing that that was still Juarez. The Kid was all for getting the horses out of the livery and heading out after them before they got too much of a head start.
Dolly, on the other hand, told him a bit of a white lie, informing him of the few dollars she was expecting the following day and that, because of her need for them, was willing to wait until she could pick them up at the bank.
Not being plush his ownself, that made good sense to him and they decided to kill time by going over to the sheriff’s office to see what had ever become of retrieving the stagecoach and its occupants. Had they ventured to the rear of the livery they would have seen it sitting there, a bit bloodstained, but upright and not too much the worse for wear.
The pipsqueak of a deputy was lounging lazily in his usual chair on the porch when they arrived. He was cordial enough but didn’t get up as he informed them that the sheriff was indeed inside his office. They went right in.
The sheriff inspected the pair of gunfighters coldly as they stood just inside the doorway. “You two in this town lookin’ fer trouble?” he eventually asked. He rested his gaze mostly on Dolly, probably wondering why it was that a pretty young girl like her would throw her life away, gallivanting around the countryside trying to build a rep.
“No…we ain’t lookin’ for no trouble,” The Kid assured him.
“That a fact? What’s that bandage doin’ on yer neck then? Peers like you already found some.”
“Fact is...I was on that stage when it was attacked by them Comanches. I took an arrow fightin’ ’em off. That’s the bad news. The good news is that me ’n the lady here was the ones what took out them three outlaws that had been crazy enough to try ta rob the stage this side of Hole In Rock. We were bringin’ their bodies in on the stage when the Indians decided to cut the trip short.”
“Ya don’t say? An’ I suppose yer here ta claim the reward money?”
“What reward money?”
“The two hundred that was on the heads of each one a them three varmints. In case you didn’t know it, them three snakes have been a thorn in the side of the Butterfield Stage Lines for nearly a whole entire month now. That reward was posted just last week.” He opened the top drawer of the desk and pulled out a piece of paper. “This here’s an official type form authorizin’ payment to whoever brings them in. I reckon that’d be the two of you from what you just said. You two need ta sign it before it’ll all be legal like. Then I’ll send a telegraph to the stage office in La Junta and they’ll wire the money here in a few days.” He laid the form on the corner of the desk and pulled the quill pen from its well, offering it out to Dolly.
“I’ll sign it, but I don’t have a few days to wait for the money,” she said. After signing her name, she handed the quill to The Kid. “I’m looking for some fellas that did me...that murdered my father. I’m expecting some money to arrive by wire tomorrow and when it does I’ll be heading out after them.” She looked at The Kid. “Of course, you could stay behind and pick up the reward money when it comes in. As far as I’m concerned, you’d be welcome to it.”
“Not a chance. Those four fellas won’t be easy to take, and besides that I’m starting to get used to hanging around you. No…I’ll be seein’ this through clean to the end if it’s all the same to you.”
Making a previously thought out decision, she said flatly, “It is,” and stood by while he signed the paper.
The sheriff then picked it up and looked it over. “It says here that your name’s Dorothy Randolph. You any kin to Jason Randolph from up around Las Animas?”
“As a matter of fact, he’s my...was my father.”
“Yeah, I heard about that. I also heard tell that the fellas what gunned him took liberties with you, that true?”
Her face turned to crimson as a hot rush of adrenalin flushed her cheeks. She glanced briefly at The Kid. Quizzical concern had filled his eyes. She returned her gaze to the sheriff. “Yeah,” she said softly, “and they’re gonna die for what they did,” she vowed passionately, turned, and headed for the door.
Chapter 18
With the sheriff having come right out with what had happened to her, it placed a whole different light on things. She’d probably only been fooling herself, but she’d hoped that...well, it had been almost as if she’d been able to minimize it while justifying her obsession with finding and killing the three men solely because they’d murdered her father. But now that it was out there for all to see, especially The Kid, it again became the driving force within her.
She wiped the tears, determined to remain strong.
“You alright?”
She gave a final wipe with her shirtsleeve and turned to face him. “Yeah, I’m okay. I...I was hoping to keep all that under—”
“Shhh,” he said, placing his fingertips against her lip. “It doesn’t matter,” he added, with a tenderness that surprised her.
“But I—”
“It doesn’t matter,” he repeated softly, and taking her in his arms, pulled her to him.
She felt about as good at that moment as she had since before this whole thing had begun. It surprised her that she was willing to let him hold her. After what those men had done, she had pretty much resigned herself to the reality that it would be a long while before she would again let another man put his hands on her...if ever. But with The Kid it was somehow...different. Without thinking, she leaned against him, feeling his warm breath on her cheek as she rested her head against his shoulder.
If she’d have had to explain exactly how what happened next had come about, there would have been no way. One moment she was feeling secure and contented and the next she was feeling...well, she wasn’t quite sure what she was feeling. All she knew for sure was that his mouth was on hers and she was responding with a fervor that was entirely foreign to her.
Realizing the implications, she pushed away from him. “No…please, Kid. I can’t,” she pleaded and turned away.
“I’m sorry,” he said from behind her. “It’s just that...that—”
She again faced him. “I need time. I need to know that those men are—”
“I understand. You take whatever time’s necessary. I’m of a mind that from the very first minute I seen you climb into that stage, I was drawn to you. My first thought after that was to wish I’d never become a gunnie. I reckon I was feelin’ a hankerin’ to settle down somewhere, but figgered—”
She pressed her fingertips lightly against his lips, feeling the desire to kiss him again. “Shhh. Don’t say any more. I get the picture.” She smiled pleasantly. “Would you believe that I’ve been having similar thoughts?”
“No…but then again stranger things have happened.” He took her hand in his and bringing the fingers to his lips, kissed them gently. I’m figgerin’ that if you’re worth havin’ you’re worth waitin’ for.”
“Now that’d be the question that needs the most attention, Kid.”
“Call me Wayne,” he said simply and grinned crookedly.
“But I thought you said—”
“It is, but Wayne’s my middle name.”
She returned the grin. “Then Wayne it is...Horatio.”
They chuckled lightly, and held hands as they headed for the hotel.
Chapter 19
The next morning began showing itself none to
o soon to satisfy Dolly. She had spent a nearly sleepless night, torn between the genuine hatred she felt for the men she was after and the unbelievable understanding and tenderness Wayne had shown her despite the sheriff’s revelation. She lay in the bed staring at the ceiling in the faint light of predawn.
She heard a shuffling on the other side of the wall and knew that Wayne was awake as well. Hope you didn’t get any sleep either, you heathen, she said to herself, mischievously. It’d certainly serve you right, putting confusing thoughts into a girl’s head like that.
She flipped back the covers.
The morning crispness wasn’t completely unbearable, but neither was it completely comfortable either. She hastily slipped into her clothes, eager to get back on the trail of the brothers and their father. She just wished she wasn’t bound to waiting for the money to be wired to the bank. With any luck at all that wouldn’t take all the way to this afternoon like the bank manager, old What’shisface, had said.
The sounds of an early morning wagon creaking its way along the rutted street below her window made her remember that life went on, no matter what sort of obstacles were set in front of a gal.
She pulled her gunbelt from its resting place around the bedpost and strapped it on. Sounds from the next room again reached her ears. She carefully tied the rawhide strip around her thigh and rapped lightly on the wall. “You awake?” she asked.
“Course I’m awake,” he said. “Been awake as a matter a fact,” he lied.
She grinned knowingly. “I’m near starved,” she informed him. “I’ll meet you at the cafe whenever you can get there.”
“Why not meet me outside in the hallway?”
The knowing grin reappeared. She grabbed up her coat from the bedpost at the foot of the bed. “Okay, but the last one out there has to buy the breakfasts,” she tossed over her shoulder as she reached for the doorknob.
She Wore It Tied-Down Page 11
