Katlyn nodded, handing the glass back to him. The intent look in his eyes confused her. Or maybe it was her own chaotic feelings that were confusing.
A little unsteadily, she moved to one of the armchairs and sat, tucking her bare feet underneath the hem of her nightgown. “So, you’re sticking to this ghost story?” she asked, trying to regain her confidence if not her dignity.
“Why not?” Case said, leaning back in his own chair, his previous tension seemingly vanished. “With your bent for the dramatic, I would think you’d agree it gives character to the hotel. Besides, Cooper is harmless enough, even though Becky swears he likes to scare the guests by slamming doors behind them.”
Katlyn rolled her eyes. “And just who is—was—this Rattlesnake Cooper? Or did you make the name up, too?”
“No, he used to live here at the hotel. By all accounts he was an ornery old cuss who liked to tell tales about his wicked past as a gunslinger.”
“I suppose he wasn’t.”
“He was a wanderer who tried gold mining once in a while. But he liked pretending, and one day he apparently boasted to the wrong man. The man really was a gunslinger and challenged him.” Case smiled at Katlyn’s wide-eyed expression. “Lucky for Cooper the man was drunk. Cooper accidentally killed him, and instantly became a legend in Cimarron.”
Katlyn wriggled a little, feeling acutely uncomfortable with Case’s story. “So what happened to him? I suppose his charade eventually got him killed.”
“You could say that. He died in bed after a romp with a saloon girl who wanted to be with the legendary gunman.”
Case laughed with her, infected by her delight in the tale.
“Now, I suppose he won’t leave,” Katlyn said, wiping at her eyes.
“Supposedly. The hotel is drafty, but I prefer to think of the groans as Cooper, grumbling about the food or the whiskey.”
“It seems even your ghosts are disreputable. Why did you ever take on a place like this?”
The question caught him off guard. Case thought a moment before saying, “For the challenge. Anything easy is probably not worth winning. Isn’t that how you feel?”
“I—well it’s certainly more satisfying when you do finally win.” If you finally win, she thought, thinking of the risk she took for Penelope.
Would a man like Case ever understand her decision? Katlyn nearly laughed out loud. If he ever discovered her deceit, she’d be out on her ear in seconds flat.
Case watched her expression shift from a relaxed enjoyment to a frowning distraction. He wondered what she was thinking to bring about the change. He wondered more what she was hiding, what frightened Katlyn McLain so that she felt the need to hide the natural exuberance he’d seen in her time and again.
Lost in her thoughts, Katlyn didn’t hear Case move until she felt his hand touch her shoulder. She started, looking up at him.
“You had better get to bed before you fall asleep here,” he said gently.
“Yes…of course.” Katlyn put a hand to her hair, all at once feeling self-conscious about having spent the past half hour sitting in her nightdress, talking with Case as if they were comfortable with one another.
Turning her face away, she got to her feet and started in the direction of the staircase. Case stood in front of her, blocking her path. Katlyn swallowed hard.
“Mr. Durham—Case…”
They stared at one another and Katlyn sensed a draw between them as powerful as a physical touch. She knew he felt it too, and for a moment from the glint in his eyes and the tensing of muscle she thought he would kiss her.
Case found himself starting to make the motion to pull her into his arms when he stopped. What the hell was he doing? He had no business getting involved with this woman.
But he couldn’t look at her without being tempted.
She stood still, as if waiting for him to decide. As if she’d already made up her mind and knew he wanted the same. Yet there was nothing coy in her. Only an honest need.
And that tempted him more than anything.
Except he couldn’t be sure if it was real.
Katlyn knew the moment he conquered his impulse and shut himself away from her again. She drew in a long breath and looked away. “I’ll go back to my room now.”
“I’ll walk with you,” Case said, every word sounding forced. “I’ll bring the lamp.”
Not wanting to argue with him, Katlyn accepted his escort without saying anything. When they reached her door, she turned only to thank him.
Case nodded with stiff politeness. “Good night, Miss McLain.”
A small moan whimpered through the landing.
Katlyn gave a little half smile. “I told you I hate it when you call me Miss McLain. I don’t think Cooper approves, either.”
“Good night then—Katlyn.”
He said her name in a low rough voice that was so different from his usual cool sardonic tone that Katlyn stared at him.
Case sensed she wondered what he was thinking. If she asked, he would have to tell her she didn’t want to know.
Because what he was thinking would only mean trouble for them both.
Chapter Six
Some nights she almost enjoyed this. Standing close to the piano, Katlyn finished the last bars of the sentimental love ballad with a flourish. The audience broke into enthusiastic applause and Katlyn grinned when Jack winked at her. He then started up one of the more lively tunes he liked about a roving miner, a lucky strike, and a gal named Sal.
Katlyn joined in with confidence, buoyed by Jack’s encouragement and the audience’s appreciation. She turned with a flip of her skirts to walk back to center stage—and found herself confronted by her mother’s doctor.
It was immediately obvious he hadn’t come for a night’s entertainment. The expression on his face told Katlyn something was terribly wrong.
She faltered over a line of the song, recovered, and managed to finish the tune, glad Case had left the saloon a few minutes earlier. Forcing a smile, she excused herself to the audience, quickly whispered a few words of explanation to Jack, and then hurried to draw the doctor to a corner of the saloon, praying all the while Case stayed away a little while longer.
The unexpected absence of Katlyn’s singing drew Case back to the saloon. Seeing the empty stage, he searched the room for his songbird. He’d just promised the new guests he’d been greeting in the foyer that Penelope Rose wouldn’t disappoint.
But it seemed she’d suddenly taken flight.
He’d made it a habit each night she sang to listen to at least part of her performance. At first, he stayed because he doubted her talent. Now, he admitted to himself, he stayed because he enjoyed hearing her when she forgot to perform and sang from her heart.
It was then that she worked her magic, captivating him and anyone listening with her sweet, pure voice.
Case started over to Jack to ask why Katlyn had left in the middle of her performance when he saw her in close conversation with Frank Garrett.
Without stopping to examine his reasons, Case strode up to them in time to hear Katlyn’s last words.
“You never told me she might go blind! I’ve got to get her to Las Vegas now.”
The doctor shook his head. “No, she can’t possibly travel now, not for weeks, maybe months. It would kill her.”
“Is there a problem, Miss McLain?” Case interjected smoothly, startling both the doctor and Katlyn with his sudden presence.
Katlyn flushed and tried to look anywhere but at him. “Yes—no…I mean, yes, Dr. Garrett just gave my…my companion some upsetting news. I must go to her.”
She looked at the doctor, appealing. He frowned before slowly nodding.
The exchange roused Case’s suspicions anew. Katlyn was concerned, that was plain. But he thought he also detected an underlying guilt in her. She appeared unreasonably rattled with him there, anxious to escape.
“I’ll walk with you to the boardinghouse,” Case said. Katlyn stared at him, her
eyes wide. “It’s dark. You shouldn’t go alone and I can easily escort you. There’s no reason to keep Dr. Garrett any longer.”
“Th-that’s not necessary,” Katlyn protested. She fought against a rising panic. “It’s a short walk and I may be there a long time. I’ll just tell Jack I’m leaving and I’ll go—”
“Not alone.”
Katlyn’s heart plummeted as she recognized the hard note of authority in Case’s voice. In this mood, he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
But she had to keep Case away from her mother. If he saw Penelope he would know without a doubt they were related and he would be quick to figure out their charade.
She tried to think of an argument that would convince him but Case was already steering Dr. Garrett toward the door. Glancing toward the piano, she wondered if she could quickly convince Jack to follow her and persuade Case he needed to stay and tend his hotel.
“Jack can keep the company entertained while we’re gone,” Case said, squelching her fleeting hope. He took her arm when she opened her mouth to protest again and guided her out of the saloon and out the doors to the street.
“This isn’t necessary, Mr. Durham.”
Case set a brisk pace in the direction of the boardinghouse. “I think it is.”
“Why? You don’t know my companion.”
“No, but it’s obvious you care a great deal about her. Whatever Dr. Garrett said upset you, too. I care about that.”
Katlyn stiffened and fixed her eyes straight ahead. “You needn’t worry this will interfere with my singing. The doctor said it was urgent or I wouldn’t have gone tonight.”
“Katlyn—” Case stepped in front of her and put both his hands on her shoulders, stopping her. “I wasn’t talking about your job. I meant what I said, I care that this upsets you.”
He slipped his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his. Even in the pale moonlight, he could see the sheen of tears in her eyes, though the stubborn set of her mouth was mute testimony she refused to give in to them. The look was so like her, a curious mix of vulnerability and determination.
“I’m not so hard-hearted I would turn you out just because you left early one night to comfort a sick friend.”
“I—I know that,” Katlyn said. And she did. For all his rigid, no-nonsense approach to life, she trusted him to treat her fairly and honestly. Which was more than he could trust her to do. “I’m just…I’m worried about her, and the treatment she needs doesn’t come cheaply.”
Case let her pull free from his hold, walking beside her as she started for the boardinghouse again. He realized from her words she was paying for her companion’s medical care, as well as her room and board. It made his earlier suspicions of her seem small and unfair.
Obviously her nervousness had been because she was worried he would be angry with her for leaving early and she couldn’t afford to lose her job. Only she had been too proud—or too afraid of his reaction—to confide in him.
They reached the boardinghouse and inside the door Katlyn turned to him. “Thank you for walking me, I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“I’ll wait.”
“That’s not necessary. Dr. Garrett said she was very upset, it may take me a while to calm her. I’m sure you’re anxious to get back to the hotel.”
“I’ll wait,” Case said firmly. “Would you like me to go up with you?”
“No!” Katlyn drew a deep breath at his raised eyebrow. “I mean, no thank you. My companion is very ill, and she won’t want to meet strangers now. I’ll go alone.”
She spun away from him, intending to rush up the stairs before he could protest. In her haste, she nearly collided with Mrs. Donaldson who was hurrying down.
“Oh, I’m glad you’re here, lass. Your poor—”
“Yes, the doctor said she was upset. My friend has been so ill, I know this latest news must be especially hard for her.”
Mrs. Donaldson looked confused. “But I thought—”
“Why don’t you tell me about it on the way up?” Katlyn said, taking Mrs. Donaldson’s arm to hustle her back up the stairs.
Case watched until the two women disappeared into one of the upstairs rooms. Minutes ago he’d nearly convinced himself he could trust Katlyn.
Now he wasn’t so certain.
“You can’t let this happen to me. Katie, you just can’t!”
Katlyn held tightly to her mother and rocked her gently. She had never felt more helpless in her life, never more afraid of failing.
“Dr. Garrett said you can’t travel now, Mama. It could kill you.”
“I would rather be dead than lose everything like this! He said I was going blind. Blind! Oh, Katie, how could this happen?”
“I’ll get you to Las Vegas soon, I promise. As soon as the doctor says it’s safe for you to go.”
Penelope clung to Katlyn, her tears soaking the shoulder of Katlyn’s dress, staining the gaudy yellow satin. “I’m afraid, Katie,” she said, the words muffled. Even without seeing her face, Katlyn could tell by the rigidness of her mother’s body, her tightly clinging fingers how much the admission had cost Penelope.
“I’ve never been afraid of anything, never. But now, all I am is frightened.”
Katlyn tried to think of words to comfort her mother. But with the truth of the doctor’s grim prognosis between them, she could think of nothing that wasn’t a meaningless lie.
An hour later Katlyn slowly walked back down the stairs, feeling drained of everything but a numbing tiredness.
She’d cajoled Penelope into drinking some of the draught Dr. Garrett had left, and her mother had finally fallen into an exhausted sleep. After talking with Mrs. Donaldson and being reassured the older woman would check on Penelope, Katlyn decided she might as well go back to the hotel for an hour or two.
It was nearly ten o’clock, but some of Case’s guests might still be lingering in the saloon, and she could at least promise them better entertainment tomorrow night.
Katlyn put a hand to open the front door when she heard a familiar step behind her. She turned, unable to hide her surprise at seeing Case. “You’re still here.”
“Yes, I told you I would be. How is your friend?”
“Dr. Garrett gave her something to help her sleep, I don’t think she’ll wake until morning. Then…” Katlyn shook her head and half raised her hand in a motion of helplessness.
She looked so utterly defeated Case instinctively reached out and laid his hand against the softness of her cheek. Very gently, he rubbed his fingertips against her skin, feeling the wet kiss of the single tear she couldn’t hold back.
Katlyn turned her face a little so her mouth just brushed his palm. How comforting it would be to confide in him, to lean on his strength and, for just a little while, to let someone share her troubles.
But that was impossible, it would always be impossible. She could never forget that.
“I was going to go back to the hotel, but on second thought, I’d better stay the night here,” she whispered, closing her eyes so he wouldn’t see her need for him there. “I’ll be back at the hotel in the morning.”
“Come back with me, at least for a little while.” When she looked at him as if to protest, Case said quickly, “You said she would sleep, probably for the night. Have dinner with me. It will do you good. You may decide a good night’s sleep in your own bed would be more helpful for both of you.”
“Case, I—” Katlyn began, then stopped. Tears welled in her eyes. She wiped at them angrily, hating her own weakness.
That sudden gesture, both vulnerable and defiant, broke Case’s restraint. He gathered her into his arms and held her close against him, feeling a fierce and completely unexpected sense of possession as she held tightly to him as if she would never let go.
As he looked across the candlelit table in the hotel dining room, the deep violet circles beneath Katlyn’s eyes aroused a disturbing combination of protectiveness, admiration and compassion in Case.
And it aroused something else. Guilt. For doubting her. For suspecting her motives.
At the same time he couldn’t rid himself of images of the times he’d seen fear in her eyes, her reluctance to talk about the past. He wanted to trust her; he didn’t know if he could.
It irritated him he couldn’t make up his mind about her, even more so because it shouldn’t have mattered. He paid her to sing and she gave him his money’s worth. Her secrets, if she had any, had nothing to do with business.
Yet watching her now, staring at nothing as her fingers twisted the napkin in her lap, Case found it impossible to view her as simply a business investment.
“You aren’t eating,” he said. He used his fork to pierce a morsel of spiced peach and offered it to her.
“What?” She looked up, taking in his gesture. “Oh, thank you, but I don’t have much appetite tonight.”
She tried to smile and Case’s chest tightened. His eyes followed the sweep of her lashes against the delicate rise of her cheeks.
“You wouldn’t have me break my promise to your admirers, would you? I told them I would see you fed, remember?” He moved the fork gently toward her mouth. “Even Emily eats more easily than this. Don’t tell me I have to sink to playing ‘time to fill the berry basket’ to get you to eat.”
Katlyn couldn’t help but smile, genuinely this time. His tender concern touched her. Since the day they’d met, she’d only seen him reveal glimpses of this side of himself with Emily and she found it irresistibly appealing tonight.
Finally she parted her lips to his urging, her eyes locking with his.
Case slid the tip of the fork over her tongue, his hand almost shaking with the strength of the feelings she aroused in him. She looked so alone, so needy. How easy it would be to take her in his arms and give her the comfort she wanted.
Except somewhere in the back of his mind the fear that he’d felt this way before haunted him. And the consequences of caring too much for the wrong woman had seared his memory permanently. Even so, that thought tormenting him now, he could not pry his eyes from her face. She looked at him with wide, beautiful blue eyes, trusting, wanting, needing something he instinctively ached to give.
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