by Barbara Goss
Otto slapped him on the back. “You can stay with me fer now. We’ll get ‘em both.”
“What will Annie have to say about me and Sy movin’ in?”
“She ain’t got a thing ta say ‘bout it. It’s my house. It ain’t like she’s my wife. She’s just a sort of live in boarder with cozy privileges.”
“I never imagined my brother would be livin’ with a woman. I have to admit, I can’t wait to meet her.”
Homer and Sy were met at Otto’s house by a red-headed, scowling woman.
“Who are they, and what’re they doing here?” she demanded of Otto.
“This is my brother, Homer, ‘n his friend, Sylvester. The sheriff ‘n a bounty hunter named Logan McGuire set their house on fire, and I offered ta share my home. Now, hurry in and get us some supper, woman.”
The woman swore at Otto, but she went into the kitchen and started dinner while Otto showed the men to their rooms.
During supper, Otto explained the whole story to Annie, who listened intently.
“Well, Otto,” Sy said, “it seems simple as pie ta me. The way to get McGuire is through the dame. If you get her, he’ll come after her again, but this time we’ll be ready for ‘im.”
Otto strummed his fingers on the table. “It might jest work.”
“Otto,” Homer said, “we did that already. It won't work because he won’t come alone.”
“Hold on—we were ill-prepared last time. We thought he’d come barging in like a love-starved Romeo. We had no idea he’d bring the sheriff and that other guy. Then, we sat around, drinkin’ instead of keepin’ watch. This time, we’ll do it right.”
“Sounds good, Otto,” Sy said, “but how do we get the girl again? I’m sure he’s keepin' her locked up from us.”
“That’s a problem we need ta think ‘bout,” Otto said
“Maybe I can help,” Annie said. “She’s never seen me—in fact, no one in town has. I’ll get all dollied up and go into El Paso and see what I can find out—she’d trust another woman before she’d trust one of you dolts—but it'll cost you: one thousand dollars.”
“Five hundred!” Otto shouted.
“Then get her yourself,” Annie said, folding her arms over her chest.
“All right: a thousand. Just get it done. And if you fail, I’ll do the job, and it won’t be a quick bullet through the head, either. Me, Sy, and Homer'll have some fun with her, first, and then we’ll kill her. So, if you want the money and a quick death for the woman, do the job!”
While Logan was busy building a posse and setting up his office, Paulina was being shadowed by Woody. He wasn’t a disagreeable person, nor was he unpleasant to look upon, but she yearned for her privacy, as well as some alone-time with Logan. Even when she visited the outhouse, Woody was waiting just outside the door.
Paulina tried hard to get along with Woody. He was Logan’s friend, after all. In the afternoons, Woody and Paulina played cards and dice games—he'd taught her some saloon card games she really enjoyed—but she still felt like a prisoner, even though she knew it was for her own good.
Because he sometimes slipped and let out a curse word, she knew he wasn’t a Christian man like Logan, though he treated her like a lady, so she didn’t concern herself with it. It just made her more thankful she had such a wonderful, God-fearing man like Logan.
When Logan returned each day near sundown, he collapsed on the bed. Paulina thought he’d be too tired to make love, but he was never too exhausted to shower her with affection. Their love-making was sweet and fulfilling each time, and her love for him only grew.
Logan stretched and yawned. Paulina felt his arm go around her. She opened her eyes, looked through the window, and saw that sunlight had just begun to crest the horizon.
“Come here," Logan whispered, "let me hold you.”
Paulina didn’t hesitate. It seemed like ages since they’d been intimate, yet it had only been the previous night. She turned and put her arms around his neck. “I love you, Logan. Do you have to go?”
“Yes, sweetheart, but it's still better than me being gone for weeks, right?”
“I suppose.” She pressed herself closer against him with the hope he’d make love to her once more.
“Whoa!” Logan gently pushed her away. “I’m meeting a few prospective posse members at six. As soon as I get enough men, we’re going after the Washburns. I need to get going, but I’ll try to get away earlier today.”
Paulina put on her best pout.
Logan kissed her quickly on the lips. “I promise as soon as I get these men locked up, things will be different.” He slid off the bed, pulled on his pants and shirt, buckled his gun belt, and put his hand into his pocket. “Oh, I almost forgot—I have a present for you.”
Paulina raised her eyebrows.
Logan sat on the bed. “Hold out your left hand.”
Paulina complied.
Logan slipped a gold ring on her finger. “I want to make sure every man in town knows you’re taken.” He kissed her hand. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I promise that once these guys are caught, we’ll have a lot more time together. I love you, Paulina. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” He kissed her lips tenderly. “I have to get those guys before they get to you or me. I’ll make sure Woody’s waiting downstairs. I’ll tell him to wait outside the door until you open it.”
His kiss sent a quiver through Paulina’s body that made her wish he had more time to spend with her. “I love you, Logan McGuire. I promised to accept this life, and I will…but I still miss you when you’re gone.”
Paulina was escorted through the shops by Woody, who looked bored to death. She felt somewhat sorry for him and promised herself to finish shopping soon. She needed clothes, and Logan had left her money to buy them.
After she'd paid for her purchases, she and Woody proceeded to the door and ran right into a red-headed woman whose packages fell to the wooden walkway. Woody scooped them up for her, and both he and Paulina apologized to the woman who was dressed in a dark pink dress which Paulina thought didn't go well with her bright red hair. She was a tough-looking woman who reminded Paulina of her mother, pretty, in spite of her millions of freckles.
“My fault entirely,” the woman said. “I was daydreaming.” She seemed to be eying Woody and giving him flirtatious looks all the while. Paulina noticed that Woody was aware of her, too—when he returned her smiles, his eyes sparkled. There would be nothing she’d like better than to see Woody with a nice woman, such as this one seemed to be.
“No, it’s all our fault,” Paulina said. “Let us buy you a cup of tea at the café.”
“Oh, I’d love a cup of tea. Shopping always makes me thirsty,” she said. “My name is Anita.”
“Hello, Anita. I’m Paulina, and this is my…um…my husband’s friend, Woodrow. We call him Woody.”
“So nice to meet you both. I’m rather new in town, so it’s nice to know at least a few people by name.” She shifted her packages. “Now, which way is the café?”
“So, ya met ‘er, did ya kill ‘er?” Otto asked when Annie returned home from town.
“No, not yet.”
“What’re ya waitin’ for?”
“She has a bodyguard. He’s a young fellow, and he follows her around, so there’s no opportunity to get her away from his view. Unless…” Annie tapped her chin with her index finger. “Unless I can distract the bodyguard.”
“How long’s this gonna take?”
“Patience, Otto. I’ve been invited to their place tomorrow to have my hair done. I’m fairly sure I can distract her bodyguard and then shoot the woman.”
“I’ll need proof of her death,” Otto said.
“I’ll do the best I can. My first concern is how to get the bodyguard distracted.”
Annie was delighted with the hairdo Felicia had given her. She turned every which way in front of the mirror admiring it.
“I love it. You’re so lucky to have such a friend.”
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nbsp; Paulina was pleased that Anita liked the hairstyle. It really was flattering.
“Anita, can I make another suggestion?” She hoped she wouldn’t offend the woman, but she was once again wore a dress that was unflattering to the color of her hair.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“You wore dark pink the other day, and today you’re wearing orange. Those colors are beautiful but…um…not with your color hair. You need to wear colors like green—oh, you’d look fantastic in that. Even blue would complement your lovely red hair. Of course, you could wear black or white, too.”
Paulina held her breath while Anita examined her dress and hair in the mirror.
“You know, I think you’re right, Paulina. I’ve never been one for fashion. My parents owned a ranch in Wyoming and all I ever wore were trousers and a blouse. I’d love for you to teach me.”
Woody reclined in a chair in the corner of the room with his hat over his eyes. Anita walked over to him and flipped his hat into the air.
“What do you think of my new hairstyle, Woody?” Anita asked.
Woody’s eyes followed his hat to the floor, but then he looked up at Anita and smiled. “Mighty fine.” His eyebrows wiggled up and down and Paulina had to stifle a giggle.
“Anita,” Paulina said, having just gotten a brilliant idea, “would you be so kind as to keep Woody company while I take a short nap?”
“I’d love to,” Anita answered. “We’ll be right here, in the sitting room. If you need us, just give us a hoot and a holler.”
Paulina walked into the bedroom. She thought they could use a bit of time to get better acquainted.
Annie made sure to cross her legs in such a way as to show not only her ankles but a good few inches of calf to Woody as she sat across from him.
“Do we have anything stronger than tea?” she asked.
“Why, Miss Anita! Are you referring to whiskey, by any chance?” Woody said with a chuckle.
“Shh…it wouldn’t do for Paulina to know.” She winked.
“I have something in my saddlebag,” he said. “I’ll run down and grab it. You stay with Paulina.”
He left the room, and Annie smiled. That was easy enough. She could easily walk into the bedroom and shoot Paulina, but she'd run smack into Woody on her way out, and she had no wish to hang. She had to kill the woman in a way that wouldn’t incriminate her. Woody was easy to flirt with, and she was confident that her chance to get him a bit farther away would present itself.
Woody returned with a bottle of whiskey. He poured a bit into the dainty teacups. Annie wanted to gulp hers down, but she sipped it daintily instead.
“I needed that. Thank you, Woody.”
“I did, too,” he said. “This job isn’t as easy as it looks. I sure hope they lock up those criminals soon, so I can get on with my own life.”
“Tell me about your life,” Annie purred.
Woody poured her more whiskey. He told her all about growing up in Laredo. He kept filling their cups all the while. Before long, Annie was sitting beside Woody on the settee.
“How about your life, Miss Anita?”
Annie made up a story reflecting a woman brought up in a middle-class family in Wyoming.
Woody kept pouring the whiskey. Somehow—Annie couldn’t exactly recall how—she found herself on Woody’s lap, and he was kissing her passionately.
Annie had only ever been with Otto in her twenty-eight years, but Woody’s kisses turned her inside-out. Was it the whiskey? She couldn’t seem to get enough of the man. His response told her he felt the same. Either that, or he was a very good actor.
Finally, Annie ended up lying on the settee beneath Woody. They were breathing hard, and she wanted him so badly. She wriggled beneath him in a sensual way to send him that very message, but Woody pulled away and sat up. He rubbed his face with his hands.
“I can’t go any further with Miss Paulina right in the next room, Anita.”
“I can check to be sure she’s asleep,” Annie offered.
“No.” Woody sighed. “Meet me at my place tonight? Logan would shoot me if he ever found out I’d carried on with a woman while guarding his wife.”
Annie smiled. That would work even better. She now had two reasons to meet him later that night. Annie wanted him physically, but she also wanted him to want her—enough to be tempted to leave Paulina long enough for her to shoot her.
“I’ll be there.”
Chapter Eleven
Annie had gone back to Otto’s and taken some of her necessities with her back to town. She told Otto she had a better opportunity to get the job done if she stayed in town. What she didn’t tell him was she was staying in Woody’s hotel room.
While Woody went to guard Paulina, Annie stayed in the hotel room. She used the time to plot how she’d get Woody away long enough to shoot Paulina and escape without being seen. She’d run plan after plan through her head, and the one thing that bothered her was that she’d never see Woody again. That, and her only friend, Paulina, would be dead. The thought caused her a pain she'd never had before. Annie looked at the gun in her hand. Could she really kill someone, especially when it was her only friend?
Woody was a wonderful lover. Not only was he handsome, but he had something—something he made her feel that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. She snapped her fingers. Yes, she knew the feeling he gave her that she’d never felt before: respect. He cherished her and treated her like a lady, which was something Otto never had.
At meal times, Woody always left her money, and Annie would go down to the café for a sandwich or a bowl of soup. Each day, she’d wait anxiously for him to return to the hotel. Sometimes, he didn’t return until after dark.
Her romance with Woody continued day after day, and she pushed her plan to kill Paulina into the background of her mind—all she could think about was Woody.
At least twice a week, Paulina invited Annie to shop or to go for tea either at the café or in her rooms. Annie didn’t know what was happening to her. She was in love with Woody, and she’d grown to adore Paulina—how was she supposed to trick the man she loved and kill the woman who’d become her best friend?
The thoughts running through her head were driving her crazy. She felt as if she had a split personality. A part of her wanted the money for killing Paulina, while a part of her wouldn’t want to hurt a hair on her friend’s head.
Then the message came. It was delivered to the hotel’s service desk. One of the workers notified Annie that there was a message waiting for her when she walked in.
It was sealed in a stained envelope, and her name was on the front. She tore it open and read:
Deer Annie, If P. ain’t ded in to days, me and the boys well do it. So ya best git it done today or tamora. Otto.
Annie crumpled the letter and threw it into the trash can by the stairway. She bit her lower lip as she climbed the stairs. Annie was frightened. She decided to confess everything to Woody, sure he would make her feel safe and cozy, which was something she needed badly. She knew that by telling him the truth she’d never be able to trick him or kill Paulina, but if she didn’t, Otto and the boys would. They’d likely rape and torture poor Paulina. Annie had to warn Woody, even if it meant their romance would come to an end. When it came right down to it, she knew she couldn’t kill another person, anyway. What had she been thinking?
Why did she adore Paulina so? She’d shared her hairdresser with her, shown her what colors to wear, and best of all, she always found ways to push Annie and Woody together. Paulina was happy she and Woody had found each other. What more could a woman ask for in a friend? She’d never, in her life, had a female friend. There wasn’t any way she could ever harm Paulina McGuire.
That night when Woody came home, she had the table set for two with candles lit, and a bottle of chilled wine waiting for him. After they’d eaten, they moved to the settee to drink the wine.
“Woody, I need to have a serious talk with you.”
&n
bsp; “Serious?” He kissed her neck passionately. “Can’t it wait until later?”
“It’s serious, and I’ve been building up my courage all day to tell you. I need to do it now, or I’ll lose my nerve.”
Woody groaned. “All right, let’s get it over with.”
“Please, don’t interrupt me until I’m finished.”
Woody nodded.
“First of all, I’m not Anita. My name’s Annie Flynn.” She noticed Woody’s eyes widen. “I know. I’m on a few wanted posters. I assisted with a bank robbery in Kansas City with Otto Washburn. I was the watchperson, standing outside to warn them if the law came. I never entered the bank. They gave me a mere ten percent of the take.
“I’ve been with Otto for two years, but I don’t even like him. He was just bed and board for me. I had nowhere else to go. He wants Logan and Paulina dead. He hired me to kill Paulina. I’m supposed to trick you into leaving her alone long enough for me to do the job.”
Woody covered his face with his hands, but he didn’t interrupt.
“The problem is, if I don’t kill her in two days, he will. He said they’d…you know…torture her first, which puts me in a real dilemma.
“I also have no desire to trick you, since I’ve fallen in love with you. Not that I could trick you anyway, since you’re much too smart to be fooled.”
Annie put her hands on her lap and looked up at a frowning Woody and asked, “So, what do we do now?”
Woody’s frown was replaced by a puzzled look. “You fell in love with me?”
“I did, but don’t worry—I’m sure I’ll get over it.”
“What if I don’t want you to?”
“I’d love that, but my worry now is how to protect Paulina.”
Woody stood and paced the floor. “We have to kill her.”
“What?” Annie yelled, standing. “No!”
“I don’t mean really kill her, but to make it seem like someone—you—did. We’ll stage something, and Otto will think you did what you were told, but you won’t go back for the money. You’ll stay with me, instead.” He rubbed the back of his hand on her cheek. “I’m not ready to give you up yet.”
