Last Chance Cowboys: The Outlaw

by Anna Schmidt

  “So nice of you to join us, Miss Porterfield,” Miss Dooley said as she paused for a moment to give Amanda time to sit down and bow her head.

  When the silent prayer had ended and the boarders began passing dishes around the table, Amanda turned to their landlady. “I do apologize. My employer came home early, and he wanted to talk about the children.”

  “And how are they doing?” Mrs. Rosewood asked.

  Seth saw Amanda visibly relax as the conversation turned to the twins and their studies. Her previous reluctance to discuss her work had disappeared, and she was filled with enthusiasm. Clearly, she no longer had a problem with the boy. In fact, after telling them about finding the baseball book for Eli, she raised the question of whether anyone knew if there might be some man in town who would be willing to practice the game with Eli.

  “I mean, one can only learn so much from reading a book,” Amanda said as she settled her gaze on him.

  Seth had no idea why the next words he heard were his own. “I used to play,” he said, and the way his admission made her eyes sparkle had him offering information he should have kept to himself. “Some say I was a pretty good hitter.”

  “There’s a group of men who come to the saloon regular, and two or three times a week, they get a game going out back of the place,” Ollie said.

  “I cannot see Ezra Baxter allowing his son to join a game that takes place behind an establishment like the Blue Parrot,” Miss Dooley said.

  “Don’t see why not, since Baxter himself is there most every night,” Ollie muttered.

  “Mr. Baxter plays the game?” Amanda asked.

  Ollie snorted. “Naw, he’s too highbrow for the likes of a game where he might get his hands a little dirty. Might get those fancy duds of his messed up as well. My guess is he’s not keen on letting the boy play either.”

  Seth watched Amanda wrestle with this information. He could practically see the wheels of her mind turning and was pretty sure that whatever she was thinking could lead to trouble. He glanced at her arm again, and when she saw him looking, she pulled at her sleeve to hide the marks. But Seth was already working it out. If Eli hadn’t hurt her…then who? She spent all her time during the day at the Baxter house, so with the banker coming home early and keeping her late, Seth could come to only one conclusion. And it was one he fully intended to do something about.

  * * *

  Amanda used her excitement about the twins as a shield to hold herself together as best she could until supper finally ended. Then she retreated to the seclusion of her room where the full impact of Ezra Baxter’s words struck her. To her surprise, as soon as she had closed the door, she began to shake. She sat at her dressing table and released the tears she hadn’t realized she was holding at bay. They leaked down her cheeks in silence as she stared at herself in the mirror and replayed the incident, looking for any way she might have contributed to the sheer madness of it.

  What on earth could have possibly given the man the idea that they might wed—that she might have the slightest interest in being his wife? She barely knew him, and other than that first dinner, they had not exchanged more than a dozen words. And yet he apparently felt he knew her well enough that he could make such an absurd proposal. And how much had Ellie heard? And what might she tell Eli?

  What was she thinking? Her position with the Baxter children was over. How could she possibly return to that house after this? But if she didn’t complete the term, if she didn’t guide the children through the work so that they might succeed in passing the entrance examinations to the private school their father had mentioned, then what might their futures be?

  She wiped away the tears that had dripped onto the front of her shirtwaist, staining it with moisture, and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She would not abandon those children. There had to be a way she could tutor them without having to endure the unwanted advances of their father. Of course, given the two glasses of whiskey he had consumed in quick succession before making his proposal, perhaps he might not recall his actions—or he might pretend not to remember. He might be as embarrassed as she was. If that were the case, they could both go back to the way things had been.

  But just before she had broken his hold on her arm, he had mumbled something beyond the word, “Please.” Now, as she recalled the encounter in detail, she realized what he had murmured was, “I have come to care for you, Amanda.”

  Ridiculous! The man knew nothing of her. Other than reading her daily reports on the work the children had completed, what could possibly be the basis of his feelings?

  She paced the room, but soon felt as if she had to escape—not only the room, but the clutches of Ezra Baxter. She needed air. Back at the ranch, she would think nothing of going for a walk no matter the hour. Here in town, such an action had to be clandestine.

  She heard the clock in the parlor strike eight, heard Miss Dooley turn the key in the lock on the front door, and finally, heard the landlady close the door of her room at the back of the house. Down the hall she heard the bathroom door open, and then Miss Jensen’s door close after wishing Mrs. Rosewood a good night. Everyone was settled in for the night. Ollie Taylor was at work, and more than likely, Seth was out as well.

  Amanda started to undress. What choice did she have but to also go to bed? But then she saw the shirt and pants she had brought with her from the ranch, thinking she might need them should she decide to take the children out for a ride or a trip away from town. An old hat that had belonged to her younger brother hung on the post of the bed. Her riding boots were lined up side by side in the bottom of the wardrobe.

  If she disguised herself as a boy, who would think twice seeing her out and about at this hour? She needed to think, and she had always done her best thinking late at night under a starry sky. It took her less than ten minutes to change, slip out of the room and down the stairs. Once again, she left the back door unlocked and stepped outside.

  As she stood on the back stoop, trying to decide her next move, she realized that for the first time in days, she felt the reality of the independence she had sought when she left home. She smiled as she headed down the alley, picking her way behind shops and the back entrance to the Blue Parrot until she reached the edge of town, where she stopped.

  Now what?

  This was not the ranch where she knew every inch of the land, where the creek that ran through their property was always there as a place of refuge. This was Tucson—and what lay beyond its shops and homes and other buildings was a vast unknown. She must have been out of her mind to think she could escape the bonds this place had put on her.

  Defeated, she prepared to retrace her steps, but before she could someone grabbed her, placed a gloved hand over her mouth, and wrestled her to the ground.

  * * *

  For the last three nights, Seth had been aware of someone following him as he went from the boardinghouse to the saloon and sometimes down the alley to the rear of the bank, where he looked for signs that anyone had been checking out the entry to the place. His stalker was good, keeping to the shadows of the closed shops and wearing dark clothes to further blend into the darkness. But sooner or later the guy would make a mistake, and when he did, Seth would be ready. If somebody in town had figured out Seth wasn’t who he pretended to be, that was a danger he couldn’t risk. He also wanted to snare whoever was following him in order to learn if that was the cowboy who had left the note about checking out the Frost ranch.

  In the night he’d spent watching over Jess’s prisoner, he’d picked up one key piece of information. The prisoner, who went by the name of Rusty, had heard some talk about a gang coming south, hoping to make a big strike before escaping across the border into Mexico. None of this was news to Seth, but he’d resisted the urge to press the man.

  “You planning on hooking up with them?”

  Rusty had looked at him and laughed. “I’m in jail. Doe
s it look like I’m getting ready to meet anybody?”

  “I just meant…”

  “I was scoping out the town of Whitman Falls for them when the saloonkeeper caught me stealing a bottle of hooch from behind her bar and called the marshal on me.”

  Seth had smothered a grin even as he imagined the ruckus Lilly must have raised. “She’s not somebody you want to mess with,” he agreed.

  Rusty looked at him with interest. “You know her?”

  Seth shrugged. “Had some dealings of my own with her. I came out on the short end pretty much the same as you.”

  “Then you know that town?”

  “Just passed through. I noticed it was on the way to the fort, and that made me think any payroll coming that way would have to pass right through town.”

  Rusty leaned closer and lowered his voice to a soft whisper. “That’s what I was gonna tell the Stock boys.”

  “Before you got arrested,” Seth added.

  Rusty bowed his head. “They’re gonna think I double-crossed them. My life won’t be worth a plug nickel.”

  “How’d you get the beating in here?”

  “That sheriff took a dislike to me right off.”

  “Did he say why?”

  “Just said he was giving me fair warning to keep my mouth shut.” For the first time, he seemed to realize that he was talking freely to a complete stranger. “Aw, gol-darn it. I’m a dead man for sure.”

  “I’ve got an idea. What if you wrote the Stock brothers and told them what you’d found out, and I delivered that message for you?”

  Rusty stiffened. Slowly, he reached for the lantern and raised it so he could get a better look at Seth. “What’s your business in this, mister?”

  “Let’s just say, like you, I’m not what people think I am.”

  The lantern light glinted off a gold cap on Rusty’s front tooth as he grinned. “You thinking on joining up with them boys?”

  Again, Seth shrugged. “You want the deal I’m offering or not?”

  “Can’t hurt,” Rusty said, “except I can’t for the life of me figure out what’s in it for you.”

  “Well, you have to tell me where to deliver your message, don’t you? And I’m thinking since you did your part, maybe I can pick up what’s owed you while I’m delivering it.”

  Rusty snickered. “That or get yourself killed. Well, better you ’n me. You got paper and pencil?”

  In the end, Rusty had scribbled a message and told Seth the gang could be found at the same abandoned ranch he’d checked out earlier. He’d gone there twice now. The first time, he’d left Rusty’s note under a tin cup in the falling-down house. He’d waited for hours, but no one came. The second time, the note had been gone. Neither time had he found any sign of human life, but nevertheless, he’d had a sixth sense that told him he was being watched.

  From the far end of the alley behind the bank, he heard muffled footsteps and pressed himself into a doorway across from the back door of the building. He watched as a small figure dressed in dark clothes darted down the alley, head bent and features hidden under the wide brim of a hat. The person moved like a kid, and Seth thought he’d finally found his brother.

  He let the scoundrel reach the end of the alley before following. When he turned the corner at the edge of town, he froze.

  It wasn’t Sam—too small and slender. Also couldn’t be the bulky Baxter kid. Whoever this was just stood there, staring off into the black of the countryside. Seth waited. The guy didn’t move a muscle. Seth touched the butt of his gun and then decided not to draw. He saw no sign that the kid was armed.

  Stealthily, he moved nearer until he was close enough to strike. In one swift movement, he muzzled the boy with one hand while wrestling him to the ground with the other. All the while, he hoped against hope this was his brother Sammy. And all the while, he knew he was wrong.

  Seven

  Amanda fought her attacker with all her might, ineffectually flailing away with both fists. Then, realizing her nails and teeth were better weapons, she raked his neck, even as she bit down hard and got a mouth filled with the taste of her attacker’s leather glove for her trouble. She struggled to free herself from his solid, muscular body. He had pinned her to the ground by straddling her. She went completely still, hoping to surprise him, but he hauled her to her feet, leaving her hat in the dirt and her hair falling free of the pins she’d used to hide it under the crown of the Stetson.

  “Amanda?” Seth Grover was breathing hard and staring down at her, one hand still holding the front of her shirt. She took pride in the realization that she’d put up enough of a fight to leave the man breathless. On the other hand, he was practically touching her breasts, which were heaving noticeably after the exertion.

  “Explain yourself, Mr. Grover,” she demanded as she planted both hands flat on the solid wall of his chest and shoved him away. He let go, but the sound of fabric ripping told her he’d taken the top buttons of the shirt with him. When she saw his eyes riveted on her exposed skin, she covered herself with crossed hands and felt heat race through her body. “Well?” she hissed, aware that they were standing outside, and anyone might pass by or hear them.

  “I thought…are you following me, Amanda?”

  “Do not flatter yourself, Seth. Miss Jensen might keep tabs on you, but your comings and goings are of no interest to me whatsoever.” She dusted off the seat of her pants, then realized she’d once again exposed herself to him by letting go of her shirt front. “A gentleman would avert his eyes,” she said, “or at the very least offer a lady the cover of his coat.”

  He chuckled. “Have to say I’m not much of a gentleman, ma’am, but if you’re feeling a chill…” He shrugged out of his coat and draped it over her shoulders, allowing his hands to linger until she stepped out of reach.

  “Thank you.” She bent to retrieve her hat and slapped it against her thigh as she’d seen her father, brothers, and cowboys at the ranch do more times than she could count. The gesture made her feel tougher and taller at the same time. She shook her hair back from her face and planted the hat, tugging at the brim until the fit was snug. “I’ll leave your coat outside your room. Good evening, Seth.”

  “I’ll walk you back.” He fell into step beside her. “Shall we take the street or the alley?”

  He was mocking her. She remained silent but picked up the pace.

  “Oh, then we’re going to race back?” He matched her step for step, an easy feat given his long legs.

  “Will you please…”

  He took hold of her arm, forcing her to stop walking. “I am not leaving you alone, Amanda. You shouldn’t be out at this time of night.” His tone bordered on patronizing. He sounded like her brother Jess, and that irritated her.

  “Why do you care?” she snapped and meant it to be a challenge, but found that she really wanted him to tell her. “You hardly know me.”

  He was still holding her upper arm. She could feel the heat of his fingers through the coat and realized he’d removed the leather gloves. While she processed this thought, he led her to a small lane that passed between the pharmacy and the milliner’s shop. There he took hold of her other arm and pulled her closer.

  She was sure he planned to kiss her. She was also sure that she had never wanted anything in her life quite as much as she wanted to find out what kissing Seth Grover might be like. Here, at last, was the true adventure she’d come to Tucson to find.

  “Listen to me, Amanda. You’re looking for trouble, and I won’t always be around to make sure you don’t find it, so fair warning. You need to stop these midnight wanderings. You need to stop getting yourself dressed up to look like a boy. You need to…”

  So, kissing her was clearly the last thing on his mind.

  She wrenched herself free of his hold. Not that he fought to hold on. “I can take care of myself,” she muttered
as she massaged her arms, although his touch had been firm but gentle.

  “Really?”

  “Really,” she snapped, and started to walk away.

  He caught her hand, and then before she knew what was happening, she was pressed up against the side of the building by the length of his body. He had his other hand over her mouth again—this time without his glove. His skin smelled like leather though. She struggled, and he tightened his hold on her. His face was so close she could feel his breath, hot against her cheeks.

  “Wake up, Amanda. You are no longer residing on your family’s ranch where no doubt you had others looking out for you. You are alone here in Tucson, and you need to take care.” He removed his hand from her mouth but did not back away. “Honestly, woman, you can be the most…”

  Amanda had no idea what came over her. Maybe she just wanted him to stop telling her what she already knew. She cupped his face with her hands and kissed him.

  And then suddenly, he was kissing her back, gathering her into his arms. He pulled away for only a brief moment, looked at her, shook his head as if fighting off a notion, and then kissed her in a way she had never experienced. He teased her by nibbling her lower lip, and when she moved to have her lips meet his head-on, she felt his tongue brushing against her lips and teeth. She gasped, melting as he placed one hand behind her head, drawing her closer still.

  The kiss seemed to go on forever, yet ended far too soon. When he pulled away a second time, actually moving a step away, their breaths came in gasps, as if they had run a race. “Amanda,” he said softly, as he leaned in to kiss her again.

  This was getting out of hand. She ducked free of his hold and scampered away, fighting to collect her wits. “As I was saying, Seth Grover, I can take care of myself.”

  She ran all the way back to the boardinghouse, listening for his footsteps following, but realizing he had given up without a chase. The truth was, he had made his point. How easily he had subdued her. She shuddered to think what a less scrupulous man might have done before she could get free, and by the time she had crept to the top of the stairs and reached the safety of her room, she was trembling so much that she had to sit down. But her thoughts quickly turned to the kiss. No longer would she need to fantasize about what kissing Seth Grover might be like. Now when she closed her eyes, she had that moment to relive, and whether he wanted to admit it or not, she was not alone in Tucson. She had Seth Grover watching out for her.