by Micki Miller
“I did not abuse this dog! Garrett, tell him!”
“It’s always the innocent looking ones you have to watch out for,” Garrett said to the clerk, his face composed to utter seriousness.
Penny gasped again. The clerk gave a solemn nod.
Turning back to Garrett, the clerk said, “We have other guests. Are you sure you can keep her in check?”
“This is absurd. Garrett, I insist you tell him the truth, this instant. I’m completely serious.”
Garrett had a hard time keeping a straight face when he said to the clerk, “I’ll put extra restraints on her just to be safe.”
From the corner of his eye, Garrett could see the blush of her embarrassment getting lost beneath the rising crimson of her rage.
“That’ll be two dollars for the room,” the clerk said.
“I’d also like two hip tubs sent up,” Garrett told the clerk.
“That’ll be fifty cents extra for a bath, each.”
Garrett paid the man. “Our horses are right outside with our saddlebags.”
“I’ll have your bags sent up so you won’t have to leave your prisoner unguarded,” the clerk said, slanting a fearful glance at Penny.
Garrett firmed his grip on the rope, because Penny looked as though she might actually jump the desk just to get her hands around the man’s throat.
“I can also have your horses taken over to the livery for you,” the clerk said.
“Thank you. That’s a big help.”
The clerk handed him a key and said in a conspiratorial tone, “I put you in a room at the end of the hall so you won’t have any neighbors.” He then flicked another quick glance toward the prisoner. “In case she should make a fuss.”
Garrett nodded and said, “Good idea.” He then proceeded to lead a fuming Penny up the stairs, Frank trotting behind, tail wagging.
The room was a decent size. One door, one window, a small table with two chairs sat between the window and a red brick fireplace with kindling and logs at the ready. The wood floor was clean and polished. A blue quilt covered the only bed.
After Garrett closed the door behind them, he turned around and received a swift kick in the leg.
“Ouch! What the hell’s the matter with you?”
“Prisoner! Dangerous!”
Smiling through the pain, he said, “Well, you have kicked me twice since we’ve been here.”
“You’re lucky I don’t have my Winchester, Garrett Kincaid. I most certainly would shoot you!”
“With your aim I’d be safe. No, don’t you even think about kicking me again. I’ll tie up your legs. Then I’d have to cut off all your clothes to bathe you.”
“Bathe me! You’ll do no such thing!”
With a raised brow he said, “Then behave yourself.”
Before she could respond, there was a knock at the door.
“Who is it,” Garrett asked. His hand automatically on his gun.
“You ordered two baths?”
He opened the door and two young men entered, each carrying a hip tub with a rolled up rug inside on which they would set them. They both had the same mop of blond hair and similar roundish faces. The same blue eyes set in sun-reddened skin. One was taller and a bit heavier, his features more serious. Likely, they were brothers. One was about fifteen years old, the other, oh, thirteen or so.
“Hello, sir,” the older of the boys said to Garrett. They set down their tubs and shook hands with the marshal. “I’m James and this here is my little brother Willie.” While they were both sneaking peeks at Penny, the younger of the two had a much looser grasp on discretion.
“I’m Marshal Kincaid, and this is Miss Penelope Wills.”
“Is she really dangerous?” the younger one asked. His gape-eyed expression bore equal and copious amounts of fear and fascination.
His big brother leaned over to give his shoulder a shove and shouted a whisper to him to stop staring.
“Yes, son,” Garrett said to young Willie. “Don’t get too close to her, boys,” Garrett told them in all seriousness, resisting the urge to rub his sore shin.
“We never seen a lady outlaw before,” Willie said, his words full of awe.
“Oh, for goodness sakes,” Penny started. “I am not—”
“You can put one of those tubs right here,” Garrett said. Then he pointed to the other side of the bed. “And put the other over there.”
“We’ll be bringing up the hot water right away,” James told him.
“What did she do?” Willie whispered to Garrett. His big brother shot him a chiding look that Willie completely ignored.
Garrett said in a lowered tone, “I’m not at liberty to say, but I will tell you this, you don’t want to tangle with her, boys.” Then he shivered for effect.
“Oh, for goodness sakes,” Penny mumbled, crossing her arms and turning her head away.
The boys exchanged a nervous glance before putting the tubs where Garrett had indicated, Willie carrying his to the far side of the room where he had to pass by Penny. On his way back, she gave him a sweet smile. Panic overtook his fascination, and the boy simultaneously picked up his step while whipping his face away from her.
“Is there anything else you’d like us to get for you, sir?” James said.
Garrett looked around the room again. “I don’t see a privacy screen.”
“We’ll bring it up with your things,” James told him. “And we’ll take care of your horses, too.”
“Appreciate it.”
“I like your dog,” Willie said when Frank approached the boy and nudged his hand for a pat. The boy was happy to oblige. “If you like, I could walk him for you.”
“Thanks, that’d be nice.”
“And if you like,” said the older boy. “We could take your prisoner for a walk, too. If we each held a rope on opposite sides of her she wouldn’t be able to get to either one of us.”
“What! You most certainly will not walk me,” she declared.
Garrett nearly busted a gut holding back his laughter.
“And I’ll tell you something else,” Penny said, taking a crisp, angry step toward the boys.
The brothers jumped backward at the same time Garrett gave the rope a good yank. Penny lost her footing for a moment before her shoes found the floor again. With a grunt, her back slammed hard against his chest. She struggled to get away, but he held firm.
“See what I mean, boys,” Garrett told them as Penny fought to escape him. “Dangerous.”
“Come on, Willie,” James said, tugging on his brother’s sleeve. “Let’s go get their things.” The boys back-stepped out of the room, wide eyes stuck on Penny, and then turned to scamper down the hall as if they’d just faced the devil himself.
“You are not a gentleman,” Penny snarled over her shoulder after the boys had gone.
“Never claimed to be.” He gave her enough slack so she could step away from him, but he did not let go of the rope.
Beside herself with insult, Penny unleashed an angry tirade on him. “And you’re a liar, and a bully, and a cad, and, and a liar!”
“You already said liar.”
“It deserved repeating.” Garrett didn’t let her see him smile. He’d endured enough kicks for one day.
While waiting for their baths, Penny stomped from one end of the room to the other, as far from Garrett as her tether would allow. Twice she paused to glare at him and jerk at the rope. Though it was useless, it didn’t stop her from doing it a third time.
The boys brought up plenty of hot water and set the privacy screen beside the tub on the far side of the room. Both the door and the window were on his side. Garrett wasn’t worried about the window. Below it was only a narrow ledge, no trellis and the awning was several yards away to the right over the entrance to the hotel. If he wanted to get any sleep tonight, though, he’d have to do something about that door.
Even though the hip tub didn’t allow them to stretch out, it did not detract from the enjoyment of
a soak in clean, hot water. For a while, they were quiet, the only sound in the room was the gentle swirl and soft splash of bath water. Frank dozed in peace at the hearth.
The room dimmed, and Garrett looked toward the window to see the sun was nearing the end of its watch. The room had faded to burnished gold. Outside the air was chilled, but James had started a fine fire before leaving. Tonight they’d sleep in comfort and warmth.
Garrett turned toward the neatly made bed. He’d taken advantage of her once. He would not do it again, he vowed, no matter how much he wanted her. And he did want her. Penny was the most desirable woman he’d ever known, though it confounded him. She could be frustrating, and certainly infuriating. Garrett reminded himself she was also a proper lady, the day’s events aside, and deserved to be treated so.
Glancing at the rope he tossed on the floor, he figured he was off to a bad start in that department. He couldn’t leave her alone, for fear she’d run off and do something that could get her killed. Staying the night with her in this room, however, and not touching her, was going to be the most difficult thing he’d ever done in his life.
Penny deserved wooing, a proper proposal, and marriage to a stationary man. What could he offer her now? Marriage to a man who was never there? He traveled so much with his job he hardly saw his own family. If he took Penny to wife, he’d condemn her to a life of worry and loneliness.
Garrett turned his head toward the privacy screen. All he could see was a distorted image through the gauzy ripples of peach-colored fabric. Penny was there soaking in her tub, like a soft and flawless dream you can only almost touch.
Was she still mad? He wondered. Oh, yes. A grin touched his lips, but it was fleeting. Suddenly, he didn’t want her mad at him. He wanted to see her smile. She wouldn’t be smiling tomorrow, of course, when he had the sheriff keep her in a jail cell while he rode off after Zeke Cotter and Bentley Werner. She wouldn’t understand he was trying to protect her. Tonight, though, they could have peace. They both deserved it.
“I’m sorry,” Garrett said, breaking the silence.
Before responding, Penny turned to stare at the screen beside her tub. She sat still long enough for the last ripple of water to smooth. In all her life, she’d never been as angry with anybody as she was with Garrett Kincaid. She considered ignoring him, forever. The man was high-handed and unreasonable, and had the manners of an ornery goat.
“For?” He had a lot to be sorry for and Penny wanted it verbalized. The man was an absolute wretch, dragging her through the lobby of a fine hotel on a leash! He’d treated Frank with more respect. How she ever found that man attractive was beyond her.
“For the way things turned out,” he said.
“And?”
Garrett smiled as he inspected the spot where she’d kicked him. It was sore. He deserved it, though. His mother would have his hide if she knew how he’d treated a woman, especially one who wasn’t actually a criminal.
“And for making you walk into the hotel at the end of a rope,” he said.
“And?”
Garrett chuckled in a quiet breath that skimmed across the water. “And for telling everyone you were a dangerous outlaw.”
Penny ran a drenched cloth down her throat, and then, taking her time, down both of her arms. The hot water had done much to calm her. The fact he was acknowledging his wrongdoing was also having a soothing effect. Penny had to remind herself that, at least in his mind, he was trying to keep her safe. She had caused him some worry in a dramatic fashion that probably would have had her own father seeking outrageous methods to see to her safety. Her fantasy of seeing Garrett thoroughly flogged now seemed a bit harsh.
Finally, she said, “I accept your apology.”
“And?” Garrett said, unable to resist. He was staring at the screen. He could only see her rippled shadow, growing murkier with the setting sun, but there was still light enough so he could see the slow revolution as she turned her head toward him. In his mind, Penny’s cross expression was clear enough. Before she even spoke, he was smiling again.
“And what?” she asked, her tone indicating it better be good.
“And aren’t you going to apologize for kicking me?”
“For…”
“Actually, you kicked me twice, but in the spirit of peace-seeking, one apology will suffice.”
Water splashed from behind the screen. Her shadow twitched. She mumbled something in a harsh whisper he couldn’t make out, but sounded to him like a sting of unladylike curses. He chuckled again, quietly, of course.
“Fine, I’m sorry I kicked you.”
She didn’t sound all that sorry, but the moment was all about forgiveness so he accepted her apology. Besides, while he enjoyed the banter, he needed to turn it serious. He didn’t want Penny to worry about him taking advantage of the situation.
“I want to apologize for something else, too,” Garrett said in all sincerity. “It’s about what happened between us, last night.”
It was the first time either of them had mentioned what they’d done beneath her blankets. She was hoping he’d just forget about it. Her shameless reaction to his touch and her declaration of love had left her entirely humiliated. He must think her a woman of no morals whatsoever. She’d be even more embarrassed if Garrett knew, even as angry as she’d been with him this day, how much she wanted to feel his touch once again.
“I acted in a wholly inappropriate manner,” Garrett said. “And I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
He was apologizing? Those intimate moments he shared with her were about the only thing he’d done for which she felt he did not owe an apology. It was the one circumstance where he’d been kind and gentle. Garrett had given her pleasures she never knew existed. She couldn’t admit she liked it, though, could she? Penny gnawed on her lower lip while trying to decide what she should say.
She was saying nothing, and her silence was making Garrett nervous. Maybe her anger was covering something else. The thought of her fearing him made him sick. But maybe she did, after what he’d done last night, after what Bentley almost did to her today.
“I won’t touch you again, Penny. You have my word. You don’t have to be afraid of me.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” she answered right away. She wanted to say more. She wanted to tell Garrett that his touch didn’t frighten her, but made her feel more alive than she ever had in her life. But how to phrase it, and should she? Certainly, a lady didn’t speak of such things. Penny’s chin dipped and she stared at her hair floating in the water.
“Good. I’m glad to hear that.” Garrett leaned back, thinking the matter settled, until another disturbing thought occurred to him. He sat up again and turned toward the screen. “Penny, I hope you’re not feeling…you didn’t do anything wrong. It was all me.”
Penny used her finger to spin circles in her bath water, grateful for the screen between them. She could never discuss this with him if they were face to face. “After the way I behaved…”
“You behaved like a woman,” he said, sitting up straighter before leaning over the tub. You’ve nothing to be ashamed of, Penny, nothing at all.”
He was defending her. While that pleased her immensely, she was intrigued with the information he was willing to impart. She wanted to know more. Her curiosity was piqued, and the screen between them emboldened her.
“That…that was normal?” Penny asked.
Leaning back, Garrett kept his eyes on the murky shadow behind the screen. It occurred to him that since her mother died when she was quite young, and she didn’t have any other female relatives, no one had ever explained things to her. His actions certainly didn’t help matters any. Last night, he’d probably left her confused by her own feelings.
Garrett sighed and ran a wet hand down his face, barely noticing the smoothness of his fresh shave. It wasn’t his place to have this talk with her, but since he’d been the one to introduce her to that world, it was now his obligation.
“That’s
part of what happens between a man and a woman,” he told her. “Yes, it’s perfectly normal.”
“So…you don’t think poorly of me?”
There was a thread of concern in her voice and it shamed him. Turning his body toward the screen fast enough to slosh water over the edge of the tub, he said, “Is that what you think? No, I don’t think poorly of you, not at all. Seeing you like that, well.” He sat back again, his body remembering the need she stirred as much as his mind. Just thinking about it roused him again. “Penny, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever known.”
Garrett turned his head to stare at the screen, wishing badly he could see her face, to hold her and reassure her. He wanted something else, too. In this odd moment of simultaneous privacy and intimacy, he was able to admit he wanted to hear her say she loved him again. He wanted to hear it not in the throes of passion, not in her confusion of feelings, and not just once more. He wanted to hear it every day for the rest of his life. The realization jarred him, and it drew from him a yearning that pressed through every pore, nearly hauling him from the tub in a powerful desire to get to her.
But no, it couldn’t be. Garrett turned away from the screen, away from the only woman who had ever gotten under his skin. His initial reasonings had been right. He could not sentence her to a life she would have to live virtually alone, watching out the window, wondering every day when her husband would return to spend but a few days with her before leaving again to chase outlaws, wondering if this time he would come back at all. He could give her children, sure, but she’d be there to raise them by herself most of the time. Penny deserved better.
Garrett closed his eyes against a pain more searing than the graze of a bullet, sharper than the finely honed blade of a knife.
Penny’s fingers grasped the edge of the tub. “Garrett…about what I said to you last night.”
He shifted in a slow turn to gaze at her silhouette, gripping the rim of his tub, dreading the words, and yet willing them to come. If she said them, he would say it back this time because he did love her. He wanted her love, her body, the rest of her life, all for himself, wanted to haul her in front of a preacher this very minute and claim her all right and legal for the whole world to know. But if he gave up his career, what would he do?
