The Bride's Prerogative

by Davis, Susan Page

  “Maybe. It takes a lot of practice. A six takes even more.”

  “Well, then, can I learn to drive one horse at a time?”

  Griffin laughed. “I’m sure you can. And when you’re comfortable with that, we’ll go to two. I don’t s’pose you’d care to learn to make horseshoes?”

  Justin winced. “If I have to.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  They walked out onto the sidewalk as the coach came up the street with Bill Stout on the box.

  Trudy and Vashti waited in the barn at the livery after the coach headed out with its new team and crew. Hiram and Arthur leaned on stall dividers and told Ethan about their journey. After a while, Griffin and his nephew came into the barn. Marty, who’d been sitting on a stack of hay bales listening to Arthur’s tale, jumped up, grabbed a dung fork, and disappeared into the nearest stall.

  “Folks, I sure do appreciate your help.” Griffin pulled his wad of bills out of his pocket. He looked at Vashti first. “I’ll settle with you on Friday. You need any cash right now?”

  “Nope, I’m fine until my usual payday. Thanks.”

  He counted out five dollars and handed it to Trudy. “Thanks a lot.”

  “It was fun. First time I’ve been out and about for a long time, and I enjoyed having some time with another woman.”

  He turned and gave five dollars each to Hiram and Arthur. “Much obliged,” Arthur said.

  “Did they take care of you at the home station?” Griffin asked as he handed over Hiram’s pay.

  “Very well. Of course, Trudy went to Boise with Vashti.”

  “Boise?” He swung around and stared at Vashti. “You drove to Boise?”

  She nodded. “Buck Eastman broke his leg. Mr. Gayle told me I had to keep going, but I didn’t mind. It didn’t put me off schedule. And he said I’d get double pay.” She looked at him hopefully.

  “Yes, all right, but why didn’t you wire me?”

  Vashti shrugged, wondering if she’d done wrong. “I thought Mr. Gayle had. And I didn’t think you’d want me to spend money like that, anyway.”

  Griffin sighed. “Guess I’d better ride to Nampa tomorrow. I’ll need to hire more drivers and guards for sure now.” He looked over at Hiram and Arthur. “You boys want extra work?”

  Arthur said, “I’ll have to talk to Starr. Things are getting pretty busy on the ranch, but we are a little short on cash.”

  “I didn’t mind doing it,” Hiram said, “but Art’s right. We’ve got spring roundup and fences to fix and all kinds of chores to see to. But if you’re in a bind …”

  “I’ll find somebody.”

  Trudy stepped toward him. “Griffin, I think I know a way you could have plenty of guards without spending too much money.”

  “How’s that?”

  “Let the members of the Ladies’ Shooting Club ride free on the stagecoaches. Some of the ladies would love a chance for a free trip to Nampa or Boise to shop, and they’d surely be willing to take their weapons along and watch out for trouble.”

  “I don’t know. Putting ladies at risk like that.”

  Art laughed. “If ever there were women who could take care of themselves, it’s our shooting club ladies.”

  “That’s right,” Trudy said. “Give them a free seat, and I’ll bet they’d be happy to buy their own meals and lodging. Some of these women haven’t been out of Fergus for upwards of five years.”

  Griffin scratched his chin through his beard. “I’ll take that under consideration.”

  “Good. Now, I’m heading home with my husband.”

  “Finally.” Ethan straightened and walked over to her. “Where’s Crinkles?”

  “I left him out in the corral yesterday.”

  Ethan walked to the back door. “I’ll go get him and Scout.”

  Justin dashed after him. “I’ll help you, Sheriff.”

  Trudy turned to Vashti and hugged her. “Again, thank you for showing me a good time in the city.”

  Vashti laughed. “Maybe we’ll get to do it again.”

  Griffin scratched his head. “Do you think that if two or three ladies rode along, they’d pay attention to the road, or would they just …”

  “Just what?” Trudy glared at him.

  “Yeah,” Vashti said. “Are you insinuating that our women would get caught up in conversation instead of keeping watch?”

  “No. I, uh …”

  Trudy fairly bristled. “Griffin Bane, our women are not only the best shots in town; they also take their duty seriously.”

  Ethan stepped into the doorway at the rear of the barn, frowning. “Trudy? I can’t find Crinkles out there.”

  “What?” Trudy ran past him toward the corral. A moment later she came back. “Griffin, my horse is gone.”

  CHAPTER 25

  Griffin frowned and pushed his hat back. “I saw that palomino gelding out there an hour ago.” His mouth twitched. “Marty! Oh, Marty!”

  “Yeah, boss?” Marty leaned around the stall divider and peered at him.

  “Where is Mrs. Chapman’s horse?”

  “Uh …”

  Griffin stomped over and stood before him, glaring down from his superior height. “Where is the palomino?”

  “A miner came in from the Nugget, wanting a horse to take him up to De Lamar. I told him to pick one out of the corral.”

  Griffin stared down at him for a long, smoldering moment. “Who saddled the horse?”

  “I … uh … I guess he did.”

  “Did he pay for it?”

  “Uh—yeah.” Marty shoved his hand in his pants pocket and pulled out two bits.

  “That’s not the overnight rate.”

  Marty gulped and went prospecting for another quarter. When he finally plopped it in Griffin’s hand with a grimace, Griffin said in a tight, quiet tone, “Thank you. Come by my office tomorrow and get your wages. You’re done here.”

  Marty’s head jerked up. “What? Come on, Griff, you can’t fire me.”

  “Who says I can’t? You rented out a horse that wasn’t ours, and you would have kept the money if I hadn’t found out. Get your stuff out of the loft and hit the road.”

  “Griff, you can’t—”

  Griffin turned his back and walked out the front door of the barn.

  Vashti tugged at Trudy’s sleeve. “Maybe now is a good time for us to leave.”

  “Come on, darlin’,” Ethan said. “You can ride double with me to the ranch.”

  Justin came in the back door. “Mrs. Chapman, the sheriff’s right. Your horse is gone.”

  Trudy smiled at him. “I know, Justin. We just found out Marty rented him out.”

  Hiram said, “I reckon I can ride up to De Lamar and get your horse, Trudy.”

  “You’re tired,” she said. “Just go catch the stagecoach and ask Bill to tell that man to bring Crinkles back tomorrow.”

  “I’ll go with you, Mr. Dooley,” Justin said. He shot a glance at Griffin. “If my uncle says I can.”

  Marty moved out of the shadows and slunk toward the door.

  “Hey, Marty,” Arthur called. “Whyn’t you get on Hiram’s horse and I’ll get on mine, and we’ll go catch the stagecoach? You can ride the stage to De Lamar and bring Trudy’s horse back, and I’ll lead Hiram’s paint back after you’re on the stage.”

  “Oh, I don’t think …”

  Arthur, Hiram, and Ethan silently moved into position around him. “I think that’s a fine idea,” Ethan said. “Because if you don’t go, I might have to arrest you for horse thieving.”

  “What? No!”

  Ethan nodded at Arthur. “Get going, boys. And that palomino better be back in my pasture by noon tomorrow, Marty.”

  Arthur shoved Marty toward the front of the barn, where his pinto and Hiram’s horse were tied. Justin kicked at a hay bale.

  “What’s the matter, Justin?” Vashti asked.

  “I wanted to go.”

  Ethan laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’ve got a feeling
your uncle’s going to need you. He just fired his only full-time employee here at the livery. It’s a big job. Now, if you were to show that you could handle it—and I don’t doubt you could, maybe better than Marty—why, there’s no telling what kind of arrangement you could come to.”

  “You mean, he’d hire me regular?”

  “He might. I can’t speak for Griffin, but he’s a fair man. You’ve got to start thinking like a businessman, though.”

  Justin’s eyes gleamed. “Well, I think a good businessman would want to make his customer happy.” He walked over to Trudy. “Mrs. Chapman, there’s an old mare yonder that my uncle lets me ride whenever I want. Would you like to borrow her at no charge to get you home, and return her to us when it suits you?”

  Trudy smiled. “That’s a very nice offer, Justin. Thank you. I’ll do that.”

  Ethan sighed. “Finally. Let’s go home.”

  Vashti opened the door to her bedroom and leaned against the jamb. The big tin tub sat in the middle of the floor, full of steaming water. Bitsy must have had the water heating and watched for the stage to pull in.

  She placed her package containing the wedding platter on her bed, then walked over and stuck her hand in the water. Not too cool, though she’d lingered at the livery. She closed the door and scrambled out of her masculine clothing. On the chair near the tub was a clean towel, a dish holding a bar of soap, and a small bottle. She picked up the bottle. Bath salts. Bitsy’s way of reminding her she could feel feminine, even though she’d played the role of a man for two days. She shook a little into the bath and stirred it with her hand.

  As she sank down into the warm, fragrant water, she closed her eyes. Rich women probably bathed every day, but this was a luxury in Fergus, where every drop of water had to be hauled from a well or the river.

  Thank You, Lord, for blessing me with friends like Bitsy and Trudy.

  She smiled as she remembered Trudy’s delight at seeing a town bigger than Fergus for the first time in years. Their unintended time together in Boise had strengthened their friendship. Vashti was certain now that Trudy accepted her as an equal. The trip would have been completely uplifting if not for the man from the saloon.

  She slid a little lower in the tub, until the water came up to her chin. He’d looked like Luke, but older. That was what really scared her. If he’d looked the same age as the man who’d sold her years ago, she would have known at once that it couldn’t really be him.

  Tears coursed down her face, and she splashed them away. Why did she have to get so mixed up when she thought about Luke? She’d loved him, hadn’t she? Or was that really love? She’d trusted him, certainly, and depended on him, to her regret. The man who’d seemed her angel turned out to be the one who sold her into vile slavery. Yet during their time together, he’d treated her well. Mostly. And he’d said many times that he loved her. Was it a lie?

  She took the washcloth and scrubbed her face and arms, determined not to let Luke into her mind again. She would think about the soggy ride to Nampa and Boise and Trudy’s invitation to visit her at the ranch this weekend. The way Trudy and her brother and Art Tinen had stepped up to help yesterday amazed Vashti. Of course, they were being paid. But they had done it for Griffin as friends, too, not just for the pay. And Trudy had gone on to Boise with her for adventure, yes, but also to keep her company and ease her mind.

  She hoped Griffin would seriously consider Trudy’s suggestion of filling his coaches with ladies from the shooting club. Those outlaws who’d stopped her and Ned wouldn’t have had a chance if Trudy, Libby, and Bitsy had been inside the stage. Those three women could have picked them all off. Ned, on the other hand, had let off several rounds and hit nothing.

  Luke’s face flashed across her mind again, unbidden. Would she see him again? Why would he come to Idaho? She knew he didn’t need a reason. While she was with him, they’d drifted around from town to town, wherever he saw a chance to get some money. Luke wasn’t above stealing, but he preferred gambling. So long as she stayed away from Boise and kept close to her lodgings when she was on the road, she ought to be fine. Provided Luke didn’t decide to hop a stagecoach to Silver City. That was entirely possible if more of the mines opened up again. Where there was gold dust, the saloons multiplied, and that brought more gamblers.

  She certainly didn’t want to see Luke again. She’d look twice at only one man if he came around to call, and he wasn’t Luke Hatley.

  What was she thinking? She stood in the tub of water and reached for her towel, telling herself sternly, “It wasn’t even him.”

  When Vashti went downstairs, refreshed and dressed in her old red taffeta gown, several guests were already eating in the dining room. Vashti scooted to the kitchen and donned an overall apron that hid the neckline she now found embarrassing.

  “Sorry I’m so late coming down. That warm water was just too heavenly. I wanted to stay there all night.”

  Bitsy laughed as she picked up two platefuls of the evening special—meat loaf with mashed potatoes and gravy. “You’d have frozen if you stayed there much longer.”

  “Yes, it was quite cool when I finally got out.” Vashti smiled.

  “What shall I do first?”

  “Put on another pot of coffee, and then I’ll let you help me serve.” As she headed out the door, Bitsy called, “Augie, we might need more biscuits. Two more people just came in.”

  When Vashti entered the dining room a few minutes later, Hiram Dooley was holding the door for Libby Adams. She smiled at them and looked around for an empty table that would be out of the traffic, so they could talk quietly. The dining room was half full of patrons, a good turnout for Thursday supper.

  Bitsy hastened to the couple and led them over to a secluded corner. Perfect. Vashti poured two glasses of water. She recalled that Libby liked a glass of water with her meal.

  “Good evening, Mrs. Adams. Mr. Dooley.” Vashti set the water glasses before them.

  “Hello, Vashti.” Libby smiled up at her. “Hiram was just telling me about your uneventful trip to Nampa.”

  “Blessedly boring.” Vashti nodded toward the chalkboard that Augie had recently hung as a way to list the daily specials. “We’ve got meat loaf tonight or baked chicken. Oh, and fresh dandelion greens. Augie just told me Ruth Robinson picked a mess and brought them into town this morning. He bought all she had.”

  “By all means, I’ll have those,” Libby said. “I’ve been hankering for fresh greens.”

  “How about you, Mr. Dooley?”

  He gave her his shy smile. “You can call me Hiram. I’ll try some, with the meat loaf.”

  “Yes, meat loaf sounds good,” Libby said.

  “I brought your party in this afternoon.” Vashti watched Libby’s face.

  “Yes, and I appreciate it. They said that a cute boy drove them and they didn’t think he could be over sixteen.” Libby laughed. “We’re going ahead with the sale. The Hamiltons will take over the emporium a week from Monday. They’ll stay at the boardinghouse until I’ve moved out of my apartment.”

  Libby’s face was the picture of joy. Vashti felt a stab of envy. It must be wonderful to have the love of a good man. She might never find that. Even though she knew some decent men, they all knew her past—or thought they knew.

  She went to the kitchen, where Augie was putting a pan into the oven.

  “Big crowd tonight, my darlin’ tells me.”

  “She’s right,” Vashti said. “I’ve got two meat loaves for Mr. Dooley and Miz Adams. And they both want the dandelion greens.”

  “They make a right sweet couple.” Augie took a china plate from the stack and ladled a mound of mashed potatoes onto it. “Good thing I made plenty of gravy.”

  When she took their plates out on a tray, Hiram was holding Libby’s hand on the tablecloth. As Vashti approached, he let go and picked up his water glass. So cute. Vashti could see why Libby had fallen for the quiet man. He had a romantic spirit, that one.

  “Here yo
u go, folks. I hope you enjoy your meal.”

  Libby glanced at Hiram then smiled up at her. “Vashti, I’m bursting to tell someone my news. Mr. Dooley and I just set the date for our wedding.”

  “Well now.” Vashti stood there holding the tray and grinning. “I’m very happy for you. When is it?”

  “Two weeks. From Saturday, that is.” Libby laughed and reached out to Hiram. He grabbed her hand again, beaming but saying nothing.

  “Oh my,” Vashti said. “That sounds like an excuse for a new hat to me.”

  Libby’s laugh burbled out, and other diners turned to look. She covered her mouth with one hand and continued to chuckle.

  “May I tell Bitsy and Augie?”

  “You certainly may. Goldie, too, if you like. It’s no secret.”

  “Or anyway, it won’t be for long,” Hiram said with a wink.

  When Vashti reported to the livery on Monday morning, Griffin greeted her with an anxious nod.

  “You’ve got a shotgun messenger I pulled from the Mountain Home line, but I’m also letting Zach and Annie Harper and Opal Knoff go along, provided there are enough seats, as guests of the line. All heavily armed, and they’ve signed a paper saying they won’t sue us if they’re injured.”

  “Terrific. I’m a little surprised Annie’s going.”

  Griffin shrugged. “She wanted to real bad, but Zach said he wouldn’t let her go without him. Zach’s a fair shot, and he’s packing a hundred rounds for that shotgun of his.”

  “And Opal?”

  “Ted says if she’s not back serving drinks at the Nugget by sundown tomorrow, she’s fired.”

  “Oh, that’s accommodating of him.” Vashti made a face as if she’d bitten into a crabapple. “At least he gives her a day off now and then. I’ll make sure she’s back on time.”

  Griffin slapped her shoulder lightly. “That’s what I told Ted. And that he can’t stop his employees from doing what they want on their own time. Of course, Art Tinen’s different. Starr wanted to go, and he put his foot down. He said she’s not going out and mixing it up with outlaws when they’ve got a baby in the house.”

  “Can’t blame him there.” Vashti imagined that when it came down to it, Starr couldn’t leave the nursing infant overnight, anyway. “She’s probably just jealous that Art went last time and feeling a little deprived.”