Colin decided he’d buy the best feather mattress known to man and build a house large enough he’d never hear anyone snore again.
And maybe he’d give that whore a taste of his fists for making him go through this hell just to claim what was his by rights.
* * * *
“That was wonderful.” Amanda couldn’t recall the last time she’d eaten so much at a single meal. The food in this restaurant had been delicious, but likely her recent physical activities could account for her having such a huge appetite.
She’d had a brief nap after the bath and love making earlier and had awakened famished. Night had fallen, although she couldn’t see that many stars. She wondered if the sky had clouded or not.
“Rain coming,” Adam said.
She could smell it in the air as well. “Good thing, then, that we’ll have a roof over our heads tonight,” Amanda said. She fought her grin as she slid a look first to Adam and then to Warren.
“Yep. Good thing.” Warren’s agreement sounded suspiciously restrained, as if he was fighting laughter.
“I’ve been thinking.” They’d just passed a store that advertised work clothes for men, and Amanda stopped walking to look in the window.
“You do that a lot, and I, for one, highly approve,” Adam said.
“Yes, thank God you’re not an empty-headed debutante,” Warren agreed.
“Thank you, I think,” Amanda said. Since she’d taken up with these two lawmen, she was doing a lot of smiling. “Anyway, I was thinking that if I had a pair of trousers to wear, riding my horse would be easier.”
When neither man said anything, she turned to face them. She thought she might have shocked them, but that’s not what she saw on their faces.
“How far would we get, looking at your sweet ass in tight trousers, before we had to have you? We might never get where we’re going.”
Adam had spoken quietly, his words meant only for her and Warren.
“I trust your ability to focus on the task at hand, Captain.”
Adam winced, and Amanda immediately regretted the reference to his position with the Texas Rangers. She had an inkling that being a lawman, specifically a Ranger, meant a great deal to him. He was the kind of man who would devote himself to his duty as much as he devoted himself to those he cared about.
She recalled his announcement at the dinner table last week at the Benedicts. He may have tendered his resignation, but that action had wounded him.
Warren stepped into the conversational void. “I think trousers would be a good idea. You can get into mine tonight so we have an idea of the size, and we’ll get you a pair tomorrow morning when we get supplies.” Warren gave her a leering smile, and she giggled.
Amanda turned to continue walking to the hotel and nearly bumped right into another woman.
“Oh, excuse me!” Amanda said.
“Not at all—Amanda? Amanda Dupree? My God, it is you!”
Amanda looked closely at the woman she’d nearly bowled over. Her blond hair was piled up on top of her head, curls handing down. The dress she wore, as much as her lack of a hat and somewhat bold demeanor, gave Amanda an idea of what the woman did for a living. Then her memory supplied her with a name.
“Janine! Mother said you’d come West.” What her mother had told her was the young woman had married one of the homesteaders who’d visited the brothel in Richmond and left with him, determined to have a better life.
Janine shrugged. “Cletus up and died on me, can you imagine? Not ten miles outside of Denison. “
“I’m so sorry!”
“Yeah, me, too. He was old, but he treated me fine.” Janine shrugged her shoulders. “Sometimes, you just gotta live what you’re given, you know? My mamma used to say it was a sin to try and rise above your station. Turns out Mamma was right.”
Amanda hadn’t known Janine well when she lived in Richmond. She really didn’t know anyone well except for her mother and Millie, their housekeeper.
A part of Amanda wanted to shake Janine and tell her there was nothing wrong with “rising above your station”. That was what this country had been founded on. The only thing that held Amanda back from doing that was the certain knowledge her insights and instructions wouldn’t be welcome.
People would believe and live as they chose. Still, she couldn’t help but feel pity for the girl.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out for you, Janine.”
“What about you? Did you just arrive in town? I could bring you over and introduce you to Cora. She’s always looking for new girls, although I am surprised. I was sure I heard you didn’t…”
As if just now realizing Amanda wasn’t alone, Janine closed her mouth. She looked first at Adam, then Warren. As Amanda watched, Janine gave her shoulders a shake, smoothed down her dress, and took a half a step forward. “Why, hello there. I didn’t notice you fine gentlemen. I was so surprised and delighted to see my good friend, Amanda.”
Warren moved subtly closer to Amanda while Adam nodded politely.
For some reason, Amanda wasn’t feeling sorry for Janine any longer.
“No, thank you, Janine. We’re only here for a layover. We’ll be leaving town tomorrow.”
“You heading back home, then?”
“No, actually. We’re going to Indian Territory.”
“On purpose?”
“Amanda consented to accompany us on a brief sojourn,” Warren said. He placed his hand against her back, and smiled down at her.
“Yes, and as we have an early start, we need to get back to the hotel. It was good to see you, Janine. Take care of yourself.”
Janine took a step back and dropped her business smile.
“Please give your mother, and Millie, my regards,” the young woman said.
Amanda didn’t take offence at the speed with which Janine left them. The sun had gone down, and she likely had to get to work.
“Pretty little thing,” Warren said when they resumed walking toward the hotel. “I feel sorry for her.”
Now that Janine was on her way back to work, Amanda supposed she could return to feeling sorry for her, too.
“So do I. But you know, what she’s doing now really is her choice.”
“Isn’t that a little hard?” Adam asked.
“No. I’m not judging her for the way she’s living her life,” Amanda said.
“Only for acting as if she’s powerless?” Adam asked.
“Yes. Because I believe a body—man or woman—is only powerless if that is what they choose to be.”
Amanda noticed Warren and Adam exchanging a glance.
“Like I said, you think a lot, and I highly approve.” Adam brushed his hand down her back, the touch feeling like affection and comfort all in one.
“Now I’ll say thank you and mean it.”
“Good. Because the fact that you have a good brain and aren’t afraid to use it is one of the things I love about you.”
Adam had said the words so casually, Amanda nearly missed them. Then she nearly missed the step up into the Katy Hotel.
“What did you say?” She turned so she could see Adam’s face. His bland expression was betrayed by the way his lips twitched as he fought his grin.
“He said he loves you. So do I.” Warren’s pronouncement was less casual, but had the same effect on her. Her stomach felt as if a thousand butterflies were fluttering around inside it.
“I think we should go to our room now,” Amanda said.
She felt herself shaking inside as she followed Adam up the stairs to the second floor. It felt an like eternity, waiting for him to unlock the door. Finally it opened, and he stood back, allowed her to enter first. She came to a stop midway to the bed.
Amanda didn’t want to turn around to face them just yet. She felt the dampness of tears but didn’t care.
“I was raised to take care of myself, and as I understood why, as I came to know how society looked on me, I embraced the concept of self-sufficiency. I never thought
to ever hear those words from any man.”
“Mandy? Turn around and face us, please.” Warren said.
“Oh, damn.” She did, her hand furiously wiping away the moisture that had leaked out of her eyes.
They came to her then. Warren took her hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it. Adam reached into his pocket and produced a pristine handkerchief and mopped up her tears.
“I love you. I’ve only ever said that to one other person, and he’s standing right here beside us,” Adam said.
“You’re the final piece of us,” Warren said softly. “I love you.”
“God help me, I love you both, too. And I have no idea where this is going to take us or what I’m going to do about you.”
“Well,” Adam smiled, tucked away his hankie and reached for the buttons of Amanda’s jacket, “why don’t we let it take us to bed for now? I’m pretty sure that, once there, you’ll figure out what you can do about us. We’ll figure the rest of it out later.”
Amanda stayed his hand, but only so she could stretch up and lean closer and brush his lips with hers. She did the same to Warren, then stepped back and began to undress herself.
She’d said nothing but the truth. She had no idea what the future held, but for now she loved these two men, and she wanted nothing more at that moment than to show them just how much.
Chapter 13
Adam hadn’t meant to ride so far ahead. He’d been focused on his surroundings, the warning Sheriff Hall had given him yesterday never far from his thoughts.
Soon, he knew, the land would gently slope upwards. There were more rivers, streams, and lakes from here to Tahlequah than there had been from Waco to Denison. Water, at least, wouldn’t be a problem.
He’d ventured into Indian Territory several times in the past few years, always without incident. The papers and dime novels from back East liked to play up the tensions between the whites and the Indians. Their covers always depicted bloody battles of one sort or another. He supposed the novel writers were entitled to sell their stories.
Truth was most of the Indians he’d met were peaceful people just wanting to make a life, raise their children, and give those children a heritage of which they could be proud. There were good and bad in every race, no matter the color of a man’s skin. If Adam had learned anything in his life it was that the human soul held a great capacity for both good and evil.
Adam had been aware of the increasing tensions between the Five Civilized Tribes and the ever-growing number of settlers hungry for western land—Indian land. He wished he could believe things would calm down, that the American government, on whose authority these people had been forced from their homes in Georgia and North Carolina in the first place, would step in and be firm with the trespassers and squatters.
Unfortunately, he very much feared that wouldn’t be the case.
“Something wrong?” Warren was always so aware of his moods. He knew better than to lie to the man or try to hide his concerns. Once in a while, he might get away with it, but mostly not.
“Just keeping an eye out. Didn’t mean to get so far ahead of you.”
“Do you expect trouble?” Warren immediately began to scan the area.
“Expect it? No. Watching out for it? Always.” He took the opportunity to take another good look at Amanda. That morning before leaving Denison, Warren had gone into the dry goods store and purchased a pair of trousers and a shirt for their woman. He’d come out, teasing her because he’d had to buy “boys” sizes.
Once they were out of sight of town, Amanda had changed into her new clothes. When he and Warren got their first look at her, all thoughts of teasing fled. She sure as hell didn’t look like any boy they’d ever seen.
In fact, she looked so damn appealing he wanted to strip her bare and simply have her right then and there.
“Never happen,” he said now as both Warren and Amanda pulled their horses even with his.
“What will never happen?” Amanda adjusted her hat so she could meet his gaze. Even though he’d been thinking lascivious thoughts, he didn’t think they’d show on his face, but apparently he was wrong.
He thought it amazing that she could blush after everything they’d done together. Amanda might have possessed more knowledge about the various sexual practices people indulged in, but she had been more virginal in her thoughts and attitudes than he’d bet she’d even known.
“Women wearing men’s clothing. It will never happen en masse, because no man would be able to focus on anything except the enticing curves of sweet female asses around him, and no female would escape without being thoroughly ravished.”
Amanda’s blush deepened even as her eyes shot him a coy look. “I beg to differ. I’ve been wearing men’s clothing for a couple of hours now, and so far there’s been not a single ravishment experienced.”
“Why, Miss Dupree, I do believe that was an invitation.” Warren’s grin spread wide with that announcement.
“No, Lawyer Jessop. That was merely an observation.” Amanda’s smile teased, and Adam couldn’t hold back his chuckle.
“You’ll be ravished tonight.” Adam wished he could say that without his cock standing at attention. “Meanwhile, how’s the riding been, wearing trousers?”
“A lot more comfortable. I feel as if I have better control of the horse, too. Although it could just be this horse. I think he likes me.”
“Not surprising.” Adam had rented them fresh mounts in Denison, boarding their own horses for when they returned. Amanda rode a stallion. He’d been concerned at first because stallions could be rambunctious as hell. She’d fallen in love with this particular stallion at first sight, and she seemed able to handle the horse.
“We’re in Indian Territory, aren’t we? That’s why you’re being extra vigilant.”
Adam raised one eyebrow.“Yes. We’ve been in Indian Territory for about an hour. When we take our next rest, I want to show you how to fire that rifle you’ve got strapped to your saddle.” He’d hoped to escape doing that. There was no reason for Amanda to have to worry about firing her rifle with him and Warren there to protect her.
In light of the situation, he’d reconsidered.
“I know how to fire it,” Amanda said to him. “My mother—”
“Saw to it you had lessons?” Warren finished for her.
Her smile was just one of the gorgeous things about her. She nodded. Her horse began to fidget, but she controlled him smoothly.
“You have to remember, my mother realized I would likely have to rely on myself for most of my life. In the eyes of Richmond society, I’m not marriageable. So she saw to it not only that I received as good an education as was available in the classical sense, but that I could do a lot of things most women never consider learning.”
“I think I want very much to meet your mother,” Adam said. “She sounds like an amazing woman.”
“She is,” Amanda agreed. The soft look she gave him warmed his heart.
“We’ve got a few hours of daylight yet. I’d like us to get as far as we can today.”
Adam clicked to his horse, this time riding with the others. Warren aligned himself on the other side of Amanda, so they flanked her. Adam nodded to him, and their brief exchange of glances told him he wasn’t alone in his desire to be vigilant.
If both he and Warren thought there might be trouble, he wouldn’t bet against it.
* * * *
They arrived in Denison only hours too late.
Colin checked into the Katy Hotel, making small talk with the loquacious desk clerk. He’d only found out, he’d told the man affably, that he might run into his cousin here in town, as he’d received a missive from his mother informing him of the coincidence.
“Now that is a dang shame, Mr. Baker. Your cousin and her husband left Denison just this morning.”
“Well, hell. I’d been looking forward to a family reunion. Unless…listen, Mother didn’t seem to know where Cousin Amanda would be headed next. Did she
happen to mention where they were going?”
“You know, I don’t have a clue. But I tell you, they rented themselves some fresh horses over at the livery, so they’re fixing to come back this way. If you’ve got time to spare, you might wait around, see them on their return.”
Colin took the key to his room. “I wish I could. Oh well, some things I guess are just not meant to be.”
Neither Bodine nor either of his men chose to check in to the hotel. They’d headed right over to the nearest saloon and planned on going from there to one of the brothels. Personally, Colin was glad to be out of their presence for a while. Their coarseness and their stench irritated him beyond measure. They’d had a great good time giving him a hard time on the trail.
Colin had hoped that whore would still be in town. In fact, he’d counted on it. He’d figured that if he’d been crafty, he might have been able to steal the journal right out from under her.
Now he knew he’d have to hunt up the bastard Bodine and urge him to leave his drinking and his whoring so they could catch up to their quarry. It was early afternoon. No reason to waste daylight. But first he’d bathe and eat a decent meal.
Guests of the Katy hotel could have baths delivered to their rooms. But there was also a bathhouse right next door, a facility that only men patronized.
Clean and dressed in fresh clothing, Colin felt good for the first time since leaving Waco. Stepping out onto Main Street, he could smell the aroma of cooking beef and let his nose lead him to a restaurant just down from his hotel.
The menu featured not only roast beef but Boston brown bread. It took willpower not to order everything on the menu. If he closed his eyes, he could still feel that damned snake in his mouth.
He left the restaurant with a very contented belly and headed over to the livery. Although the stables were officially closed for business for the day, he found a young man on the premises. The young lad was quick to assure Colin his horse had been fed and was enjoying his rest.
“I had no doubts,” Colin said. He gave the kid a dollar, making his eyes pop wide.
Covington, Cara - Love Under Two Lawmen [The Lost Collection] (Siren Menage Everlasting) Page 11
