His gaze never wavered, and when he spoke again, his tone was serious. "What if I told you I've changed my mind?"
"I wouldn't believe you." She stated the fact as clearly as it existed in her own mind.
He wasn't deterred. "You don't have to believe it, but I really have changed my mind. Before, I was sure women ought to keep to their cooking and cleaning and child-raising. Now, I see things differently."
She rolled her eyes. Was this just an attempt to get back in her good graces? "Oh, and just what caused you to have this miraculous epiphany, after a whole lifetime of wrongheaded thinking?"
Something in his gaze changed, and she saw a level of sincerity in his eyes she'd never seen before. "You were right about my mother. Maybe you're right about this as well. All I know is I don't want to fight you on this anymore."
She blinked, watching him intently.
"Listening to you describe the moments leading up to the buggy crash. When I heard you talk about those men, and what they shouted at you, I was taken back to the moment we found you and Myrna underneath that buggy..." his words trailed off, as if he were leaving something unsaid. His head drooped, and she sensed the sadness hanging over him.
She crooked her finger, placed it under his chin to prompt him to look at her.
When their eyes connected, he continued. "You were so still, and barely breathing. I realized that I could have lost you. You could have been taken from me, all because of this suffrage issue. After what I saw that day, I don't care to fight progress anymore. I'm not going to lose you, Angel May. Not now, and not ever."
His words, dripping with affection and sincerity, touched her very soul. The flaring anger she'd felt when he tossed her over his shoulder was doused, like a fire drowned out by a torrent of water. She let her fingertips graze over the hard line of his jaw. "Gregory."
His expression softened as she spoke his name, and he mimicked the touch, stroking a finger along her jaw. "Forgive me, Angel May. I love you."
Hearing the sweet endearment from his mouth made her heart soar. "Truly?"
"Madly."
She felt the smile spread across her face, and across her very being. "That's a relief, because I love you, too."
He said nothing more, and leaned in.
His lips crushed against hers, and the world fell away as she reacquainted herself with the feel and taste of him. His mouth was as warm and inviting as she remembered, and the faintest notes of coffee hung on his tongue as it stroked and danced against hers. Her arms wound around his neck as he wrapped his around her waist, pulling their bodies as close together as their positioning would allow. Without breaking the kiss, she parted her legs and slid her hips to the very edge of the table, allowing their bodies to come in even closer contact.
He groaned against her mouth as the hard evidence of his desire pressed against her lower belly.
The sound of someone giggling invaded her mind, and she reluctantly broke the seal of their lips to turn toward the sound.
There, a few feet from the shelter, stood a grinning Lupe. "Carry on. I'll go and tell the girls that you and the deputy are back on good terms." She winked before turning and heading back down the walk toward the hotel.
Heat rushed to Angel's face, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Wonderful. Before we get make it back to the hotel, folks will be setting a wedding date for us."
He responded with a broad smile. "You're probably right, so why don't we set one for ourselves?"
She hugged him then, rested her head on his strong shoulder, unable to wipe the giddy smile from her face. "That's the best offer I've had all day."
* * *
Chapter 15
Gregory reluctantly released his hold on Angel's hand as they stepped inside the confines of the Taylor Hotel. Their entrance drew a wave of applause from the women still seated on the floor along the wall, and a few hoots from the men who'd come to cast their ballots. He smiled, enjoying the way Angel's face flushed with redness at the attention. He returned to his post, watching as she returned to her seat among her cohorts.
Thad eased over, wearing a broad grin. "Looks like the two of you are on pretty good terms, eh?"
Gregory leaned his back against the wall. "I'm sure Lupe told you as much. What about you and our schoolmarm?"
Thad's eyes grew as big as two full moons for a moment, then he coughed. "What are you talking about?"
He gave the young officer a playful slap on the back. "You've been staring at her all day, Thad. I'm sure other folks have noticed it, too."
Thad cleared his throat, his gaze trained on Miss Smart. "I…uh...I'm going back to my post."
He watched with knowing eyes as Thad retreated across the room to his appointed post. He chuckled to himself, knowing how useless it was to try and fight an attraction to a woman, but decided to let young Thaddeus Stern learn that lesson in his own time.
The lunch hour passed, and Gregory checked his pocket watch. His rumbling stomach demanded food, and luckily, Mrs. Taylor came around again, this time bearing ham sandwiches, Saratoga chips, and lemonade for he and Thad. The women, resourceful as always, had brought in their own lunches, and were now eating and chatting.
As he sat down in one of the vacant chairs to eat, he kept a watchful eye on Angel. She was engrossed in conversation with Lupe and Janice Smart, who were sitting on either side of her. Every now and then, though, she'd cast a glance in his direction, fluttering those lush, dark lashes whenever their gazes met. He took a long swig of lemonade, both to wash down his food, and to cool the rising heat of desire he felt for his sweet Angel. He couldn't wait for the day to end, so he could secret her away to some quiet place and show her just how much he'd come to love her.
Once their meals were eaten and cleared away, he and Thad returned to their posts to watch over the last few hours of voting. Town law dictated that all men of town be allowed a half day off on Election Day, either in the morning or afternoon, as dictated by the employer. The polls would close promptly at three pm., so that votes could be tallied and a result announced by seven. At a little after one, Noah came in with his wife, Valerie on his arm. The two of them greeted the women, as well as the other voters assembled there, with warm greetings and smiles. Then, without much fanfare, Noah cast his vote, and he and his wife departed. Gregory tipped his hat to his friend and boss, and wished him luck as he and Mrs. Rogers slipped out.
As the two o'clock hour drew near, the doors of the hotel swung open, and Nathan Greer and his contingent sauntered in. Nathan, dressed in a fancy but ill-fitting suit, marched over to the table to check in, without so much as a glance in the direction of the women. As he passed Gregory, he gave him a crooked, insincere smile. Gregory merely nodded to him, and the two other men who followed behind him as if they were being led about on invisible leashes. He would have been content to ignore Nathan and his lackeys; however, his lawman's instinct told him to be wary.
Keeping his demeanor calm and his face impassive, he watched the two men, discreetly sizing them up. Both were dressed in all black, a stark contrast to Nathan Greer's too tight, too bright suit in a gaudy shade of green. Though they'd shown up with Greer at the polls, neither of them registered with the councilmen; it seemed they hadn't come to vote, but were merely accompanying Greer. He also noticed both men were wearing their hat brims so low, and their collars so high, that it was hard to see their faces. One wore a red kerchief around his neck, pulled up over his chin. If he were a man to bet, he'd put his money on the two of them being trouble. In his experience, no blameless man went through so much trouble to conceal his identity.
He swung his gaze to Thad, and gave a small jerk of his head to signal him. Thad touched his hat brim, indicating that he understood.
As Greer emerged from behind the curtain of one of the booths, he cast a disapproving eye on the assembled women, as if he were just now noticing their presence.
Greer bellowed, "Come now, ladies. You've no business here, since you're not allowe
d to vote. Don't you have some washing or cooking you should be doing? Should your husbands have to go without a hot meal or a clean shirt, just so you can make trouble?"
Prissy Parker fired back, "Oh, go sit on a tack, Greer."
Lilly Benigno added, "Yes, do. It might improve your disposition."
Greer's brow furrowed, but he said nothing else. He made his way to the door, his chest puffed out so far, he looked like a perturbed ape. The two men with him trotted along behind him, so closely that one of them bumped into him.
Greer grunted as he pushed the man back. "Not so close!"
As the man stumbled a few steps, his hat fell from his head, revealing some of his features; shaggy, dark brown hair and brown eyes came into view. He bent to grab up his hat.
Before he could replace it, Angel cried out. "You!" She stood to her feet, pointing her finger at the man.
The dark-haired stranger's jaw twitched as he replaced his hat. He muttered, "I don't know what you're talking about, lady."
Angel, her eyes now filling with tears, turned her gaze to Gregory. "That's him! The one who chased us!"
Gregory felt hot, blinding anger rising in him like lava ascending to the top of a volcano. In the next second, he'd crossed the room and grabbed the man by his collar. Thad, ever the watchful officer, eased behind the other man and restrained his arms behind his back.
Greer, as if angry to have his hangers-on detained, drew up in a show of offense. "What's the meaning of this? Why are you accosting my friends?"
Gregory sneered at him. "Your illustrious friends are wanted on charges of harassment and murder." The man he held by the collar struggled against him, trying to free himself. His friend in the red kerchief seemed a bit more level-headed, and made no move to get away from Thad.
Twisting and squirming, he cried, “I ain't done nothin'!"
Angel, now being supported by Janice and Lupe, appeared visibly shaken and distraught. "You've done nothing but kill my aunt, you piece of shit. I'll never forget your hideous face so long as I live."
The man's eyes widened, and he fought a little harder to get away from Gregory's grasp.
"Enough of this." Gregory snatched the man’s arms behind his back, fitting him with the iron bracelets from his gun belt.
"Aw, come on! She's lyin'!" The man groused as the cuffs closed around his wrists.
That made Gregory's dander rise, but he held himself in check. He didn't want the ladies present to witness him whipping this man's ass until the blood poured from his nose. "Don't slander her any further. You're under arrest, and if you say another word, I'll knock your teeth so far down your throat you'll be walking on them. Understand?"
The man said no more, but his jaw remained tight.
Greer, as if coming to his senses, asked the man, "Jimmy. Did you really do this?"
Jimmy gave only a shrug. "You was always talking about how the women was makin' trouble for you. Me and Bobby thought we'd scare 'em, you know, maybe make 'em keep quiet."
For the first time, Nathan Greer seemed speechless. In the ensuing silence, the women all stood to their feet, leveling the three men with a variety of scolding and downright vicious stares. Angel dabbed her eyes, but composed herself to join in.
Eyes blazing, Angel said, "You succeeded in scaring us, but we won't be put off. Right is right. You'll both rot in hell for what you've taken from me."
Thad announced, "Open the doors, Greer. Your boys are going to the lockup."
Still wide-eyed and silent, Greer did as he was told, holding open the door.
Gregory kicked Jimmy in the back of his shin. "Get moving, you dolt."
The five of them left the hotel, and moved down the walk toward the sheriff's office. There, Jimmy and Bobby were each shoved into a cell and locked in, while Nathan Greer sat by the desk, vehemently denying any knowledge of what his boys had done.
Greer seemed uncharacteristically nervous, even embarrassed, as he rambled on. "Honestly, sheriff, I wouldn't send those boys to do such a fool thing. And if I'd known, do you think I'd have brought them to polls with me?"
Gregory considered that. Even Greer had to be a little bit smarter than to bring two known criminals out in public with him. "I see your point. What do you think, Thad?"
Thad, standing by the door with his arms folded over his chest, said, "Man would have to be pretty stupid to bring 'em, if he knew they were guilty."
Gregory shifted his gaze back to Greer. "Alright then. I won't put you in the lockup, for now. But don't go trying to skip town, you may be called on to testify. Got it?"
Greer nodded, then stood. "I got it." He turned to leave, only to be stopped in the doorway by his wife, Persephone.
Eyes filled with tears, Persephone said, "Nathan, I've just come from the hotel. How could you be involved in such things?"
Greer's manner changed, softening considerably. "Perry, my love. I wasn't involved. You must believe me!"
She dashed away a fallen tear. "How can I?"
Gregory felt a pang of sympathy for the man, though he couldn't guess why. "Mrs. Greer, we're not arresting your husband, because we believe his story. There's no indication he was involved."
That seemed to calm her, but she still looked a bit sad. She nodded to them, then turned and walked away, with her husband following close behind her.
Gregory stood in their wake. "Thad, I'm going back to mind the polls until they close. You stay here with these two maggots."
Thad slid into the chair behind the desk. "Sure thing. You know, if you wanted to get a few good licks in on them, I'd look the other way."
Gregory shook his head, adjusting his hat as he stood in the open door. "Why do you think I'm leaving you here with them, instead of staying? I'll see you later."
By the time he returned to the hotel, it was a quarter till three. The whole lobby was abuzz with chatter. He immediately went to Angel's side.
"Are you alright, Angel May?"
She gifted him with a small smile. "I'm much better now that those two are off the streets."
He squeezed her shoulders, then placed a soft kiss on her brow. "Good."
And he returned to his post, to watch over what remained of the voting, and his lady love.
***
As the four o'clock hour came on, Angel unlocked the rear door to her apartment and opened it. Slipping inside, she waited for Gregory to enter before closing it behind her.
She stepped out of her flat slippers, and took off her wrap. She hung them on the coat rack with Gregory's hat and vest, then turned to him. He stood there, a ghost of a smile on his handsome face, watching her.
"It's been a crazy day." The deep timbre of his voice filled the silence.
"It has." She stepped into his space, wound her arms around his neck. "And I'd like nothing more than for you to make me forget it all."
He groaned as he lowered his head, his lips touching hers. The kiss was soft at first, but quickly became more urgent, more filled with need. Her lips parted, allowing his tongue into the cavern of her mouth. He grasped her around the waist, pulling her body close until it was flush with his. His manhood pressed against her belly, as hard as a length of iron, and she felt the shiver of desire spark there and spread through her whole body.
He finally broke the kiss, his hands going to the pearl buttons running down the front of her white blouse. He fumbled with them a bit, popping off a couple of the buttons, until he finally opened the garment. Reaching into the top of her lacy chemise, he lifted out one of her breasts and worked his thumb over the dark nipple. Her head fell back, and she sighed with pleasure.
"Have I ever told you how glad I am that you don't wear corsets?"
She was too busy panting to speak, so she shook her head.
"Then let me show you." And he dipped his head, drawing the pert nipple into his mouth.
Her knees buckled, but his strong arm around her waist braced her, providing the stability her legs could not. He remained there, suckling her with
ardor, until her legs felt no stronger than two blades of grass swaying in a harsh wind.
Mercifully he stopped, and as she fought to catch her breath, he lifted her into his arms again. This time, she put up no resistance whatsoever as he carried her through the open doorway into her bedroom, placing her gently atop the quilts.
There, he took his own sweet time stripping the remaining clothing from her body, while placing soft kisses on each bit of flesh he bared. When she was nude, he stood, his eyes smoldering as he undressed himself. "When shall we marry, my love?"
Lying there, pulsing and trembling, she composed herself as best she could before answering him. "Whenever you please."
He smiled then, kicking away the pile of clothes he'd stripped off.
Her eyes strayed to the part of him that her body ached for. He was erect and beautiful, and she could hardly wait to take him inside. My, he's wonderfully made.
"That's a very good answer. Let me reward you...” He joined her on the bed, the mattress giving a bit beneath their combined weight.
He rolled her over onto her back, positioning himself between her open thighs. In the next moment, he slid inside her, and she welcomed him into the place she most wanted him to be. Their eyes locked, and she felt as if their very souls were touching, embracing. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and as his hand cupped her bottom and his thrusts increased in pace and depth, nothing else mattered but the two of them, and the magical ecstasy created by the joining of their bodies.
Later, beneath the rumpled bedclothes, Angel started from a comfortable sleep by the sound of someone pounding on her door, the one in the corridor leading to the saloon up front. She slid from beneath Gregory's embracing arm, leaving him to his slumber. After she'd put on a dressing gown and robe, she went to the door to see what was amiss. She checked the peephole, and seeing Lupe there, swung the door open.
"What is it?"
Lupe, grinning from ear to ear, chided, "My, my. You're in bed awful early, Angel."
Rolling her eyes at her friend's teasing, she repeated her original question. "What is it, Lupe?"
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