The Filly & the Gambler (Book Fifteen of Brides of the West Series)

by Rita Hestand

  "Sure, we did. You think we just dreamed up the idea?"

  "No, I know my father loves poker, and never wins at it, but I can't imagine him putting up the place in a game."

  "Well he did!" Butch barked.

  Shorty shrugged, "He wasn't a good poker player." Shorty added.

  "No, you are right about that. But that land meant a lot to him. I can't imagine him putting it in the pot." She kept waiting for some slip up.

  "We had witnesses that he did."

  "Yeah, but you killed them all…." She reminded Butch. "Now why would you do that, if you won the land fair and square?"

  Agitation seemed to crawl all over Butch now. He fidgeted, he paced and then he stared at her coldly. "A lot of folks felt sorry for him. We thought they might see it differently."

  "So, you killed them?"

  "I never said that!" Butch snapped. "Lookie here, you keep quiet. I don't want to talk to you."

  He looked at Shorty who was eyeing her.

  Butch grinned at him sardonically, "Maybe I'll let you have a go at her before I kill her." He laughed.

  Shorty stared at Butch. "You really thinkin' on killin' her?" Shorty's dismay crossed his weathered face. Gabby couldn't help but stare at Shorty, perhaps he had a bigger heart than Butch.

  That was the first time either of them displayed any real feelings about the matter.

  "She'd be a lot of trouble, Shorty. Especially if she's married to that Martin fella. He's liable to follow us. Not that we can't take care of him too, but a woman on the trail can really slow us down. There will be plenty of girls, later."

  "Well shore, but I been thinking. What if we turned her lose?" Shorty asked, his sympathetic smile not withering from Butch's glaring gaze.

  "Are you loco? We can't turn her lose. She knows too much." Butch frowned at him as though he'd lost his mind.

  "Such a waste," Shorty shook his head. "There's got to be another way, Butch. I mean, if we get caught, they'll hang us for killin' a woman, and you know it. They probably wouldn't even give us a trial."

  "You got a point there. I'll admit you got a point." Butch agreed. "But how the hell we gonna turn her loose? There'll be other ladies, once we get that paper signed in Austin. We'll have us a good ole time before we head for the place. You'll forget all about her."

  "It ain't so much that I want her, but that I don't want no more killin'. That will get us hung fast, Butch and you know it. Killin' a woman, they'll be after us for sure."

  "If you're going to kill me, what makes you think I'll sign." She asked boldly. "I mean, what difference is it to me, I'm gonna die anyway?"

  "Oh," Butch went to check on the horse, then came back and stared into her eyes. "You'll sign, because the only difference is when we kill you."

  "Then do it now, because I won't sign." She insisted, holding her chin high in defiance of this words.

  Shorty's mouth flew open, his face a wad of expressions, first shock, anger, then fear. And then he burst out, "You can't kill her Butch. Not now, not later. Look, why not have a good time with her, and leave her somewhere."

  "Leave her somewhere? What are you talking about?" Butch narrowed his gaze on Shorty now, as though he'd turned on him.

  "I'm saying, after she signs the paper, take her out on the prairie and dump her. If she dies, it will be her own fault not ours. And if she lives, it'll be a long while before she gets back. Look Butch, I'm no rancher. That place would take a lot of work to keep up from day to day. We don't need that land, let's sell it and then we'll have us some money."

  "Well now, that might be an option, Shorty. I've considered it, myself. Yeah, you are right neither one of us are ranchers. We could advertise to sell it down here. Get the money and go our way. Maybe you are right about dumping her somewhere on the prairie too, wouldn’t' be our fault if she died out there. No one up there would know what even happened. And by the time they did, we'd be long gone. That's good thinkin' Shorty. Dump her on the prairie, if she survives it would be a while before she got home and too late about the land anyway." Butch was putting it all together in his mind and smiling now. "I think maybe you are right about that. We get some money, and she's got a chance to live. We didn't kill her. Yeah, for once I think you might be right about this. I didn't know you had so much smarts Shorty. Here I'd been picturing us ranchers, but we aren't ranchers, are we?"

  "If you sell, why do you need my signature?"

  "Because you are the one that owns it, since your pa died. "If we can find a buyer, you'll have to sign it over to the buyer. Understand."

  She nodded, "Yeah, I guess I would."

  Butch scratched his cheek, "You got a point about that. Yeah, you are right. We'll just put the place up for sale and wait to see if we get any nibbles. What you think that property is worth?" Butch asked.

  "With the cattle on it, you could get $1200 easy." Gabby commented.

  "That's six hundred a piece, Butch." Shorty hollered, his grin widening.

  "$1200 huh?"

  "Easy."

  "Alright, that's what we'll do. We'll put it up for sale, and when a buyer comes along, she'll sign the papers over to them and that'll be the end of it, then we'll do like you said and dump her on the prairie somewhere and be on our way." Butch seemed quite satisfied with himself.

  "Shore, that's better than trying to run a ranch, isn't it?"

  "A lot better." Butch nodded. "Sounds like we got us a real plan. We'll have to get a room at the hotel, so the buyer can contact us, and put an ad in the Austin paper."

  "I got to hand it to you Butch, you are pretty sharp." Gabby congratulated him.

  Butch piled a few more sticks on the fire to last a while, then put his blanket down so he could lie down.

  Shorty did the same.

  Gabby had been listening with bated breath. Was there really a chance they'd turn her loose? Dear God, Shorty might have just saved her life. She looked at him. Of the two he was the least harmful. They didn't know it, but she could survive on the prairie, she knew she could.

  ***

  The last day on the trail, a terrible storm kicked up and wiped out all tracks. It rained so hard they had to hold their hats on their heads. Cole and Slim knew they wouldn't catch up with them before they got to Austin.

  The lightning got so bad they had to stop traveling.

  "Sorry boss, I thought we'd catch up to them by now." Slim told him as he secured their horses while Cole took out the last of their jerky and handed Slim some.

  After the rain, their tracks were pretty near wiped out.

  "We'll catch up to them in Austin. They'll have to stop too, all this lightning, they'll have to." Cole told him.

  "I sure hope Pedro is alright. He was hurt pretty badly." Slim told him. "I saw the bone sticking out."

  "Yeah, his elbow is gonna be messed up bad. I'm also wondering about George and Charlie. You'd have thought the shots would have warned them."

  Slim frowned and adjusted his hat, "Unless they got to George and Charlie first."

  "God, I hope not. It's hard to find really good men, Slim." Cole sighed heavily. "I thought a lot of those boys too."

  "They are good people. Maybe they went back to the ranch?"

  "I hope so, for their sakes." Cole sighed heavily. "Now I just hope Gabby hasn’t suffered too much."

  "She's a strong woman, boss. Stronger than most."

  "You are right about that. She might be small, but she has a lot a grit to her." Cole smiled in reflection.

  "Yeah, ole Harmon saw to that."

  Cole smiled, "You're right, again."

  As they bedded down for the night, his thoughts went to the night he and Gabby made love and he sighed. He hadn't expected it, but as the moment unfurled, he couldn't have been happier. He had to get her out of this mess. He hadn't admitted just how much he cared about her yet, and she had to know. He had to say the words that would bond them together forever.

  Chapter Twenty

  It was pouring rain the nigh
t they arrived in Austin. The streets were muddy, and people rushed to get out of the weather.

  There was one good road in the middle of town, the rest were just muddy excuses. Streetlights lit the way for them. Butch, Shorty, and Gabby looked at the town in awe.

  "Ain't seen nothin' like this." Shorty remarked as he looked at the streetlights.

  Butch hunted for a place to stay. He found an old run-down place on the edge of town and decided that was good enough. He couldn't afford much, and they might have to stay a while. The room was rough looking, Gabby noted, but she couldn't complain, it was shelter, she had slept in wet clothes for two days and anything to get out of the rain. Ordinarily she'd love and enjoy the rain, celebrating the fact that things grow from it, but this was no time for celebration. Today the rain had made things dirty and messy. Strange, her mind wandered, in town rain was burdensome, in the country it was a blessing.

  Gabby was hesitant to share a room with these men, but what choice did she have. It wasn't like they were going to provide her with a room of her own. Somehow, she had to dissuade them from taking her though. Only Shorty seemed interested. Butch had other things on his mind. He wanted to get the money, get rid of her, and enjoy the rest of his life. But six hundred dollars wouldn't last that long. Did they even comprehend that?

  As they walked into the room, it had one bed, but plenty of room on the floor. It was clean, and that surprised Gabby. The bed looked worn out, but she was opting for the floor. They were all so tired, she figured they be dead to the world for a few hours.

  They were tired of fighting the storm and the sleeping arrangements hadn't been made yet. Gabby looked at them with a sense of trepidation following her. She had to find a way to handle the next hour.

  "Look, I think your plan is swell. And if you leave me on the prairie you won't face a hanging, so please, let me sleep on the floor now. You take the bed, and I'll take the floor. Alright?" She told them.

  Butch looked from her to Shorty. "It's your call on this one Shorty."

  As her eyes widened, Gabby turned to the little man.

  "I'm too tired tonight, anyway." Shorty started taking his shirt off. "She's a beauty I wouldn't mind having, but you know Butch somehow I don't think it would be right. I ain't never raped a girl yet, and I just don't think she'd be willing. Ain't much fun, if they aren't you know."

  "It's your choice."

  "Just let it be, I'm tuckered out."

  "Alright, I'll get her a blanket and she can sleep on the floor. I need some rest." Butch nodded. "I'm certainly not gonna argue if she wants to sleep on the floor, let her."

  "Me too, partner." Shorty sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed to take his boots off. "I'll probably be asleep before you get back with the blankets.

  Butch came back in the room with a couple of blankets and a pillow and she made herself a pallet on the floor. She murmured a short prayer of thanks that Shorty was too tired. And she hoped Cole was alright too. She couldn't help but worry if he followed. And if he did, what did he intend to do?

  As she lay on the pallet and heard them snoring within minutes she wondered if she could slip out, but there was no use antagonizing them tonight. She was worn out too and needed a good night's sleep. Maybe tomorrow she could come up with something to escape them. Sometimes, she was just too tired to think any longer.

  Putting her dreams of Cole to rest, she closed her eyes and went to sleep too.

  ***

  The next day Cole and Slim rode into Austin. There was a lot of business going on what with the railroad coming in and trade picking up. Buildings were in the planning stages; a train station was being built. But this was a political town, the capital and not a place Cole wanted to be. Too much going on here.

  Women wore fancy dresses with bustles in the back, something Cole wasn't used to seeing. He had to wonder how they sat down. And men were just as well dressed in three-piece suits. Cole and Slim glanced at each other.

  "Fancy dudes, aren't they?" Slim laughed.

  "I think we are slightly under dressed, what do you think?" Cole laughed.

  "I think you are right. Never seen so many people dressed like it was Sunday or something." Slim chuckled.

  They went immediately to the government land office to inquire if Gabby and the two men had showed up to sign a deed. The agent shook his head, "No one's been in yet, this morning but you two."

  "Good. Thanks." Cole said, and they left.

  "Now what boss?" Slim asked as he stretched himself a bit.

  "I guess we should get a room at one of the boarding houses and one of us needs to keep an eye out here. We should take turns so both of us get some rest and something to eat."

  "I'll wait here a while, then you can come spell me, and let me know what you find." Slim told him.

  "Alright, be back in a couple of hours."

  Slim nodded. "I ain't going nowhere." He found a bench on the walkway across the street and sat down to keep an eye on the land office.

  Cole got a room at one of the recommended boarding houses and then after having some breakfast there, he went to find Slim again.

  He told Slim where the room was, and to get something to eat, then he stood guard of the land office.

  But they didn't see hide nor hair of Gabby and the men the whole day. That worried Cole. Had their plans changed, he wondered? Had they had trouble along the way?

  After the land office closed, they went to eat supper and to try to figure out what their next move would be.

  "Maybe they had trouble along the way boss and haven't made it in yet."

  Cole nodded, "Maybe. But the word 'trouble' doesn't make me feel better."

  He wasn't convinced. No, he thought now they might have changed their plans altogether.

  "What do you think is going on now?" Slim asked.

  "I don't know. I can't figure it. I'd have thought they would head straight to the land office to get it taken care of. I'm frankly discombobbled."

  "Yeah, me to!" Slim shook his head.

  "Well, we'll get a good night's rest and start all over tomorrow, I guess." Cole told him.

  Slim nodded. "I sure thought we'd have them by now."

  "Me too. It worries me a bit. Something in the back of my mind tells me they have hatched a new plan."

  "Don't you fret, we'll get her back." Slim assured him as they dug into their steaks. "This is good eating's boss." Slim smiled.

  "You deserve it, beans and jerky isn't much to write home about, now is it?" Cole smiled. "I ask around and this is one of the best boarding houses in this area, they really recommended the food. So, I couldn't pass it up."

  When they finished up, Cole bought a local newspaper and they headed for their room. Cole had gotten a room with two beds and they could rest easy tonight.

  But before going to bed, Cole sat up in the corner of the room in an easy chair and with a lantern and read the paper.

  Suddenly Slim woke with a start. "What's wrong?" Slim asked, jumping for his gun.

  Cole shook his head, " I think I've found them. I'm almost positive it's them. They haven't gone to the land office at all."

  "What do you mean?" Slim shook his head trying to wake up.

  "I mean, they're trying to sell the land and take the money for it."

  "You don't mean it?" Slim looked kind of groggily at Cole.

  "Listen to this, sizable ranch near Evansville, with cattle on it, for sale, interested party should contact Butch Hutchins at Far Side Boarding House." Cole raised his head and glanced at Slim. "It's got to be them. They are trying to sell the land, instead of keeping it."

  "Well, if they aren't ranchers, it wouldn't do them a lot of good, now would it?" Slim asked.

  "No, good point. I just didn't figure they thought about it that much. Now, we've got to figure a plan."

  Slim nodded, "Got any ideas?"

  "Yeah, I do, and it might work."

  "Well let's hear it boss…" Slim determined they weren't going to sleep unt
il they talked it out.

  "You want me to go and buy her land, for you?" He asked.

  "It'll work Slim, they haven't seen you before. I'll wire for the money today, and you answer the ad tomorrow." Cole told him. "That will take care of the land problem, all we have to worry about then is getting Gabby lose."

  "That's a good plan, kind of weird, since she owns it, but it might work."

  "Don't fret about the money, Slim. It'll be a wedding present for Gabby. And don't worry, she won't give you away, and they won't know you. Buy it, and get the deed, then we'll figure how to get her back. The thing is, maybe you can get a lead or hint of what they aim to do next. Maybe they will let something slip, or she will."

  "Alright, I'll do it, now, can I go back to sleep, boss, I'm tired."

  "Sure Slim, gets some rest, you'll need it. And you'll need a bath in the morning too. Gotta look presentable when you buy that land." Cole smiled and started getting ready for bed too, glad that he had a plan of action.

  The next morning, Cole wired the bank for some money. Slim took a bath and Cole had gone out and bought him a fine suit to wear too. "I ain't looked this good in years, boss. Wish Miss Martha could see me now." He chuckled.

  "If there is any trouble, high-tail it back here and we'll go after her. I don't want her in any danger."

  It was late evening before Cole got the money. Slim had enjoyed a bit of site seeing around the town but remained vigil for Cole too.

  "Now, you know what to do. Just be careful."

  "I plan to. Be back soon." Slim assured him.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Slim found the Far Side Boarding House and asked for Butch.

  The owner showed him where their room was and Slim thanked him, adjusted the tie that aggravated him constantly.

  He looked every bit the part of a gentleman. But he quickly decided he didn't like dressing like some dude.