Courting Misfortune

by Regina Jennings

  “Your father isn’t in town with you? You’re out here on your own?”

  Calista giggled, but she didn’t miss the change in his demeanor. “My pa knows I can take care of myself. But I’m not alone here. I have friends.”

  Had she hesitated too long before adding the part about friends? Because Teddy seemed to be entertaining a new idea. He turned on a side road toward Kentucky Street and the railroad tracks. Any comfort she’d taken from the crowds vanished as they moved ahead. The people on this street seemed less celebratory and more furtive.

  “But what about you?” Calista asked. “My friend Mr. Blount knows a lot of people. Where do you work?”

  “I’m not at work today,” Teddy said. He put a hand on her shoulder and steered her past a group of loitering tramps. These men had nothing to celebrate, even if it was payday. “Let’s not talk about work.”

  There were no light posts here to hold back the darkness. None of the buildings ahead looked open. No lights, no doors thrown wide to welcome customers. Just dark warehouses and storefronts locked up for the night.

  “Mr. Mason is expecting me tonight,” Calista said as she stopped walking. “Otherwise I would’ve waited until morning. Then again, it’s late. I’ll come back tomorrow.”

  With a sneer, Teddy’s grip on her shoulder tightened as he forced her onward. “No reason to wait. If he’s as impatient as I am, he won’t appreciate the delay.”

  And Calista knew she’d made a mistake.

  Matthew had bought the food, and he’d arranged the chairs. His Saturday night gatherings were another fleece, another test to see if what he was doing in Joplin had merit. Was he where he was supposed to be? Was he needed here, or should he head back home?

  The squeak of the garden gate alerted Matthew that someone was on their way to the cabin.

  “I brought the chicken.” Silas walked through the open door and dropped the basket on the table.

  Matthew took the money he’d set aside for the evening’s needs and gave it to Silas. “Go easy on it. I don’t know how many will be hungry.”

  “I’ll just take a leg.” The paper rustled inside the basket as he unwrapped the food and tore off his portion. “Who do you think will come?”

  “Two of the men on my shift seemed interested. They’re coming to town to collect their wages anyway.” Matthew looked at the door. “I expected you’d bring Maisie and Calista.”

  “Oh, I’ve got to head over and get them. Maisie said she’d wait on me to come and walk her over.”

  Matthew watched him reach for another piece of chicken. Why didn’t Silas hurry? But Matthew shouldn’t be overanxious to see Calista. Tonight wasn’t a night for the two of them. It was for everyone. He had to change his expectations. For one thing, he had to pay particular attention to Dan and Loretta.

  Loretta came inside cradling a jar of stout tea with the tea bags still floating. “If you have a pitcher, I’ll dilute it,” she said. “Made no sense to mix it at the tent and carry it over heavy.” She set the jar next to the chicken, then stepped out of the way, seemingly content to wait unobserved.

  Dan slapped Silas on the back, forcing Silas to move his chicken leg to the other hand before greeting Dan with a handshake.

  “We made it through the week. We’re moved and have already struck a good chunk of ore. It’s time to look to the future. Put the past sorrows behind us.” Dan’s eyes slid sideways toward Loretta. “We’re here, determined to be thankful for what we have.”

  His bravery tightened Matthew’s throat. Sometimes he thought these people beyond redemption, but when he faced folks like the Campbells, he was reminded of his own inadequacies and how shallow his struggles were.

  Overall, the group was cheerful, greeting each other robustly after another hard week of work. Some new people came. Cokey John pestered Matthew about how slowly he filled his ore bucket at work, but he’d brought two friends with him to meet the new hand at the mine, regardless. Matthew hadn’t planned on all these people crammed into his little cabin. He should have had Silas buy more chicken.

  Silas appeared at his elbow. “I’ll get the ladies. Be right back.” He ducked out as Matthew began introductions.

  First they went around and told how long they’d been in Joplin. Matthew was surprised to hear that Mr. Green was a landowner. He’d come at the invitation of Dan and Loretta. When he passed Matthew some folded bills to cover the expense of the meeting, Matthew stood staring at the money until he could recover his senses.

  “What’s this for again?”

  “Because you are giving these miners an example to follow.” His work boots were just as dirty and old as Dan’s, but his clothes were newer. “They need to be reminded that there’s a lot of luck involved in this business, but the decisions they make still guide their lives. I see you teaching them that. Next week I’ll bring my wife and son. We want to be a part of what you’re trying to do.”

  Matthew looked at the door, wishing Calista had seen what had just transpired, but it was empty. How long did it take Silas to get there and back, anyway?

  He thanked Mr. Green and opened his Bible to share a word with his guests, paying particular care to Loretta and Dan. Tears seemed always on the verge of spilling out. They’d had a rough week, but they were good people. Their faith in God would get them through this downturn if they’d let it.

  Where was Silas? Was there a problem with Howie? What else could be keeping them?

  As Matthew finished his teaching, Irvin entered the cabin, walking as if every step was an affront to his dignity. He pegged Matthew with a hard stare before taking Silas’s seat and crossing his arms over his chest.

  Matthew asked, “Something wrong?”

  “You tell me,” Irvin groused.

  Matthew didn’t have the patience for this. Irvin was sober, and that might be enough to explain his ire. Time to wrap up the lesson.

  Dan, Loretta, and Mr. Green left after the Bible study. Cokey John and his friends stayed for a spell but then claimed they had shopping to do before the shops closed. Irvin was the last to leave.

  “I was here, and I didn’t touch a drop.” The chip on his shoulder was almost visible.

  “Have I done something against you?” Matthew asked. “You’re out of sorts.”

  “What’s it mean when a man can’t be trusted? What’s it mean when a man can’t go about his business without looking over his shoulder? What’s it mean when someone pretends to be your friend, then sends a spy to follow you?”

  A spy? Matthew’s heart jumped into his throat. There was only one spy he knew of. “What are you talking about?”

  “That lady. She pretends to be so fine, puts on airs, and then she goes lurking around in the most miserable of places, trying to keep a body from availing himself of the fruits of his labor. One look from her, and I knew what she was doing. You’d sent her there to catch me in the act. Her and that nasty bloke she was with.” He shook his head. “I thought you had decency. Just decency is what I thought. But I didn’t touch a drop. Came straight here. I hope you’re happy.”

  “Who was Calista with? Where was she?” Matthew’s blood started roaring. He knew she didn’t want him to interfere, but he couldn’t help himself. He had to find her, even if it meant watching from a distance.

  “She was at Black Jack’s,” Irvin said, “and as mad as I am that you were looking for me, I can’t believe you’d send that lady to a den of iniquity.”

  “Who was she with?”

  “The guy is there a lot, name of Teddy. I don’t know what he does, but he owns a warehouse on Kentucky. ’Tis a pity you’d stoop so low as to put her in danger. Seeing her there with the likes of Teddy, it’s enough to make me swear off spirits for the rest of my life.”

  Matthew’s stomach churned. “I’m going.”

  It was Saturday night, the most dangerous night of the week, and the worst part of town. He fumed as he ran out of the cabin and busted out into the alleyway. When he dove into the crow
d on the sidewalk, some pushed back, but he hardly felt them in his rush to get to the gin shop. Despite what Calista thought, she needed protection. If he could forget about her and let her face the consequences . . . but that was as impossible as forgetting his own name.

  He strode through the crowd, little caring who got in his way. He didn’t know exactly where the bar was, but Irvin had pointed him toward the east part of town, so he had a good idea of the neighborhood. He strained to see the saloon signs ahead by the gaslight. If only he knew for sure—

  The sign at the corner said Kentucky Street. Wasn’t that where this man was supposed to have a warehouse? Matthew stepped away from the streetlight, hoping to see something among the shadows, and what he saw was enough to bring his blood to a boil.

  CHAPTER

  20

  “I don’t want to go with you. Let go of me,” Calista huffed.

  Teddy kept his grip on her while opening a side door to a dark warehouse. “Come on inside. I’ll get you a drink, and we can visit while we wait for Mr. Mason.” He smiled like her efforts to escape amused him. “I’m a nice guy. Give me a try, and you’ll see.”

  He wasn’t a nice guy, and if he thought Calista was just a nice girl, he was going to be surprised. No matter how simple or how elaborate Calista’s wardrobe, all of her skirts had one feature in common: pockets. And in that pocket, she kept her spring-loaded baton. Twisting to get herself some room, Calista pulled the canister out of her pocket and activated the button. Old Teddy never saw the baton until it whacked him across the arm.

  “Ughf!” He released her, and then, seeing what she held, his nostrils flared. He lunged forward, reaching for her arm to control the baton, but she met him coming with a strong strike to the side of the face.

  Blood poured from the corner of his eye. Calista’s head went light at the sight of the injury, but she tightened her grip on the baton and forced herself to focus. She’d never had to defend herself physically before. It served to clarify issues.

  “No one gets away with hitting me,” he growled.

  She stepped backward. This time he wasn’t blindly striking out. He tried to circle around her, but she turned to keep him before her. She had to keep him in sight without looking at the blood dripping down his face. Her knees wobbled. She hadn’t thought he’d be this determined. Why not let her go?

  Teddy held up an arm to block the baton, and then moved in. Her eyes flickered on the darkness over his shoulder as she tried to clear his injury from her mind. He stepped in, and even though she swung as hard as she could, he deflected it while grabbing her by the neck with his other hand.

  She was caught, but she wasn’t finished fighting. Calista struck again, this time only hitting his thigh, before he captured her arm. With only her wrist free, she jabbed the pointed end of the baton at his eye. If he thought he had her beat, he didn’t know who he was dealing with. He turned his face away as he tightened the fingers around her neck. Her options were narrowing. Maybe another jab at his face—

  Something crashed against them. Calista’s legs gave way as Teddy was dragged off her. She landed on her rump on the ground and filled her lungs with cool, damp air. This was her chance. Still dizzy, she crouched and swung the baton with all her might at the side of Teddy’s knee. It buckled, and he crashed to the ground next to her, unconscious.

  Pushing away, Calista used the warehouse door to pull herself up and only then saw boots that she recognized.

  It was Matthew.

  This was awkward.

  Before she could think of an excuse, he snatched her away from the door and into his arms. He pulled her away from the unconscious Teddy and, with a strong hand, lifted her chin.

  His eyes swallowed her whole, taking in every detail as he moved her head to catch the scant light from the stars. She must look a mess with her hair tumbling down and the red marks on her neck. She knew the second he saw them. Something in him snapped. The arm behind her tightened as he pressed his lips against her forehead.

  So that was how it was going to be? Calista had had enough of being jerked around by men for one night. She should have a say in how she was handled, so she did. Grabbing Matthew by the back of the neck, she pulled his face down to hers. He wasn’t the only one who could steal a kiss. She could too, and she would if she liked. A kiss to show this preacher boy that he couldn’t control her.

  But faster than lightning, things whirled out of control. Matthew crushed her against him, then possessed her mouth with a thoroughness that stunned her. There was nothing proper about his response, or how her traitorous heart surrendered. Somehow, everything strong about her had gone weak. Everything she’d repressed ran free. She wasn’t going to love him. She’d already decided that. So why was her only thought how to give him more?

  Matthew growled. He swept his lips across hers one last time, then said, “You’re an imbecile.” He released her.

  “What?” Calista’s eyes opened. “What did you say to me?” She steadied herself against a wall and repeated her question. “What did you say?”

  With three big steps, Matthew reached Teddy, took his wrist, then dropped it in disgust. “He’s still alive. Let’s get out of here.”

  “You said I’m a what?” Calista retrieved her baton from the ground, keeping an eye on both men.

  “An imbecile, but I’m just as bad.” He grasped her hand and took out, dragging her in his wake. “I knew you had no sense, but here I am, carrying on like you should know better.”

  “I did the only sensible thing. I was defending myself.”

  “If I hadn’t come along . . .” Matthew swallowed hard.

  “He had just about given up.” Calista didn’t like being wrong, and she refused to consider how much danger she’d been in.

  “I shouldn’t have hit him so hard the first time,” Matthew said. “It would’ve done me good to beat on him some more.”

  “But after I took out his knee—”

  “I knocked him out cold. His knee had nothing to do with it.” They’d reached the main street. Matthew’s agitation was obvious from the way he kept looking behind them. “What are we supposed to do now? I guess we’re in the city. City folks go to the law.”

  “The law?” Calista was still reliving that kiss. After that, she was dealing with the disappointment that Gerald Mason would not be met that night. Too much to think about. She couldn’t keep up with what Matthew was saying. “I don’t want—”

  “Officer!” Matthew had spotted a man in blue when they reached the corner. “Officer, this lady was attacked.”

  No. Bringing in the law would only complicate matters. There’d be too many questions, and if Mr. Pinkerton thought that she’d been reckless, he’d recall her, quick as a wink.

  But after taking a look at her disheveled condition, the policeman was obviously getting involved. He blew a whistle, and before she knew it, she and Matthew were being escorted to the station.

  Every painful swallow reminded Calista how dire her situation had been, but there was no use in lingering on what could have happened. Besides that, she was a tiny bit awed at Matthew’s behavior. Had he lost control of his faculties to kiss her like that? Was he sorry? Would he apologize? For a conscientious man, he had passion lurking beneath the surface that she hadn’t suspected.

  As she’d expect on a Saturday night, the police station was crowded, and the officer they were assigned to seemed more at home behind the desk covered in files than he would have been wrangling rowdy revelers on the street. He chose a form, took her name, then took a long look at her before writing for a solid three minutes. Seated in a chair next to Matthew, Calista cast him a questioning look. What could the officer possibly have to write? He hadn’t asked them any questions yet.

  Matthew raised an eyebrow and let his eyes drift to her neckline. “Button your shirt,” he whispered.

  With trembling fingers, she did up the two buttons, suddenly remembering that she’d dressed to present herself as a light-skirts. The
police would make assumptions from there. She had to turn the tide.

  “If you don’t mind, I’ve just endured a shocking attack. I’d like to get the interview behind me.”

  The officer put his elbows on the desk and rested his chin in his hands. “I’ll finish recording my observations later, if you insist. Now, let’s start from the beginning. Where did you meet this Teddy?”

  “I was at Black Jack’s.” She refused to look away, even as he smirked. “I was looking for a man named Gerald Mason, and Teddy said he would take me to him.”

  “Who’s Gerald Mason? What business do you have with him?”

  Calista could feel Matthew’s stare. She kept her voice curt. “I’ve never met him before. He’s a friend of a friend. Regardless, Teddy had offered to escort me to meet Mr. Mason. Something I assumed was a gentlemanly gesture.”

  The sergeant nodded to Matthew. “And who are you?”

  “I’m her . . . I’m her pastor.” He cleared his throat and shot a sheepish grimace at her. “Matthew Cook.”

  “You have a pastor?” the sergeant asked, though he didn’t expect a reply.

  How badly she wanted to tell him that she wasn’t the type to frequent a gin house of her own accord, but to do so would disclose her mission.

  Instead, she’d focus on what she could tell him. “Teddy led me to Kentucky Street, to the warehouse there. He told me we were going inside. When I protested, he attempted to force me inside. I fought back and managed—”

  “When I got there, he was choking her,” Matthew interrupted. “Had her by the neck, defenseless.”

  “I wasn’t defenseless,” she said. “I was definitely defending.”

  “He would’ve killed her had I not come along.”

  The sergeant straightened to write some more on his form. “How did you happen to be in the vicinity, Mr. Cook?”

  “I had a Bible study tonight, and one of the men at it told me he’d seen her at Black Jack’s. He knew the man she was with and told me where to find her.”