Mail-Order Groom

by Lisa Plumley

  And Adam! He’d pretended to be her mail-order groom readily enough. He’d romanced her and kissed her. He’d married her!

  And for what reason? To set a trap for Roy Bedell, Savannah reasoned unhappily. Because that had been his job—to catch the confidence man he’d been chasing. As a detective, Adam had known full well he wasn’t the fiancé she’d been waiting for, but he’d stepped into that duplicitous man’s shoes all the same.

  And she’d believed him.

  It had taken a while. But in the end, she’d believed him.

  “Nah.” Linus shook his head. “What I said was that detective never caught Roy. But sure as shootin’, Roy caught up with that detective, all right. He laid a trap for him but good, right outside your station. By the time me and my brothers got there and all the shootin’ started—”

  “Outside my station?” Shaking her head over the many bewildering details she’d heard tonight, Savannah stared at him. “Your brother met up with Adam outside my station? When?”

  “When they both got shot up, that’s when.” Sourly, Mariana rose. She paced, her dingy skirts swinging above what appeared to be a scuffed pair of men’s boots. “I thought for sure that Corwin was finally killed. But I guess he’s got nine lives or somethin’, ’cause it weren’t long before Linus showed up with the news that you was nursin’ that detective back to health.”

  “Yes.” Savannah raised her head. “If you’re expecting me to apologize for that, you’ll have a long wait ahead of you.”

  “Humph.” Mariana gave her a shrewd look, then shook her head in apparent consternation. “You really are dimwitted, aren’t you? If a man ever done to me what Corwin did to you—”

  “I’ll thank you not to discuss my husband that way.”

  Savannah’s response drew a hooting laugh. “Standin’ by him, are you? I should have guessed as much. Dumb as a post.”

  Savannah shrugged. “You wouldn’t understand.”

  Neither did she, in that moment. Her feelings were hurt. She definitely felt confused by all this. She was downright afraid at the dire situation she was in. But she was in no way ready to throw Adam to the wolves—or to the criminal element. She needed to hear from him before making any hasty judgments about what he’d done or—more importantly—why he’d done it.

  “Nope, I guess I wouldn’t understand.” Mariana waved, still pacing. “But that’s fine. You go on and be all prissy, if you want to. You look the type. But that detective of yours…” She wheeled around and eyed Savannah. “He lied to you. He used you like bait to capture my Roy. If you ever smarten up, you’ll see—that ain’t no way to treat a lady. A lady deserves better.”

  Coming from a woman who’d voluntarily joined up with a gang of admitted thieves, Mariana’s advice should have been laughable. But to Savannah’s dismay, those words held a smidgeon of truth. A lady did deserve better.

  If Adam had deceived her for the sake of protecting her…Well, that she could almost understand. But if instead he’d coolly taken advantage of her, the way Mariana made it sound…

  Well, if that were true, then Adam wasn’t much different from Roy Bedell or Warren Scarne or any other man who’d misled her in the past, not caring about her feelings or her well-being.

  Unwilling to admit even the possibility of that, Savannah compressed her lips. Defiantly she addressed Mariana again.

  “What makes you think you’ll get any better treatment from Roy?” she asked her. “How do you know he won’t take advantage of you the same way he was planning to take advantage of me?”

  With her back to Savannah, Mariana gazed out the window at the darkened night, probably looking for signs of the Bedell brothers approaching. “‘Was planning to take advantage’ of you? Ha. Unless you’re sittin’ on a big old wad of cash instead of a bustle under that dress of yours, missy, I’d say you’re deluding yourself. You’re not getting out of this so easy.”

  “’Specially if this here turns out like Kansas City,” Linus added in a doleful tone. “That weren’t easy. Not for nobody.”

  Afraid to ask what had happened in Kansas City—but knowing she should—Savannah turned to face him. She opened her mouth.

  But Linus kept right on speaking, having ducked his head to fiddle with his firearm, not noticing her tentative expression.

  “What’s worse,” he said, “is after Roy’s done with you, I’m bettin’ he’ll be goin’ after Corwin next. He’ll be wantin’ to finish the job what he started. Plus, now Roy is awful annoyed about having been laid up. His leg was broke! That would make anybody a mite peevish, if their leg was broke.”

  “It was only a little broke, right by his ankle,” Mariana argued. “He got plenty of pampering and whiskey for it, too.”

  Linus went on yammering, making his case for “a whole broke leg,” but Savannah couldn’t listen. All she kept hearing, over and over in her head, were those first few words he’d said.

  After Roy’s done with you, I’m bettin’ he’ll be goin’ after Corwin next. He’ll be wantin’ to finish the job what he started.

  Linus meant that Roy would kill Adam, she realized. That’s likely what he’d been trying to do outside her station, when he—or someone in his gang—had shot Adam in the back and left him for dead. He’d almost succeeded that time. She doubted he’d be so careless as to take the job’s completion for granted twice.

  Next time, Roy Bedell would make certain Adam was dead.

  If that were true, Savannah’s situation was even more grave than she’d first realized. Because as soon as Adam—or heaven forbid, Mose—noticed that she was gone from the Finneys’ party, one or both of them would come looking for her.

  If they found her… They would find Roy Bedell and his brothers, too, waiting to get rid of the detective on their tail.

  She wasn’t only here as a means to give over her nest-egg money, Savannah realized in horror. She was also, providentially for Roy Bedell, here to function as bait to lure Adam nearer.

  He’s not running. No man would. Any man worth being called a man would stay and fight, if he had the chance, she remembered Adam saying. I would lay down my life for you, Savannah.

  No matter what else occurred, she couldn’t let that happen. Not to Adam, not to Mose…not to anyone. Not on account of her.

  “I’ll give you my money!” she blurted, startling Mariana and Linus alike. “I’ll give you all of it! We don’t even have to wait for Roy.” As casually as she could, Savannah arched her brows at Linus. “You could surprise him. You could present the whole thing as a fait accompli. You’d like that, right, Linus?”

  “A fate what?” Linus gulped, then shook his head. “I dunno what that is, but I don’t like it. Roy don’t cotton to surprises of any kind, ’specially when he don’t see them comin’.”

  “But you said you never get the credit you deserve,” Savannah cajoled. “You said your brothers always steal it from you. Yet you’re the one who found me. You’re the one who’s been watching over me all night. Shouldn’t you get some credit?”

  Mariana gazed suspiciously at her. But Linus appeared to consider Savannah’s words closely as he polished his gun barrel. “I would like it if Roy thought I done good,” he admitted.

  “See there?” Feeling encouraged, Savannah stepped closer. “I don’t mind helping you. You’ve been very kind to me.”

  Mariana scoffed. “Kind how? By lookin’ at you like a dog with a big juicy bone he ain’t ’et yet? That’s a laugh.”

  Gawkily Linus jerked his head. He buffed his pistol across his trouser leg with agitated vigor. “Shut up, Mariana.”

  She laughed. “It’s true. You wouldn’t know what to do with a woman if you got a hold of one. Ain’t that right?”

  “Maybe I don’t want to get a hold of this one.” Linus pointed his gun belligerently at Savannah, as though it were a harmless toy. “Maybe I just wanted to meet her. Maybe…”

  Confused by his timid tone, Savannah waited. “Maybe…?”

  “Mayb
e see her dance a little for me, too,” Linus finished in a rush. He looked up, his red-cheeked face a study in mingled hopefulness and discomfiture. “I seen your posters, back in the city. Back when you looked all sparkly and pretty. If you would maybe dance a little dance for me, as The Seductive Sensation—”

  Mariana snorted, putting her hands on her hips.

  “—then maybe I’d go along with you and take your money from you. You know, like you said.” Optimistically he showed her his teeth in a grayish smile. “Then we’d have ourselves a deal.”

  “That is a doltish idea,” Mariana said. “If you think Little Miss Priss is gonna dance for the likes of you, Linus—”

  But all Savannah could do was nod. If this was the only way to give over her money and skedaddle before Roy got here, she’d dance as though her life depended on it. Because it did.

  Mustering her best actress’s smile, she held out her hand. “Why, that’s very gentlemanly of you, Linus! I accept.”

  He beamed, showing her even more of his discolored teeth.

  “I’ll dance for you,” she specified as they shook hands on their agreement, “and then you’ll come with me to get my money, so we can give it to Roy.” Linus’s nod—and his eager, glazed-eyed stare—partially reassured her. “But you won’t need that at my show.” She gestured for his firearm. “Before I start, you’ll have to surrender that, please, or I simply can’t begin.”

  By the time Adam reached the saloon, he was trailing a retinue of at least a dozen concerned Morrow Creek residents. Casting a backward glance at them as he pushed through the batwing doors into the noise and aromas and raucous piano music of Jack Murphy’s popular watering hole, he shook his head.

  “These people are loco,” he told Mose in the Spanish vernacular of the region. “Will you tell them to go on home?”

  “Do it yourself,” Mose rumbled. He lifted his head to peer over the assembled drinkers’ heads, then nodded. “I think maybe it won’t hurt if someone’s watching our backs tonight.”

  “It might hurt, if that ‘someone’ is a pack of well-meaning farmers and innocent townfolk,” Adam pointed out. He aimed his chin at the assembly of men who trooped dutifully behind him into the saloon. “You should all go home! I can manage from here! If you want to collect the sheriff, that’s fine, but—”

  He came to a stop as Grace Murphy led the womenfolk into the saloon, too. Unblushing and determined, the whole pack of them strode past the men and headed for the bar. Behind it, the barkeep slung a towel over his shoulder, then crossed his arms.

  Mose lifted his eyebrow. “That’s why I’m not telling anybody anything.” Dubiously he pointed at the uppity women. “Now that they’re involved, we’d spend all night jawing instead of finding Savannah, if we tried to make them quit.”

  Mose was probably right. In no mood to dawdle, Adam approached the bar. Several cowboys looked sideways at him; a few Faro players and miners glanced his way, too. None of them bore the familiar, reviled features of the Bedell boys.

  He was too late, Adam realized. They’d already left here.

  Most likely, he knew, Roy and his brothers were with Savannah by now. Their intentions for her would not be good.

  Grimly Adam pushed all the way forward to the bar, dodging tobacco juice and sticky tequila spills as he went.

  “Yep, I saw ’em,” the bartender was telling Grace Murphy. “Despicable characters they were, too. Those Bedells took up one of our best tables, started a couple of fights, stiffed me on a bottle of Old Orchard—” he spied Jack Murphy in the crowd and gave him an apologetic shrug “—sorry, boss. Then they up and left, rowdy as they came.”

  “How long ago?” Adam asked. “Do you know where they went?”

  The bartender scratched his chin. “Can’t rightly say.”

  “Think, Harry!” Grace urged. “It’s vitally important.”

  “Well…” The grizzled, gray-haired bartender hesitated. “I did hear the mean one, Roy, say something about that little boardinghouse that’s next door to Miss Adelaide’s place—”

  “I know where that is,” Daniel McCabe said. “It’s close.”

  “Show me,” Adam told him. “As for the rest of you—”

  Thinking over his next words, he paused and looked behind him. To his disbelief, the crowd actually appeared to have grown as more Morrow Creek citizens had joined their impromptu posse. Gazing into their determined yet fretful faces, Adam could not justifiably lead them into danger. Not even if they were willing to go, as—to a man and woman—they undeniably appeared to be.

  “The rest of you, bring the sheriff and whatever men he can spare,” Adam told them. If he knew Sheriff Caffey, it would take his well-intentioned “helpers” all night to convince the lawman that he should intervene. By then, Adam would have settled the matter, once and for all. Satisfied that he’d safeguarded the citizenry as well as he could, Adam turned to Mose. “Except you,” he said. “You, I’ll need help from, if you’re willing.”

  With an eager nod, Linus agreed. He turned his firearm around, then held it by the barrel. He offered it to Savannah.

  Trembling wildly, she grabbed it. “Thank you.”

  As though expecting her to simply set it aside—and then perhaps remove her gown to reveal a spangled stage costume—Linus clasped his hands between his knees. He watched her. His gaze shone up at her with all the enthusiasm of a small boy’s…if small boys had liked to watch ladies dance in skimpy attire.

  “I heard about this one partic’lar dance,” he said. “I think with some ostrich feather fans, or somethin’ like ’em—”

  “I’m afraid I won’t be able to dance for you after all, Linus.” Still shaking, Savannah raised the gun. She drew in a deep breath, then pointed it at him. “You see, I retired from the stage some time ago. When I did, I promised myself I’d never again be The Seductive Sensation—not for anyone.”

  He seemed mystified. He frowned. “But you said—”

  “She was lyin’, you saphead!” Mariana burst out. She shook her head. “I would’ve stopped you from doin’ that, only I never thought even you was dumb enough to fall for that trick.”

  Her words drew Savannah’s attention. Jerkily she nodded at Mariana, then gestured with the gun.

  “Would you please sit down next to Linus?” she asked.

  “I don’t see how you can make me,” Mariana retorted.

  “I do.” Linus’s gaze skittered to his gun. “She’s got my gun, Mariana! I guess you’d better just do what she says.”

  Reluctantly Mariana did. As she settled on the bed, she glanced out the murky window, giving Savannah new cause for concern. How much time did she have before Roy Bedell and his brothers arrived? Had Mariana already seen them coming?

  Sorrowfully, Linus shook his head. “Roy ain’t gonna like this one bit,” he said in an agitated tone. “He’s gonna know this is all my fault!” He eyed his lost weapon, still keeping his hands clasped childishly at his knees. “I’m gonna get a whalin’ like no other. He’ll prob’ly kill me, most likely.”

  Savannah felt sorry for that. But she couldn’t waver. With her heart pounding, she took a cautious step toward the door.

  “After I leave, there’s nothing to stop you from leaving, too,” she told Linus. “Just run away!” she urged. “Leave your brothers behind.” Unaccountably she wished she could help him. He seemed so lost and hopeless. “You can start over. You can!”

  Mariana scoffed. “That’s real sweet, Miss Priss. Do you have any idea what kind of dreadful things this man’s done?”

  Still holding the gun level, Savannah shook her head. She didn’t like the feel of the weapon or the need to use it, but she didn’t have much choice. “No, I don’t. I don’t know what you’ve done, either. But if you’re smart, you’ll get out of here, too. Go someplace where Roy Bedell can’t find you—both of you.”

  At that, Mariana seemed taken aback. She gazed at Savannah with the same keen acumen that Savannah had noticed earlier.
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  Then Mariana shook her head. “I’ve got some advice for you, too,” she said in a cynical tone. “Take the window instead.”

  But Savannah had already yanked open the door. Keeping her gaze fixed on Mariana and Linus, she went on pointing the gun at them. She stepped sideways. Almost there. She had to be smart, else risk having one of them rush at her and take away the gun.

  Moving faster, she stepped to the left. Again. Again.

  Her shoulder bumped into the doorjamb. Taking that as her signal, Savannah gripped the gun more tightly. She turned to run headlong down the hallway she expected to find.

  Unfortunately the hallway was already occupied.

  Savannah ran full chisel for a few steps toward freedom, then smacked straight into a man. With a grunt of surprise, she stumbled. His arms came around her to set her upright again.

  Adam, she thought crazily, suddenly desperate for his reassuring presence and capable manner. But this wasn’t Adam. Instead the man who’d grabbed her smelled of whiskey fumes and stale tobacco, grimy skin and unlaundered clothes. He emanated danger…and a conspicuous quantity of self-assurance, too.

  “Well now.” He treated her to a wholly unpleasant smile. Under other circumstances, he might have appeared boyishly handsome. As it was… He didn’t. “If it ain’t my dancin’ fiancée, come to call on us. What do you know about that, boys?”

  He had to be Roy Bedell. Before Savannah could do more than twist away from him, the other Bedell brothers were upon her.

  The tall, spooky-looking one wrestled away the weapon she’d taken from Linus. The sour-faced one who’d jeered at her in the Finneys’ yard snickered. The last one, muscular and grim, merely shoved her back in the room, herding her ahead of everyone else while Roy Bedell called out a greeting to “his woman,” Mariana.

  The door shut behind the lot of them. With a hollow feeling of despair, Savannah listened as it thudded closed, knowing that she’d just lost her best—and probably only—chance to get away.