Smitty’s eyes opened wide. “Will he come looking for you?”
She turned back to the card table and muttered, “I doubt it. I’m sure by now he’s found someone else to amuse him.”
“Well, we don’t want any trouble here.”
Sighing, Callie propped a hand under her chin. No, we don’t want trouble. If she got involved with Rand, is that what would happen? Was she ready to jump into another relationship with no idea where it was headed? No idea of who he was?
She’d squandered enough time on Keith, her eternal graduate student fiancé who thought of her more as a research assistant/ secretary than a love interest. She wondered how long it had taken him, three years ago, to realize she’d left.
For six months after that, she’d lived under the admonishing glare of her parents who couldn’t understand her lack of commitment. Running off had only reinforced that belief. As she jumped from job to job, she soon saw how right her parents had been, and when her relationship with Spider fell short of fulfilling, she knew it was time to leave before she latched onto another mistake.
Now, here she was, in the middle of nowhere, falling for someone she barely knew. How did she get herself into this mess? If she was going to invest in a relationship, she needed to be sure who she was first, and who he was second. She couldn’t afford emotional bankruptcy.
Rand turned his head while the cards were being dealt. He caught her stare and, with a small twitch of his cheek, winked. Callie blushed and smiled back. God, he was handsome.
Thankfully, he had turned back to the cards and picked up his hand. She’d noticed he never picked them up until all were dealt. Technique? Superstition? Maybe nothing more than just the way he liked to play. But he seemed to study each card very carefully as he picked them up slowly, one at a time.
The stranger, Tyler, appeared agitated every time they had to wait and Callie guessed he operated on a short fuse. With his scruffy beard and disheveled clothes, she pegged him as lowlife and wondered why he’d come to a place like this.
“So.” Becky’s approach interrupted Callie’s thoughts. “Do you think you’re ready for action tomorrow night? Ready to start your tour of duty?”
Callie nodded. “I’ve done enough waitressing to handle a few drink orders from a bunch of cowboys.”
“Ahh, but it’s not just the orders. If you’ve been observing the girls, you noticed their mannerisms, their treatment of the patrons. There’s a subtle technique to making each one feel as though they are the only one. Each girl has her own style. You’ll have to develop yours.”
“What about the tips?”
“You get to keep whatever you earn. No mandatory sharing.”
“But it’s not real money.”
“No, but you can cash it in at the bank, put it into your account, or spend it anywhere in town.”
“On what? My meals and room are provided.” With her hands, she ruffled her skirt. “Even the clothes.”
“But there’s lots of stuff in the general store and there are some clothes stores if you want to purchase something to take home with you when you leave. The leather goods are superior to anything you’d get on the outside. You might want to hire a horse to go riding—“
“Oh, no! I won’t be spending my money on a horse.”
Becky laughed. “Oh, right. You didn’t have a very pleasant experience today. Anyway, there’s plenty to spend on. I think you’ll be surprised at the things you’ll be preoccupied with once you get to know your way around.” She glanced in Rand’s direction. “Unless, of course, you’re totally preoccupied with a one-car train on a one-way track.”
As they both laughed, Callie followed Becky’s eyes to where Rand had just thrown in his hand and scraped up the few chips in front of him. Downing the remainder of his drink, he stood.
“I think I’ll be calling it a night. Gentlemen.” He nodded to the three players and turned away from the table.
The loud scrape of a chair on the wood floor brought the room to silence and turned all heads. Tyler stood at the table, his gun drawn and aimed directly at Rand’s back.
“That’s the second time tonight you’ve walked away from this table,” he growled.
Without turning, Rand stopped and shrugged. “So?”
“So I don’t like it,” Tyler threatened, cocking the hammer.
There was a loud, simultaneous intake of breath from everyone in the room. The loudest came from Callie who nearly choked on her gasp. Rand faced her, his back to the stranger, his expression reassuring. A shadow of a smile turned his lips and his eyelids blinked lazily.
Only then did she notice he had his thumbs hooked on his gun belt and his back appeared stiff, ready for action.
My God! They’re going to have a gunfight right here in the saloon, right before my eyes! What if Rand is killed?
She couldn’t bear the thought of losing him before she even knew him. They had so much to learn about each other, so much to experience together. For the first time in her life, she was afraid for a man she cared about.
The fear in her belly thundered up to her chest and without warning bellowed from her throat. “No!”
Rand looked at her in surprise. No, puzzlement. He seemed confused as to why she was so concerned, as though he’d completely forgotten about the gun aimed at his back.
Finally, he raised a hand, signaling for her to stay put and not make another sound. Then loudly, for the benefit of Tyler’s ears, he spoke slowly.
“What you like or don’t like is of no concern to me. I’m here to play cards, nothing more. I’ve had my fill for the night and now I’m through. If you have a problem with that, we can discuss it outside. There’s no need to get all these nice, gentle folk involved in a petty argument.”
“Petty? You call cheating petty? I call it a crime and I think you should pay.”
A few people scrambled out the door while others ducked under tables. Callie simply froze, staring into Rand’s calm face, wondering if he’d live to kiss her again.
“Sir, are you calling me a cheat?” Rand asked, his hand slipping lower on his gun belt.
“You heard right!”
Rand spun around, whipping his gun up at arm’s length, catching Tyler by surprise. Before the scoundrel knew what had happened, Rand snatched his gun and disarmed him.
“Well, you’re wrong. Dead wrong. In fact if there were bullets in this gun, you’d be dead because I don’t take kindly to being called a cheat.”
Callie sighed inwardly. No bullets. Of course! Rand had said they weren’t loaded. So why pull guns on each other if they weren’t loaded?
She remembered the fight outside, the cheering spectators. It had to be a male thing. The element of danger, the hunt, the kill. But that didn’t stop her anger toward Rand for doing this to her, making her believe he was in danger.
He stepped closer to Tyler. “If I was cheating, how come you’re the one with the big pile of chips and I’m empty handed?”
Tyler showed signs of relenting. He looked nervously about the room. “I...I don’t know. Maybe you were just setting me up to take me for everything later.”
Rand pushed his gun in Tyler’s chest and spoke in a low tone. “Why don’t you just pick up your winnings and high-tail it out of here before you get hurt?”
A few titters of laughter crossed the room. Tyler grumbled something under his breath and did as Rand suggested. Just before he pushed open the door he sent a blazing look in Rand’s direction, then left without another word.
Rand set his gun back in his holster. He aimed a blank gaze at the door and took a big breath as though he were trying to regain the composure he so handily displayed just moments before. After endless minutes, he finally turned and walked over to the bar where he slid Tyler’s gun to Smitty. Then, leaning his elbows on the polished wood, he looked from Becky to Callie.
“The two of you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Callie knew her face was probably white as a sheet, but w
hen she turned to Becky, she was surprised to see hers was just as blanched. Wasn’t she used to this sort of thing? If showdowns were a regular occurrence, why would she seem so shaken? And why hadn’t she warned Callie about this?
Becky said nothing, but Callie decided Rand deserved a piece of her mind. “Is this the way gentlemen act in front of ladies? Scaring them half out of their wits playing with guns?”
Rand stiffened his shoulders. Becky gaped at Callie’s harsh tone before shaking herself and skirting around the bar.
“If the two of you will excuse me, I think I’ll mingle among the patrons and try to calm everyone down. That might not be a bad idea over here either.”
As she left, Rand peered at Callie, a quizzical look on his face. “What are you talking about?”
“The show you just put on, that bold display of male ego. And don’t try to act innocent. I should have guessed you were an actor with your good looks and charm and easy manner.”
Rand looked around to see if anyone was listening. “Shush, Callie. You’re getting upset for nothing.”
“Don’t shush me! I’m not going to fall for any more shenanigans around here. Real or not.”
She made her way around the bar and headed for the stairs. Rand caught up with her, holding her forearm to keep her from leaving. “Let go, you big ox, you’re hurting me.” She reached out, groping for anything in an effort to fight back. She caught his string tie and yanked hard, breaking it in her hand.
Rand immediately released his hold. “I’m sorry, Callie. Give me a minute to explain, please. You’ve got it all wrong.”
“I think what I’ve got all wrong is the idea that I can fit in around here. You’re all so weird. You really believe all this western stuff. Well, you can’t go back. We’re in the twenty-first century.”
She took a few steps up, but Rand caught up with her and held her wrists. With a determined, but gentle pull, he sat her down on the step and sat facing her.
“What you just saw was no act. I’m not an actor, I’m a guest. Sometimes things happen when people get caught up in the lure of the West. Men draw their guns as a sign of dominance.” He lifted his gun from his holster. “See, the guns here have no chamber for bullets. They’re harmless.” After she inspected it, he put it away. “Just because we don’t have ammunition doesn’t mean it’s any less meaningful. We men like to show our aggression sometimes.”
“And those of us who don’t know are scared senseless.”
“I apologize, but if you recall, I didn’t start the fight.”
“But why did you have to draw your gun? It didn’t mean anything. You couldn’t have done anything.”
“Purely symbolic. With my swiftness and accuracy, I threw him off guard and he knows I would have beat him in a standoff.”
She turned her head away and huffed. “Well, I still don’t like it. I was worried sick.”
Rand put a finger to her cheek and turned her head. “You were afraid for me. I like that. I’m flattered that you cared enough to be concerned about my welfare.”
“I just didn’t want to see any blood shed.”
He smiled, slow and engaging. “No, you were afraid for me. Admit it.”
“I didn’t want to see the other guy get hurt either.”
“Admit it.”
“Everyone in the place was scared out of their wits.”
“Callie.” He moved his head closer and his lips touched a thousand nerve endings at once as his mouth brushed hers. “Say it. Say you care.”
When his hands moved over her shoulders, she suddenly lost her reason for being angry. She was just glad he was safe and sound. She abruptly threw her arms around his neck and hugged tightly with a trembling need. “Yes, I was afraid you’d be killed. I was afraid I’d never...”
“What? Never what?” he whispered in her ear.
“Afraid I’d never kiss you again.”
He moved his head back to look into her eyes while his own sparkled as brightly as his smile.
“Then do it now before I die waiting.”
It was an urgent kiss. The adrenaline that had pumped in her veins only moments before helped to strengthen the passion that burst forth from her every pore. Her hands searched his hair, feeling the cool waves sift between her fingers.
Like cold water thrown on a fire, a giddy laughter bubbled up from the floor below. Callie turned her head to see Sasha and two of the other girls walk by exchanging secret comments. Looking at Rand, she saw passion burning in his eyes and desire swelling his lips.
But this was not the time or place for any of this. She lowered her head and licked the remnants of Rand’s sweetness from her lips. “People are watching.”
“Let them.”
“You’re the one who’s always so concerned about me being a proper lady and you a gentleman. Do you really want to cause such a spectacle?”
“That’s a very unfair question after what I’ve just been through.”
“Are you talking about the standoff or our kiss?”
“I’m talking about the things that were going through my mind when we kissed. I’m talking about you and me and what’s happening between us.”
Callie turned forward, her eyes averted. “What is happening between us? We’ve only known each other a day.”
Rand sidled up to her on the stair. “Is there a specific time frame in which to know you’re attracted to someone?”
“Well, no, but—“
“Then don’t worry. Just let it happen. You’ve already said you think I’m good looking. And charming. And I take it you like my easy manner?”
Callie felt her face warm. Why had she said those things? Yes, she believed all that, but if he expected her to be a proper lady, she needed to slow things down a bit, take a breath while she still had some.
When she didn’t answer him, he reached for her hand and tenderly fondled it in the two of his. His thumb rubbed the sensitive web of skin between her thumb and forefinger. Her whole arm tingled as hairs rose to attention.
He lifted her hand, stroking the limp wrist as he brought her fingers to his lips. Her index finger, slightly higher than the others, brushed against the soft bristles of his mustache and she shivered. He kissed the very tip of the finger, then examined it as if it might have changed. He then kissed the first knuckle, letting his lips linger.
Callie caught herself holding her breath but could no more let it out than tell him to stop. His dark lashes fanned against his cheeks as he continued his attentive pursuit. He moved up to the next knuckle, kissing gently. She finally let out her breath before her chest burst open. She’d never been so awakened by something so trivial as a man kissing her hand. But then, she’d never had a man kiss her hand, and she certainly had never imagined it to be anything like this!
When Rand finally turned her hand over and pressed her palm to his hot lips, she closed her eyes to capture the feeling forever. Before she could stop herself, she sighed, “Oh, Rand.”
With his other hand, he cradled her face. She leaned into it as his thumb rubbed along the swell of her bottom lip. As he looked down, he cocked his head to one side.
“Nice shoes. Too bad they don’t match your dress.”
Callie self-consciously rubbed her sneakers together. “My feet were hurting. No one could see them behind the bar.” She searched his eyes. “I’m sorry about your tie,” she murmured.
“I’ve had worse things done to me.” Then smiling, he whispered, “But nothing like what Miss Becky will do if I don’t get out of here.”
She opened her eyes as he stood up and descended the stairs slowly, his burning eyes never leaving hers.
Chapter Five
“As I live and breathe, I thought I’d seen everything, but tonight takes the cake.”
Becky emptied ashtrays into a tin bucket while Callie and the other girls gathered up glasses. Callie was too preoccupied with her own disbeliefs to even question Becky’s. But true to her forthright style, Becky continued the one-
way conversation.
“In a horse they call it loco, in a man they call it love.”
When the other girls giggled, Callie knew exactly what man Becky referred to.
“I wouldn’t call a walk and a little kiss love,” Callie remarked as she plunked down a tray of glasses on the bar.
“If you’d known Rand as long as I have you would. My remarks were half-joking when you came riding into town with him. I was even surprised when he left the card game to go for a walk and returned with lipstick smudges and a twinkle in his eye.” Shaking her head in wonder, “But after that display on the stairs, I’m downright serious. Rand is not the same man who rode into town.”
Callie opened her mouth to comment, then thought better of it. A question niggling at her since the showdown between Rand and Tyler seemed more appropriate.
“Becky? That showdown, does that happen often?”
“Oh, sure. These men get all caught up in the spirit of the Old West. The testosterone kicks in and they’re ready to outdo anyone who looks at them cross-eyed. It happens a couple times a week.”
Callie swiped a damp rag across a table while Becky straightened some chairs. “So why were you so shocked when Rand and Tyler did it?”
Becky stopped and leveled a stare at Callie. “Because it’s not like him. He’s as gentlemanly and reserved as any man I’ve ever met. He’s never been aggressive.”
“Maybe he had no choice. I mean, Tyler was pretty adamant about his accusation. Nobody likes to be called a cheat.”
“No. It was more than that. Any other time, Rand would have just let it roll off his back and continued on his way. This was different, as though he had to prove something.”
Her unwavering stare penetrated Callie’s. She looked down, remembering how he’d kissed the hand she now stared at.
“So, if they’d had real guns and Rand hadn’t been so fast he could’ve been killed and it would’ve been my fault, right?”
Becky went to Callie and put a comforting arm around her. “Let’s just forget about that little incident and concentrate on what we’re going to do about you and Rand.”
Way Out West Page 6