Way Out West

by Blanche Marriott

  “I knew it.”

  “Knew what?” she asked, fingering the gem gingerly.

  “That it would match the color of your eyes perfectly.”

  A blush rose to her cheeks. Lifting her hand, he pressed her fingers to his lips. With his eyes closed, he tried to imprint the image of this moment to his memory forever.

  “Callie, would you do me a favor?”

  “Uh-oh, there’s a catch,” she said, fingering the heart.

  “No. No catch. I just want you to remember me as you see me now. This is me. I’m not some monster ogre as some would make me out to be. I live. I breathe. I love.”

  She dropped her hand. “What are you saying? Who are you?”

  “I can’t tell you everything, but I want you to know that I was married once. There was a terrible, messy divorce and there hasn’t been another woman in my life, until now.” He rubbed the backs of her fingers with his thumb.

  “Children?” Callie whispered, emotion choking her voice.

  He shook his head. “No. She couldn’t have been bothered. But my ex-wife is not who I want to talk about. It’s us. I want you to take me for what I am, this simple man who enjoys a simple life. I want you to know me in your heart without the shroud of hearsay. I’m genuine, Callie. On that you can depend.”

  Chapter Seven

  Genuine. What an odd way for a man to describe himself.

  In her room at the saloon, Callie removed the chain from her neck and wondered if that was the reason Rand given her the sapphire. It was genuine, like him.

  They’d eaten quietly after that, stealing looks at one another, smiling between bites of food. As promised, Rand wasted no time getting her back in time for work.

  As Callie changed into the light blue satin dress Becky had picked out, she glimpsed the sapphire on the dresser. Was it fate that the gem matched perfectly with her dress? Smiling, she fastened the chain around her neck again. She knew Rand meant it to keep him close to her.

  Looking in the mirror, she liked the effect of the black fur trim around the low-cut neck and hemline of her dress. It was chic, sophisticated. She pulled her hair up and twisted it into a knot, securing it with combs and letting the remainder fall loosely over one shoulder. A black feather band at the knot, and black velvet heels finished it off beautifully.

  Quickly touching up her makeup and adding dramatic red lipstick, Callie sailed out of the room and down the stairs. Rand was already there, not at a card table but at the bar talking to Becky, head to head, their voices low.

  Callie stopped behind them, swishing her dress until both heads turned at once. Rand sucked in his breath and beamed. Becky stared, mouth open, directly at her neck.

  “Where on earth did you get a nugget like that?”

  Rand took Callie’s hand and kissed the back gently.

  Mouth still open, Becky switched her stare to Rand. “Never mind. I think I have my answer.” When neither Callie nor Rand replied, Becky cleared her throat. “Listen, you two. I have a business to run. Rand, if you’re here for a game, get to a table. Callie, you start working the tables and pay attention to more than just one customer.” Her pointed glare needed no further explanation.

  “Yes, ma’am,” they both replied, then laughed before going their separate ways. Work had never been more appealing.

  * * *

  Callie could hardly believe two hours had passed already. She’d been so busy serving drinks and cigars and fetching chips for down-on-their-luck gamblers, she’d barely had time to share more than a glance with Rand.

  Carrying a tray of empty glasses to the bar, she sat on a stool to rest her feet. Her gaze drifted to Rand, cards in front of his face, pondering his ante. His eyes lifted, catching her gaze, and he winked before resuming his concentration.

  His wink warmed her insides. She smiled to herself and wished she could sit with him. But her smile quickly faded as the saloon doors swung open and an unshaven, disheveled Tyler lumbered in. His beady eyes surveyed the room then stopped to linger on Rand and the other players at his table.

  With a belligerent swagger, he eased his way in. “How you boys doin’ tonight?” Curt nods met his question. “Looks to me like there’s a pretty big winner at this here table.” He glared directly at Rand’s pile of chips. “Course we all have our lucky nights now and again. Ain’t it funny how that happens?”

  Callie watched breathlessly. She could see the little muscle twitch at the side of Rand’s temple and the tightening of his clenched jaw. But he never took his eyes off his cards.

  Tyler walked around the table. “I guess I’ll just find me another table that ain’t quite so lucky.” He shuffled to the next table, which had only three players, and sat in the chair facing Rand with a full view of the bar.

  That’s when he spotted Callie. Rising from his seat a notch, he nodded sarcastically, “Evenin’, ma’am.”

  Rand’s head shot up and he pierced Tyler with a hot glare.

  Unaffected, and obviously enjoying his taunt, Tyler smiled at Rand while nodding toward the bar. “Lovely lady.” He then called one of the other girls over and asked for some chips.

  The two tables resumed their card playing. To an outsider, everything would have appeared normal. But Callie knew differently. She saw the strain in Rand’s face. She saw the men at Tyler’s table nervously counting their chips, afraid to bet. She saw the same gloating look on Tyler’s face as he’d had the night before when his winnings had begun to pile up.

  In her trips around the room, she carefully avoided Tyler’s table, afraid of what might happen if he overstepped the unspoken bounds Rand patiently monitored.

  Becky touched her shoulder as she placed an empty tray on the bar. “Why don’t you take your break now? Fifteen minutes. There’s sandwiches and coffee in the kitchen.”

  Callie worried her bottom lip and nodded. “Thanks.”

  At the long table in the kitchen, she sat sideways with her legs stretched out on the bench and her shoes discarded on the floor. Ahh, relief. She’d poured herself a coffee and flexed her feet as she nibbled on a cucumber sandwich.

  The big kitchen door swung open letting in the sounds of music and chatter and heavy boots. She turned to see a worried Rand heading her way.

  “I’m off duty so if you want coffee, it’s over there.”

  Rand looked down at her stockinged feet. His worried face relaxed in what appeared to be amusement. “No sneakers?”

  “Don’t I wish,” she moaned, wiggling her toes.

  Rand sat at the end of the bench near her feet. He lifted them up and slid under, letting them rest in the comfort of his lap. With strong, precise fingers, he began massaging her aching feet, working the pain out of her soles and moving up to her toes. He took the time to carefully massage each toe while Callie closed her eyes and relished the exquisite sensation.

  She moaned. “That feels wonderful.” Opening her eyes, she glanced suspiciously at him. “Is this part of the courting?”

  He grinned. “Most definitely.”

  “I like it. Carry on.” Her eyelids drifted shut again.

  Rand chuckled but faithfully continued the foot massage. “I wanted to ask you something.”

  “Mmm?”

  “Would you come with me to church services in the morning?”

  Callie’s eyes flew open. “What? Church? I haven’t been in a church since...” She thought hard. “I don’t remember.”

  “You haven’t answered my question,” he reminded her.

  “Well, uh, do you attend services regularly? I mean, are you like a religious fanatic or something?”

  “You’re stalling, Callie. No, I’m not a religious fanatic. No, I don’t attend services regularly, but yes, I attend whenever I’m here. Now, will you come with me?” He stopped massaging and ran a finger down the underside of her foot.

  She jumped at the crude sensation. “Hey, cut that out!”

  “Will you?” He did the same to the other foot.

  “Stop
it, that tickles! Okay, yes. I’ll go with you.”

  But it wasn’t because he’d tickled her, it was because she could see how important this was to him. Whatever his reasons, she wanted to be with him. In fact, she didn’t want to be away from him at all and that thought provoked another.

  Only one week. What would happen when he left? Would he ever tell her who he was or how to find him when she left?

  Suddenly, unbidden doubts crept up on her. What if he didn’t tell her any of that? What if this was all a part of his vacation, his escape from reality, like a sailor on shore leave? Was the courtship just a part of his adventure?

  She grabbed for the gold heart at her neck and held it tightly. She couldn’t believe this was just a fantasy for him. She’d seen his eyes at dinner, his sincere plea to accept him at face value. It frightened her to think that might have been a prelude to a farewell speech.

  She decided to make his decision to leave a little more difficult. “Rand?”

  Once again massaging her feet, he murmured, “Yes, darlin’?”

  She pulled her feet from his lap and slid over to him. With an upturned face, she demanded, “Kiss me.”

  The words still reverberated in her throat as his mouth captured hers in fierce compliance. She clung to him, desperate arms about his neck seeking to keep him with her always.

  When Rand lifted his mouth, he panted his strangled words. “I swear, I’ve never been kissed like that. Heaven knows I can’t resist you, Callie.”

  She smiled. That’s exactly what she was hoping for.

  They were still linked in each other’s embrace when the kitchen door suddenly swung open and Becky’s voice bellowed. “Good Lord, is there an invisible umbilical cord connecting you two?”

  * * *

  As midnight approached, the drinkers and gamblers showed no signs of letting up. It was Saturday night and they were there to make the most of it.

  Rand had done well at the table. He’d won big, then lost a little, but came back with a vengeance. Now, as it grew late, he felt his concentration slipping and decided to call it quits.

  Not that he was tired. No. Distracted was more like it and the distraction had a name. Callie. She’d occupied his every thought since he’d set eyes on her Friday and she’d kept his blood pumping since they’d shared a saddle.

  As he threw in his last hand, he scooped his chips into his hat and stood up. “Gentlemen, I thank you for a very pleasant evening.” Signaling the closest saloon girl, he dropped a handful of chips on her tray. “Drinks for my friends here.”

  “Evenin’, Rand.” A quiet voice from behind startled him.

  Rand turned to see the telegraph clerk with a message in his hand. “Evenin’, Willard. Working late tonight?”

  “Yes, sir. I was just locking up when this came in for you. I knew you’d be anxious to see it.” Handing the paper to Rand, the little man shifted from foot to foot. Uncomfortable around people, he was more at ease within his quiet telegraph office, making friends through Morse Code.

  “Thank you, Willard. Can I buy you a drink?”

  “No, sir. Thank you anyway. I best be goin’.”

  Rand reached into his pocket and pulled out some bills. Stuffing them into the man’s hand, he thanked him again. “You have yourself a good night now.”

  With the hat weighing down his hand, Rand strolled over to the cashier’s window and cashed in his chips. While waiting for the clerk to count out his winnings, he read the telegram and nodded to himself. Leaving the cashier a share of his winnings, he tucked the paper inside his pocket and strode over to Callie.

  “I have to step out for a few minutes.” He lowered his voice. “Don’t go near Tyler. He’s trouble.”

  “I don’t need a crystal ball to tell me that,” she quipped.

  With a purposeful gait, Rand headed out the door and directly for the Sheriff’s office. A single oil lamp burned on the wall. All jail cells were empty and Sheriff Clayton sat with his chair tipped against the wall, feet up on his desk.

  Rand shut the door with force, rattling the windows.

  The Sheriff nearly fell over on the chair but recovered enough to at least put his hand to his gun.

  “What the...oh, Rand. What’s all the commotion?”

  Without preliminaries, Rand cut right to business. “That stranger, Tyler. Here’s what I found out about him.” He tossed the telegram on the desk and paced while the Sheriff read it.

  Rubbing his face with a tired hand, Clayton frowned. “What am I supposed to do with this information?”

  “Help me find out what he’s up to. Something about him last night triggered some bad vibes but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Now I can. The other man named in that telegram, Kyle Thornton, is his brother. I had to fire him. He’s a dangerous computer hacker and he was doing it on company time. My company escaped a major lawsuit thanks to some dedicated employees who stood up for me.”

  The Sheriff rose, scratching the back of his head. “I still don’t get what that has to do with Tyler Thornton being here.”

  “His rap sheet shows he’s a small-time thief and scam artist. I figure Kyle Thornton got him to come here to do some dirty work while he sits at home in front of a computer. His goal is to get to me. He wants to see me fall, hard.”

  “Like I said, what am I supposed to do?”

  “Keep an eye on Tyler Thornton. In the meantime, I’ll wire my office to dig up as much as they can on both Thorntons and wire the findings to you personally. Too many telegrams coming to me might raise a flag.”

  “Where’s Tyler now?”

  “I just left him at the saloon. He likes his poker, but I’m not so sure he’s straight about that either.”

  Fitting his hat on his head, Clayton said, “Well, why don’t I just take a stroll over there and get a look at this fellow.”

  * * *

  Rand waited a few minutes outside the saloon until the Sheriff made his entrance. From what he could see through the window, Tyler Thornton didn’t even flinch when Clayton made his way around, but his gaze followed the Sheriff’s back until he sat at a table on the far side of the room.

  Rand finally went in, walked close to Tyler’s seat and signaled to the Sheriff with a slight nod. He then continued to the piano where Becky leaned, overseeing the activity.

  With his back against the wall, Rand spoke in a low voice. “I was right. He’s Kyle Thornton’s brother and he has a reputation as a small-time criminal.”

  Becky raised an eyebrow. “What are you going to do?”

  “Wait. Watch. Not much else I can do. I’m afraid there’s one small complication to consider though.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Callie.” Rand shuffled his feet and blew out an exasperated breath. “He’s seen us together too often. I’m afraid he might use her to get to me. I’m going to do my best to be with her as much as possible. But when I’m not, you’ve got to watch her for me, be my eyes and ears. You can’t let him near her.”

  Becky nodded. He knew he could trust her. Besides Sheriff Clayton and Abe, she was the only other person in Way Out West who knew who he was and she’d never let it slip out.

  He then eased over to the bar to be close to Callie while watching Tyler Thornton. Rand would stay until the skunk left.

  * * *

  Callie had been eyeing the clock. Ten minutes until closing. She hadn’t had more than a minute or two to exchange a smile or quick word with Rand since he’d posted himself at the bar. She smiled at him now, slumped over, head on his arm, hat tipped to one side. The day had just been too much for him.

  She put her tray down and touched a hand to his shoulder, shaking it slightly. “Hey, Maverick. Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in your bed?”

  “Huh?” Rand raised his head, heavy lids fought against the light of the lamps.

  “We’re closing in ten minutes. You can’t sleep here.”

  “No. I’m not leaving until—“ He looked around the room, his head
jerking from left to right. “Where’s Tyler?”

  “He left a while ago. Why?”

  Relieved, he slumped back on the bar until Callie’s hand took hold of his chin and forced his gaze to meet hers.

  “Why?” she asked adamantly.

  “I’m just making sure he doesn’t cause any more trouble.”

  Callie squinted at the sleepy gambler. “Do you mean with you or me?”

  “Am I that transparent?” he asked with a yawn.

  “Unfortunately, no. I’m just very perceptive.” She put a hand under his arm trying to get him up from his seat. “Now, I want you to get on out of here and get some sleep. We still have to clean up and we don’t need to be cleaning around you.”

  Rand struggled to his feet. “Okay, but one more thing.”

  “What?”

  He removed his cocked hat with one hand and with the other pulled her close to his chest. He propped the hat in front of their profiles so their kiss was hidden from others in the room.

  Callie couldn’t help but giggle against his lips. He looked at her, puzzled.

  “Are my kisses that funny?”

  “No, but if you didn’t want anyone to see,” she bobbed her head toward the back of the bar, “you should have covered the mirror, too.”

  Staring at the mirror as though it had just appeared out of nowhere, he shrugged. “Oh well.” Then he took her fully into his arms and planted a wondrous kiss upon her waiting lips.

  From all around the room, the throat clearing and sniggles grew louder and louder until the couple broke their kiss. Undaunted, Rand pecked the tip of her nose.

  “Church services, tomorrow morning, ten-thirty. Right?”

  She’d forgotten. “Ten-thirty? That’s awfully early.”

  “Ten-thirty,” he repeated with emphasis.

  * * *

  A persistent rapping at the door roused Callie from the dregs of sleep. With one eyelid cracked, she noted that it was daylight and a bright day at that. The pillow beneath her head soon made its way over her head to block the invading daylight.