What could be better?
* * *
Burke O’Shaughnessy was a trickster. A con man. Bunko. And Lexie had to admit, he had prestidigitated himself into her heart. She knew he was skilled at sleight of hand, but thought herself immune to sleight of heart. Now that she knew it wasn’t the case, she’d be much more cautious in her dealings with him. Even Charity couldn’t keep hold of him.
The train schedule called for an overnight stop at Cuchara. Lexie took one peek out the window and decided that even though she needed the exercise, the short walk to the general store and the only hotel would have to do. She hadn’t seen the hotel yet, but judging from the other structures, it probably wasn’t exactly the Waldorf-Astoria.
Once they deboarded, Lexie took her valise from Burke and headed out of the depot while he dealt with the porter.
Burke jammed some money in the porter’s hand and took off after her. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“For a walk.” She kept walking. A town this size would have a mercantile not far from the depot.
“In a mining town?”
“I live in a mining town. Do you have a point?”
“The point is, you’re the most beautiful woman any of them have ever seen, and odds are a hundred to one that they’ll not leave you alone.”
“There’s several hundred out there. So you think only a hundred will find me attractive?”
Burke grabbed her hand and pulled her along to the depot door. “You’re staying with me,” he growled. He bounded down the steps, then reached up, spanned her waist, and lifted her to the ground, then held her just a moment longer than need be. Or as long as she wanted him to.
“Only if you go where I go.”
“We have all night. Maybe we can find you some more clothes.”
“This is a new dress, only worn today. I could get it cleaned while I have my bath.” Besides, she doubted if a decent dress existed in this town. Nor would she try on clothes while Burke was anywhere in the vicinity.
First they checked in at the hotel.
“I’d like a room, please.”
The clerk ignored her and shoved to register to Burke. “Sign please. You can sign for the missus as well.”
“She’s my sister, and we’ll need two rooms.”
Sister? Sister? Just as Charity was his sister?
“Baths in both rooms, please.”
“Sorry, I’ve only got me and a girl here tonight. You can have one bath.”
“Is there a bath house?”
“Next block over.”
“Then send a bath to my sister’s room, and I’ll go out for mine. My sister would like to have her dresses brushed and aired.” He flipped twenty dollars on the counter.
“Yes, sir.” The clerk snatched the money and jammed it in his pocket. “We can arrange that.”
Bathing was lovely—Lexie soaked until she nearly turned into a pickle. In fact, she hadn’t even finished dressing when Burke knocked on the door.
“Hungry?” he called.
Ten minutes later, they were seated in the dining room downstairs. The restaurant surprised her with its sophisticated menu. She’d expected venison stew and biscuits, but she had several choices—beef steak, fried chicken, fried trout, and a variety of salads.
After dinner, she went to her room to read after confiscating all but two hundred dollars from Burke. He could carouse all he wanted. She didn’t care. At all.
“It’s still light out. Want to take a walk? You’ll be sitting all day tomorrow.”
“True, and I’ve sat more in the last few days than I have all year.” Her sit-down was getting plenty tired of it. “I’ll be ready as soon as I change shawls.” After she washed her face, she grabbed her shawl and joined him for their excursion.
Burke stood in the lobby, waiting, and smiled when he saw her. “I haven’t traveled in this area much, so let’s go sightseeing.” He offered his arm and escorted her to the street.
The town looked the same as any other mining town—the bank, hotel, mercantile, laundry, and restaurants were on one side of town, and the saloons and brothels were on the other side of the tracks.
He steered her toward the respectable side. Several boys played dodgeball in the street. When one of the balls bounded their way, he pulled Lexie aside and caught it with his usual flourish. The next thing she knew, he was out in the street, juggling balls, and attracting a crowd.
The boys laughed and hopped up and down as he tossed balls to them and they threw them back as fast as they could. Burke spun the balls, spun himself, and soon he worked up a sweat. The mother of the boys brought him a glass of lemonade and a handkerchief. After he wiped his brow, he somehow turned the cloth from crumbled white to crisply ironed pink and gave it back to her. The woman beamed as she clapped, then went back to the boardwalk to watch.
Lexie couldn’t help but be impressed by his talent for making others happy. Even when he swindled them out of their money, they seemed to have a good time. He was simply magnetic.
Despite the boys’ pleas to continue, Burke finally begged off. “You wouldn’t want me to ignore my lady, now would you?”
Their fallen expressions indicated that they clearly would, but they were polite boys, and thanked him for his good show. He joined Lexie once again.
“You were wonderful,” she said as she took his arm as if she were claiming a prize. Actually, she was. Unfortunately, this prize was a free spirit, and no woman would keep his attention for long. He didn’t even stay with Charity.
Dusk began to settle in as the sun’s last rays cascaded over the western mountains. The streets cleared and they headed back to the hotel. It had been a wonderful outing.
Abruptly, a man with a pistol leapt from behind the bath house. “Yer money. All of it. Now.”
Chapter 9
“Aw, you should’ve caught me earlier,” Burke drawled. “If you had a lady like mine, would you have any money left?”
The thief waggled the pistol. “Yer right. I’ll take the lady, too.”
Burke had to play this round carefully, for Lexie’s safety mattered more than anything else. He noted the man was unsteady on his feet, and his eyes were dilated nearly black. Opium. A desperate man needing money for his habit. While Burke wasn’t averse to giving money to those in need, he drew the line at opium eaters.
He pushed Lexie to the side. “A fine man such as yourself must have plenty of ladies around.”
“Ain’t got none like her.”
The second the thief switched his gaze to Lexie, Burke palmed his derringer and kicked the pistol out of the man’s grip. He crouched, preparing to fight, but the man stood still as a wooden Indian, staring at his empty hand.
“How’d you do that?”
“Magic. Lexie, pick up the pistol and train it on this fellow. We’re taking a little trip to the doctor’s office.”
“Shouldn’t we take him to the marshal?”
“The marshal can’t do anything about his opium habit.”
She studied the position of the pistol, then circled around Burke’s back to fetch it. He was proud of how she’d understood what to do. Just a few days before, she’d have made a mess of it all.
“You ain’t takin’ me to jail?”
“Nope. But I don’t want you robbing innocent people, either. We’ll see if the doc can help you out.”
* * *
Lexie woke up, still exhausted after the harrowing incident with the opium eater. That the hotel room had been rented with money from three-card monte didn’t seem to matter so much anymore. She’d tossed most of the night, thinking about Burke—how the children loved him, how she tingled when he held her.
Quite a lot of wondrous tingles, in fact.
Did she trust him? Yes, she trusted that he’d try to get her in his bed.
Did she trust herself? Not at all.
At the rap on the door, she let in the maid, who carried a pitcher. “Mr. O’Shaughnessy said to bring you warm water for your morning ab
lutions. I also have your cleaned dresses, which I’ll bring up shortly, and coffee, too.” She poured the water into the wash basin. “Mr. O’Shaughnessy said to ask what you want, and I was to get it, which I’m right happy to do.”
The young maid was obviously twitterpated over “Mr. O’Shaughnessy.” What Lexie really wanted was some peace and quiet. “Thank you, but no, I can’t think of anything else I need.”
“Mr. O’Shaughnessy said to tell you he’ll order up breakfast, and to ask whether you’ll be eating in his room, or if he needs to come here.”
“I’ll let you know when you bring up the dresses. Now if you’ll excuse me—”
“Yes’m.” She bobbed a pseudo-curtsy. “I’ll go tell Mr. O’Shaughnessy what you said.”
“I’m sure he’ll appreciate it.”
An hour later, with more than a little interference from the smitten maid, they finally sat down to breakfast in her room—it was the larger of the two.
“Do you think the doctor can help that man with his opium habit?” Lexie asked, looking up from the newspaper. The maid had brought two, even though Burke had only paid for one. Lexie was grateful, though. She hadn’t read a newspaper in a week.
Burke lowered his paper. “Don’t know, but I doubt it. At least he can give him a good talking-to.” He resumed reading.
She admired how Burke had handled the situation, especially since she wouldn’t have been nearly so compassionate. He had a big heart and helped more people than anyone she’d ever known. It made no sense that this same person could trick money from others without a qualm.
An article on the fourth page of the paper caught her attention—a college! Right up the tracks, in Colorado Springs. She had submitted applications to several institutions, but hadn’t received a response from any of them, and most had probably filled their staffs for the fall semester by now.
A visit to the college here would be in order. “Does the train stop in Colorado Springs?”
“Yep,” he said, without taking his gaze from the paper.
“For how long?”
“Couple hours, I suppose.”
“I’d like to visit the college there.”
“Why?”
“If you must know, to apply for a job.”
He folded the newspaper and took a drink of coffee. “I doubt they have much need for cleaning women in the summer.”
“Clever.” He knew very well she wouldn’t be applying for a custodial position. “I’m applying for a professorship. My degree is in mathematics, but I’ve also taken enough chemistry to qualify, and I assayed all our mine’s ore for the past year.”
“Don’t you want to marry? Have children?”
She shrugged. “My mother taught piano at the local college in New York and she had two children. I don’t see where teaching mathematics would be any different.” She failed to mention that her mother was never granted a professorship, and received minimal pay as a tutor even though she was the best pianist and teacher on the staff.
“Seems like a waste of talent to me.”
“Teaching others? It’s quite a challenge.”
“We need to find Patrick first, but we’ll stop at the college on the way back. Would that be all right? It’d only be a day or two delay.”
“Yes, of course. Finding my future brother-in-law is my first priority. Absolutely.”
Burke winced, which was why she’d said it in the first place. His reaction to his brother’s impending nuptials was the only predictable thing about him.
* * *
Deep red obelisks towered above the junipers as the train chugged from Colorado City to Manitou Springs. Burke wondered why he hadn’t visited the health resort before. Money and beauty—that was quite a draw.
The scenic ride to the Saratoga of the West had been incredibly beautiful, and on the return trip, he wanted to take Lexie north to one of the tourist mule rides through the Garden of the Gods.
She’d had her nose in either a book or a newspaper most of the way, only occasionally glancing out the window at the wonders they passed. Somehow or another, he’d figure out a way to teach that woman how to live. There was a lot more of interest in this world besides books and numbers.
The Indian salve had done wonders on his shiner. A manicure along with the salve made quick work of the damage to his hands, and they showed only a faint sign of the other night’s abuse. He could shuffle, riffle, deal seconds, and palm cards easily with no pain. His fingertips could sense the slightest variation in the edges of the cards, and he could extract any card and place it on either the top or the bottom of the deck with ease.
Yes, he was ready for the deep pockets of those seeking the healthy waters of Manitou Springs. He practiced the glide shift a few times, and then the false table riffle shuffle. Life was good as long as a man had a deck of cards and a good woman.
Lexie closed her book and put it on her lap. “Where’s the best place to stay?”
“Manitou House. I wired ahead for reservations. It’s near the springs and close to the action, so odds are in our favor that Patrick will be staying there.”
“Home sounds good. I’m tired of bug-infested hotel rooms and lousy beds.”
“Not to worry.” He shuffled and riffled. “I heard it’s quite nice. ‘Luxurious’ was the term used.” Lexie deserved the best. As soon as they found Patrick, he’d make sure she had a taste of the good life before she drowned herself in equations.
“Better put your cards away—we’re almost there.” She jammed the book into her handbag. “What are your plans after you find him?”
“Then it’s off to St. Louis to claim our inheritance.” He’d missed their mother, even though her “respectable” second husband had made it clear that he didn’t want any sharpers around the house.
“How long has it been since you’ve seen your mother?”
“Ten years, I suppose.” With a final riffle, he slid the deck into his vest pocket.
She gasped and glared at him. “Ten years? A decade without seeing your mother?”
“It was best for all. She’s living the life of a respected lady.”
Lexie situated her valise and prepared for deboarding. “And how long has it been since you saw your brother?”
“Probably half that. Charity’s seen him, though. Runs into him a couple times a year. He generally works riverboats—I don’t much anymore, so that’s why we aren’t in the same place at the same time.”
“But you’re not estranged?”
“Naw, nothing like that. Just the way the chips fall, is all.”
The train whistle tooted and the steam whooshed as they slowed coming into town, then crept to the depot and finally stopped. He grabbed Lexie’s valise as well as his own. With those skirts, she had enough to do negotiating the crowd without carrying bags, too.
Once they finally stepped onto the platform, a porter took their bags and their baggage claim tickets. “You can wait in the lobby, sir. I’ll come get you once your trunks are loaded.”
Burke slipped him a ten when Lexie wasn’t looking. She had a strange notion when it came to giving people money who actually needed it. People milled about, and Burke led Lexie through the crowd to the lobby.
“If you’ll sit here, I’ll rent a buggy.”
“I’m tired of sitting.”
The porter signaled to Burke. “Trunks are loaded and the carriage is waiting for you and the missus.”
As they were leaving, a tall man with a bushy mustache and weathered skin who looked out of place in his crisp black sack suit and derby, tapped his arm and slipped him a note. “Read it in private.”
Pinkerton. Burke would’ve bet his lucky hundred-dollar bill on it. They’d just have to do without him this time—he had other prizes to win. By the looks of the well-dressed gents wandering about, a lot of money could be made in this little burg.
“There’s not a flat lot in the town,” Lexie commented.
“Appears so.”
The c
ommercial buildings occupied what few level lots existed, but nearly all the houses were propped up on the hillside.
“They must have some sort of patio competition.” She referred to the porticos and patios, all gaily decorated with fancy wrought iron and jam-packed with colorful flower pots.
Anxious to see what the Pinkerton wanted, and even more anxious to find Patrick, Burke was in no mood to dawdle.
* * *
Lexie smiled at the women who eyed Burke with appreciation as he escorted her into the Manitou House. Not often in her life had she been the envy of other women. Never, actually. If Burke ever did marry, his wife would have to defend her territory with the determination of a mother grizzly.
“I have a reservation—two rooms for Burke and Mrs. O’Shaughnessy.”
She had mixed emotions about checking into hotels as his wife. On the one hand, it did preserve her respectability as long as no one found out she was, in fact, Miss Alexandra Campbell. On the other hand, she knew that no man of Burke O’Shaughnessy’s carefree demeanor and extraordinary good looks would ever be attracted to her, and she certainly wouldn’t be with him now if it weren’t for their mutual search for Patrick.
“Sign right here, please.” The clerk spun the register for Burke so it would be right-side-up.
“Please tell Mr. Patrick O’Shaughnessy that we’re here. He’s expecting us.” He signed with a flourish and shoved the register back.
The clerk frowned. “I don’t recall a guest by that name. I’ll search the records and send you a message.”
“Maybe he hasn’t checked in yet.”
“Could be, or he’s in one of the other hotels in town.” He waved to the bellboy. “Boy” hardly described the hulk, but he had a friendly smile. “Room 407, fourth floor and down the hall to the left. Angus here will carry your trunks, and if you need anything, let him know.”
She felt sorry for Angus, but he must be quite strong to haul trunks up and down four flights of stairs all day.
Burke tipped the clerk, but she couldn’t see how much. “We’d also like a bath in each room.”
“Right away, sir.”
An hour later, bathed and changed, Lexie felt ten pounds lighter and soot-free. The mountain air was invigorating, and after breathing soot all day, it smelled even more wonderful—the scents of juniper and the mineral springs. If she never smelled coal smoke again, it would be too soon.
9 Ways to Fall in Love Page 173