by Sky Robinson
“I can pay for the summer now, and I’ll bring my earnings down whenever I can. Just need to have my girl waiting here for me with open arms.” Sean grinned that carefree grin that only the young were capable of. Those who had been alive for a while, who knew how the world really worked, had no time for such nonsense.
Emma could wait for someone else, someone who would be more likely to spend the winter months here and not run away at the first sign of hard times, but if she took this girl in she’d have the money she needed and she could be done dealing with people. Kate looked as if she would be an easy, responsible renter.
“Do you have the money on you?” They were dressed as if they could afford the rent, but Emma wasn’t going to take any chances.
Kate had on a fancy light-blue dress with ribbons and lace. She was carrying a matching parasol. Sean wore a top hat and a vest that you would see on a banker. They were both well dressed and clean, but that was probably going to change soon, at least for him.
“Yeah. Yeah.” Sean continued to smile at Kate as he dug into his pocket, pulling out the money and counting it before handing it to Emma. She almost felt bad, taking the kid’s money, but he would at least get what he paid for with her. She could guarantee that. There would be plenty of people out there trying to take whatever he had left and giving him nothing of value in return.
Kate stood silently, her eyes moving from Emma to Sean as they spoke, waiting patiently.
It was likely that Kate had a naive view of the world and was about to be struck down hard. Hopefully all her dreams would come true and the boy would come down with bags full of gold, but Emma knew firsthand that the chances of that happening weren’t as good as people believed.
Sean bent down and picked up the two largest suitcases. He was obviously eager to get his girl settled.
“Okay, I’ll show you to your room.” Emma was just as eager to get her errands done in town. She needed to get prepared so she could head back out to her claim as soon as possible.
She led the couple through the center of the little house, up the staircase and gestured to the room on the right.
“This will be your room.”
Sean followed behind, carrying the bags full of Kate’s things. Had to be a struggle getting both bags to fit through the narrow hall, but Emma didn’t look back. If she saw him struggling, she would feel obliged to help him, and this couple needed to learn real fast how to make it on their own.
It was obvious that Kate was used to having things, and having people to help her. It was going to be an adjustment for her, living here, but it would only make her stronger. Alaska would give Kate strength, if she stayed.
“Good luck on your search for gold, Sean,” Emma said over her shoulder as she walked away.
“Thank you, ma’am.” She could hear the grin in his voice, but again, she didn’t turn around to look.
Emma went back down the stairs and out the door. As much as she hated being in town, at least now she had plenty of money to buy the things she needed. When she did get back out to her claim, there wouldn’t be a need to worry about survival, for a while anyway.
The young couple was still upstairs when she walked out the front door. It would be the last time they saw each other for several months, and quite possibly ever. They likely didn’t see all the risks just as she and Ben hadn’t when they first arrived. Emma was a realist now, and Alaska’s wilderness took lives. Most people needed to see that for themselves before they believed it.
Chapter Three
James tossed the empty shot glass from hand to hand along the smooth wood of the bar. The place was brand new, barely even been broken in, but this bar was definitely a welcome addition to the town. At least the gold rumors had brought something worthwhile.
“I’ll take another shot of whiskey, Frank.”
“Sure.” Frank was a damn good bartender and he quickly grabbed a bottle of golden liquid that James needed, poured a shot and slid it across the bar.
The guy was missing half his teeth and rough-looking even for this town. But Ketchikan wasn’t a place for the weak of heart. Alaska would eat anyone but the strongest of men alive. Exactly why Emma shouldn’t be here. This wasn’t a place for a woman. Yeah, she saved his life, but if it wasn’t for the goddamn distraction of her in the first place, he probably wouldn’t have fallen into the creek. And she’d continued to be a distraction, at least to his mind, for the whole damn week. She was trouble, plain and simple.
“You find any gold today?” Frank asked.
Small groups of men had taken up seats in the little building, but it was still early. Frank was just trying to start up a conversation because he had the time and it was part of his job, but hunting for gold was a piss-poor choice of topics.
“Nope. I don’t think there’s any goddamn gold up there.” James ground his teeth together and sipped at the whiskey, enjoying the burn as it went down his throat.
“That’s not what them papers say,” Frank replied a little too cheerfully.
“Yeah. Well, I ain’t seen any gold.” James swallowed the rest of the shot and didn’t say what he was thinking about a particular newspaper reporter.
It wasn’t in good taste to curse the dead. Even if he was the bastard who lured him into buying the worthless claim, wasting his money and the last two years of his life searching for a treasure that didn’t exist.
“Emma Smith still working up by you?” Frank refilled James’ glass without him having to ask.
“Yep.” He took a sip off the top. Forgetting about her was the reason he came here tonight.
“Crazy woman anyway,” Frank muttered.
“She’s not crazy.” Why the hell was he defending Emma? She was crazy for staying here after her husband died, crazy for risking her life to save James and crazy for letting him touch her like he did.
“Yeah? Well, that’s not what you said the last time you were in here.”
That was before he had seen her naked, before he had touched her soft skin, before he had seen a different side of her. His goddamn cock went half-hard just thinking about it.
“She’s just a little too independent.” A little too independent just like his mother, the woman who left his father for “more adventure”. That’s how his father put it when he was sober enough to make any sense. Now he was doing the same thing. Falling for a goddamn crazy, independent woman.
The smart thing to do was stay away from her.
“Whatever. It just ain’t right for her to be out in the woods alone like that. Woman’s too delicate for that kinda thing.”
“Just try to tell her that.” James slid the money for his drinks across the bar and moved his stool back. Its legs scratched loudly against the wooden floor but no one cared enough to even look in his direction. They were all too busy with their own issues and drinking them away.
James needed to go and at least talk to Emma. He needed to find some way to get the sight of her naked body out of his mind. Preferably by satiating that need.
Sitting here talking about the woman wasn’t going to help. He had to discuss the things that went on between them last week and find out whatever the hell it was that caused her leave.
Every sensible bone in his body said to stay away from her, but his gut wanted to go back so damn badly. Maybe it was his cock. Fuck, it didn’t matter. He needed to see her again either way.
“I’ll take one for the road, Frank.” James threw down another dollar.
Just a little more liquid courage was what he needed. It was pitiful that he needed courage to go talk to a woman. Especially the one woman he knew he couldn’t keep.
* * * * *
The town was alive with the movement of people tonight. Many of the prospectors had come back to get supplies from the ships that had come into port today, and stayed for the camaraderie. Men walked up and down the boardwalk, and Emma sat on a bench in front of her house watching all the action.
The night air was starting to get brisk, but
it didn’t seem to impact Opal’s choice of clothing. She was attracting plenty of attention with her low-cut dress and promises of pleasure.
“Hey there, good looking.” Opal smiled as a man approached her.
He grinned back, and within a few minutes Opal was leading him up the stairs.
It was interesting, watching her work. There wasn’t any doubt she would be able to pay her rent. Opal was already raking in the cash. It would be good for both of them.
There were a couple girls in the same profession as Opal a few houses down. They couldn’t compete with Opal’s beauty and charm, but there were plenty of leftovers for them. Opal was choosy, she didn’t take the first man who made her an offer, but picked her favorite from the herd. Somehow the rest of the men weren’t offended at not being chosen. They kept walking up the street to the next house offering services, or they stayed waiting in a group outside her house laughing and drinking and hoping to be the next on Opal’s list.
Men were strange creatures. She could understand the primal instinct to mate, but just waiting around, hoping to be the next one chosen seemed somewhat humiliating. The men, however, didn’t seem to see it that way.
A man in a top hat and vest approached her. “How much for the girls upstairs?”
Emma glared at him. She didn’t need her beautiful evening interrupted for this. “Only one of them is a working girl, and I am not her madam. You’ll need to wait over there,” Emma motioned to the group of men on the boardwalk at the bottom of Opal’s steps, “and conduct your dealings directly with Opal.”
Living with the two women was already making life more interesting. Alone was the life she chose, but that didn’t mean she always enjoyed the quiet times.
The last rays of sun disappeared into the ocean, but Emma wasn’t ready to go inside yet. She didn’t want to lie alone listening to Opal and her men rocking the bed upstairs. And her body was still tormented from the encounter with James a week ago.
Emma wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, and leaned her head against the wood siding of her house. Stars popped up in the darkening sky, and the men that moved along the boardwalk were starting to get rowdy.
The echo of Opal’s footsteps as she came back down the staircase was muffled by the crowd, but the voices quieted when they saw her flaunting her assets. That girl knew how to get men to stop and pay attention to only her.
Hell, Emma sat only ten feet away, and the only man who even looked in her direction thought she was the madam. Not that she cared. The last thing she needed was the attention of another man. James was enough trouble.
Speaking of the devil, there he was, walking down the boardwalk in her direction. James’ footsteps weren’t exactly steady as he made his way closer, and the drink in his hand made the reason obvious.
One of the men in the group surrounding Opal’s area of business slapped James on the back in greeting. A little booze splashed out of his glass when he stopped abruptly to talk to the man.
Opal was moving through the crowds, and Emma could see that the girl had set her sights on James. She made her way through the group and stood right in front of him.
“What’s your name, handsome?” Opal stuck her chest out and smiled brilliantly at him.
Jealousy hit Emma hard. She had no right to be jealous. If she had wanted the man, she should have taken him the week before. But that didn’t stop the feeling from settling deep in her gut.
“James,” he answered Opal gruffly, barely looking at the ample cleavage she flaunted.
Emma didn’t want James, so why did she feel the need to run up and object to what was about to happen?
“Would you like to join me upstairs, James?”
“Thank you for the offer, ma’am, but I’ve got my eye on someone else.”
“Oh.” Opal looked distraught for a second, but she quickly recovered with a hearty laugh and focused her attention on another man.
Emma let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding when James turned Opal down. Her relief was quickly replaced with nervousness because she knew she was the other person he had his eye on.
“I guess I’ll have to take your friend here upstairs,” Opal said as she grabbed the arm of the man beside James.
“Your loss is my gain.” The man grinned and slapped James on the back again before Opal led him up the stairs.
James zigzagged over to Emma and plopped down beside her on the bench.
“Hello.” He looked down at his drink then took a sip and grimaced before looking back in her direction.
“Hello.” She wrapped her blanket even tighter around her shoulders. Physical attraction already starting to buzz through her body, a physical attraction that she had to ignore. Not that the blanket could protect her from anything.
“So.” He paused uncomfortably and took another drink. “How much for you?”
She stared at him, blinked and shook her head in disbelief. He didn’t really just offer her money for sex.
“Are you serious?” Emma squeaked out the words.
“I don’t know.” He didn’t look at her, kept his focus on his feet.
“I’m not for sale.”
Emma owned a house where a prostitute lived, and the rumors were no doubt flying, but James knew her better than that.
Any traces of guilt for what she had done to him up on the mountain suddenly disappeared with his obnoxious offer. What nerve. He expected her to sell her body to him?
“Isn’t this a bawdy house?” His eyes narrowed, his expression serious. “I can’t believe you would turn me down in the woods and then sit out here selling yourself to any man who walks by. I would have paid you a lot of damn money that day if I knew it was what you wanted.”
Yes, his words were slurred, but she wasn’t going to forgive his stupidity just because he was drunk.
“There happens to be a sporting woman renting out a room in the upstairs of my house. It doesn’t have any effect on how I conduct my own affairs. I am not for sale to anyone. I was merely enjoying the beautiful night, but I think it’s time for me to go to bed. Alone.”
Emma got up and stomped into the house, slamming the door behind her. Out her front window, she glanced out to see James, still there, holding onto the railing and looking down at the docks.
She couldn’t believe the nerve of that man. And still her body hummed for him. The way the moon reflected on his face, his broad shoulders as he stared out at the endless water, it was all so very alluring. He turned down his chance with Opal because he wanted Emma, but her heart was stupid for thinking she should have anything to do with the man.
Chapter Four
The sun just started its rise into the morning sky as Emma hiked along the narrow trail back toward her claim. The fresh scent of spruce trees hung in the air and sweet silence surrounded her.
She was on her way back to work for the next couple weeks and excited to get away from her house. Having the two women living there was fine, but way more socialization than she was used to. Emma needed her alone time.
The girls were nice enough, and she almost felt guilty leaving Kate there with a prostitute as her only companion. The girl was young and scared, but she didn’t need someone holding her hand. That wouldn’t force her to grow, and it wouldn’t help her to learn to take care of herself. Hopefully Kate would find something to keep herself occupied, and find her own way. The girl had an untapped strength. Emma could see the fire in Kate’s eyes. She just had to learn to believe in herself.
Alone in the wilderness again. This was where Emma was normally most at peace, but for some reason she didn’t feel the peace today. There was a feeling of unease that she just couldn’t shake.
A branch cracked behind her and Emma froze in her tracks. What the hell was that? She didn’t move, didn’t breathe for a minute as she listened, waited for another sound.
And it happened again. Nothing loud or obvious, but the soft crack of another branch signaled something was out there.
W
ith a shaky hand, Emma took her pistol from its holster at her waist. She held it solidly, looped her finger around the trigger like she was taught, and pointed it at the ground until she had something to aim at. The deadly capabilities of the weapon made her a little nervous, but not as nervous as creatures of the forest that could be hunting her.
Slowly and silently she turned, scanning the shadows of the trees for any movement.
There was another cracking sound from the trail just behind her. Emma aimed her pistol in the direction of the sound and waited.
Her heart pounded, her knees wanted to shake, but she held them perfectly still. She had to be ready to shoot, ready to run, ready to do whatever it took to defend herself. Emma held her breath and waited for another sound, waited to see movement in the trees. She was expecting to see something big, brown and hairy, but nothing emerged.
The spruce and hemlock were thick, casting shadows all around her, keeping Emma from being able to see very far, but there was definitely something there.
Was it a bear? This was close to the spot where her husband was killed, but James took care of that bear.
She heard nothing, saw nothing. It could be her mind playing tricks on her. This wouldn’t be the first time she relived the horror of what happened that day, and it felt real when she woke up covered in sweat. But that only happened at night, in her dreams.
No. The sounds she heard were real.
There was movement under the trees down the trail. Emma aimed her pistol and let out a long, slow breath. Steady.
Down the line of her gun something moved again, and then she could see him.
Damn.
It was James. She pointed her gun at the ground, let out a long breath and tried to get her nerves under control.
Facing James in the woods might be worse than facing a bear. At least you knew exactly what the bear wanted, could see the risks plainly. With James, the risks were there, but not so easy to see.
Emma took another deep breath and James kept walking in her direction.