“Sure thing, boss.”
He moved back to her side and held out his arm. “Walk with me a while.” As if on cue, the full moon rose above the grove of willows at the edge of town.
Camille slipped her hand around his arm, laughing softly. “You’re a very persuasive man, McKinnon.”
They strolled down the street in companionable silence, broken only by an occasional greeting when they met someone. When they reached the willow grove, Ty led her to a two-person wooden bench beside the creek. He decided that adding a half-dozen benches and declaring the area a park had been his brightest idea since becoming mayor. “Welcome to Willow Grove City Park.”
“It’s lovely. My goodness, look at all those stars.” She sat down, smoothing her coat out of the way so he would have room to join her. “But you were mistaken. There isn’t anyone else here.”
“God is kind.”
“So you asked Him to keep everyone else away?”
“No, but I’m sure He knew I wanted a little time alone with you. Seems like we’ve hardly been able to say two words to each other without an audience. What do you think of Willow Grove?”
“It’s a good town, with good people.”
“They like you.”
“They seemed to, didn’t they?” Wonder shaded her voice. Ty was taken aback by the emotion shimmering in her eyes. “I will always thank you for that, Mr. McKinnon.”
“I’m afraid their attitudes will change if you start working at the White Buffalo. Even Jessie’s. Her first husband was a drinking, gambling womanizer.”
“She would hate me.” Camille took a deep breath and looked away. “I don’t want that. I don’t want to meet Mrs. Watson or the other women on the street and have them turn away in disgust. Tonight I had a taste of how different life could be. It’s a nice feeling.”
Ty caught his breath. “You’re not going to work for Nate?”
“No.” She looked up at him. “I’ve decided not to. If I ask Nate and Bonnie to keep quiet about my past, they will.”
“So will I. I haven’t said anything to anyone, not even Cade.”
“Do you honestly think the newspaper editor would consider having me as his partner?”
“He’d miss a good opportunity if he didn’t. He’s a very bright man, so I expect he’ll see the wisdom of it.”
“I’ve thought about the possibility all day. Bonnie’s excited about it. You were right. They encouraged me to come out here so they could play matchmaker, not because Nate needed my help.” Camille looked up at the moon. “But I didn’t make up my mind until tonight.”
“When you discovered how much people like you.”
She shook her head. “No, it was when you said you were honored by my company, even though you thought I might still go to work at the White Buffalo.”
Ty felt the wall around his heart crumble a little more. “I meant it.”
“I know.” She met his gaze. “No one has ever treated me with that kind of respect.”
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance….
And a time to heal. He figured they both needed that.
Chapter Five
Ty and Camille stayed at the park for a little while talking. When it began to grow colder, he decided he’d better take her back to the hotel.
“Would you mind walking me over to Bonnie and Nate’s instead?” asked Camille.
“Not at all. I assume he’ll see you back to your room?”
“Yes. I’m sure you’d be welcome to stay and visit.”
“Another time. I’ve taken up enough of your first day in town. I expect they want you to themselves.”
They didn’t talk much on the way, simply enjoying the moonlit evening and each other’s company. Ty had forgotten how pleasant silence could be when it was shared with someone.
Nate opened the front door of his house as they strolled up to the porch. “I was wondering if you’d show up.” He grinned at Ty. “Thought maybe you had better things to do than come by here.”
“We’ve been to the park,” said Camille. “Did you enjoy the supper?”
Nate stepped back, motioning them inside. “If I’d known those things were that entertaining, I’d have gone to one sooner.”
“It did get a bit interesting.” Ty followed Camille inside.
Nate chuckled, slipping his arm around Bonnie’s waist when she stepped up beside him. “You could say that. But we don’t need to stand here. Let’s go sit down.”
“Y’all go ahead,” said Ty. “I’d like to come back another time, but tonight I expect you have a lot of catching up to do.”
“That we do.” Bonnie glanced at Camille with an impish grin.
Ty turned to his lovely companion. “Thank you for a very nice evening.”
Her smile warmed his heart. “It was my pleasure. Thank you for taking me and for providing the supper.”
“I’ll talk to Cade about going out to the ranch next week. Is any particular day better for you?”
“No. I don’t have anything else planned.”
Ty shook hands with Nate, then nodded politely to the women. “Good evening, ladies.”
When he stepped out the door and turned to pull it closed, Camille was the only one standing there.
“It’s been quite a day,” she said softly, her hand curled around the doorknob.
Images of the day flashed through his mind—seeing her in the White Buffalo, holding her close during the shooting spree, nervously waiting in front of her hotel-room door, then having his breath taken away when she opened it. The tenderness, mingled with a hint of sadness that had filled her face when she saw the hatbox. He suspected he would be reliving this day all night long. “Yes, it has. I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.”
“Not even when you stormed into the White Buffalo ready to run me out of town?”
Ty grimaced. “I wouldn’t have gone that far. Reckon maybe I overreacted.”
“It wasn’t what you expected,” she said gently. “I should have told you why I was coming here when we first met.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“It was nice simply being Camille. I could be myself, not play a role. I haven’t done that since before I started working.” She frowned thoughtfully. “That’s been over eight years now. I knew you’d find out about the gambling soon enough. I suppose I wanted to put it off as long as I could.”
“You’re a mighty fine lady, Miss Dupree,” he said, resting his hand on the doorjamb. “I expect you are even as the Angel.”
“It’s the way my mama taught me to be. Daddy said it was part of what drew men to my table.”
Ty laughed quietly. “Men are attracted to you because you’re the most beautiful woman they’ve ever seen. But they stayed at your table—even though they were probably losing money—because you’re a true lady. Charming, graceful, soft-spoken, polite. You bring out the best in men.”
“Not always.”
Without realizing it, he had shifted toward her. All he had to do was lean down, tip his head slightly, and they would be lined up perfectly for a kiss. A kiss he wanted very much. Surprised and embarrassed, he straightened quickly. “Sorry.”
“I wasn’t talking about you.” She glanced at his mouth. Was that longing he saw in her eyes? “Thank you again for a lovely evening.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see if Saturday will be all right for us to go out to the ranch.” Ty didn’t want to wait that long to see her again. Though he probably should. He had the feeling he was tiptoeing around the edge of quicksand. “Good night.”
“Good night.” Her voice and smile were just a little too bright. She had pulled back, too.
He wanted to kick himself.
But as he turned away, she spoke again. Her voice had returned to normal. “Saturday would be good.”
He stopped and looked back at her. “Yes, it would. Dress comfortably. We�
�ll need to leave early, about eight o’clock.”
She laughed, her hands resting on the door. “It’s a good thing I’ve been traveling lately and am used to early mornings. Before this trip, I rarely got up before noon.”
“I’ll let you know if it doesn’t work out. Then you can sleep as late as you want.”
“Thanks.” Giving him a smile to take with him, she closed the door.
Ty caught himself whistling as he walked down the street and turned the corner, heading for his house about five blocks away. He quit making noise, not wanting to disturb the neighbors any more than their barking dogs already were. Besides, after seeing him at the supper with Camille, they would put too much into the fact that he seemed so happy.
Once at the house, he had just enough time to light a lamp and take off his jacket and tie before Cade tapped on his back door.
“Come on in.” He filled a glass from the kitchen hand pump, taking a drink as Cade walked through the door.
“Did you go down to the park?”
“Yep.” Ty took another long drink and set the glass on the counter. “We sat there a while and talked. Then she asked me to walk her over to the Flynns’.”
“You’re right. She’s one pretty lady.” Cade wandered into the living room, sprawling in one corner of the sofa, propping one bare foot on the cushion. It was a good thing they had a nicely worn path between their back doors. Otherwise, he would be picking grass burrs out of his feet. “Tell me about her.”
“She’s originally from Louisiana.” Ty settled across from him in his favorite chair, a big overstuffed one with a foot-stool. “Her parents owned a plantation when she was little, but they lost everything in the war. I think that’s when they moved to New Orleans.”
“Where her father worked for Nate. In a saloon?”
Ty hesitated, wondering how much he could tell his brother without him guessing the rest. He hadn’t promised to keep her father’s profession a secret. “Yes. As a gambler.”
“Well, Miss Dupree seemed to turn out all right anyway.” Cade grinned. “Must have been her mother’s influence.”
Ty relaxed. “Camille said her mama taught her to be a lady.”
“It shows. Camille is it? On a first-name basis already?”
“In my mind anyway. If I’ve slipped up and called her that, she didn’t protest. I thought I might bring her out to the ranch on Saturday.”
“Fine with us.” Cade studied him for a minute or two. “Three hundred dollars?”
“I didn’t want Peasley near her.”
“Don’t blame you, but you might have tried two hundred first.”
“It’s my money.”
“I didn’t think you pilfered it from the store.”
Ty glanced away. “I wanted to make a point.”
“That she’s your woman.”
“That I’m interested in her.”
Cade laughed and shifted his position. “Little brother, anybody with eyes in their head could see that the minute you two walked in the door. In case you haven’t noticed, she’s interested in you, too.”
“I noticed.” He got up and walked over to his bedroom. Inside the door, he hooked first one boot in the bootjack and tugged it off, then the other. Going back to his chair, he sat down and wiggled his sock-covered toes. “I can’t decide whether I’m caught in a whirlwind or about to fall into quicksand.”
“Either one could be tricky.” Cade’s expression grew serious. “There’s nothing wrong with having feelings for her.”
Ty leaned his head back on the chair and stared up at the ceiling. “Amanda was perfect. Sweet, gentle, kind, loving and smart. Not to mention beautiful. Nobody can take her place. How can I be so attracted to someone else?” Enchanted described it better.
“Well, in the first place, Amanda wasn’t perfect. Almost, but not quite. Nobody is. And you’re not looking for Camille to replace Amanda in your heart. If she expects you to, then she’s not the woman you want. God gives us the ability to love. I don’t think He puts restrictions on how many people we can care for.”
“True.” Ty looked over at his brother. “Do you like her?”
“She seems nice. We enjoyed talking to her. Reckon I’ll need to get to know her better before I can give you a real answer.” Cade pushed himself up off the sofa. “I’ll leave you to your daydreaming. Try to get a little sleep. Don’t want you snoring through the preacher’s sermon.”
“You could always poke me with your elbow and keep me awake.”
“Nope. More fun to watch everybody laughing at you.”
“Go back to your wife.”
“Best advice I’ve heard all day. Did you invite Camille to go to church with you?”
“No. I thought about it, but I was afraid I’d seem too pushy. Maybe she’ll come to church tomorrow with Mrs. Flynn.”
“That’d be good. See you in the morning.”
“’Night.” Ty didn’t bother to get up. He and Cade didn’t stand on formality. He stayed in the chair for about fifteen minutes, then decided the bed would be more comfortable. His shoulder was still sore from driving the stage.
Carrying the lamp into the bedroom, he sat down on the bed and pulled off his socks, tossing them into a basket in the corner. He unbuttoned his shirt and wondered if Camille would go to church the next morning, or any time. She had indicated that she hadn’t attended a service since she was a girl. Did she believe in Jesus? Or even in God?
“Reckon that’s something I’d better find out.”
Chapter Six
“You two are the talk of the town.” Bonnie curled her bare feet up on the couch and tucked them beneath her skirt. “I don’t think there’s been this much excitement since Sheriff Starr shot that murderer, Wyman.”
“I’m used to gossip.” Camille propped her elbow on the back of the couch, resting her head against her hand. “Though this isn’t the normal kind.” She looked first at Bonnie, then Nate. “I’m not going to work for you.”
“I figured you might not.” The tenderness of a long friendship softened his eyes. “I don’t really need you there. I’d much rather see you test your wings with something else, whether it be with Ty or taking on the newspaper business.”
“Thanks. I’m going to talk to Mr. Hill at the paper tomorrow. If he isn’t interested in working with me, I guess I’ll twiddle my thumbs for a while.”
“Not if Ty is around, which I think he will be,” said Bonnie. “The man is taken with you.”
“Which isn’t unusual.” Nate took a sip of whiskey. “Most men are.”
“But this is different. Ty isn’t the kind of man she would meet in a saloon.”
Nate’s eyebrows shot up. “I think I’ve just been insulted.”
Bonnie frowned and threw a small pillow at him. “I didn’t mean it that way.”
Camille knew the story well. Wanting a job as a singer, Bonnie had walked into the saloon in New Orleans where Nate was working. He knew the owner would insist on her entertaining the men in other ways, so he hustled her back outside and explained just what would be expected of her there and most other similar places in town. She never did go to work as a singer, but she married Nate six months later.
“Though I wish you would close the place and do something else.” Bonnie toyed with the fringe on another pillow, avoiding her husband’s gaze.
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Open a furniture store. Or a lumberyard. We could use more of both.”
“Here it comes.”
“What?” asked Camille, uncomfortable with the sudden tenseness between her dear friends.
“She’ll start pesterin’ me about church. Ever since she got religion, she’s been after me to go to church with her and sell the saloon.”
“I just think you should do something better. Something that helps people.”
“Selling whiskey helps people.” Nate set his glass down hard on the table and stood, heading for the front door. “It helps them forget a
bout nagging wives.” He jerked his hat from the hall tree and jammed it on his head.
“Nate!” Bonnie jumped and ran after him, but he slammed the door. She leaned her forehead against it, tears streaming down her face.
Camille hurried to her side and put her arm around Bonnie’s shoulders. “He’ll be back once he calms down.”
“I know.” Bonnie wiped her eyes with her fingertips and sighed heavily.
Camille urged her back to the sofa. “That wasn’t like the arguments I’ve seen between you two before.” Not that there had been all that many.
“You mean the ones where I shrieked and threw whatever was handy at him?” She slumped down on the sofa. “After I broke that beautiful vase Nate gave me for my thirtieth birthday, I quit throwing things. I try hard not to shriek anymore. He’s right. I have been harping at him about selling the saloon.”
“Because you want him home in the evenings.”
“Yes. And because liquor harms people, not helps them. And the fights! It seems like every week or so, some of them get into fistfights and smash up half the place.” She fished a handkerchief out of her pocket and blew her nose.
“There have even been a couple of gunfights. I’m so afraid that one night Sheriff Starr is going to knock on my door and tell me that Nate’s been shot because some idiot was too drunk to point his pistol at the right person.”
“I thought the men were supposed to check their guns in at the sheriff’s when they came to town.”
“They are, but a lot of them manage to hide a second one. Or else they don’t bother at all if the sheriff is out of town.”
“But Bonnie, all saloons have that problem. Nate has dealt with it for years.” So have I. She hadn’t bothered to keep track of how many times she’d ducked under a table to keep from being hit by a stray bullet.
“I know. That’s what scares me. It’s happened so much that one of these days, he’s bound to be killed.”
“Yet, you wanted me to come work for him?”
Bonnie’s expression grew sheepish. “The men were usually nicer when you were around. Besides, I didn’t think you’d be there more than a week before some rich rancher persuaded you to marry him.”
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