Whiskey Rose (Fallen)

by Melissa Jones

  “Matt, I can’t make your hurt go away.” He was surprised he was that transparent.

  “Are you sure because it feels like maybe you could,” he said looking into her eyes. She smiled even as her heart pounded wildly. She stood up and took the glasses and the whiskey off the table. Matt watched her walk away with a pang of regret. She might not be able to take the hurt away completely but she could certainly help him forget for a little while at least.

  Rose busied herself washing the glasses for as long as she could, waiting for the jitters to subside. When she finally finished he was waiting for her. She wasn’t real keen on sharing a bedroom with him now. She didn’t trust herself to keep saying no if he kept pushing it. She summoned all of the bravado her staged life required.

  “Don’t look at me like that Matt. You can’t afford me.” One side of his mouth went up in a cockeyed grin.

  “You sure about that?”

  “I am absolutely certain.” She flipped her fake blond hair over her shoulder and walked passed him and heard him laugh. She walked into her room then waited for him to come in before she closed the door and locked it.

  “Why are you locking it? If anyone comes through that door I will shoot them.”

  “Well I don’t sleep with a gun under my pillow. I find it’s easier to just lock the door.” He chuckled at that. She began pulling the pins that held her wig in place until she realized he was watching her. She stopped and looked at him and he smiled. “Don’t you have a bed to make?” He smiled but he turned and began converting the couch into a bed. He looked back over his shoulder and caught her eye in the vanity mirror.

  “I can see you,” she scolded.

  “What? I am making my bed.” He laughed and he saw her reflection smile. He had to look when she began shaking out her hair. Even if he hadn’t been watching the movement would have drawn his attention. She didn’t meet his gaze again instead she sat down and took off her shoes rubbing her feet as she did. He took twice as long as necessary to make the bed because he was so distracted but he didn’t care. Finally he started taking off his shirt.

  “What are you doing?” she demanded.

  “I was getting ready for bed.” He was surprised by her tone but then he saw the opportunity.“Don’t tell me you’re uncomfortable with me being naked.” Her eyes widened and he saw her gaze sweep over him.

  “Yes I am uncomfortable with that. If you are going to share my room you keep your clothes on!”

  “What’s the matter would it be just too tempting for you?What with me vulnerable, no clothes on locked in this locked room.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. She looked so different with the chestnut curls that he could barely restrain himself. He pulled his shirt free of his waist band letting it hang down to insure she wouldn’t see the effect she had on him physically.

  “I think I can restrain myself.”

  “You sure about that?” He stepped closer to her and she hated that she didn’t have the nerve to stand her ground. She took a step back. He wasn’t touching her but the energy he exuded was almost more powerful. “You don’t look very sure.” She lifted her chin defiantly and he laughed. “You don’t have to back away. I won’t touch you unless you invite me to. You however, don’t need an invitation. You are welcome whenever you get the urge.” His words sucked all the air out of the room and she stood there staring at him her mouth slightly agape. It seemed like an eternity before he backed away but it was really only seconds. Once he moved away she was annoyed that his presence could affect her so profoundly.

  “I am going to step behind that screen and change my clothes. You do whatever you have to,to get ready for bed. You just let me know when you’re covered.” He laughed and she wanted to throw something at the back of his head.

  Matt took his shirt, boots and his gun belt off and climbed into the bed. He had never intended to strip completely but temptation to tease her had just been too great. The temptation to pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless had been nearly overwhelming as well but he had managed to resist it barely. He wanted her to come to him. She would, he would wear her down.

  Chapter 4

  Matt remembered all too well what a Friday night meant so he wasn’t surprised when Rose was up at dawn going over inventory and cleaning random things. Really it wasn’t much different from what she usually did. Still he felt compelled to help her. She was driven like no one he had ever seen. From the time she got up in the morning to the time she went to sleep at night she was working. Doing something for the Saloon. No one else worked the way she did. The girls rotated nights off during the week but not Rose she worked every night.

  “Alright, give me a job.”

  “I beg your pardon?” She looked up from the list she was making of things she needed to order.

  “I am feeling a little useless and you are running around like a chicken with its head cut off. So tell me how I can help.”

  “I am not running around likea chicken with my head cut off,” she said indignantly.“I have a business to run.” He smiled.

  “No argument here, despite the fact that I know you can do this blindfolded and yet you are checking and rechecking what you’ve already done. I could say that you know what you’re doing and therefore you should just trust yourself, but I won’t say anything.I will just let you continue your routine. I would like to help though so what can I do.” She crossed her arms and eyed him.

  “I’ve never heard someone use so many words to not say something.” She stood up from the table and began to walk around the room. “On Friday and Saturday this whole place fills up but we have some regulars.” He frowned slightly not quite sure where she was going with this. She stopped at a table in the corner. “The Cannon boys and whatever contingent of thugs there are will sit here.” His brows rose. She pointed up to the balcony landing in front of the rooms upstairs. “If you stand right there you can hear everything that is said at this table.” She moved to another table. There is a cattle rancher west of town. He sits here, sometimes with company and sometimes alone. He doesn’t say much but he has a mean streak. There are rumors of another life he led before he became a Rancher. He likes Raven, if anyone knows what he is capable of it will be her.” She moved toward the end of the room in front of the bar. This becomes a makeshift dance floor. The rowdiest are here, Dixie, Dawn and Faith will usually dance with them but there are only three of them and a lot more cowboys so sometimes a fight will break out among those with the hottest tempers.”

  “Why are you helping me?” She sighed and looked away then looked back at him.

  “Because I had a best friend once.” She turned and walked back toward the bar. He felt like he should say something. She said had, which meant that she probably knew exactly how he was feeling and he knew how she felt.

  “Rose.” He started but before he could say whatever he had been about to say a man walked through the swinging doors. He recognized him, he was the man from the general store.

  “Good morning Mr. McGregor. You are punctual as always.” Rose smiled.

  “Good morning Mrs. Anderson. I have your order.”

  “Great. If you just give me a minute to double check the order for next week. Matt, could you help Mr. McGregor unload the supplies.”

  “My pleasure,” he said and followed the other man back out.

  ”I don’t think we were properly introduced the other day. Eric McGregor.” The man held out his hand.

  “Matt Anderson,” he said shaking his hand.

  “Anderson huh, are you…?”

  “Yes.” He answered before the man fully asked the question.

  “Thought you said you were just passing through.”

  “Not sure how long I am going to be able to stay.” The answer seemed to appease the shopkeeper because he began unloading the wagon.

  “So how long are you planning to stay?” Matt looked up at the unfamiliar voice and saw that Katrina had joined him in the kitchen. She was as beautiful as the rest o
f them. Her red hair was curled and piled on top of her head. Her makeup was done, she looked like she was ready to step on stage.

  “Until my suspension is up,” he said following the story that Rose had told them.

  “And then what?”

  “Hard sayin’,” he shrugged.

  “What kind of man is content to only see his wife once a month? To let her be in a place like this the rest of the time?”

  “The kind that trusts his wife to make her own decisions.” Katrina stared him down but he didn’t flinch.

  “I have known Rose for three years, she has supposedly been married the whole time but this is the first time I have ever seen you.”

  “Is there a question in there?”

  “Why haven’t I seen you before?”

  “Because I haven’t been here before.” She was glaring now as she stared at him.

  “I don’t know who you are and I don’t care, but just so you know Rose is important to me, to all of us. If you hurt her you will answer to us.”

  “Understood.” Katrina turned on her heel and walked out. Matt was surprised, that encounter was the opposite of every encounter that he’d had with the girls. Most of them had been friendly, flirtatious even. Katrina had practically called him out.

  When it was time to open all of the women were in the Saloon except for Katrina, he had never seen her in the Saloon except when she was singing. It was quite a sight with all of them there and made up at once. There were six besides Rose and Katrina. There was a wide assortment of sizes and shapes but they were all beautiful. Much more beautiful than you would expect to find in a small Texas town. Was this why Benji had come here? He'd never seemed like the type to be overcome by a pretty face. In fact Matt had always gotten the impression that he had loved and lost or he was pinning for someone.

  Matt perched himself in what was fast becoming his usual spot at the end of the bar. He watched the room gradually fill up. He saw Rose drink from the flask a few times. He even saw her pour from the flask into a glass for Dixie. Not long after they opened a man walked in that Rose took note of.

  "Good evening Mr. Duncan. It's nice to see you."

  "You as well Rose."

  "Would you like the usual?"

  "Yes, thank you." The man walked to a table right in front of the band and sat down. He looked out of place. He was wearing a pinstripe suit. He was older and balding. He looked like he belonged in a bank not a saloon. Rose walked over and placed a bottle of wine on the table along with two wine glasses.

  "Wine?" he asked when she came back.

  "Not just wine, Katrina's favorite wine." She grinned.

  "A fan?" Matt laughed.

  "He never misses a show. He always sits in the same place and buys her wine. Yeah you could say he's a fan. He's barely ever spoken to her though. He just watches the show then he leaves."

  "That's a little weird."

  "I think it sweet. Like he's courting her in his own way." Matt smirked.

  "Don't look at me like that Matt I'm... Achoo!"

  "God bless you."

  "Thank you,” she sniffed.

  "You're not getting sick are you?"

  "No! Don't even say that!" she scolded before she returned to filling orders. He smiled, of course she would say that no mere cold would dare to take on Rose Anderson!

  In all it was a lot like the other nights until the Cannon boys walked in. He knew it was them even though he didn't know what they looked like. They had the look about them. The arrogant look of men that thought the world owed them something. There was one man in particular in the lead. He was short. Short enough that he'd probably taken some ribbing about it. That probably contributed to the power trip he was currently on. He had three men with him but he wasn't treating them like equals. Still out of curiosity. He made his way up to the perch Rose had pointed out to him. It was a pretty good vantage point. He could see the whole room and no one really noticed him. He watched and he listened the Cannon boys were smart enough to not talk business in a crowded saloon. They didn't say anything incriminating and after a while he started to think that his perch was a waste of time. The room was getting fuller the closer it got to show time he should be down there just in case. He hated to admit it but he kind of missed standing by the bar watching Rose. He looked to the bar and saw some cowboy reach out and try to grab her as she passed by she batted his hand away and kept going but she looked annoyed. Matt could see the look even from here. He didn't like it but what he really didn't like was the fact that it bothered him. He passed Raven and the rancher Rose had mentioned going up the stairs as he was heading down. He looked the man full in the face and recognition struck him. It was Walt Porter. The man did have a sorted past. He had ridden with a group of men that had caused a lot of grief for the Rangers but that had been years ago. Before he was with the Rangers. As far as he knew the man wasn't suspected of anything recent. He simply continued past the man without even an acknowledgement.

  Matt reached the bar just in time to see Rose have another confrontation with the man with the grabby hands.

  "I said I am not interested, I am working. If you're feeling frisky go talk to one of the other girls." She was angry he could tell but the man just laughed. Matt was seriously tempted to pound the message home but she had expressly told him she didn't want him acting like a jealous lover. So he held himself in check, barely, and returned to his place at the end of the bar.

  "Get ya a drink Hun?" she asked when she came close and he had to double check that she was talking to him.

  "Ahh, no thanks." She smiled at him before she turned away and he felt a bit better. Right up until she returned to the other end of the bar and the man with the hands grabbed her and roughly pulled her across the bar. He didn't hesitate he surged forward and grabbed the man's wrist causing him to release Rose.

  "Do not touch the girls," he growled.

  "He's had enough Matt, show him the door." Rose was clearly angry about being man handled.

  "You heard the lady, let's go." The man stood up and immediately swung at Matt. He dodged the blow but caught his arm. He twisted it behind him and wrenched it up. The man grunted from the pain.

  "You have a real problem keeping your hands to yourself don't you." Matt growled in the man's ear as he marched him out the door. He pushed him through the swinging doors and shoved him off the boardwalk into the dusty road. His eyes found Rose's when he returned. He looked into her eyes across the room as if to ask if she was alright. She gave a brief nod and returned to her customers.

  The room at large broke out in cheering and he saw that Katrina had stepped onto the stage. He returned to the bar as she began to sing. Every patron was watching her. The girls were still handing out drinks but all of the other activity ceased.

  “She’s so beautiful.” Matt looked up surprised to find Rose standing beside him.

  “She has a beautiful voice.” The next sound he heard was another sneeze. He offered her his handkerchief.

  “Thank you.” She sniffed,“I am not getting sick,” she insisted. He smiled and turned so that he was leaning on the bar towards her.

  “You can hold on to that until your done not getting sick,” he said and winked at her. Rose looked at the white handkerchief in her hand. The edge was embroidered and the monogram MJH was in the corner, the opposite corner contained a mark that looked like two h’s joined by a common bar. There was no doubt that this had been made especially for him by a woman. She was surprised to find a twinge of jealousy. It hadn’t even occurred to her that he might have a woman waiting for him. She had been a little assuming in telling him that he couldn’t share her bed or fraternize with the women he might not even want to.

  “What is your middle name?” She asked because she felt like she should say something.

  “James,” he said, after following her line of sight to the monogram.“That is the Double H Brand.” He pointed to the odd symbol.“It’s my brother’s place. My sister in law recently learned
to embroider.” He smiled and she could see he was remembering.“She made me a dozen.” He laughed.“I don’t know what she thinks I need a dozen hankies for.” Rose smiled. His sister in law made them. That didn’t mean that he didn’t have a woman waiting for him. The song ended and the room erupted in applause.

  “Thank you. I would like to dedicate this next one. If we could clear some space on the floor. My friend Rose has found her long lost dance partner.” Matt heard Rose gasp beside him. “Help me out with some encouragement for Rose.” The crowd began clapping again and he could see the color rising in her cheeks. He put his hand out and she looked at it then looked at him. He smiled what he hoped was a disarming smile. She stepped out from behind the bar and took off her apron. She put her hand in his and the crowd cheered. He led her to the very small space that they had deemed dance floor. He looked up at Katrina and she began to sing. He pulled her close and wrapped his arm around her waist. If he had bothered to ask for dancing rules he was certain she would have said a minimum of six inches between their bodies. But he hadn’t asked so he didn’t have to follow the rule. He held her tightly against him. She felt good in his arms. Her head tucked under his chin against his chest. He knew Katrina was singing but he couldn’t hear her. All he could hear was a loud rushing as the blood pulsed through his ears.

  Rose couldn’t remember the last time anyone had held her. For any reason. She had forgotten how good it felt. How much humans needed contact with each other. She didn’t want to know, she didn’t want to be reminded and yet she couldn’t let go, she couldn’t pull away. She only knew the song was over when everyone began clapping again. She looked up and smiled at Matt. Then she quickly pulled away and walked back toward the bar. He was right behind her she could feel him. Her heart was racing and her eyes were burning from the overwhelming urge to cry. She wasn’t going to cry. She would never be able to explain that. Not to Matt not to any of them. When she reached the bar she pretended to sneeze just to have a moment to turn away.