Whiskey Rose (Fallen)

by Melissa Jones

  The regulars from the salon were all there too. The Cannon boys, Walt Porter, Mr. Duncan -the pinstripe suit guy, Jonathan whose last name he hadn’t caught even Mr. McGregor from the store. He looked at the page, there was still room at the bottom but he turned the page anyway. Orin Kline got his own page.

  Chapter 6

  Rose opened her eyes and immediately regretted it. The light burned and her head pounded. She had drunk too much whiskey trying to kill her cough. She knew her limit was one, any more than that and there were bad effects and she had far exceeded that. She coughed as the world cruelly reminded her that it had only been a temporary fix anyway. The cough caused blinding pain to pound through her head and she whimpered and pulled the blanket over her head. As she lay there trying to remember how much she had drank she realized that she couldn’t even remember how she had gotten in bed. She was still dressed in her clothes from the night before so she could be thankful for that. It had been a prime opportunity for Matt to take advantage. She could remember that he had been there. Brief flashes of him. She lifted the blanket and peeked out. The sofa was empty, the bedding was all folded and put away as if he had never been there. She pulled the blanket back down and closed her eyes. She wasn’t moving until the pain went away. The Saloon was just going to have to look after itself.

  Matt cracked the door open and peered at the oddly shaped lump on the bed. The lump moved and a corner of the blanket moved and he saw her eyes. He smiled and stepped in.

  “Good morning.”

  “Shhh.” She put her finger to her lips before she dropped the blanket again. He softly closed the door and approached the side of the bed. He squatted down and lifted the corner of the blanket.

  “Good morning,” he whispered and her face split into a wide grin.“I brought you some coffee.” He was still whispering as he held up the cup. She sighed and pushed herself into a sitting position and took the offered cup.

  “Thank you,” she whispered and he grinned. He sat down beside her on the bed.

  “How are you feeling?”

  “Bad,” she said simply, “Did I make a complete fool of myself?”

  “No, you didn’t behave badly. In fact you were very friendly.” Her eyes popped open above the cup and she stared at him.

  “I didn’t… I mean we didn’t?” His eye brow quirked up.

  “Sweetheart if we had, you’d remember.” She giggled at his indignance and he smirked. It was a nice sound.“I think the children are squabbling.” She frowned thinking she must have heard him wrong. He lifted one finger and pointed at the ceiling and she understood.

  “Oh the girls. What are they squabbling over?”

  “Um to move or not to move. I think.”

  “Oh. Every couple of weeks they get it in their heads to all swap rooms. Let me guess… Katrina doesn’t want to move.”

  “It would seem that she doesn’t. They have been arguing about it all morning.”

  “She never moves but someone always wants her to.”

  “Why doesn’t she move?” Rose shrugged but she looked away from him and he could tell she knew why. He just continued to watch her for a minute and she finally relented.

  “It was their room,” she said softly and took a sip of the coffee without meeting his eyes.

  “She still loveshim?”

  “Yeah, for all the good it does her.” He was surprised by her bitter tone.

  “Isn’t it better to have loved and lost?”

  She finally looked at him.“Do you really believe that?” He started to say he did but her smoky eyes made him hesitate and really think about it.

  “I might if I had ever been in love,” he said seriously.

  “You might not if you’d had your heart broken.”

  He pursed his lips in thought.“You know I’ve gotten back on every horse I’ve been thrown from. Maybe she just needs to get back in the saddle.”

  Rose smirked and then she laughed.“Well she’s not getting back in the saddle. She is not interested in riding again. She only sings.” Rose sighed.“I worry about her sometimes.”

  “She worries about you too.” She looked at him and frowned.“Don’t look at me like that. I know things. You would be amazed by the things I know.” She looked at him for a long moment then burst out laughing.“Boy you really know how to wound a guy’s pride.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said,containing her laughter. She leaned over and bumped him with her shoulder. Then patted his knee with her hand.“I did not mean to wound your pride.”

  “Alright, you’re forgiven… this time. Just don’t let it happen again.” She smiled but tried hard not to laugh.

  “I… achoo!” Before she even lifted her head he was holding out a handkerchief.“Do you keep all dozen in your pocket?”

  “Not all of them.”

  “Oh I hate being sick,” she sniffed.

  “No one likes being sick.”

  “I am so glad its Sunday.” She handed him back the cup and crawled back up and stretched out on the bed behind him.“I am not getting up today. I’m going to sleep till tomorrow.” He turned and looked at her.

  “You don’t work on Sunday?”

  “We are closed on Sunday,” she said snuggling back under the blanket.

  “You can’t leave me alone with them!” He insisted. She looked up at him.

  “Why not? Afraid you won’t be able to control yourself?”

  “Ha! I’m not worried about controlling myself… they are… squabbling. If you’re not going to go out there and tell them what’s what then I am not going back out there either.” She shrugged and closed her eyes again.

  “I don’t care if you stay just be quiet.” She looked at the door. He could see indecision on her face.“Would you um… lock the door please?”

  “You think a lock is better protection than me?”

  “I can’t sleep if I know it’s not locked.” He stood up and locked the door. He came back and stretched out beside her propping his head up with his elbow.“Get your boots off my bed,” she said without opening her eyes. He bent his knees so his boots were hanging off the side.

  “Happy.”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re not really going back to sleep are you?”

  “Yes I am.”

  “I might do things to you while you’re asleep.”

  “Not if I put you on theother side of that locked door,” she mumbled not opening her eyes.

  “You wouldn’t do that.” He leaned over so his mouth was very close to her ear.“You want me here.” His hot breath made goose bumps rise up on her arms.

  “You can’t afford me.” She wished she had the willpower to back that up.

  “You keep saying that but you haven’t named a price. I don’t think you have one. In fact, I bet I could make you meet mine.” He ran his tongue lightly along the edge of her ear lobe and heard her gasp.

  “Not a chance,” she squeaked and then cleared her throat. He kissed her neck lingering with each movement.

  “You want to bet? I bet I can get you to agree to whatever price I set.”

  “Please,” She scoffed, “Why would I do that? I have what you want. Not the other way around.”

  “Oh you want it. You just don’t know it yet.”

  “You’re awfully arrogant.”

  “That’s because I know I am right.” He pulled her ear lobe fully into his mouth and felt her fist her hand in the sheet.“What’s the matter afraid of a little challenge?” He taunted.

  “I am not afraid of anything,” she said stubbornly. She let go of the sheet and gave him a good shove. He was caught off guard and rolled backwards right off the bed. She looked over the edge and the look on his face was so shocked she had to laugh.

  “What did you do that for?” He laughed.

  “I told you, I can’t be charmed and you can’t share my bed.”

  “I wasn’t trying to charm you.”

  “Fine I can’t be seduced.” She rolled back to her origina
l place on the bed.

  “Can’t say I wasn’t trying to do that.” he muttered getting to his feet. He sat back on the bed, he didn’t lay down this time he stuck a pillow behind his back and sat popped up against the headboard. He pulled his boots off so she couldn’t complain about that and crossed one ankle over the other.

  “Alright,I underestimated you. I won’t do that again. I am very good at learning from my mistakes so I only make them once. However, I still think I will win.”

  “I still think you’re arrogant and conceited and I… achoo!”

  “God bless you. There is nothing I enjoy more than a good challenge. Does that make me arrogant?”

  “No,thinking you can’t lose makes you arrogant.”

  “Huh, yeah I suppose it does,” he said as if it hadn’t occurred to him to look at it that way. It made hersmile.“So…” he said brightly,as a subject change.“Tell me about you. Do you have any brothers or sisters? Where were you born? How long has it just been you and Izzy?”

  “It’s none of your business,” she mumbled.

  “Was that in answer to all of the questions or one in particular?”

  “All of them and any more that you plan to ask.”

  “Well that’s not very friendly.” He laughed.

  “I never claimed to be friendly.”

  “Maybe I should give you some more whiskey. That seems to make you friendly.” She looked up at him and glared.

  “I changed my mind.”

  “About what?”

  “I do mind if you stay.” She grumbled and he laughed again.

  “Alright, you don’t want to tell me about you,so tell me about Katrina.” She looked up at him, her forehead creased in confusion.

  “What about her?”

  “You don’t think she and Jonathan are going to patch things up?”

  “I thought that at first. I was almost sure of it.” She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh then coughed. “Now I don’t think so.”

  “Why not?He loves her, she loves him, what’s the problem?”

  “Matt I know you’re not that naive.”

  “No,” he sighed,“but I would like to be.”

  “You’d like to be naive?” she laughed.

  “Yeah, wouldn’t you? I mean by the very definition you don’t know that you don’t know. They say ignorance is bliss.”

  “I don’t think that ignorance is bliss… but I have to admit there are some things I would rather not know.”

  “I think it could still work out for them.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re a romantic at heart, you have poetry and sonnets in your saddle bags?”

  “No!” He laughed,“Not even a little bit!”

  “Love is just a device, an invention designed to make people believe that everyone should behave a certain way.” Her voice was hard with a hint of bitterness.

  “I know you don’t believe that,” he said seriously.

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I saw it in your eyes, I heard it in your voice when you were talking about Jonathan and Katrina, even Pam. You loved her.”

  “And you loved your partner.” Matt wrinkled his nose at the notion and she smiled.“What good did it do any of us? People die or they leave. Love is temporary and it always ends up with someone getting their heart broken. Do you know anyone that it has worked out for?”

  “My brother.”

  “You’re saying he’s never been hurt by it, it’s always been easy.” Her voice was full of doubt.

  “You’re such a cynic. No,I didn’t say it was easy, and in fact it damn near got him killed. I’m just saying that it seems to have been worth it. Nothing worth doing easy and I don’t expect love is a comfortable thing. It is full of emotion and turmoil but also passion and joy. It’s all about risk versus reward.”

  “Ugh you do sound like a mushy poet.”

  “Hey, only because you forced me into the opposing viewpoint.” She sat half way up and looked at him.

  “Are you saying that whatever opinion I have you are going to take the opposite? Just for the sake of the argument?” Her brows dropped as she scrutinized him. One side of his mouth quirked up.

  “That is not what I said.”

  “But it’s true.”

  “Maybe.” Hegrinned. She rolled her eyes and dropped back to the pillow.“I can’t help it you’re fun to argue with.” He laughed.

  “I am so glad I could amuse you,” she grumbled and he laughed.

  “Are you hungry? You want me to get you some soup or something?”

  “Soup for breakfast, sounds great,” she mumbled sarcastically.

  “It’s noon sweetheart.”

  “What.” She sat halfway up again.“No it isn’t.”

  “It is actually.” She lifted up and looked over him to the clock on the night table.

  “Oh my goodness. I have never stayed in bed so long.”

  “Thought you said you were going to sleep till tomorrow.”

  “I was bluffing.” She started to get up and he caught her arm.

  “Rose there is nothing that you’re going to do today that can’t wait till tomorrow.” She looked into his pale blue eyes and she knew he was right. She hated to admit it but she kind of liked just sitting here with him like this. She and Pam used to spend hours just like this talking about nothing.“The best thing you can do is get some rest so you get better.”

  “You’re not letting me get any rest.”

  “Sure I am. I said rest, not sleep. You’re resting.” She smiled but she laid back on the pillow.

  “My throat hurts, stop arguing with me so I can stop talking.”

  “I can’t help it you can’t resist a good argument either.” She smiled but she didn’t disagree.

  “Where is your brother now?”

  “He lives west of Austin. He has a ranch.”

  “Hill country, pretty there.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “You see him much.”

  “Probably not as much as I should. A little more now.”

  “Why now?”

  “Ahh let’s just say it’s not always him I go to see.” She continued to stare at him waiting for an explanation and he relented.

  “Her name is Arianne she has carrot red hair and blue eyes and she is as precocious as they come.” He smiled but she frowned. That is not how you described a lover.

  “How old is she?”

  “Two and a half.” He grinned.“And she knows that the half counts.” Rose smiled.

  “Your niece?”

  “Yes.”

  “The only one?”

  “Yep. She is a little spitfire too.”

  Matt finally ventured out of the room around supper time to get something for Rose to eat.

  “Finally came up for air huh, sugar.” Matt looked up and saw Dixie sashay into the room.

  “Yeah something like that.”

  “I’ve never seen Rose stay in her room all day, even on a Sunday. You must have worn the poor girl out.” Dixie laughed and Matt smiled.

  “She is not feeling very well. She is resting.”

  “Oh well in that case do you want to play some poker?”

  “What?”

  “We are all playing. Might get a little rowdy, or a little drunk.” She giggled and he smiled again.“Katrina’s idea she says if one of us can beat her she will swap rooms.”

  “Really?” Matt was surprised. He wondered if that was a sign that she was moving on.“What changed her mind?”

  “I dunno. I think we just wore her down. She said if one of us could beat her she would swap with them next Sunday. So of course we are all going to play for the chance to win.”

  “Why are you asking me? I don’t want her room.”

  “I know hun, I just want you to run interference. Take out some of the competition.”

  “Oh I see.” He laughed.“I appreciate the offer but I think I’m going to keep Rose company.”

  “Oh well,
” she sighed,“I can’t say I blame you.”

  “It’s not going to work you know.” Rose was sitting cross-legged on the bed eating her soup.

  “What isn’t?”

  “You can’t seduce me by taking care of me either.”

  “I wasn’t trying to.” He laughed but she had changed into that puritanical Victorian nightgown and he was dying to get his hands under it.

  “What are you trying to do then?”

  “Believe it or not I am just trying to help you get better.”

  “You have an ulterior motive.”

  “No, I made a wager that I intend to win but that has nothing to do with you getting better.”

  “How can you call it a wager? There are no stakes.”

  “Fine, call it a challenge. You believe you can’t be seduced. I believe you can.”

  “And you love a good challenge.”

  “Yes I do.” He grinned.“But if your will is as iron as you say it is. You should be able to resist me easily.”

  “I don’t know about this.”

  “What are you worried about. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to and I won’t do anything you don’t let me.” She eyed him for a moment. She really wasn’t sure she could resist him. Not when just those eyes, that smile made her week in the knees. She was doomed to lose this wager and yet she relished the idea of it at the same time.

  “Alright fine give it your best shot but it won’t do you any good.” She said haughtily. He grinned and stood up. He had been sitting on the end of the bed but now he stepped toward her. She braced herself for the sensual onslaught but it didn’t come, he didn’t even touch her. He reached down and took the bowl from her hands.