Silver Belles and Stetsons

by Caroline Clemmons

  Flo took a mouthful of coffee. “Trouble is, Zac won’t speak up and defend himself against their lies. He doesn’t like people overmuch. I blame Rafe for that. He home schooled the boy, rarely came into town, so Zac had no idea how to interact with people, especially women. I was the only woman he had spoken to until he met Kitty after Rafe died. I tried to warn him, but he wouldn’t listen. Young love is often blind and foolish. He paid a high price for it, though.”

  What a horrible story. Holly already knew some of it, but for people to treat Zac like that was terrible, especially when he was innocent.

  “How about after you feed the baby, we take a stroll down the street, maybe have ourselves a meal at the new diner I was telling you about.”

  “I’d like that, Flo. I’d like to pay for my accommodation, but I don’t have much money, and when that runs out…”

  “No need to worry, I like having female company. Zac left money with me, so don’t worry about payment. I didn’t want to take it, but he insisted. You can help me around the house when you’re feeling up to it.”

  Holly couldn’t believe how lucky she was to meet such a kindly lady, and of course there was Zac. He had the power to hurt her more than Denis’ philandering ever did. She had tolerated Denis, but loved Zac.

  With the baby wrapped up snuggly, they strolled along the boardwalk, arm in arm. It was Flo’s way of announcing to everyone, that they were friends.

  The woman Holly now knew as Agnes Winthrop glared at them as they passed by. “There’s Zac Goodman’s whore and his bastard,” she said to her equally sanctimonious looking friend.”

  Embarrassed heat surged through Holly, she felt as if her skin had caught fire. Before she had a chance to defend herself. Flo stood with her hands on her hips.

  “Shut your damn mouth Agnes and keep it shut,” Flo snapped. “You have no idea who this gracious young lady is, and I won’t have you tarnishing her reputation.” She raised her voice for those who had stopped and were milling about hoping to overhear some snippet of gossip. “By the way, I heard that your lying whore of a niece escaped from prison. I hope some bounty hunter shoots her down like a mangy dog before she ruins some other innocent man’s life with her lies.”

  Once the women minced off, Flo burst out laughing. “I enjoy it when she attacks me. I give her back as good as she gives me. Zac ignores her.”

  “I felt like slapping her,” Holly said. “Evil old witch.”

  The new diner was small and cozy, with lace curtains on the windows and red-checked tablecloths. A fire crackled in the large fireplace, throwing out plenty of heat.

  “Howdy Flo.” A waiter sashayed up to them. The girl wore a frilly white apron over her black gown, and a white mop hat was perched on her head.

  “I’m good. This is my friend, Holly O’Leary.”

  The girl escorted them to a table set for two. “Oh, Mrs. O’Leary, you’re the lady whose husband died on the trail. I’m sorry, it must have been dreadful for you.”

  Gossip travels fast in this town. “Thank you.” Holly felt like a hypocrite accepting the girl’s condolences. She hadn’t wished death on Denis, but wasn’t sorry he had gone. Thankfully, his death would have been instantaneous.

  “The usual Flo?”

  “Yes, Holly will have the same. She needs fattening up.” Flo chortled.

  “I’ve always been small.” Probably because there was never enough to eat while she was growing up. She could never remember any time in her childhood when her stomach wasn’t grumbling with hunger.

  No matter what I have to do, you’ll never be hungry, my darling. She hugged Merry tight. I’ll do anything to keep you happy and well. I don’t care how low I have to stoop. At least she had a friend now, two if she counted Zac. That was the dilemma, she wanted him to be more than a friend. Wanted him to love her, be prepared to share his life with her. She wouldn’t even insist on marriage, as long as he vowed to be faithful.

  Chapter Nine

  Six weeks passed with no word from Zac. The sheriff sent a boy over to tell her that they wouldn’t be able to retrieve Denis’ body. It was too dangerous. He would have to lie out there until the elements bleached his bones, and the tree grew back and covered him.

  Mid-morning this one particular day, Holly was feeding the baby when Zac strode into the kitchen. He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it over a chair, unbuckled his gun belt and laid it on the table.

  Black stubble covered his jaw and chin. He looked exhausted. Worse still, he wore a grubby bandage wrapped around his left hand.

  “So, you’re back? Have a coffee you look like you need it.” Flo bustled over to the stove.

  “Thanks, I do. Holly, you’re looking better, and the baby has grown.”

  “She’s gained weight and her face has filled out. Holly’s heart swelled with motherly pride. Her daughter was thriving.

  “She’s a precious little cherub,” Flo said, handing Zac a cup of coffee. “What happened to your hand?”

  He grimaced. “I must be slowing down. Some varmint got the drop on me, let off a shot before I dispatched him. Kitty McDonald is dead. Gus and I have been tracking her through the Black Hills for weeks. That’s where I’ve been. She finally showed her face in Deadwood; we confronted her. She tried to kill me and Gus shot her.”

  Holly shivered at the cold, dispassionate way he spoke, but he did have right on his side. That woman’s lies had ruined his life.

  The color drained from Flo’s normally rosy cheeks. “Is Gus all right?” she asked before Holly could do so.

  “Yeah. I got shot after we parted company. Stop fussing, it’s only a flesh wound.”

  Flo grabbed Zac’s hand and ripped away the bandage. The wound was angry and raw looking. “You’ve got an infection in it,” Flo said. “So don’t tell me it’s nothing.” She filled a basin up with hot water and tossed in a handful of salt. “Holly, in the dresser, there’s scissors, clean bandages and a tin of salve.”

  “It’s nothing. All I need is a bath, a shave, and to sleep for a couple of hours.”

  “You could have been killed,” Holly said. She couldn’t bear it if something happened to him.

  He shrugged. “It’s always a risk in my line of work, besides Gus and I watched each other’s backs.

  “Give it up, Zac.” Flo applied some salve to the wound. “You could make a living off that ranch of yours, if you put your mind to it. Gus is an intelligent man, he could do something else, too.”

  “There’s nothing out there on the ranch for me.”

  “Please, Zac.” Holly reached out and touched his hand. “I’d be prepared to go out there and live with you.”

  He caught his breath, but his eyes hardened. “What makes you think I’d want to get hitched to you?”

  Tears sprang to her eyes, she jumped up and fled. Leaning against the wall outside in the hallway, with Merry in her arms, and her bodice still undone, she sobbed.

  “What kind of burr have you got under your saddle blanket?” Flo snapped. “That gal has been eating her heart out for you.”

  “Sonofabitch,” he growled.

  “Don’t cuss in my house, Zac Goodman.”

  Holly wanted to seek refuge in her bedroom, but her legs wouldn’t move. Why did she love a man who felt such contempt for all the things she wanted? A loving husband, and a father for Merry.

  Zac had been in Deadwood, the very place Denis had been heading for. How had he come to be shot? Did she want that kind of life? Never knowing when some desperado would shoot him in an ambush? He would be safe at the ranch, but obviously didn’t want that kind of life.

  At least she had a home with Flo. She felt better about staying now, as she was able to help around the house to pay for her keep. Not that the kindly woman wanted her to, but she didn’t like not paying her way. I could take in sewing to bring in more money. You don’t need Zac, you can cope on your own.

  She might not need him, but she desired him. With or without marriage she would have g
one to him. He didn’t want her. That was the unpalatable truth.

  Changing the baby, she put her down in the crib Flo had recently bought from a friend’s daughter. Tufts of blonde hair had appeared on Merry’s head, and hopefully she would favor the maternal side of the family and stay fair.

  Holly sat in a chair and closed her eyes, letting her mind drift.

  Someone tapped on the door. “Mind if I come in?” Zac asked. She gave a startled jump. She must have fallen asleep. He didn’t wait for an answer, just strode in. He leaned down and stroked the baby’s head. “She’s grown.”

  Holly couldn’t stop staring at him. He was freshly bathed and shaved, his overlong black hair, damp and glistening. “Where’s Flo?” she asked.

  “Off visiting that sick friend of hers.”

  “What are you doing in my bedroom? You made your opinion of me quite clear back there in the kitchen.”

  He gnawed his lower lip, his gaze never wavering from the breasts peeping out from her still open bodice.

  “I’m sorry about before, I didn’t mean it to sound so mean.”

  “Yes, you did,” her voice was shrill with hurt. She stood up. “Say what you want and get out of here. Go to one of your whores at the Golden Nugget.”

  “I might just do that, but before I go…” His arms snaked out and he crushed her to him. His mouth lowered, and he plundered her lips with an angry urgency. She tried to keep her mouth closed, but his tongue thrust impatiently until it gained entry. The hand she was going to use to pummel his chest with, grasped his shirt.

  He raised his head, muttered something, then he took her mouth with a hungry passion. His tongue entwined with hers, performing a frenzied erotic dance. The hardness of his desire pressed into her.

  A million butterflies cavorted in her stomach. A surge of moistness wet her inner thighs as he slipped her gown down over her shoulders, and his mouth brushed her skin.

  He edged them toward the bed, with a flick of his wrist, pulled the bed linen aside, and she landed on her back with him on top. His mouth moved to her exposed breast, his tongue glided over it, circling her nipple.

  “Is this what you want? Say no, and I’ll stop now.” His voice was muffled between her breasts.

  She ran her hands through his still damp hair. “Yes.” Her one taste of paradise, and she wasn’t prepared to forgo it.

  He eased back a little and wriggled out of his pants and shirt. She wantonly discarded her clothes. His powerful, aroused maleness reared from a bed of black curls. He slid his finger into her womanly cleft, working her with a gentle, gliding motion.

  She opened for him, and with one long, hard thrust he stormed the quivering inner sanctum of her love canal. Her hips rose to meet his demand. A million stars exploded before her eyes.

  He reached his shattering climax, and with a feral growl exploded inside her. She fell over desire’s precipice a second or two later. They lay together, still joined, their ragged breathing testament to the heights of passion they had climbed. When he rolled away, she felt bereft. Reaching for her, he tucked her to his side, and with a satisfied sigh, he fell asleep.

  Zac’s lovemaking was all and more than she had dreamed of, but would it make any difference to the way he felt? In sleep he looked younger, slightly vulnerable. The lines gouging either side of his mouth almost disappeared. Now that Kitty McDonald was dead, maybe he would be rid of his demons.

  She smoothed his hair, noticing for the first time, a few strands of grey. He had performed magic with one hand on her body. What would he be like with two?

  Easing herself off the bed, she dressed, gently pulled the quilt over his naked body, and tiptoed out of the room. In the kitchen, she made herself a coffee and sat with her elbows resting on the table.

  Flo entered through the kitchen door.

  “How’s your friend doing?”

  “Much better now, thanks to the Doc’s medicine. Where’s Zac?”

  “Asleep.”

  Flo raised her eyebrows in query.

  “In my bed.”

  “Ah, that’s the way of it.” There was no condemnation in her voice, but heat burned Holly’s cheeks, and she hung her head slightly.

  “It wasn’t meant to happen.”

  “Wasn’t it?”

  “No, Zac came in to see me and…”

  “He’s a grown man, he knew what he was doing. You just better hope there’ll be no untoward ramifications if he doesn’t do the right thing by you.”

  “Ramifications?” Holly suddenly felt icy cold. “I…I’m breast feeding.”

  “It’s still possible to become pregnant. My sister had a baby every ten months until she kicked out that no-good, lily-livered husband of hers.”

  Holly felt ill. “If you want me to leave, I won’t cause a fuss.”

  “No, I don’t want you to leave, I enjoy having you here, but I want you to bear in mind what can happen. Still, now that Kitty McDonald is dead, Zac might settle down. Now he’s had a taste of you, he’ll want more. Men always do.”

  “What do men always do?” A grinning Zac strode in carrying Merry. “Look what I found, a sweet little gal, who’s as beautiful as her mother.”

  He rested the baby against his shoulder. “Come on, what do men always do?”

  “Take advantage of vulnerable women,” Flo snapped.

  Zac glared at Holly.

  “I…I didn’t say anything.” She felt hot all over. “Flo guessed, I mean…”

  “You think I can’t recognize that glow a woman gets when she’s been pleasured by a man? And you’re grinning like a weasel in a hen house.”

  Holly’s mouth dried up. Anger flared in Zac’s eyes, then they froze over. He handed the baby to her. “So, what if we did?” he growled. “We’re both consenting adults.” He turned away.

  “Just make sure you’re around if there are any untoward consequences.”

  He swung back to them. Cold fury turned his eyes into chips of ice. “Consequences? She’s breast feeding.”

  Holly wanted to crawl under the table. She was hurt and humiliated beyond anything she had endured before. “Is that why you did it?” Anger replaced the hurt. “Because you thought you’d be safe?”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  “Well, like I told Holly before, my sister had a baby every ten months.”

  “Sonofabitch.”

  He stalked out of the kitchen, banging the door behind him so loudly the baby woke up crying.

  “Zac never did like being cornered,” Flo said, as Holly quietened her daughter down.

  “You did it on purpose?”

  “Of course I did. I’d never force Zac to do anything he didn’t want to, he’s like a son to me. I just wanted to give him something to chew over. You’re perfect for him. I know it, and he does too, even if he’s not prepared to admit it – yet.”

  “I know you’re trying to help me, but it’s hopeless. I don’t want him to feel obligated to marry me, because it’s the decent thing to do.”

  “He’ll go out and get drunk. Then head over to the Golden Nugget.”

  Holly gasped in shock.

  “Don’t worry,” Flo rushed on. “He won’t have the desire to touch those women. That’s when he’ll realize you’re the gal for him, and he won’t be able to get you to the preacher quick enough.”

  ***

  An hour had passed, still no Zac. Holly listlessly nibbled at a sandwich.

  There was a sudden commotion in the street, shouts followed by a single shot. With her heart pounding, Holly raced to the upstairs window and stared out into the main street. Zac stood rigid, his legs slightly apart, a smoking gun in his hand. On the ground a cowboy lay sprawled on his back, a hand still on his holstered gun.

  “Can you mind the baby for me?”

  “I can mind her, but it’s better if you stay away.”

  “No, Zac’s going to get killed.” She pulled a shawl around her shoulders and sprinted out the door, not stopping until she reached the main stree
t.

  A group of rough looking cowboys stood around, yelling obscenities and waving their guns.

  “You’re a dead man Zac Goodman,” screeched a scruffy young woman dressed in men’s clothing. You killed Kitty McDonald, and I’m gonna make sure you pay.”

  She spied Holly and turned on her. “Come on boys, she’s Goodman’s bed faggot. Drag her into the livery and have a good time with her.”

  The cowboys crowded around Holly, pushing and shoving each other. She had been foolish to rush out here alone and unarmed, when emotions were running hot. The stench coming from some of the men made her gag; their sweating anticipation terrified her.

  The woman pushed her way through the men, grabbed the side of Holly’s gown and ripped it open. Like a trapped animal, she frantically looked around for a way out. The men closed in like a pack of salivating wolves.

  A shot fired in the air stopped them.

  “Leave her alone,” Zac said, glaring at the crowd forming around her.

  The cowboys shuffled back a few paces. A number of men milled around with the townsfolk in the comparative safety of the sidewalk. Obviously they weren’t prepared to get involved, but didn’t want to miss any of the action, either. The sheriff was nowhere to be seen.

  Zac stood in the middle of the main street – alone, facing down the fury of a screaming hellion of a woman, and several cowboys.

  “Your friend Kitty McDonald is dead, Aileen, so give yourself up unless you want to end up like her. As for the rest of you Vermonts, you’re wanted men, and you aren’t going to leave this town, unless it’s in a box heading for boot hill.”

  “Yeah!” One of the cowboys spat, and his spittle landed on Zac’s boot. “And who’s going to take us in? I don’t see no sheriff around.”

  Aileen pulled a gun from her coat and aimed it at Holly. Zac was surrounded, and no-one else was prepared to help. Fear shafted through her. This was the end. At almost point blank range Aileen couldn’t miss.