“You've got to do better than that. Laugh.”
She laughed, the sound fake and brittle.
Ruby shook her head; she was in so much trouble. She could lose her job, her status with the madam if she helped this girl, but she couldn’t let them find out she was trying to escape. They would find and kill her. Whores were cheaper and more accessible than a gaggle of hens, and one missing would not create a shortage in this ruthless town.
“Have you tried this shade of color on your lips?” Ruby asked the girl. “It will make them stand out more.”
“No…I’ve only used what I’ve been given,” she said, her voice trembling.
The goon entered the mercantile, and Ruby continued as if she hadn’t seen him walk in. “You know I think with the coloring in your cheeks, this one would make you appear perkier and happy. I bet you’d make more money using this shade.”
“What about the powder?” the girl asked timidly. “Do you wear facial powder? It makes me itch.”
“What the hell are you doing?” the man said and grabbed Hannah by the arm.
“Ouch,” Hannah said, glancing up into his eyes; her gaze could have killed him if it had been a weapon.
Yes, Ruby had to help her. Teach her how she could make a decent living.
“I’ve been hunting for you,” the man replied.
Ruby slapped his hand away. “What are you doing? Can’t you see we’re shopping?”
The man appeared startled.
“I’m giving her some tips on how to look more appealing to the men. Then we’re going to have lunch over at the café. She’s not a prisoner, is she?” Ruby asked surprised. “I’ll have her back at the saloon before it’s time for her to go to work.”
The man frowned and stared between the two women. “I guess she’s not a prisoner. It’s just she’s never done this before, and Mrs. Hutchins was certain she was running.”
The women looked at each other and burst out laughing, their strained voices ringing in the small store.
“Like that’s worked for me before.”
Ruby shook her head. “Where would she go? To another whorehouse? How would she get there? You going to take her?”
Glancing between the two women, the man put his hands on his hips. “Mrs. Hutchins isn’t going to like this, but I reckon it can’t hurt. You ladies do like to shop. But I’m going to be watching you, so don’t try anything funny. I’ll be right outside the store, waiting to escort you back to the saloon.”
“You’re welcome to join us, but you have to try on a shade of this rouge pot. You might even look nice wearing this color on your lips and cheeks,” Ruby said, all innocent to the man who glared like an angry bear.
“I’ll be waiting outside,” the man all but growled.
“Too-da-lou. Will you be joining us for lunch at the café?” Ruby called.
He shook his head and continued out the door.
After he was gone, the girl sighed with relief. “Oh, my God, you were right. They saw me sneak out. Thank you for helping me. You didn’t have to do that.”
Ruby stared at the girl. “Why not? You were in trouble and needed help.”
“It’s just that I’m a whore, and most women avoid me,” she said softly, glancing around the small store.
The owner watched them carefully, and Ruby sent him her most charming smile, hoping he couldn’t overhear them.
“I’m a card dealer. I don’t care about the women who avoid me,” she said, lifting her chin, knowing she was so much more than just a lady who dealt winning and losing hands of poker. “And neither should you.”
The girl smiled. “I’m Hannah. Hannah Williams.”
“Nice to meet you, Hannah. I’m Ruby Callahan.” She took the young girl by the arm. “Let’s go have lunch. You can tell me all about why you want to run away when we get to the restaurant.”
The girl stopped in the middle of the store, her big eyes filling with tears. “I never wanted to be a whore.”
Ruby patted her on the arm. “It’s okay. We’ll talk when we get to the restaurant, where it’s more private.”
“I don’t know if they’ll let me into the diner,” she said, her voice breaking.
There was no way Ruby wanted to embarrass the girl, but it was the logical place for them to go and have lunch. They could sit down, and she could learn a little more about Hannah’s story. “Let’s try. If not, then we’ll just have a picnic somewhere.”
“And Madam’s goon will be keeping an eye on my every move.”
Glancing out the open door, Ruby could see the man leaning against the frame of the building, waiting, watching. Mrs. Hutchins was looking after her investment like a jailer scrutinized his inmates.
“Let him,” she said. “We have nothing to hide. Today is not the day you’re leaving town.”
They strolled out of the mercantile and down the sidewalk to the café. When Ruby asked for a table, the waitress seemed reluctant. She glanced at Hannah and then Ruby.
“We don’t serve her kind here,” the woman said, in a low shaky voice.
“You don’t serve women?” Ruby asked, feeling surly. “We don’t want any trouble. We just want to sit down and have lunch.”
The waitress glanced around. “Okay, but don’t take too long.”
Finally, they were seated, and Hannah peeked around the room. She shuddered.
“What’s wrong?”
“I’ve had sexual intercourse with half the men in this room. Some of them are here with their wives.”
Ruby laughed. “Don’t you think they feel a little nervous right now?” She couldn’t imagine what it must be like to look around the room and see cowboys who she’d known in the most intimate manner.
Scanning the restaurant, there were a lot of men in here that looked like a good bath, a shave, and a haircut would clean them up, but not enough to entice her to share a bed with them.
Hannah grinned, a real smile for the first time. “Good. They should have stayed home where they belonged.”
Laying her menu down, Ruby looked closely at the young woman. There was a slight bruise marring her face. She had long, dark lashes that curled around pretty green eyes, and her hair was a mixture of auburn with blonde highlights. A beautiful young girl, she couldn’t have been more than eighteen.
“If you hate the job so much, why did become a whore?” Ruby asked.
The girl tensed, and her emerald eyes flashed with rage. “Don’t assume that I wanted this. My stepfather owed the saloon a lot of money. After my mother died, he sold me to Mrs. Hutchins. If I want my freedom, I have to pay off my stepfather’s gambling debt to the madam, which will take years.”
Of all the rotten stinking things to do to a young girl. Ruby shivered at the thought of letting countless unknown men touch her because of her stepfather’s mistakes. No wonder the girl was filled with bitterness and rage and eager to escape.
“I was a virgin when he brought me to the madam. Told me we were going to town to pick out a tombstone for my mama’s grave and he needed my help. Stared me in the eye and handed me off to Mrs. Hutchins. Bastard.”
“Oh, my God,” Ruby said, swallowing the hate she could feel rising. “Have you seen him since?”
Hannah’s eyes turned colder than a blue northern dropping ice pellets. “A couple of times he’s come in, but they won’t let me near him. They know I’d kill him.”
Ruby startled. This soft-spoken quiet young girl had threatened to kill her stepfather, and Ruby didn’t doubt that she would. She couldn’t even blame the girl.
She glanced around to make certain no one had overheard her. They were receiving plenty of stares, but no one appeared to be eavesdropping. “I’m not going to help you kill a man, even one who deserves it. What would you do if you could get out of here?”
The girl shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. I always thought I would get married, have some kids, and settle down. You have to believe me that this is not the life I would have chosen.”
Their waitress set plates of the special in front of them. Ruby watched the girl hungrily dig into the food, like she hadn’t had a good meal in a long time.
Taking a deep breath, Ruby smiled at the girl. She couldn’t imagine having to live this kind of life. “You’re going to need some help getting away from these people. You can’t do this on your own, or they’ll kill you,” she told the girl. “One day you’ll just disappear. Do you understand? You’re a liability, and Mrs. Hutchins will never let you leave.”
The girl sighed. “It’s already happened to one girl in the house. During the middle of the night she vanished, her room was cleaned out, and no one asked questions.”
“You could be next.”
Like a refined lady, she sat down her fork and pushed her plate away. Gripping her hands in front of her, her big green eyes pleaded. “I’m not going to spend my life having sex with strangers. One day it will kill me.”
Ruby knew she was right. Ruby had to help her, and she even knew how. A sense of purpose filled her, and while she knew this was dangerous, it sent a thrill zipping along her spine. “Look, I can’t tell you anything right now. Just do what you’re told. Don’t steal from anyone. Don’t argue with anyone. Just pretend you’ve accepted your life and you’re going to make the best of it.”
“And then what?” Hannah asked, staring at Ruby, her face intent, like she needed something to hold on to. Something to keep her from taking her own life. “I’ll never accept this life.”
“That’s the part I can’t tell you, but I won’t leave town without you. And I’ll help you learn how to make a living and get your revenge.”
Hanna frowned at her. “How do you know I’m not going to go running back to Mrs. Hutchins and tell her what you said?”
The question troubled Ruby for a minute, but then she realized the girl was testing her. Trying to make certain that what Ruby offered was real and not just a lie to keep Hannah on her back, instead of running for whatever safety she could find.
“I don’t. But just like you hate your stepfather for what he did to you, I have someone I hate. And I’m going to get my revenge,” Ruby told her, staring into the girl’s eyes so she understood Ruby meant every word.
Hannah smiled. “I’m not going to tell Mrs. Hutchins. Someday I’d like to return and shut her down. Give her what she deserves.”
A grin spread across Ruby’s face. “Oh, your list is growing.”
“First, I have to get away.”
They ate their food in silence, Ruby glancing around the restaurant occasionally, wondering if her man was here even now.
Then she returned her gaze to Hannah. “Have you seen a man named Rivera in the saloon? I know he likes to gamble.”
“Lately, he comes in about once every two weeks. One of the girls thinks he’s going to whisk her away. I think she’s dreaming.”
Relief flooded through Ruby, almost making her giddy. She’d begun to doubt he was in the area, but since he had a lady friend in the saloon, he should be coming in anytime, and she would be ready.
The waitress came by and picked up their empty plates, a clear signal she wanted them to leave.
“I better get you back before they come busting in here, trying to locate you,” Ruby said.
“Promise me you won’t forget me when you’re ready to leave town.”
“I won’t,” Ruby promised. “I won’t. Be patient and stay out of trouble.”
The door to the restaurant opened, and the sheriff strolled in. He looked around the place, and when he spotted Ruby, he shook his head and walked in their direction.
“Oh no,” Hannah said beneath her breath. “We’re in trouble.”
“Let me handle it,” Ruby whispered.
The sheriff stopped at their table and stood there, staring at them like they were naughty school children. If he’d meant to intimidate them, it wasn’t working on Ruby. The man was an irritating nuisance.
“Miss Callahan, why am I not surprised you are the one causing trouble again?” he asked, standing over their table, staring down at her, his arms crossed.
“Good afternoon, Sheriff. I have two responses to your question. One, how can having lunch with a lady be considered causing trouble? And two, haven’t you learned yet that I’m like a trouble magnet? It just seems to follow me, even when I’m good.”
Shaking his head, he laughed. “I have two things to say to you. Miss Williams is not a lady; she’s a whore.”
“Even whores have to eat, Sheriff. They need their strength to perform their job. And girls do like to occasionally go shopping.”
Placing his hands on his hips, he sighed. “Two, didn’t I warn you not to cause trouble in my town or I’d send you packing?”
The man was just looking for an excuse to run her out of town. Strangers were not welcome in Hide Town until they proved themselves. And the man clearly believed this piece of land was his to protect with his style of justice.
“Yes, you did. But how can two ladies having lunch together be a problem?”
“Miss Callahan, find more respectable ladies to dine with.”
“Sorry, Sheriff, but you see the respectable ladies won’t have lunch with me since I deal cards in the saloon. Surely, the owner of the café didn’t complain? I mean, after all, we’re paying him for the meal. Or wait… Hannah, did you offer him a free service tonight?”
The girl shook her head, her eyes large, like she was frightened. “I did not.”
“So, see there, Sheriff, he’s receiving money for our meal.”
“Miss Callahan, you make me real tired. Let this be a warning. I don’t want to receive another complaint about you.”
Deke had tried to warn her that the sheriff was bad news. And she’d believed him, but that didn’t mean she was afraid of the bully. More like she wanted to kick his knees out from under him and send him sprawling in his beloved dust.
“But, Sheriff, who complained? The restaurant owner? Or was it Mrs. Hutchins?” Ruby knew instinctively the madam had contacted the sheriff after her goon returned and told her the two women were together. The sheriff had been sent to squash whatever relationship could be brewing between Ruby and Hannah.
“You girls should head on back to the saloon now before you get into any more trouble.”
Ruby and Hannah stood and pushed their chairs under the table. Laying her hand on his arm, Ruby stared at the sheriff. “Girls do like to occasionally go shopping. How else can we stay so pretty looking for you men?”
He stared at her as if he knew what she was doing, as if he wished he were immune to her charm, but he still enjoyed staring at her breasts. “I don’t care. Don’t let me get another complaint on you.”
As she passed by the big man, Ruby winked at him. “Come play cards with me tonight, Sheriff? Lady Luck might be on your side.”
“I don’t gamble,” he said and walked out of the café.
Ruby turned to Hannah, and the two of them strolled out the same doors the sheriff had gone through. “It’s going to be a while. Just keep in mind that soon this will be over. But until then, don’t tell a soul. And don’t get into trouble.”
Hannah reached out and hugged her. “Thank you. But hurry.” She separated herself from Ruby and walked toward the saloon.
When Ruby whirled around to return to the hotel, she caught the sheriff watching the two of them.
*
That night, Deke sat outside the saloon and waited for Ruby. Fall was late arriving this year, and he was enjoying the warm weather. His newfound friend nudged her cold nose against his hand, and he absentmindedly petted the young dog.
While out scouting today, he’d come across the dog, abandoned miles from town. She was scrawny, flea ridden, and yet, Deke had been unable to walk away from the animal, knowing she’d die if left alone.
So he’d put her on his horse and rode into town with her in the crook of his arms. By the time they’d arrived back at the hotel, the puppy had imprinted her paws on Dek
e’s heart with her licks and whines and loving brown eyes.
Deke had spent the afternoon bathing and feeding her. His intentions were to find a family who needed a dog and leave her. But right now, the dog was at his heels, following him wherever he went. And already Deke doubted he could leave her behind.
If the hotel caught him with a dog in the room, there would probably be hell to pay, but for the moment he just didn’t care. The company only wanted food and water and an occasional belly rub. This Deke could provide.
The saloon doors swung open, and Ruby strolled out. God, she was stunning in that dress that showcased her feminine curves, and he wasn’t about to take a chance on someone taking advantage of the woman. He’d only briefly strolled through the saloon tonight, but he’d been right outside if she’d needed him.
She smiled and took him by the arm. “Good evening, Deke.”
“I think it’s closer to morning than evening.”
A laugh bubbled from her. “You’re right.” She glanced down at the dog that was following right behind him. “Who’s this?”
“She’s a stray I picked up out of town. I couldn’t let her starve.”
Halting, Ruby stopped and bent down to the dog, letting her smell her hand, and then the puppy pounced on Ruby almost knocking her over.
“Heel,” he told the dog, and she stopped. Her skin quivered with the need to jump and play, but she obediently sat. Deke reached down and patted the dog on the head. “Good dog.”
To Ruby, he said, “Sorry about that. We spent the afternoon learning to heel. She gets a little excited.”
“What are you going to do with a dog?” Ruby asked.
That was a good question, but he couldn’t let the animal suffer, and he really wanted to settle down in one place, surrounded by animals he’d care for. He’d had to bring this pup to town because he couldn’t stand seeing anyone suffer—man, woman, child, or animal. Everyone deserved a chance at life.
“I don’t know. I’d like to make certain she has a good home before I leave town.”
Ruby shook her head. “No, you won’t.”
“What do you mean?”
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