“Yeah, I went into the room looking for you and saw the blood stained sheets. I hid them.”
Fear and embarrassment surged through Ruby. She’d never even considered she’d left signs of what had happened on the bed.
“Oh,” Ruby said, wanting to kick herself. She’d taken such a chance tonight and for what?
“I didn’t want Mrs. Hutchins to learn you’d been a virgin.”
“Thank you,” Ruby said with a sigh. “I didn’t even think about that.”
“Do you care about this man?” Hannah asked.
Ruby stared out in the night, wishing she could be truthful with Hannah, but then again, her own emotions were like scrambled eggs all torn up. “Like I said, it’s complicated. I’ve known him for a while. Years ago, I wanted him, when I was just a young girl. But tonight was the first time we’ve ever lain together, and while I thought it would make things easier between us, it’s just entangled things even more. I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you love him?”
Ruby thought long and hard about Deke. Hadn’t she always cared about him? But did she love him? No, she just couldn’t. If she admitted to loving him, he would break her heart, again.
“I could. But he doesn’t make it easy. One moment he’s hotter than a firecracker and the next it feels like he’s pushing me away. I don’t know.”
And if Ruby was honest with herself, one moment she wanted him and the next she was pushing him away as well. Ruby didn’t want a man telling her what to do. She liked her independence. That’s why she didn’t want Deke to feel like he had to offer marriage. She wanted to live her life to the extremes; with or without a man, it didn’t matter. But she would never marry just to satisfy the dictates of society. If it wasn’t love, she’d live her life on her own without a man.
“I have no need to worry about that,” Hannah said. “Some men may come in and ask for you by name, but most are just looking for a woman. Any vessel will do.”
For this reason, Ruby would help this woman escape this life and begin anew. No one should have to live doing something that was against their nature, something they hated. No one.
Ruby sighed. “We’ve got to get you out of there.”
“Yes,” Hannah said. “I can’t live like this any longer.”
“Do you know what you’re going to do once you leave?”
“I’ve dreamed about it for the last six months,” Hannah said with determination. “I’m going to find my stepfather and kill him. And then I’m going to return and free all the other girls in the saloon.”
Ruby turned in the darkness and stared at her. “You’re going to need some help and some training. After we leave here, I’ll teach you how to shoot and how to earn a living. Not to kill your stepfather, but to hand him over to the law and let justice take care of him.”
“Why are you helping me?” Hannah asked in the dark. “Most women wouldn’t care about a girl who was a whore. Most women look the other way, fearful this life will rub off on them.”
How did she respond to Hannah? It was more than the fact that she’d been trapped into this situation.
Ruby cherished her self-sufficiency so much she couldn’t imagine having it taken away from her. She couldn’t be the woman who had to obey her husband and answer to his every whim. In fact, maybe she’d refuse to marry if this was how it would be with a man. She’d dreamed of so much more, but maybe she was better off without Deke or any man.
“Well, maybe that’s the problem with our society. If we all helped each other, maybe women would have more control. Have more say in how we were treated. I couldn’t live without being in control of my destiny, and I will do everything I can to help any woman obtain control of her own future. That’s why I’m helping you.”
Hannah reached out and wrapped her arm around Ruby. “Thank you. You will have my undying friendship and loyalty for the rest of your life. If ever you need help, I’ll be there.”
Ruby felt her eyes prick with tears. She’d never had a friend like Hannah. Only her sisters. Somehow she felt like she’d just found another one.
“Thanks, Hannah. That means a lot. Now, you better get back before they discover you’re gone.”
Chapter Eleven
The next day, Deke waited outside of Ruby’s room. He’d known it was late when she came in, but he had to speak to her. But what was he going to say?
Sorry, I was shocked you were a virgin? Sorry for not thinking you could possibly still be innocent after all these years? Sorry for not offering you forever?
What an awkward situation he found himself in, and for the second time in days, he wanted to just get on his horse and ride. Yet, he couldn’t go off and leave her in this town where she could disappear and no one would notice.
Finally, she opened her door and stepped outside.
“Good morning,” he said, gazing at her, noticing she wore her riding skirt. Was she planning on going somewhere?
She stared at him, her blue eyes bright. “Good morning.”
Oh, that look was one that said, you may think everything is just fine, but I’m so mad you’ll be lured into thinking everything’s fine and then I will take you down. Somehow, he had to ward off disaster.
“Could I buy you a cup of coffee?”
“Sorry, but I’ve got errands to run. But thanks, maybe another time,” she said and swept right on past him as if they were neighbors, not lovers.
“Ruby,” he said, clearly frustrated.
She turned and gazed at him. “What?”
“Things can’t be this way between us,” he said.
Licking her lips, her eyes widened in that innocent look that he wanted to kiss off her face. She was trying to act like this meant nothing. She was trying to pretend what they’d done last night hadn’t mattered. But it’d meant so much to him, and he couldn’t believe it hadn’t to her.
“What are you referring to?” she asked, shaking her head. “Last night?”
“Okay, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have questioned your—”
She gave him a look that silenced him. Standing in the hall of the local hotel was not the place to talk about her virginity.
A smile spread across her beautiful face that didn’t quite meet her eyes. “Oh, honey, you may have been my first, but it’s okay. You won’t be my last.” She patted him on the cheek. “Now, I’ve got to run. Maybe I’ll see you later tonight at the saloon.”
With a wave of her hand, she strolled down the hall of the hotel toward the stairs that led outside. Her skirts swished back and forth, her cute little derriere twitching like a ship’s beacon.
The puppy whined at Deke, and he glanced down at her at his feet. “Yeah, I know she was playing me,” he said. “But don’t worry, she’s not going far. And sooner or later, we will talk.”
*
Mrs. Hutchins sat in a hard wooden chair in the sheriff’s office. She glanced around at the wanted posters hanging on the walls. Many of the men were frequent visitors to the saloon, but they’d never be apprehended in her establishment. She wasn’t stupid. She knew her clientele didn’t sing in the church choir on Sunday mornings.
They were lucky to still be walking on Sunday mornings and not sprawled out in the street somewhere either drunk or dead. The law wanted many of her regulars. But in this town, the law was loose and mainly kept order in the town. As long as you didn’t cause trouble, the sheriff left you alone.
Wyatt hurried into his office. “Emily, good to see you. What are you doing out and about today?”
She smiled at him. They’d been friends since she’d bought the saloon, and she liked to make sure that kept him supplied with the best whisky and finest cigars and personally, sex. It was the least she could do to help her establishment run smoothly. And if he took care of a problem for her, there was always a nice bonus for him. The arrangement worked well for both of them. She even enjoyed entertaining him once a week.
“What have you heard about Ruby? Any answers to your teleg
rams?”
There was something about this girl that just didn’t make sense. She dealt cards in a saloon, but she seemed more like an innocent. Something about Ruby’s story wasn’t true, and Emily meant to find out what.
“So far, just one. It was from a sheriff in Zenith. He said he’d never heard of any women bounty hunters before.” The sheriff sat in the chair behind his desk. “Has she caused more trouble?”
Emily laughed and shook her head. “Not exactly trouble, but last night she had the saloon in an uproar. She took that man named Deke upstairs.”
The sheriff frowned. “They told me when they rode into town they didn’t know each other.”
Shrugging, she looked at Wyatt. “When one of the girls made moves on Deke, Ruby hauled him upstairs and they used one of my rooms.”
“For sex?”
“Yes. According to the girls, not only did they have sex, but there was an argument afterwards.”
If that was their first time together, it could be their last, and that would be just fine with her. She wanted Ruby working upstairs as it was, and soon she’d come up with a plan to get the girl in the brothel. She’d quickly make even more money than she was now.
“Maybe instead of investigating her, I should be finding out about him,” the sheriff said. “When he came into town, he said he was looking for his brother. Maybe I need to ask him how that search is coming along. And I’ll do some checking to see if anyone recognizes his name.”
She nodded, her gut instincts telling her these two were not who they said they were. They were up to something. She was going to find out and then deal with them appropriately. Emily had worked way too hard to have her business disrupted by a mere girl and a quiet-talking man. She’d dealt with people like them before. Once she learned what they were doing in town, they would be taken care of. Ruby could fill Hannah’s room, as she would soon no longer occupy that space.
“Let me know what you find out. Mr. Culver hangs out at the saloon most nights. I’ve even seen him walk Miss Callahan over to the hotel. For a couple who didn’t know each other, they’ve suddenly become the best of friends.”
Why hadn’t she realized this when she’d first hired Ruby? After this weekend, she intended to do some house cleaning, starting with Hannah. Even though the girl had settled down, she was more of a liability than an asset. It was time Emily rid herself of the danger.
“Don’t worry about them. I’ll see to it we find out what they’re up to.”
*
Later that night, Ruby was at the tables dealing cards, wondering how long this could go on. She’d ridden out to the Rivera homestead today and spent the afternoon scouting around. Nothing. In fact, the place had looked empty. The brother was gone, and there was no sign of life anywhere. If Rivera was coming into town this Friday or Saturday, he wasn’t at the ranch.
Doubts were beginning to crowd her mind and make her question if she was risking too much in this hellhole of a town. Rivera could be anywhere. And could she trust Rivera’s favorite whore, Clara?
Plus, the time for Annabelle’s baby to be born was fast approaching, and as much as Ruby would like to catch their father’s killer, she didn’t want to miss out on the birth of her first niece or nephew. She worried about her sister, and she didn’t want to skip this important event in Annabelle and Beau’s life.
“Ante up, gentlemen,” she called.
“Ruby, when are you going to start working upstairs?” a young man asked her. “You know we’d all be lined up.”
She stopped dealing the cards and gave him a stern glare. “Daniel, that day will never happen.”
“Well, it did yesterday,” he said innocently.
The men at the table all stared. “Sometimes a girl has to lay claim to her man, and that’s what I did. Now lady luck does not talk about subjects that are personal. I’d suggest we get back to the card game.”
“And if we don’t?” Daniel said defiantly.
Since yesterday, the men were treating her different. Before she’d at least had a little respect, but not now. Now they were looking at her like she was honey, and they were a swarm of bees.
“Sugar,” she purred. “I’ll have to call over Tom, Mrs. Hutchins’s henchman. The last time I had to do something like that, they pulled down the poor man’s pants before they tossed him in the street. I’d hate to see something like that happen to you.”
Guffaws resounded at the table, but she could also tell she’d gained some new respect with them. But how long would it last? In the past two days, Deke’s warnings were starting to corrode her resolve to wait for Rivera. She wanted to go home, now.
“Can we play cards?” she asked him. “Or do I need to motion the goon over?”
“Deal the damn cards.”
Tossing out a card to each man, she watched their expressions and could pretty much tell who had the better hand.
The betting began, and she had to pay attention as to who was the high bidder. Soon, she dealt another round of cards. When she finished, she glanced up and saw Deke had walked in the saloon. Their eyes met and she knew he was remembering last night.
Walking in here tonight had been difficult, while remembering what they’d done upstairs and how it had ended. She just wanted to kick and scream at him for being such an idiot. The dream of the two of them together had been so good and the reality had been even better, until he started talking. And then she’d wanted to hurt him.
Deke walked over to her table. He watched her as she dealt the cards.
She turned to him. “Can I help you?”
“Darling, I just wanted to let you know I’ll be waiting for you tonight, right over there in the corner,” he said and smiled. “Gentlemen, treat the lady right.” He turned and sauntered back over to the bar, where he turned and tipped his hat to her.
The man had some nerve. Yet, the men at her table suddenly were back to treating her with respect, and a couple of them even shook their heads, when Deke walked away. As long as things were returning to normal, then she wouldn’t worry about being treated with disrespect.
“Don’t know if he’s a lucky man or he’s in for the heartache of his life. I guess you’ll determine which one,” one man said and picked up his cards.
“Women! Let’s play cards,” another man said.
“Ante up, gentlemen,” she said and dealt the next hand.
Part of her wanted to say thanks and part of her wanted to tell Deke to stop interfering; she could take care of herself. Yet, there was a small part that warmed at how he’d called her darling and let everyone know he was there watching over her.
Just when she was ready to give up on Deke, he always seemed to find a way to soothe things over smooth as silk and come out ahead. What was it about the man that she couldn’t seem to give up on? Why hadn’t yesterday’s tussle filled her need for him?
Because no matter what, she just seemed drawn to the man. Even in the worst of times.
Sudden gunshots resounded right outside the saloon.
The doors flung open and a man yelled, “Clara!”
Ruby glanced around the room at the men who had pulled their guns out and were pointing them at the cowboy.
Clara ran screaming down the stairs and launched herself into the arms of the man who had been firing the pistol, wrapping her legs around his body.
“James, you’re back,” Clara said.
Ruby felt her gut clench with hatred, and her hands shook with the need to reach for her gun.
James Rivera had just walked into the saloon.
“Came back just to see you,” he said.
Clara slid down his torso until her feet touched the ground.
Slowly, the guns around her were shoved back into their holsters, and Ruby breathed a sigh of relief. She’d still get her chance for revenge with Rivera.
“I missed you,” Clara whined.
“I’m mighty happy to see you as well,” the outlaw said, and it was all Ruby could do to keep from pulling out
her pistol and shooting the man right there. But she knew that would be murder for him and suicide for her.
Mrs. Hutchinsutc frowned at the man. “James, how many times have I asked you not to fire your weapons right outside. It’s a wonder someone doesn’t kill you.”
He grinned. “More times than I can count.” Pulling out some money, he handed it to her. “That should fix whatever damages I’ve created and give me some alone time with Clara.”
Nausea rose up in Ruby’s throat at the idea of this man experiencing any sort of enjoyment tonight or any night. She had to fight the urge to kill him. She had to remember she was just hauling him back for the law to serve justice. She had to remind herself of how he’d look swinging with a rope around his neck.
The woman hugged his arm into her side, holding onto the man like she feared he would disappear before her very eyes.
Ruby glanced over at Deke. He was frowning as he watched the happy couple walk between the tables. He glanced up and caught Ruby’s eyes; they stared at one another, and she could almost feel him telling her that this was their man. This was the man who’d killed her father and his mentor. This was the man they were after.
Finally, he’d come into town. With his hat pulled low over his face, Deke made his way across the opposite side of the room and slipped out the door. He wasn’t taking a chance that Rivera would recognize him.
Many hours later, Rivera finally made his way back downstairs to the gaming tables. Ruby worried he wouldn’t sit at her table, but late in the evening, just before the saloon was getting ready to shut down, Rivera took a seat at her table with Clara at his side.
“Clara says you’re the new card dealer. Deal me in,” he said, staring at Ruby, his eyes dancing with alcohol and delight. “She told me Lady Luck has been bringing the house luck. I aim to change that tonight.”
A forced smile spread across Ruby’s face. Somehow she had to deal her father’s killer a hand of cards and convince him she was his friend, not the enemy she wanted to reveal. “Sir, I just deal the cards.”
“Well, Clara is going to give me luck tonight. Aren’t you, sweetheart,” he said, rubbing his hand on Clara’s leg.
Daring Page 14