He grinned sheepishly at her. “I guess you’re right. I hope we can still be friends.”
She stepped closer and took his hand. “Of course we can. I have to admit that I was angry and hurt, at first, but now that I’ve had time to think about…everything, I realize it’s for the best. She’s the right woman for you.”
“I’m not so sure about that.”
“We can’t choose who we love, Evan. It just happens. Whether we like it or not. I found that out the hard way.”
“But love is supposed to make you happy,” he protested with a helpless smile, “not put you in an early grave.”
“A sign of true love. You know, I envy Angel. I hope she realizes how lucky she is.” She quirked her eyebrows at him. “Or does she even know you’re in love with her? Have you told her?”
“No.”
“You might want to consider doing that.”
“I will. When the time is right. If it ever is.”
“Don’t wait too long and let her get away. Does she plan to stay here or return to New Orleans?”
Evan frowned. He hadn’t really thought about that. What if she eventually wanted to return to New Orleans? “I, well, I don’t know.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’d want to stay here with you. By the way, Chad told me about those men attacking her. That’s just horrible. To think someone would do that makes me sick.”
“I’ve tried to get her to move to the ranch or into town, but she won’t listen to reason.” With a frown, he rubbed his jaw.
“Chad said you were having your men watch the cabin. I think that’s a good idea.”
“Well, it’d be better if she’d move into town, but since she won’t...” His voice trailed off. He’d like to take Angel Devereaux over his lap and spank some sense into her.
“She does seem to be a very independent and high-spirited woman.” Mary pulled him out onto the dance floor. When he protested, she merely laughed and held up her hand. “One more dance. For old times’ sake.”
His resistance melted. Since she was being such a good sport about this whole mess, he allowed himself to be drawn into the throng of dancers. The sea of people parted, and he and Mary found themselves the center of attention. He pulled her into his arms and whirled her around the floor.
As he swung Mary around, he caught sight of a woman standing in the doorway. A woman with flame-colored hair. A woman who wore a look of disbelief and hurt. His heart sank all the way to his toes.
****
Angel hesitated at the barn door. The lively strains of a Virginia reel floated on the night breeze. Inside, smiling people whirled around the straw-covered floor while bright-eyed children watched in glee from their perches high in the rafters.
Her courage deserted her. Being an outsider, she hardly knew any of these people. If Mary had been talking about her, their image of her would be tarnished before they even knew her. But she wasn’t there to make friends, she was there to put her plan into action. The first step was this dance. To remind herself, she touched her handbag where the wanted poster lay folded.
Somebody didn’t want her in Deadwood—and maybe that person lurked inside this barn. By her presence, she meant to show she wouldn’t be intimidated—nor driven from her land. She took a deep breath, walked out of the shadows and into the doorway.
And saw Mary in Evan’s arms.
For a moment, her knees quivered. After the night of passion they’d shared, how could he do that to her? She suddenly realized everyone was staring at her and waiting for her reaction. Well, she wouldn’t let them see her pain. She inched her chin up, pasted a smile on her face and straightened her shoulders.
Knowing she looked her best, she tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear, then smoothed the skirt of her dress. Thank goodness, Amelia had come through for her and sent her two trunks of clothing, and a generous amount of money. The satin gown, a light blue color with silver threads, was off the shoulders and cut low at the lace-trimmed bodice. Its full skirt swirled about her feet as she walked. Definitely too fancy for a barn dance, but she’d wanted to look her best—for Evan.
Now he was dancing with Mary.
To her relief, the young man from the freight office rushed forward to greet her and asked for a dance. With a dazzling smile, she accepted. As soon as that dance was over, Captain Jenkins beat three other men to her side.
“May I have the next dance, Miss Devereaux?”
“Why, yes, of course, Warren. How very nice to see you again.”
He grinned at her. “You remembered my name.”
“You were very kind to me.”
“I wish I could have done more.”
To her surprise, the captain’s dancing skills amazed her. They whirled around the room in perfect rhythm. When the dance ended, the officer asked her for the next dance also, and she agreed. When the second dance was over, he appeared reluctant to leave her. She glanced around, wondering if Evan had seen her dancing with the handsome captain.
Chad claimed her for the next slow dance. “Hey, Jenkins, you’ve had two dances already. Time to share.”
The captain bowed to Angel, then retreated. Chad turned to her. “You sure are looking lovely tonight, Angel. The boys are lining up for a dance. I’m glad you decided to come.”
“So am I. I confess I almost backed out, but I’m glad I didn’t.”
“And so is every guy here.”
Not everyone. Not the one she’d seen dancing with Mary.
“Oh, yes, he is.” He grinned at her as he inclined his head toward the far corner of the barn where Evan stood scowling.
“Are you a mind-reader, Chad?”
“Just very observant.”
“Then I guess you saw him dancing with Mary?”
“You’re dancing with me, and you just danced with two other guys. Did that mean anything?”
“Well, you’re my friend...”
“Exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think they’re going to remain friends. At least I hope so. Mary’s a very special person.”
“Yes, she is. I guess I’m acting like a ninny.”
“Nope, just a woman in love.”
“Love? Oh, no,” she protested feebly, then grinned at the lad. “When did you get wise beyond your years, young man?” He made a silly face, and she laughed. “I see a young, very pretty woman over there who can’t take her eyes off you.”
“I know. Isn’t it great?”
She feigned disbelief. “Are you trying to make her jealous?”
“Yes. Do you think it’s working?”
“Definitely, you rascal, you.”
He laughed. “I figured if she seen me dancing with a sophisticated, beautiful woman it might make her sit up and take notice.”
“What’s her name?”
“Linda Sue.”
“Well, don’t look now, but Linda Sue is headed your way.”
The music stopped, and he led her to a long table near the back door filled with tall pitchers of lemonade, and a variety of cakes and pies. “Do you mind if I desert you?”
“Not at all. Go dance with your Linda Sue.”
As he walked away, a murmur rose from the crowd. A man strolled into the barn, and the dancers paused as everyone watched him. He looked distinctively out of place. Long brown hair showed from under a big cream-colored pancake hat. A mustache of the same hue covered his top lip. His russet-colored boots rose to his knees, and a powder blue coat covered a pristine white shirt. A four pocket vest with double-breasted brass buttons from which dangled an ornate pocket watch completed his ensemble.
She stared at the man in fascination. Then he pulled his coat back and glanced at his watch, and she saw the guns. Tied down on his thighs, the ivory-handled weapons looked formidable. She sensed the man knew how to use those deadly-looking pistols.
She turned to the woman standing next to her. “Who is that?”
The woman didn’t have to ask who she meant. �
�Why, that’s Wild Bill Hickok.”
“I’ve heard of him. He’s a gunfighter, isn’t he?”
The woman shrugged her shoulders. “Heard tell he was a lawman and an Injun fighter back in Kansas. Also heard tell he kilt a lot of men what didn’t need it. But then sometimes a person’s reputation gets blown out of proportion, you know.”
Oh, how well I know. At that moment, she caught Hickok’s gaze. His eyebrows rose, and he nodded in her direction. Embarrassment tinged her cheeks. How unladylike to have been caught looking. Ogling, really. Ever so slightly, she nodded back.
A swarm of people crowded around the gunfighter, and he was lost to view. With a polite smile at the woman next to her, she turned and threaded her way to the refreshment table. She picked up a glass of lemonade and moved to stand near the door where it was cooler. From her vantage point, she could watch the dancers. So far none of the faces she’d seen matched the picture on the wanted poster. Not even slightly.
And Evan was nowhere in sight.
And neither was Mary.
That green-eyed monster surfaced. Drat it all, why did she have to fall for Evan Montgomery? Had he planned to embarrass her by dancing with Mary in front of all Deadwood? A flush crept up her neck. She’d be the laughing stock of the whole town.
Someone grabbed her from behind, and a scream rose in her throat. Before she could call for help, a hand covered her mouth. The scream died in her throat as she was forced backward into the dark shadows. Panic rushed through her, and she clawed at the hand. She heard her assailant grunt as her fingernails dug into flesh.
“Dammit, Angel, stop it. It’s me. Evan.”
The hand left her mouth, and she gasped for air. When she caught her breath, she spun to face him. “You scared me nigh to my death, Evan Montgomery. What has gotten into you?”
“I’m sorry.” He pulled her into his arms. “Kiss me.”
She pushed away from him. “Stop it. What in God’s name is wrong with you?”
“Come here, honey.” He grabbed her by the hand, but she jerked away.
“Evan, stop. Someone might see you.”
“I don’t care. I wanna kiss you.”
Angel caught a whiff of his breath. Whiskey. She wrinkled her nose in disgust. “You’ve been drinking. Are you drunk?”
He hiccupped loudly. “Nope. Just had a couple of drinks.”
“I think you’re drunk.” She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him.
“Am not.” He reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. As usual, his mere touch sent goose pimples chasing all over her body. She brushed his hand away. He stepped closer. In the dim light, she could see his handsome face. His expression was soft, features relaxed, and his blue eyes dark with desire. Dressed in a dark suit, she was reminded of the first time she’d seen him on the Delta Princess. La, but he was a handsome devil. All virile male.
As she well knew.
Her face flushed at the direction her thoughts were taking. He saw her reaction and grinned from ear to ear. “See? You want me as much as I want you. Admit it.” He leaned over and kissed her, teasing her lips with his. Then he transferred his attention to her ear lobe where he nipped it gently, sending waves of delight and anticipation shooting down her body, centering at the core of her womanhood. She shivered with a rush of need. This man, and this man only, had the power to reduce her to a quivering mass of need.
She leaned into him, offering her mouth, her body, her soul and her love. He kissed her again, his tongue entering her mouth, stoking the already lit fire. She met his questing tongue with her own in a frenzied mating. His body shuddered. In the midst of their shared passion, she felt a measure of awe that she had the power to elicit such a powerful response from this manliest of men.
His lips left her, and a wave of loss washed over her. She needed this man like she needed air to breathe. If this thing between them didn’t work out, she would leave Deadwood and go back to the Delta Princess. She couldn’t stay around Evan, and not be with him. Not even the fact that she now knew she carried his child could change that. Should she tell him now that she was going to have his baby? No. She wouldn’t force him into a commitment to her. He had to make that decision on his own.
“Angel, let’s go somewhere. I want you so bad.”
Want—not love.
She shoved him backward. Caught off guard, he stumbled, then found his footing. “What did you do that for?”
“Because. Just because.” She smoothed her hair back. “I’m going back inside.”
“Why, you little….” He marched over to her and blocked her way. “If you think you’re going to use your body—”
She stepped around him. “Well, if you think I’m going to fall into your bed every time you snap your fingers, you’re in for a real surprise. I will do what I want—and when I want. Like you do.”
“Like I do? What do you mean by that?”
“I saw you dancing with her.”
His face clouded. “With who?” Then he quirked his eyebrow. “Oh, you mean Mary?” Suddenly, his face broke into a grin which could only be called victorious. “Well, I’ll be damned. You’re jealous.”
“I most certainly am not. I don’t care what you do, or with whom.”
“Well, I saw you dancing with other men and ogling Hickok.”
“I did not ogle him. Besides, I don’t know any of these men. You, on the other hand, have a history with Mary. I fully intend to dance with anyone I want.”
“I forbid—”
“You forbid me? Ha! That is a joke indeed. Now step aside.”
His face clouded. He opened his mouth to speak but then clamped his lips together. He moved out of her way.
Somewhat surprised and dismayed that he’d let her go so easily, Angel lifted the hem of her dress and with what dignity she could muster returned to the dance. What if people had seen Evan’s little trick and knew she’d been out there with him? It’d add fuel to the fire of gossip already circulating about them.
No one seemed to notice when she slipped back inside. She sauntered over to find a chair near the wall, trying to appear nonchalant. A man she didn’t recognize approached her for a dance, but she waved him away.
To her surprise, the man now known to her as Wild Bill Hickok approached her. “May I have the pleasure of this dance?”
Somewhat awed, she could only nod. He held out his hand, and she put her hand in his. He led her to the dance floor. “May I say, Miss Devereaux, that you are the most beautiful woman here tonight.”
“You know my name?”
“I made it a point. Angel Devereaux.”
“And I’m told your name is Wild Bill Hickok,” she said. “Your reputation precedes you, Mr. Hickok.”
“Please call me Bill and don’t believe everything you hear, my dear.” He whirled her around the floor. “I hear you’re new in town, as I am. What brings a lady of your caliber to a town such as Deadwood?”
Since she didn’t want to discuss her father’s death, she merely smiled. “Why not Deadwood?”
Bill raised his eyebrows at her. “Why not indeed? There’s a fortune to be made here.”
When the dance ended, he led her back to her chair. “And may I have another dance later, m’lady?”
She curtsied. “Of course, kind sir.”
With a smile and a low sweeping bow, he left her. She glanced around the room and saw Mary staring at her, a look of obvious displeasure on her face. So she wasn’t as content with the situation as she’d like everyone to believe. But Mary waved at her and sent her a smile. Angel returned the wave, then pushed the woman from her mind. She sat there and studied the faces that paraded before her.
Then she saw him. The man on the wanted poster.
Chapter 14
Angel’s knees threatened to buckle under her as she stared at the man spotlighted in the doorway. She pulled the wanted poster from her pocket and compared it to the man who stood before her. It was him. An older vers
ion to be sure, but definitely him. He had the same round face, the same squinty eyes and the same bulbous nose as the man on the wanted poster. She stood and wove her way through the dancers to stand near him. A sallow-faced woman stood at his side. Gray hair pulled back into a stern chignon, gray dress with a white, high-necked collar, she looked to be the image of a proper, if not staid, wife. Her eyes, though, were different, her gaze darting here and there around the room. Like a viper, Angel thought suddenly. Like the prairie rattler that would have bitten her had Evan not killed it.
She heard a swish of skirts and turned to find Mary standing beside her. Hurriedly, she folded the poster and tucked it in her pocket.
“Having a good time?”
“Why, yes, thank you.”
“I am too. I really enjoy these dances.”
“Yeah, they’re fun.” Angel pointed at the man. “Who is he?”
“Why, that’s Thaddeus Grayson. He’s one of our most prominent citizens. He may be our next mayor. That’s his wife Vera with him.”
“Does he live here…in Deadwood?”
“Yes.”
“Where does he live?”
At that question, Mary looked at her suspiciously but answered. “Big, three-story white house at the east end of town.”
“Oh, yes, I’ve seen it. It’s a mansion. It seems totally out of character with the log cabins, frame buildings and tent clusters, but it’s very impressive.” Other questions came to mind, but she bit them back. Now was not the time to pursue this. Mary was staring at her like she’d lost her senses. “Well, I think I’ll take a breather and rest for a while.” She retreated to her chair, and Mary disappeared into the crowd.
In a few moments, Chad strolled across the dance floor and plopped in the chair beside her. “Whew. I’m tired. This dancing tires me out more than punching cows.”
“Oh, poor, poor you,” she teased. “I feel so sorry for you. I don’t believe you’ve missed a single dance.”
“Well, you ain’t missed many yourself. Saw ya dancing with that Army feller and our most famous citizen, Wild Bill Hickok.” He quirked his eyebrows at her. “He appeared quite taken with you.”
“Don’t be silly. I’m just a new face in the crowd.” Then she sobered. “Chad, that Mr. Grayson, he looks familiar to me. Has he been in town long?”
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