Two men appeared in her periphery and moved slowly toward the animal. The tiger snarled in protest and bared its fangs.
“Back, boy. Back, Sinbad.” The men passed Rose, carrying long poles, and the tiger’s amber gaze shifted to them.
When a firm pair of hands grasped her shoulders, her knees buckled, but Zach prevented her from collapsing. She slumped against him and he slipped an arm down to her waist, keeping his pistol trained on the tiger.
The cat gave another defiant snarl, then leaped back into its cage and stretched out in the corner. One of the men slammed the door shut.
“Who in hell left that cage unlocked?” the other man demanded.
“I swear I locked it up after the last show, boss,” the roustabout said. “Hey, look at this: the padlock’s broken. How do ya figure that happened?”
“You okay, Rosie?” Zach asked.
Rose nodded. “I will be, as soon as my knees stop shaking.”
“Take deep breaths. I’ll be right back—I want to take a closer look at that padlock.”
“You can be sure I’m not going anywhere near that cage.”
“Will you look at this lock?” the trainer said when Zach joined them. “The hinge is still attached to the wood; this padlock was broken open from the outside. Looks to me like somebody with a rotten sense of humor broke the lock, then took off.”
“Has the cat ever gotten loose and harmed anyone before?” Zach asked.
“Nope. I think those fireworks spooked him. Sinbad’s pretty docile; I’ve raised him from a cub. He’s gotten loose a time or two when someone left his cage unlocked, but he’s never harmed anyone.”
“Let’s not mention your suspicions to Miss Dubois. She’s had a big enough scare already.”
“Gotcha,” the man said, nodding. He walked over to where Rose was leaning against a building. “Sorry about the accident, miss. Thank goodness there was no harm done.” He pulled two tickets out of his pocket and handed them to her. “Here’s front-row tickets to the performance. It’s about to start, now that the fireworks have ended.”
Rose stared at the tickets, then at Zach, then back to the tickets. “I’ll take them,” Zach said. “Here come Kate and the other girls. Maybe they’d like to see the show.”
“Oh, Rose, weren’t those fireworks beautiful,” Kate said. Upon seeing Rose’s stricken face, she exclaimed, “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.”
Zach handed the four tickets to Kate. “Show’s about to start; hope you gals like the performance. I think Rose has seen all the circus she wants to for one night.”
She stood numbly as he ushered the confused women toward the circus tent.
Zach tried to cheer her up as they walked back to her boardinghouse, but Rose still felt too shaken. They stopped at the front door.
“This has been a fun day, Rosie. I’m sorry it ended on such a bad note.”
“Somehow, being with you always ends in trouble.” She shook her head. “I’ll probably have nightmares tonight.”
He grinned mischievously. “I’ll be glad to stay and make sure you have sweet dreams.”
“I’m not that naive, MacKenzie.”
He kissed her on the forehead. “Can’t blame me for trying. Good night, Rose.”
She opened the door, and then looked back. “Zach, thanks. It was a fun day.”
He smiled at her. “You’re great company, Rosie.”
And so are you, Zach. So are you.
She was still smiling when she climbed into bed. Today had been fun, except for the fortune-teller and that jungle cat. She felt like a cat herself—using up her nine lives. With the many narrow escapes she’d had in the short time she’d been in Brimstone, those lives were slipping by swiftly.
From the time Zach had joined her that evening, she hadn’t given any thought to the gypsy’s words. She didn’t know if the warning referred to her death or someone else’s. Heck, Rose, you don’t even know if you can believe anything she said. Kate was right: life and death occur in everyone’s life.
And what about Zach? She could no longer tell herself that when the time came, she would forget him. Not when the sight of him made her heart skip a beat. She had always scoffed at that silly expression, but it was true. Every time she saw him, for an instant she’d hold her breath. And when he kissed her, it was so easy to forget everything but the excitement of his kiss.
She turned off the lamp, rolled over, and closed her eyes. Face it, Rose: Zach MacKenzie is a bigger threat to you than that jungle cat could ever be.
From the shadows outside Rose’s window, Zach saw her bedroom light extinguished. He didn’t believe in coincidence; whoever had broken the padlock on that cage had intended for Rose to be harmed. It had to have been Jess Tait. The drunken madman was crazy enough to endanger other women and children to satisfy his desire for revenge. He had to be stopped.
So Zach decided to stay around for a while, in case Tait had any other crazy ideas.
Early the next morning, Rose was wakened by Mrs. White rapping on her door.
“You better get to the drawing room, Rose,” she said. “Someone shot at Andrea and Melanie on their way to the Wilson farm this morning.”
“Oh, good Lord! Are they hurt?”
“No, but they’re pretty well shaken up. I’ve got a pot of tea brewing.”
Snatching her robe from the bed, Rose entered the drawing room to find Melanie sobbing and a pale and shaken Andrea. When Rose put her arms around the sobbing young girl, Melanie buried her head against Rose’s shoulder.
“There, there, honey. You’re safe now.”
“For how long?” Melanie cried out between sobs.
“What happened, Andrea?” Rose continued to pat Melanie in an effort to soothe her.
“I was driving and we were on our way to the farm when suddenly someone began shooting at us. I tried my best to keep control of the buggy.” It was easy to see the poor girl was on the verge of breaking down. Rose passed Melanie over to Kate, who’d entered with Aubrey, and went over to Andrea and held her hands.
“Were either of you hurt?”
“Just scared.”
“Why are we even here in this town?” Melanie cried out, tears streaking her cheeks. “This is a horrible place, and most people don’t even want us here.”
“She’s right, Rose,” Aubrey said. “I didn’t become a Harvey Girl to live in a place where there’s no law. You can count the respectable people in this town on one hand.”
“All the town needs is an honest sheriff and deputy,” Kate said. “That would drive the lawless element out of Brimstone.”
“Well, if there’s no change by the time my six months’ service is completed, I’m leaving,” Aubrey declared.
“So am I,” Melanie said. “Mr. Harvey has a responsibility to station us in a town where it’s safe to walk the streets.”
Mrs. White came in carrying a tea tray. “I’ve sent for the sheriff.”
“What good will he do?” Aubrey grumbled. “He probably wants us out of here as much as anyone.”
“Maybe we’d be smart to hire our own protection,” Kate suggested.
“Why should we have to?” Aubrey questioned. “I think it’s Mr. Harvey’s responsibility to do that.”
Andrea stood up and walked to the door. “I think he should just forget Brimstone and move on to a different town. If the decent people here had any sense, they’d all move out, too.”
Melanie and Aubrey got up to leave with Andrea. “We’re sorry, Rose,” Aubrey said, “but we’ve talked about this before. Another incident, and the three of us are leaving.”
“Is that how you feel too, Kate?” Rose asked, when the three girls left to return to their rooms.
“I haven’t made up my mind. But you must admit it’s time to leave when it goes beyond harassment and they start shooting at you.” She left on that note.
“Or time to start shooting back,” Rose murmured.
By the time
the girls dressed and were ready to leave for work, the sheriff still had not arrived on the scene.
There were no smiles on the girls’ faces as they served the morning meal; all were preoccupied with the danger.
Rose had to talk to Zach. There was no doubt in her mind that Jess Tait was the culprit behind the shooting, but she knew Zach would help her despite his association with the gang. If she had to, she’d even ride out to the Lazy R to see him. It would be difficult to manage, but somehow she’d figure out something.
She’d intended to go out to the ranch in the afternoon, but Mr. Billings detained her to discuss the threat of the girls leaving Brimstone. She couldn’t offer him any solution at the moment, and by the time they finished talking, it was too late to consider driving out to the ranch.
The tension eased slightly among the girls by the time they’d finished serving dinner; however, they all departed the restaurant together.
When they stepped outside, Rose saw Zach. She couldn’t believe the good fortune. Excusing herself, she hurried over to him.
“Zach, I need a favor.”
“What is it?”
“Will you teach me how to shoot a gun? This morning on the way to the Wilson farm, someone shot at Andrea and Melanie.”
He looked shocked. “Were they hurt?”
“Just shaken up. The horses bolted, but Andrea managed to keep the buggy from tipping over.”
“Did they see who did it?”
She shook her head. “No. Apparently it happened too quickly. She managed to turn the buggy and come back to town. I doubt they even had a chance to look behind them.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “And what do you expect to do with a gun?”
“Shoot back.”
“Uh-huh. That’s a good way to get yourself killed.”
“You shot back when it happened to us,” she argued.
“Rose, that’s a ridiculous comparison.”
“What are we supposed to do, just let whoever this is pick us off like fish in a barrel? He wants us out of town, and he’ll get what he wants if we let him get away with it. You’re the only one I can turn to. I thought you were my friend, Zach.”
“I am your friend, Rose—so I’ll do it. But it’s against my better judgment.”
Uh-oh! He had his arms folded across his chest and had called her Rose twice in a row.
She pushed her luck. “Could we do it now?” He looked reluctant, but said, “I’ll get you a mount, and we’ll ride out where we’ll have more privacy.”
“Thank you, Zach. But . . . will you make that a buggy? My body’s just stopped aching from the riding lesson.”
“All right. I’ll be right back.”
She hoped her smile looked as grateful as she felt. “I’ll wait for you at my boardinghouse.” He nodded and left her. Rose ran down to the house and quickly changed her clothes. She was waiting for him when he came back with a buggy.
They rode a safe distance from town, then Zach reined up. “It’ll soon be dark, so this lesson will have to be brief.” He pulled out his pistol. “This is a Colt .45,” he said, and spun the chamber. “As you can see, it holds six cartridges. You cock the hammer and the chamber will revolve as you squeeze the trigger.”
“Hammer?” she asked.
“This metal head that looks like the head of a hammer.” When she nodded, he emptied the shells out of the gun and handed it to her. “The first thing to remember is that a gun is a dangerous tool, Rose, so treat it like one. Get the feel of it. Test its weight in your hand.”
Still puzzled by his continued hostility, she slapped the pistol from hand to hand, surprised to discover how heavy the weapon actually was.
“Okay, now cock the gun by pressing the hammer back with your thumb until you feel it lock.”
She found that was easier said than done. It took her several attempts before she succeeded in locking it.
“Remember, Rose, once you cock that gun, it can go off easily. Now release the hammer so that the weapon isn’t ready to fire, because you’re about to load it.”
Putting cartridges into the chamber turned it into a lethal weapon. Rose determinedly swallowed the lump in her throat when he handed her six cartridges.
“Just slide one into each empty chamber. You should always be aware of how many bullets are in the gun. And I’ll give you the same advice my father gave to me when he taught me how to shoot: never point a gun at anyone unless you’re prepared to fire it, and always reload your pistol after you’ve used it. A half-empty chamber can leave you one bullet short when you need it the most.”
“I shall keep that advice foremost in my mind.”
“Now, to make the weapon useful, you have to have a good eye and steady hand. Aim at that tree trunk and see if you can hit it. It’s a lot larger than the red circle on the target.”
“Will you cut me some slack, MacKenzie?” she snapped. “We won that darn contest, didn’t we?”
She cocked the gun, took careful aim, and fired. The bullet hit the ground at the base of the tree next to the one she was aiming at.
The corners of his lips twitched. “You’re going to have to work on this. Try it again.”
He moved behind her, and she sensed his nearness even before he put his arms around her. “Now, hold your arm steady and point the pistol at the tree.” He closed his hand over hers to steady her aim.
She loved feeling the warmth and strength of his hands. Blushing, she remembered the touch of them on her breasts. Then he stooped enough to help her line up the shot, and their cheeks touched. She was tempted to turn in the circle of his arms and—
“Go ahead, Rose.”
His voice jolted her out of her musing. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“I said just gently squeeze the trigger.”
This time her bullet zipped past the tree. By her sixth try, she managed to hit some leaves on the tree she’d aimed at.
After another six shots, she managed to hit the tree. She sat down with a sense of accomplishment. Zach sat down beside her and took the pistol. He reloaded it, then returned it to its holster.
After a lengthy silence Rose said, “I can’t thank you enough, Zach. I don’t know why we can’t get help from the decent people in the town.”
“Ever think they might want to stay alive?”
“Why are you so angry with me, Zach? What did I do?”
“You’ve got the crazy notion that you and your girlfriends have a chance against gunfighters and outlaws. And how come it doesn’t bother you that your fancy boyfriend’s not doing anything about it?”
“It does bother me. I don’t understand how Stephen can ignore the problem. With his position, his influence could help make a big difference in bringing law and order to Brimstone.”
“Maybe he has a good reason for not riding to your aid,” Zach suggested darkly.
“What reason could he possibly have?”
“Maybe he doesn’t have a white horse.” Disgusted, he got up and walked over to the buggy. “Or maybe he’s not all you think he is.”
She jumped to her feet. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“You ever stop to consider that Tait would have been long gone if Rayburn hadn’t hired him to hang around here?”
“Stephen was desperate. He had no choice.”
“There are plenty of honest cowpokes looking for jobs, Rose.”
“You’re just jealous, Zach. You’re justifying your life by criticizing his.”
“And maybe denying the truth is your way of justifying marrying a rich man instead of a poor one.”
Rose angrily climbed into the buggy. “Thank you again, Zach. I’m sorry I put you to so much trouble,” she said stiffly.
They didn’t speak to each other on the way back. He stopped at the boardinghouse and before she climbed out, Rose turned to him.
“I’m sorry we quarreled, Zach.”
“So am I. Listen, Rose, while I’m in town I’m staying in Room Four
at the Long Horn. If you need me, you can find me there.”
“That would start a nice scandal if I walked into the Long Horn looking for you.”
“Take the back road—nobody’s ever on it—and go to the rear door. It opens into a storage room. Opposite that room is a stairway, and my room’s at the end of the hall upstairs.”
“Thanks for your offer of help, but I don’t think I’ll need to sneak into the back doors of saloons, Zach.”
“You never know. Take care, Redhead. And remember what I told you: watch your back. Looks like things are starting to heat up around here.”
She started up the porch stairs, stopped, and looked back. He was waiting until she reached the door.
Strangely enough, she felt as if it was their final good-bye.
Chapter 14
Early the next morning, Rose got up to make the trip to the Wilson farm. She was not looking forward to the ride. Melanie and Andrea’s experience yesterday made her edgy, and she jumped when there was a tap at her window. Anticipating who it might be, she parted the drapes.
“What are you doing here this time of morning, MacKenzie?” she asked.
“Who’s riding out for the eggs this morning?”
“Kate and I.”
“You gals stay here. I’ll do it for you,” he said.
“You’ll do nothing of the kind, Zach. This is our problem, and we can’t run from it. We’ll always be intimidated if we do.”
“That’s a noble attitude, but it can get you killed. Just once, will you do as I say, Rosie?”
“That’s ludicrous—I always end up doing what you say. If you insist again on having it your way, I’ll tell Kate not to come. But I’m going with you.”
“Well, there’s no sense in arguing. Let’s go, I’ve got the buggy in the front.”
“I’ll tell Kate and be right out,” she said.
Zach walked back to the buggy. Once Rose got an idea in her head, there was no getting it out. Normally, he liked that about her, because it always led to an exchange between them. But this time he was concerned about her safety. His dad was right: women had to be told the right way about something, or they balked. And the right way was to put the idea in their heads so that they believed they’d thought of it first—especially feisty redheads like Rose.
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