“Don’t you think it will look strange, that one day you move me out of your home in an effort to protect me and now you’re moving me back for presumably the same reason?”
Gerritt jumped to his feet. “I don’t give a damn what people think. Jubilee is my town and I’ll do as I please.”
Prudence blinked up at him. “Now you sound like a medieval lord.”
He laughed. “You’re right. But wouldn’t that be simpler? I could just tell my townspeople what I want to happen and it would get done. No one would dare question me or my decisions and I’d terrify the gossips until they were too afraid of me to spread rumors. Sometimes threatening to throw someone into the dungeon could have its uses.”
Now Prudence laughed. “You will never manage to control gossip. For some people it’s their only form of entertainment. If they couldn’t talk about someone else, they’d have nothing to talk about at all.”
“I suppose you’re right. Maybe moving back into my home isn’t such a good idea.”
Fear stabbed at her, making her heart beat faster and her hands tremble. She wanted to tease him but she didn’t want him to change his mind.
“I’ve never been afraid of what other people thought nor said about me.” She confessed. “Otherwise where would I have found the courage to go to a business college, learn a trade and embark on a journey of thousands of miles to take the position as your secretary?”
He plopped back down onto the blanket. “You’re right. I’ve never seen a stronger or more courageous woman. If you don’t mind a few wagging tongues, then we’ll move your things back up to the house as soon as you like.”
She set down her bottle of beer and leaned toward him. He touched her face and their gazes locked. “I’ve missed you too, Gerritt. The move can’t happen soon enough for me.”
She put one hand on his chest, letting her fingers rove over the warm, thick muscles. Hot licks of desire fired her blood, the beat of her heart now pounding so hard she imagined he could hear it.
But something else drew his attention as he turned from her and frowned.
“Someone’s coming.” There was a note of warning in his voice and he jumped to his feet. “Use the quilt to cover yourself.”
She did as he directed wrapping the ends of the quilt around her shoulders to keep prying eyes from her seeing her in her undergarments.
Two men on horses approached them. They were dirty and grimy, as if they’d been on the trail for a long time.
Gerritt stood with his feet apart, both hands on his hips. His gun belt was still up in the cabin, and while she regretted their impulsive run down to the creek for their picnic, she whispered a quick prayer of thanks to the wily Alma. That woman certainly knew how to pack a picnic basket.
“Howdy,” the shorter man yelled when he stopped his horse. “We been ridin’ fer days. Any chance we can water our horses?” He directed the question to Gerritt, but never moved his gaze from Prudence. There was a nasty curl to his lips.
Gerritt didn’t move. “The creek runs down to the river below. The trail crosses it in several places. There’ll be plenty of opportunity to water your horses.”
The other man shifted in his saddle. Prudence didn’t like the way he smirked when he turned to his accomplice.
“We were hopin’ maybe you’d share some of them goodies you got in the basket.” He glanced up at the blue sky and white puffy clouds. “Seems like a perfect day for a picnic.” His toothy grin showed dark, decayed teeth when he gave them a wicked smile.
“There’s not enough for two more. But once you get into Jubilee there’s a fine saloon that puts out a luncheon every day. You can enjoy some sausage and brown bread with your beer,” Gerritt said.
“Looks to me like you folks got beer. I’m thirsty now.” The short man sneered. He whipped his gun from the holster. “In fact, there’re some pretty good reasons to have us a rest right now.”
Gerritt’s hands formed into fists and Prudence could almost see the anger rolling off him in waves.
“We don’t want any trouble. If you require a more substantial meal, just go to the mine office in Jubilee and tell them Gerritt Rhinehart sent you. If you’re interested in a job, we’ll talk later. If you tell them I’m sending you to Mrs. McCauley’s boarding house for a meal, you’ll enjoy one of the finest dinners in Jubilee.”
The man with the rotten teeth chortled “We ain’t exactly miners.” His gaze swept over Prudence again. “Besides, why wait when we can enjoy the pleasure of your company right now?”
Prudence shivered, but despite her fear she smiled up at the men. “I’m sure you’re starving if you’ve been on the trail a long time. I believe I have the perfect thing for you, right here in my basket.” She put as much sweetness in her voice as she could muster despite her terror.
Both men leaned forward. “Yeah, you got what we want all right, darlin’, but it ain’t in that basket.” The short man leered at her, but neither man prevented her from reaching into the basket.
Prudence lifted the six gun from the basket. Bless Alma for planning for any circumstance. Why she’d put a Colt revolver in a picnic basket was a mystery. But the woman hadn’t survived running a ranch alone for years by being a fool.
She cocked the gun and pointed it at the man with rotten teeth. “Actually, now that I think of it—there’s only this for you.”
The man hooted. “Look at the little lady, she’s got herself a big gun. How you gonna keep us from shooting lover-boy even if you do manage to hit one of us?”
Prudence shot an apologetic look at Gerritt. “I probably can’t, but I won’t be assaulted by the likes of you. Now, if you turn around and leave us alone, I won’t have to shoot you.”
The taller man leaned back in his saddle. “I bet she can’t hit the side of a barn with that six-shooter. Let’s put a bullet in him and then have us some fun.”
The hard edge of fury washed Prudence’s fear away. She took careful aim and pulled the trigger. The man with the rotten teeth lost control of his horse as his hat flew off. The horse spun in a circle.
“I’ve been told I’m a much better shot when I’m angry.” She was infuriated now, so if Alma was right, her aim should be excellent.
“Now I suggest you leave us alone. I find this chat tedious, the sun hot and my patience stretched thin as spring ice.” Her arm holding the gun never wavered. “I’ll only be able to kill one of you, but there are five more bullets, so I should be able to do enough damage to slow you both down quite a bit.”
The calm, cold, cadence of her words shocked her. At least the men couldn’t hear how terrified she felt.
The two men looked at each other, studied Prudence for a few moments, then nodded.
“Been a pure pleasure meetin’ you, ma’am” the short man drawled as he holstered his gun then tipped his hat at her and grinned.
“You got one firebrand of a lady there.” He nodded at Gerritt.
They watched the men ride off and Gerritt stretched out a hand for the gun. “That was quick thinking, but I’ll be damned. You could have been shot, Prudence. You took a terrible chance.” He let the gun drop to his side and flopped down hard on the ground. He grasped her with the other arm, pulling her close.
The quilt was doing little to warm her and she shivered. The fear that made her stand up to the men now made her shaky. She was grateful for Gerritt’s embrace that kept her from slumping backward onto the ground.
“Do you think they’ll wait on the trail to ambush us?”
Gerritt couldn’t hide his grin. “I believe they were quite terrified to meet a lady with a gun who seemed delighted at the prospect of shooting them.”
She nodded. “I suspect they’d have a lot to answer for if more women knew how to shoot.”
“I’ll be sure to thank Alma for her lessons. I had no idea you were such a good shot. I’m happy to say it relieves me of some concern about your safety.” He grinned at her. “It’s apparent you’re capable of taking care o
f yourself.”
She calmed at his words. She realized she was no longer trembling. In fact, a swirl of heat circled up from her feet to engulf her in a rush of warmth. She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes, studying her. His mouth lifted into a grin.
“Are you still hungry?”
She shook her head. “I think I should get dressed though. Our visitors might be gone, but it reminds me that sitting outside in my unmentionables is rather dangerous.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Not to mention scandalous.”
Gerritt released her. “We need to take a look at the stamp mill,” he drew a hand through his hair. “It was the reason I brought you up here.”
She started to pack the picnic basket. “Really?” She slanted a doubtful look at him.
He laughed as he handed her the empty stoneware beer bottle. “Well, at least it was the excuse I used. Since we’re here, I might as well investigate. I have a plan to use the building if it’s still in good condition.”
She finished putting their things away and handed a linen wrapped packet to Gerritt. He opened it and a huge grin split his face. “Molasses cookies, my favorite.”
While Prudence folded the quilt, he bit into one of the huge cookies. As he chewed, he seemed thoughtful.
“Why do you think Alma put a gun in the picnic basket?”
Prudence draped the quilt over the basket and shrugged. “Maybe she thought I needed protection. After all, a woman can’t be too careful when she’s alone with a man.”
Gerritt nodded. “And leave it to Alma to give you a gun. I guess she figured if anything happened you didn’t like, she could count on you to deal with it. I’m impressed with the way you handled yourself, you were so calm and level-headed. Makes me a hope you’ll never aim a gun at me.
Prudence grabbed the basket, twirled around and headed toward the cabin.
“Of course, you’d never do that.” His voice indicated he wasn’t quite as sure as he sounded. “Would you?”
Prudence paused, twisted her head and gave him a smile laced with mystery. “Let’s hope you never do anything that makes me need to shoot you.”
As she continued up the small hill she heard Gerritt mumbling behind her.
“Damn! I’ll make a point of keeping you very happy!”
“Exactly,” she whispered.
***
Gerritt studied the exterior of the stamp mill as they stood in front of the massive double wooden doors. He hadn’t remembered it being so large and he congratulated himself for considering it as a place to build his sky ship prototype.
The mill had once processed silver ore into ingots to make it easier to transport them down to Jubilee. When the mine finally played out, he’d shut it down.
The roof still looked water-tight and while some of the lower windows had broken glass, all of the panes on the second floor were still intact. It wouldn’t take much to repair the damaged ones.
His biggest concern revolved around the dimensions of the building. He knew the sky ship would need to be large enough to support a gondola that could carry a crew of five or six, their quarters and supplies. In addition, if he could find a way to mount his newly designed cannon, that would cinch its appeal to the Union military.
He’d offered up the concept of the sky ship as a surveillance tool, like the hot air balloons the Union already used, but with the ability to cover more ground. And his dream involved more than spying on the movements of enemy troops. If he could create a ship that could swoop down silently from the sky, attack and then disappear into the night—it would change the course of the war.
Not to mention saving the lives of countless troops. That was his ultimate goal. He’d lost his younger brother in the War Between the States, and he was determined to create a weapon that could turn the tide for the Northern Union against the Southern Confederacy.
He knew his sky ship, the Isis, could accomplish that goal.
Prudence stood next to him as he stared at the building. He appreciated her ability to know when he needed silence and allowed him time to get lost in his thoughts.
He drew a huge skeleton key from his pocket and worked at the door lock. It quickly opened, because he’d made sure that it was oiled whenever he sent a man up to check on the place. He slid the door to one side. Dust motes danced in the sunlight as the yawning space spread open before them.
Gerritt surveyed the rafters. He was sure there must be a flock of bats up there. Bats were his least favorite mammal. In fact he harbored a horrid dread of the creatures since he’d seen his father shoot a rabid dog that had attacked a child in their town. The child had later died and his parents had warned him and his brother of the dangers of bats.
He’d be sure to get a cleaning crew into the heights first thing.
“Let’s take a look inside, shall we?” He put one hand on Prudence’s lower back to guide her into the mill. There was a nasty, sour odor in the building. No doubt it was a vestige of the animals that had invaded to roost.
Prudence glanced at him, her steps tentative.
Gerritt nodded at her. “I’m wearing my gun now, so you don’t have to worry. I’d bet the only creatures here with us are night flyers.”
“Bats?” she replied, the repugnance clear on her face.
“Yes, I’m afraid so. That smell is probably guano.”
“Ugh.” She raised a hand to cover her head. “I’ve heard bats will nest in your hair.”
“I’m not sure...” His words were drowned out by a piercing screech.
Prudence screamed and lunged back into Gerritt’s arms as a huge winged creature swooped down on them.
Gerritt pulled his gun with his right hand and yanked her closer to him with the other. Then he noticed the golden glow of the owl’s eyes. A friend. He eased his hold on his gun.
The sour odor that permeated the building was overcome by the sweet lilac scent of Prudence’s hair. He took the opportunity to inhale and was rewarded by a tightening in his groin.
He was a glutton when it came to sharing sensual delights with this woman. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
He returned his gun to the holster and loosened his hold. “Just a barn owl. He flew out the door.”
“Oh,” was all she said, but her face was pale.
“Do you want to wait outside while I inspect the building?”
She turned, glanced out the door, then shook her head in response. “I’d rather stay with you. I just feel safer.”
Pride blossomed in his chest. What had she told him? That he took his role as protector too seriously? He did care about his town, his mines and his workers. But, as much as he cared about them, nothing compared to the fierce protectiveness he felt when he looked at Prudence. Was he in love with her?
It was his responsibility to keep her safe. The attack earlier in the day made him realize that if anything should happen to Prudence, he’d be a broken man. He had to get the building of his sky ship underway. His responsibility to his country demanded his time and his allegiance. But was that just an excuse?
Was he ready to let another person close to him, to take a chance on trusting someone else with his heart? He couldn’t imagine living without Prudence, but how could he face losing her like he’d lost so many people he’d loved? He’d tried to escape from life, avoided caring about other people because he didn’t want to deal with the pain. But there was no escaping heartbreak when you loved someone.
He’d been alone so long, that having Prudence in his life filled a void he hadn’t even noticed was there…until she was spending her nights at the boarding house in Jubilee. Then the hours had seemed endless until she came up the steps again.
Once the prototype was underway, he’d tell her how he felt about her.
They’d reached the middle of the planked floor. The room echoed with their footsteps, because he’d had the machinery for stamping moved down to another mine several years ago.
Silver Creek had never been more than a tent city. The silver
ore from the mine hadn’t been of the quality or quantity of his other mines. The only permanent building was his cabin and the mill. He’d built the stamp mill more to test several new machines than for the savings it provided. But, that investment looked to be prophetic now that he examined the handiwork.
Huge timbers provided the framework for the building. They’d milled the wood for the building on site. There wasn’t any sign of water damage and as he estimated the size of the main room, he realized he didn’t need to destroy the floor in order to dig it out to accommodate the sky ship.
There was no reason he’d need to fully inflate the airbags on the ship until they moved it outside. He could partially fill the bags with helium and use ropes to drag the sky ship out into the meadow to fully inflate them.
He pulled a small notebook and pencil from his vest pocket and started to make notes.
Prudence seemed to relax. As he walked around the space, she tagged along at first, then wandered to a stairway at one end.
“Where does this go?” she inquired.
“The manager’s office. See that small room up there?”
Prudence gazed to the top of the stairs. “Could I go up and look at the office? I confess, I’m always interested in how businesses are conducted.”
Gerritt nodded. “I don’t think we need worry about any more creatures flying around, but be careful. If there are bats, they don’t stir until dusk.”
Her foot paused on the first step, then she took a deep breath and started to climb the stairway.
Gerritt returned to his calculations. If he reduced the scale of the sky ship by one-tenth, perhaps he’d...
A scream made him drop his book and pencil as he rushed up the stairs two at a time.
Prudence stood frozen, staring into the office and pointing. Her face was ashen.
Gerritt bumped against her before coming to an abrupt halt. A man’s legs protruded from beneath the oak desk standing in the middle of the room.
Stooping down on one knee, Gerritt realized this was a corpse, and probably the source of the noxious odor that permeated the building. The man had been dead for enough time for the body to be bloated. But not long enough for much decomposition.
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