Tyra's Gambler

by Velda Brotherton

  He continued to hold both hands crossed over his misbehaving member. “What the hell are you doing here, girl? Thought you went northwest.”

  She smiled; her teeth flashed white. Flames from the fire cast shadows across her features. Dear God. Suppose this was all a dream. He’d be pissed as hell when he woke up.

  “Like I said, I changed my mind. Got curious about you and your business in Cuero, so I’ve been trailing you for three days and nights now.”

  “Trailing’s one thing, girl, but spying on a man is another.”

  “Do you intend to just stand there naked and shivering?”

  “Hell, no. Till you come along, I had me a plan. Afraid you scared it right out of me.”

  “If you got some coffee…”

  “Nope, or nothing to eat either. I’d venture we’ve both got the same problem. No food, no money. About now I’ll bet you’re wishing you’d stayed with James Lee, mouth and all.” He looked around for something to wrap around his middle so he could stop huddling there like a kid. A blanket lay on the ground on the other side of the fire.

  “You just gonna stand there, bare butt to the wind? If you run real fast, you might make it.” She laughed again.

  He shivered somewhere between delight and anger. Damn, how he wanted to jump right on her, throw her to the ground, and give them both a good time.

  She rose, inched past him, not taking her eyes from his naked self, grabbed up the blanket, and tossed it to him. He had to grab it, and when he did she openly admired his firelit display.

  “My, my. I wish the nuns had told me about that. Then they definitely would’ve scared the hell right out of me.”

  “I don’t think they know.” He blurted that out without thinking.

  She bent forward, shoulders shaking with merriment.

  “Girl, damn, if you aren’t something.” To keep her from thinking he was desperate, he took his time wrapping the blanket around his waist and tucking an end under to hold it in place.

  “So are you, gambler. So are you.”

  The words crawled all over him. He limped toward her, watching her eyes reflect the firelight. No woman had told him that in a long while, but then he hadn’t been around many, either. He was about ready to forgive her for shooting him. To his dismay, she held up a hand.

  “Not yet. Let’s get better acquainted first. Okay?” Her hand dropped to the butt of her Colt.

  “Of course. Don’t pull that damned gun on me. I’m not about to attack you or anything like it. It just seemed you were wanting it.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so forward. Don’t get me wrong. I think I do want it, but not quite yet. Have to tell you I’ve never—uh—you know, and I’m not sure yet I like the idea. Just so you know how I feel. So let’s get to know one another first.”

  He nodded. “Anything you want. I ain’t looking to get shot again.” He laughed to show her he was teasing, and she joined him.

  She settled closer to the fire, smiled up at him. Clearly she had no intention of leaving, and he didn’t mind that at all. Couldn’t forget what she’d said about getting to know each other. She was so pretty, and unbroke enough to be interesting. Yet too green, and a fella could get hurt.

  He lowered himself onto a rock on the opposite side of the fire and hugged the blanket close. “You can stay the night if you want. What made you turn around?”

  “The truth?” In the flickering glow, mischief gleamed from those eyes and the curve of her smile.

  “That’ll do.”

  “I’m just plain nosy about what business you’ve got in Cuero. And too, I got to thinking how far it was back to Victoria and thought this might be the wiser choice. Tell me I didn’t waste my time.”

  Their gazes met over the flames, and he got this clutching feeling down in his gut. Didn’t surprise him in the least. When she didn’t look away, he lowered his gaze. She was at least ten years younger than him, and he might be a lot of things, but he wasn’t the kind who’d take advantage of a young lady. Didn’t hurt to take a flight of fancy, though, and he was having a pretty good fancy that involved both of them naked when she broke the spell.

  “Well?”

  He dragged his thoughts away from soft bare skin and sweet-smelling woman. “What?”

  “Did I waste my time?”

  He mulled that over a while. What was he supposed to say? Git on out of here? Ride alone through the dark of night? “You can bed down here for the night, go with me into Cuero in the morning, but that’s it. What I have to do I have to do alone.”

  “Is it illegal?” She gave him that ornery grin again, like she wished it was and wanted to help.

  “You have no idea, and no, you can’t help me. You need to stay as far away from me as you can once we get to town. Hey, maybe you could get you a job in one of them saloons.”

  She tilted her head and laughed. “Oh, so you think I’d make a good lady of the night?”

  “Why not? You already thought about it yourself. Besides, you’re pretty enough.”

  “Oh, that?” Her shrug indicated dismissal. “That was just to shake you up a bit. I’d likely shoot the first one who touched me. Besides, I’d rather help you with your job. I know how to ride and shoot. The other, well…”

  He rubbed the bullet wound on his calf. “You don’t have to remind me of that, but it makes no difference. I don’t need someone who can shoot. I don’t need a female mucking up the works.”

  She made a face at him. “Careful. You’re sounding a bit like James Lee.”

  He snorted. “I’m going to get some sleep. You do what you want, but be quiet about it, if you don’t mind. I’m wore to a frazzle.”

  Tyra remained right where she was and watched Zach struggle to get bedded down without showing her his bare ass again. He was a fine figure of a man. Not only that, she appreciated his mannerisms. Which, when you thought about it, was much more important than good looks, though those blue eyes were fine. What in the world could he have in mind? He wasn’t the outlaw type, surely not one to gun someone down, so what was he up to? Only one way to find out.

  The next morning she readied herself to follow Zach into Cuero. He had put on the washed clothes he’d hung on the bushes to dry. Looked a bit like a vagabond rather than the gambler she’d first met. The white shirt was wrinkled, James Lee’s britches too tight. His black low-crown hat was a bit the worse for wear, having come through two fist fights and a shooting. HHe needed new boots.

  On the other hand, she didn’t look much better, wearing the same pants she’d left Victoria in some ten days ago. Her shirt was wrinkled but clean. She mounted and rode to where he struggled to mount up. After watching him a minute, she climbed down.

  “How you been managing that all this time? Let me give you a hand.”

  A frown told her he didn’t like the idea. “I just work till I get it done.”

  She laughed and cupped her hands under his butt. “Try again. I’ll just give you a boost. It’s all you need, and maybe I won’t feel so guilty.”

  Without a word, he placed his left foot in the stirrup for one more try. When she shoved, he swung into the saddle with a grunt. Glared down at her. “You tell anyone about this, I’m coming after you.”

  “You don’t scare me, mister.” Her laughter pealed into the morning air, and after a while he chuckled along with her. The man had one fine butt. What was with her? She’d come from a disappointing experience in James Lee’s blankets, yet here she was entertaining the idea of enjoying Zach’s.

  In tandem they rode through the trees and back onto the cattle trail. There she kicked her horse into a gallop to catch up and ride alongside him. It was enjoyable talking with him, and maybe he’d let slip what he was doing here.

  Recent storms had washed the dust from the leaves and turned the sky a sparkling azure blue. The air smelled like the flowers that colored the prairie a brilliant blue as far as the eye could see. He had camped only a few miles out of Cuero, so they arrived while the
sun still climbed the sky. At the first saloon, he veered off the center of the road to a hitching rail, so she followed.

  “You can’t go in there,” he told her when she dismounted and clomped behind him up the wooden steps to the boardwalk in front of the Dusty Trail.

  “Sure I can, just watch.” She swept off her hat, wadded her curls on top of her head, and screwed it back down tight.

  He gestured toward her breasts, evident under the man’s shirt she wore. “Weren’t for those, that might work.”

  She jerked the shirt tails out of the top of her pants so it hung loose and slouched. “There, you can’t even see them now.”

  “Well, hell, then, but don’t say anything. You look like a blamed kid.”

  “Anyone asks, I’m your brother, but say I’m sixteen and old enough. Wish we could afford to buy something in there.” She wasn’t about to let him know she had money. Not till he lost all the poker hands he played.

  “Just hide and watch, and please keep your mouth shut.”

  Before he swung the door open, she grumbled, “Sure wish men would quit telling me to keep my mouth shut.”

  “That’ll never happen.” He chuckled and swept into the dim saloon, her right behind him.

  Didn’t take long to see what he had in mind. He struck up a conversation with a fellow at the bar. She listened and kept still.

  After a few exchanged pleasantries, he ordered another shot of whiskey and asked the bartender to fill a shot glass with water. “There’s a way to transfer this water and the whiskey. Exchange glasses, as it were.”

  From his pocket he produced a deck of cards, laid one carefully beside the two glasses and smiled his winning smile. “With only this card and using nothing else at all, I can put the water in this glass”—he waved dramatically at the whiskey glass—“and I can put the whiskey in this glass.” He picked up the shot glass of water, then set it back on the bar, careful not to spill a drop.

  “Ah, yes, you’re saying I might drink one, hold it in my mouth while pouring the other in, then spit it into the emptied glass. No, I promise I will not use anything but these two hands, the glasses, and this playing card, which is an ace of spades. That, my friends is part of the magic, for what is better than an ace of spades?”

  By this time, several nearby drinkers and two doves had gathered. One man studied the project closely. “I’ll bet you can’t.”

  “Hmmm. Interesting. Just how much would you be willing to bet?”

  “It can’t be done,” a portly bald gentleman muttered and carefully placed four bits on the bar.

  “I agree.” The first one put down his four bits.

  Zach turned to one of the doves, a freckled young lady. “Would you keep an eye on the bets, ma’am?”

  She nodded while coins tinkled onto the bar from outstretched hands.

  “All right, folks. Any more takers? If I fail, I will have to cover the bets and divide the spoils between all bettors. If I win, I take the pot. Sound fair to everyone?”

  They’d attracted more attention, and several cowboys sauntered over and added their bets. The young girl arranged the pile of coins into several stacks.

  “Everyone in? Okay, watch carefully now while I magically put the whiskey in this glass.” He pointed at the water. “And the water in this glass.” A finger gestured.

  He picked up the playing card, held it up as if to allow everyone to see there was nothing there but the card. Placing it on top of the shot of water and moving it about for a moment, he turned the glass upside down and held the card to stop any water from escaping. He then placed the card-covered upside-down glass on top of the shot of whiskey. He balanced them so-so, turned loose, and tilted his head toward his audience.

  “Now, watch carefully, and the two liquids will change places. As if by magic.”

  Holding the top glass he shifted the card a bit. Everyone watched as the water flowed into the whiskey glass while the whiskey was sucked into the water glass. When the exchange finished, he removed the top glass, now filled with whiskey, set it on its bottom on the bar next to the glass of water, and slipped off the card.

  “There you are, ladies and gentlemen.” He swept the stacks of coins off the bar into his hat. “Thank you very much. I hope you enjoyed the show.”

  Some grumbling erupted, but for the most part everyone laughed, and applauded, and drifted away.

  Tyra moved closer to Zach when the crowd dispersed. “All right, Mister Smarty Pants. How does that work?”

  “It’s magic,” he said, tossed back the whiskey, laid down a coin to pay for it, and took her arm. “I saw an eating joint down the road a ways. Would you like to join me for some food?”

  Trotting along behind him, she mumbled, “I don’t believe in magic, but I’d like to know how you did that.”

  “So would everyone else in there. You saw how I did it. Someday I’ll tell you how it works, I promise. Right now, let’s go eat. I’m starving.”

  He was right handy to have around. Even if he had tried to lose her, Tyra was going to stick with him. There were probably a lot more tricks up his sleeve. He was a surprising man.

  In the small restaurant, she consumed a chunk of beef, brown beans, fried potatoes, a couple slices of hot bread, and a slab of apple pie, along with three cups of coffee. Though she was busy eating, she did notice he managed to get away with a lot more than she did, asking for seconds on the pie and a beer to wash everything down.

  That took nearly an hour, and when they walked back outside the sun was sliding west fast.

  She patted her stomach and groaned. “I’m afraid my poor horse won’t be able to carry me, even if I could get on him. Now I owe you.”

  “Noticed you’ve got the appetite of someone twice your size.”

  “What are we going to do now?”

  Stepping off the boardwalk, he glanced at her. “Don’t know that we are going to do anything. I’ve got some business to attend to.” He handed her his horse’s reins. “You want, you can take the horses to the livery.” He reached in his pocket and plucked out a few coins. “Here, go ahead and pay for the night there. Maybe they’ll let you bunk in a hay pile.”

  “Or I could go with you. If you’re going to get into a poker game, I could play too. I watched a few games in Hays City, think I got the gist of it.”

  He guffawed. “You’ve got the gist of it? A halfway decent poker player would clean your plow. You don’t have any money. Besides, I told you, what I’ve got to do I can’t have you along.”

  “Then I’ll just ride on out.”

  “Girl, it’s dangerous in these parts for a woman alone. Why don’t you bed yourself down with the horses and wait till James Lee and Renner come through? You could go on with them. Marry that James Lee and raise some little ones.”

  She swung up on Morgan’s back, and while the horse danced, glared down at him. “I’m telling you one thing, mister. You keep messing with me, I’m going to shoot your other leg out from under you. First you’re nice, then you’re ornery. I thought you liked me a little bit and now you’re throwing me back at James Lee, when you saw how he talks to me. I don’t need you or anyone else to keep me safe. I’m not helpless, as you well know. Oh, and I’ll pay you back for the grub.”

  Before he could reply, she kicked the horse into a gallop and took off down the road, dragging Zach’s chestnut along. At the livery, she reined Morgan through the wide double doors and slid off his back.

  Whatever he was up to, she was going to get in on it. After arranging with the stable man to leave the two animals, she strolled slowly back out into the road and headed in the direction he had gone. Scanning the boardwalks on both sides, she finally caught sight of him. By walking on the west side she remained in the shadows where he wouldn’t spot her. He disappeared through a door, and she hurried to catch up.

  When she did, she came to an abrupt halt outside the danged sheriff’s office. What was he doing in there? Trying to get himself tossed behind bars? Leaned up
against the plank side next to the window, she peeked in. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Must’ve gone into the back where the cells were. What in the world was he up to?

  She turned, planning on finding a place out of sight to watch, and ran full tilt into James Lee’s sister Lily, whom she’d met briefly once when Lily visited James Lee in Kansas.

  “Why, just look at you, Tyra Duncan. Whatever are you doing in town? Just look at you. We need to go in search of some decent clothing for you. And where is that scalawag brother of mine? We expected him back days ago.”

  Stepping back a bit, Tyra tried out a false smile. She’d never really gotten to know Lily, so had no idea if she might like her or not. “He’s—uh, I mean, I came on ahead. He’s another couple of days’ ride out.”

  “Well, my dear, why ever didn’t you come on out to the ranch? Where are you staying, for goodness’ sake?”

  “Uh—just arrived today and was looking around before heading on out there.”

  “Well, you must come with me, then. You look as if you could use some new clothes. Heaven knows, you do like britches, but why don’t we buy you a pretty little dress for James Lee? I know he’d simply adore you in something blue or green to match those eyes.”

  Tyra rolled those eyes. How would she get out of this? She’d planned on leaving the telling of their break-up to James Lee when he arrived without her. Could she actually pretend everything was all right between the two of them? No, that wouldn’t be right. “Lily, I’m afraid that we—that is, James Lee and I have decided not to get married. We just aren’t suited for each other.”

  Lily put a white-gloved hand over her open mouth, eyes bulging. It took her a moment or two to speak after the announcement. “But my dear, we’ve already planned the wedding, ordered some of those delightful velour cards to announce it to friends. You simply can’t cancel now. I’m sure it’s just a little spat. Isn’t that right? A little spat.”

  “You planned our wedding? But how could you do that? It serves you right, you know. If and when I get married, I will plan my own wedding, thank you. What made you think of doing such a thing?”