She had never seen them in the saloon before or she would have surely remembered. And by the bags they placed under their table, they obviously were either visitors or newcomers to this town. She noted Eva, Sally, and Samantha, three saloon girls, observe them while they worked the floor, asking if customers wanted drinks.
When she saw Sally walking up to their table, a twinge of envy overcame her. They sat in her section. What she wouldn’t give to be the one serving them at that very moment instead of Sally.
Before she could continue to spy on the men, Jesse Rafkin walked up behind her. He took off his hat and bowed slightly, grinning.
“Hi there, Miss Belle. Golly, you certainly are the prettiest lady here tonight.”
“Hi, Jesse.” She forced a smile.
Jesse said the same thing every night since she came to work here. It was endearing, and she felt flattered the first time he said it, but once she found out how he really was, it lost its luster and became an annoyance, especially tonight when she wanted to observe what transpired at the good-looking men’s table on the other side of the room.
When he sat down beside her, she took a silent, exasperated breath and turned to look at him. He obviously wanted to chitchat, and since she had to sing in five minutes, she might as well let him have his daily say. Then she could prepare for her show.
“So, Jesse, how was your day?”
He wiped his nose with the outside of his hand. “Well, ah, not much happened today on the ranch. Just fed the horses, milked the cows. Stuff like that. How about you, Miss Belle?”
“Nothing much, either. Just did some washing and practiced the songs for tonight. Actually, I’ll be singing a new song tonight that you might enjoy.”
“I love any song you sing, Miss Belle.” He grinned as he leaned in closer and put his hand on her knee.
“Jesse, what did I tell you about touching me? It’s inappropriate.” She moved his hand away and distanced her body as much as she could while still sitting in her chair.
His grin spread and his brow lifted. “I’m sorry, but, ah—”
Before Jesse had a chance to finish his sentence, a light hand came to rest on Belle’s shoulder. She turned around to find Sally standing behind her with a sly grin.
“Hi, Sally. How are you today?” She smiled.
Sally opened her mouth to speak, but then looked at Jesse and gave him a sneer. “Stop buggin’ the lady, Jesse. Sometimes you can be a real pain where the sun don’t shine.”
He got up. “I can say the same for you.”
He turned to Belle. “I’ll, ah, talk to you later, Miss Belle. I’m really lookin’ forward to hearin’ your new song.”
Relief cascaded over Belle as he limped away.
She sighed and glanced at Sally. “Thanks.”
Sally nodded. “Don’t mention it.” She looked at Jack. “The newcomers at my table want second shots of whiskey, Jack.”
“Comin’ right up.” Jack got two glasses from under the counter.
The words were just on the tip of Belle’s tongue. She yearned to let them loose, but to her delight she didn’t need to. Sally beat her to the punch. She leaned in closer and gave a sideways glance toward the attractive men’s table.
“Them good-lookin’ fellas over there have been askin’ about you, you know.”
“Really?” Belle’s skin tingled and goose pimples surfaced at the wonderful words.
“I see you noticed them, too.” Sally laughed. “Dang, I never saw a bigger smile on anyone, even my brother when he became a papa after fifteen years of waitin’.”
“Is it that obvious?” Her cheeks heated at her revelation.
“Yes siree.” Sally nodded.
Jack placed the glasses on the counter. “There you go, Sally.”
Sally picked up the drinks. “Uh-huh, I told the tall blond one your name and that you’re the singer here with a voice of an angel. Both of them are lookin’ forward to hearin’ you sing, honey.”
Giddiness tightened her stomach muscles. For some reason, having to sing tonight stressed her. The extremely attractive visitors would be seated only a few feet away from her. She wanted to sing a new song, but no one had heard it before. What if she sounded horrible?
Sally placed her hand on her shoulder as if sensing her hesitation. “Don’t worry, honey, you’ll be great. Now go up there. It’s time to start the show.” Then she headed off to the newcomers’ table.
Jack placed a glass of water in front of Belle. “There you go, Belle. I know you’d want this before singin’.”
“Thanks, Jack.” A smile spread on her face at his thoughtfulness.
Swallowing the quenching liquid to relieve her parched throat, she turned to focus on the crowd. The place was full, not a single seat vacant.
Her heart skipped a beat in nervousness. Staring at the many faces sent panic surging through her. She grabbed hold of the silver locket hanging low around her neck and rubbed it for courage.
She always wore it close to her heart for it was her link to her loving past, the link to two people who meant the most in her life and who sculpted her character and soul. They always made her feel special thanks to their support and love.
Opening the locket to gaze upon the picture of her deceased parents, she took a deep breath as she gently passed her fingers over the image. The picture had been taken at their wedding. Ten years before Belle was ever born, yet she could see how much they loved each other.
Her mother’s voice came back to her, words she had spoken to her so many years before. “Belle, if you set your mind on something, there is nothing you can’t do. We believe in you, dear.”
Her eyes became misty for a brief moment as more memories came flooding in, memories of the swing her father hung on the big tree beside their home, memories of him pushing her, and she demanding he make her go higher and faster.
She could never go back no matter how she wished she could. She had forged her path years ago, a path her parents would surely not approve. Yes, she had made mistakes, more than she could remember. But she had learned so much as well, thanks to her parents and experience.
Time was precious, and she needed to make the most of it while she could. Taking a deep breath to muster her courage and toughen her hide once again, she closed the locket and slipped it into her dress between her breasts. The cold metal made her sigh.
She stood, headed for the piano, and chanted in her mind, The show must go on.
Chapter 2
Trevor took one last swig of his whiskey while he stared in anticipation at the pretty lady. She stood up from the bar, slowly straightened the creases in her dress, and strolled toward their table, heading for the stage. Glancing at them briefly, she bowed her head, her cheeks reddening.
“She looks nervous,” James whispered into his ear while he stared at her.
Trevor gestured his agreement. She hardly seemed like the flamboyant singer Sally said she was. But Trevor kind of liked her shy demeanor. It intrigued him.
When she sat at the piano and began playing, though, her hesitation visibly dissolved, and her confidence surfaced. Trevor could see it by the smile in her eyes when she gazed at her audience.
The song she played started slow, but as soon as her sweet voice caressed his ears, he sighed silently. It enamored him, and he sat there entranced by the spell of her singing and piano playing. And each time she glanced at the crowd, him and James especially, his heart skipped a beat.
She must have had the same effect on James because Trevor noted he didn’t budge throughout her whole performance. He just sat there, fixated. Even his breathing seemed shallower, as if he reached a level of serenity.
He had never seen James so smitten with a female before. His focus always remained on their cases, never on the opposite sex. It amused Trevor to see his work-centered partner fall for the sweet singer.
When she ended the last song and stood up, the crowd clapped and cheered. She smiled, blushing, and Trevor’s heart melted.
Her modesty was becoming.
James tapped him on the shoulder then as he leaned in. “When she walks by the table, let’s start talking to her. Put on the charm.”
“Will do, partner. It’ll be my pleasure.” He smiled as many thoughts of what he’d say crossed his mind. They all had to do with her musical talent, her voice, and her beauty of course.
But his excitement turned to disappointment when an older man came to talk to her at the piano.
“Great,” he whispered.
“Don’t worry. Their talk won’t last long,” James replied.
After a few moments, though, it became clear to Trevor that James’s guess was wrong, because the man escorted her to a table to continue their conversation. From the way they acted, he appeared to be talking and she only listening, nodding in agreement every once in a while.
“Partner, that doesn’t look like a quick conversation to me. I think we got a long wait ahead of us.”
“No, I don’t think so. At least I hope not.”
Sally strolled by then with her empty tray by her side. James called her attention. “Sally.”
She glanced around as if she couldn’t figure out from where the voice came. The crowd was certainly loud in the saloon.
When she turned in their direction, James repeated, “Sally.”
A smile broke her blank face, and she swayed her body as she headed over to their table. “Well, boys, what can I do for you? Would you care for more whiskey?”
James replied before Trevor could speak. “No, but Trevor here,” he motioned with his chin, “would like to know who the man over there is who’s talking to Belle.”
Trevor cleared his throat. “Actually, what James really means is he would like to know when she’ll be finished with the man, so he can go talk to her. And James may not want a shot, but yes, I’d like another whiskey.”
James gave him a crooked frown. Served James right for answering for him like he did. James may hate whiskey, but Trevor didn’t.
“I’m sure you’d both like to talk with the lady.” She grinned glancing at them both. “How about I bring you each a shot? That there with Belle is the boss man. And once he starts yapping, he doesn’t stop. So you boys have a lot of time to waste.”
With disappointment in his eyes, James huffed, tapping his fingers on the table. “I’d care for some water instead, if you wouldn’t mind.”
Sally nodded. “One whiskey and one glass of water it is.” And she walked away.
They continued to observe Belle’s table while their drinks came. Twenty minutes later, Belle and her boss were still conversing, but they had both stood up. Belle appeared to be getting ready to leave.
James nudged him. “Follow me.”
Perplexed, Trevor held his lightweight bag in one hand and cursed. He followed James through the loud horde of men. Once out the saloon doors, they descended the stairs and stood in the plentiful moonlight.
“Why the hell did we come out here, partner?” Trevor asked.
James scanned the perimeter. Most of the crowd still remained in the saloon. Only a few cowboys stood outside chatting.
“Because it was too crowded in there to talk to her. Maybe we’ll get a chance to talk to her here. She’s bound to come out any second.”
“Good idea,” Trevor said, rubbing his itchy chin. His stubble made a brushing sound by the friction of his fingers sliding over it. He hadn’t used his razor since yesterday and needed a shave badly. His thick beard grew quickly. He hated the feel of stubble. But unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything about it. For now, he had to live with the stubble whether he liked it or not.
Deflecting his thoughts from his grooming woes, he stared at their surroundings. The wind blew gently, making the leaves in the tree next to the saloon rustle softly to and fro. The scenery calmed Trevor, but didn’t seem to affect James, who paced before him.
“So what are you thinking about?” Curiosity compelled Trevor to ask.
“Belle.” James huffed.
Trevor had to snort. “The same here, partner.”
“Mmm. She sure has a voice, doesn’t she?” James half chuckled.
Trevor didn’t speak, just nodded.
James resumed his pacing while he combed his fingers through his hair. “But something just doesn’t add up.”
“Oh, what?” Trevor swore he could hear the gears in James’s fine-tuned brain turning. He was mystified at how his mind worked. At times, he wished his worked in the same intricate way, but other times when he saw James worrying and obsessing, he was happy his mind didn’t think like his did.
No, his easygoing nature served him just fine. Letting James deal with the complicated problems was okay with him.
“The way Belle acted tonight has me confused.” James tapped his finger on his lip.
“Why?” Trevor gazed at the crowd exiting the saloon.
“She was shy, humble, nothing like Isabelle LaRue is said to be.”
Trevor had to agree. “True, but maybe she’s acting. Putting up a front so no one will figure out who she is.”
James nodded. “Could be.”
Just then, Trevor saw Belle walking out the saloon door. He nudged James in the ribs and pointed his chin up high in her direction.
“Quick, here she comes.”
James turned around in time as beautiful Belle strode in their direction. She looked at them, smiled slightly, and then averted her gaze to the ground as she came closer.
Both Trevor and James bowed their heads as she walked by them. Trevor expected James would speak first since it was his plan to come outside and he usually always took the lead where work was concerned, but when he saw his partner became tongue-tied, Trevor decided to take over the reins of conversation.
“Ah, Miss Samson. Howdy.” He took off his hat and bowed his head once more. Putting his hat back on, he continued. “My friend and I just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed your songs tonight.”
He glanced at James and gave him a coaxing look. “Isn’t that right, James?”
James nodded and mumbled, “Mm-hmm. Yes, miss.”
Trevor tried to contain a smile. Seeing his friend dumbfounded and acting awkward was humorous. Usually, James’s mind churned at high speed as he pondered their next move, and Trevor followed his lead, figuring his way while they went along. How the tables had turned in this case. He didn’t blame his friend. Belle could dumb many men. But to have it happen to his genius partner, who barely noticed women and who obsessed on every assignment like it was his life, had him amused.
She glanced up at him at first and then deflected her gaze to the ground, smiling. “Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it, ah…”
Trevor held out his hand. “I’m Trevor Kent and that’s James Sanford.” He pointed to his partner as she shook his hand and then turned to shake James’s.
“It’s nice to meet you both. You’re new to Fort Smith?”
“Yes, miss. We just arrived on the train early this evening and have been taking a tour of the place.”
She glanced at the moon and her blue eyes twinkled. Then she returned her gaze to Trevor. “What do you think of our town?”
Trevor gave James a sideways glance to see if he should continue or if James cared to retake the lead.
When he saw James remained bewildered, he added, “We like it, especially Eden’s Paradise. We heard it was pretty exciting and after hearing you sing, we know why it’s so famous.”
Even in the moonlit night, he could see her blush rise to her cheeks. “Thank you, Trevor.”
James finally piped in. “Yes, Miss Samson, we really enjoyed your show tonight.”
“Call me Belle, please. Thank you, James.” She turned and said, “Well, I have to be going. It was nice meeting you both.”
James stepped forward. “Miss Belle, I mean, Belle, it’s late and it isn’t safe for a lady to be walking all by herself. Why don’t Trev and I escort you home?”
She shook her head. “That’s
mighty kind of you, but I’m staying at the Mayflower Inn. It isn’t that far off.”
Trevor observed the sly grin spread over his partner’s face. He swore he probably sported the same grin himself. Coincidence couldn’t have served them a more pleasing hand tonight. Their captain set things up so that they’d be staying at the Mayflower Inn, too.
Before Trevor could comment, James remarked, “Belle, it just so happens we’re staying at the same inn. So, would you mind if we kept you company on your walk?”
A smile surfaced on her pretty doll face. “Not at all.”
Trevor thought it was high time his charismatic persona cued in. He extended his arm and bowed his head slightly. “Well, Belle, let the escorting begin.”
She took his welcoming arm and giggled timidly. A whiff of her rose-scented fragrance tickled his nose as the passing wind blew her wild black curls toward him. His stomach did a little jerk, and he yearned to dip in closer to take a deeper sniff and touch her beautiful hair. Somehow, he guessed it was silky soft, just like her alabaster skin would be. She represented the embodiment of feminine beauty.
Even though she wasn’t scantily dressed as the other saloon girls, he could tell her curves were plentiful. Her full bosom enticed him, and the hint of cleavage he caught sent his manly urges to full arousal. And when she moved by his side, he sensed her hips swaying in a seductive dance from side to side. Although he adored the part of her that was all shy and demure, he wondered if she hid another part of herself from the public.
Maybe a spitfire of a vixen lay under that timid exterior, and if he played his cards just right, he’d be the lucky guy to unravel the layers of her personality and get the wanton, lustful self she held hidden. Damn, sometimes he loved his job.
* * *
She wished she could pinch herself now and make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Having two handsome gentlemen escort her home this evening overwhelmed her. She couldn’t help her racing heart and the giddiness that empowered her senses.
With the moon’s light guiding their path, they walked down the abandoned dirt road. Ten minutes passed and they had asked her so many questions about her singing, the saloon, and other things that she lost count. Actually, James asked the probing questions while Trevor just stared at her with a wide, inquisitive smile, as if he assimilated her answers and tried to read her.
The Good, the Bad, and the Naughty Page 2