by Tell Cotten
I heard a noise from the kitchen, and April appeared with a coffee pot. She smiled when she spotted me.
“Do you feel any better this morning?” She asked as she poured me a cup of coffee.
“Yes,” I lied. “Much better.”
“Good, I’m happy to hear that,” she said. “I’ll be right back with your breakfast.”
“Thank you, April.”
I looked at Jeremiah. He was watching April as she left, and I didn’t like the yearning look in his eyes.
“Did Brian give you the good news?” Jeremiah looked over at me.
“No.”
“The hotel made more money last night than it’s ever made,” Jeremiah looked proud.
“That’s wonderful,” I said tonelessly.
“I thought you’d be pleased.”
I forced a smile, and it fell silent. A few minutes passed, and April brought me my breakfast.
I was chewing my first bite when June looked up suddenly.
“I gotta go,” she said.
“Gotta go where?” Jeremiah looked at her and smiled.
“She needs to go to the outhouse,” I explained, and then I looked at June. “All right, let’s go.”
I started to stand, but Jeremiah jumped to his feet and waved a hand at me.
“I’ll take her,” he said. “You just sit there and rest. Eat your breakfast.”
I started to object, but he grabbed June’s hand and took off before I could.
My face turned dark as I watched them.
Chapter twenty-seven
Brian Clark was successful in his attempt to get a loan, and we were able to cover our expenses.
Things went smoothly for two days. I recovered from my beating, and most of the soreness worked its way out. I still had a few bruises, but other than that I was fine.
The restaurant stayed full, and Jeremiah won at poker. I had a talk with him about playing honest, and he assured me he would.
Amos avoided me as much as possible, but that was nothing new. Other than that, he acted normal.
I was still convinced that it was him and Brock that robbed us. Problem was, I didn’t know how to prove it.
Jeremiah disappeared after breakfast on the third day, and Amos didn’t show up either. We didn’t think much of it at first, but by midafternoon we started getting suspicious.
By now the lunch customers had left, and the place was mostly empty. Brian and I stood in front of the bar, and April was behind it.
There was a noise at the door. We turned and looked, and Ike Nash walked in looking important. Behind him trailed four of his hands, including Butch, and Jeremiah Wisdom was next. Ross Stewart brought up the rear, and he looked uncomfortable.
I narrowed my eyes. I stepped away from the bar and met them in the middle of the room.
“What is this?” I asked, and my voice was low and stern.
“I don’t want any trouble,” Ike said, and his booming voice filled the room. “I stopped at the jail and explained the situation to Ross, and I asked him to come along to keep things peaceful.”
“What situation?”
Ike smiled pleasantly.
“I am now the owner of The Palace Hotel,” he declared.
“No,” I said flatly. “You’re not.”
Jeremiah cleared his throat. We all looked at him, and he shifted his feet timidly.
“I’m sorry, Lee, but Mr. Nash approached me and offered to buy the place. I know we had a deal, but Ike offered me double what the hotel’s worth. What was I supposed to do?”
Ike smiled smugly, and I felt like I’d just been kicked in the head by a mule. I glanced at Brian, and he looked just as stunned. I also saw April behind the bar, and she was watching me with wide eyes.
I looked over at Ross, and he cleared his throat and stepped forward.
“I’m sorry, Lee,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do. You and Brian gave the hotel to Jeremiah to cover your debts, and Jeremiah has now sold the hotel to Mr. Nash. No matter how you look at it, Ike is now the legal owner.”
For some reason, I couldn’t talk. In a mere matter of seconds, I felt drained of life.
“I want everybody to hear this so there’s no misunderstanding,” Ike spoke up. “As the owner, I’m hiring Jeremiah Wisdom to run the hotel. He’ll work for me from here on out. As for you and Brian-,” he turned towards me, “I want both of you out of my hotel. I told Ross that, and he’s going to stay here while you two get your belongings gathered.”
A feeling of rage came over me, and I was tempted to kill Ike where he stood.
“You’ll have to do as he says, Lee,” Ross spoke quietly.
I ignored Ross as I glared at Ike.
I was about to make a grab for my Colt when, behind Ike, Jessica Tussle walked through the swinging doors.
Chapter twenty-eight
To say I was shocked was an understatement. My breath left me, and all I could do was stare at her.
“Lord help us,” I heard Brian say softly.
Jessica wore a fancy, blue dress, and she carried a small suitcase. She looked fresh, clean, and beautiful.
She paused at the doorway. She took a slow look around the lobby, and she looked pleased.
She spotted us, and a big grin appeared on her face as she walked over.
Ike turned, and his face sharpened in curiosity. But Jessica didn’t seem to notice him as she walked to me.
“Hello, Lee,” she said, and her eyes twinkled.
“Jessica,” I said stiffly. “What are you doing here?”
“Tussle had some business to attend too here in town, and I convinced him to bring me along. We just arrived on the stage,” she said, and her face looked flushed and excited. “Lee, the hotel looks wonderful!”
I managed to nod. She glanced around at everyone, and she suddenly noticed all the somber looks.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Am I interrupting something?”
Ike saw an opportunity, and he stepped forward.
“My name is Ike Nash,” he said pleasantly. “How do you do, ma’am?”
Jessica gave a small curtsy.
“I’m fine, thank you,” she replied. “My name is Jessica Tussle.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Ike grinned.
Jessica smiled politely and asked, “Are you a guest at the hotel?”
“No, ma’am,” Ike beamed. “I’m the owner.”
I made a small groaning sound.
Jessica didn’t believe him, and she smiled coyly.
“Oh? I thought Lee and Brian were the owners.”
“They were, but they’re not anymore,” Ike explained. “In fact, they were just leaving.”
The playful look left Jessica’s face. She frowned and looked at me.
“Is that true?”
I felt miserable. I swallowed hard and nodded.
Jessica’s eyes turned hard and cold. She glared at me for several tense seconds, and I just stood there and took it.
“That is very interesting,” she finally said.
“Would you like a room?” Ike asked. “I’d be honored if you’d be my guest.”
Jessica took her eyes off me and looked back at Ike.
“No, thank you,” she said curtly. “I’ll make other arrangements.”
Ike didn’t like being rejected, and his face stiffened. He nodded and stepped back.
Meanwhile, Jessica turned her eyes back to me, and her gaze was fierce.
Several long, uncomfortable seconds passed. Then, without a word, she turned and walked briskly towards the door.
My heart broke as I watched her.
Chapter twenty-nine
Brian headed towards the stairs as soon as Jessica left, but I wasn’t ready to leave.
I had just been humiliated, and I wanted to remember this moment and how it felt. I stood there silently and studied each one in the room.
My gaze finally came to Ike. I stared at him with an emotionless face, and he stared back.
<
br /> Finally, Ike said, “Before you go, I’d be interested to know your plans.”
“Haven’t got any.”
“Well, that’ll be fine for a day or two while you get your affairs in order,” Ike said. “But after that, I think it would be best if you two drifted on. We don’t want any trouble.”
“We’ll keep that in mind.”
It fell silent again as Ike and I continued to stare at each other. A long minute passed. Then I nodded to myself, turned, and walked towards the stairs.
***
Brian and I didn’t talk as we packed our belongings.
From our window in our room, I watched as Ike and his men left town. Jeremiah wasn’t with them, so I figured he was downstairs.
Ross was also downstairs, waiting on us. But we didn’t care, and we took our time.
We finished packing, and then we heard a knock at the door.
“Yes?” I called out, and my hand gripped the handle of my Colt.
“It’s me, April.”
I released my grip on my Colt.
“Come on in, April.”
April and June entered the room. Both of them looked worried, and June stared at me through those big, solemn eyes.
“Where are you two going?” April asked.
“We’re not sure, exactly.”
“What will you do now?”
I didn’t have an answer, so I just shrugged.
“I’m so sorry about all this,” April said. “I feel horrible.”
“Don’t,” I said. “It’s not your fault.”
“Are you two leaving town?” April asked, and June’s eyes grew wide.
“Yes, but we’ll be around.”
“What about me and June? Do I still have a job?”
“I’ll talk with Jeremiah,” I said. “You’ll keep your job, I promise you.”
“I don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“No trouble. I’d consider it a pleasure.”
It was silent then, and April and I looked at each other. I could tell that she wanted to say something else, but she decided not to.
Finally, I cleared my throat.
“We’ve got to go,” I said, and my voice was hoarse.
April nodded and bit her lip.
“I hope you come see us sometime,” she said.
I nodded curtly. I grabbed my pack, and Brian and I headed towards the door.
For some reason I had a lump in my throat, and all I wanted was to get away as quickly as possible.
I reached the door, and I made the mistake of looking back. June was watching me and trying not to cry.
“Mister Lee,” she said, and her voice was barely hearable.
“Yes?”
“Please don’t go.”
I took in a big breath and let it out slowly.
“Mind your Ma, June,” I said, and then I walked out the door.
Chapter thirty
Ike Nash was in a good mood as they trotted back to the ranch.
“Well, that went well,” he said.
“It did,” Butch agreed, and added, “Lee sure looked mad.”
“He did,” Ike chuckled gruffly.
“Do you think he’ll retaliate?”
“It’s possible,” Ike said. “But, the law’s on our side. Anything they attempt will just make them look worse.”
“I don’t think that’ll matter to Lee,” Butch warned.
“They’d be foolish to try anything,” Ike reasoned. “There’s only two of them, and I’ve got over thirty men.”
“What about Brock? There could be trouble if he bumped into Lee. They don’t like each other.”
“Brock won’t be here,” Ike replied.
“He won’t?” Butch looked surprised.
“It’s almost time for him to meet the Gant brothers,” Ike explained, and he added thoughtfully, “Tell Amos to go with him. They’ll be gone a few weeks, and Lee and Brian should be gone by the time they get back.”
Brock was the middleman for Ike when it came to trading rifles to the Indians. Ike was partners with two brothers named Morgan and Boyle Gant, and they were supposed to meet at Bronc, New Mexico, and exchange rifles for pelts every eight weeks.
Butch nodded thoughtfully and said, “I’ll tell them soon as we get back to the ranch.”
Ike nodded, satisfied, and it was silent as they trotted on.
Chapter thirty-one
I spotted Jeremiah behind the bar as we went downstairs. He spotted us at the same time, and he looked uncomfortable.
Ross stood by the stairs, and he shot me a warning look as I walked by.
But I ignored him. I stopped beside the bar when I was even with Jeremiah, but I kept my eyes pointed forward.
“April keeps her job,” I said in a quiet and stern voice.
“I never thought otherwise,” Jeremiah insisted.
“If you mistreat her,” I warned. “I’ll kill you.”
“I have no intentions of mistreating her,” he sounded surprised. “I’m not like that.”
“Don’t forget it,” I said, and then I walked towards the door.
“Lee,” Jeremiah called out. “I’m sorry how this all turned out.”
I paused at the door and looked back at him.
“No you’re not,” I said.
***
We went to the livery stable, saddled our horses, and stuffed our belongings into our saddlebags. We led our horses out into the street, and I spotted Jessica Tussle walking up the sidewalk.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Brian.
I looped my reins around the hitching post and walked towards her. Jessica spotted me, and her body stiffened.
“Jessica,” I offered a difficult smile of apology as I stopped in front of her. “I’d like to explain.”
She lifted her chin and crossed her arms.
“All right.”
I took in a big breath and launched into the story. Afterwards, I watched her face closely for signs of understanding.
There were none. Instead, she gave me a cold, contemptuous look.
“I trusted you with all that money.”
“Yes, ma’am, you did.”
“And you threw it away in one poker game.”
“That wasn’t my intention.”
“That money was all I had,” she muttered. “Didn’t you know that?”
“I feel terrible, Jessica. I really do.”
“Yancy told me once that you were no good, but I ignored him,” Jessica declared, and I got the feeling that she was talking more to herself than to me. “I should have listened. Yancy may not be much of a talker, but at least he’s honest and straightforward.”
I felt my neck getting hot.
“Yes, ma’am.”
Jessica turned dark, cold eyes on me and said evenly, “Lee Mattingly, long as I live, I never want to see you again.”
Her words stung. I couldn’t speak, so I hung my head and nodded.
Without another word, she turned and walked away briskly. I watched her until she had disappeared into a hotel down the street, and she never looked back.
Chapter thirty-two
Brian and I rode north in stunned silence. We had things to say, but first we needed time to think on what had just happened.
There was a creek about a mile from town, and we turned and followed it. We found a nice sheltered spot, and we dismounted, picketed our horses, and made camp.
Brian built a fire while I filled our coffee pot with water from the creek, and then we sat around the fire and watched the coffee boil. Soon as it was ready we filled our cups and leaned back.
We still didn’t talk. Instead, we just sat there and drank coffee with brooding faces.
Brian finally looked at me and cleared his throat.
“Well, I sure didn’t see that coming.”
I nodded in agreement.
“Are you all right?” Brian studied me.
“I’m just enjoying my usual twilight sadness, is all.”
“Well, do you remember what Jessica looks like now?”
The image of her glare flashed in my memory.
“Yes. I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anytime soon neither.”
“She sure was mad.”
“She had a right to be. We lost her hotel.”
Brian nodded slowly.
“Everything happened so fast,” he said wistfully.
“It did,” I nodded.
“Almost like it was planned.”
“I think it was,” I replied slowly.
“How’s that?”
“Ike, Jeremiah, Amos; they were all in it together,” I declared.
“How do you know?”
“I just do,” I grumbled.
“What about April?”
For some reason, the mere mention of her name gave me an odd homesick feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“What about her?”
“Do you think she was in on it too?”
“Of course not,” I glared at him. “What gave you that idea?”
“You said they were all in on it.”
“Well not her,” I frowned. “Everybody else but her. Mebbe Ross too, although he sure didn’t help us any.”
“What could he do? Everything was legal.”
I grunted in response.
“Too bad about Jeremiah,” Brian said. “He didn’t seem like all that bad a feller. I sorta liked him.”
“He cheated us,” I retorted.
“Mebbe so, but at least he was nice about it.”
I grunted again and shook my head.
“Are we going to drift on like Ike suggested?” Brian changed the subject.
“Only a guilty man runs,” I replied stubbornly, and added, “We’ve done nothing wrong.”
“But Ike said-.”
“I don’t care what Ike said,” I interrupted.
“So what are we going to do?”
I listened to the question, and it was silent as I pondered it. I turned it around in my head, studied it from all angles, and decided.