by James, Sandy
“But—”
Abigail shook her head and refused to even listen to any further arguments. Before Susan could launch another protest, Abigail opened the door and walked out, closing the door behind her.
She took a moment to untie James’s wedding ring from her camisole’s ribbon, knotting the little blue ribbon of the clean camisole around the gold band. Her heart pinched just thinking about how much she missed James. No matter how often she tried to tell herself that she shouldn’t care about him, she knew she would always love him. He’d abandoned her, left her to wander around the nineteenth century all by herself, but she still loved him anyway. That hardly seemed fair. He should be missing her too, damn it. Even if she had been mean to him.
Her clothes had come off as quickly as she could jerk them from her body, but Susan took her time bathing, enjoying the luxurious floral smell of the soap. She used it not only on her skin but as a shampoo since there didn’t seem to be anything else available. Abigail had warned her the soap was harsh, and she’d left a couple of ceramic pitchers full of warm water on the floor next to the tub for Susan to use to rinse her body and her hair.
When the soap dripped into both her eyes, Susan realized exactly what Abigail had meant by “harsh.” The sting became almost unbearable. She started to panic. What if this stuff had lye in it that could do permanent damage? Susan fumbled around blindly, trying to find one of the pitchers.
Eyes pressed tightly closed to keep more soap out, she heard the sound of the kitchen door open and felt a cool breeze wash over her skin. “Abigail, help me! I’ve got this damned soap in my eyes!” No response, no sound of movement, no door closing. “Please, Abigail!” Still no footfalls and the cool air was raising gooseflesh on her skin. “Please help me rinse off before I’m blinded!” The door finally closed and footsteps crossed the wooden floor.
Susan stood up, resisting the urge to rub her stinging eyes. “Here,” she said, bending over a little so Abigail could spill the clean water through her soapy hair. “Pour it now.” Warm water immediately cascaded over her head in a rush as if Abigail had simply dumped an entire pitcher without any hesitation. Afraid all the water had done was force more soap into her eyes, Susan kept them tightly closed. Sputtering the water out of her mouth, she said, “Grab the other pitcher! This soap’s still burning my eyes!”
This time, the water poured over her hair slowly enough Susan could work the soap out of her short hair and then rinse her face, especially her eyes. Before she could ask for it, a towel was shoved into her hands. Susan patted it against her face, wishing for the thick terrycloth she had in Chicago. This one made it feel as if she was rubbing sandpaper against her face. The harsh soap probably did nothing except dry out her skin, and it wasn’t like there was any Oil of Olay in the nineteenth century.
“Thanks, Abi—” The words of thanks stuck in her throat when she opened her eyes and realized Abigail hadn’t been helping with her bath.
Daniel had.
She blinked a couple of times, not able to think at all for a few suspended seconds. Then she squealed and tried to wrap the towel around her body. “Out! Out! Get out!”
Daniel knew he deserved her anger. She was trying to hold the towel over her while simultaneously grabbing one of the empty pitchers, probably to throw it at him. But it wasn’t his fault he’d intruded on her bath. The dishtowel was off the knob. And she had begged for some help the moment he walked into the kitchen.
“Out!”
His almost irresistible urge to chuckle at her awkward situation probably wouldn’t go over very well, so he beat a hasty retreat. He threw a half-hearted apology at Susan over his shoulder then escaped through the kitchen door at the same time his daughter was coming up the stairs to the small porch.
Abigail gave him a confused look as she moved out of his way, backing down the stairs he was descending. “Susan’s done already?” she asked.
“She’s done.”
“I figured she’d want some help getting the soap out of her hair.”
“She did.”
“But she’s dressed already? How could she get the soap out after she’s already dressed?”
“She isn’t.”
“Isn’t dressed?”
Daniel nodded.
Abigail gaped at her father wide-eyed. “But you were in the kitchen?”
He couldn’t stop the smile spreading over his face. “You didn’t put the towel on the doorknob. I thought it was safe to go inside.”
“And Susan was in the tub?”
He nodded again.
“Then you saw her without any—” Her mouth formed a surprised O.
The laugh he’d been containing erupted. Not at the situation. He actually felt a little guilty for embarrassing Susan. No, he was chuckling at her livid reaction. Her face had flamed red all the way to her pretty ears, probably in a cross between embarrassment and anger.
“Daddy,” Abigail said, slapping his upper arm as he continued to laugh. “You need to apologize to her.”
“I reckon,” he replied.
“Why did you go all the way inside? Didn’t you see her in the tub? Shame on you. You’re supposed to be a gentleman.” Abigail clucked her tongue at him and continued her admonishment.
Daniel didn’t mind. He deserved the scolding. His daughter was right; he hadn’t been a gentleman. Part of him wanted to blame Susan for her own predicament. He’d been turning on his heel to leave and wouldn’t have seen anything…important if she hadn’t begged for his help. Then he realized how flimsy that excuse was. No, he’d stayed in that kitchen because he’d been mesmerized by the sight of her.
Every inch of her pink skin was branded on his brain. Since he’d decided to court her, he would have a challenge on his hands. If the single men in the territory had gotten the same eyeful of what he’d just seen, he’d be fighting even his closest friends for her hand. Probably to the death.
While he missed Elizabeth and would always love her, it was time for him to live again, time to open his heart up to another good woman. Yes, he’d probably have to fight every man in the territory for Susan.
In a silent vow, Daniel promised himself he would win.
Susan brought him back from his thoughts when she opened the kitchen door and stepped onto the porch. Her hair stood up as if she’d just received a fright. She was dressed in a no-nonsense blue skirt and pretty white shirt with lace on the collar. Recognizing it, he turned to his daughter, asking with an arched eyebrow if she’d offered it to their guest. She looked from him to Susan and back again. Then she gave him a brisk nod. He replied in kind. That small gesture on his daughter’s part was enough to tell him she understood his ultimate goal and that she approved.
Holding his hand up to help Susan down the stairs, he was amazed when she actually took it. Her gaze caught his as she descended, and her face immediately flushed a deeper shade of red.
“Thank you.” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she uneasily withdrew her hand when she reached the ground and started trying to tame her hair with her fingers.
“You’re welcome,” he replied, a little amused that she wouldn’t look him in the eye.
“I meant for the help down the stairs, not with my bath.” Despite her obvious embarrassment, Daniel could hear the laughter in her voice. She finally quit fussing with her hair and lifted those brown eyes to meet his.
He grinned at her. “I reckoned.”
“I need to be getting back to town,” she said. “If I start out now, I can probably get there a little after sunset.”
“I’ll take you back, Susie.”
She gave that stubborn head a shake. “I’ve imposed enough.” She turned to Abigail. “Thank you. For the meals, the bath, and the clothes.”
“My pleasure,” Abigail replied. “I’ll get your other clothes washed and send them to you. Or better yet, I can bring them when I bring the rest of Mama’s things. Gives me a good excuse to head to River Bend.”
“Please do
n’t go to any trouble. I still don’t think I should take your mother’s clothes.” Looking down at her outfit, she frowned. “I’ll wash these and send them back to you. After I find…a place to settle.” She glanced back at Daniel. “Abigail gave me your wife’s clothes. I’m sorry if that hurts you. I’ll take good care of them and send them back soon. I promise.”
“Nonsense,” Daniel insisted. “It’s nice to see ’em put to good use.” He nodded at the barn. “I’m gonna hitch up the wagon, and we’ll head back to town.”
“I don’t want to put you out, Daniel,” Susan replied, again shyly meeting his eyes. “Really. I can just walk.”
“Nonsense. We’ll leave in a few minutes.”
Susan found herself settled next to Daniel as he steered the wagon back toward River Bend. Trying to shed the embarrassment that shadowed her, she made conversation. “It’s really nice of you to take me back.”
He nodded, still looking at the road. “Where do you plan to stay?”
“I thought I’d try talking to the man at the boarding house again. Maybe I can work there and he’ll let me have a room in exchange.”
Daniel shook his head before she even finished the thought.
“Well…Um…” She snapped her fingers at another idea. “Then maybe I can go to that store again, to that general store, to see if they need some help.”
His answer was another shake of his head.
Susan tried not to let Daniel’s reaction discourage her, but she was quickly running out of options. “Fine. Then what do you suggest?”
“Stay at the Circle M.”
“I can’t do that, Daniel. You’ve already been too generous.” When he shrugged, she figured she needed to lay it on the line. Judging from the way the women in town had acted last time she’d been there, her character was already shot to hell. He would be better off not associating with her. “I’ve already got a bad reputation in town. You don’t need everyone talking about you and your…strange houseguest.”
Daniel turned to stare at her for a few long moments before he fixed his gaze back on the road. “I don’t care a lick about gossip.”
That didn’t surprise her. He didn’t seem the type to give much weight to people who only wanted to pass juicy stories about the poor, fallen woman who’d been abandoned in their fair town. But she wasn’t going to be in River Bend too long. At least she hoped she wasn’t going to be in River Bend too long. She didn’t give a diddly damn if she had a crappy reputation.
Daniel, on the other hand, had to live here, probably for the rest of his life. “You might not listen, but other people would. You told me you’re a School Board member, so you’re respected in this town. I can’t stay at your ranch or the gossip will just get worse, and they’ll drag you into my problem too.”
“So you plan on sleeping on the street?” He scoffed at her. “That’s a right good plan.” He reached over and slipped his fingers beneath her hand that rested on her lap. He gave her an affectionate squeeze. “You don’t have any place else to go, Susie. Why won’t you let me take care of you?”
The clarity of Daniel’s feelings for her suddenly hit Susan hard. Daniel wanted her. It fit the era perfectly. He was living in a western territory where women were scarce. He was a widower and thought she was divorced, therefore free to be pursued. He’d seen her naked only a few hours ago and hadn’t run out of the kitchen screaming at the sight of her almost forty-year-old body. While she didn’t think Daniel had anything illicit in mind, she knew he was looking at her not as a friend but as a second wife.
Damn, but it was flattering to have such a handsome man interested. It had been a good long while since Susan felt desirable. She and James had been married so long it really wasn’t enticing simply being naked. They dressed together before work. They donned their pajamas every night. They didn’t even shut the stupid bathroom door during showers. But naked in front of a new man? Scandalous and a bit tantalizing.
Daniel made her feel almost pretty, and she reveled in someone appreciating her looks, thinking of her as a woman again. Still, she wasn’t about to take advantage of his attraction when she was sure she couldn’t honestly return his feelings. James could be a horse’s ass sometimes, but, God help her, she still loved the man. She squeezed Daniel’s hand in return and slowly pulled her own back.
“Stay with me, darlin’.”
“I appreciate the offer, Daniel. I really do, but I can’t. Don’t ask me to explain it. I just can’t. I need to take care of myself. I need to make my own way in the world.” Susan meant every word. The time had come for her to declare her independence.
Destiny. Harry told her she was here to find her destiny. She couldn’t do that hiding out at the Circle M. Some nagging little thought whispered that she needed to be in River Bend, that the town was where that pesky, elusive destiny awaited.
His responding sigh hung in the air for a few long moments until he finally nodded.
“Maybe you have another idea? Someplace that might hire me, maybe give me a place to stay?” The quiet felt awkward, and Susan couldn’t tell if Daniel had grown pensive because he was angry she’d turned down his invitation or because he was thinking of an answer to her question. “Daniel?”
“The Golden Nugget.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“The Golden Nugget might need some help. Can you cook?”
“God, no.” If her destiny meant she’d be stuck in a kitchen, this quest was officially over. “Cook” was a four-letter word in her book, a curse word that she preferred not to use.
He chuckled. “Well, then…Can you pour drinks? You know, whiskey? Beer?”
Susan nodded.
“Then I might just have a good idea.”
Chapter 10
Pushing the batwing doors open, James stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air. The doors swung in his wake, creaking and groaning until they finally stilled.
The Golden Nugget had fast become his new home, his favorite place to be. He loved the setting. He loved the people. He loved the work. There were some moments, however, where he needed to get out of the smoke and away from the noise. A couple of minutes staring up at the big, beautiful night sky helped clear his head. He couldn’t see stars like that in Chicago.
The sun had already set, but it still painted the western horizon with color. Brilliant red. Warm yellow. A tint of pink. Enchanting. Back home, he never took the time to enjoy a sunset. As many hours as he worked, he hardly ever saw the sun at all. The beauty and uniqueness of Chicago had faded. He’d grown weary of seeing nothing but steel and glass. Some people might think it was a pretty city, but familiarity had bred contempt. He no longer found any appreciation in looking up at the skyscrapers, no joy in glancing out at Lake Michigan, and no comfort in being surrounded by people. The Windy City was crowded and polluted, and he’d grown sick of it.
After admiring the glorious sunset for a few peaceful minutes, James took a deep breath of the clean air, feeling energized and ready to get back to work. Just as he turned to walk back inside, a wagon coming down the dusty street caught his eye, stopping him in his tracks.
Working at the saloon had introduced James to just about every male within riding distance, but the man driving the wagon didn’t seem at all familiar. A woman rode next to the driver. Unlike most the ladies in town, she wore no bonnet. After only a few seconds of gawking at that cropped, untamed hair, James realized exactly who was in that wagon.
Relief swelled in his chest. Despite his anger and hurt that Susan hadn’t searched for him, James had begun to let his anxiety about her build. He’d already planned on giving up several hours of sleep to hunt for her around town the next day. Thank God, she was fine.
She dressed like a native now. Starched white shirt. Dark, long skirt. Had her hair been pulled into a bun, she’d be the spitting image of a stereotypical schoolmarm from the Old West. The look suited her.
Anger quickly pushed aside relief. Where in the hell had she been? Who
was this man, the one sitting so close to Susan that their thighs had to be touching? And why were they both chatting and laughing like old friends, as if she hadn’t been missing in action for so damned long? Didn’t she know how worried he’d been?
The horses ground to a stop in front of the Golden Nugget. James glared up at Susan. She was so enthralled with her traveling companion that she didn’t even seem to notice him standing there on the walkway. He put his hands on his hips and waited for her to acknowledge him.
Susan tried not to let her jittery nerves get the better of her as she and Daniel pulled up next to the saloon. The Golden Nugget’s owner had to give her a job. He just had to. She had nowhere else to go.
Daniel threw the brake on the side of the wagon, climbed out, and then reached up for Susan. Despite her lifelong conditioning to be an independent woman, she let him assist her to the ground, admitting to herself it was getting easier and easier to be pampered with each gentlemanly gesture from him. He surprised her when his hands stayed firmly planted around her waist.
Daniel pulled her closer, letting his arms encircle her. Feeling a little uneasy by his nearness and obvious desire to show his interest to anyone close enough to see them together, Susan put her palms against his chest. About to iron out the nature of their relationship, she was interrupted by someone clearing his throat in an exaggerated, downright rude manner.
Thinking the pudgy little marshal had probably come back to hound her some more, she turned in Daniel’s embrace, ready to do battle. She was greeted by James standing on the walkway, dressed in clothes like all the other men of River Bend wore. Thick, sturdy pants. A cotton shirt. A black vest. His hands were fisted against his hips. Their gazes locked. Then he folded his arms sternly over his chest and cocked a dark eyebrow.
Susan was so happy to see him she smiled. He didn’t smile back. Instead, his condemning glare pierced her heart. James was still angry, and their time apart hadn’t cooled his prickly temper.