"Fine," Seth said, as he strode past Shannon, whispering, "You better not have ruined Dolly for our bucking bronco act."
* * *
Bethel turned out to be a very warm, welcoming woman of around forty, and almost motherly in her demeanor toward the newest member of the troupe. She was short, at least two inches shorter than Shannon, and squat, built like a pickle barrel. Her hair was dusty brown and fashioned into a sloppy bun at the nape of her neck. Shannon took an instant liking to her. She watched as Bethel dug through a rack of costumes.
"Here we go," she announced, pulling out an armful of dresses. "These are some of the costumes Annie Oakley used to wear before she left the show last year."
She regarded Shannon a moment, and then shrugged. "You're taller than she was, but I think we can make them work. How do you like them?"
Shannon went through the garments one at a time, stunned to think that she might actually be wearing the same clothing that once belonged to the famous sharp-shooter. One in particular, a buckskin dress with fringe on the sleeves, hemline, and pockets caught her eye.
"I'd be honored to wear any one of these costumes, but I really love this one. Do you think you can make it fit me?"
"No problem, but Bill said that for the show we have to come up with something a lady would wear."
Bethel searched through the pile of garments and finally pulled out what at first glance looked far too fashionable to be worn on horseback. The gown was made of shell pink serge, featured a crisp white collar and a long flowing neckpiece of white lace.
"This is beautiful," Shannon said, holding the item up against her body. "But I don't see how I can wear this while riding my horse, especially when I have to hang down off the saddle. The skirt will be up around my neck."
Bethel laughed. "No it won't. This gown is made for horseback riding. Take a look at this."
She reclaimed the dress and parted the folds at the front of the skirt to reveal that the lower part of the gown was split, forming wide-legged trousers.
Shannon slapped her hands against her cheeks. "I've never seen anything like this. Do you think it will fit me?"
"I know it will. I'll have this dress and the buckskin costume ready for you to wear by tonight. Now shouldn't you be off practicing your new act?"
* * *
Shannon stood patiently listening to all of Seth's instructions and warnings for what seemed like the tenth time. Then she wearily said, "Why don't you let me take a couple of passes across the arena so you can see exactly where I'll be when I slide down off the saddle?"
"I was just going to suggest that." Seth claimed. "But first, I am kind of wondering why you ever thought it would be a good idea to ride a horse that way."
She laughed. "My twin brother Caleb and I made up a game when we were young, a version of croquet I guess except we only had one wooden ball and one hoop that we made out of fencing wire. Our mallets were just flat pieces of wood that our father split for us."
Shannon paused, thinking back to the fun they'd had and the horrified look on their mother's face whenever she caught them playing the game.
"Oh," she added. "And we played the game on horseback. Since the only way we could reach the ball was to hang off the side of the horse, that's what we did."
Shannon thought Seth would be impressed by both the creativity involved and the horsemanship, but all he said was, "You have a twin out there somewhere? A male version of you?"
"Yes," she said cautiously. "Why?"
"He's not going to try and join our troupe too, is he?"
Shannon burst out laughing. "Caleb? He'd sooner die than take part in any kind of performance. In fact, I'm pretty sure you couldn't even pay him to watch the show."
* * *
At that very moment, Caleb had just left the livery in Cheyenne where he'd boarded his horse. Then he went looking for a room for the night.
Next on the agenda was finding out where he had to go to buy a ticket to Buffalo Bill's Wild West.
Chapter 4
After spending the night in the single lady's tent, the following afternoon Shannon was so nervous she could hardly swallow. She stood outside the corral, waiting for Seth to bring her a horse to ride in the opening parade. Everyone who took part in the show was required to ride into the arena, and those performers included cowboys, Indians of various tribes, Turks, Gauchos, Arabs, and Mongols. All would be dressed in their native and generally colorful costumes. Many even draped their horses in the same distinctive manner.
Shannon did not have that luxury. She still didn't know who or what she was supposed to ride. Besides that, she was having trouble getting used to her new clothing. Bethel had insisted that she endure the proper undergarments, and now here she stood wearing a breath-stealing corset, a chemise, brown and yellow striped stockings, and for modesty's sake, buckskin trousers cut off at the knee. In place of her boots, she'd forced her toes into high buttoned pumps with cloth tops.
Over all this, Shannon wore the fringed buckskin dress and a hat to match. Her hair was brushed and hung down her back in ripples and waves that sparkled whenever she stepped into the sunlight. All she lacked was a horse, and the show was about to begin.
At long last, Seth came riding out of the corral. He was wearing his usual black shirt and trousers with hat to match, along with a blue kerchief at his throat. To Shannon's astonishment, he was riding Stormy, looking as if he and the mare were on very good terms.
She hurried toward him. "Thanks for bringing her out to me. I was worried the show would start without us."
Seth gave her one of those irritating grins. "Sorry, Miss Winterhawke, but I'll be riding your horse to test her reactions in front of the audience." He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder and added, "Your mount is back there."
That's when Shannon noticed that he was holding a lead line... and that it was attached to a donkey.
"But, but I can't ride that."
"Afraid you'll fall off?"
She narrowed her eyes, but managed to rein in her temper. "Of course not. It's just that today is my debut and I wanted it to be special. Can't you find me a horse or even a mule?"
He shook his dark head. "It's Jenny back there or I'm going to have to tell Bill that you refused to take part in the grand parade."
Which would have been the end of her employment on the very day it began. Shannon sighed, took the lead line from Seth's hand, and asked, "Where am I supposed to line up?"
He looked her over. "You're dressed more like a cowboy than anything else. Follow me."
The next thing she knew, she was lined up with at least one hundred cowboys. Behind her were row after row of gauchos, Arabs, Cossacks in fur hats, and other members of the ensemble. Ahead and in perfect formation, were as many Indians as there were cowboys, and leading the pack was Buffalo Bill himself. Resplendent in an elaborately embroidered leather jacket, high leggings over thigh-high boots, and a coiled leather whip, Cody sat tall in the saddle atop his favorite white horse, Isham.
The cowboy band began to play, "The Star-Spangled Banner," the cue for the riders to enter the arena, and the crowd erupted with cheers and shouts as the cast came into view. For one crazy moment, Shannon thought she actually heard someone calling her name.
She laughed at the thought as she and the bony-backed donkey followed the group of cowboys into the arena, and then out again. After that the show began in earnest. The first act involved Indians, some in tents showing what family life was like, others dancing and preening with colorful headdresses trailing down their backs, but Shannon didn't get to see much of that or the rest of the show. She was too busy getting ready for the cattle ranch epoch, where she got to take part in a simulated branding. This was followed by the buffalo hunt epoch, where she actually got to ride a horse and shoot blanks at the galloping herd, and then finally came the attack on the bullet-scarred Deadwood Stagecoach.
To take part in the latter as an occupant of the stagecoach, Shannon had to be dressed for her speci
al act with Seth because it followed immediately. And that's when, for the first time that day, she became overwhelmed with what she called the jiggles. Her stomach was in knots, her arms and legs were shaking like wind-blown willows, and her face had gone cold and clammy.
Shannon pictured herself riding into the arena, the only act in the staging area. Hundreds of eyes would be on her, a simple young woman who'd lived her entire life on a horse ranch. What had she been thinking when she'd left the only way of life she'd ever known?
"You ready?" Seth said as if he'd appeared out of nowhere. He was riding a big buckskin gelding and leading Stormy. "We have about two minutes to get ready for our entrance."
Shannon shook her head to clear it. "Oh... sure."
Seth studied her face. "You sure you're sure? You don't look too good."
"There's nothing wrong with me," she lied. "I was just going over our act. I'd appreciate it if you'd be a little gentler when you save me than you were when we practiced. I'm bruised from head to toe."
With that she took Stormy's reins out of Seth's hands, and then checked her saddle to make sure it was cinched good and tight. The last thing she needed to do was make a complete fool of herself in front of more people than she'd ever seen in her entire life. Satisfied all was well, she mounted Stormy and waited for her cue.
* * *
Seth took up his position alongside Shannon and regarded her out the corner of his eye. He didn't like this act one damn bit. For one thing, even if they practiced for hours, it was dangerous, mostly for Shannon, but his 'rescue' of her had its own perils. He had a bad feeling about going through with the act and was sorry he'd ever let Bill talk him into such a foolhardy idea.
Seth was thinking about calling the whole thing off when the Cowboy Band started playing, "The Girl I Left Behind Me," Shannon's cue to take off. Before he could say a word, she and Stormy shot into the arena as if they'd been fired from a cannon.
Left with no choice, a couple of seconds later, Seth charged after them. Up ahead he could see Shannon playing her part to perfection. She was screaming 'help!,' over and over, arms flailing about, and the audience seemed to be engaged in the horrors of what might happen. Moments after she 'lost her balance' and slipped down sideways on Stormy, Seth urged his mount forward so he could save the damsel in distress.
This was the dangerous part, the bringing of two galloping horses together with a young woman sandwiched in between them. As he got close enough to reach Shannon, he leaned over and grabbed the free hand she held out to him. So far, so good.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Just as Seth tried to right himself and pull Shannon up to safety, she slipped out of his grip and went tumbling to the ground.
Stormy slid to an immediate stop. Seth reined in his mount, Charlie, and quickly turned him. What he saw made Seth sick to his stomach.
Shannon was lying in the dirt, motionless. Not so much as a finger was moving. The crowd had gone into stunned silence. Seth rode over near her crumpled body and dismounted.
Careful in his movements lest there be broken bones, he hunkered down next to her and gathered her into his arms. She was breathing, that much was sure.
As he brushed the dirt from her face, Shannon opened one eye and said, "Some hero you are."
Seth almost fell over on his backside. "What?"
"I asked you to be gentler with me, not so gentle you couldn't even hang onto me."
He wasn't making much sense of her words. "You mean you're not hurt?"
"Of course not. Now do something to make it look like you're saving me. The crowd is getting restless."
And she was right. He suddenly and quite clearly heard them muttering among themselves, no doubt taking bets on whether Shannon would live or die.
He looked down at her, lying there in his arms. Shannon's eyes were closed again and her lips were slightly parted. Ripe, full lips that begged to be kissed. Without giving it much—if any—thought, Seth lowered his head and took her mouth with his own.
His intent was to give her a quick kiss as if he were a prince and Shannon was Snow White, but her lips were so soft, so warm and inviting, that he let the kiss linger beyond all limits of decency. The crowd was still with them, but they wouldn't be for long.
Just as lucid thought began to enter his brain, Shannon jumped out of his arms and got to her feet. Seth quickly followed, took her by the hand, and raised their arms on high.
"Now we take a bow," he whispered, bending at the waist. The crowd went wild, cheering and clapping their approval. "And now we do the same for the west side of the arena."
As they turned and repeated the gesture, they got the same response. Seth, who found himself unable to look Shannon in the eye, went and collected Stormy. Then he gallantly lifted Shannon by her tiny waist and deposited her on the saddle.
Turning to the crowd one last time, Seth removed his hat and waved it toward both sides of the arena. Amid the renewed cheers and hoots, he led Stormy toward the exit and whistled for Charlie to follow along.
* * *
Seth and his horse disappeared the minute they cleared the arena. Shannon remained on Stormy's back, wondering what had just happened and if Seth intended to keep the act the way it had accidentally unfolded... including the part where he'd kissed her back to life. She absently ran her fingers across her lips as she considered the way he'd made her feel.
She'd had young men plant a kiss on her a time or two, but always on the cheek, never as brazenly as the black-eyed cowboy who'd warmed her from head to toe. His kiss had been both scandalous and satisfying, and oddly enough, she wanted more. Somehow she would have to convince Seth to keep the act the way it had worked out today with her falling to the ground in a helpless heap. Then he would have to kiss her back to life, twice a day and almost every day. She nearly laughed out loud at the very idea, and probably would have if a very familiar voice hadn't startled her just then.
"What in hell do you think you're doing?" shouted Caleb as he approached. "Get down off that horse this instant."
"What are you doing here?" she asked, remaining in the saddle.
Caleb took hold of Stormy's reins. "Father asked me to come keep an eye on you, but now that I've seen the spectacle you've made of yourself, I think it's best if I take you home."
"You watched the show?"
"Every disgusting minute of it. Now get off that horse."
Shannon wrapped her hands around the saddle horn. "I'll get off this horse when I'm good and ready. And I'm not ready."
Caleb screwed his face into a knot the way he always did when he was angry or frustrated. In this case, both. "You will do what I say or I'm going to write father a letter telling him exactly what you are up to."
Shannon slid down off the saddle and put her arms around her brother. "I don't know why you're mad. It was just a performance, and a rather exciting one at that. Why are you so upset?"
"Why?" He tried to break out of her embrace but she wouldn't let him go. "You let a cowboy kiss you right in front of God and everyone. How do you think father would like that, huh?"
She laughed, and then told a whopper. "Seth didn't really kiss me. We just made it look that way. That's what being a performer is all about. It's make-believe."
Shannon didn't get a chance to find out right then what Caleb thought of her excuse because Seth returned to the area dressed as a member of the Seventh Calvary.
"What's all this?" he asked, taking in the two of them and the fact that Shannon had her arms around a stranger.
She stepped away from Caleb and said, "This is my brother, the twin I told you about?"
"Oh, no." He wiped his face with his hand. "Oh, hell no."
"Caleb, this is Seth Edwards. He's in charge of the livestock and—"
"I know who he is," Caleb said, advancing on Seth. "He's the miscreant I saw riding Stormy and kissing you."
Then he dropped into full fighting mode, knees bent, fists bunched and at the ready. "And I'm the W
interhawke who's going to show this cowboy what we do to horse thieves who treat our womenfolk like common trash."
Chapter 5
Shannon dropped to her knees. "You didn't have to hit him so hard."
Seth watched as she cradled her brother's head in her arms, and rolled his eyes. "What was I supposed to do? He came flying at me all puffed up in the chest and swinging his fists. I just tapped him a little to slow him down. Did you expect me to stand there and take a beating?"
She gave him a sideways glance. "You probably have one coming."
Seth didn't need any more explanation than that. She was obviously referring to that impulsive kiss he'd stolen and the suggested intimacy behind it that still had him caught in a whirlwind of desire and confusion.
Not about to broach that subject, he said, "And you have a couple of explanations coming."
"Me?" She looked up, all green-eyed innocence. "I've done nothing wrong."
"That remains to be seen."
Caleb groaned then and tried to sit up. His greenish gray eyes were kind of fogged over and slightly crossed, but he was gradually coming around.
Done dealing with him, Seth took hold of Caleb's collar, dragged him over to a bale of hay, and propped him up against it. Shannon was right on his heels.
"You can't treat my brother that way," she snapped. "He's hurt."
"He'll be just fine." Without preamble, Seth took hold of her elbow and steered her over to where he'd tied Charlie. And not coincidentally, out of Caleb's view and earshot.
Shannon tore out of his grip. "What do you think you're doing?"
"What I'm doing is getting a couple of things straightened out." He hoped. Shannon's hair was still a mess from her fall, just crawled out of bed messy, and it was all Seth could do not to grab her and kiss her to hell and back.
He mentally punched himself, and continued. "From where I stand, you're just a spoiled rancher's daughter out for a good time until daddy comes along to save you." He gestured in the general direction of Caleb. "In this case, your brother."
Pistols and Petticoats (A Historical Western Romance Anthology) Page 20