Pistols and Petticoats (A Historical Western Romance Anthology)

by Barbara Ankrum

  * * *

  But kiss him she did at the evening show.

  Seth supposed that she really had no choice, but what about Buck? Why couldn't he follow one simple damned instruction? Seth's mind wandered then, and he envisioned a scenario where he accidentally drove his elbow into Buck's mouth. That would keep him from kissing anybody, at least for a day or two. What Seth really needed to do, he knew, was to get his hand healed as fast as possible, and horse salve wasn't getting the job done.

  Relying on the knowledge he'd gathered through his years of caring for and tending horses, he decided to make the poultice he'd used whenever one of the animals had a particularly grievous wound.

  First he left the encampment and walked until he came upon a field of sagebrush. After cutting down a small shrub, he went back to camp and asked one of the cooks to make a tea out of the plant.

  Then he walked over to the pond the troupe used to water the animals and began to dig around the edges. When he found what he sought—clay—Seth went back to the kitchen, collected the freshly-brewed sage tea, and went about the business of mixing them together until he had a perfect poultice.

  It took the next three towns in Oregon and the ride into Redding, California for the poultice to work its magic, but Seth's hand was finally healed and strong enough to lift Shannon off of her runaway horse again.

  As he approached the corral, he could see that she and Buck were deep in conversation, no doubt discussing ways of improving their performance. Maybe Buck was trying to work a few more kisses into the act.

  Angry for no good reason, Seth stepped up to them and said, "Just the two folks I've been wanting to talk to."

  Shannon turned to him and moved a little closer. "Is something wrong?"

  "Nope. Everything's right again." He held up his hand and waved it around.

  "Let me see that," Shannon said reaching for his hand. "I can't believe how good it looks."

  Buck wandered over and glanced at the hand. "Probably looks better than it really is. You shouldn't take a chance on breaking it open."

  All Seth could think of was breaking Buck's head opened, but he smiled and said, "It's just as strong as ever. Your services in the runaway horse act are no longer needed."

  Ignoring Seth, Buck turned to Shannon. "What do you think? It's your life on the line."

  She glanced at Seth, ignoring Buck. "I think we ought to at least test your hand. Do we have time to give it a try now?"

  Breathing a big sigh of relief, Seth said, "We'll make time."

  And then as he ducked into the corral to gather their horses, he hoped to hell that he wasn't putting Shannon in even more danger.

  * * *

  Shannon had never been happier in her life. She and Seth were back together for her favorite act, his hand as strong as ever, and once again she could count on receiving his warm kisses twice a day every day. Occasionally they even managed to steal a few more along with frantic embraces that were invariably interrupted by a member of the troupe. If an unmarried man and woman wanted a little privacy, Buffalo Bill's Wild West wasn't the place to live.

  Other than that, Shannon couldn't get over the breadth and beauty of the country as the show traveled through the States. Here in California she'd already visited six towns, including Sacramento, and now this morning they'd arrived in San Francisco for a series of shows that would last a full week.

  As she stared out at the first light of dawn, Seth came up behind her leading Charlie and Stormy. "Enough work," he said. "I want to show you something."

  Shannon turned to him and saw that both horses wore simple hackamores, but no blankets or saddles. "We just got here and now we're going to ride off somewhere?"

  He pointed to a hill that was within walking distance. "I'm told we can get a great view of the San Francisco Bay from up there, and I figured it would be better if we're as tall as we can get."

  Needing no more encouragement, Shannon hoisted herself up on Stormy's back, and followed Charlie and Seth.

  * * *

  Once they arrived at the crest, Seth took a long look around and instantly knew that as long as he lived, this sight would forever be burned into his memory. The early morning fog was like a living thing, skipping birdlike across the water or skulking through the town and valleys below like a pack of wolves.

  Beside him, Shannon let out an audible sigh. "I've never seen anything like this."

  "There's a lot more coming up." He pointed to the west. "You can't see it now, but the Pacific Ocean is out there."

  "Oh, I can't wait to see the ocean, and maybe to put my toes in the water."

  Seth chuckled. "You'll have plenty of opportunities to do that when we get to Santa Barbara and San Diego."

  Shannon slid down off Stormy and stepped closer to the edge of the cliff. Seth followed along behind her.

  "This is all like a dream come true," she said breathlessly. "Tis a fine soft morning."

  He turned to her. "What?"

  She laughed. "It's what my Irish mother would say if she were here. I think it means the air is heavy, but it's not raining. Don't you feel a little moisture on your skin?"

  Shannon reached over and touched his cheek, an intimate gesture that somehow fired him up even more than her kisses. Seth took hold of her wrist and pulled her to him.

  "I don't know what I feel when I'm around you," he admitted huskily. "I'm beginning to think I've gone crazy."

  "I think I know what's wrong with you," she said. She reached up, snatched the hat off of his head, and plopped it down on her own head. "You don't care about me anymore."

  Seth couldn't have been more stunned if she'd slapped him. "But I do care about you. You know that."

  Looking adorable in his hat, Shannon shook her head. "No you don't. Not anymore."

  Seth frowned. "You're not making any sense. How can you say that I don't care?"

  "Easy," she said with an odd little smile. "You don't simply care about me anymore because I think that now you... you love me, at least a little."

  Seth released her and took a step back. Love? She was talking love? What was he supposed to say to that?

  "Well?" she murmured. "Am I right?"

  "I, uh, gee whiz, Shannon. I don't know what to say."

  "You don't?"

  Shannon waited a moment for his response, but Seth still hadn't settled on one. With a glare that practically singed his eyebrows, she marched over to both horses, flung herself onto Charlie's back, and took hold of Stormy's reins.

  "Do you know what to say yet?" she demanded.

  "Uh..." Seth stared down at his boots. Was he supposed to tell her that he loved her? Did he love her? And even if he did—and he suspected that maybe it was true—could he even form the words?

  "Fine, then." Again she glared at Seth, her stolen hat slightly askew. "Then maybe you can say goodbye to your horse."

  "What? Wait a minute."

  He started toward her, but she held out her hand. "Stop right where you are. I'm leaving now and there's nothing you can do about it."

  "Leave if you must, but you're not taking my horse."

  "No?"

  Something in her tone tickled the back of his brain, but Seth went blindly ahead. "Not no, but hell no."

  "You have a very bad memory, Seth Edwards. We made a bet, remember? Something about me not making it as far as San Francisco?" She spread her arms and added, "Here we are. I'll be sure to take very good care of Charlie." Then she turned the horses and began to ride away.

  "You can't do this," he called after her.

  "I seem to be doing it anyway."

  Seth doubled up his fist and pumped it into the air. "You really are insufferable, you know that?"

  "I do," she said from over her shoulder.

  In shock, unable to form words, Seth just stood there shaking his head.

  As she rode away, he finally admitted, at least to himself, that not only had Shannon taken his horse and his hat—she'd stolen his heart as well.


  Chapter 13

  When Seth finally got back to the encampment, Shannon was nowhere to be seen. He headed on over to the corrals and saw that Buck was busy grooming Charlie.

  "Why isn't Shannon doing that?" he wanted to know. "That's her job."

  Buck cleaned the bristles of his brush as he said, "She asked me to take over for a while. Told me that she won Charlie in a bet and that I can ride him anytime I get a hankering to borrow him for a spell."

  Seth's jaw was so tight he could barely speak. "She may own him now, but apparently you've both forgotten that I decide who rides which horse and when."

  Buck shrugged and went back to grooming Charlie.

  Again Seth asked, "So why isn't Shannon doing this?"

  "She came up with a new act, so she's either talking Bill into letting her do it, or over at Bethel's working on a new costume."

  She hadn't mentioned a new act to Seth. "Did she tell you what kind of act she has in mind?"

  "Yep. She wants to stand up with one foot on Charlie's back and the other on Stormy's, then gallop around the arena before some of the acts, all of this while holding the American flag up high."

  It sounded dangerous and downright foolhardy. It also sounded like something the audience would absolutely love.

  And there was that damned word again. Love.

  Blowing out an exasperated sigh, Seth set out for headquarters. The flaps to Bill's tent were wide opened so he walked inside.

  "Did Shannon come to see you?" he asked without preamble.

  Bill looked up from his ledger. "She sure did. Told me all about a new act she wants to try tonight. If you're looking for her, she's probably over at Bethel's figuring out a new costume."

  "So you agreed to let her do it?" Seth asked, incredulous.

  "You bet I did. This little gal is really talented. She's going to make people forget they ever heard of Annie Oakley."

  Seth grumbled as he said, "They won't have a chance to remember her if she breaks her neck tonight."

  * * *

  Much to Seth's relief, Shannon didn't break her neck during the debut of her new act. She did, in fact, excite the crowd to almost the same level as their 'runaway' horse act. Irritating as she could be, he had to admire the woman's athletic abilities and her knack with horses.

  That admiration ended when he returned to the corrals to make sure the animals were settled for the night. She and Buck were huddled together, discussing something.

  "Are all the horses fed and watered?" Seth asked roughly. "You two ought to be checking on them."

  "All done," Shannon said brightly. "Buck here has offered to teach me how to do that lasso dance of his. I'm thinking of working it into an act while I'm riding Stormy."

  Seth rolled his eyes and said, "Why don't you concentrate on perfecting the acts you already have before taking on another one? You weren't very convincing as a helpless damsel when you fell off Stormy tonight."

  Her expression tight, Shannon glared at him.

  Taking her cue, Seth turned to Buck and said, "Maybe you ought to go check on the buffalo and offer to help out. They were pretty spooky during the show."

  "Whatever you say, boss." Then, his mustache tilted in a smirk, Buck tipped his hat toward Shannon and ambled away.

  The minute he was out of earshot, Shannon exploded. "How dare you criticize my performance, and in front of Buck."

  "Did you want me to lie? I'm sure Buck and everyone else noticed that you weren't at your best tonight."

  Shannon bristled as she said, "Neither were you."

  "What in hell is that supposed to mean?"

  She raised her chin a notch. "That was the worst kiss you ever gave me. If I'd really needed saving tonight, I'd be dead by now."

  He'd promised himself to stay away from Shannon except at show times, at least until he could figure out what was going on between them. And what to do about it.

  The promise forgotten, Seth dragged Shannon into his arms and said, "I guess I could use a little more practice."

  He came down on her mouth a little harder than intended, and with a lot more emotion than he'd expected. Shannon's response was instant, a mirror to his own passion. Seth molded his body against hers, the heat and softness of her driving him beyond the boundaries of decency.

  Fighting the urge to continue this way, to fling her over his shoulder and carry her off to some dark corner, Seth tore his lips from hers and said, "Was that better?"

  She backed away from him, her fingers stroking her bottom lip, and said, "Marginally, cowboy. Marginally."

  Then she turned and walked over to the corral where Charlie stood, apparently observing his owners, past and present. Afraid he may have hurt Shannon, Seth joined her there.

  "You all right," he asked quietly.

  She glanced at him. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

  "I thought maybe I kissed you a little too hard."

  The look she gave him shot through Seth like an arrow. Then her expression changed into something he couldn't fathom, a secretive smile curiously mixed with playful eyes.

  "I'm fine, honest." She absently stroked Charlie's muzzle as she added, "I'm glad you stopped by because I made a decision about Charlie and I thought you'd like to know what I plan to do with him."

  A sliver of dread poked at Seth's gut. "Do with him? You mean use him in some kind of act besides the flag run?"

  "No, that's not it at all," Shannon said indulgently. "It has been pointed out to me that I am a little long in the tooth to be running around unmarried. It's time I found a husband for myself."

  Here it comes, Seth thought, the thing that followed words of love—a wedding. That sliver suddenly the size of a tree trunk, he said, "Uh, I don't, I mean, you don't look the least bit spinsterish to me. Besides, what has any of that got to do with Charlie?"

  Her smile sweeter than the peach pie they'd had at supper, Shannon said, "Since I no longer live on the ranch with my father, and I'm on my own, I have to come up with something to offer any young man who might be interesting in marrying me."

  She turned to Charlie and kissed his snout. "Charlie here is going to be my dowry."

  Chapter 14

  The week in San Francisco went by in a blur for Shannon. Between the acts she was expected to participate in like the Attack on the Deadwood Stage, her very own performances which she practiced daily, and her duties in the horse corral, she barely had time to catch her breath.

  She did, however, manage to find time to keep one eye on Seth. There was no question in her mind that they belonged together. She'd suspected from the first time he kissed her that Seth was the man for her. She'd done everything but propose to him, and so far, her efforts had gone unrewarded. What was taking him so long to claim her as his own?

  Frustration overcame her, and Shannon kicked the fence post that held up the corral railings. From behind her Seth's voice reached out, startling her.

  "Don't you have enough bruises from falling off Stormy? Why ask for more?"

  Shannon turned to him, hands on hips. "What do you want?"

  His dark eyes speculative, he burst out laughing. "You're in a fine mood. I thought you'd be all excited to get back on the road and see some new country."

  "I am," she had to admit. "It's just that I'm having some troubles in my personal life."

  Nostrils flared, he said, "Is it Buck? It seems like every time I turn around he's hanging all over you. Has he been making unwanted advances?"

  Shannon paused before answering him, encouraged by Seth's reaction and distrust of Buck. With a tiny smile, she said, "What makes you think they're unwanted?"

  Seth shook a finger in her face. "Don't tease me, Shannon," he warned. "I have a right to know what's going on between you two."

  "I don't see why you'd have that right. What I do and who I talk to is clearly none of your business."

  "It is my business," he insisted. Seth paused then, apparently looking for a reason to make it so. "You two work for me, and that'
s good enough reason. So what has he done? Did you tell him your plans for Charlie?"

  Shannon couldn't help but smile as she realized that making Charlie her dowry weighed heavily on his mind. But was he worried about losing her? Or his horse?

  "I might have mentioned that Charlie was my dowry a time or two," she said, then saucily added, "Now that I think about it, Buck has taken a special interest in that horse. Why do you suppose that is?"

  Now Seth kicked the fence post. Then he said, "I don't know for sure. Do you want me to go have a talk with him?"

  That wasn't what Shannon had in mind when she started down this road. "Why would you talk to Buck, and what about?"

  "Because I'm his boss and I want to know what his intentions are regarding you."

  Since Shannon had never given Buck any indication that she might be interested in him, that could be an embarrassing conversation.

  Looking for a way to end the subject, she said, "If I want that information, I'll ask him myself."

  Seth wasn't done with the topic. "And if you did want that information and Buck told you he wants to marry you and take my horse, what would you say?"

  Hedging, she said, "Well, I am looking for a husband, and Buck likes horses and all, plus he isn't a terrible kisser—"

  Seth pulled her into his arms, tearing the words right out of her mouth. "You'd say no. Tell me you'd say no."

  Shannon looked directly into his eyes, her heart in her throat, and said, "Nobody else seems interested in marrying me. I guess maybe Buck would be better than nothing."

  Seth blew out a heavy sigh. "I'm no good at this, Shannon. I think you already know that."

  "No good at what?"

  He released her long enough to raise his arm and circle the air above their heads. Then he took her back into his arms and said, "You and me, idiot Buck, and all this talk of love and marriage."

  "Love?" she repeated, daring to believe it could be true. "Who's talking about love?"

  "You did, up on the hill the day we first got here. The day you stole my horse."

  Shannon couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't exactly steal Charlie. You lost him."