cactus.
“Ah, right!” he said brightly. “Not a good day for her to do that.”
“Van Horn and Barrie will be riding in with us,” Sally said, pulling on her gloves. “Barrie says he wants to look over the town. Get a taste of us, in his words.”
“That warhoss wants to check out any possible troublemakers and mark them down in his mind,” Smoke said. “But I sure wonder why, all of a sudden, he showed up here.”
“Van Horn is mysterious about that, too,” Sally said. Her slight anger was gone. “But I get the feeling that they both might be hiding something. And before you ask, no, I have no idea what it might be.” She smiled. “Ready to ride for town?”
Smoke always worried when that smile appeared, for Sally was not a woman bound by the dictates and constraints of the time. She did what she damn well wanted to do, whenever she damn well wanted to do it.
And Smoke had him a hunch that today she just might decide to do something.
To surprise him.
The town had a feel to it that they all sensed when riding in. The streets were deserted, with not so much as a dog nor a cat present. All the horses had been stabled, and the hitchrails were all vacant.
“Something’s up,” Van Horn said.
“We been watched,” Barrie said. “Those that want the ranch has got people constant on all sides. I was tempted to shoot one out of the saddle the other day. I resisted the temptation,” he added drily.
Since it was a miner’s boom town, there were as many saloons as other stores on both sides of the twisting street. And the four riders were very much aware of eyes on them as they rode up the street.
“I ain’t felt a friendly eye on me since we rode in,” Van Horn said. “I’m gettin’ the feelin’ I ain’t welcome in this place.” He spat a stream of tobacco juice. “I just can’t imagine why that would be.”
Smoke was riding Buck today, since the big horse had nearly torn down his stall in his irritation over Smoke daring to ride another horse.
The unknown voice, calling from concealment in a whisper, reached them. “It’s a setup, Smoke. Watch out.”
“Miss Sally,” Barrie spoke with hardly any lip movement. “I hate to say this, but the safest place for you just might be in the Golden Cherry. And we’re right here on it.”
“Go, Sally,” Smoke said firmly. Softening his tone, and with a smile, he added, “Just remember, what’s mine is half yours.”
Both Van Horn and Barrie struggled to suppress a chuckle at that. They couldn’t contain it.
Sally noticed the expression on the men’s faces and smiled. “Just for that, I might bar you men from entering this pleasure palace.”
Van Horn laughed. “Ma’am, at my age, that ain’t no threat at all.”
“Be careful,” Sally said, then turned her horse into the half-circle drive of the Golden Cherry.
A henna-haired woman stepped out onto the porch of the two-story home. “Honey, you get in here quick. Moses will take care of your horse. This damn town is about to explode.”
Sally stepped out of the saddle and handed the reins to the huge, heavily muscled black man with any easy smile on his lips.
“You go on up to the house, Mrs. Jensen,” he said. “You’ll be as safe here as in a church.”
“I’m Clementine Feathers,” the bottle-redhead said, taking Sally’s arm. “I run this joint. That husband of yours is some man, ain’t he?”
“He is that,” Sally said, looking around her. “My showing up here should give the good women of the town something to talk about, shouldn’t it?”
Clementine laughed. “Honey, when the lamps are turned down and the covers pulled back, there ain’t no such thing as a good woman.”
Sally smiled. “Would you by any chance have some tea?”
“Honey, I’ve got the best tea this side of ’Frisco. Come on in and meet the girls. We’ve all been wondering when you’d show up. Jenny is a fine little lady. We all like her.”
“That there’s a hell of a woman
“Ah, right!” he said brightly. “Not a good day for her to do that.”
“Van Horn and Barrie will be riding in with us,” Sally said, pulling on her gloves. “Barrie says he wants to look over the town. Get a taste of us, in his words.”
“That warhoss wants to check out any possible troublemakers and mark them down in his mind,” Smoke said. “But I sure wonder why, all of a sudden, he showed up here.”
“Van Horn is mysterious about that, too,” Sally said. Her slight anger was gone. “But I get the feeling that they both might be hiding something. And before you ask, no, I have no idea what it might be.” She smiled. “Ready to ride for town?”
Smoke always worried when that smile appeared, for Sally was not a woman bound by the dictates and constraints of the time. She did what she damn well wanted to do, whenever she damn well wanted to do it.
And Smoke had him a hunch that today she just might decide to do something.
To surprise him.
The town had a feel to it that they all sensed when riding in. The streets were deserted, with not so much as a dog nor a cat present. All the horses had been stabled, and the hitchrails were all vacant.
“Something’s up,” Van Horn said.
“We been watched,” Barrie said. “Those that want the ranch has got people constant on all sides. I was tempted to shoot one out of the saddle the other day. I resisted the temptation,” he added drily.
Since it was a miner’s boom town, there were as many saloons as other stores on both sides of the twisting street. And the four riders were very much aware of eyes on them as they rode up the street.
“I ain’t felt a friendly eye on me since we rode in,” Van Horn said. “I’m gettin’ the feelin’ I ain’t welcome in this place.” He spat a stream of tobacco juice. “I just can’t imagine why that would be.”
Smoke was riding Buck today, since the big horse had nearly torn down his stall in his irritation over Smoke daring to ride another horse.
The unknown voice, calling from concealment in a whisper, reached them. “It’s a setup, Smoke. Watch out.”
“Miss Sally,” Barrie spoke with hardly any lip movement. “I hate to say this, but the safest place for you just might be in the Golden Cherry. And we’re right here on it.”
“Go, Sally,” Smoke said firmly. Softening his tone, and with a smile, he added, “Just remember, what’s mine is half yours.”
Both Van Horn and Barrie struggled to suppress a chuckle at that. They couldn’t contain it.
Sally noticed the expression on the men’s faces and smiled. “Just for that, I might bar you men from entering this pleasure palace.”
Van Horn laughed. “Ma’am, at my age, that ain’t no threat at all.”
“Be careful,” Sally said, then turned her horse into the half-circle drive of the Golden Cherry.
A henna-haired woman stepped out onto the porch of the two-story home. “Honey, you get in here quick. Moses will take care of your horse. This damn town is about to explode.”
Sally stepped out of the saddle and handed the reins to the huge, heavily muscled black man with any easy smile on his lips.
“You go on up to the house, Mrs. Jensen,” he said. “You’ll be as safe here as in a church.”
“I’m Clementine Feathers,” the bottle-redhead said, taking Sally’s arm. “I run this joint. That husband of yours is some man, ain’t he?”
“He is that,” Sally said, looking around her. “My showing up here should give the good women of the town something to talk about, shouldn’t it?”
Clementine laughed. “Honey, when the lamps are turned down and the covers pulled back, there ain’t no such thing as a good woman.”
Sally smiled. “Would you by any chance have some tea?”
“Honey, I’ve got the best tea this side of ’Frisco. Come on in and meet the girls. We’ve all been wondering when you’d show up. Jenny is a fine little lady. We all like her.”
“That there’s a hell of a woman
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