ass.”
“Ackerman? Yep, met him last night.” She laid a card down. “You don’t like him? He’s handsome.”
Zeke snorted, ignoring the bait Lucy flung at him. “He’s a goddamn Yankee, and a pompous windbag.”
“So you don’t like him.” Lucy shook her head. “A shame, too. Louisa said he’s very polite and mannerly.”
Zeke’s jaw tightened to the point that he heard teeth crack. “He’s already visited a whore?”
“I didn’t say he went upstairs with her, just that he’d been nice to her. There’s no call to insult Louisa.” Lucy threw a disgusted look at him. “You always expect the worst of folks.”
“They usually don’t disappoint me either.” Zeke didn’t want to fight with Lucy about what her girls did upstairs. Actually that made him think about what Naomi did or didn’t do up there, no matter what she said. He cleared his throat and shook off the image of Naomi naked with another man.
“You’re too cynical by half, Zeke.” She laid her hand on his. “You need a good woman.” When she squeezed his hand, he pulled it away.
“What did you do to Naomi for starting the saloon brawl?” he blurted, uncomfortable with the implication Lucy wanted to be that woman in his life. He felt nothing but friendship for her.
“Do to her? I didn’t do anything to her.” Lucy stood and threw the rest of the cards at him. “You don’t care a thing about anyone but yourself.” Lucy stomped away, cursing him to hell and back. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and came back, hands on hips. “What did you do to her?”
Leave it to Lucy to turn the tables on him. Zeke kept his expression blank. “I arrested her for starting the brawl.”
“I’m not sure that’s all you did.” Lucy might show the world one face, but she was extremely smart, maybe even as smart as Gideon. She had the ability to figure out things she shouldn’t. “She came back looking mighty worn out.”
“I only gave her something to eat, cornbread from the restaurant.” Zeke waved his hand in dismissal. “Just now she sashayed up to Ackerman and walked away like she was a working girl on the street . I want to know what you said or did to her. I can’t have that happening in Tanger.” That ought to make the town council happy with him.
“What Naomi does is her business.” Lucy clamped her mouth closed, a stubborn tilt to her pointy chin. “You’re trying to bully me.”
“I am not.” Liar .
“Zeke, when you get your head out of your ass, you come back and talk to me. For now, get the hell out.” Lucy pointed at the door and Zeke obeyed like a whipped dog.
He stepped back out into the morning air and took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. His gaze wandered back up the street to where Naomi had disappeared with Ackerman. Against his will, his feet turned and followed the woman who had taken up residence in his mind.
Naomi regretted taking Ackerman’s arm the second she touched him. He was cold and stiff like a frozen fish, which sent a shiver up her spine. Of course, the look on Zeke’s handsome face was almost worth it. He’d been angry, annoyed and confused at the same time.
Served him right. Pompous, arrogant ass that he was, he practically called her a whore right there on the street. Naomi was hurt and embarrassed by the whole thing and now she’d set herself up for breakfast with a total stranger.
By the time they arrived at Elmer’s, Ackerman had been talking nonstop about the hotel and how he hoped to make it a successful business by year’s end. To be honest, she heard every third word. The man sure did think highly of himself.
“How long have you lived in Tanger, Miss Tucker?” Ackerman asked as he held the door open for her.
“Just a week, Mr. Ackerman.” She walked in, half expecting Zeke to arrive any minute to berate her again.
Instead, a one-armed man gave her a disgusted look before he disappeared into the kitchen, shaking his head. She wondered who he was,
“Ackerman? Yep, met him last night.” She laid a card down. “You don’t like him? He’s handsome.”
Zeke snorted, ignoring the bait Lucy flung at him. “He’s a goddamn Yankee, and a pompous windbag.”
“So you don’t like him.” Lucy shook her head. “A shame, too. Louisa said he’s very polite and mannerly.”
Zeke’s jaw tightened to the point that he heard teeth crack. “He’s already visited a whore?”
“I didn’t say he went upstairs with her, just that he’d been nice to her. There’s no call to insult Louisa.” Lucy threw a disgusted look at him. “You always expect the worst of folks.”
“They usually don’t disappoint me either.” Zeke didn’t want to fight with Lucy about what her girls did upstairs. Actually that made him think about what Naomi did or didn’t do up there, no matter what she said. He cleared his throat and shook off the image of Naomi naked with another man.
“You’re too cynical by half, Zeke.” She laid her hand on his. “You need a good woman.” When she squeezed his hand, he pulled it away.
“What did you do to Naomi for starting the saloon brawl?” he blurted, uncomfortable with the implication Lucy wanted to be that woman in his life. He felt nothing but friendship for her.
“Do to her? I didn’t do anything to her.” Lucy stood and threw the rest of the cards at him. “You don’t care a thing about anyone but yourself.” Lucy stomped away, cursing him to hell and back. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and came back, hands on hips. “What did you do to her?”
Leave it to Lucy to turn the tables on him. Zeke kept his expression blank. “I arrested her for starting the brawl.”
“I’m not sure that’s all you did.” Lucy might show the world one face, but she was extremely smart, maybe even as smart as Gideon. She had the ability to figure out things she shouldn’t. “She came back looking mighty worn out.”
“I only gave her something to eat, cornbread from the restaurant.” Zeke waved his hand in dismissal. “Just now she sashayed up to Ackerman and walked away like she was a working girl on the street . I want to know what you said or did to her. I can’t have that happening in Tanger.” That ought to make the town council happy with him.
“What Naomi does is her business.” Lucy clamped her mouth closed, a stubborn tilt to her pointy chin. “You’re trying to bully me.”
“I am not.” Liar .
“Zeke, when you get your head out of your ass, you come back and talk to me. For now, get the hell out.” Lucy pointed at the door and Zeke obeyed like a whipped dog.
He stepped back out into the morning air and took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. His gaze wandered back up the street to where Naomi had disappeared with Ackerman. Against his will, his feet turned and followed the woman who had taken up residence in his mind.
Naomi regretted taking Ackerman’s arm the second she touched him. He was cold and stiff like a frozen fish, which sent a shiver up her spine. Of course, the look on Zeke’s handsome face was almost worth it. He’d been angry, annoyed and confused at the same time.
Served him right. Pompous, arrogant ass that he was, he practically called her a whore right there on the street. Naomi was hurt and embarrassed by the whole thing and now she’d set herself up for breakfast with a total stranger.
By the time they arrived at Elmer’s, Ackerman had been talking nonstop about the hotel and how he hoped to make it a successful business by year’s end. To be honest, she heard every third word. The man sure did think highly of himself.
“How long have you lived in Tanger, Miss Tucker?” Ackerman asked as he held the door open for her.
“Just a week, Mr. Ackerman.” She walked in, half expecting Zeke to arrive any minute to berate her again.
Instead, a one-armed man gave her a disgusted look before he disappeared into the kitchen, shaking his head. She wondered who he was,
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