he found himself smiling back.
“I’d…like…that,” he agreed, concentrating hard on his words.
“Mind if I take him away, Jacob?” She looked to Jacob with a pout and begging blue eyes. Her lips were so red.
Jacob never looked up from the bottle in front of him. “Whatever you want, Sally.”
David followed Sally, not really sure where he was going. Her figure covered in that gorgeous dress beckoned him onward. She was the rope he had to cling to, Liberty waiting for him on the shore… All he could think about was how much he didn’t want to be alone.
She led him to a room at the back of the first floor. He could hardly take his eyes off the girl, but he did notice that there was a faded carpet by a big bed, as well as a pitcher and basin in a corner by the door. The one window was covered tightly with curtains. The light blue color of the few furnishings calmed him, reminding him of Sally’s eyes. The spaciousness of the room felt freeing.
“Come here.” Sally led him by the hand, across the carpet, to that big bed. She sat him next to her and started to unbutton his shirt. The motion of her hands absorbed his attention. She was helping him, like he had helped Elizabeth into his shirt to warm her.
His fingers shook, and even though Sally had only undone half of the buttons, he drew her hands around his chest and kissed her hard. She giggled as he lowered his head, pressing his lips to the hollow of her neck.
He was lost, adrift, but he ignored the urge to claw to the surface, to breathe the air of reality. He rather liked the feeling of drowning…
Very real water suddenly splashed over him. He jumped to his feet, shaking the hair out of his face. Shock coursed through him as he took in Myghal standing by the bed, holding the now-empty pitcher of water in his hands, stubborn determination etched into the lines of his face.
“Hey! What do you think yer doin’, mister?” Sally’s voice was filled with incredulity.
“I’m sorry, lass, but this man isn’t supposed to be here. He already has a woman.” Myghal never took his eyes off David as he said the words. “Come on.” He put his arm around David and led him out past Sally’s sunken form on the edge of the bed, past Jacob sitting in a chair in the front room with the empty bottle of whiskey, and out the door into the cool night air. David gulped it in as if he had broken the surface of a raging river. Then he doubled over and wept bitterly.
***
Concern slithered through Elizabeth as she paced in front of the boardinghouse where David had claimed he was staying. She had seen him, noted his hurt and anger as he witnessed Joe kissing her. But by the time she had found the presence of mind to push Joe away and call out to David, he was already heading down the hill toward town. Where did he go after he saw her and Joe? Why wasn’t he back yet?
She had left Joe sitting on the porch steps. She had no idea what he was thinking either, and she hadn’t had the heart to look at him after she had pushed him away, breaking off the kiss. Opting to face David’s raging emotions instead, she had decided to go straight to the boardinghouse and await his return there. She had never expected him to be gone so long. Other men had brushed past her, but she paid no attention to them, and thankfully no one bothered her. Maybe she had already been identified as David’s girl. That thought brought a small smile to her lips, and she hoped that David would give her a chance to explain what had happened tonight.
Leaning back against the front wall, she looked up at the stars, wishing she could weave those distant jewels into her hair and sew them onto her dress. She wanted to be beautiful. For David.
The sound of shuffling jolted her out of her thoughts, and she glanced up to find David and his friend, Myghal, heading toward her. She waved, and they stopped. She got the distinct impression that Myghal wanted to run in the other direction. She couldn’t make
“I’d…like…that,” he agreed, concentrating hard on his words.
“Mind if I take him away, Jacob?” She looked to Jacob with a pout and begging blue eyes. Her lips were so red.
Jacob never looked up from the bottle in front of him. “Whatever you want, Sally.”
David followed Sally, not really sure where he was going. Her figure covered in that gorgeous dress beckoned him onward. She was the rope he had to cling to, Liberty waiting for him on the shore… All he could think about was how much he didn’t want to be alone.
She led him to a room at the back of the first floor. He could hardly take his eyes off the girl, but he did notice that there was a faded carpet by a big bed, as well as a pitcher and basin in a corner by the door. The one window was covered tightly with curtains. The light blue color of the few furnishings calmed him, reminding him of Sally’s eyes. The spaciousness of the room felt freeing.
“Come here.” Sally led him by the hand, across the carpet, to that big bed. She sat him next to her and started to unbutton his shirt. The motion of her hands absorbed his attention. She was helping him, like he had helped Elizabeth into his shirt to warm her.
His fingers shook, and even though Sally had only undone half of the buttons, he drew her hands around his chest and kissed her hard. She giggled as he lowered his head, pressing his lips to the hollow of her neck.
He was lost, adrift, but he ignored the urge to claw to the surface, to breathe the air of reality. He rather liked the feeling of drowning…
Very real water suddenly splashed over him. He jumped to his feet, shaking the hair out of his face. Shock coursed through him as he took in Myghal standing by the bed, holding the now-empty pitcher of water in his hands, stubborn determination etched into the lines of his face.
“Hey! What do you think yer doin’, mister?” Sally’s voice was filled with incredulity.
“I’m sorry, lass, but this man isn’t supposed to be here. He already has a woman.” Myghal never took his eyes off David as he said the words. “Come on.” He put his arm around David and led him out past Sally’s sunken form on the edge of the bed, past Jacob sitting in a chair in the front room with the empty bottle of whiskey, and out the door into the cool night air. David gulped it in as if he had broken the surface of a raging river. Then he doubled over and wept bitterly.
***
Concern slithered through Elizabeth as she paced in front of the boardinghouse where David had claimed he was staying. She had seen him, noted his hurt and anger as he witnessed Joe kissing her. But by the time she had found the presence of mind to push Joe away and call out to David, he was already heading down the hill toward town. Where did he go after he saw her and Joe? Why wasn’t he back yet?
She had left Joe sitting on the porch steps. She had no idea what he was thinking either, and she hadn’t had the heart to look at him after she had pushed him away, breaking off the kiss. Opting to face David’s raging emotions instead, she had decided to go straight to the boardinghouse and await his return there. She had never expected him to be gone so long. Other men had brushed past her, but she paid no attention to them, and thankfully no one bothered her. Maybe she had already been identified as David’s girl. That thought brought a small smile to her lips, and she hoped that David would give her a chance to explain what had happened tonight.
Leaning back against the front wall, she looked up at the stars, wishing she could weave those distant jewels into her hair and sew them onto her dress. She wanted to be beautiful. For David.
The sound of shuffling jolted her out of her thoughts, and she glanced up to find David and his friend, Myghal, heading toward her. She waved, and they stopped. She got the distinct impression that Myghal wanted to run in the other direction. She couldn’t make
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