background lacking in the social graces, but she considered herself head and shoulders above the likes of Hanratty and Brown.
Frowning, feeling like she was putting on airs, she switched her fork in her hand. She hoped Tanner would notice that she was no longer eating like Hanratty and Brown.
"I believe I know Hobbs Jennings as well as anyone in the company," Tanner stated after they'd eaten.
Fox kept her gaze fixed on the chessboard Peaches was setting up. Peaches flicked her a glance when he heard Jennings's name.
When she didn't respond, Tanner cleaned his throat. "You're implying that you know someone who's been with J M and M longer than I have and you believe he knows Jennings better than I do."
"This person has known Jennings much longer than you have." Fox spoke reluctantly, mentally kicking herself for bungling things.
"Can you tell me his name?"
"No." Sitting on the grass, Fox studied the chessboard as if she'd never played the game before. "You open," she said to Peaches.
"Damn it, Fox, you're irritating the hell out of me."
"Then go away so me and Peaches can play chess in peace."
"What exactly did this person tell you about Hobbs Jennings?"
Finally she looked up at him. "Jennings is your boss and I can see why you'd be loyal to him. Let's leave it at that."
For a moment he held her gaze, then he turned and walked toward Hanratty and Brown, taking a cigar from his vest pocket.
"I made a mistake and I know it," Fox said to Peaches, "so don't say anything."
"I believe the sun protection is working. The bacon grease and remembering to wear your riding gloves is helping your hands, too."
"Are my cheeks still chapped?" She knew her lips were, but they were gradually getting smoother.
"Not as bad as when we left Carson City."
In an eyeblink, Peaches took a bishop and one of her knights. Fox stared at the board in disbelief. "How did you do that?"
"You aren't paying attention, Missy." He withdrew a cigar from the pocket of his overalls and Fox recognized the band around it. "You got other things on your mind."
"That's one of Tanner's cigars."
"It is. Me and Mr. Tanner been getting acquainted." Peaches drew on the cigar and closed his eyes in pleasure. Then he captured one of Fox's rooks. "That man knows a bit about everything."
"He never offered me one of his fancy cigars."
"That's probably because he doesn't think to. I doubt Mr. Tanner knows many ladies who smoke."
"But that means he thinks of me as a lady. Nobody thinks" Biting her lip, she blinked down at the board. Did Matthew Tanner think of her as a lady? No, he couldn't possibly. But he might be thinking of her as a woman.
What did he see when he looked at her? Right now he'd see her sitting Indian-style on the dry grass, covered from neck to knees in her old poncho, her hair dusty and in need of a wash. Tendrils had pulled loose and floated around her cheeks. She suspected she was beginning to smell as ripe as the men.
"What kind of things do you and Tanner talk about?" She took another of Peaches's pawns, no triumph in it.
"We talk about everything and nothing. About the war and how it might go, about development moving west, about the Indian problems. He knows the names of the stars and the names of different kinds of rocks. He's read all the books we have."
Why couldn't Fox talk to Tanner about those things? Instead, her mouth went dry and all her social talk blew away like grains of sand on a wind. She ended up asking him personal questions that annoyed him, or babbled about weather and scenery, and usually finished by putting her foot in her mouth.
"Does he ever ask about me?" Sighing, she watched Peaches mount an attack on her queen. The game was turning into a rout.
"Every now and then."
"What kind of questions?" She kept her head down.
"Like when did you and me hook up? Did I teach you to read and write and do sums, or did you go to school? That kind of thing."
Heat burned on her cheeks. "How do you answer?"
He pounced on
Frowning, feeling like she was putting on airs, she switched her fork in her hand. She hoped Tanner would notice that she was no longer eating like Hanratty and Brown.
"I believe I know Hobbs Jennings as well as anyone in the company," Tanner stated after they'd eaten.
Fox kept her gaze fixed on the chessboard Peaches was setting up. Peaches flicked her a glance when he heard Jennings's name.
When she didn't respond, Tanner cleaned his throat. "You're implying that you know someone who's been with J M and M longer than I have and you believe he knows Jennings better than I do."
"This person has known Jennings much longer than you have." Fox spoke reluctantly, mentally kicking herself for bungling things.
"Can you tell me his name?"
"No." Sitting on the grass, Fox studied the chessboard as if she'd never played the game before. "You open," she said to Peaches.
"Damn it, Fox, you're irritating the hell out of me."
"Then go away so me and Peaches can play chess in peace."
"What exactly did this person tell you about Hobbs Jennings?"
Finally she looked up at him. "Jennings is your boss and I can see why you'd be loyal to him. Let's leave it at that."
For a moment he held her gaze, then he turned and walked toward Hanratty and Brown, taking a cigar from his vest pocket.
"I made a mistake and I know it," Fox said to Peaches, "so don't say anything."
"I believe the sun protection is working. The bacon grease and remembering to wear your riding gloves is helping your hands, too."
"Are my cheeks still chapped?" She knew her lips were, but they were gradually getting smoother.
"Not as bad as when we left Carson City."
In an eyeblink, Peaches took a bishop and one of her knights. Fox stared at the board in disbelief. "How did you do that?"
"You aren't paying attention, Missy." He withdrew a cigar from the pocket of his overalls and Fox recognized the band around it. "You got other things on your mind."
"That's one of Tanner's cigars."
"It is. Me and Mr. Tanner been getting acquainted." Peaches drew on the cigar and closed his eyes in pleasure. Then he captured one of Fox's rooks. "That man knows a bit about everything."
"He never offered me one of his fancy cigars."
"That's probably because he doesn't think to. I doubt Mr. Tanner knows many ladies who smoke."
"But that means he thinks of me as a lady. Nobody thinks" Biting her lip, she blinked down at the board. Did Matthew Tanner think of her as a lady? No, he couldn't possibly. But he might be thinking of her as a woman.
What did he see when he looked at her? Right now he'd see her sitting Indian-style on the dry grass, covered from neck to knees in her old poncho, her hair dusty and in need of a wash. Tendrils had pulled loose and floated around her cheeks. She suspected she was beginning to smell as ripe as the men.
"What kind of things do you and Tanner talk about?" She took another of Peaches's pawns, no triumph in it.
"We talk about everything and nothing. About the war and how it might go, about development moving west, about the Indian problems. He knows the names of the stars and the names of different kinds of rocks. He's read all the books we have."
Why couldn't Fox talk to Tanner about those things? Instead, her mouth went dry and all her social talk blew away like grains of sand on a wind. She ended up asking him personal questions that annoyed him, or babbled about weather and scenery, and usually finished by putting her foot in her mouth.
"Does he ever ask about me?" Sighing, she watched Peaches mount an attack on her queen. The game was turning into a rout.
"Every now and then."
"What kind of questions?" She kept her head down.
"Like when did you and me hook up? Did I teach you to read and write and do sums, or did you go to school? That kind of thing."
Heat burned on her cheeks. "How do you answer?"
He pounced on
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