convince them to give me a mighty fine discount.â
Rather than try to burst his friendâs bubble, Luke held his tongue and followed Red toward the place with the busiest front porch in town. âShouldnât we find a place for the horses?â he asked.
âThereâs a hitching post and trough right here.â
âIf weâre staying, I want someplace better thanââ
Having caught the eye of the prettier of the two ladies in front of Stormyâs, Red tipped his hat and said, âExcuse me, maâam. Could you tell me where I might find some feed for this fine horse of mine?â
She stood up from her chair, allowing one hand to linger on the shoulder of the man sitting beside her. The fellow looked to be in his forties and had a finely clipped set of sideburns. His dark blue suit was slightly rumpled after being rubbed by both women, but he didnât seem to mind that nearly as much as he minded losing one of his companions to the two young arrivals. The girl on his other side brushed up against him a bit more to take up the slack.
âThereâs a nice little stable out back,â the prettier lady said. âJust go right down that alley and around. You wonât be able to miss it. Of course, thatâs for our paying customers.â Slipping her fingers through the raven black hair flowing over one shoulder, she added, âYou will be staying on with us for a bit, wonât you?â
âIndeed we will, maâam,â Red said in a hurry.
The woman smiled, which made her skin seem even smoother and her face even more beautiful than before. âGood,â she said. âWhy donât I show you inside? Just one thing. Donât either one of you call me maâam. Makes me sound like some kind of spinster.â
âYes, mâ I mean,â Red chuckled. âIâll call you whatever you like.â
âYou two put your horses up and Iâll meet you inside.â When she turned toward the buildingâs front door, she captivated every man within eyeshot. Her hips swayed. Her hair swung against the creamy curves of her shoulders and neck that were bared, thanks to the plunging lines of a dark green dress that clung to her like a coat of oil paint. When she opened the door, a few bars of music drifted from inside. Whatever song it was, it did a mighty fine job of accompanying her enticing gait.
âI might need some more of that money,â Red mumbled.
Although he tried to put on a stern front, Luke didnât have any trouble sympathizing with his friend. Heâd seen a few women that drew him like a cat tugging at a bit of string, but none of them had the polish of that black-haired beauty. Even knowing that she was just trying to bring them in to spend their money, he couldnât help going along with it. In some respects, that didnât seem like such an outlandish request. Luke didnât mind paying for a show, and her walk alone was one unforgettable performance.
The stable was a narrow building that was just over half as long as the main structure. Its twin doors were tended by a bald man with tired eyes and a waistcoat that looked to have been plucked from a heap of trash. From the grime on his face, it was difficult to discern whether he had a dark complexion or was just in need of a good scrubbing.
âWe need two stalls,â Red announced.
âTheyâs for paying customers only,â the tired man said.
âThatâs us, sure enough.â
âIfân one of the managers comes out to check and you ainât a customer, your horse and gear will be kept for a fee.â
âHeld for ransom, sounds to me,â Luke grumbled.
âCall it what you like,â the stable man said. âIâm just providing fair warning, is all.â
Red slapped the older guy on the back hard enough to get him to wobble where he stood. âNo need for the warning, old man,â he said.
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