âWeâre both headed in there to see some of them fine ladies.â
The stable man wasnât outwardly impressed. âFifty cents a day, then. Thatâs for each horse, including feed and water.â
âNot charging for water?â Luke said. âHow generous.â
âDonât pay no mind to my friend,â Red said as he handed over a dollar. âHeâs just desperately in need of Stormyâs services.â
âAinât we all?â the older man grumbled.
Already in high spirits, Red laughed while unbuckling his saddlebags to drape them over one shoulder. âThere any places in town where I could purchase a gun?â he asked while handing over the reins.
The stable man looked at the pistol tucked under Redâs belt, but his eyes lingered on the double-rig holster strapped around Lukeâs waist. âLooks like you already got guns.â
âItâs a dangerous world out there,â Red said. âAnd we donât intend to stay here for long.â
âBest place would be Jordan Bickleâs store down on Westminster. The Eastern Trading Company. He gets a good supply of just about anything you might need.â
âMuch obliged.â With that, Red sauntered toward the back door of Stormyâs, which was currently being held open by a curvaceous redhead in a black dress with lace trim.
Luke took the bag from his saddle horn and then removed the ones attached to his saddle.
âYou two headed to Wichita?â the stable man asked.
Luke became still and studied the manâs dirty face carefully. âWhy do you ask?â
âLots of folks pass through here looking like you.â
âLooking like what?â
Obviously not concerned with his own outward appearance, the stable man replied, âCarrying guns.â
Lukeâs hand drifted toward the old Colt when his fingers brushed against one of the pistols heâd taken from Scott. The extra weight on his hip had taken some getting used to and was now second nature. Being reminded of where heâd acquired the shooting irons and what he intended to do with them still hadnât sunk all the way in.
âMen of all sorts make their way through these parts,â the stable man continued. âThe cattle barons and gunmen tend to favor Wichita or Dodge City.â
âI suppose they would.â After the stable man took hold of Missyâs reins, Luke started to walk away. At the back door to the main building, Red was already being sweet-talked by the woman whoâd come out to greet them. Luke was about to head that way as well when he stopped and turned back around. âYou said lots of gunmen come through here?â he asked.
âThey do.â
âYou ever heard of a man named Granger?â
The stable man pulled in a breath and looked up as if the memories he was looking for would be drifting among the clouds that wandered above him in the pale blue sky above him. âName does strike a chord. He a friend of yours?â
As much as it pained him to say it, Luke replied, âYeah. Iâve been hoping to catch up with him.â
âI believe he may have passed through this way, but it was some time ago.â
âHow long?â
Once again, the stable manâs eyes wandered. Instead of the sky, he gazed over toward the backside of the closest neighboring shop to Stormyâs. âIâd say at least three months or so. Maybe longer.â
âWhat did he look like?â
âAinât he your friend?â
âSure he is,â Luke replied with a smirk. âBut itâs been a while. A man grows a beard, maybe gets his hair cut real short, he looks different. If I know how heâs keeping himself nowadays, itâll help me ask around once I reach Wichita.â
The stable man seemed suspicious, but that didnât keep him from saying, âI suppose I could recall his features and such. A favor like that
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