Kate had introduced, Mrs. Bradford, had once run the old saloon and a brothel above it. Jake was glad she’d married and gotten away from that life. She was a nice lady. Unlike most proprietors, she’d served Indians. He and his cousin had frequented her saloon when they’d come to town to spy on the railroad. Had she recognized him? Didn’t appear to. For most whites, one Indian looked much like another.
Sure enough, Charley's horse was tethered outside the new watering hole.
Jake pushed open the swinging doors. Light from hanging lamps barely penetrated a thick cloud of smoke. Around tables, men were engrossed in card games or flirting with the girls. Trilling laughter mingled with an off-key melody, energetically plunked out by a man in a scarlet vest seated at a piano near the bar.
Charley sat alone in the far corner with an untouched drink in front of him. He was cleaning his nails with the tip of his hunting knife.
Tension buzzed through Jake. The best way to handle this would be to act casual and not draw undue attention. He had no idea whether any of these workers might recognize him, but he didn’t want it to appear he and Charley were together.
He stopped at the bar to pick up a drink and then meandered over, acting as if searching for an empty chair. There was one at the table next to his cousin. There, he could talk to Charley without looking like he knew him, and keep an eye on whoever came in the door. He set his drink down, took off his hat and sat down, leaning the chair back against the wall.
" What are you doing here?" He said in a low voice.
"Waiting for you ," Charley answered.
Jake turned his head, incredulous. Had he missed his cousin tracking him? “Did you follow us all this way?”
“You think I’d waste my time chasing you around?” Charley gave a soft snort, making the answer clear. “I went back to the site, made sure our tracks led nowhere. The workers were searching for the woman. Heard them say she’s the big chief’s daughter.” Charley’s head swiveled and he pinned Jake with an accusing glare. “I figured you’d bring her back here, so I’ve been waiting.”
Jake’s skin prickled in warning. “What do you want?”
Charley laid his knife on the table. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "I want the money you said we’d get when we snatched her.”
“You know that’s not possible . It’s over. Let it go."
“It isn’t over, Wa-ya . It won’t be over until those whites tear up that track and leave.”
“They aren’t going anywhere. We have to outsmart them, not fight them.”
“Outsmart them?” His cousin huffed a dark laugh. “Is that what you call running away?”
He’d known Charley would view his action as cowardice, but he didn’t care. He’d done the right thing by protecting Redbird. “I took her away to keep you from making a big mistake.”
“I’d say you’re the one making the mistake.”
Oh, he’d made more than his share of mistakes, but coming to town with Redbird wasn’t one of them. Good thing she’d strong-armed him into it, what with Charley being here waiting for her. Jake shuddered to think what might’ve happened if she’d returned alone. “Leave her be. She won’t tell anyone we took her.”
His cousin made a scornful sound. “Since when did you start believing liars?”
“She's not a liar.”
“All whites are liars.”
“And according to them, we’re all savages." Jake grappled with his temper. Fortunately, the men around them didn’t seem to notice the argument. They were more concerned with their own disagreements. “So long as we go on hating each other, we don’t have to face who we are, what we’ve become.”
“Always the philosopher.” Charley swigged his whiskey in one gulp and set the shot glass down with a thunk . “You disappoint me, Wa-ya . I hoped you might live up to your name. But you're not a wolf. You're a lamb."
J ake stiffened at the insult. Seven years ago he’d let
Sure enough, Charley's horse was tethered outside the new watering hole.
Jake pushed open the swinging doors. Light from hanging lamps barely penetrated a thick cloud of smoke. Around tables, men were engrossed in card games or flirting with the girls. Trilling laughter mingled with an off-key melody, energetically plunked out by a man in a scarlet vest seated at a piano near the bar.
Charley sat alone in the far corner with an untouched drink in front of him. He was cleaning his nails with the tip of his hunting knife.
Tension buzzed through Jake. The best way to handle this would be to act casual and not draw undue attention. He had no idea whether any of these workers might recognize him, but he didn’t want it to appear he and Charley were together.
He stopped at the bar to pick up a drink and then meandered over, acting as if searching for an empty chair. There was one at the table next to his cousin. There, he could talk to Charley without looking like he knew him, and keep an eye on whoever came in the door. He set his drink down, took off his hat and sat down, leaning the chair back against the wall.
" What are you doing here?" He said in a low voice.
"Waiting for you ," Charley answered.
Jake turned his head, incredulous. Had he missed his cousin tracking him? “Did you follow us all this way?”
“You think I’d waste my time chasing you around?” Charley gave a soft snort, making the answer clear. “I went back to the site, made sure our tracks led nowhere. The workers were searching for the woman. Heard them say she’s the big chief’s daughter.” Charley’s head swiveled and he pinned Jake with an accusing glare. “I figured you’d bring her back here, so I’ve been waiting.”
Jake’s skin prickled in warning. “What do you want?”
Charley laid his knife on the table. His voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "I want the money you said we’d get when we snatched her.”
“You know that’s not possible . It’s over. Let it go."
“It isn’t over, Wa-ya . It won’t be over until those whites tear up that track and leave.”
“They aren’t going anywhere. We have to outsmart them, not fight them.”
“Outsmart them?” His cousin huffed a dark laugh. “Is that what you call running away?”
He’d known Charley would view his action as cowardice, but he didn’t care. He’d done the right thing by protecting Redbird. “I took her away to keep you from making a big mistake.”
“I’d say you’re the one making the mistake.”
Oh, he’d made more than his share of mistakes, but coming to town with Redbird wasn’t one of them. Good thing she’d strong-armed him into it, what with Charley being here waiting for her. Jake shuddered to think what might’ve happened if she’d returned alone. “Leave her be. She won’t tell anyone we took her.”
His cousin made a scornful sound. “Since when did you start believing liars?”
“She's not a liar.”
“All whites are liars.”
“And according to them, we’re all savages." Jake grappled with his temper. Fortunately, the men around them didn’t seem to notice the argument. They were more concerned with their own disagreements. “So long as we go on hating each other, we don’t have to face who we are, what we’ve become.”
“Always the philosopher.” Charley swigged his whiskey in one gulp and set the shot glass down with a thunk . “You disappoint me, Wa-ya . I hoped you might live up to your name. But you're not a wolf. You're a lamb."
J ake stiffened at the insult. Seven years ago he’d let
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