business, Doc."
Relief swept Devina's senses. Charles Carter! He would make this filthy cowboy release her! But Devina's jubilation was short-lived as the cowboy's grip shifted to encircle her waist and he hauled her to his side. Held roughly in the crook of his arm, Devina saw that the cowboy's other hand was hovering near the gun hanging low on his hip.
"I'm not armed, Bart, and I don't expect you'd want our little talk to come to that in any case." Her eyes darting to Charles Carter's face, Devina was incredulous to see the hint of a smile that flicked across his well-shaped lips as he continued, "Bart, that young woman you've got tucked under your arm isn't what you think she is. She's new in town. I'm sure she didn't realize a respectable lady doesn't walk on this side of the street."
"Respectable lady?" The cowboy slanted a short glance out of the corner of his eye toward Devina's flushed face. "Hell, there ain't no lady I ever seen that dresses like this here girl. And ain't no lady I know who looks at a man like she does, and wiggles her sweet little behind like this one."
Incensed at the cowboy's remarks, Devina lashed out at him furiously. "How would you know how a lady acts? You've probably never met a real lady in your life!"
"Devina, please…"
Snapping her furious gaze back to Charles Carter, Devina felt her anger flare anew at the amusement growing more apparent on his face with each passing moment. Her eyes narrowed into slits, and when she replied, her voice was little more than a growl. "I do not find this situation amusing, Charles."
Beginning to appear confused, the cowboy gradually relaxed his gun hand. He shook his head, still refusing to loosen his grip around Devina's waist. "You know this girl, Doc?"
"Yes, I know her, Bart. This young lady is Devina Dale, Harvey Dale's daughter."
Devina felt the shock of Charles's statement echo through the cowboy's wiry frame.
"Harvey Dale's daughter!" Releasing her with a suddenness that almost upset her balance, the cowboy stepped back. "Hell, I done some work for Mr. Dale a while back, and I don't want no trouble with him." His astonishment turning to anger, the cowboy turned an accusing gaze on Devina. ''Seems to me a man like Harvey Dale would have more sense than to turn his daughter loose on the streets lookin ' and actin ' for all the world like one of Blond Marie's girls."
Her gaze snapping to Charles once more, Devina inquired with barely controlled anger, "Who is this Blond Marie?"
Extending his arm, Charles drew Devina to his side. His lips twitching suspiciously, he looked down briefly into her flushed face. "Never mind, Devina."
"What do you mean, 'never mind'? This man has accosted me, insulted me!"
"It was all a misunderstanding, wasn't it, Bart?"
Bart's horrified expression responded with silent eloquence, but Charles pressed insistently, "Wasn't it, Bart?"
Bart nodded his head. "It sure as hell was." Turning abruptly, he pushed his way back into the saloon, exiting the scene as quickly as he had appeared.
Doing her best to ignore the snickers of witnesses to her humiliating encounter, Devina pulled herself rigidly erect. Suddenly realizing the abbreviated brim of her saucy little hat was sitting almost on her brow, she raised her hand with great dignity and gave it an effective shove. Refusing to acknowledge its uncertain sway as she turned once more in Charles's direction, Devina raised her chin a notch higher.
"I am most grateful for your timely assistance, Charles. I cannot comprehend how thatthat foul character could have been so confused as to think that I… that he…" She paused, at a loss for words, only to continue a moment later with greater emphasis, "That ignoramus wouldn't know a lady if he tripped over one… and he almost did!"
Devina's annoyance flared anew at the
Relief swept Devina's senses. Charles Carter! He would make this filthy cowboy release her! But Devina's jubilation was short-lived as the cowboy's grip shifted to encircle her waist and he hauled her to his side. Held roughly in the crook of his arm, Devina saw that the cowboy's other hand was hovering near the gun hanging low on his hip.
"I'm not armed, Bart, and I don't expect you'd want our little talk to come to that in any case." Her eyes darting to Charles Carter's face, Devina was incredulous to see the hint of a smile that flicked across his well-shaped lips as he continued, "Bart, that young woman you've got tucked under your arm isn't what you think she is. She's new in town. I'm sure she didn't realize a respectable lady doesn't walk on this side of the street."
"Respectable lady?" The cowboy slanted a short glance out of the corner of his eye toward Devina's flushed face. "Hell, there ain't no lady I ever seen that dresses like this here girl. And ain't no lady I know who looks at a man like she does, and wiggles her sweet little behind like this one."
Incensed at the cowboy's remarks, Devina lashed out at him furiously. "How would you know how a lady acts? You've probably never met a real lady in your life!"
"Devina, please…"
Snapping her furious gaze back to Charles Carter, Devina felt her anger flare anew at the amusement growing more apparent on his face with each passing moment. Her eyes narrowed into slits, and when she replied, her voice was little more than a growl. "I do not find this situation amusing, Charles."
Beginning to appear confused, the cowboy gradually relaxed his gun hand. He shook his head, still refusing to loosen his grip around Devina's waist. "You know this girl, Doc?"
"Yes, I know her, Bart. This young lady is Devina Dale, Harvey Dale's daughter."
Devina felt the shock of Charles's statement echo through the cowboy's wiry frame.
"Harvey Dale's daughter!" Releasing her with a suddenness that almost upset her balance, the cowboy stepped back. "Hell, I done some work for Mr. Dale a while back, and I don't want no trouble with him." His astonishment turning to anger, the cowboy turned an accusing gaze on Devina. ''Seems to me a man like Harvey Dale would have more sense than to turn his daughter loose on the streets lookin ' and actin ' for all the world like one of Blond Marie's girls."
Her gaze snapping to Charles once more, Devina inquired with barely controlled anger, "Who is this Blond Marie?"
Extending his arm, Charles drew Devina to his side. His lips twitching suspiciously, he looked down briefly into her flushed face. "Never mind, Devina."
"What do you mean, 'never mind'? This man has accosted me, insulted me!"
"It was all a misunderstanding, wasn't it, Bart?"
Bart's horrified expression responded with silent eloquence, but Charles pressed insistently, "Wasn't it, Bart?"
Bart nodded his head. "It sure as hell was." Turning abruptly, he pushed his way back into the saloon, exiting the scene as quickly as he had appeared.
Doing her best to ignore the snickers of witnesses to her humiliating encounter, Devina pulled herself rigidly erect. Suddenly realizing the abbreviated brim of her saucy little hat was sitting almost on her brow, she raised her hand with great dignity and gave it an effective shove. Refusing to acknowledge its uncertain sway as she turned once more in Charles's direction, Devina raised her chin a notch higher.
"I am most grateful for your timely assistance, Charles. I cannot comprehend how thatthat foul character could have been so confused as to think that I… that he…" She paused, at a loss for words, only to continue a moment later with greater emphasis, "That ignoramus wouldn't know a lady if he tripped over one… and he almost did!"
Devina's annoyance flared anew at the
Similar Books
