Daring (12 page)

“Even whores have to eat, Sheriff. They need their strength to perform their job. And girls do like to occasionally go shopping.”

Placing his hands on his hips, he sighed. “Two, didn’t I warn you not to cause trouble in my town or I’d send you packing?”

The man was just looking for an excuse to run her out of town. Strangers were not welcome in Hide Town until they proved themselves. And the man clearly believed this piece of land was his to protect with his style of justice.

“Yes, you did. But how can two
ladies
having lunch together be a problem?”

“Miss Callahan, find more respectable ladies to dine with.”

“Sorry, Sheriff, but you see the respectable ladies won’t have lunch with me since I deal cards in the saloon. Surely, the owner of the café didn’t complain? I mean, after all, we’re paying him for the meal. Or wait… Hannah, did you offer him a free service tonight?”

The girl shook her head, her eyes large, like she was frightened. “I did not.”

“So, see there, Sheriff, he’s receiving money for our meal.”

“Miss Callahan, you make me real tired. Let this be a warning. I don’t want to receive another complaint about you.”

Deke had tried to warn her that the sheriff was bad news. And she’d believed him, but that didn’t mean she was afraid of the bully. More like she wanted to kick his knees out from under him and send him sprawling in his beloved dust.

“But, Sheriff, who complained? The restaurant owner? Or was it Mrs. Hutchins?” Ruby knew instinctively the madam had contacted the sheriff after her goon returned and told her the two women were together. The sheriff had been sent to squash whatever relationship could be brewing between Ruby and Hannah.

“You girls should head on back to the saloon now before you get into any more trouble.”

Ruby and Hannah stood and pushed their chairs under the table. Laying her hand on his arm, Ruby stared at the sheriff. “Girls do like to occasionally go shopping. How else can we stay so pretty looking for you men?”

He stared at her as if he knew what she was doing, as if he wished he were immune to her charm, but he still enjoyed staring at her breasts. “I don’t care. Don’t let me get another complaint on you.”

As she passed by the big man, Ruby winked at him. “Come play cards with me tonight, Sheriff? Lady Luck might be on your side.”

“I don’t gamble,” he said and walked out of the café.

Ruby turned to Hannah, and the two of them strolled out the same doors the sheriff had gone through. “It’s going to be a while. Just keep in mind that soon this will be over. But until then, don’t tell a soul. And don’t get into trouble.”

Hannah reached out and hugged her. “Thank you. But hurry.” She separated herself from Ruby and walked toward the saloon.

When Ruby whirled around to return to the hotel, she caught the sheriff watching the two of them.

*

That night, Deke sat outside the saloon and waited for Ruby. Fall was late arriving this year, and he was enjoying the warm weather. His newfound friend nudged her cold nose against his hand, and he absentmindedly petted the young dog.

While out scouting today, he’d come across the dog, abandoned miles from town. She was scrawny, flea ridden, and yet, Deke had been unable to walk away from the animal, knowing she’d die if left alone.

So he’d put her on his horse and rode into town with her in the crook of his arms. By the time they’d arrived back at the hotel, the puppy had imprinted her paws on Deke’s heart with her licks and whines and loving brown eyes.

Deke had spent the afternoon bathing and feeding her. His intentions were to find a family who needed a dog and leave her. But right now, the dog was at his heels, following him wherever he went. And already Deke doubted he could leave her behind.

If the hotel caught him with a dog in the room, there would probably be hell to pay, but for the moment he just didn’t care. The company only wanted food and water and an occasional belly rub. This Deke could provide.

The saloon doors swung open, and Ruby strolled out. God, she was stunning in that dress that showcased her feminine curves, and he wasn’t about to take a chance on someone taking advantage of the woman. He’d only briefly strolled through the saloon tonight, but he’d been right outside if she’d needed him.

She smiled and took him by the arm. “Good evening, Deke.”

“I think it’s closer to morning than evening.”

A laugh bubbled from her. “You’re right.” She glanced down at the dog that was following right behind him. “Who’s this?”

“She’s a stray I picked up out of town. I couldn’t let her starve.”

Halting, Ruby stopped and bent down to the dog, letting her smell her hand, and then the puppy pounced on Ruby almost knocking her over.

“Heel,” he told the dog, and she stopped. Her skin quivered with the need to jump and play, but she obediently sat. Deke reached down and patted the dog on the head. “Good dog.”

To Ruby, he said, “Sorry about that. We spent the afternoon learning to heel. She gets a little excited.”

“What are you going to do with a dog?” Ruby asked.

That was a good question, but he couldn’t let the animal suffer, and he really wanted to settle down in one place, surrounded by animals he’d care for. He’d had to bring this pup to town because he couldn’t stand seeing anyone suffer—man, woman, child, or animal. Everyone deserved a chance at life.

“I don’t know. I’d like to make certain she has a good home before I leave town.”

Ruby shook her head. “No, you won’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look at her. She’s following you. She thinks you’re her mama, and she’s so happy you’re here. I’ve seen you with horses and now with dogs. All that dog has to do is turn those big brown eyes on you. You’ll melt like hot butter in a frying pan, and the dog will have a great home by your side.”

Deke took a deep breath. It was true, and though he was resisting, the pup had already won a place in his heart. “We’ll see,” he said, thinking she could very well be right. He hadn’t had a dog since he was a boy. This felt good—the dog and him.

“Something happened today I need to talk to you about,” Ruby said, pulling him down to a bench right outside the door of the hotel.

The urge to put his arm around the back of the bench and pull her into his chest was strong, but they were outside in a hostile town, where the sheriff believed nothing existed between the two of them. It wouldn’t do for the law to think he had an attachment with Ruby.

“What?” he asked, detecting the note of concern in her voice.

A few minutes later when she’d told him about Hannah, he couldn’t believe she’d risked everything to help a girl in trouble, especially since this bounty was her father’s killer.

“You took a huge risk.”

She shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing. “I had to help her. They would have killed Hannah.”

“They may try to kill you and her if they find out you’re working together.”

“Let them try. I have a pistol on me at all times.”

“I hope so.” Another risk. The woman took more chances than a short-tail bull in fly time.

The puppy crawled up in his lap and settled in for a nap. Absent-mindedly, he rubbed the dog’s soft downy fur. “I haven’t been completely honest with you, either.”

She’d been gazing up at the stars, and suddenly, she whirled her head around to face him. “What do you mean?”

He licked his lips and sighed. “I
was
married, but I’m not anymore.”

She frowned at him like she didn’t quite understand. He really didn’t want to tell her the entire story, but he had a feeling she wasn’t going to let him off the hook.

“Oh. Did you just take off your wedding ring and your wife disappeared?”

“No,” he said quietly in the dark. He rubbed the puppy’s ears. “She died.”

Ruby gasped. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

Sympathy radiated from her gaze, and he hated it. He didn’t want anyone feeling sorry that he was a widower. He didn’t deserve their commiseration or condolences or compassion.

“I know.”

“How long has it been since…”

“Eighteen months.” His son would have been walking by now. He bit his lip and tried his best to block the memories of holding that tiny infant in his arms. Pain seized his chest at the memory of him so perfect, so precious, so lifeless. Until that moment when he’d held his newborn son, he hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted children.

“How long were you married?” Ruby asked.

“Not even a year,” he said softly, remembering Laura’s beautiful face as she gazed at him during the wedding. Even though theirs had been a marriage of convenience, she’d been a loving person, a friend he’d cared deeply for.

Ruby stared at him, her blue eyes actually appearing sympathetic. “Tell me about her?”

Even talking about Laura was difficult. He really didn’t want to, but he felt that since he’d lied to Ruby, he owed her at least a token explanation. “We grew up as friends. Her brother was my best friend, and we would get together and play. We were together in school, right up until I rode off to hunt for the man who shot and killed her brother, my best friend.”

“Is he the reason you became a bounty hunter?”

“Yes. I probably would have died if your father hadn’t taken me in and taught me everything I know,” he said, rubbing the dog’s soft fur, hoping that was all the information she needed about his past.

“You were going to become a cattle rancher?”

“I was, but then… I don’t know. I like horses so much more,” he said. “Laura convinced me cattle were not really what I was good at.” He watched as Ruby swallowed and quickly looked away, before returning her gaze to him.

“Did you love her?”

A deep sigh escaped his lips. “I cared deeply for Laura, but I wasn’t in love with her. And she knew it.”

“So, why did you marry Laura if you didn’t love her?”

How could he explain without making Laura sound even weaker than she’d been? After all, she was dead. Why not just let her past die with her and not reflect on how frail she’d been emotionally and physically? “Not all women are like you, Ruby.”

“Thank God,” she said.

“You’re tough and independent, and you’ll always be able to take care of yourself. But not all women are capable of being strong like you.”

The two women were so different, and yet they were the same. If Laura had the strength of will like Ruby, they could have almost been sisters.

Ruby frowned at him. “I don’t know if you’re giving me a compliment or being disrespectful.”

“No, you’re who you are. Laura was who she was. But unlike you, she wasn’t strong. She lost everything and would have been forced into either prostitution or living on the streets. She had nothing. I couldn’t let that happen to my best friend’s sister. I saved her by marrying her.”

Ruby slowly rose. She gazed down at the puppy in his lap and ran her fingers through the animal’s fur. “You’re like that, Deke. You have a natural instinct about you that saves animals and people. Just like this puppy.” She gazed directly into his eyes. “So what happened to her? How did she die?”

He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat, blinking back the tears he felt rising in his chest.

“I killed her.”

F
or a moment, Ruby froze as Deke’s words poured over her like ice water, freezing her blood and making her doubt the words she’d just heard. “What?”

He sighed. “I think it’s time we went in.”

“Like hell. You just told me you killed your wife and you want to go to bed? Do you think I could sleep tonight after hearing that remark?”

He smiled, but it was more a tired grimace than a happy smile. “Laura was a tiny woman. Small in the hips. She wasn’t built to carry children.”

Deke petted the dog, and Ruby could tell he wanted nothing more than to pick her up and walk away. In fact, he probably would have if Ruby hadn’t been standing in front of him, blocking his escape.

“She died during childbirth.”

Ruby sighed with relief that she wasn’t going to have to drag Deke down to the sheriff’s office and turn him in for murder. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand why you feel responsible. What did you say to me about my sisters? Was Laura happy? Did she want the baby?”

How could a woman he married be unhappy about expecting Deke’s baby? Sure, Ruby wasn’t wild about having babies and children, but someday, she planned on having the children of the man she eventually fell in love with. Just not right away.

She watched as Deke closed his eyes.

“She was so excited. I hadn’t seen her that happy since before her brother was killed.”

“Then it wasn’t your fault. Women die in childbirth. You made her happy in her last days.”

For the longest time he sat, petting the puppy and staring off into space. She wondered if he was going to respond to her or if he would just sit there in the darkness.

A rumble of thunder sounded, and a flash of lightening heralded an approaching storm.

“We need to go in,” he finally said, not answering her comment. He stood and set the puppy on the ground. The dog stretched then gazed up at him and whined.  “You go ahead,” he said to Ruby. “I need to go up the back door, so the owners don’t see her.”

Ruby reached out and laid her hand on Deke’s arm. “You didn’t kill her.”

He gazed at her, his emerald eyes brimming with pain. “Good night, Ruby.”

Turning, he walked around to the back of the hotel, leaving her on the porch alone.

*

Rain fell softly, and Deke stepped into the shadows at the back of the hotel. He knew it would do no good to go to his room. His mind was racing full of images of Laura, from the time they were children up to the day he’d found her in labor. He refused to think past that point. It was true; she’d been happier those eleven months they were married than she’d been in years. She’d anticipated the birth of the baby, never dreaming of anything going wrong.

Their family was past the tragedies of their youth, the death of her brother, and now they would live the rest of their lives watching their children grow. She’d told him this over and over and over…until the day he’d ridden away.