Much Ado About Madams (27 page)

“
That’s such a harsh word.” She picked up the gun. The grip was a little large for her hand but she could still hold it firmly while reaching the trigger.

“
Painted ladies, then, although they don’t wear much paint.” He pushed her hand so the derringer pointed away from the wagon. “Always be mindful, whether loaded or not, and never point at anything you don’t intend to shoot.”

“
I know how to load it but I’ve never shot one.”

He looked at her, one eyebrow raised. “Is that so? I wouldn’t think you’d have much opportunity at Miss Hattie’s School for the Refinement of Young Ladies to fool around with guns.”

She hadn’t, but she’d loaded her mother’s pistol several times. “My mother taught me.”

“
You must’ve been young.”

“
Yes.” Lucinda couldn’t say a word more without him finding out who she was. Luckily, he didn’t press.

“
Load it now, then, and keep it on your person any time you step outside the Comfort Palace.”

She loaded the pistol and tucked it into her shawl. They hadn’t had a single run-in with any sort of varmint so his sudden preoccupation with her safety seemed unwarranted.

Two hours later, they’d made it through the heavily rutted road and were on the side of the mountain, only this time she was on the outside looking down. If she dared, which she didn’t. She inched closer to Reese. No matter whether she’d vowed to keep her distance or not, she felt a whole lot better knowing he could hold her if they hit a bump and bounced her off the wagon.

Luckily, she wasn’t prone to carriage sickness. Heights, she could do without, and her eyes would be firmly closed when they crossed the landslide area.

“
Do you think the road will be all right?”

“
Yes, we haven’t had any rain, and when we crossed the last time, I didn’t see any movement.”

She didn’t want to ask what he meant by movement. The whole notion scared her.

“
How long until we get there?”

“
Home? Or to the landslide?”

“
The latter.”

“
Just around the bend.” He chuckled. “I can’t decide if you’re scared of the cliff or whether you decided you like me after all.”

“
The former.”

“
I guess I’ll have to take you on mountain roads more often, then.”

The road around the bend proved to be more dangerous than he thought, when Hannibal Hank and two scruffy looking men sat on their horses, waiting.

Reese pulled the team to a stop. “Stay calm, Lucinda.”

Right. She was sitting next to the cliff to nowhere, couldn’t go back, and they faced three men with guns pointing at them. “You stay calm. I reserve the right to become hysterical.”

Hank chewed on his cigar, probably wanting to let her panic build. If so, he’d made an astute call because her insides roiled like a butter churn.

“
I’ll do the talking,” Reese whispered. “You get out of here at the first opportunity.”

As if she’d hop off the side. But she nodded.

“
You know what I want, McAdams,” Hank called.

“
No, as a matter of fact, I don’t.”

“
Hand over the little lady and I’ll let you go on your way.”

Lucinda sucked in a deep breath. “I can’t.” She refused to get off the wagon as long as the wagon teetered on the side of a cliff.

“
You try it in long skirts and button shoes.”

“
Woman, for once would you not argue?”

Hank leaned on his saddle horn and cocked his gun. “I hope you’re enjoying your little conversation there, but I’m an impatient man.”

The one of the horses in the team pawed the ground and Lucinda wasn’t prone to waiting any longer, either. She pulled out her new Baby Russian and fired, the gun nearly leaping out of her hand and her heart jumping with it. But she clamped down tight and fired three more times. The second shot uprooted a sagebrush plant that rolled down and nearly tripped the horse to Hank’s right, the third shot shattered a rock, and the fourth shot blew off the other man’s hat.

“
Get the hell outta here!” one of the thugs hollered. They each let loose with a shot, then turned tail and ran. Reese grabbed his rifle and fired one round before the two men rode around the bend. Hank fired one shot and left at a full gallop, too. Reese ejected, the casing flipped out and burned her arm. He inserted another cartridge and shot again.

“
Reload,” he growled at her, and he did the same, then pulled out his pistol and checked it. “When we pull around the mountain, they’ll be waiting.”

“
I’m not getting off this wagon.”

“
I reckon not.” Reese got off and inched past the horses, removed the sagebrush and threw it over the side. When he got back on, he picked up the ribbons, released the brake, and hollered at the horses to get going.

Lucinda gripped the seat with one hand and held her pistol with the other. “It’s a long way down.”

“
You’d be six feet down if you’d been shot.” She knew it—she’d saved the day and he was angry with her.

“
I’m not going anywhere with Hannibal Hank. Not ever.”

She shuddered but gazed straight ahead.

Reese must have sensed her discomfort. “You can sit closer to me. Keep your gun handy. If I need any bushes shot, I’ll let you know.”

* * * * *

Shots rang out and Reese had no idea what they were heading into, but he had no choice other than to continue on. The steep mountain road flattened out on wide open range in a few hundred yards and it sounded like that’s where the conflict was taking place.

Lucinda leaned into him even without the cliff. He knew how she felt, maybe more so because he’d seen a lot more battle than she had. Heart pumping, his eyes and body on alert, he pulled the wagon to a stop.

“
Get in the back and crawl under the tarp.”

Lucinda shot him a horrified glare. “In the dark, with the spiders?”

“
There’s big two-legged spiders out here with rifles. Now get in and stay there.”

To his amazement, she complied. “I don’t like your idea at all.”

“
Hurry up. We don’t know who’s fighting or whether any of them are after us, but I’d guess it’s good ol’ Hannibal Hank. In fact, he could be faking a gun battle just to throw us off guard.” He hopped down and checked his weapons.

She took her derringer and the box of ammo. Before she climbed into the bed of the wagon, she removed her petticoats, lifted her skirt and tied it around her waist. “If they shoot the wagon, I’m not staying.”

He nodded. “Reasonable. Just keep low and don’t get lost.” He filled his pockets with cartridges.” Keep the canteen with you just in case.”

“
In case of what?”

But Reese had no time for conversation, and ran down the road to a boulder just before the S-curve where there was a couple acres of flat land with piles of basalt boulders on either side. Perfect spot for an ambush. Men grunted and the sound of flesh meeting bone told him the fight was on.

“
Charley, behind you!” one of the thugs who’d held them up earlier yelled. Hank turned and fired just as Midas charged him. Hit! Blood flowed down Midas’s arm, slowing him down just long enough for Hank to mount up and ride off.

Titus held his own against three men, but Reese entered the fray. He caught a man falling back and threw him on top of another, knocking one of Titus’s foes down. The big Swede could easily take care of two.

Reese ran over to help Midas, who, although shot in the shoulder, took on two of Hank’s men. One had a knife. Reese ran at him from the side and kicked the knife into the air. The outlaw turned and ran. When the other man saw he was alone in the fight, ran for his horse. Midas took after him but Reese yelled at him to hold up.

By then, Titus’s opponents looked scared. “Get out of here,” Reese growled. “And take your buddy with you.” They grabbed his shirt and dragged the wounded man to their horses.

“
And tell your boss we don’t want to see him again. We’ve had enough.”

“
We could’ve took ‘em, Cap’n,” Titus grumbled. “I just about had them two.”

“
I’ve got a lady in the wagon and I’ll not put her in any more danger than necessary.”

Midas chuckled as he dabbed at the hole in his left arm. “Probably scared out of her wits. We’ll escort you back.”

The three men walked to the wagon. Midas lifted the tarp.

“
Get away from here or I’ll blow your man parts off!” Lucinda sounded mad and determined. Reese laughed, hoping he never got on the wrong end of her ire.

Midas hit the dirt. “Shit, woman. It’s Midas.”

“
There’s no call for profanity.” She rustled around and Reese wondered what she was doing under there. “Turn your backs while I get out and put myself to rights.”

Midas stood and wiped the sweat off his neck. “I don’t ordinarily make a habit of turning my back on someone who just said they’d shoot my nuts off.”

Reese slapped Midas on his good shoulder. “Good women are the scariest varmints of all.”

Chapter 15

Midas rode ahead and Titus rode along side as Reese drove the wagon toward Dickshooter. Lucinda didn’t show her fear, but it had taken a good half hour before her heartbeat returned to normal. The jostling ride didn’t help her backside, especially since every bump in the road reminded her of their activities in the Idaho Hotel.

She’d never felt so glorious, as when they’d made love but it couldn’t happen again lest they make a child, if they hadn’t already. Whether Reese was annoyed or relieved that she’d turned down his proposal, she didn’t know, but she also couldn’t reveal why she wouldn’t marry him.

The wagon wheel hit a rut and launched her into his arms. He caught her, held her just a little too long, brushed her cheek with a kiss, and lowered her back onto the bench. Her skin prickled and her face flooded with warmth. He smiled at her. She smiled back and rewrapped the blanket around her lap.

Could he actually love her? No one else, with the dubious exception of her mother, ever had. The notion seemed almost ridiculous, that a man could love her. She’d been born into debauchery, then groomed as a suffragist—certainly not a combination conducive to attracting a law-abiding man.

For the past weeks, she had closed her mind to the notion he could be a decent man because he owned a brothel. She’d never imagined that a brothel owner would understand the true value of women—until Reese, so kind, so strong, so caring.

He put his arm around her and she snuggled into his side. Realizing her error, she sat straight immediately. Titus cast a glance at her, smiled, then redirected his attention to the road.

Much as she wanted to get back to Dickshooter and the security of her own room, she didn’t look forward to arriving at the Comfort Palace. Every lady there, especially Fannie, would know that she’d let—no, practically forced—Reese to take liberties with her person. Still, she’d lived with shame her entire life, and being with Reese didn’t feel shameful at all. Warmth flooded her thighs every time she thought about his mouth on her breast or when she caressed his, uh, lower parts.

Nevertheless, she didn’t want anyone to know. She cleared her throat and sat straight in her best Miss-Hattie’s-School-for-the-Refinement-of-Young-Ladies posture.

Reese gazed at her and smiled. She tried not to notice.

Two hours later, they drove up to the Comfort Palace. Reese jumped off and offered his hand to Lucinda, who accepted it. At least that’s what she hoped it looked like. Truth was, she happily took the opportunity to touch him one last time.

“
First time you’ve let me help you off the wagon.” He held her by the waist and lifted her down, holding her a little longer than necessary, but she didn’t mind. She’d remember it always.

“
They’re here!” she heard Sadie call.

Footfalls echoed from within the brothel, and not a minute later, every single lady at the Comfort Palace stood on the porch. Seven ladies and Gus smiled at her in a knowing manner.

Did they know? They couldn’t know. She forced a smile in return. They knew.

Fannie ran to her like a mother hen. “Welcome back, Miss Sharpe!” She enveloped Lucinda in a bear hug. “You’ll just never know how worried we all were about you when we heard Hannibal Hank hadn’t gone to Montana.”

Her face did show concern, but considering Reese’s revelation that they’d been set up by these innocent-looking ladies-of-the-evening, Lucinda was skeptical. However, she certainly didn’t want them speculating on the state of her maidenhood, or lack thereof, so she hugged Fannie back and nodded to the women who studied her every move. She wanted to get to her room as quickly as possible to avoid further scrutiny.

Reese stood beside Fannie and Gus, a gentle smile barely touching the corners of his mouth.

Lucinda stepped away. “Thank you, Mr. McAdams, for escorting me.” He tipped his hat. She turned to Titus. “And thank you and your brother for the protection. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do for you in return.”

Then, even though her heart nearly tore out of her chest, she walked into the Comfort Palace without so much as a backwards glance at the man she wanted to love forever but couldn’t. Reese McAdams, brothel owner and reluctant Superintendent of the Dickshooter School District, wouldn’t be able to love her any more than she could allow herself to love him.