Stay With Me (23 page)

Kissing John made her heart race just the
same as a cup of double-chocolate mocha from the corner bakery.

Just a brush of his lips across hers. How
could something so sweet, so innocent, leave her wanting, almost at
the edge, ready to beg him to take her in his arms and satisfy her
greed. How could something that clearly meant nothing to him mean
so much to her?

Because she was an idiot.

She turned back toward Suzanne. “Come on,
Suzanne. The stage leaves in an hour. Please see me off. It would
mean so much to me.”

“No.” Suzanne rolled over in bed, giving
Sarah her back.

Sarah felt icy fingers of panic claw at her
stomach. She couldn’t leave Suzanne, but how could she stay? “You
have got to get out of this bed.” She walked around the edge of the
bed so that Suzanne once again faced her. “Please,” she said.

Suzanne opened one eye. “Why is that so
important to you?”

“I can’t leave if I don’t know that you’re
going to be all right.”

Suzanne opened both eyes and sat up in bed.
“I’ve been thinking about something.”

“Does it involve putting on a dress and
walking down the stairs? If so, I’m interested.”

“In due time.”

“What’s that mean?”

“I want to go with you,” Suzanne said.

“What about Fred?”

Suzanne lowered her eyes and stared at her
hands. She had the edge of the blanket clenched between her
fingers. “It’s time that I admit that nothing is ever going to
change between Fred and me. I know that. Some day he is going to
meet some fine lady who he’ll take for his wife. I don’t want to be
here to watch that happen.”

“I think Fred loves you.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’s better off without
me.”

What was Suzanne going to think when Sarah
disappeared into thin air? “I’m going to California. Are you
planning to go the whole way?”

Suzanne shook her head. “No, I don’t want to
go further west. I’m far enough from my sister. I’ll probably stay
in Cheyenne. Maybe get me a job.”

“A job like you have now?”

Suzanne shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t
think that far ahead right now. I just know I’ve got to leave.”

Fred would be devastated. Sarah had to fight
the urge to convince her friend to stay. This might be Suzanne’s
opportunity to leave this life behind. “Then get up. Stage leaves
in an hour.”

“I don’t feel well enough to travel.”

“Your face is much better—there’s barely a
bruise. You’ll be sitting down. You don’t have to do anything.”

Suzanne shook her head. “I’m not up to it. I
was hoping you might consider waiting a week. Then I could go with
you. I know I’ll have the strength by then.”

A week? Seven whole days? She’d already been
in Cedarbrook for six days. “I have to go.” Rosa and Miguel Lopez
didn’t have the luxury of time on their side.

“Please. I want to go with you. I really do.
I need a chance to tell Fred goodbye. I just need a little more
time.”

Time.
The great unknown. How much time
did Miguel have? Was time
c
onstant? Would six days in 1888
Wyoming be six days in her time? Was it possible it could be six
minutes? Or six years?

There was no way to know. All she knew for
sure was that Suzanne wanted a week. Was that too much time to save
a friend? Was getting that ladder for Suzanne as simple as staying
in Cedarbrook for another seven days? What was it that she’d wished
that last night in California as she walked along the beach? That
she would make a difference. Was this her chance?

Sarah stood up and yanked Suzanne’s blankets
off. “Here’s the deal.”

“The deal?” Suzanne asked, her arms wrapped
around her shivering body.

“Get up. Get washed up and get dressed. We’re
going out.”

“Out where?”

Sarah shrugged. “I don’t know,” she admitted.
“It doesn’t matter. You’re not spending another minute in this
room. You need to start building up your strength.”

“If I do that, you’ll stay?”

“Yes.”

Suzanne’s smile lit up the room. “Thank you,
Sarah.”

Sarah shook her head. “Don’t thank me yet.
You may hate me before the week is over.”

***

John pulled out his pocket-watch and looked
at it for the fourth time. He’d been standing outside Hooper’s for
the past hour, waiting for the stage. Waiting to see if Sarah got
on. When he saw the hotel door open and Sarah step outside, his
heart plummeted. She was leaving.

He was losing her. Before he’d really found
her.

Damn it. Damn her.

When Suzanne joined Sarah on the sidewalk, he
stopped cursing his fate and started hoping instead. He walked
toward the women, his strides long and purposeful. Absolutely
nobody needed to know that his legs were shaking with fear.

“Morning, ladies.”

“Good morning, John,” Suzanne said. Sarah
didn’t say a word. Lord, she looked beautiful this morning. Her
pretty blond hair swung free on her shoulders, so different from
the styles the other ladies wore. She looked fresh and young, and
it made him want to be all those same things.

“Nice spring morning,” he said.

“What are you doing in town?” Sarah
asked.

She didn’t sound all that happy to see him.
Had Suzanne confessed his trickery? He gave her a quick glance and
she responded with a slight shake of her head.

“I came to see you off on the stage.”

“I’m not going.”

“Why?” He hoped like hell he could hide his
smile.

“When I leave, Suzanne’s going with me. She’s
not up to a long stage ride yet. We’ll go next week. So, you wasted
a trip.”

He felt like dancing in the street. Singing
too, maybe. “I had a few things I needed to pick up in town
anyway.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Well, we don’t want
to keep you.”

John stuck his hands in his pockets, terribly
afraid he might do something stupid like reach out and grab her. “I
suppose Thomas will let you keep working at the saloon for another
week.”

“I hope so. The money would help.”

“He’d be a fool not to let you.”

She smiled a little. “I’ll tell him you said
so.”

“You do that. Where you ladies headed off to
this morning?”

Sarah shrugged again.

“Have you had your breakfast?” John
asked.

“No. I suppose we should try to find
Freedom.”

Suzanne gave her a long look. “They won’t
serve you at Brickstone’s, will they?”

Sarah shook her head.

“I’m sorry,” Suzanne said. “It’s my
fault.”

“It’s not your fault,” Sarah said fiercely.
“It’s their problem.”

Sarah was being shunned. How dare they? John
wanted desperately to pound on somebody or something. “I’ll go with
you,” he said.

Sarah shook her head. “That’s not necessary.
I’m sure you’ve already had breakfast. You’ve probably been up for
hours.”

He’d been up most of the night. He and his
horse had spent the night down the road from Fred’s house, knowing
that the man would have to ride past him if he decided to take
another midnight trip to town. John hadn’t intended to let his
friend ruin everything. Not after he’d worked so hard to get Sarah
to stay.

Thankfully Fred had stayed home. John had
breathed a sigh of relief, not relishing having to explain to his
friend why he couldn’t go see Suzanne. If Fred knew that John had
suggested Fred was the love ‘em and leave ‘em type, he’d have more
than a cracked rib to look forward to.

“I’ve been up for a spell. I imagine a cup of
hot coffee and a slice of cake to go with it would hit the
spot.”

“You must have a thousand things to do,”
Sarah protested.

“Nothing that can’t wait for fifteen
minutes,” John said.

“But…” Sarah looked at Suzanne, as if she
expected her friend to have a reason why John shouldn’t join them.
John relaxed when Suzanne pressed a hand to her stomach and said,
“I’m starving. Let’s go.”

“Oh, fine,” Sarah said, looking at him.
“Whatever.”

Whatever
? Sarah had picked up the
strangest manner of speech.

They walked down the sidewalk in silence, the
two women in front, him trailing a few feet behind. When Sarah and
Suzanne stepped into the café, John was close enough to hear the
hiss of the startled customers. It reminded him of a sack of
snakes, poised to strike, hoping to poison. He edged forward and
put a hand on each woman’s shoulder.

“Table for three,” he said.

Rosie Brickstone screwed up her face, looking
like she’d stuck a thorn under her thumbnail. After a minute, she
nodded her head toward the far corner. “Over there,” she said.

Sarah didn’t hesitate. She held her head high
and gracefully walked across the room, not even hesitating when
Morton Turnip scooted his chair away, as if he was afraid to let
her skirt brush against him. Turnip sat across from Harry Pierce,
who had his head down, reading some kind of book. Harry handled all
the mail and telegrams that came into and out of Cedarbrook. He was
known for keeping his mouth shut and his floors clean.

John gave Turnip a look that had him
squirming in his seat. As he walked by, he leaned down and spoke
quietly in the man’s ear. “Mind your manners around the ladies. If
you don’t, you’ll answer to me.” He felt some satisfaction when the
man turned green.

“Morning, John,” Harry said, looking up.
“Don’t see you in town too often.”

“That’s right,” he said.

“Got a letter for you sitting on my desk.
Came by special post. I thought it might be important so I was
going to bring it to you.”

He’d sold some cattle a month before. It was
no doubt the final part of the payment. “I’ll stop by and save you
a trip.” He tipped his hat at Harry and ignored Turnip. He caught
up with Sarah and Suzanne as they reached the table. He pulled back
both their chairs and motioned for them to sit. They both looked
surprised but then took their seats.

“Thank you for coming with us,” Suzanne said,
looking very troubled. “It’s worse than I imagined. I had no idea
Rosie would treat Sarah like this. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s no problem,” Sarah said.

“It’s not fair that you get treated poorly
just because you helped me.”

“What’s Rosie got against you?”

Suzanne blushed. “I know her husband a bit
better than I know her.”

“I thought that might be the case,” Sarah
said, running her tongue across her lips. John felt the answering
tug deep in his groin. He concentrated on inspecting his fork and
knife.

“I imagine that’s all it takes,” Sarah
whispered. She looked around the room. “Is he here?”

Suzanne nodded. “He’s clearing the table over
near the kitchen door. He saw me when I came in. He almost dropped
his tray of glasses.”

John watched Sarah pretend to not stare at
Myron Brickstone. He didn’t have to look. The man had bought a few
horses from him over the years. He’d paid top dollar and treated
his horses well. That’s all John had been concerned about. Now,
knowing that the man had stepped out on his wife, it made it harder
to think of him in a kind manner.

John wasn’t a fool. He understood why men
went to see women like Suzanne. He understood the longing for a
woman’s body, a woman’s heat. But when a man had taken marriage
vows, he should keep his trousers buttoned around other women.

He looked up when the door opened again.
Alice Hooper walked in. Rosie offered her a table but Alice shook
her head. Rosie pulled an order pad from her pocket and started
writing.

“Poor Alice,” said Sarah. “She doesn’t even
have time to sit down for a meal.” She pushed her chair back from
the table. “I’m going to see if she has a minute to have a cup of
coffee.”

When Sarah reached Alice, the woman listened
for a moment, then nodded. Both of them returned to the table. John
stood up until both ladies had taken their chairs.

“Morning, Alice,” he said. “Busy day?”

“Planting season is always like this. It’ll
be frantic for the next week or two with men needing tools and
seed. Wish I had four hands instead of two.”

“I’d be happy to help out.”

Alice, Sarah and John all stared at Suzanne.
Her still slightly bruised cheeks were pink.

“I’m used to working,” Suzanne said. “I can’t
just do nothing for the next week. I’ll go crazy.”

Alice narrowed her eyes at Suzanne. “I
thought you had a job at the saloon. A night job.”

Suzanne nodded. “I did. I quit.”

“I heard about Michell Dority,” Alice said.
“Man should be beaten first and then castrated.”

John could feel the blood drain out of his
face. It wasn’t that he didn’t agree. He just didn’t feel
comfortable discussing castration in front of three women.

“You need to know,” Suzanne said, “that I’m
planning on taking the stage next week. I’d be happy to help out
for the next seven days. I understand, however, if having me work
at the store would be uncomfortable for you.”

At that moment, Rosie approached the table.
She carefully set down full coffee cups in front of John, Sarah,
and Alice. She slammed down Suzanne’s cup, causing almost half of
it to spill onto the table. She walked away without offering a
towel.

John pulled his bandanna off and handed the
blue cloth to her. Suzanne mopped up the mess.

“As you can see,” Suzanne said, “not everyone
feels all that kindly to me.”

Alice shook her head. “Rosie should be
ashamed.” She looked at Suzanne. “Can you add and minus your
numbers?”

Suzanne nodded. “Yes.”

“Ever handled money?”

John coughed into his hand.

“There were times,” Suzanne said, “when I
needed to make change for my customers.”

Alice looked at Sarah, then John, before
returning her gaze to Suzanne. “I don’t see why this wouldn’t work.
After all, you got the time and I could sure use the help.” She
picked up her cup and drained it.