The Gambler (33 page)

"Leave now and I'll let you live," Charm said, but her voice wobbled, and the revolver shook in her clammy grip. She'd never shot a man before, but when he turned his pony toward her, she cocked the pistol. "One more step and I'll kill you. I swear..."

"But she choose weak man instead," he said, and was gone, like a breeze. Simply gone.

Charm remained exactly as she was for a moment of eternity. Waiting. Watching. But no sound could be heard. The gun wobbled more dramatically in her hands and finally dropped uselessly toward the earth.

"Damn!"

She spun weakly around, startled by Clancy's voice.

"Cougar Mouse. Pretty and mean!" He grinned, little more than his teeth visible in the darkness as he looked down at her from his horse. "Two of my favorite characteristics. Would you really of shot him?"

She pointed the revolver directly at his head. "Drop your gun."

"Me?"

She narrowed her eyes, feeling weakness sweep away beneath the onslaught of rage. Clancy, damn his hide, was supposed to be Raven's friend! "Drop the gun or you'll see daylight through your chest."

Bodine pulled his revolver from its holster with careful fingertips. "Bad day, Miss Charm?"

"Now get down."

"I... Listen." He shrugged. "I was just passin' by. Wanted to make sure you was all right. And... you are, so I gotta go."

"Down." She cocked the pistol. "Now."

"Oh. You want me to get
down."
He smiled ingratiatingly and dismounted. "Anything for the pretty lady with the gun."

"Drop your horse's reins."

"You're not thinkin' of takin' ol' Mac are you?"

"Raven's hurt."

"Yeah." Clancy nodded, still holding his reins. "I saw that. Them rattlers sure can make a mess of a man, can't they? It's sure enough too bad, but—you wanted to leave him. I guess now's your chance, huh?"

"Do you know anything about snake bites?"

"I know it ain't my first choice for Saturday night entertainment."

"Move. Back to camp. No." She motioned him away from his horse. "Leave your mount and walk."

Beside their camp, Raven was still bundled in his bedroll, trembling visibly. Charm fell to her knees by him, touching his cheek with her palm as Clancy dropped down beside her with a shake of his head.

"Looks mighty bad. 'Fraid we'll have to leave him."

"Leave him?" she breathed, feeling the bitter edge of panic rip at her gut. "What are you talking about?"

"'Fraid there's no hope. We might just as well ride on without him."

For a moment she'd forgotten all she'd been taught of men, but she remembered clearly now. "I've already shot one snake tonight." She leveled her gaze and her gun on him. "Shall I make it two?"

Clancy opened his mouth to respond, but something in her expression must have changed his mind. "You..."—he shook a finger at her—"you got yourself a way with words, Miss Charm."

"Get him on your horse."

"But—"

"And make sure he doesn't fall."

Clancy scowled at her. "It wasn't so long ago you wastryin' to kill Joseph yerself. Can I ask... what went wrong?"

Charm drew a deep breath and narrowed her eyes, feeling a thousand emotions jumble in her chest. "He can't die now. Not after... what he said."

"We'd best stop. Joseph needs the rest," Clancy said.

"I can go on," Raven insisted, gritting his teeth and holding himself stiffly upright in Clancy's saddle. He'd been conscious for several hours but looked pale and strained. His leg was swollen and red from his foot to his thigh where his pants abruptly ended.

"No use trying to impress Miss Charm with your manly fortitude," Clancy said, shaking his head. "She's already seen you swoon."

"Don't touch the reins," Raven warned, irritably knocking Bodine's hands away, "I'll handle the horse."

"You don't know nothin' 'bout horses," Clancy responded before turning his attention to Charm. "He never did. Why, I remember when he was a lad, fifteen, maybe sixteen, he took a shine to Nora May Bentley. Pretty little thing she was. Anyhow, Joseph lost his head and decides to go see her. So he hops on this big old ornery bay I sometimes let him ride, seein's as he was like a son to me."

Clancy reached for the reins again, but Raven managed to jab a sharp elbow into the other's ribs, prompting a grunt of wounded noise.

"Shut the hell up, Bodine."

"Yep, like a goddamn son," Clancy said before continuing with his reminiscence. "Anyhow, off he goes, ridin' hell-bent, only old Bay didn't feel like leavin' the barn and when Joseph leaned over Bentley's barbed wire gate, Bay decides it's high time to come home." Clancy chuckled, rubbing a wounded rib. "Left poor Joseph hangin' on the wire like a fresh-washed Sunday shirt. It was old man Bentley hisself that brung him home. With his arms all scratched up. And his pants! He had him a hole right..."

Raven must be feeling better, Charm deduced. This time when his elbow thwacked back, he almost unseated Clancy.

"Damn you, Joseph," swore Bodine, righting himself. "I'm just tryin' to entertain yer bride, seein' as how you ain't up to the task.... Hey! Fort Pierre finally, and none too soon. I been worried sick about you, Joseph. Feared you'd swoon on us again. I'm afraid he's never been real strong, Miss Charm. But I hope you won't hold that against him, cuz he needs somebody to look after him, now that he's left my nest."

"You got any relatives I should inform of your death, Bodine, or did Charm shoot the last one of them?" Raven grumbled.

Clancy chuckled. "We'll have to find him a good doctor, Miss Charm, and let him rest up fer a spell. But I'm sure that won't be no hardship, considerin' you two ain't had no chance to do no spoonin' yet."

Fort Pierre was small and bustling with the hectic life Missouri River travel had brought it.

Raven stopped the gelding at a tidy-looking boardinghouse. Clancy slipped over the animal's tail and hurried to help Charm dismount. For a moment fear accosted her, but she stifled it before sliding down on her own and hurrying to help Raven dismount.

His knuckles looked white against the saddle horn. His teeth were clenched as he swung his leg over the cantle.

"Are you all right?" Charm asked, catching his arm as he jolted to the earth.

Despite the pain obviously caused by the movement, his gaze turned abruptly to hers. "Do you care, Charm?" he asked softly.

Breath jammed in her throat, but fear was suspiciously absent. "What did you say before?" she whispered. "Back by the fire. What did you say?"

The whole world seemed to have gone silent as they stared at each other, but suddenly Raven turned his attention abruptly away. "Don't you have somewhere to go, Bodine?" he asked stonily. "Somebody's grandmother to swindle, maybe?"

"Matter a fact I... don't." Clancy shrugged with a grin. "Guess I'll just stick with you kids."

For a moment, Charm thought Raven would say more, but he turned stiffly to hobble up the steps toward the door.

"How are you feeling?"

Charm stood beside Raven's bed. Beside her, to Raven's grinding irritation, was Clancy, looking freshly washed and characteristically handsome.

How did Raven feel? Like an overblown idiot. His leg was stiff with swelling and pain, and his head ached as if a Sioux raiding party were bolstering their courage there with fire water and war drums. "Fine," he lied. He thought he did it quite well, considering his exhaustion and his irritation over his companions' long absence. Not that he hadn't wanted them gone. Charm did need clothing, but the idea of Clancy accompanying her on a buying spree somehow set his teeth on edge, regardless of the good that would come of it.

Raven did his best to concentrate on his mission. He'd sent a telegraph to River Bluffs, estimating their arrival time as best he could, and he'd purchased two tickets for the
Yankee Belle.
It would leave early next morning, and he had more plans to make, but his thoughts were confused by the sight of Charm in a newly purchased gown. It was pale green, like the color of aspen leaves in the early spring. It fit snugly across her breasts and abdomen before flaring away from her hips. A less disciplined man might imagine Clancy watching her as she turned for his approval. "I hope shopping was to your satisfaction, Charm."

She bit her inner lip. "You were more than generous."

"I think a bride at least deserves a decent trousseau." God, she was beautiful, standing there very still, her small face solemn.

"Damn right," Clancy said, breaking the mood with his usual aplomb. "I tried to talk her into buying this little lavender gown, but seems yer bride's too modest. Fit her like a glove." He shook his head with a grin, as if just the thought made him happy.

Raven clamped his teeth, and decided to wait to kill him.

"Cut down to..." Clancy raised his hand to his own chest to indicate the low decollete, then broadened his grin and shrugged. "Anyhow, it looked damned good. But she didn't want to spend any more of your money." He chuckled. "Lucky fer you, I'm the kind of pal I am, Joseph, and knew when t' spend it." He lifted the bundles wrapped in brown paper then shook his head again, looking perplexed. 'Told her you was flush." He turned his charming grin to the girl. "He's not much of a detective, though I did my best t'teach him. But he's got him some luck with the cards. Ever seen him gamble, Miss Charm?"

Her face looked strained as she watched him, Raven noticed, and felt his gut tighten. If Bodine had touched her, he'd take him apart piece by piece and enjoy every minute. Perhaps it had been a bad idea to ask Clancy to accompany her during shopping, but he'd needed his old partner well out of the way to achieve his ends.

"Are you all right, Charm?" Raven asked.

"Yes." Her eyes were a cool green this evening and very wide. He could easily fall into those eyes and found, not for the first time that he wanted to. Wanted to let go of all the restraint he had maintained for so long.

There was tension in her tone, and distance in her manner. It shouldn't bother him, but somehow the world seemed cold and rather empty when she held herself apart from him. "Scared?" he asked softly.

For a moment he was certain she would deny her feelings, but she drew a soft breath through her strawberry lips and graced him with the suggestion of a self-effacing smile. "Yes."

For a moment nothing ached but his heart. Truth and a smile, from a woman who shared little of either.

"I won't let anything happen to you." His own words were very quiet, and seemed foolish, since she was, after all, the one who had saved him. "I'm sorry we'll have to stay here. The doctor thought traveling would be a bad bet in my present condition."

"I don't mind," she said, looking younger than he knew her to be.

The room was very quiet for a moment—then, "She's too good for you, Joseph."

"Go away, Bodine."

"Oh! Almost forgot. Got something for you too." From the bundle of packages, Clancy selected one flat parcel and tossed it to the bed. "Can't hardly go runnin' round with your... leg hangin' out." He laughed.

"Don't think I'll be running for a while." Raven turned his gaze languidly to Clancy's. "But I suppose some thanks are in order."

"Never mind," Bodine said, laughing again, "since it was your money. So, what should we do now? Hey, how about a little game of chance? Just the three of us. Five-card stud?"

"Bodine."

"Yeah?"

"Get the hell lost," Raven said flatly.

"I'm not askin' to share your bed, Joseph, just her company, and only for a while. Is that so much to ask from yer best friend?"

"Remind me to expand my circle of acquaintances."

Clancy chuckled. "What do you think, Miss Charm, a little poker?"

"I'm... I'm afraid I'm quite tired." She looked nervous and had erected that careful wall she could put up so efficiently.

The room seemed suddenly very still, as though she had said something so scandalous that it shocked them all speechless.

Clancy whistled low. "Lucky man. Well..." He tossed the remainder of the packages to the bed. "I guess it's good night, then."

Surprisingly, he actually exited without any further ado, splashing the room into absolute silence again.

The two stared at each other. Charm blinked. Raven cleared his throat. "He didn't touch you?"

"No!" She said the word very quickly and raised her gaze abruptly to his. Raven felt the contact as a sharp jab to his heart. "No," she said, more slowly now. "He was a perfect gentleman."

Jealousy was an ugly emotion and very bitter. "Let's just say... gentleman," Raven corrected, taking a deep breath and keeping his tone even. "The word 'perfect' makes it all a bit unbelievable."

She smiled. And here he'd thought the sun had already set. But no, the room seemed suddenly filled with light.

"Clancy's not as frightening as I thought."

I love you.
The words almost escaped him, but he held them back, knowing better. Love was a strangling bond and rarely returned. He knew that well, had learned it at his mother's expense. "Actually, he is."

She drew a soft breath between her perfectly white teeth. He watched the inhalation, knowing it shouldn't be fascinating. "What?"

Raven scrambled to remember his line of thought. "I said, actually Clancy
is
that frightening. Don't trust him."

She stared at him for a moment then shrugged lightly, lifting one shoulder in a delicate expression. "He cares about you in a way."

"Really? What way might that be? The kind that gets me hanged?"

She laughed again and took a step forward. What the hell was he supposed to do now, with the pain spreading upward from his leg and downward from his heart to converge at his groin in a cacophony of agony? Don't come any closer, he wanted to warn, because he couldn't be responsible for his actions if she came within reach.

"You know..." She was standing at the edge of the bed.
His
bed. Raven could feel himself begin to sweat. "All my life I've been warned that men want only one thing."

There was, it seemed, just enough room for her to settle her hips lightly beside his on the straw tick. Good God!