Travis (27 page)

Banker Clay asked, “Mr. Prescott, are you gonna try?”

Travis shook his head. “Everyone knows about my wrist. Besides, Houston is planning to win.”

More catcalling and laughter.

Travis knelt down by Houston’s side. “You calm?”

The boy shook his head. “No, not at all.”

“Don’t let them rattle you,” Travis whispered. “Concentrate on your aim and everything I taught you. Someday, knowing how to shoot may save your life or someone you love.”

“Will it make me a real cowboy?”

Travis nodded. “A cowman’s got to protect his livestock, you know.”

Houston hefted the rifle and put it to his shoulder.

Travis whispered, “Remember to notice the wind and how it’ll affect your shot.”

Houston nodded and the crowd grew quiet. Somewhere in the crowd a dog barked and a baby cried.

There was a long moment of silence as Houston aimed and then he squeezed the trigger.

The sound of the bullet echoed and re-echoed through the hot afternoon and a judge yelled, “By God, he’s hit the center of the target!”

A roar and a cheer from the crowd as one of the judges announced, “The finalists are Houston Prescott, Zeke Tubb, the livery store owner, and Jake Gray, the rancher.”

Violet blinked back tears as Houston looked toward her proudly and she nodded encouragement. Travis put his arm around the boy’s shoulders and the crowd watched as the other two took their shots. The livery stable owner, Zeke Tubb, missed the bull’s-eye.

The old rancher hit the bull’s-eye but off center. Now it was time for Houston to take another shot.

Travis put his hand on the boy’s frail shoulder. “You’re named for a great Texan, now show them how it’s done.”

The crowd grew so quiet it seemed to Violet that everyone was holding his breath. She, too, held her breath and hung on to Bonnie’s hand as the other children gathered around her. She knew how much that horse meant to Houston and they certainly couldn’t afford to buy one for him if he didn’t win the fine black filly.

She watched Travis standing by Houston, whispering advice and then the boy put his rifle to his shoulder and aimed. The whole crowd seemed breathless in waiting and then Houston squeezed the trigger.

After a split second, there was a roar from the crowd as a judge announced, “It’s dead center! Dead center, ladies and gentlemen. Houston Prescott has won!”

There was a roar from the crowd as Houston rushed to throw his arms around the black filly’s neck.

Violet was so happy, tears began to run down her face.

“Why you sad?” Bonnie asked and put her chubby arms around Violet’s neck.

“I’m not sad, I’m happy for Houston,” Violet explained, and then she and the kids ran forward to hug the skinny boy and congratulate him.

“I did it!” he said. “I did it!” He looked almost as if he couldn’t believe it himself.

“Yep.” Travis slapped him on the back. “Yep, you did it. You’re a credit to the man whose name you bear. Now you take her home and put her in our stable, you hear? Next year, we’ll breed her to Mouse and you’ll have the start of a fine horse ranch.”

“Wanta ride,” Bonnie begged. “Wanta ride.”

In the end, Houston had to give all the children rides before he headed home to put the new horse in their barn.

“Speaking of Mouse,” Violet said, “aren’t you entering him in the race?”

Travis shook his head. “The Prescotts have won one big prize today. It don’t seem fair to win them all.”

 

 

It was late afternoon as Travis took Violet’s hand in his big one. “It’s been a long day.”

It’s not over yet,” the kids insisted, gathering around them. “There’s still the evening dancing and fireworks.”

She felt the warmth of Travis’s calloused hand on hers and couldn’t have been any happier. “As soon as the afternoon train goes through, they’ll lay out the wooden dance floor.”

Travis laughed. “It’ll be too hot to dance until after the northbound train goes through at seven.”

Harold said, “Who wants to dance anyway? All we want to do is shoot fireworks.”

“Then I’ll help you do that,” Travis declared. “Just watch out and don’t scare any horses or hurt anyone.”

The kids began to light firecrackers as Violet picked up her picnic basket and started for the house, holding Bonnie by the hand. There were still crowds of people on the street, anticipating the dance tonight.

Away off in the distance, she heard the whistle of the southbound train. “Come on, honey. Let’s go home and take a nap. There won’t be much happening until after the trains run.”

Bonnie began to protest. “Don’t want to go to bed. Want to stay and shoot firecrackers.”

“You’re too little. None of the little kids are shooting fireworks.”

“Bonnie not little, Bonnie big.”

“Not big enough,” Violet said and put down her basket, picked Bonnie up, started for the house. In ten minutes or so, the southbound train would be rolling in.

She carried Bonnie into the house and took her to her bedroom. Growler came out from under the bed to meet them. “It’s almost over, Growler,” she comforted him. “In a couple of hours, the noise will all end.”

Growler obviously didn’t believe her. He went under Bonnie’s bed as the toddler lay down on it.

“Don’t want to go to nap,” Bonnie whined. “Don’t want to nap. . . .” Her voice trailed off and she was asleep, smudged face and all.

Violet patted her and made sure she was sound asleep. Then she went out the front door into the crowd. She’d find Travis and the kids and see if they needed anything.

People were still milling around downtown, watching for the coming train. When it was gone, they’d begin to lay out the dance floor and then at seven, after the northbound train was gone, there’d be paper lanterns and dancing and skyrockets.

She saw Travis and waved at him. He grinned and nodded as he started toward her, the kids running way ahead of him as they pushed through the crowds. The southbound train from Kansas was chugging toward the station now as the kids crossed the tracks and ran toward her.

The engine hissed and threw cinders and soot as it chugged into the station and slowed to a crawl. Then at the station, it ground to a halt with a shudder and the smell of burning wood.

Must have some passengers getting off for a change
, Violet thought as the crowd gathered around out of curiosity. The old conductor stuck his head out the door and when it finally stopped, he got the little stool, put it on the platform and yelled, “Pleasant Valley! Everyone off for Pleasant Valley!”

There was a stir inside the coach and Violet paused, only mildly curious about who might be coming to visit the little sleepy town. The kids were almost to her side now.

One man came out onto the platform, stood looking around. Then another stepped out and joined the first. Violet stood staring at them, both big men with cold, hard faces. For a split second, she thought the late-afternoon sun had played tricks on her and she took a closer look. The sunlight reflected on the cruel, handsome face and the diamond stickpin shaped like a horseshoe. With horror, she realized her worst nightmare had come true. The two men were Duke and his hired gun, Slade.

Duke stood on the back platform as the train came to a shuddering halt. There was a big crowd around the station on this July afternoon.

He heard Slade come out behind him as Duke looked around, seeking a familiar face. Then he saw her standing near the tracks in the heat of this Texas holiday. She had her hair in two ridiculous pigtails and wore a yellow gingham dress. Violet. He smiled and nodded at her.

 

 

Violet felt her face blanch as she looked up at the gambler. Oh, dear God, surely it couldn’t be, but the cold-eyed man was nodding to her, so it was too late to hide. Behind him stood his gunfighter, Slade. Now they were stepping down from the train.

She managed to lick her dry lips as the children gathered around her. “Kids, get to the house, right now, I mean it.”

The children peered up at her, seemingly startled at her harsh tone, and scurried toward the house. What was she to do? She knew that it was no accident Duke had showed up in this sleepy town; he had come for her. How on earth had he found her?

As Duke and his henchman started down the steps and onto the station platform, the crowd seemed to part and watch with interest. New people in Pleasant Valley were unusual.

Violet took a step back. What should she do? The pair were walking straight toward her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Travis crossing the dusty street, his face relaxed and smiling as he walked.

In seconds, he would be standing by her side, no doubt thinking about the evening dance. Duke and Slade were also walking toward her. The gambler had a look of triumph in his black, beady eyes such as a snake might have when about to strike and swallow a small bird.

What to do? If she ran, it would only prolong this encounter, and where could she run to anyway? She dare not go to the house, leading the killers to the children. And then Travis was standing by her side. She could feel the reassuring heat of his brawny body against her arm.

Duke’s lean face broke into a humorless grin. “Well, hello there, Violet. Kate told me I would find you here.”

She glanced sideways at Travis, whose weathered face furrowed. “You know these men, Violet?”

She shook her head, wishing she did not know them, wishing they were back in Red Rock or any place but here, her secret refuge that was a secret no more.

“Oh, come now, Violet, don’t pretend you don’t know us.” Duke had his hand out as he strode toward her.

The crowd had grown silent, listening with curiosity.

She felt Travis tense. “The lady says she doesn’t know you, so maybe you’d better get back on the train and leave.”

She saw Duke’s thin fingers tense as he reached to touch his thin mustache and saw Slade’s hands twitch.

She knew what would be coming next: Duke would provoke a fight with Travis and his gunman would reach out and strike Travis’s pistol as he pulled it. In that split second, Duke would shoot Travis with his hidden derringer and then claim self-defense. He could get away with it, too, because there were at least fifty people gathered around who would see Travis draw first.

She hesitated and took a deep breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Travis’s hand resting on his gun belt. Maybe Travis was faster, maybe he could kill the pair and her secret would be safe and life could go on as it had been. On the other hand, Travis had that bad wrist that might go numb as he drew and between Duke and Slade, he wouldn’t have a chance. They would shoot him down like a stray dog.

“Don’t be so unfriendly and pretend you don’t know us.” Duke nodded and smiled as he and Slade now stood facing them on the wooden sidewalk.

They were maneuvering as always so that Slade would be in a position to knock Travis’s pistol barrel down. It would happen fast if she didn’t stop it. She knew at that instant that she loved Travis and would do whatever it took to save his life.

Travis’s voice was stern and gruff. “You two move on. The lady says she doesn’t know you.”

Except for the puffing of the engine, the street had grown eerily silent. People crowded close out of curiosity at the drama unfolding here.

Now Duke’s face was cold and expressionless. “She’s going with us. Or are you going to try to stop us?”

She must save Travis’s life, no matter what it cost her. She reached out to stop Travis from drawing. She would do anything, anything to save her love. “Yes, Duke, I—I’ll go with you.”

Travis looked shocked. “Why, Violet? Who are these two hombres?”

“Allow me to introduce myself,” Duke said and smiled as he stepped closer. “I’m Duke Roberts of the Diamond Horseshoe and Violet here works for me as a whore, don’t you, honey?”

She threw up her arm to stop Travis from lunging at the man. “Yes, it’s true. I work for Duke. I—I’m one of his saloon girls.”

“And you want to go back to Red Rock with us, don’t you, sugar?”

She forced herself to smile and lie because she knew if she didn’t, Travis would give his life to protect her. “It’s true, Travis, I’m just one of his whores. You thought I was an innocent young thing, didn’t you? Well, I’m not. What a laugh. I’m just a saloon slut and I’ve gotten awfully bored looking after you and those ragtag kids.”

She heard the murmur of dismay through the crowd and when she glanced over at Travis, he looked like he’d been punched hard in the belly. His face had turned white and twisted in pain. “What? You must be joking—”

“No, I’m not. I’ve been fooling you. I—I was about ready to go back to Red Rock anyhow.”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Travis gasped. His hand slid down his gun belt to hang by his side.

She swallowed hard. He believed her and as bad as it hurt to see his stricken face, she had just saved his life.

“Duke,” she said and stepped over to stand by his side, “there won’t be a northbound train ’til seven. Why don’t we go over to the hotel, have a few drinks and wait for it?”

He grinned and shrugged. “If it’s all right with your cowboy friend here.”

“I don’t give a damn what that stupid ass thinks. I had him fooled all along.” She took Duke’s arm.

“Yeah.” Travis’s voice was bitter. “I reckon you’ve made a fool of me. You can go to Red Rock or to hell for all I care.”

She couldn’t bear to look into his eyes. She had hurt him to the quick, but at least he was alive.

“Come on, Slade,” Duke snickered. “The lady’s got a good idea. Let’s go over to the hotel and relax until the train comes. You folks can all go back to your celebrating now, but if you’re ever up in Red Rock, you can lay this beauty for five silver dollars.”

Someone in the crowd laughed and there was a buzz of conversation.
Damn, did she have us fooled. We all thought she was an innocent schoolgirl. Reckon Prescott did, too. Look at his face.

She managed to keep from sobbing as Duke led her across the street to the hotel, Slade trailing along behind them. Silent crowds parted as they walked to let them through. She glanced back once at Travis. He looked wounded and furious and she remembered that another girl had hurt him once. Now Violet had wounded him even deeper. He would never forgive her for this public humiliation, but she had saved his life, so that was all that mattered.

As they entered the front door of the hotel, Duke laughed. “Well, sugar, you must really care about that big cowboy, you kept me from killing him.”

She shrugged as if it didn’t matter. “I was getting tired of this sleepy town,” she lied, “and these silly, hick dresses.”

“You do look like a yokel in that gingham,” Duke agreed. “I got you a better outfit in my carpetbag. Here, take this upstairs and put it on.” He opened up his valise and pulled out a scarlet dress and matching feather plumes.

“Great.” She managed to keep her face immobile. “Then we’ll have a few drinks and some supper.”

Slade peered out the front window. “We gonna have any trouble with that crowd out there?”

“Naw.” She started across the lobby. “They’re all so shocked, it’ll take days to get over thinking the innocent schoolgirl is really a saloon whore, and you saw how humiliated the cowboy was.”

“Was he ever!” Duke snorted. “He looked like he’d like to kill you and me, too.”

“Yeah, but there’s no point in spilling blood on the Fourth of July,” she said as she started up the stairs.

“Don’t this town have any lawmen?”

She turned on the stairs and looked back. “Yeah, but the sheriff is laid up from a robbery a few days ago and the deputy has taken the robbers over to the county seat, so there’s really no law in town right now.” She decided not to mention that Travis had once been a Ranger.

“That’s good,” Slade grunted as he walked toward the dining room. “There’s a big bounty on us in Texas, you know, and I was afraid someone might try to collect it.”

Duke lit a cigar. “I told you we could get in and out without any trouble. Most of these hicks don’t know there’s a reward out for us and those who might don’t have the courage to try to stop us.”

“I’ll be down in a minute,” Violet said and, grasping the skimpy outfit, went upstairs to a room.

She spread it out on a bed and sighed. She should have known there was no chance of changing what she was or escaping her past, even though she’d tried. She wished now she had left town yesterday so that Travis would never have found out that she was worse than this Emily he’d loved. It had only been a stupid dream that Violet might walk away from her past and start a new life with a good man.

She went to the window and looked out at the sun slanting in the west. The southbound train was pulling out, puffing and throwing soot and smoke as it left. Now she had almost three hours ahead of her before the northbound train picked them up and took them back to Red Rock and her old life. She thought about climbing out the window and running, hiding. No, she shook her head. Now that Duke had found her, he wouldn’t let her escape again. She had no money and no way to get out of town anyway. Anything she did might endanger Travis and the kids so she would accept her fate.

With a sigh, she put on the skimpy outfit and the red feather plumes. Then, choking back her tears, she went slowly down the stairs.

People standing about in the lobby stared at her and made way as she squared her shoulders and walked into the dining room. There were a few people having an early supper. She sauntered over to Duke’s table, ignoring the shocked stares of the diners.

“Hey, sugar, you look great—just like old times. Sit down and have a drink.”

She forced a smile. “I’ll have a smoke, too, Duke.”

He brought out his silver cigarette case. “I got to hand it to you, sugar. I thought you might have run off, and that hurt my pride. You know my girls never leave me.”

“Aw, I was just bored.” She took the cigarette and let him light it for her. “I thought it might be fun to see how average women lived.”

“And?” Slade asked.

She swore and took a deep puff of smoke. “Hard work and plenty of it. I tried to figure out how to get back to Red Rock, but housewives never have a damn dime of their own.”

“Glad you came to your senses.” Duke grinned and signaled the waiter. “We’ll have a bottle of your best whiskey and then three big steaks.”

“Yes, sir.” The hotel owner, who knew Violet, looked at her in surprise and disgust as he turned away and hurried to fill their order.

Violet laughed to keep from crying. “He’s one of the locals I fooled into thinking I was an innocent schoolgirl.”

“Damn fool,” Duke said. “You’re the best whore in Kansas, that’s what you are, Violet. I’ll give you a roll tonight myself on the train and then starting tomorrow, that little sweet butt of yours will be back earning money for me. Half the men in this hick town will be looking for an excuse to come to Red Rock and enjoy your charms.”

“Sure.” She winked at him and took a deep puff of her cigarette. She’d rather die than let any man make love to her again except Travis, but she couldn’t say that. Now she knew why so many of the saloon girls drank themselves senseless every day. She had found real love and now she had lost it again. There was nothing ahead in life but misery, entertaining crowds of men who wanted to fondle her and rape her, and none of them, including Duke, gave a damn about her. And now Travis didn’t either.

Travis. She must not think about him or she wouldn’t be able to keep up this charade, that she was happy Duke had rescued her. She had less than three hours to pretend, and then she would be on that northbound train with Duke and his henchman. Travis and the kids would be safe and nothing mattered after that.

 

 

Travis had watched Violet walking away with the gambler in disbelief. Around him, people were tittering and whispering. He felt fingers pointing and people stealing curious looks. It was far worse than what had happened with Emily.

He watched the trio walk into the hotel and disappear. He stood there, staring after them, feeling like he’d been shot in the gut. She wasn’t an innocent. She was a saloon whore, the worst kind of woman on the frontier, and she had boasted about lying to him, fooling him. The train conductor yelled, “All aboard!” The train shuddered and then began to chug out of the station, headed south into the hot afternoon. The crowd began to scatter.

The joy and excitement seemed to have gone out of the Fourth of July celebrations. A few people still stood about on the streets, but many of them had drifted away, into homes or businesses until the street was almost deserted.

With a sigh, Travis walked slowly home. The kids were all waiting for him inside, gathering around him, their faces hopeful and anxious. He noted Kessie was once again chewing her fingernails and the youngest sobbed softly. He took off his gun belt and hung it on the rack by the door, feeling no emotion, nothing but a numbness in his gut.

He picked Bonnie up and hugged her. Her drawers were wet. “Are you going to become Boo Hoo again?”