Courting Kate (30 page)

“Thank you, Fred. The meal was delicious, and I really enjoyed the buggy ride.”

Buggy ride?
What was she doing out riding around in the old coot’s buggy—in the moonlight? He clenched his fists when Kate stood on tiptoe and kissed the doctor on the cheek.
 

“My dear, being with a pretty woman like you makes this old man feel like a schoolboy,” the physician said.
 

“You’re not so old. More like in your prime, I’d say,” she retorted with a smile.

Prime! Doc Thomas is old enough to be her father,
Tanner fumed inwardly.

“Well, guess I’d better get along home,” the physician said.

“Good night, Fred.”

“Sweet dreams, Kate.” After she was safely inside, the medical man got in his buggy and drove off down the street.

Tanner brushed the dust from his clothes and strode toward her door. He knocked. Once. Twice. Couldn’t she hear him? Finally he pounded on the door with his fist.
 

“Get away from there or I’ll shoot,” she called out.

“Kate. It’s Tanner. Open up.”

He heard the latch click, then she opened the door, a gun clutched in her hands. It wasn’t the little derringer he’d taken away from her before; this one looked as big as a cannon. He stepped back.
 

“What do you want?” she asked.

“Put that thing down, and I’ll tell you.” He eyed the weapon nervously.

“Still giving orders, are you?” She looked him up and down. “You may as well come in. I don’t want to wake the whole neighborhood.”

He took off his hat and stepped inside.

She closed the door.

He waited, expecting the usual amenities.

But she didn’t offer him a seat or anything else. And she still held the gun, although it wasn’t pointed at him—at present.

“Well? What do you want?”

“I came courtin’,” he said, shoving a box of candy at her.

“C-courting?” She looked at the candy then at him. “It’s been opened.”

“I got hungry,” he explained. “Aren’t you going to ask me to sit down?”

“Why? It’s late, and I want to go to bed.”
 

He looked at the bed, then he lifted a brow and looked at her. He smiled.

She frowned—and raised the barrel. “I want you to leave—right now.”

“But I came courtin’.”
 

“I doubt if you even know what the word means. When you court a woman you don’t show up on her doorstep in the middle of the night. And you don’t give her a half-eaten box of sweets.”

“If you had been home instead of out gallivanting around
half
the night, I could have done it right.”

“A
gentleman
would ask a lady ahead of time. Then, when and if she accepts his invitation, a
gentleman
would take her out to supper, or a play, or whatever.”

“What kind of
‘whatever’?
” he asked, not liking the sound of that.
 

“I can guarantee it’s not the kind of
‘whatever’
you’re thinking about,” she said, drawing herself up primly.

“All right, since I’m already here,” he grumbled, “How about a walk in the moonlight?”

“At this hour?” She shook her head.
 

“It’s not my fault you got home so late.”

“It’s also none of your concern what hours I keep.”

“A
lady
would be home at a respectable hour,” he countered.
 

Kate’s eyes narrowed. “Are you implying I’m not a lady?”
 

He could tell by the glare she shot at him that he’d stepped into that with both feet. “Damn, I knew this talking business would get me into trouble.” Well, he just wouldn’t talk any more. He reached for her.

She backed away—and cocked the gun. “Get out!”

“You are the most aggravating female I ever met.” He jammed his hat back on his head. “I don’t know why I ever decided to court you in the first place.” He jerked the door open and stomped outside.
 

She followed him over the threshold. “Well, I’m sure I don’t know why, either. I certainly didn’t ask you to.”

He locked his gaze onto hers. He could have told her he loved her, but staring down the barrel of a loaded gun didn’t exactly appeal to his romantic nature. This wasn’t going right. Not right at all. “Good night, Kate.
Sweet dreams,”
he said, mimicking the doctor’s phrase.

She glared at him, then whirled and got the candy box from the counter. “Don’t forget this. You might get hungry again.” She threw the box at him, then stepped back inside and slammed the door.
 

A stray dog crept from the shadows. He eyed Tanner cautiously, then ravenously devoured the spilled candy.

His own stomach rumbling, Tanner shot a resentful look toward the cur. She could have handed him the box. She didn’t have to throw it in the dirt.

A gentleman would ask a lady ahead of time.
 

Maybe he... He glanced at the house and saw the lights go out. Pondering the perversities of women, he headed for his horse.

* * *

Inside the house, Kate eased away from the window. So he wanted to court her, did he?

Why?

It wasn’t like she hadn’t given him ample opportunity. He’d had months, and he hadn’t said a thing. He’d had no objection to fondling her at every opportunity. He would have gone even further if she had give him the least encouragement. But he had certainly never given any indication of making a commitment. That day on the mountain the preacher had practically asked him over the barrel of a shotgun.

Tanner hadn’t said a word.
 

Had he changed his mind?

And, if he had, why now?
 

Why now?
 

Chapter 21

The next night, Kate went to a play at Horne’s hall with Hank Jordon, the owner of the Tin Peak mine. The night after that, she attended a church social with Dr. Thomas. Then last night, when she had supper with Madame Jeanne, some man, apparently a salesman, sat with them most of the evening.

Tanner knew this because he had been watching Kate, first through the boardinghouse window, then from the toolshed across from her house.

Every day, after quitting work early, he’d come into town, planning on doing the gentlemanly thing, only to find somebody else had beaten him to it. He’d intended to knock on her door, pass a few pleasantries, then ask her out—ahead of time, like she’d said. But, dang it, he never had the chance.

Then when she did get home, it was too late to do any courting. And with the attitude she’d had the last time he’d tried it, he figured she would have to be softened up a bit before she’d ever consider going anywhere with him.

Tanner scowled, wishing he could run off with her, marry her and be done with it. But if he tried such a thing, he’d probably end up at the end of a rope.
 

He was getting tempted to try it anyway, but before he could act on the impulse, the same man who had been such a nuisance at the boardinghouse pranced up the alleyway and knocked on her door.

Dressed in a fine checkered suit, a bowler hat, his shoes polished, and his hair slicked back and reeking of Macassar oil, the salesman cut a fine figure—if you cared for that sort of thing—which most women did.

He hoped that Kate had better sense, but, all smiles, she answered the door.
 

The man gave her a bouquet of daffodils—which Kate accepted. After she stuck them in a vase, she and the slicker walked across the street to the Franco-American.
 

Tanner followed from a distance, spying on them from behind the boardinghouse until the cook came out to dump the garbage. Afraid he might be recognized, Tanner went back to Kate’s, where he prowled the alley, waiting for them to come home. He checked his pocket watch for the umpteenth time. What could she be doing? He could have eaten three meals in the time it took her to eat dessert, and they’d been eating that an hour ago.
 

The tinkling of her laughter alerted him to her presence. He darted into the toolshed, and peered from behind the half-opened door.
 

“It was a divine evening, thank you, Daniel,” she said upon reaching her doorstep.
 

“Not half as divine as the company, my sweet.”
 

De-vine?
Tanner rolled his eyes. He’d never heard such hogwash in all his life. He almost bolted from the shed when the scoundrel kissed her hand. Then her wrist.
 

Before Tanner could act, Kate reclaimed her arm and opened her door.
 

Fluffy poked his nose out and growled.

Tanner grinned. He knew he liked that critter.

The salesman took one look at the dog and retreated down the steps. “Good night, Kathleen.”

“Good night, Daniel.” She slipped inside and closed the door.
 

Her suitor released a regretful sigh, then with one last wistful look at the house, he strolled away.

Tanner stepped from hiding. “Hold up, there.”
 

The man whirled, startled. “What...” He hoisted his arms, thinking he was being robbed.
 

“Put your hands down, you fool.” Tanner took the salesman’s arm and pulled him out of earshot of the house. “Look here,
friend
. We need to get some things straight. That’s
my
woman you’ve been stepping out with.
My
woman you’ve been kissing.” Tanner drew himself up, looming over the smaller man. “I don’t like it,” he bit out, his tone full of menace.

The man held up his hands and backed away. “Sorry, mister, I didn’t know.”

“You know it now.” Tanner gripped the front of the stranger’s suit. “See that it doesn’t happen again.”

“No, sir. You have my word.”

Tanner released him.

The man hurriedly moved away, then broke and ran toward the saloon.

“One down.” Tanner dusted his hands together and smiled. Now if the rest of them would scare off that easy.

* * *

It was nearing sunset and Kate had just removed a fresh batch of pies from her oven when she heard a knock on her door. “Now who could that be?” She wasn’t expecting company. After the late hours she’d been keeping, she’d decided to go to bed early for a change. She wiped her hands on her apron and peeked through the window glass.
Him again.
 

She opened the door. “What do
you
want?”

“Same thing I wanted last time,” Tanner answered, as if determined not to be put off by her frosty attitude. “I’ve come courting. And since you insist on it, I’ve come to ask you ahead of time.”

“I don’t think so.” She went to shut the door.

He stuck his foot in the crack, then thrust a wilted bouquet through the opening. “Here.”

“Flowers?” She pinched her nose, but the pollen had already done its work. She began to sneeze. “Get them—achoo— out of—achoo-achoo—here!”
 

He tossed the wildflowers into the street.
 

When she turned to grab a handkerchief, he took the opportunity to sneak inside.

She glared at him, tears flowing from her eyes.
 

“Sorry, Kate. That other feller brought you flowers. I though maybe you were over your allergy.”

“Ah-choo! What other feller—fellow?”
 

“That duded up salesman.” He scuffed his boot on the floor. “Yellow flowers, remember?”

“I tossed those out after he left.” She blew her nose, then looked at him. “How did you know about that?”

“I—uh, somebody must have told me.”

A lie if she’d ever heard one. “Oh?” She tapped her foot. “And what else did they tell you?”

“Nothing much. Only you haven’t been home much lately.”

“Anything else?”

“Only that you’ve been staying out till God only knows when every night.”

She smiled. “I have been keeping rather late hours.” She stifled a yawn.

“Yeah.” He leaned close and lifted her eyelid and stared into her eye. “Just like I thought. Bloodshot.”

She pushed him away. “They are not. Even if they are it’s none of your concern—or your friend’s either.”

“You’re the one who said you weren’t getting enough sleep.”

She hadn’t said that, had she? “Well, maybe I could take a nap, if you’d quit pestering me.”

“I’ll leave—when you agree to go out with me.” He crossed his arms and leaned back against her door.
 

“Is that the only way I’m going to get rid of you?”
 

He nodded.

“All right then. I will.”

“When?”

She bit her lip, then lifted her hand and begin counting on her fingers. “I have an engagement then, and then, and, oh yes, then, too.” She glanced up at him. “How about two weeks from next Sunday?”