Courting Kate (34 page)

Catching a glimpse of himself in a mirror running the full length of the wall behind the gleaming, brass-railed, cherrywood bar, did nothing to dispel that notion. He felt as out of place as a skunk at a Sunday school picnic. As he took note of his shaggy hair, his battered hat and his shadowed jaws, he gave thanks that his pant legs covered his chewed boots.

Large, gold-framed paintings of smiling, gauze-draped nudes adorned the brocade-covered walls. Crystal chandeliers flickered overhead. Brass spittoons took up strategic spots around the perimeter.

Heaven help the man that spit on that polished oak floor or on the thick Oriental rug, Tanner thought wryly. Glad that he neither smoked nor chewed, he shifted uneasily in the padded leather chair.

Except for himself and Fuller and a well-dressed foursome playing cards, the place was empty. Maybe nobody else felt comfortable there, either.
 

The bartender looked up from the glasses he was polishing and called out a greeting to the mine owner. Then he reached beneath the bar and removed a bottle, apparently private stock, and brought it and two crystal tumblers to the table. With a flourish, he poured them each a hefty shot, then stood waiting.

“Thank you, O’Dell. Just leave the bottle,” Tom instructed. “We’ve got some business to discuss.”

The bartender nodded and returned to the counter.

Tom hoisted his drink. “Here’s to your health.” He swallowed his drink. “Hah-h, smooth as silk. Prime bourbon.” He glanced at Tanner.
 

Not wanting to offend the man, Tanner downed his own drink, only to have Tom immediately pour him another.

“My foreman told me you’ve been hanging around town all week. I presume that means you’ve finished cutting the timber.”

“Not quite,” Tanner hedged. “It won’t be long now, though.”

“How long?”

“By the end of the month.” Only if he worked night and day, and was god-awful lucky, Tanner thought.
 

“Since this is March first, that’s almost a month yet. You’re already over the deadline I gave you.”

“The snow delayed me some,” Tanner said, downing the second drink.

“Among other things, from what I hear.” Tom filled their glasses again. “I understand from Rutledge that you’re engaged to Kate Deveraux.”

Tense, Tanner waited. If the man said one derogatory word about Kate, contract or no contract, he would put his fist in Fuller’s elegant mouth.

But the mine owner only extolled Kate’s virtues. Apparently she was very well-liked around town. He knew from the man’s comments that Fuller hadn’t heard the latest gossip, yet.

The mine owner offered Tanner a cigar, which he declined.

Fuller stuck a cigar in his own mouth and lit it. He took a puff, filling the area around his head in a circle of smoke. “I think my foreman was hoping he might persuade Kathleen to marry him. Somehow, I never really thought she was your type.”

“She’s much too good for me,” Tanner agreed, a little resentful at the man’s implication. “But nevertheless, we’ll be getting married before summer.” Sooner than that if he had his way.

“Well, Blaine, your private life is your own concern—as long as it doesn’t interfere in our business arrangement.” He leaned forward and placed his palms on the table. “We have a contract, and I’ve been more than lenient. I won’t abide any more delays. I need that flume, and I need it now.” He scooted his chair back from the table. “I’ll give you until the fifteenth. Not one day more.”

“The fifteenth?” A knot tied in Tanner’s middle. He nodded.
 

“May as well enjoy the rest of this. The hotel will charge me for it anyhow.” He sloshed the remains of the bottle into Tanner’s glass. Then he abruptly left the saloon.
 

Two weeks. Tanner stared into the amber liquid. To do more than six weeks’ work. There was no way. He couldn’t do it.
 

He had to do it. He had no choice.

He could rig lanterns to see by, work until he dropped. It wasn’t the work that bothered him. It was the realization that during those two weeks, there would be no time for coming into town— or seeing Kate.

She hadn’t yet agreed to marry him.

Other men with a lot more to offer were knocking on her door. Men that wouldn’t hesitate to take advantage of his absence.

He couldn’t lose her. Not now.

But it might very possibly happen.
 

Needing to vanquish his sense of foreboding, he turned up his glass and drowned his drink. It didn’t help. It only made him dizzy.
 

“We’re closing now, sir.”

Tanner glanced around the room. Except for him and the barman, the place was empty.

“I’m finished.” He bid the man good night, got to his feet and staggered from the hotel.

When he reached the boardwalk, Tanner leaned against the hitching rail and gulped the cool air, hoping it might help clear his senses. He wasn’t much of a drinking man, never had been. And he hadn’t had anything to eat since that pie this morning, which fact only added to his intoxication. The two combined made a potent combination.
 

After a minute, he glanced up the street, surprised to see that the town, except for the saloon on the next block, had grown dark. The only light came from a three-quarter moon directly overhead. Most of Jacksonville had retired for the night.
 

He pushed away from the hitching rail. His head spun. The way his legs were wobbling made Tanner wonder if he’d even make it to Kate’s.
The dog.
He didn’t dare go back without him. He sure didn’t feel up to hunting for the animal either. He called a few times and when he neared the pie shop, he managed a whistle. He sighed in relief when Fluffy emerged from the shadows.

With the ultimatum the mine owner had given him, he had to get things settled with Kate. Tanner hoped that if he explained the situation, she would understand that the rest of that courting business would have to wait.
 

He wondered if he’d still have to court her, if she’d still consider it necessary. It seemed kind of silly under the circumstances. By being caught in her bedroom. he’d already compromised her reputation—even if nothing had happened.
 

Those old biddies didn’t know that, however. If he could judge by the look on their faces, they thought he and Kate had been having an orgy.

And while he hated to be the cause of damage to Kate’s good name, he also had the feeling that Bob Rutledge wouldn’t care if Tanner had slept with Kate or not. Rutledge would steal her just for spite.
 

That fact, and not being sure how she felt about him, or about Rutledge, left Tanner apprehensive about the state of their future. He also recalled that when he’d left, Kate had been fit to be tied.

Not knowing what to expect, he went up her steps and knocked politely.

She didn’t answer.

He tried the knob. It turned easily. At least she hadn’t locked him out, but it didn’t seem like her to leave the door unlatched either. For all he knew she had that frying pan waiting on the other side. He let the dog in first, then cautiously followed.

He looked around. When he didn’t see her, he felt safe in closing and locking the door.
 

Fluffy walked to the settee and began wagging his tail.

Tanner, following the dog’s cue, found Kate there, curled up, one palm under her cheek. Asleep, she didn’t look much older than Luke. He knew she’d had a difficult day, but he’d hoped that they could talk. He’d hoped that if he couldn’t get her to agree to marry him right off, at least he might persuade her not to marry anybody else. At least not until he had time to advance his own cause.
 

But since she was asleep, he wouldn’t have the chance. Besides, he hated to burden her with his problems.

She moaned in her sleep.
 

She didn’t look too comfortable all scrunched up that way, and she would be cold before morning. Maybe he should carry her back to the bed. He slid his arms under her legs and lifted her into his arms. She felt so good, smelled so sweet, he was tempted to pack her right out of there, take her back to the mountain.

He took a step. Staggered from too much to drink. Dropped her back onto the sofa.
 

Jolted awake, Kate opened her eyes to see Tanner looming over her. “So you’re back.” She sat up. “Where’s Fluffy?”

“He’sh all right. See.” Swaying, he pointed toward the corner.
 

“It’s about time,” she said, crossly. She sniffed. “You smell like a moonshine still.”

“I had some bus-i-ness to take care of at the hotel bar.”

“Humph.” He was drunk. “Monkey business, I’d imagine.”

“It’sh true. I’da been back hours ago, but I ran into Tom Fuller....”

“Was he driving a whiskey wagon?”

“No. He was walking. Scoot over, I gotta sid down.” Kate managed to move just in time.

Tanner’s knees buckled. He flopped onto the sofa, then buried his head in his hands. “I don’t feel so good.”

“You look even worse.” He was an inebriated mess. He couldn’t stand, couldn’t walk, and appeared to be about to pass out on her couch. “I think I’d better make some coffee.”

She put the pot on and returned to find he was dead to the world. At least this time he wasn’t in her bed. She stared at him, started to shake him awake. She hesitated. Even if she did manage to get the coffee down him, she doubted if he would be in any shape to ride.

Removing the coffeepot from the fire, she thought about the treacherous mountain trail, about the wild animals that lurked in the brush. If he did ride out and something happened, in his present condition he’d be helpless. He might get hurt—or killed, and it would all be her fault.
 

On the other hand, if she allowed him to stay here, her reputation would be tattered beyond repair. But knowing how gossip spread, she imagined the good ladies had already taken care of that.
 

What did she have to lose?

Her virginity?

Somehow she thought men set more store by that virtue than did women. Otherwise, why would they demand that their women remain chaste and pure, while they prowled around like alley cats?

She looked at Tanner, who snored in oblivion. At least she’d find out what she’d been missing.
 

Scandalized by the direction her thoughts had taken, she quickly fetched a quilt from the bedroom and covered him.
 

Tanner didn’t even move. And from the look of him, he wouldn’t until morning.

Her virginity was safe. That should have made her happy, but it didn’t. It only made her annoyed. She checked the door and adjusted the blanket on Tanner, then she blew out the light and went to bed.
 

Chapter 23

Kate changed into her nightgown and climbed into bed, her thoughts filled with the man asleep on her couch, and what he had come to mean to her. She loved him more than she’d ever thought possible.

Months ago, she had arrived in Jacksonville expecting to be Tanner’s bride, only to have him tell her in no uncertain terms that he had no intention of marrying her. To prove that fact, he’d attempted to marry her off—to anybody that expressed any interest.
 

Then, during the smallpox epidemic, he’d practically kidnapped her and taken her to the mountain—because he felt obligated to take care of her.

Had he also felt obligated to kiss her, to make love to her in every way but the one that would leave him no choice but to marry her?
 

Then, recently, he’d decided to court her, even though it was obvious that he had no idea of what the term entailed.

Why? Was it because he didn’t want anybody else to have her? Since he had been so determined to marry her off, that didn’t make sense either.

But thinking back on it, she realized that it was shortly after Tanner had decided to court her that most of her other gentleman friends had ceased to call. Did Tanner have something to do with that, too?
 

She thought of his marriage proposal. No, she corrected, he never asked her to marry him. He’d simply announced it, as if she had no say at all in the matter. And he’d only done that after the ladies had caught him coming out of her bedroom.

Obligation again, she was sure of it.

How could she ever trust his motives? Especially when she doubted that he really knew what he wanted himself.

If only he really cared.

She closed her eyes and hugged her pillow, imagining what might have happened if the ladies hadn’t arrived when they did, if their lovemaking had had a whole different ending....
 

* * *
 

Awakening with a headache, his mouth feeling like he had been eating fuzzy caterpillars, Tanner wondered why his feet were dangling on the floor, and what had happened to make him feel so bad. Holding onto his head, he sat up. Then he remembered. He was at Kate’s. Before that he’d been drinking with Tom Fuller.