Deborah Camp (13 page)

Sally and Terrapin moved stealthily to a horse and buggy. Terrapin helped Sally into the seat, then sprang up beside her. Cuddling close, with Sally’s head on his shoulder, Terrapin reined the buggy away from the depot—toward some hideaway, Reno presumed.

His luck was holding, Reno thought. Dellie’s allegiance to Sally was obviously misplaced. He’d bet Dellie did not know that Sally had a suitor.

Nudging his horse from the shelter of the hickory, he made for the restaurant, debating with himself how he would use his newfound information to his best advantage. He’d have to be careful. Dellie was fond of Sally, and this revelation could blow up in his face. Women, like dynamite, were often unpredictable. And damned dangerous.

H
aving purchased a spool of thread with which to finish Mrs. McDonald’s work dresses and a bag of lemon drops for her own sweet tooth, Adele emerged from the General Store and hurried home. Smiling to herself, she placed one of the candies in her mouth and thought about how Reno called her
sugar
. She liked it. Loved the way he said it, so slow and Southern.
Shugah
.

Afternoon shadows striped the muddy street. The horses and vehicles made sucking sounds in the muck. It had rained early that morning, but the clouds had been chased away by noon.

When Adele had left the restaurant, she’d expected to see Reno out back working on that confounded shed, since he wasn’t in the kitchen with Mrs. McDonald. No sound of hammer or saw rent the air, making her wonder where he was hiding. He’d come home at a decent hour last night, although she had already gone to bed. She’d listened to him moving about in the front parlor and had pictured him stepping gingerly so as not to disturb her. When the cot
had groaned under his weight, she had envisioned him lying flat on his back, staring at the ceiling, just like her. Did he think of her, or was his mind occupied by other things, other women?

“Such nonsense,” she muttered to herself, jerking her thoughts from their preoccupation with Reno Gold. “What do you care?” Then she caught sight of him and stumbled over her own feet.

Getting her balance again before she could pitch forward onto the boardwalk, she stared at Reno and Little Nugget sitting side by side on the balcony of the Black Knight Saloon, Whistle Stop’s whorehouse. Pretty as you please, they sat in big wicker chairs and laughed at something Little Nugget had said.

Adele glanced around and was relieved to find no one else staring at them. What was he thinking, sporting with that woman right on the main street of town? It was one thing to hire a soiled dove. After all, Mrs. McDonald had become quite an asset, Adele admitted. And she could turn a blind eye when Little Nugget visited Mrs. McDonald at the restaurant. But for Reno, a married man, to sport with one of Terrapin’s trollops right under the town’s nose! Well, it was unpardonable.

“He’s been up there with her most of the afternoon.”

Adele whirled to confront the man who had spoken to her. He leaned against a post, his thumbs tucked into his gun belt, a faint smile quirking his lips. The one eye revealed to her was blue and cold.

“You’re Mr. Terrapin’s hired gun, aren’t you?” Adele asked, making her tone convey her displeasure.

He nodded. “Buck Wilhite’s the name. I’m Mr. Terrapin’s assistant.”

“Assistant, hmmm?” Adele poked into her small sack of purchases and popped another lemon drop into her mouth. “I wonder what kind of assistance Mr. Terrapin requires.”

“Mr. Terrapin has asked your husband to stay away from Little Nugget, but there he sits.” Wilhite returned his attention to Reno and the pretty blonde. “Guess your man don’t have much respect for his life—or for you.”

Adele almost choked on the hard candy. “He told Reno to stay away from that woman? Why? Anyone with enough money can buy her time.”

“She’s the boss man’s favorite and he don’t much like your husband.” His blue eye slid sideways to find her. “If I was your mister, I wouldn’t be wasting my time with whores.”

“If you were any kind of decent man, you wouldn’t be working for a whoremonger and taking money to threaten and bully people.” She smiled, not caring that she had roundly insulted him. “Good day, sir.” Turning on her heel, she marched smartly toward the restaurant. She glanced back once to find that Wilhite wasn’t the only man interested in her departure. Reno had taken notice, too.

Cranking the pump handle for all she was worth, Adele filled the wooden bucket to the brim with water, her thoughts churning. She tried to lift the bucket and groaned when her shoulder socket burned.

“Let me.” A shadow fell across her at the same time
as a warm hand brushed against hers on the rope handle.

Adele snatched her hand away and stared up into Reno’s face. The brooding quality in his eyes belied the smile on his lips.

“I saw you in town,” she said, her tone accusing.

“And I saw you.”

“I was merely on a shopping trip.” She gave him her back, wishing he didn’t look quite so handsome in his work pants and shirt of dark blue that matched his eyes.

“So was I.”

Adele gasped and swung around to him. “I thought we had an understanding about this.”

“About what?”

“About you embarrassing me in public!”

“And how did I embarrass you?” He placed his hands on his hips and waited for her explanation.

Adele ground her teeth, resenting his act of innocence. “You know perfectly well how. You were doing your shopping in public where everyone and God could see you.” She gave a sniff of contempt. “And you’re asking for trouble by cavorting with Little Nugget. She is supposedly Terrapin’s favorite, and I believe you’ve been told to stay away from her.”

“Who told you that?”

“Terrapin’s
assistant
. Buck Wilhite.”

“Yes, I saw you talking to him. You should be careful who you associate with, Dellie.”

“Me?” She almost sputtered with affront. “How dare you suggest that I—” She snapped off the rest of her tirade, her words drowned out by Reno’s laughter. She felt her face heat and her hands tremble.
Spinning away from him, she wished she wasn’t a lady, so that she could slap him quiet. A pillow! Oh, for a pillow! But violence was never the answer, she counseled herself, her hands curling into impotent fists.

“Ah, Dellie, you are a constant amusement.” Reno struggled to control himself and rested his hands lightly on her shoulders.

Adele jerked away and put distance between them.

“Hey now, don’t be that way. I’m only having a little fun with you. Remember how we used to tease each other back in Lawrence when we were just a couple of green sprouts? Hell, we had some good times back then.”

“We were children then and we are grown up now,” Adele pointed out, however needlessly. “I see nothing amusing about you cavorting with whores in town, thus sullying my good name.”

“I wasn’t cavorting. I was shopping for some information. Information, I might add, for you.”

She issued a harsh laugh. “For me? Little Nugget has nothing to say that could possibly be of interest to me. Unless, of course, she has decided to leave her life of sin. I will be glad to help her, if that’s the case.” She glanced at him and read his expression. “But that’s not the case, is it? She enjoys her servitude to Taylor Terrapin.”

“Dellie, people can’t change overnight.” He sighed and shook his head. “You should know that by now. But that’s not what I want to talk to you about. First, I want you to stay away from Buck Wilhite.”

She arched a brow. “I assure you I have no intention of striking up any kind of relationship with that
man. However, if I was so inclined, your orders would not deter me.”

He grinned and reached out to tap the end of her nose with his fingertip, then laughed when she back-pedaled. “He’s right. You’re a spirited filly.”

“What are you talking about? Who said that?”

“Never mind. I’m glad you have enough sense to stay away from Terrapin’s henchman. What was he saying to you on the street?”

“That you had been with Little Nugget most of the day and that Mr. Terrapin had asked you not to consort with her.”

“I think he’s tailing me.”

“Wilhite? Why would he do that?”

“Because Terrapin would like for me to be dead or gone.”

Adele took an involuntary step toward him, nonplussed by his assertion. “If that’s true, Reno, then you must be careful. Don’t sell Taylor Terrapin short. He’s a vicious man, with no moral conscience.”

“Then you won’t like what I have to tell you.”

His ominous tone stiffened her with dread. She set her jaw and waited for him to drop the other shoe.

“Terrapin is courting Sally.”

She felt her eyes go wide and her jaw slacken. “That cad! Oh, poor Sally. She hasn’t said a thing to me about this, so he must not be pestering her too much. Who told you? Little Nugget? She’s probably jealous, so we shouldn’t take what she says too seriously.”

He held up a hand, palm out, to stop her flow of words. “Sally hasn’t discouraged him, Dellie.” Bending down and leaning in close until his gaze arrested
hers, he fashioned a determined scowl. “Sally likes his attentions. She sneaks out two or three times a week after dark to meet with him.”

Fury clamped down on Adele’s good sense. She retreated from Reno as if he’d grown horns and a tail. “You liar! How dare you spread such vicious gossip about a woman who is like a sister to me! You should be ashamed, Reno Gold. Just because you and Sally don’t get along is no reason for you to consort with a soiled dove and make up horrid stories about—”

Reno hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her against him, crushing the breath from her and abruptly ending her tirade.

“I’m not a liar. I saw them with my own eyes last night when I came home. While I admire your steadfast loyalty, Dellie, you should open your ears before you let your mouth run free.”

Adele glared with belligerence at him, since there was little else she could do with him holding her captive so that she could hardly breathe.

“When I came home last night, I saw Sally run and throw herself into his arms. Then they hopped into a buggy and headed out of town.”

“Where to?”

“I didn’t follow them, but I figure they have a secret place where they can do their spooning.”

Adele made a face, finding the whole scenario distasteful and impossible to believe.

“I wanted to be sure that I saw what I saw, so I went to the saloon and had a talk with Little Nugget. She said that Terrapin has been sneaking around with Sally for a few weeks. She’s glad, because that means he spends less time with her. In fact, Little Nugget is
hoping Terrapin will marry Sally. Not that he’d stop sleeping with Nugget, should that happen, but he won’t bother her nearly as much.”

“Are you finished?” Adele asked, getting a nod from him. “Then please let go of me. I can barely draw breath.”

His arm loosened, but he did not release her. “I like holding you. You’re about the softest, sweetest-smelling female I’ve ever encountered, Dellie Bishop Gold.” He grinned. “By damn, I sure do like the sound of that.”

“You are mistaken.”

“About you being soft and sweet-smelling? I don’t think so.” He sniffed her hair, then nuzzled her temple where her hair curled damply against her skin. “Ummm, you smell like spring, Dellie. Like the best spring ever.”

She closed her eyes, the touch of his lips upon her skin intoxicating, his gentleness and flowery words disarming. She no longer wanted to be released.

“Remember when I gave you your first kiss?”

She smiled. “Who said it was my first kiss?”

“You did.”

“I did?” She knitted her brows, trying to recall that confession.

“Sure did. You weren’t lying to me, were you?”

“No. It was my first real kiss. I’d been bussed on the cheek, and Winston had brushed his lips over mine once or twice, but you were the first to truly kiss me.”

“The first,” he whispered, his lips moving across her cheek toward her mouth. “And I pray the last. When I draw my final breath, Dellie, I want you beside
me. I want you to give me a sweet good-bye kiss.”

While the image was not one she wished to contemplate, Adele savored the sentiment behind it. Dusk draped them, and she let the world slip away. When Reno’s lips touched hers, she sighed and melted against him. She felt his momentary surprise at her unconditional surrender, then his tongue slipped between her lips and sparked a passion so divine, so unexpected, that Adele’s knees nearly gave way. She flung an arm around his neck to keep herself upright.

His lips stroked hers and his hands roamed her back and hips. Adele’s fingers touched the curls at his nape and moved up into his inky hair. The kiss continued far longer than was prudent and increased in its ardor to the point at which her breath was depleted and she had to tear her mouth from his or die.

Sucking in air, Adele stared into Reno’s eyes and saw the bright fire of desire there. A flame within her leapt in response.

“Adele? Oh, Dellie!” Sally’s voice floated to them before Sally rounded the side of the depot. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted them. “What’s going on here?”

Adele disengaged herself from Reno’s embrace and smoothed wisps of her hair back from her face. She knew she should be embarrassed to be caught kissing passionately in the backyard, but Reno’s tenderly teasing smile bewitched her. She turned toward Sally without a trace of self-consciousness.

“What do you need, Sally?”

“Nothing. I was just …” Sally looked from Adele
to Reno and then back to Adele, clearly puzzled. “You should come inside now, Dellie.”

“Why?” Adele asked, not liking Sally’s maternal tone.

“Because it is the proper thing to do.” Sally’s face was visible, lit by the light shining through the kitchen window. “The dinner trade is beginning.”

“I’ll be in shortly.” Adele stood her ground, refusing to obey. Reno’s earlier announcement wove through her mind like an evil potion, and she wanted to question him thoroughly about his accusation against Sally. She wanted to dismiss it as unfounded.