Lady Outlaw (14 page)

“Here you go, miss.” The storekeeper handed her a cup. “You look like you’re feeling better.”

“I am.” Jennie swallowed the cool well water. Handing back the cup, she stood. “I’ll pay for those seeds now.”

“Of course.”

The man followed her to the main part of the store. He placed her seeds beside the cash register. Jennie lifted her neglected saddlebag and placed the money and note into one of the interior pockets. After purchasing her seeds, she left the general store.

Outside, she paused to locate a suitable dressmaker’s shop along the street. To her surprise, the short cowboy she’d been staring at earlier sat in one of the rocking chairs outside the saloon, watching her. The moment their eyes locked, he yanked his hat over his eyes and appeared to be sleeping.

Was it just coincidence? Shrugging off the unsettled feeling creeping up her spine, Jennie darted into the roadway between two wagons and onto the opposite side of the street. A whitewashed sign over one of the buildings read Miss Felicity’s Tailoring Shop. A tremor of girlish excitement leaped inside Jennie at the thought of something to wear besides faded dresses and men’s trousers.

Inside the shop, bolts of fabric—deep blues, mint-greens and butter-yellows—spread over chairs, a table and several dress dummies. A smartly attired woman met her at the door, a tape measure hanging about her neck.

“What can I do for you, miss?” She sized up Jennie.

Jennie flushed, conscious of the patched calico she wore. She’d never ordered a dress before. “I need a new dress.” She lifted her chin. “Something suitable for church and special occasions.”

The woman smiled. “I think I have just the thing to go with those beautiful brown eyes of yours.” She waved Jennie into a vacant chair and headed into a small room at the rear of the shop. A moment later, the seamstress returned holding a dress of rich brown draped over her arm. “I finished this last week, but the woman who wanted it changed her mind.”

Reaching out, Jennie touched a corner of the silk material. The brown dress was edged in cream-colored ruffles. “It’s gorgeous,” she murmured, wondering if she had enough to pay for it.

“See how it forms a slight bustle in back? Very stylish.” The woman spun the dress around to show Jennie. “It might be a little big for you in the waist, but I can take it in.” She reverently laid the gown over a nearby dressing screen, calling over her shoulder, “Come try it on, honey, so we can see how it fits.”

Jennie ducked behind the screen to change. She gladly slipped off her own dress and pulled the smooth silk over her head and shoulders. Glancing down at her figure, she could tell the woman had been right about the size. She swished the skirt like a bell.

“How does it fit?” the seamstress asked.

Jennie stepped around the screen and curtsied. “Rather well, I think.”

The woman laughed. “Ah, you’ve fallen in love with it.” She adjusted the seams at Jennie’s waist and arms and fastened some pins into the proper places. “I’ll take a little in here...and here. Then it ought to fit like a glove. You can come for it this afternoon.”

“How much will it cost?” Jennie held her breath, her fingers toying with one of the cream cuffs.

The dressmaker pursed her lips in thought. “With the adjustments I’d say $2.75.”

Jennie exhaled, her shoulders drooping slightly. She’d hoped for a new hat, too. Running a hand over the dress, she knew she’d never find anything so lovely.

“I’ll take it.”

She stepped behind the screen and changed back into her drab gown. This time she didn’t care quite so much about the state of her appearance. She would have a beautiful dress before the day was over.

She handed the dress to the woman with a promise to return. Once outside, Jennie surveyed the other shops. She was rarely in town long enough to study the options. Down the way stood the saloon where the cowboy in the chair still appeared to be napping.

Relieved, Jennie decided to cross the street so she wouldn’t have to walk past him. She hurried at her usual pace until she remembered she had the whole day to wander. When she spotted a millinery shop, she stopped and lingered in front of the window. She thought of Caleb’s words:
Find something you like.
And that something was a new hat for her dress. With a little money left over after buying the seeds, she hoped she might find a nice, simple one for less than a dollar.

Determined, she walked into the shop and viewed the stunning creations bursting with flowers and feathers. She breathed in the smell of straw and new cloth. Tears came to her eyes at the memory of the stylish hats her father had purchased for her. How many times had he come into a shop like this, excited to find a millinery treasure for her?

One of several customers, Jennie had time to browse uninterrupted among the shop’s wares. A green velvet hat captivated her interest, and she reached out to stroke the luxurious fabric. Upon seeing the price card, she forced herself to peruse the modest straw bonnets. When she discovered she couldn’t afford any of them either, she headed to the box of leftover trimmings.

Jennie rifled through the contents and found a long piece of gold ribbon and three tiny brown flowers. She could use them to make over one of her old bonnets into something new and no one need know differently.

She took the trimmings to the counter.

“Twenty-five cents,” the young female clerk said.

She waited while the girl wrapped her purchases in brown paper. Tucking the package under her arm, Jennie left the shop. Her stomach rumbled with hunger. She’d brought along jerky and bread for her trip, but the nearby hotel advertised fresh pie.

With her remaining coins from the mercantile, she purchased a glass of milk and a slice of pie for twenty cents. Jennie gobbled up the sweet treat as she watched the passersby through the window.

She hadn’t been sitting long when the cowboy from the saloon strolled past the window. Jennie thought nothing of it until he turned and saw her through the glass. He stopped and his eyes widened with recognition at the same moment hers did. From the brief glance she’d had of the men who rustled her cattle and Caleb’s description of them later, she knew this man was the short cowhand who worked for Mr. King.

Jennie jumped up from her chair, prepared to go outside and confront him, but the cowboy sprinted down the street away from the hotel. Unnerved, she sat down and forced herself to finish the last few bites of her pie. This time the treat tasted less scrumptious.

Why would Mr. King’s cowhand be following her? Why did her neighbor care how she spent her time? Was he waiting for her to be away from home so that he could go after her cattle again? For a moment, she considered leaving the dress behind and heading straight back to the ranch, but she forced herself to sit still. She trusted Caleb and Will to look after everything in her absence.

When she left the hotel, she searched the street for any sign of the cowboy. She couldn’t see him anywhere. Hoping the whole incident had been some bizarre coincidence, she returned to the dress shop. Inside, the woman was spreading a large sheet of wrapping paper on a table.

“It will fit better now.” She smiled and lifted the gown for Jennie to see.

“Thank you. Your work is amazing.”

The dressmaker beamed as she wrapped up the dress and handed it to Jennie. “Do you have a beau?” she asked after Jennie paid for the gown. “He’ll be dreamy-eyed for days after he sees you wearing this. See if I am right.” She laughed.

“I’ll count on it,” Jennie said, smiling. She moved slowly back up the street toward her horse. She imagined the admiration she hoped to see on Caleb’s face when she modeled the dress for him and her family. She frowned a little and reminded herself that Caleb didn’t see her that way. He was kind to her, protective, even generous. But loving her was clearly something he had never even considered.

Just as she reached her horse, she remembered with all the excitement of the new dress she’d forgotten to post the letter Caleb had given her for his family. She’d nearly given in to the temptation to open it, curious if he’d written anything about her, but she didn’t feel right about prying into his personal affairs.

“I’ll be right back, Dandy,” she muttered, shifting the parcels in her arms to give the horse a reassuring pat on the nose. “I won’t be long.”

She walked back to the hotel.

“Back so soon?” the proprietress asked. “Would you like more pie?”

Jennie blushed. “No, thank you. I forgot to post a letter.” She handed Caleb’s letter to the woman, along with the money for postage.

“Would you like me to see if any mail has come for you?”

She nodded, though she didn’t expect anything. Her grandmother occasionally received a letter, but Jennie rarely did. “It would be for Jennie or Aurelia Jones.”

“One moment.” The woman entered a small room off the main entryway.

As Jennie waited, she hugged the bundle in her arms to her chest. A new dress and new trimmings for a hat. Much better than dealing with foolhardy bandits. In spite of the strange encounter with the cowboy, she’d thoroughly enjoyed her outing to town and almost wished she had a reason to stay longer.

“There are two letters for you, miss.” The hotel proprietress handed them to Jennie.

She thanked her, added the letters to her pile and stepped out of the hotel. When she reached Dandy’s side again, she stuck the letters between her teeth as she stowed away her other purchases for the ride home.

Once her hands were free, she studied the letters. The first was for Grandma Jones. Jennie recognized the name of a long-time friend written on the back. The other was addressed to her. Curious, she turned over the envelope. The words
Albert Dixon
brought a deep frown.

What does he want now?
She tore open the letter and drew out the paper, forcing herself to take a steadying breath. Perhaps the bank president had come to his senses and forgiven her debt—or at least extended the deadline.

Hoping for good news, Jennie unfolded the letter. To her surprise, the date at the top read only two days earlier.

Dear Miss Jones,

In light of circumstances both difficult and unforeseen for our banking establishment, I regret that I must change the date for which the total balance of your debt is required. Your debt must now be paid in full by the first of June in the year of our Lord 1870 or we will be forced to foreclose on your loan.

Regrettably,

Albert Dixon, bank president

“No, no!” Jennie crushed the letter in her fist. The new deadline gave her less than five weeks. Five weeks to come up with nearly a thousand dollars—an impossible task.

“What do I do? What do I do?” she moaned, pressing her head against the worn leather of her saddle. Panic brought the taste of bile to her throat and she clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from retching.

She’d been a fool to buy the dress and a meal in town instead of going after the bandits’ stolen money. Even if another robbery came along, it wasn’t likely to pay what she needed, especially after she gave Nathan his half.

Nathan.
Whirling around, Jennie hurried in the direction of the saloon, forgetting her horse and bags for the moment. She had to get another robbery job as soon as possible.

Jennie pushed her way through the saloon doors and paused, allowing her eyes to adjust to the smoky, dim light. Though midmorning, the place still held a large crowd of patrons. Men sat at tables, drinking and playing cards, or lounged at the bar beside one of several saloon girls. The stench of alcohol and unwashed bodies made her cover her nose and reminded her all too well of the last time she’d been here, when she’d hired Nathan.

“Where is he?” Jennie hissed under her breath as she searched the room, trying to identify the faces beneath the assortment of hats. In one corner, a man and a girl with too much rouge sat close, a bottle of something between them. The girl whispered something in his ear, and the man threw back his head in uproarious laughter. Jennie recognized Nathan at once and frowned.
So he fancies whichever pretty face is in front of him.

Ignoring the catcalls and attention she drew from the other men as she crossed the room, she strode purposely to Nathan’s table, determined to speak with him. He lifted his head as she approached his table.

“Done already?” He set down his shot glass and leaned back in his chair, chuckling. “You get faster every time.”

Jennie shook her head. “I didn’t go. That’s why I need to talk to you.” She threw a pointed glance at the saloon girl who was scowling at her. “Alone,” she added.

Nathan’s thick eyebrows drew together in annoyance and possible anger, but he nodded. “Excuse me,” he said to the girl.

He took Jennie’s elbow firmly in his hand and propelled her down a narrow hallway off the saloon’s main room. Releasing her arm, he regarded her with a surly expression in his dark eyes. “What’s so blasted important you skipped out on a perfectly good job? I needed that money, too, Jennie. You goin’ soft on me?”