Ruby (16 page)
He was reminded of the words from his mother’s Bible. “To everything there is a season.” A time for planting, and a time for harvest.
It had been a fine summer. The harvest would be rich. And the ranchers would have enough profit, from the crops and their herds, to survive another year.
Survival was everything in this tough land. Only the strongest made it.
He rolled a cigarette and scratched a thumbnail over a match, then held the flame to the tip, inhaling deeply. He’d always thought of himself as a survivor. Tough as rawhide. He’d faced fists, knives, guns. He’d been involved in bare-knuckled saloon brawls, ambushes, gunfights. He’d faced down his fears more than once in this lifetime.
But Ruby Jewel was a first.
The first woman he’d ever met who made him tongue-tied. Who left him weak in the knees and honest-to-God scared. When he was near her he couldn’t think. Couldn’t take charge of his emotions. The damned woman got under his skin, churned his gut, addled his mind.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her. About the way she looked after a night of lovemaking. All soft and sleepy and content. Or the way she’d felt in his arms. That voluptuous body fitting so perfectly to his. As if she’d been made just for him.
For a while there, he’d started to think this was his season. His season to love, to plan for the future. Hell, he’d even been letting himself think about settling down and having a family.
The thought of Ruby was driving him mad. He couldn’t eat or sleep. Couldn’t concentrate on his work.
He took one last deep drag on the cigarette, then tossed it aside and nudged his horse into a trot.
He’d already gone farther than he’d intended on his first day. But damned if he didn’t feel like riding right through the night. It would be better than lying awake under the stars in a bedroll, cursing the wind and the cold and the coyotes. Cursing Ruby Jewel, for being so beautiful and unforgettable.
And cursing himself, for being such a brainless fool.
On a distant hillside, tucked inside a cave for concealment, a figure huddled close to a small fire. A stolen calf from a nearby ranch roasted over a spit. He tore off a hunk of meat and ate until his hunger was abated. Then he leaned back and plotted his next move.
The young rancher and his wife had been easy. The minute they’d spotted the badge, they’d let down their guard. The only trouble was, their ranch had yielded little of value. He would need money when he was ready to flee.
When he was ready.
He smiled and tipped his head back, draining the last of his whiskey. There were still things he had to do here. The first was to find another victim. One who could yield cash, and a couple of good horses. Only this time, he’d find someone who was so isolated, his death would go unnoticed for weeks, even months. No point bringing the law down on him until he was ready.
The law. His smile widened. That was the most important thing he had to do here. Deal with the law. Or at least one lawman.
His smile faded, to be replaced with an almost feral snarl. Marshal Quent Regan would taste his vengeance. The vengeance he’d sworn on his brother’s grave.
Chapter Fourteen
W
ith a gesture of weariness Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and blew out the lantern. It was a good thing she’d told Carmelita not to expect her. Who would have believed she would work this late into the evening? But she had wanted the gowns to be perfect. After all, these two customers were important. If the townspeople should notice and admire what they were wearing, they might be willing to put away their own prejudices and come to her shop.
ith a gesture of weariness Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and blew out the lantern. It was a good thing she’d told Carmelita not to expect her. Who would have believed she would work this late into the evening? But she had wanted the gowns to be perfect. After all, these two customers were important. If the townspeople should notice and admire what they were wearing, they might be willing to put away their own prejudices and come to her shop.
Moonlight drifted in the window, illuminating the chaise longue in the corner of the room. Ruby was grateful now that she’d insisted upon bringing it here. She was too tired to face the ride back to the ranch. Instead, she would curl up under a quilt and spend the night.
Just as she turned she saw a shadow drift past her window. It appeared to be the figure of a child. Now, why on earth would a child be prowling the town at such an hour?
She dismissed the question from her mind as she bent to the chaise. Just then she heard a slight muffled sound. She turned. The figure had stopped outside her shop and was now peering in the window. A moment later the door began to open ever so slowly.
Heart pounding, Ruby pressed herself back against the wall. With every second that she wasted, the intruder was advancing deeper into the room.
Her hand closed around the heavy base of the lantern. Taking pains to move silently, she crept forward until she was directly behind the shadowy figure.
“Don’t move,” she commanded in her sternest tone.
When the figure turned, Ruby raised her arm, prepared to defend herself.
Seeing the weapon in her hand, a frightened voice cried, “Please. Don’t hurt me.”
In the moonlight Ruby saw wide, terrified eyes in a woman’s pale face.
Taking a step back, Ruby set the lantern down with a clatter and held a match to the wick until it caught. Light flooded the room, making the woman cringe.
“You!” Ruby said in a strangled voice. “So, the buttons you stole weren’t enough. You came back for more.”
“No. Yes. Please, I’m sorry.” Tears shimmered in pale gray eyes and the woman sank to her knees on the floor.
Holding the lantern aloft, Ruby studied this stranger. She was much younger than she’d appeared at first glance. Perhaps no older than fifteen or sixteen. With a hungry, haunted look about her.
“You’re not much of a thief.” Ruby’s stern, heavily accented voice cut like a knife. “A few puny buttons will bring you little profit.”
“I was desperate. I only took them because they were small enough to fit in my hand. I thought...that is, I’d hoped...I could trade them.”
“For what?” Ruby demanded.
“For some food.”
Ruby felt as if she’d taken a blow. It took her a moment to catch her breath. “And did you? Trade the buttons for food?”
The girl shook her head. “I was afraid. Afraid you had reported them stolen and someone would recognize them if I tried to barter them.”
“So you’re hungry.” Ruby thought about the linen-wrapped parcel of food that she’d brought from the ranch. There’d been no time to eat it. And, in truth, no inclination, since she’d had little appetite lately.
“Have you no family?”
“No.” There was a catch in the frightened voice, but the stranger offered nothing more.
“How long have you been without food?”
The girl shrugged. “A couple of days.”
The thought of going days without food was so shocking, Ruby had to busy herself for a moment setting the lantern on a table, adjusting the height of the flame, so that she could buy time to think. “So you came here looking for something to steal?”
“No.” It was a choked cry. “I came to Hanging Tree to look for work. But I couldn’t find anything,” the girl said, “except at a place called Buck’s.”
Ruby experienced a sickening jolt. She knew how the girls at Buck’s saloon earned their living. Cowboys, often fresh off the trail, were crude and rough. And often cruel.
“So you have no work. And no money. And you came back here tonight to find something even more valuable to steal?”
“I...didn’t come back to steal,” the girl said.
“Then why did you come back?”
The girl’s gaze darted to the chaise in the corner. “I saw this room when I was here before. I thought I could sleep here, and no one would be the wiser.”
Ruby took a good, hard look at this girl, who knelt before her. Could it be she was too weak to stand? Or was she just very good at playacting?
On impulse she caught the girl’s hand and helped her to her feet.
The trembling in the girl’s limbs was no act. Nor was the pallor on her cheeks.
Ruby led her to the lounge, and the girl sank down gratefully. Ruby removed the linen-clad packets of food from a shelf. When she unwrapped them, the girl’s eyes widened.
“What is your name?”
“Patience. Patience Carter.”
“My name is Ruby Jewel. Here, Patience,” Ruby said, placing the food in her lap. “You must eat something.”
“You mean you’re giving this to me?”
Ruby nodded.
“But why? I...stole from you.”
Ruby gave a nod to the food. “Eat. And then we’ll talk.”
She watched with satisfaction as the girl began to eat. It was obvious, from the way she choked down the food, that she was starving.
“Oh, Patience.” Ruby sighed as she turned away and began to pace. “What am I to do with you?”
“I suppose you’ll want to summon a sheriff,” Patience said before biting into another piece of corn bread.
“The thought has crossed my mind.”
Ruby could see the way the girl was struggling to hold herself together. Any minute now she would probably lose control and start to cry. If she didn’t faint first. She removed a jug of buttermilk from a bucket of water and poured a cup.
“Drink,” she said.
The girl drained the cup in several long swallows.
“Do you sew?” Ruby asked suddenly.
The girl seemed confused. With a mouth full of chicken she nodded, then swallowed and said, “A little. I don’t think I’m very good. But my ma taught me a few stitches before she died. I was able to patch my clothes. And my pa’s.”
“Bon.
That is good.” Ruby resumed her pacing, then turned. “Would you like to learn a trade? I could teach you to sew.”
That is good.” Ruby resumed her pacing, then turned. “Would you like to learn a trade? I could teach you to sew.”
“You could?” Puzzled, Patience set down the corn bread she was about to eat. “But why would you do that for someone who stole from you?”
“Because you need work. And a place to stay. And I need an assistant.”
“An...assistant?” The girl’s eyes lit up. “Do you mean it?”
Ruby nodded. “I do. If you really want to work.”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. Truly I do.”
Ruby turned away and folded the quilt, draping it over the foot of the lounge. “Finish your meal. Then, if you wish, you may sleep here on the chaise.”
“I...can see that you were about to sleep here.”
“Millie Potter will have room at her boardinghouse.”
“But why should you give up your bed? You’ve given me enough already,” the young woman protested.
Ruby smiled. “Yes, I have. But tomorrow you will begin to pay me back. I’ll expect you to help me clean and sew and even deliver some of my goods. Do you think you can do that?”
Patience nodded.
“Bon. That is very good. Tomorrow I’ll see just how well we work together. Now I’ll say good-night.”
As she stepped from the shop and pulled the door closed, she could see the young girl’s face, mouth still gaping, eyes wide as saucers.
Under the cover of darkness she made her way to Millie Potter’s. And as she walked, she thought about the strange fate that had brought this girl to her door.
“Oh, Papa,” she whispered. “Quent told me you always went out of your way to help the people of your town. I want to be like you. But what if I’ve made a terrible mistake? What if I’m being a fool for trusting this stranger?”
At the door to the boardinghouse, Ruby knocked and waited. When the door finally opened, Millie, in night clothes, peered at her.
“Ruby.”
“I know it’s late,” Ruby said apologetically. “But I wonder if you might have a room left.”
“I’ll always make room for you,” Millie said with a smile. “I’m afraid I have only the smallest one left, though. All the other rooms are filled. But the bed is comfortable.”
“That’s all I need. Thank you, Millie.”
“Come in. I have coffee. And I’ve baked some cinnamon biscuits for tomorrow’s breakfast.”
“Thank you. Please don’t fuss.”
“I don’t mind. You go ahead into the parlor. I’ll be right along,” Millie said, hurrying down the hall.
The parlor was dark except for the glow of embers on the hearth. Ruby shivered and drew her shawl around her shoulders.
“Here we are.” Millie Potter bustled into the room carrying a tray. She set it on a table with a clatter, then began filling cups with hot black coffee. “Wait’ll you taste these cinnamon biscuits.”
She handed a cup to Ruby. “You’re up late.”
“Oui.
” Ruby sipped, then set the cup aside. “I hired an assistant today. A young woman named Patience Carter. Do you know-of her?”
” Ruby sipped, then set the cup aside. “I hired an assistant today. A young woman named Patience Carter. Do you know-of her?”
Millie nodded. “I met her briefly. She came looking for a job. I had to tell her I didn’t need her. What do: you know about her?”
“Very little,” Ruby admitted. “Except that she has no family and is in need of money.”
“How did you happen to hire her?”
“She...came into my shop in need of a job. And I got very busy today and realized I needed help.”
“And you hired a perfect stranger?”
Ruby felt a need to explain her bold actions. “She is just a poor girl, Millie, struggling to survive.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” Millie pursed her lips, thinking. “Maybe you ought to have Quent Regan check out her story when he gets back to town.”
“No,” Ruby said quickly. Too quickly.
Millie arched a brow, studying her in a strange way.
“I don’t...wish to trouble the marshal.”
“But that’s his job. At least let him talk to her. He can find out where she’s from, and then notify a lawman from her territory, to make sure she isn’t in any trouble.”
Ruby closed her eyes, wishing she could agree to her friend’s suggestion. Suddenly overcome with weariness, she said, “Forgive me, Millie, for putting you to so much trouble. But if you don’t mind, I really need to go to my room now.”
“Of course.”
As Millie led the way down the hall to the little bedroom off the kitchen, she pondered all she’d seen and heard.
Everyone in town said Quent Regan had left town in a vicious temper. He’d been pacing like a wildcat in a cage.
Unless she missed her guess, the reason for all that pent-up anger was the woman trailing behind her. The woman who was close to tears over nothing.
Maybe Quent Regan had finally met his match in Ruby Jewel.
If those two ever went head-to-head, Millie would have to put her money on Ruby.
Ruby washed and dressed, then examined her reflection in the chipped looking glass in the small, cramped bedroom. Morning sunlight streamed through the window, making last night’s lack of sleep all the more noticeable. There was no denying the dark circles around her red-rimmed eyes.
It was all Quent Regan’s fault. She couldn’t escape him even in sleep. His image had been there, like an annoying gnat. And though she’d swatted and scratched, she hadn’t been able to evade his sting.
To make matters worse, as she stepped from the room she could hear his deputy’s voice, chatting with Millie Potter.
Both Arlo and Millie looked up as she entered the kitchen.
“Good morning, Ruby. Look who’s joined us for breakfast.”
“Oui.
I see.” Ruby forced her lips into a thin smile. “Good morning, Deputy Spitz. I thought you usually took your breakfast at the jail.”
I see.” Ruby forced her lips into a thin smile. “Good morning, Deputy Spitz. I thought you usually took your breakfast at the jail.”
“Good morning, Miss Jewel.” He eyed her over the rim of his cup, and she had the distinct impression that he and Millie had been discussing her. “The day is too fine to stay indoors. This gave me an excuse to walk through the town.”
“Coffee?” Millie asked.
“Oui.
Please.” Ruby took a seat at the table.
Please.” Ruby took a seat at the table.
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