The Good, the Bad, and the Naughty (2 page)

“She’s pretty pleasin’ to look at, ain’t she?” She smiled.

“You could say that.” He nodded as he stared at the bar.

Then in a lower tone, she added, “Well, ain’t you the lucky one. She’s the new singer here at Eden’s Paradise, and soon she’ll be comin’ to the piano right behind you. You’ll get to see her performance up close. Get ready for a show. She’s got a voice of an angel.”

“New?” He lifted his brow and gave Trevor a piercing look.

“Yes siree, she came into town a few months ago. The moment Luke, the owner, heard her voice, he knew she was perfect for Eden’s Paradise. And I have to agree with the boss.”

He smiled as he glanced at the bar once more. He noted Belle looked at the stranger, but seemed very uncomfortable with his forwardness. James’s gentlemanly instincts reared up to the forefront of his mind. He wanted to get up and teach the brute that wasn’t any way to treat a lady, but after further observation, he thought better of it when he saw her take care of his friskiness.

He and Trevor needed to keep a low profile. Picking a fight with someone their first night in town would certainly not be good and could stir up questions he didn’t want to answer. Not just yet, anyway.

Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the saloon girl and remarked, “Interesting. Well, then, we look forward to seeing her perform tonight.”

“Uh-huh, you and every cowboy here.” Sally grinned sideways. “If you haven’t already noticed, she’s got a following.” She stood straight and threw her hair back as she walked away.

James looked around and sure enough most every cowboy in the saloon had his eyes fixed on Belle. Even Trevor. James swore if his eyes got any bigger, they’d pop out of his sockets. Coughing to clear his throat, he nudged his partner. “Stop gawking, will you?”

“Why? You can, but I can’t.” Trevor frowned.

“No, it’s just I need you to listen to me now. I need your full attention. It’s important.”

“What, about LaRue and her gang?” Trevor leaned in.

“Yes, I think Belle over there is LaRue.”

Trevor jerked his head back like a rooster did, in disbelief. “What? That’s crazy.”

“No, it isn’t. Rumor has it, she’s got long, wavy black hair like Belle and is pretty, too, with a beautiful voice.”

James took a breath, then continued, “Her name is Belle, short for Isabelle. And she came into town a few months ago. The train robberies started a few months ago.”

“Maybe it’s coincidence.” Trevor put his hand over his lips.

“Or maybe not. I say we get to know Miss Belle Samson and see if my hunch is right.” James tapped his finger on the table, making a low thumping sound.

Trevor leaned over and slapped his shoulder. “Now that is a brilliant idea.”

James let a grin surface.

When the captain notified him and Trevor that he would be sending them to Fort Smith to investigate the train robberies, James wasn’t too thrilled. He didn’t like being that far from Texas for long periods of time. But now that Miss Belle Samson was added to the equation, well, things just got a whole lot more interesting.

* * * *

Belle couldn’t help but glance through the mirror behind Jack, the barman. Curiosity urged her to have a gander. A smile spread on her face when she noted that the handsome cowboys who sat at the back of the room stared at her. The one who seemed shy because of his blank expression earlier was taller, had sandy-blond, wavy hair, and a cleft in his chin. She gazed at his breathtaking, piercing green eyes in captivation when she passed his table minutes ago. His dark-haired friend with chocolate brown eyes was a little shorter and more muscular than he, but just as good looking.

She had never seen them in the saloon before or she would have surely remembered. And by the bags they placed under their table, they obviously were either visitors or newcomers to this town. She noted Eva, Sally, and Samantha, three saloon girls, observe them while they worked the floor, asking if customers wanted drinks.

When she saw Sally walking up to their table, a twinge of envy overcame her. They sat in her section. What she wouldn’t give to be the one serving them at that very moment instead of Sally.

Before she could continue to spy on the men, Jesse Rafkin walked up behind her. He took off his hat and bowed slightly, grinning.

“Hi there, Miss Belle. Golly, you certainly are the prettiest lady here tonight.”

“Hi, Jesse.” She forced a smile.

Jesse said the same thing every night since she came to work here. It was endearing, and she felt flattered the first time he said it, but once she found out how he really was, it lost its luster and became an annoyance, especially tonight when she wanted to observe what transpired at the good-looking men’s table on the other side of the room.

When he sat down beside her, she took a silent, exasperated breath and turned to look at him. He obviously wanted to chitchat, and since she had to sing in five minutes, she might as well let him have his daily say. Then she could prepare for her show.

“So, Jesse, how was your day?”

He wiped his nose with the outside of his hand. “Well, ah, not much happened today on the ranch. Just fed the horses, milked the cows. Stuff like that. How about you, Miss Belle?”

“Nothing much, either. Just did some washing and practiced the songs for tonight. Actually, I’ll be singing a new song tonight that you might enjoy.”

“I love any song you sing, Miss Belle.” He grinned as he leaned in closer and put his hand on her knee.

“Jesse, what did I tell you about touching me? It’s inappropriate.” She moved his hand away and distanced her body as much as she could while still sitting in her chair.

His grin spread and his brow lifted. “I’m sorry, but, ah—”

Before Jesse had a chance to finish his sentence, a light hand came to rest on Belle’s shoulder. She turned around to find Sally standing behind her with a sly grin.

“Hi, Sally. How are you today?” She smiled.

Sally opened her mouth to speak, but then looked at Jesse and gave him a sneer. “Stop buggin’ the lady, Jesse. Sometimes you can be a real pain where the sun don’t shine.”

He got up. “I can say the same for you.”

He turned to Belle. “I’ll, ah, talk to you later, Miss Belle. I’m really lookin’ forward to hearin’ your new song.”

Relief cascaded over Belle as he limped away.

She sighed and glanced at Sally. “Thanks.”

Sally nodded. “Don’t mention it.” She looked at Jack. “The newcomers at my table want second shots of whiskey, Jack.”

“Comin’ right up.” Jack got two glasses from under the counter.

The words were just on the tip of Belle’s tongue. She yearned to let them loose, but to her delight she didn’t need to. Sally beat her to the punch. She leaned in closer and gave a sideways glance toward the attractive men’s table.

“Them good-lookin’ fellas over there have been askin’ about you, you know.”

“Really?” Belle’s skin tingled and goose pimples surfaced at the wonderful words.

“I see you noticed them, too.” Sally laughed. “Dang, I never saw a bigger smile on anyone, even my brother when he became a papa after fifteen years of waitin’.”

“Is it that obvious?” Her cheeks heated at her revelation.

“Yes siree.” Sally nodded.

Jack placed the glasses on the counter. “There you go, Sally.”

Sally picked up the drinks. “Uh-huh, I told the tall blond one your name and that you’re the singer here with a voice of an angel. Both of them are lookin’ forward to hearin’ you sing, honey.”

Giddiness tightened her stomach muscles. For some reason, having to sing tonight stressed her. The extremely attractive visitors would be seated only a few feet away from her. She wanted to sing a new song, but no one had heard it before. What if she sounded horrible?

Sally placed her hand on her shoulder as if sensing her hesitation. “Don’t worry, honey, you’ll be great. Now go up there. It’s time to start the show.” Then she headed off to the newcomers’ table.

Jack placed a glass of water in front of Belle. “There you go, Belle. I know you’d want this before singin’.”

“Thanks, Jack.” A smile spread on her face at his thoughtfulness.

Swallowing the quenching liquid to relieve her parched throat, she turned to focus on the crowd. The place was full, not a single seat vacant.

Her heart skipped a beat in nervousness. Staring at the many faces sent panic surging through her. She grabbed hold of the silver locket hanging low around her neck and rubbed it for courage.

She always wore it close to her heart for it was her link to her loving past, the link to two people who meant the most in her life and who sculpted her character and soul. They always made her feel special thanks to their support and love.

Opening the locket to gaze upon the picture of her deceased parents, she took a deep breath as she gently passed her fingers over the image. The picture had been taken at their wedding. Ten years before Belle was ever born, yet she could see how much they loved each other.

Her mother’s voice came back to her, words she had spoken to her so many years before. “Belle, if you set your mind on something, there is nothing you can’t do. We believe in you, dear.”

Her eyes became misty for a brief moment as more memories came flooding in, memories of the swing her father hung on the big tree beside their home, memories of him pushing her, and she demanding he make her go higher and faster.

She could never go back no matter how she wished she could. She had forged her path years ago, a path her parents would surely not approve. Yes, she had made mistakes, more than she could remember. But she had learned so much as well, thanks to her parents and experience.

Time was precious, and she needed to make the most of it while she could. Taking a deep breath to muster her courage and toughen her hide once again, she closed the locket and slipped it into her dress between her breasts. The cold metal made her sigh.

She stood, headed for the piano, and chanted in her mind,
The show must go on
.