The Trailrider's Fortune (15 page)

"Seems he's
the one who suggested using me. Dear Joe thought his cohort would eliminate
you, leaving me widowed. Bannister wasn't happy when I told him we aren't
actually wed. He wasn't sure you'd come."

Brooks tried again.
"Conley, I swear I'll make it all up to you. Her, too, if you'll give me
another chance. Please, this has all been a terrible misund—"

Rafe stood near
Brooks, but still gazed at Sparkle. "Ain't got all day to listen to
bullshit." His fist shot out and knocked Brooks cold in mid-sentence. Then
Rafe turned to Parker and Driscoll. "He goes along with you, accessory to
kidnappin'. Shouldn't be any problem about the charges. Art Thompson wired
every lawman in six states to be on the lookout for Bannister and his men. I'll
be at my usual spot. But no rush to come lookin' for me."

Rafe's dark gaze
returned to Sparkle. "Me and my woman got us some catchin' up to do."

She watched the men
load up and ride off. The Mexicans began pleading with Rafe in rapid Spanish.
He firmly shook his head and mounted Snatch, pulling Sparkle up onto his lap,
then set his spurs to the sorrel's flanks.

"I'm not going
to Dodge City," she asserted stubbornly. "It's the worst trailhead in
this whole state. Take me back to Wichita. I lost my reticule, and Frazer's
surely cleaned out my room by now, which means my money's gone, too. I stink
because I haven't had a bath in…I don't even know how long. And none of this
would have happened if I hadn't met up with you."

"Yes,
ma'am," he sighed before bending to kiss her. His lips were too warm and
pliable. Sparkle was ashamed to admit how much she enjoyed the kiss. "How
much you figure Frazer got?" he asked.

"Around a
hundred."

At Rafe's low
whistle, she tilted her chin up, uncertain whether he was admiring the amount
or deriding it. "Close to a hundred dollars in a couple nights' work?
You're damned good at readin' cards and hustlin' drinks, then." The soft
drawl was right beside her ear.

"That better
not be Dodge up ahead, Rafe." Since he seemed determined to be so
infuriatingly charming, she'd try being unreasonable. If he thought she'd just
forget the past few days and go right back to where they'd left off that
morning in Wichita…Well, she might, but not so quickly. "I told you, I'm
not going there."

"Yeah, I know.
That's fine, darlin'. Snatch and I have business in Dodge, but you don't have
to come along. I can set you down at the town limits. Sure would miss havin'
you with me a hell of a lot, though. And where I'm headed there's a great big
bathtub and a clean bed plenty big enough for two."

"Rafe,
Frazer's probably stolen me blind and given my room away by now. It's been
days
.
I wasn't supposed to have any more time off until next month. Now I'll have to
wait that much longer to visit my brother, and go home flat broke." She
fought a yawn.

"Maybe. Maybe
not. Don't look like you got much sleep." He adjusted her position so her
head rested on his shoulder. "Close your eyes for a spell. It's a ways to
the city limits and you're safe with me now."

In all honestly,
she felt exhausted. She hadn't noticed until she was wrapped in Rafe's arms,
but two days of nerves on edge had a way of wearing down the most stubborn the
most stubborn nature, even hers.

But she wouldn't
let him leave her at the city limits. He'd take her to the depot and put her on
a train back to Wichita. He could pay her fare and give her some spending
money. He owed her that much.

But they'd talk
about it later. Her eyelids were too heavy now. She had no strength left to
argue. Rafe's arms took the fight right out of  her, made her forget how
perturbed she'd been not ten minutes before. Damn, but the man had a strange
effect on her.

Of course, she
thought wickedly, she'd known that back in her bedroom in Wichita.

Rafe lowered her
into the arms of a stranger. Sparkle opened her eyes at the jostling and
discovered they were inside a livery stable, dimly illuminated by a pair of
tallow lanterns. Horse sweat and manure assailed her nostrils as Rafe gave
precise directions to the ostler on the sorrel's care and feeding. Sparkle
jerked free of the stable hand and clutched Rafe's left arm. His right balanced
his bedroll, pack and bullwhip on his shoulder.

"Sorry,
miss," the stranger mumbled when he saw she'd taken offense.

"
Missus
,"
Rafe corrected. "She's just anxious to get me up in our hotel room. Ain't
been alone with her for nigh on two weeks. Gets cranky when I fail in my
husbandly duties." He gave the man a knowing wink and they both chuckled.

That's it. I'm
definitely going to murder him
,
Sparkle inwardly vowed as Rafe paid three nights' boarding fees in advance.

He walked her past
a general store, barber shop, and the huge City Drugs, closed now in the fading
twilight. They entered a sprawling saloon called the Bold Adventuress through
batwing doors featuring bas relief designs of buxom women. Sparkle stiffened
and hesitated, but Rafe caught her elbow in strong fingers and drew her into
the gaming hall.

Sparkle had been
employed in three saloons during the past several years and visited others. The
Scarlet Lady, despite is new owner and tawdry costumes, was actually an almost
decent establishment. Remodeling had improved the atmosphere. Frazer made
certain the bar and floors fairly gleamed with fresh wax, the rooms were kept
clean. But neither it nor any other saloon she'd visited bore much resemblance
to this den of iniquity. The Bold Adventuress, by any standards, was quite
simply a glittering palace of amusements.

There wasn't a
woman in sight across the entire ground floor. Tables were packed with men of
every description. Chandeliers blazed with candles amid air thick with smoke
and curses. The lack of pulchritude was Sparkle's first clue this was no
ordinary bawdy house., for paintings of nudes adorned every wall—indicating
dalliances were available, at steep prices. Behind the gleaming mahogany and
brass bar hung a ten-foot mural depicting three naked females in a scandalous
pose. Worse than scandalous. There wasn't a man anywhere in the boudoir scene…and
it was quite blatantly a torrid boudoir scene.

She dropped her
gaze as her cheeks flamed.

"Somethin' the
matter?" Rafe nudged her gently so she'd look up. She gestured toward the
mural. Rafe glanced at the display behind the bar. "Oh. Remind you of
Abilene?"

"Topeka. Why
would you bring me to a place like this?"

"Now darlin',
that paintin' don't mean the gals here are any different from the ones at the Scarlet
Lady. Men just like lookin' at that sort of thing. Gals in any lurid depiction
are, you know…
inspirin'
to a fella. Don't matter. You'll be in a room
with me."

Sparkle was still
uncomfortable, yet relieved at the same time. She turned her face into the side
of his throat, her words muffled by his rumpled bandanna. "I'm sorry. It's
just I left Topeka because it wasn't only the woman herself. She had customers
willing to pay to watch her do things like that with me. My fight with Frazer
in the street the day you met me isn't the worse I've had."

Rafe let his gear
drop from his shoulder. "Shucks." She found her face cupped in
callused hands. "Listen, you're my wife here, same as I was your husband
in Wichita. Got that? That means nobody watchin', nobody around when you're
undressed, but me. Anybody wants to cause you grief, they'll answer to
me."

His lips sealed the
promise. Sparkle clung to him, fighting back tears. It was ridiculous a
painting should make her cry when outlaws hadn't. She said so.

"You been
through a lot, that's all," came Rafe's whisper in reply. "But I'll
make it up to you."

Her needs and
insecurities were just below the surface, nearly overwhelming her, but Rafe was
there. Strong, warm, confident and sure.

Maybe she wouldn't
kill him until tomorrow.

"Conley, you
sidewinder!" A beefy man with a florid complexion waited for a grin of
recognition before clapping a meaty hand on Rafe's shoulder. "Where'd you
steal this little dove? Not one of mine, sad to say. Nice get-up,
sweetie." He winked.

"Name's
Sparkle, Tolover," Rafe answered. "She's my old lady. Been workin' as
a pretty waiter gal in Wichita. We need your special. Want the big copper tub,
plenty of hot water, supper tray, and a bottle of your best Kentuck." His
grin widened. "No poker tonight." Rafe's hand slid over Sparkle's
bustle and pressed her close.

"Reckon you
will, too," Tolover quipped, chortling. Sparkle buried her face against
Rafe's shirt. "So this is a purely social visit?" Tolover ventured.

Rafe eased from her
embrace, giving her a look of silent encouragement.
You can be brave just a
bit longer, darlin'. I know you can
. God, now Sparkle could hear his
thoughts. That couldn't be good.

Rafe turned back to
Tolover and his demeanor hardened. "Business. We'll jaw on it later.
Special ready?"

The saloonkeeper
lifted the first of his chins. "You know it. Help yourself."

"Think there'd
be a spare dress lyin' around Sparkle could put on till I can get her over to
the store tomorrow?"

"Ask Big
Al."

Rafe led Sparkle
upstairs into a room and then pulled her into his arms even as the door slammed
behind them. Sparkle barely heard it. She was lost in a long, hungry kiss.
Eventually Rafe released her, and she turned to openly gape in astonishment at
the opulent surroundings. The bedroom walls were covered with burgundy flocked
wallpaper. Candles glowed in brass wall sconces that glittered with cut-glass
teardrops around their bases.

Sparkle tested the
mattress, gingerly sitting on its edge. She sank into pure luxury.
"Heavens, I didn't know a bed could be this soft." Rafe chuckled at
her comment. She turned her gaze toward him and released a startled gasp.
Overhead loomed a huge gilt-framed mirror. "Land sakes! You called this
Tolover's special? That's putting it mildly. How can we afford even one night
in here?"

"Did some work
for Tolover awhile back. He puts me up free when I pass through this way."

"He lets you
stay free whenever you like?"

"Yeah, but
usually in one of his ordinary rooms. This here's the panel crib."

Frazer had boarded
up the two panel cribs at the Scarlet Lady when he'd taken over. Other than
patrons being hustled into buying expensive drinks for themselves and the girls—whose
"drinks" were nothing but diluted cold tea—Frazer's patrons pretty
much got what they paid for at the Scarlet Lady. But Sparkle knew many
bordellos had rooms like this, with trick panels in the walls. Strumpets got
their customers undressed and otherwise occupied, while a thief working for the
establishment rifled through pants and coat pockets or valises.

The ceiling mirror
and pure opulence of this panel crib was so brashly ingenious, Sparkle couldn't
help but admire the conceit. Tolover was betting men couldn't resist the allure
of watching themselves and their whore cavorting on the big bed. Intent on the
moving naked flesh overhead, they'd pay no heed to the dimmest corner of the
bedchamber, where the panel was hidden. Sparkle guessed its location before
Rafe confirmed it. One corner had a big Victorian chair for a man's clothes and
no sconce nearby.

"If he keeps
this one rented out, Tolover doesn't need his other rooms filled."

"That's the
way of it." Rafe sounded weary. He dropped into the chair and tugged off
his boots. His hand moved along one upper thigh as he winced. "Damn, but
I'm stiff from the saddle. Nice hot bath's just what I need right now."

Stiff from the
saddle, or that mural downstairs and this room? Sparkle wondered. "I hope
you enjoy it, but I'd like to borrow some money. I lost my bag, as I told you,
otherwise I wouldn't ask. I'll pay you back as soon as I can, either in person
next time I see you in Wichita, or I can forward it to your brother's ranch.
Which would you prefer?" She looked at him expectantly. "I need to
catch the next train headed East."

Rafe stood up. His
gunbelt and bandanna came off. "That's what you want from me, money and a
train ticket?"

I want
everything from you, Gunslinger. Everything I shouldn't, and you know it. This
can't work. Let me go, Rafe. If I don't get out of this decadent room before
anything else comes off that lean body, I'll never get out that door.

She cleared her
throat. "Yes. I need to get back." Her words came out faster, more
self-assured. "Thank you again for coming to my rescue. Did I thank you
before? I meant to." She was rattling on, trying not to meet his dark eyes
as she commanded her feet to take her to the door. "I still can't believe
that idiot Brooks thought I'd want him, whatever happened to you. I should have
slit his throat when I had the chance."

Rafe caught her by
the shoulders. "Hold on. Are you sayin' he tried to—" Something ice
cold glinted in his usually warm brown eyes. "The only reason any of those
fellas are still breathin' is it didn't look like you had a scratch on you. I
asked if you were all right. You tell me that bastard Brooks put even one
finger on your flesh, I'll see him decoratin' a cottonwood."