A Cowboy Worth Claiming (11 page)

“But not you?”

He didn’t hesitate to shake his head. “Could never be me.”

A cold shot of pain coursed through her body, dashing out the flames that had warmed her seconds ago. “Why?”

Chance inhaled deep. “You’re Edward’s granddaughter.”

As if that explained it all, Chance rose and set his blanket a far distance from hers. “Get some sleep. I’ll watch over the herd tonight.”

And then he was gone.

Chapter Seven

P
rescott, the territorial capitol of Arizona, was laid out in a square that Lizzie could see from a hill that overlooked the town. Streets were planned out in orderly fashion, almost the whole of the town looking like one neat box. She saw a whitewashed chapel’s steeple bordering the town to the west, several ornate fountains decorating the central part of town and a big steel water tank on the eastern border.

Lizzie felt a sense of accomplishment that she’d made it this far. The pit of her stomach filled with hope. Coming to town meant the end of the trail drive. It meant a hot bath and the fancy meal Chance had promised her. Her belly grumbled at the thought, but more important than all that, Lizzie would earn the money she desperately needed.

As she made her way through tall grass and scattered Ponderosa pines riding flank to the herd, Chance rode up beside her.

Lizzie glanced at him. “Looks like a peaceful town.”

The corners of Chance’s mouth pulled down. “Can’t be sure.”

“Why?”

He squinted into the morning light and shook his head. “Can’t ever be sure. Things aren’t always what they seem. Best you remember that.”

Lizzie was tired of getting a lecture from Chance every time she made a pleasant comment. Chance didn’t hold much trust in things, she was learning. Maybe he had a right to his opinions, but Lizzie didn’t see dark all the time. She didn’t have such a suspicious nature.

They pushed the cattle forward, coming down from the rise in slight degrees and Lizzie was suddenly dumbstruck when a pink brick building caught her attention. Pink bricks? If that didn’t beat all and make her case, that truly, sometimes things were as bright as they appeared. “I’ve never seen such a colorful structure in my life.”

“That’d be the courthouse.”

“A pink courthouse,” Lizzie said with a sigh.

Chance stared at her, probably because he hadn’t seen her so whimsical before. Then his face creased and they shared a sudden smile. A warm feeling spread through her body until Chance’s smile faded and he shifted his focus toward town. She followed his gaze to the railroad tracks.

“The Arizona Central’s new to Prescott. Been here six months. Good thing, too. Most of the mines in the area shut down.”

“How do you know?”

“It’s been awhile, but I’ve been here before. Dunston owned a silver mine or two. He sold out when the getting was good. Most folks abandoned the town, but the ones still living here turned to raising cattle. There’s a stockyard about half a mile to the east of town. We’ll sell the cattle to brokers there and be done with it.”

Be done with it.

Meaning, he’d be done with her.

Chance had been somewhat surly ever since the night they spent together under the sheets. He’d forbidden any more talk about it, making her promise not to tell a soul. Since then he’d kept a good distance from her, making small conversation whenever she would start up, but he kept quiet most of the time otherwise.

Lizzie didn’t mind the quiet overly much, except when her mind would wander. Out on the trail, there was nothing much else to do but let your mind drift off. And often her thoughts turned to Chance. She’d never been so close to a man before, she reminded herself. Her queasy feelings would eventually ebb. They had to. If Chance chose to move on when they got back home, Lizzie wouldn’t miss him. She just plain wouldn’t. Thank goodness, Hayden was coming home. At least, she’d have her friend back. With him, she didn’t have to worry about queasy feelings.

When they reached the stockyard, she noted the place was nearly deserted. The majority of holding pens were empty. No cattlemen were milling about. She wondered if this was normal for Prescott. Chance said the railway had just been built here.

An uneasy feeling gnawed at her. She glanced at Chance, but as usual, he wasn’t giving his feelings away one way or the other.

“Stay here,” he said, then dismounted to close the cattle gate. He was met by a short burly man coming out of a small office. The man wore leather chaps that dragged on the ground and a tan hat on his head. Lizzie was grateful someone was around to greet them. The two men spoke for a time and she saw the man take stock of their Longhorns, count them and then give Chance the piece of parchment he’d written on. Chance headed toward her and mounted his gelding.

“I’ve gotta come back tomorrow,” he said. “Ole Earl is the only one working here right now. It’s a little late in the day. They weren’t expecting anyone to show up. C’mon, let’s find the hotel and get cleaned up.”

“Are we going to leave the herd here?”

He nodded. “Yep.”

“Did he say why the place is empty?”

“I reckon I’ll find out tomorrow. Let’s go.”

It wasn’t ten minutes before they reached the hotel. The Prescott Grand Hotel lived up to its name. The hotel was bigger and fancier than any establishment Lizzie had ever been in. She assumed its grandeur came about during the mining boom and to the proprietor’s credit the place hadn’t fallen to ruin since then.

As soon as Lizzie stepped over the threshold, she was hit by a sorry feeling of inadequacy. Two ladies dressed in silk gowns spared her a look of disdain before they turned their heads and walked by. Lizzie looked a mess with her rumpled dusty clothes and hair that hadn’t had a good wash in days. Usually she didn’t give two hoots what others thought about her, but today she couldn’t get to her room fast enough to clean herself up.

She glanced at Chance, saddlebags over one shoulder, signing the register and getting the keys to their rooms. She wondered if he had anything to do with her sudden change of heart.

“Can we afford this?” she whispered as they climbed the stairs.

“I can. I’m paying.”

His kindness brought queasiness upon her again.

She liked it better when Chance gave her sass. Then she had good reason to dislike him.

Chance put the key in the lock and with a shove opened the door to her hotel room.

“Oh, my.” Her hand to her chest, the breath whooshed out of her. The room was everything she’d imagined for a hotel so fine. Yet, she didn’t just see the fine draperies, the big bed covered with a plush quilt and the fancy furniture…. She saw comfort. Comfort like she’d not had in months, maybe years.

“Well, go on in,” Chance said. She turned to look at him. “Go on,” he encouraged her again with a nod of his head.

She stepped inside, still speechless.

“Don’t that beat all,” he announced, his lips curving upward. “All it takes to keep you quiet is a fancy room. Wish I’d have known that before this.”

Lizzie snapped out of her daze to frown at him. “You’re not amusing, Chance Worth.” But she didn’t put much stock in her reprimand. Not while tiny flutters of happiness skittered around her insides.

He grinned and those flutters turned to wide-winged butterflies. “I’ll be right next door. They’re bringing up water for our baths.” He handed her a saddlebag. “I’ll see you in an hour and we’ll eat.”

Before Chance closed the door, he said, “Don’t go anywhere. Stay put until I come get you.”

Lizzie couldn’t muster an argument for his bossy tone. She nodded and then he was gone.

* * *

Lizzie peeled herself out of her clothes and walked to the alcove where a bathtub sat behind a tall screen. The sweet scent of lilac wafted in the air and beckoned her. She didn’t need much encouraging. She’d been itching for this for days. She poked one foot into the water, then the other. Heavens, the initial sensation shot up her legs and coursed through her naked body.

A hot bath in a real tub.

She eased her body in slowly, relishing the rising steam that engulfed her. She savored every inch of heat searing through her skin as she sunk farther and farther down. It was heavenly to stretch out and let the water soothe her aches from days on the trail. She felt herself melting, and the relaxing of stiff limbs to nothingness was a sensation Lizzie would forever remember. Fully immersed now, she tossed her head back to wet her hair. The thick mass was usually difficult to scrub, but the soaps provided made her task all the more easy.

She stayed in the tub for the better part of the hour with eyes closed, allowing herself this special time to simply be. All worries left her mind. She gave in to the pure joy of the soak. Heat and steam. Relaxation and comfort.

She heard the hotel door creak open. “Who’s there?” Bathwater sloshed out as she scrambled to a sitting position.

“It’s me, Lizzie.”

Chance? He’d let himself inside the room?

“Don’t come in!” Panicked, she held her breath and prayed he’d heed her warning and not come any farther. She grabbed for a towel and listened. His footsteps quieted.

“You’ve got ten minutes,” he said, from behind the screen. “Be ready or I’m eating without you.”

“You could’ve knocked.”

He didn’t answer. She heard the door shut. Her mood soured. Not only had he given her a fright, he’d come for her early.

She muttered an unholy oath, lifted up from the water and stepped out of the tub. Using the thick towel, she dried off, breathing in the pleasing scent of lilac on her skin. She whipped her hair back and forth then up and down to hasten drying. Her hair was such a nuisance. How often she’d thought of chopping it off, but Grandpa loved her hair this long so Lizzie endured it.

As she walked past the screen to grab her clothes from the saddlebag, something on the edge of the bed caught her eye. Curious, she walked over to it and stared at the brown paper package tied up with twine. There wasn’t a note. Not that Lizzie needed one. Chance had put it there.

“What on earth?” She wasted no time unraveling the twine and the wrapping immediately fell away, leaving her to gawk at a pretty cotton dress with lacy sleeves and neckline, the material patterned with tiny blue and white flowers. “Heavens.”

She pulled the dress up to see its full length and examined the fine detail. Having made miniature clothing for her dolls, Lizzie regarded the perfectly sewn stitches and the form of the dress, which was just the right size for her slender frame. Choking back emotion, tears brimmed over her eyes. She felt moisture trickle down her cheeks and all ill feelings she held for Chance disappeared into the air. Closing her eyes, she hugged the dress to her chest and clung on dearly. This was a kindness she couldn’t doubt or disparage. For all his grouchy ways, Lizzie couldn’t fault Chance for anything at the moment. Warmth filled her heart and she pulled the dress away from her body to look at it once again.

Giddy with anticipation, she slipped on her undergarments and donned the dress over her head. Setting her arms into the sleeves, she smoothed the rest of the dress over her hips until the hem flowed to the floor. She whirled around to look at her reflection in the full-length mirror. The dress swished in waves before settling on her shape. It was a simple calico, made of spun cotton, yet Lizzie felt pretty wearing it. Well, as pretty as she could feel, being Lizzie Mitchell.

Her mama used to say a smile could brighten even the darkest of days. And far too often lately, Lizzie felt dark and desolate inside. She’d felt as if her life was slipping away with no hope in sight. The feelings overwhelmed her at times. The dress and the thought behind it gave her a smidgen of that hope back. Maybe circumstances would get better at the ranch. Maybe Grandpa would recover and life would get back to normal.

Her lips lifted. Then a full-fledged happy smile broke through and suddenly Lizzie felt light as a feather. She smiled and smiled and you’d think she would’ve drifted heavenward as weightless as she felt.

Coming back down to earth, she remembered the time and hurried the rest of her grooming. She combed fingers through her hair, threading the damp strands back and using twine left from the package to tie a bow. With no time to braid her hair, she left it loose and slipped her feet into boots she’d taken a moment to rub clean. She was grateful the dress had ample length to cover them.

This time when Chance knocked on the door Lizzie was ready for him. She opened the door, her face beaming, and her first thought was how handsome he looked. Clean shaven—she’d almost forgotten what he looked like without dark stubble on his face—and wearing a new red shirt, he stole the very breath from her lungs.

Chance looked her up and down for second or two, and then nodded. “Thought so.”

Baffled, she stared at him. She hadn’t expected claims to her beauty or his undying love, but this greeting wiped the smile from her lips. She angled her head. “Pardon?”

“The dress matches your eyes.”

On the trail, he’d told her she had pretty eyes. Had he picked the dress to match her eyes? Her pulse raced at the thought of him being considerate.

“It’s, uh…. It’s a fine dress.” Her throat could barely work now. “Thank you.”

“Welcome.”

“I’ll find a way to repay you.”

He spared her an impatient glance. “No need.”

“It was a very kind gesture, Chance. I appreciate—”

“Don’t go appreciating me too much,” he said quietly. “Nothing in your saddlebag was fitting for the hotel’s dining room. Besides, those dingy colors you wear all the time are downright depressing.”

She struggled to keep her mouth from gaping open.