For the Roses (30 page)

Douglas made certain there weren't any unsavory characters inside, then went back out and stood by the

door. He was going to make his sister control Eleanor's behavior.

Harrison spotted the man who had tried to ambush him as soon as he walked into the saloon. The son-of-a-bitch quickly looked away. Harrison pretended he hadn't recognized him. He looked the other two over on his way to the counter.

He ordered a drink of whiskey and downed it in one long swallow. He swore he could still hear Eleanor's voice pounding like a hammer inside his head.

Travis moved to stand on Harrison's left side and Cole moved to stand on his right side. Both brothers put their backs to the counters and stared at the strangers.

"Well?" Cole whispered. He half turned to ask, "Is he in here?" Harrison didn't answer. Travis turned to him and said, "There are a couple of other men hanging around Belle's place. You should look them over too. They don't have any reason to be down there. Belle's been in Hammond almost six months now. Everyone knows she won't be back until July. She always comes home for my birthday and stays until it turns cold again. Are you sure you remember what the man who shot you looked like?"

"What are you boys whispering about? I don't want any shooting in here, Cole. Keep that in mind." Billie was frowning with his worry.

"I was just about to tell Travis and Cole to stay out of my business, Billie," Harrison told the proprietor.

"I don't recall ever hearing anyone tell Cole Clayborne to stay out of his business before."

"I'm not taking offense," Cole said. "Harrison hasn't been feeling well lately." Billie nodded sympathetically. He leaned into the counter. "I heard about your fainting spells. Have you had any more I should know about?"

Harrison turned to glare at Cole. The brother tried to look innocent. He failed in his endeavor.

"I didn't tell Billie," he insisted.

"He told Dooley," Travis was happy to add.

"Do you know those men sitting at the table in the corner near the window?" Harrison asked Billie.

"No, why do you ask?"

"I just wondered who they were," Harrison replied.

"Someone needs to tell them to take a bath. I can smell them over here," Cole remarked in a loud voice so he'd be sure to be overheard.

"Stay out of my business, Cole," Harrison snapped.

"I was just having a little fun."

"Do you want to go down to Belle's place or not?" Travis asked.

"Tell me who Belle is first," Harrison said.

"Why, she's the town's whore," Billie informed him. He sounded immensely proud of that fact. "Belle's a right nice woman. Isn't she, Travis?"

"Yes, she is."

Cole wasn't paying any attention to the conversation. One of the men had gotten up and walked outside. He waited to see what the others were going to do.

"Of course, she's gotten on in years," Billie continued. "She's still got a good, soft touch though. Judge Burns always stops by her place to say his hello and put his boots under her bed whenever he passes through town on a hanging spree. We all think mighty highly of her. I guess you figured that out already though, since we named our town after her."

"The town's named after a whore?" Harrison was incredulous. He shook his head and burst into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Billie asked.

"I thought you named the town after the flower," he admitted. Billie chuckled. "Now, why would we want to do a fool thing like that? We ain't city boys, Harrison. We'd never name our place after a flower. That don't make no sense at all. I think maybe all of them fainting spells made you as loco as Ghost."

"I only fainted once," Harrison announced.

"Of course you did," Billie agreed. The condescending tone of voice indicated he didn't believe Harrison. Cole was still keeping his eye on the two men huddled together at the table. One of them was talking in a low voice. The other kept nodding. Then the agreeable one got up and went outside. Cole immediately turned his gaze to the street beyond the window. He was curious to find out where the man was going.

"Travis, why don't you go on outside," Cole suggested in a whisper. "Use the back door."

"Billie doesn't have a back door," Travis reminded his brother.

"Then make one."

"I told you to stay out of my business," Harrison repeated. Cole shrugged. Travis had already left to go into Billie's storeroom. Harrison tossed a coin on the countertop. "Thanks for the drink, Billie."

He turned around and walked over to face the man who had tried to kill him.

The stranger looked up from his drink and frowned at Harrison. His right hand was slowly edging toward his lap.

"I saw your face, you son-of-a-bitch."

"What are you talking about?"

Harrison told him. He used every foul, four-letter word he could think of while he insulted him, but the one word that finally got a reaction was coward. Ugly-face took exception to the word. He started to stand up. Cole's voice stopped him cold. "Harrison, you're talking to the scraggliest looking animal I've ever seen. I can smell his stink all the way over here. If his hand moves once more, I'm gonna have to shoot him."

"For the love of mother, don't start anything in here, Cole," Billie pleaded. He sounded like he was about to cry. "I just got my new mirror up on the wall. Go on outside, please. I'm begging you."

"Stay where you are, Cole. This is my fight, not yours. What's your name, coward?"

"I'm going to kill you. No one calls Quick a coward. And people call me Quick because I'm quick as a snake."

After giving the threat, Coward stood up and strutted outside. He was wearing two guns. Harrison was wearing only one.

Cole went to the doorway to watch. Billie hurried out from behind his counter and ran over to the window.

"Don't you think you'd best get on out there and help your friend? Everyone in town knows Harrison can't shoot his way out of a gunnysack. He's gonna get himself killed. I sure wish Dooley was here. He went fishing today. He'll be sorry he missed this."

Cole was busy looking at the tops of the buildings, trying to locate the other two men. They'd disappeared, but he knew they were hiding nearby. Men who ambushed once will do it again, or so Cole believed, and if the three of them were friends, they all thought the same gutless way. Cowards ran with cowards, didn't they?

"Now, what's Harrison doing standing in the middle of the road talking to Quick?" Billie asked.

"He's probably lawyering," Cole replied.

"His speechifying is making Quick-As-a-Snake real mad. I can see him fuming from here." Harrison was trying to get Quick to admit his guilt before he hurt him. If he cooperated and owned up to his crime, Harrison would force himself to behave in a civilized manner. He wouldn't kill him. No, he'd let him crawl away… eventually. He would beat the hell out of him first, of course.

"Your bullet could have killed Mary Rose Clayborne," he roared. Quick backed a step away from the rage he saw in Harrison's eyes. "I'm going to kill you," he repeated in a stammer. "Here and now in front of witnesses. We'll have a draw, on the square."

Harrison nodded. He was through talking. "Tell me the rules," he demanded.

"What?"

"Tell me the rules of a draw."

Quick spit in the dirt and let out a snicker. "We each take a walk backwards real slow for about ten paces."

"Can you count that high?"

Quick's eyes narrowed. "I'm gonna like killing you," he whispered before he continued with his explanation. "When one of us stops, the other one stops too. Then we shoot each other. You'll be dead before your hand reaches your gun. They don't call me Quick-As-a-Snake for nothing." He snickered again and started backing away. Harrison also backed up. The two men faced when they were about fifteen feet apart.

Quick suddenly started shaking his head. "Don't shoot me," he cried out.

"Why the hell not?" Harrison bellowed back.

"I ain't going to draw. I'm putting my hands up real easy. I don't want to shoot." Harrison was infuriated. "What changed your mind?"

"I don't like the odds."

Harrison wanted to shoot him anyway. He realized he was acting like a savage. He didn't care. The bastard could have killed Mary Rose, and life without her would have killed him. He took a long, deep breath and tried to calm his rage. "All right, put your hands up. I'm going to let Judge Burns hang you."

Quick put his hands up. Harrison started walking toward him. He happened to glance toward the walkway and saw Mary Rose peeking out at him through the window of Morrison's store. She looked extremely upset.

He wasn't altogether unhappy she'd witnessed the confrontation. He wished he'd been able to shoot the gun out of Quick's hand though. Then maybe she'd start believing he was just as capable as her brothers. He'd take what he could get. Facing down Quick had to count for something. God, he really needed to get the hell out of here, he suddenly realized. He was beginning to think and act like Cole.

Where was Cole? Harrison knew the answer before he turned around. The brother was standing ten feet behind him and just a little to his left. He wasn't alone. Travis and Douglas flanked his sides.

"How long have you been standing there?" Harrison bellowed the question.

"Long enough," Cole answered. "I wouldn't turn your back on Snake if I were you. He looks like he's itching to shoot you in the back."

"I told you…"

Harrison spotted the man leaning out a window above the empty storeroom. He was bringing his gun up when Harrison drew his gun and fired one shot.

It was enough. The gun flew out of the bastard's hand. He let out a howl of pain. Quick seized the opportunity and went for his guns. The third man came running out from between two buildings and fired at the same instant.

Cole shot the man coming out of the alley, then turned to Quick. He was too late. Travis had already beaten him to the task. He was putting his gun back in his gunbelt before Cole had time to recock his gun. "Now, that was quick," Travis drawled out.

Douglas had already moved to stand behind his brothers with his back to them so he could protect them from any more surprises. Harrison wanted to kill every one of the interfering brothers. His humiliation wasn't complete, however. Cole started giving him hell for being so stupid.

"Didn't you wonder where the other two went? If we hadn't interfered, you'd be flat on your face with a bullet in your back.

Start using your head, Harrison. Hotheads don't last long out here." Harrison took a deep breath. He knew Cole was right. Anger had almost gotten him killed.

"You're right. I wasn't thinking."

"Oh, you were thinking all right. You were thinking all about how Quick could have killed Mary Rose. Isn't that true?" Harrison nodded. He was fast beginning to feel like an idiot. "Listen up, City Boy. There's only one rule to live by out here. Someone's always going to be faster. Always. As long as you remember that, and believe it, you'll stay alive." He shoved his finger in Harrison's chest. "Got that?" Harrison nodded. Cole let out an expletive. "We didn't kill any of them."

"I wish we had," Harrison admitted. "I guess I'll round them up and lock them up in the empty store."

"It won't do any good. They'll only get out. Let the sheriff deal with them."

"You don't have a sheriff, remember?"

Cole shrugged. "Do what you want then. You were so angry, you didn't get Quick to confess. He isn't going to now. Get ready. Here comes Mary Rose. She looks as mad as a hornet." Harrison didn't want to turn around and look. Mary Rose reached Douglas first.

"Will you get the horses. We're going home. Now."

"Are you mad about something, Mary Rose?"

"You just shot up the town, Douglas."

"I didn't shoot anyone. They did. Harrison started it."

"I'm not in the mood for excuses. You were as much a part of it as they were."

"Why aren't you in the mood? Anything else happen?"

"Eleanor just called Mrs. Morrison a fat cow. That's what else. Let's go." Cole had turned away so his sister wouldn't see his smile. Calling Mrs. Morrison a fat cow was a real mean thing to do. He couldn't help but appreciate the guts it must have taken for Eleanor to stand up to a woman who weighed four times more than she did. It was also a stupid thing to do, but Cole didn't want to dwell on that fact.

Travis wasn't smiling. He was horrified Eleanor had insulted Catherine's mother.

"I'll admit she's a hefty-sized woman, but I wouldn't call her a cow," he told Mary Rose.

"Mary Rose, come here. I need more money. I've found something I want to buy." Eleanor shouted the order from the walkway in front of the store. Mary Rose ignored her. She walked with Douglas to get the horses.

Cole explained Harrison's plan to Travis and told him to tell Douglas when their sister wasn't within earshot.

Harrison got inside the carriage. He'd given up on the idea of rounding up the wounded men. His only hope was that they all bled to death.

The three brothers left with their sister a few minutes later. Eleanor finally realized she'd been abandoned and ran over to the buggy.

Harrison didn't help her get inside.

"Have you ever seen such rudeness in all your life?" she muttered. "How dare Mary Rose leave without me. I am her guest, I'll have you remember."

Harrison gritted his teeth and didn't say a word until they were halfway home. Then he pulled the carriage over to the edge of the road.

"You aren't a guest. You're a charity case."

She tried to slap him. He grabbed hold of her hand and then let go. "Or at least you were a charity case."

"How dare you talk to me like that."

"Get out, Eleanor."

She let out a gasp. Her hand flew to her throat. "What did you say?"

"You heard me. Get out."

"No."

"Fine. I'll throw you out."

"You cannot be serious."

He reached for her arm. She let out a stone-shattering scream.

Then she got out of the carriage. "You've lost your senses. When I tell Mary Rose…" He didn't let her finish her threat. "I don't think you'll make it back, so I don't have to worry about that, do I?"