One Pink Rose; One White Rose; One Red Rose (7 page)

“How much would you like to wager?”

“A dollar.”

“Shall we make it more interesting and wager five dollars?”

“Five dollars, it is,” he agreed.

“I want you to know I wouldn't agree to this if I thought the gentleman I'm going to give my attention to would end up with hurt feelings, but what I'm about to do is harmless. Wouldn't you agree?”

The thought of Jack Hanrahan getting his feelings hurt made Travis choke on his laughter. “Yes, it's harmless. Have we got a bet, then?”

“As long as it isn't dangerous,” she hastily qualified.

“I won't let it be dangerous.”

“What are the rules?”

“No rules,” he replied. “Just a time limit. Is ten minutes enough time to turn a man into a blithering simpleton, or do you need more time?”

“Ten minutes will be just fine. Are you sure you don't want to set some other rules? I don't want you to accuse me of not playing fair.”

“No other rules,” he insisted. “Just flirt with the very next man you see,” he told her before he slowly turned her around.

He heard her indrawn breath and was a little surprised she didn't scream. She took a step back toward him.

“You want me to flirt with . . . him?”

“His name's Jack Hanrahan, and he was the next man you saw, wasn't he?”

“Yes, but . . .”

Her shoulders were now pressed against his chest. He leaned down close to her ear and drawled out, “Did I happen to mention Jack's an avowed woman hater?”

She closed her eyes. “No, you did not. Is he dangerous?”

“He won't hurt you, or any other female, for that matter, but he sure won't be nice to you either. Folks say he has the personality of a rattlesnake, but I think that's a rotten thing to be saying about snakes. They're much sweeter. Do you want to admit defeat now, give me your five dollars, and be done with it?”

It was the combination of arrogance and laughter in his tone that swayed her. She straightened her shoulders and her resolve. Come hell or high water, she was going to get the man who looked like a barbarian to hang on her every word.

“He will be my finest challenge,” she announced. “Stay here, Travis, and observe.”

“Wait a minute. How will I know you've won?” he asked with another chuckle he couldn't contain, for the possibility of Jack being swayed by a woman was downright hilarious.

“Trust me. You'll know when I've won.” She adjusted the folds of her skirt, straightened the collar on her blouse, and then took a deep, God-help-me breath.

Travis kept right on grinning as he watched her drag her feet toward her prey. He knew she had to be worried. Jack did look like a hungry bear who had just come out of his cave. He usually smelled like one too, and Travis couldn't help but think Emily was actually courageous to try to win him over. She was also being foolish and stubborn, of course, because she refused to admit that men were too intelligent to be taken in by a helpless woman.

“Be sure to do that thing with your eyes, Emily,” he called out, pretending to be helpful.

She turned around. “What thing?”

“That twitching thing you did when we were in Pritchard. Jack will love that.”

She wasn't amused. She whirled around and hurried toward the man she was determined to tame. By the time she reached him, her heart felt as though it was lodged in the back of her throat.

Whatever it was she was saying wasn't working. Jack kept right on scowling, God love him, and Travis could have sworn he heard him growl each time he shook his head at her.

Although ten full minutes hadn't passed, Travis decided to suggest to Emily that she give up. It really was hopeless, after all. He was just about to call out to her when One-Eyed Jack did the most vile, hideous thing. He smiled.

T
ravis blanched, blinked, and then looked again. The ugly smile was still there. He watched in disbelief as Jack thrust his arm out to Emily. She immediately hooked her arm through his and started walking by his side toward the house, smiling up at her escort.

Travis didn't think he could stomach much more. He did a double take when the mismatched pair reached him and he heard her chattering away in the most horrendous imitation of a southern drawl he'd ever heard.

“I declare, Jack, you're such a gentleman.”

“I try to be, Miss Emily. I sure do like the way you sing your words.”

“How sweet of you to say so,” she replied with a flutter of her eyelashes that made Travis lose his appetite.

“May I introduce you to my guide, Mr. Travis Clayborne, of Blue Belle?”

Jack quit grinning like a demented man long enough to flash his usual scowl at Travis. “I know you,” he accused. “Didn't I shoot you a time or two, Clayborne?”

“No, Jack, you didn't.”

“I recollect I did.”

The set of his jaw indicated he was getting riled up. She quickly turned Jack's attention. “My, but I'm all tuckered out. Mr. Clayborne and I have been riding for hours and hours, and I'm not at all strong like you are, Jack. I'm too delicate for such strenuous activity.”

Jack became solicitous once again. “Of course you're delicate. Anybody can see you ain't got much meat on your bones. Clayborne oughtn't to have set such a hard pace. Want me to shoot him for you, Miss Emily?”

The question so appalled her, she answered in a near shout. “No.”

“You sure? I wouldn't mind none.”

“I'm sure, Jack, but I thank you for offering. I'll be fine as soon as I sit down. I just need to rest for a spell.”

“I'll get you settled in a comfortable chair in just a minute, Miss Emily. You sure do smell nice,” he added in a rush.

“I declare. Jack, you'll spoil me with your compliments.”

She didn't need to say another word or bat another eyelash. Travis listened as Jack promised to build her a fire so she could warm her feet, fetch her a drink so she could cool her parched throat, and bring her supper so she could regain her strength.

Travis wanted to shoot him. He felt justified too, because Jack had just disgraced every other man in the territory. Come to think of it, shooting was too good for him. Travis glowered as he followed the pair around the corner to the front stoop. The horses would have to be taken care of, but not until Travis knew who the other guests inside were and made certain Emily would be safe.

Jack opened the door for Emily and then, true to his nature, tried to kick it closed before Travis could come inside. It was a childish prank and one Jack so thoroughly enjoyed, he had to snicker about it.

John Perkins was standing in the hall waiting for them. He was a heavyset man with a triple chin, a potbelly, and a ready smile. He looked soft, but he was as tough as any other mountain man and didn't allow any nonsense inside his establishment. Any disputes that arose had to be settled outside, and from the number of unmarked graves on the hillside behind the house, it was apparent there had been a number of those fights in the past.

John usually greeted his guests. He couldn't seem to find his voice now, however, and appeared to be in a stupor as he stared in stunned disbelief at One-Eyed Jack.

John had apparently never seen Jack Hanrahan smile either.

“It's chilling, isn't it, John?” Travis remarked as he strolled past him on his way into the dining room.

John's wife, Millie, let out a little screech when she spotted Jack grinning. Travis thought that was an appropriate reaction.

The dining room was deserted. Still, Travis insisted that Emily sit in the corner next to him with her back against the wall. One-Eyed Jack straddled the chair across from them, but he kept nervously glancing behind his shoulder to make certain no one was trying to sneak up on him.

John came to his senses before his wife did. He hurried to the table, his shotgun cradled in his arms, and stopped when he reached Travis.

“It's good to see you again,” he remarked with another quick glance in Hanrahan's direction. “Millie, quit twisting your apron and come meet Travis's woman. Did you go and get yourself hitched?”

“No, Jack. I didn't get married.”

He introduced Emily to the older couple and then suggested they both join them.

As soon as Millie had gotten over her reaction to seeing Jack smile, her attention moved to Emily. She seemed mesmerized by her, nervous too; Travis noticed the way she was fiddling with her hair and smoothing her apron.

When Millie was younger, she was quite attractive, and her good looks helped to soften her abrupt way with people. Age had made her features more angular and harsh, but the sparkle was still in her eyes.

“We might as well eat with our guests, Millie, seeing as Travis is a friend,” John said. “If you can stop gawking at his woman long enough to fetch our supper.”

Millie didn't budge. She gave her husband a look Travis interpreted to mean John was going to catch hell later for teasing her.

“My hair used to curl the way hers does,” Millie told her husband. “Might be it still would if it weren't so long.”

“Expect you'll cut it, then?” John asked

Millie didn't answer her husband. She simply continued to give Emily her close scrutiny.

“Mr. Perkins, are you expecting trouble?” Emily asked, pretending not to notice that his wife was watching her every move.

“I always expect trouble,” he replied. “That way I'm never taken by surprise.”

“John started carrying a shotgun when he married Millie because he knew men would try to steal her away from him,” Travis said.

“That was years ago,” Millie interjected. “I was pretty then.”

“You're prettier now,” Travis told her. “John's still carrying his shotgun, isn't he?”

Millie blushed with pleasure and hurried out of the room.

“What are the two of you doing up in high country?” John asked with yet another worried glance at One-Eyed Jack.

“I'm escorting Emily to Golden Crest. She's meeting someone there.”

Emily was relieved he hadn't given Mr. Perkins any other details.

Travis couldn't stomach looking at One-Eyed Jack's infernal grin another second.

“Emily, tell Jack to stop smiling. He's giving me the chills.”

“I think his smile is charming,” she replied. She reached across the table and patted Jack's hand. “Don't pay any attention to him, Jack. He's just in a contrary mood.”

“Want me to shoot him for you, Miss Emily?”

The question didn't faze her this time. “No, Jack, but thank you for offering.”

Travis decided to ignore both Emily and Jack. He turned to John again and remarked, “You're light on guests tonight.”

“We won't be light for long,” John replied. “Ben Corrigan stopped by on his way home from River's Bend to visit with Millie and me for a spell, and he told me five men from Murphy's outfit are headed this way. They'll expect to spend the night, but if they give me any back talk at all, I'm tossing them out. They're all low-down, thieving troublemakers.” He turned and raised his voice so his wife could hear him in the kitchen. “Millie, you'd better hide the money you've got tucked inside the cookie jar.” Turning back to his guests, he said, “Travis, I'd keep an eye on your woman if I were you.”

Travis nodded agreement. He didn't bother to correct John's misconception that Emily was his woman and, in fact, had to admit he kind of liked the sound of it.

The realization made him frown. She was soon going to be O'Toole's woman, he reminded himself, and he would probably never see her again.

“Looks like I won't be getting much sleep tonight,” he said, accepting what he was going to have to do to keep Emily safe.

“Why is that?” Emily asked.

He doubted if she'd get any sleep either if he told her what Murphy's men were capable of, and so he decided not to answer her question and changed the subject instead.

“What other news did Corrigan have to tell you?”

“He mentioned there was a United States marshal poking around up here.”

Jack Hanrahan's head snapped up, and he was suddenly mighty interested in the conversation. “What for?” he muttered. “The law ain't no good in these parts.”

Jack was wrong, but neither John nor Travis felt inclined to tell him so.

“The marshal's searching for some men, and from the rumors Corrigan heard, they're about as bad as men can be. Word has it they've killed a woman and a child. The little girl was just three years old, and the bastards ought to hang for that. The marshal wants to haul them back to Texas to stand trial.”

“The marshal's from Texas?”

“That's what Corrigan told me.”

“Did he mention his name?”

“I don't recollect that he did. Why are you so interested in the marshal? I'd stay away from him if I were you. Corrigan said that when he was introducing himself to him, he was suddenly feeling real thankful he'd led such a law-abiding life. The marshal gave him the shivers, all right, with those cold blue eyes staring down at him. Corrigan told me he hopes he never runs into him again. That's what he said, all right.”