The Iron Horseman (6 page)

“Stay
here. I’m going to see what’s going on,” he said before turning on his heel to
leave. “I’ll be right back.”

Stay
here?
She tried not to take offense as she realized he was actually trying to protect
her. A fire in an empty new building didn’t sound coincidental and the only way
she would be able to help would be to see it for herself. Cadence pushed open
the door and marched down the rest of the boardwalk toward all the commotion.

The
tall rectangular building was in flames and several men and women lined the
street passing buckets down the row to the burning bank. For such a small town,
they were surprisingly adept. Levi and his brothers were beating at the flames
licking the sections of the boardwalk, and Cadence found herself staring, not
knowing what else to do. It was an uncomfortable feeling.

A
woman ran down the wooden walkway carrying several heavy blankets. She shoved
one into Cadence’s hands. “We could use every hand,” the woman said before joining
the others beating on the blaze.

Cadence
bunched up the thick woolen covering and ran forward swinging the cloth,
slamming it down on the flames closest to her.

“My
bank.” A thin, balding man with wired spectacles wiped at his dripping forehead
with a rag. He stood next to her, looking up at the flames, exasperation lining
his soot-stained face.

A
loud cracking noise came from the building.

“Everyone
back away,” someone shouted.

“What
happened here?” Cadence asked the obvious owner of the bank with a grunt as she
beat at another plank.

The
man looked down at her as if noticing her standing there for the first time. He
didn’t grace her with a response, but dropped his hands and merged into the
small crowd that had stopped in their spots, holding buckets.

“I’m
‘fraid there is nothin’ more we can do, Ezra,” a man said from the far end of
the building. “We’ll just have to let it burn.”

Cadence
froze.
Let it burn?

When
the banker recovered from the shock of the man’s words, he hung his head.

“Look
on the bright side, Ezra, at least you didn’t have the whole town’s money
inside.” Another man stepped forward and patted the banker on the back.

“We’ll
get it rebuilt in no time,” yet another called out.

Cadence
was touched by the deep sense of community, but it seemed that no one cared
about the real issue here. How had the fire started and why was nobody looking
for the answers.

“Ezra,”
Levi walked up to the small group of men and Cadence’s heart did a little dance
in her chest, “I’m sorry to disturb you, but this doesn’t look like an
accident. Can you tell me what happened here?”

Handsome
and
smart. Nice combination.

Cadence
tried to remind herself that this little town was not her responsibility, but
she’d been trained too well to ignore the signs. Someone had started a fire in
the new bank, but why? There was no money to steal, they’d said it was
practically empty, so, what would anyone have to gain?

It
is none of your concern, Cadence Walker
. You have a job to do and you best stay
focused on that. Her mental tirade warred with her desire for justice.

“Look
out!” a woman’s voice screamed from the street.

Cadence
looked up in time to see the sign atop the pent roof slide off the collapsing
structure toward her. She tried to jump out of the way, but the scorched wood
reached her with alarming speed, its weight knocking her face-down onto the
street.

Pain
welcomed her into its fierce embrace as scorching heat burned through the flesh
of her leg above her boot and gravel burrowed deep into her cheek.

Get
up!
She
demanded of herself.

With
all the strength she could muster, she kicked the board from her legs and
managed to turn herself over onto her bottom only to see that the hem of her
dress was on fire. Before she could clear the hair from her face enough to see
what she was doing, Levi was there. He gathered the material of her dress and
expertly beat it against the rest of the folds to extinguish the flames.
Without a word, he scooped her up into his arms and ran with her toward the
tent that currently served as the mercantile.

With
a protest on the tip of her tongue, Levi dumped her into the horse’s trough
where half a tub of water still remained. It splashed up onto her throbbing
face and soaked her now displaced coiffeur.

Horrified,
Cadence opened her mouth to tell Levi Redbourne exactly what she thought of
this plan, but realized that the cool water felt wonderful against the burns on
her skin. The stench of burned flesh lingered in the air and she wondered if
he’d been hurt during his act of misplaced chivalry.

“Sit,”
Levi commanded, as if she were some sort of dog.

“Is
that how you always treat a lady? How dare you speak to me that way?”

“This
wouldn’t have happened had you listened to me. I thought I told you to stay
put.” Levi ran his hands through his hair, wet with perspiration.

“You,
Mr. Redbourne, are not responsible for me. I can take care of myself.”

“I
can see that.” Sarcasm dripped from every word.

Cadence
pounded her hands against the flat surface of the water surrounding her. If he
only knew the extent of her capabilities.

Time
to change tactics.

“Mr.
Redbourne, I am sorry,” she said in a voice so sticky Cadence thought she might
be ill. “I’m afraid that I am not accustomed to taking orders from anyone.
Especially perfect strangers.” A wet tendril fell down onto her face and
dripped down her chin. She lifted the sodden lock and pushed it aside only to
have it fall once again in front of her eyes. “But you seem like you’re only
trying to help.”

Levi
took a deep breath, then turned, without a word, and disappeared into the
mercantile tent. It was only a matter of seconds before he returned with a
cloth and a bottle that looked as if it contained some sort of salve. He dipped
the rag in the clear substance and reached up to her now throbbing cheek. The
cool cloth touched her skin and she sucked in a startled breath. It stung.

Oh,
quit being a baby
.

Cadence
Walker was stronger than that. She would not allow Levi to see her wince again,
but when he pulled the knife from his belt, she was unsure whether she would be
able to maintain the tough façade.

“And
just what do you think you are going to do with that?” Cadence eyed the weapon
with apprehension—not that she really thought he would try to harm her in any
way. Unwittingly she reached down to her boot and felt for the dagger she kept
there.

“There
are a couple pieces of gravel embedded in your cheek—“

“And
you’re going to cut them out? I don’t think so.” She started to stand, but he
pressed down on her shoulder, keeping her in the increasingly cold water.

“I’m
not going to cut them out,” he said with a shake of his head. “I’m just going
to coax them out with the flat side of the blade.”

As
if that sounded any better. She watched him as he poured some of the clear
liquid over his knife, unable to take her eyes off his face. He was gentler
than she’d expected him to be.

Levi
avoided her gaze as he quietly worked on his task.

“Shouldn’t
a doctor be doing this?”

“Shhh,”
he chided.

Cadence
closed her eyes to the pain that emanated from her face. She was sure she
looked a sight.

“There.
Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Gooseflesh
cascaded down her body. The chill from the water and the light breeze added to
her discomfort.

“Now,
let me see that leg.” Levi held out his hand like he expected her to swing her
legs out of the trough on display for the whole town.

“Levi?”
one of his brothers called from a distance, but she wasn’t sure which one. “She
all right?”

“She’ll
be fine,” he yelled back over his shoulder. “She’s quite capable,” he said more
to himself than to his brother.

Cadence
wanted to smack the irritatingly smug twitch that touched the corners of his
beautiful mouth. Not that she’d noticed.

She
was
capable. However, every smart woman liked to be taken care of once
in a while. If she had to be stuck in a small town like Flat Plains for the
night, at least it was in the company of a very…capable man.

“Well?”
Levi asked.

“Well,
what?” she asked back.

“Your
leg.”

Heat
flooded Cadence’s otherwise cool cheeks.

Of
course.

She
hesitated a moment longer, then decided she’d save her strength for another
battle. She turned so she could lean against the backside of the trough and
lifted the injured leg from the water—sopping skirt and all.

Levi’s
fingers touched her bare skin as he pulled back the folds of her dress to the
area just above her knee where the burning sign had left its mark. Cadence was
grateful it hadn’t been the other leg, where she’d strapped her favorite blade.
Luckily, the water hadn’t been deep enough to get to her revolver, but she
worried about the pistol secured at her thigh. She didn’t know how she would
explain her weapons if he were to find them.

“Just
stay put, would you?” Levi said as he stood.

“But…”
she tried to protest.

He
reached down and lifted her chin with his finger. It took her a moment before
she could meet his eyes.

“Trust
me,” was all he said before he turned and walked back toward the bank.

What
was wrong with her? She was Cadence Walker, a Pinkerton for heaven’s sake. Her
emotions were all too real for the charade she played. Her nerves were normally
as thick as steel, but for some reason, she felt like the helpless female where
Levi Redbourne was concerned. That just wasn’t acceptable. It was time to get
herself together.

Cadence
stood up in the trough and shook the excess water from her hands. Luckily the
watering trench was stationed near a hitching post and fence. She steadied
herself against the wood for support and climbed out of the oversized tub. Her
feet hit the ground with a thud. The bottoms of her skirt squished into the
dust, immediately sullying the hem. She raised her hands into the air. Her
dress clung to the curve of her body as it hung heavy with the excess weight of
the water.

“Ooooo,”
she grunted. The wet dress skimmed her blistered skin and Cadence gritted her
teeth against the sudden pain.

The
Day’s End was just a couple of doors down. Luckily, she had a change of
clothes, but doubted that this dress would be dry before she had to be on the
train when it left in the morning.

The
town seemed oddly quiet now as many onlookers watched in awe as the embers of
the bank still smoldered with light wisps of pale gray smoke—the flames still
licking at the scorched wood. Something was definitely going on in this town.
Fires didn’t just start on their own in brand new buildings. From what Cadence
could tell, there wasn’t a doctor, and from the looks of it, there wasn’t a
sheriff either. These people needed help. The train would be leaving in the
morning and that didn’t give her much time.

“Howdy,
Sheriff,” the liveryman called from across the way.

Cadence
turned to see a tall, burly man with a bright shiny badge pinned to his chest
making his way toward the rubble.

So
much for detective work. He can take care of it.

She
marched to the hotel, her hem and feet now covered in mud, and stopped at the
front door. She highly doubted that Ms. Emaline would appreciate her making
tracks through the restaurant, but her leg ached and her face throbbed. She
just needed a clean rag and the water basin from her room.

A
twinge of guilt settled in Cadence’s gut as she thought of Levi. He had tried
to take care of her, but admittedly, she was as stubborn as her father. She sat
down on the wooden bench just outside the door and made quick work of removing
her boots. After squeezing the excess water from the bottom of her dress, she
gathered the base of her skirt up into her arms, careful to expose nothing above
the knee, and with one hand full with her boots and the other the folds of her
dress, she pushed her way into the restaurant. A few dozen eyes spun to greet
her.

Of
course, it would be dinner time. She nodded her apologies, quickly made her way
to the staircase, and headed up to her room. This place needed a separate
entrance. Maybe she’d suggest that to Miss Emaline the next time she saw the
woman.

Her
room was simple. Yellow roses adorned the curtains over the quaint little
window on the far side of the room and the bed covering had the same coloring.
It was nice, and right now, the warmth of the room felt like heaven. Careful
not to get mud on any of the furnishings, Cadence lifted her dress up over her
head and wadded it up—hem first. She considered making her way back down to the
creek where she’d killed the snake, but thought better of it. A clean rag sat
on the vanity and a fresh pitcher of water graced the table. She’d make do.

Luckily,
the room had wooden floors. Cadence was careful to avoid the rug until she was
able to clean the mud from the sides of her boots. She placed them, upside
down, next to the vanity and proceeded to wipe down her legs. She winced when
she reached the spot on the side of her calf where a few small blisters dotted
the reddened skin just above the section that had been protected by the top of
her boot. The area seemed to grow hotter by the minute. She remembered how nice
the cold water of the trough had felt. She rung the dirty water from the rag
into the basin and proceeded to douse the cloth with fresh water from the
pitcher.

The
cool rag felt nice against her skin.

Knock.
Knock.

“Hello,
dear, it’s Emaline. Is everything okay?” the proprietress asked through the
door. “I saw you sneak in and it looked as if you might need some help. “

Cadence
stood up and walked over to answer the door before realizing she had not yet
donned another dress.

“Just
a minute,” she called, pulling a lavender skirt from her trunk along with a
white collared blouse. It was her favorite combination and she wanted to look
nice for dinner tonight. As soon as she finished the last button on her shirt,
she swung the door wide.

Miss
Emaline’s eyes grew wide and she stepped back away from the door, apparently
startled. “Is everything all right?” She reached a hand up toward Cadence’s
face, but pulled it away as if she’d crossed some line of impropriety.
“What…what happened?”

“Sorry.”
Cadence hadn’t intended to scare the woman. “Everything is grand,” she said.

“But,
your cheek. Did someone hurt you?”

“No,
it’s nothing. Really,” she said when the woman looked as if she didn’t believe
her. “I just took an embarrassing little spill on the road.”

Emaline
looked down at her feet.

“The
room is lovely.” Cadence wanted to put the woman at ease.

Emaline
looked up at her again, a smile alight on her features.

Cadence
glanced over at the table where the wash basin sat filled with filthy water.
“Is there somewhere I might be able to dispose of the water?”

Emaline
looked at her with scrunched eyebrows. “Would you like me to refill your
pitcher?”

“That
won’t be necessary. Sorry about the floors. I hope I didn’t dirty them too
badly.”

“Nothing
a mop can’t handle.” She smiled. “You can just toss the bath water out the window
into the alley. I’ve got some shrubbery growing down there. A little muddy
water won’t hurt them.”

Cadence
nodded.

“Well,
then. Will you be joining us for supper?” Emaline asked.

Cadence
cleared her throat. “Mrs. Cavanaugh has invited me to join her and her husband
for supper this evening. I hope that’s all right.”

“Of
course, dear. Bessie is a wonderful cook. I’m sure you will have a lovely time.
Is there anything else I can get you in the meantime?”

Cadence
looked around the room. She couldn’t think of a single thing at the moment. “I
wish I had time for a hot bath, but I think that will have to wait until I get
to my father’s ranch.”

Emaline
smiled and nodded. “The creek is still a little cold yet for a...swim.”

Both
women laughed.

“Thank
you for your generosity, but I think I have everything I need.” A drop of water
fell onto Cadence’s cheek.”

Her
hair.

Emaline
had turned to walk away.

“Actually,
Ms. Emaline, do you think you might help me with this mess?” She held up a damp
lock of hair.

The
hotel owner’s face lit up. “I would love to. It is such a beautiful dark
color.”

“Thank
you.” Cadence stepped away from the door to allow Emaline to enter.

“I
wish you were staying longer. There aren’t many people our age in this town—not
yet anyway.”

For
the first time, Cadence looked really hard at the woman. Her hands were
work-roughened and her eyes puffy from being tired, but Emaline was indeed a
young woman. It was not appropriate to ask a woman her age, but at this moment,
Cadence really wanted to know.

“You’ve
really accomplished a lot here. There aren’t many women courageous enough to
brave life in the West.”

“And
yet, here
you
are,” Emaline said as she led Cadence over to the vanity.

“I
admire you. Can’t be easy running this place out here in the middle of…”

“Nowhere?”
The woman filled in for her. “I’m one of the lucky ones.”

Cadence
folded her lips together. “Do you have help? A partner?”

“A
husband, you mean?” Emaline clarified with a smile as she collected the brush
from the dresser.

Cadence
remained quiet.

“I’m
afraid I’ve not yet been married. When Mr. Redbourne came to Boston and offered
me the opportunity to start a new life here in Flat Plains I thought he was
mad.”

Cadence
sat up a little taller on the bench at the mention of the Redbournes.

“But
when I realized that I could either cook and clean for the family I was
attending for a mere room and board or I could have my own place and cook and
clean for profit, I chose Flat Plains.”

“Why
did Mr. Redbourne offer...?” Cadence knew her words were coming out wrong.

“Why
would Mr. Redbourne offer such a thing to a lowly servant girl?”

“I’m
sorry. That’s not what I meant. You are lovely. Truly.”

“It’s
all right,” Emaline said, collecting some of Cadence’s hair into her hands and
brushing through the wet locks. “Levi said that he needed people who weren’t
afraid of a little hard work to help settle some of these towns in the West. He
said there were three men or more for every woman out here, and he was right.”
Emaline looked at her through the mirror with raised eyebrows and a sneaky
little grin.