Xenia’s Renegade (22 page)

“No, honey. I don’t know where they are.”

He didn’t know how much time had passed when a cowboy fell down beside him when somebody knocked him in their direction. “Oh, my,” he said, and tried to say something else. Then, a bottle flew by his head and crashed against the wall and the entire bar erupted into a brawl. There was the sound of gunshots and someone shouted, “Damn, you killed the barkeep.”

It didn’t register with Franklin. He’d passed out as his head fell to the table with a loud bang.

Sassy Sue laughed, got up and started to where the Indians sat, but she was too late. They’d already left, taking their sack of gold with them.

****

“What about this one?” Xenia held up the dress she pulled from the wardrobe where Mea Ann had stored the three dresses she brought from Virginia.

“Not that one. I don’t like the way it fits me.”

Xenia frowned. She wanted to ask her sister why she brought it along if she didn’t like the way it fit, but she didn’t. She shoved it back in the wardrobe and pulled out a pink one with a darker pink design running through the skirt. “If you say no to this one, you’ll have to get married in your chemise.”

Mea Ann laughed. “Oh, Xenia. You’ve always had the ability to make me laugh, no matter what.”

Xenia laughed, too. “I didn’t mean to be so short with you, but that preacher may show up at any time, and we need to be ready.”

“I understand that. The pink one will be fine. I don’t think Wilt has seen it, and I want to surprise him.”

Xenia nodded and pulled the dress from the wardrobe. “I’m sure he’ll marry you no matter what dress you wear, but the pink one does look good with your blonde hair. Now, let’s get you in it.”

There was a knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Xenia asked.

“It’s Chapa.”

“Come on in. I’m just getting her into her dress.” Xenia slipped the dress over Mea Ann’s shoulders and turned her so she could button the back.

“Oh, my. That’s mighty pretty. Wilt will think you look like a princess.”

Mea Ann giggled. “I hope so. I bet he looks handsome, too.”

“I’ve not seen him, yet, but I’m sure he’ll look fine. I pressed his black suit and told Ty to get him in it.” She smiled. “Now, is there anything I can do to help you get ready?”

“I don’t think so. Is there anything you need help with, Xenia?”

“Not that I know of. Once I get her buttoned, I’ll work on her hair and then she’ll be ready.”

Chapa nodded. “Would you like some flowers to carry? I know that’s a custom.”

“Oh, Chapa. How sweet of you to think of that. I’d love to have flowers.”

“I’ll be back with them in a few minutes.”

When Chapa left the room, Mea Ann said, “Wasn’t that sweet of her?”

“Very sweet. Chapa is a special woman. I’m so glad we’ve gotten to know her.”

“Me, too.” Mea Ann took a seat on the stool in front of the mirror above the bureau.

Xenia picked up the hairbrush and began to work on Mea Ann’s hair.

****

“Damn it, Wilt, this is the second time you’ve buttoned that shirt wrong. What’s the matter with you?”

“Lay off, Ty.”

“I will, just as soon as you calm down and get yourself dressed. How hard could it be to get into these clothes?”

“It’s harder than you think when you’re nervous. And I admit, I am. A man doesn’t get married every day.”

“Thank the Good Lord for that.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the one about to make this mistake, not me.”

“So you think my marrying Mea Ann is a mistake?”

“Of course I do. You know how I feel about men like us marrying white women.”

“Ty, sometimes I think you forget you’re more white than Indian.”

Ty clinched his jaw. He didn’t like being reminded that he was only a fourth Sioux. He changed the subject. “Drop it, and get those damn clothes on.”

“Are you going to change into your suit?”

“Why should I?”

“Because I want you to stand with me while I marry the woman I love.”

“I can stand beside you in my denims.”

Wilt gave him a hard look. “Then put it on because Aunt Chapa pressed it and she’ll have your ass if you don’t wear it.”

Ty knew Wilt was right. His aunt would let him know if he’d displeased her. “Alright, I’ll get into the damn suit. I don’t want Aunt Chapa upset.”

“I didn’t think you’d want that.” Wilt tucked the shirt into his pants. It was finally buttoned correctly. 

Sassy Sue knew things were going to get out of hand in the saloon—and soon. She figured Franklin would be safe if she shoved him to the floor and rolled him against the wall. Once he was in place, she crawled through a forest of legs, dodging spurs and boots. When she managed to get behind the bar, she grabbed Angela’s skirt. “Get down. You’re going to get hit.”

Angela dropped beside her. “What about Lana?”

“I’ll see if I can get her attention.” Sassy Sue raised up and yelled in Lana’s direction, “Get over here, Lana. Behind the bar.”

Lana headed in her direction, but before she got there, a cowboy grabbed her and headed out of the saloon with her over his shoulder.

“Damn.” Sassy dropped back to safety.

“What happened?”

“A drunk carried her out, and there’s nothing we can do to help her now. She’s on her own.”

Angela nodded to the man crouched on the floor at the other end of the bar. “Why did Seymour have the peddler help me serve drinks? I was doing alright.”

“He’s the one who’s been trying to bring Seymour’s nieces in.”

A bottle crashed against the mirror over their head. “Do you think we can get out of here in one piece?”

“I think we should try. I’ll see if it’s safe enough.” Sassy peered around the end of the bar. Chaos greeted her eyes. She saw Seymour behind a table with his gun drawn and wondered what he was up to. He usually hurried upstairs as soon as a fight broke out. This time, it was as if he was waiting for something.

He raised his gun, and she followed his sight line. He was aiming at the peddler who had started crawling toward the door. The gun went off and Lou Bullins paused, then rolled to his side and collapsed. Sassy knew he was dead. The only thing she couldn’t understand was why Seymour wanted to kill the man.

“Can we make it out of here, Sassy?”

Sassy swallowed. “I’ll keep watching, and let you know when we can.”

Another shot went off and a man with a bushy beard fell to the floor. Seymour managed to work his way toward the stairs and Sassy knew he was leaving. Before she could tell Angela it was time to go, the bar began to rock. Her heart thumped. If the bar fell, they’d be out in the open. They could then either be captured by one of the rough miners or drovers, or be killed by a stray bullet. They had to go.

“It’s time. Grab a bottle to use for protection and let’s get out of here.”

They had reached the steps when the saloon doors slammed open and Sheriff Ferguson and a deputy came in firing one shot after another into the rafters. The melee came to a halt. “What the hell is going on here?”

For a group of rough and drunken cowboys and miners, the room took on an eerie quiet.

“Alright, I’ll decide myself what happened.” The sheriff looked around. Pointing to the bearded man on the floor. “Who shot him?” No body answered, and he pointed to Bullins. “What about him?” Finally, he pointed to Franklin. “Him?”

“He ain’t dead. Just passed out,” somebody said.

It remained quiet after that.

“Then, I guess that means you’re all under arrest.”

A murmur spread through the group.

“Sheriff.” Seymour stepped forward. “The man in the red shirt shot the miner.”

“You liar!” The accused man raised his gun and aimed it toward Seymour. He didn’t get a chance to fire it because the sheriff shot it out of his hand.

“Arrest him, deputy.” The sheriff turned back to Seymour and nodded again to Bullins. “How about that one, Longstreet?”

“Didn’t see who shot him.”

The sheriff nodded. “I don’t guess any of you want to confess.” Nobody said anything, and the lawman added, “Then, all of you get out of here. And I don’t want to hear any more noise tonight.”

Most of the patrons grabbed dropped hats and any other property they’d lost in the fight and rushed out the door as fast as they could. Those who couldn’t run, hobbled.

“Thank you for coming, Sheriff Ferguson.”

“Don’t look like I got here in time to keep the place from getting torn apart.”

“It’ll take some work, that’s for sure.”

“It’s good another saloon is opening up in town.”

Seymour frowned. “What are you talking about? I thought that was just a rumor.”

“No. It’s true, and I figured you knew that when Hiram quit. I hear he’s opening his own place in the abandoned hotel.”

Sassy Sue watched Seymour’s demeanor change immediately. “That dirty snake. I might have known something was up when he didn’t show up for work.”

The sheriff ignored his outburst. “Well, now things are quiet in here. I suggest you lock up and see what you can salvage.”

“I’ll do that.”

“How about that man on the floor over there? Do you want me to haul him in to sleep if off?”

“No. He’s a friend of Sassy Sue’s. She’ll want to take care of him.”

Sassy raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She’d find out why Seymour was lying later.

The sheriff nodded and headed out the door.

Seymour closed the big doors covering the bat-doors and locked them. He then turned and surveyed the damage.

Sassy Sue and Angela walked up to him.

“Hell and damnation. It’ll cost a fortune to fix this place. A fortune I don’t have.”

“You’ll think of something,” Angela said.

“Yeah.” He looked at her. “Look at this mess…”

A banging on the door interrupted him. “We’re closed,” he yelled.

The banging continued.

“I’ll get it. We don’t want the sheriff back because of the noise.” Sassy Sue moved to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open.

Lana fell into her arms.

Angela screamed.

“What the hell?” Seymour moved beside them

“He forced me…” Lana collapsed.

“Get her upstairs, Angela. You can take care of her. You check on Franklin, Sassy.”

Sassy watched Angela pulling Lana upstairs, then turned to Seymour. “What the hell are we going to do?”

“Do like I told you. Take care of Franklin, and we’ll decide. I’m wondering if the best thing for us to do is to take what money we can scrape up and leave town. This place will break me if I don’t get rid of it now.”

She nodded. “You may be right. I’ll be going with you, won’t I?”

“Of course, you will, Sassy. Now, please go check him and I’m going to the office to check on how much money we have.”

“After I check him, I’ll bring up what cash is behind the bar.”

He nodded and went up the stairs.

She moved to Franklin and rolled him over. He hadn’t been hit by any of the stray bullets. He was simply out from too much drinking. She couldn’t help wondering what Seymour was going to do with him.

****

The clock in the entry struck one in the morning as Mea Ann cuddled against Wilt. He gathered her in his arms, and she never dreamed she could be so happy. Their first time to make love was nothing like she’d been told it would be. Yes, there was a little discomfort at first, but Wilt had been so gentle and understanding that it soon went away and she found that she was enjoying becoming his wife.

“We had a beautiful wedding, didn’t we, Wilt?” she whispered.

He pulled her closer. “We sure did.”

“I couldn’t believe the elaborate supper Chapa served. And all your hands were there. Even Kerry. I’m glad you didn’t get too upset with him for losing Bullins.”

“We decided Ty would go to town in the morning and put the culprit behind bars. He’s easy to spot, so it won’t be too hard to find him.”

“I think that’s fine. I’m glad the Reverend and his wife stayed for the wedding celebration. It was nice to have them and Xenia and Ty to help us celebrate.”

“Everyone seemed to have a good time. Even Ty.”

She frowned into the darkness. “Why wouldn’t he enjoy himself?”

“Ty has his problems with weddings. He swears he doesn’t believe in them.”

“Why not?”

“I guess it’s because of his failed love affair with Miss McGill. I’ve told you about her, haven’t I?”

“Yes, and I’m sorry that happened. He’s a good man and he deserves a good wife who can make him happy.”

“I agree with you, but Ty’s as stubborn as they come. We’ll never convince him. He’ll have to learn on his own.” Wilt kissed the top of her head. “He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”

She giggled. “Oh, Wilt. You’re wonderful. I knew you’d be the best husband and father in the world. I’m so glad I married you. As soon as he’s old enough, Johnny will know how wonderful you are, too.”

“I plan for our family to be a happy one, Mea Ann. We’ll add to our family and give Johnny brothers and sisters.”

“Will we have room for so many?”

“Of course we will. It will be easy to add rooms if we need them.” He chuckled. “How many children are we talking about, anyway?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe five or six…and if you want more, I wouldn’t mind a dozen.”

He stroked her hair. “I think we can get by with fewer than a dozen, but if that’s what you want, I’ll be happy to help you make them.”

She giggled. “Wilt, you’re awful.”

“I’m going to say something serious now, sweetheart.”

“What’s that?”

“I know our house is not like what they have on most ranches, but this half of it is mine and yours. Now that we’re married, things have changed. Aunt Chapa will not come into it without an invitation. Neither will Ty. And anytime we want to be alone, we can use our private parlor that leads off the entry. We can even entertain our guests in our private dining room.”

“I wondered why you had those extra rooms. Does Ty have them, too?”

“Yes. His side of the house is exactly like mine, and as you know, Aunt Chapa has her own quarters built in the back.”

“Is her place as nice?”

“Oh, yes. Just not as large. She only has two bedrooms, but she has her own parlor and a small dining room. We all use the common kitchen to cook and eat as well as the common parlor when we want to be together.”

“Do you use your private parlor often?”

“It’s
our
private parlor, and no, not often. Ty uses his more than I do. He likes to get to himself and read, at times. I never bother him when he’s there unless something serious comes up.”

“I think it’s a wonderful set up.”

“Ty and I both like it. Of course, we were often restricted to our own side when we misbehaved as children. But when things were good, we didn’t have far to go to have a ready playmate. It worked out great since we were both only children.”

“Our children will have that pleasure, that is, if Ty ever softens his heart, gets married, and has children.”

“Who knows? Anything can happen. A short time ago, I would have never dreamed that I’d fall in love and have a wife to share my side of the house.”

“I’m so glad you found her.”

“Ready to show me how glad you are?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean this, Mea Ann.” He lifted her head and kissed her passionately. “Does that answer your question?”

She couldn’t answer, because he continued to kiss her. Then, she didn’t have to say anything. His actions told her all she needed to know about what he wanted. Though she was surprised, she was thrilled all the way to her toes.

****

“What are you doing, Seymour Longstreet?” Sassy Sue’s voice wasn’t pleasant as she set the cash box down on his bureau.

He turned from packing his valise. “Have you looked downstairs?”

“Of course. It’s a mess.”

“I’ve decided it’s beyond fixing, my sweet Sassy. I counted the money, and it’ll be cheaper to leave town than to try to collect from the cowboys and miners to fix the place up. After all, we have what some of the
good
men of Deer Meadow have bet for the virgins. It’ll take us a long way. Go pack your clothes and we’ll start somewhere else.”

“How did it get out of hand downstairs?”

“You were there, same as me.”

“What about Angela and Lana?”

“They’ll be alright. Maybe the new saloon owner will give them a job.”

“What new saloon owner?”

“You heard the sheriff. That dog, Hiram, is opening a saloon.”

“But how?”

“How the hell should I know? I just know the teller at the bank told me the bank was financing it.” Seymour shook his head.

“Are you sure we can’t build back and give him competition?”

“Don’t be a fool, Sassy Sue. I ain’t leaving because of Hiram or his new saloon.”

“Then why are you going?”

He turned and glared at her. “Because I don’t have enough money to fix this place up, and I’m sure the men who bet on the nieces will be demanding their money back when I can’t produce the nieces. If I have to give that back, I’ll be completely broke.”