talking…” In frustration, he pounded the silent bedroom door with his fist.
He waited in the hallway, hoping she would respond or at least come out of the room. When she did neither, he went downstairs.
Chapter 5
As Jake’s boot hit the bottom step, pain exploded in his head like a cannonball hitting the enemy. Up until now, the hurt had waited at the edges of his consciousness, only occasionally pawing at him, but now it galloped forward at full speed. He reached out blindly for the nearest table, but his knees buckled first. A hand grabbed him from behind, saving his head from hitting the floor.
“Hold on, big fellow, I got you.” The piano player eased him into a chair. “Maybe you’d better lay off the whiskey for a while. Sober up a bit.”
“Oh, Isaac, he ain’t drunk.”
Ginger’s voice sounded muffled, as if cotton filled her cheeks. Jake snorted at the image and slumped forward onto the table.
“He must be sick. I was just talking to him upstairs and he was fine. I left him with Cera. What’s wrong, Jake?”
Soft hands lifted his face.
“He’s burning up. Mary Beth!” Ginger called out. “Get me some water and a cloth. I swear he was fine a few minutes ago.”
Jake sighed when the cool dampness hit his skin. He wanted to speak—to tell them he was fine, thank you very much—but the pain dulled his brain.
“Come on, honey, come back to us. That’s it. Open those pretty blue eyes. You can do it.”
When he did open them, he saw their faces peering down in alarm. Mortified, he rubbed a hand over his eyes, wishing them away. He opened his eyes again. Damn, they were still there.
Jake sighed again. “Sorry about that, Red. Normally, I get more warning. That one came on pretty quick and strong. I hope I didn’t scare you.”
“Scare me? Honey, I just about peed in my drawers. What’s wrong with you? Did Cera hit you? I knew she was mad, but I never thought…”
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. Well, actually she did hit me, but that’s not what’s wrong.”
From behind Ginger, Isaac made a harumphing noise. “Girls, go get this fellow a shot of whiskey and something to eat.”
“I’ll just stay here.” Ginger re-wet the cloth and pressed it to Jake’s face. “Mary Beth can get the food.”
Isaac shooed her away with his hands. “Go on. A man doesn’t like a woman fussing over him. Leave him be.”
“Actually, I don’t mind…,” Jake protested, but fell silent when Isaac threw him a harsh look.
The piano player’s eyes narrowed as he studied Jake. “So what’s wrong with you, soldier?”
Jake scowled. “Nothing, old man.” He was half way out of his chair, when the saloon tipped sideways. Isaac grabbed him again, pushing him back down.
“I think you’d better wait for that food and drink. In the meantime, you can tell me what you did to make Cera hit you.”
Jake opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He tried again. “You’re just the piano player, right? What business is it of yours?”
“I’m Cera’s friend and partner. With everything going on right now, she doesn’t need a drifter hanging about and causing trouble. I think it’s best if you move on.”
“Are you talking about that hatchet man from last night? If Sadie’s in danger I want to help.”
Isaac sneered. “Well, now, stranger, that’s our business—you understand? You eat and be on your way.” With a dismissing nod, Isaac walked back to his piano.
Ginger set a bowl of potato soup and a glass of whiskey in front of Jake.
“What’s going on here, Red? Why is someone trying to kill Sadie and that China girl?”
“Oh, Jake, I like you, you know I do, but maybe you should do what Isaac says.”
“If Sadie’s in danger, I’m not leaving.” He leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Don’t be like that, Jake,” Ginger pleaded. “It’s not your problem.”
“I’m making it my problem.” He grabbed Ginger’s hand and pulled her down
He waited in the hallway, hoping she would respond or at least come out of the room. When she did neither, he went downstairs.
Chapter 5
As Jake’s boot hit the bottom step, pain exploded in his head like a cannonball hitting the enemy. Up until now, the hurt had waited at the edges of his consciousness, only occasionally pawing at him, but now it galloped forward at full speed. He reached out blindly for the nearest table, but his knees buckled first. A hand grabbed him from behind, saving his head from hitting the floor.
“Hold on, big fellow, I got you.” The piano player eased him into a chair. “Maybe you’d better lay off the whiskey for a while. Sober up a bit.”
“Oh, Isaac, he ain’t drunk.”
Ginger’s voice sounded muffled, as if cotton filled her cheeks. Jake snorted at the image and slumped forward onto the table.
“He must be sick. I was just talking to him upstairs and he was fine. I left him with Cera. What’s wrong, Jake?”
Soft hands lifted his face.
“He’s burning up. Mary Beth!” Ginger called out. “Get me some water and a cloth. I swear he was fine a few minutes ago.”
Jake sighed when the cool dampness hit his skin. He wanted to speak—to tell them he was fine, thank you very much—but the pain dulled his brain.
“Come on, honey, come back to us. That’s it. Open those pretty blue eyes. You can do it.”
When he did open them, he saw their faces peering down in alarm. Mortified, he rubbed a hand over his eyes, wishing them away. He opened his eyes again. Damn, they were still there.
Jake sighed again. “Sorry about that, Red. Normally, I get more warning. That one came on pretty quick and strong. I hope I didn’t scare you.”
“Scare me? Honey, I just about peed in my drawers. What’s wrong with you? Did Cera hit you? I knew she was mad, but I never thought…”
“No, no. It’s nothing like that. Well, actually she did hit me, but that’s not what’s wrong.”
From behind Ginger, Isaac made a harumphing noise. “Girls, go get this fellow a shot of whiskey and something to eat.”
“I’ll just stay here.” Ginger re-wet the cloth and pressed it to Jake’s face. “Mary Beth can get the food.”
Isaac shooed her away with his hands. “Go on. A man doesn’t like a woman fussing over him. Leave him be.”
“Actually, I don’t mind…,” Jake protested, but fell silent when Isaac threw him a harsh look.
The piano player’s eyes narrowed as he studied Jake. “So what’s wrong with you, soldier?”
Jake scowled. “Nothing, old man.” He was half way out of his chair, when the saloon tipped sideways. Isaac grabbed him again, pushing him back down.
“I think you’d better wait for that food and drink. In the meantime, you can tell me what you did to make Cera hit you.”
Jake opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He tried again. “You’re just the piano player, right? What business is it of yours?”
“I’m Cera’s friend and partner. With everything going on right now, she doesn’t need a drifter hanging about and causing trouble. I think it’s best if you move on.”
“Are you talking about that hatchet man from last night? If Sadie’s in danger I want to help.”
Isaac sneered. “Well, now, stranger, that’s our business—you understand? You eat and be on your way.” With a dismissing nod, Isaac walked back to his piano.
Ginger set a bowl of potato soup and a glass of whiskey in front of Jake.
“What’s going on here, Red? Why is someone trying to kill Sadie and that China girl?”
“Oh, Jake, I like you, you know I do, but maybe you should do what Isaac says.”
“If Sadie’s in danger, I’m not leaving.” He leaned back in the chair, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Don’t be like that, Jake,” Ginger pleaded. “It’s not your problem.”
“I’m making it my problem.” He grabbed Ginger’s hand and pulled her down
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