Sugar, I know you don’t like this, but I’m not sleeping in any slaves’ shed, so get that out of your mind. If you won’t let me sleep with you, then I’ll use that cot you mentioned.” He looked around the parlor and indicated a space near the window. “I’ll set it up there.You can rant about it all you want, but it won’t change anything. I’m not about to sleep outside in that drafty, old shed. Why, even the cats won’t go in there.”
She could tell by the hard edge to his voice that he meant what he said.
Blast him!
Why couldn’t he simply follow the rules? She decided to concede the point and press on to the next one. “You will work at the restaurant, and I expect you to pull your load and not be a layabout. I don’t know what you’re used to or what you thought life would be here, but everyone here works hard. You will be no exception. Honest work will do you good. My mother always said that kicking a man when he’s down is sometimes the only way to make him get back up.”
Reno’s expression changed from pleasant to poisoned. The muscles in his jaw twitched and his mouth thinned to a straight line. Adele drew in a cautious breath, realizing too late that she’d overstepped.
“You know, Dellie, if I didn’t think so much of you, I’d saddle a horse and leave you to the gutless, heartless life you’ve carved out for yourself here. I keep remembering the girl you were in Lawrence and I cling to that.”
“Heartless? Gutless?” Angry tears stung her eyes. “My life is exemplary compared to yours.” She stood and walked briskly to the door, his words hurting her more than she cared to admit. “There are potatoes to be peeled and a kitchen to clean. You’re going to be the new cook’s assistant and your duties begin right now.”
Reno watched her flounce out and imagined applying the toe of his boot to her swaying backside. Hewhirled, wanting to send a lamp crashing to the floor or to plow his fist through a wall, but he fought back the demons and took a few deep breaths.
It galled him that she had him pegged for a penniless drifter, a lazy no-’count. She was used to everyone jumping when she gave an order, but he refused to allow her to treat him like a servant. Every once in a while he saw a glimmer of the girl he knew in her eyes, in the tilt of her head, in her gestures. He had loved that girl, loved her so much he had never been able to forget her.
What she needed was someone to stand up to her, to loosen her corset and unpin her hair. She didn’t know it yet, but she needed him.
He’d sleep on a cot in the parlor for now, but he meant to win his way into her bed and into her heart. For now, he’d live up to her low opinion of him and do as little as possible to please her. The potatoes could rot and the kitchen could stay dirty. Grabbing his coat and hat from the hall tree, he ducked out the back door and headed for town and a poker game at the Red Queen Gaming Hall.
Chapter 5
T oward the end of the evening, when the moon had slipped below the horizon, a heavy hand landed on Reno’s shoulder. He shifted in his chair, pressed his cards closer to his chest, and looked up into a stranger’s smile. The man wore an eye patch. Reno had a faint memory of seeing him on the train to Whistle Stop.
“Mr. Terrapin would like a word with you.”
“I’m in the middle of a card game, pal,” Reno said, glancing around at the other players. They all looked decidedly nervous.
“After this game, then?” The man’s smile stiffened and his fingers dug into Reno’s shoulder.
“Sure thing.” Reno faced the other players and shrugged off the man’s hand. The bets had been made. He laid his cards on the table and won the money piled in the center. “Much obliged, gentlemen,” he said to the three ragtag, bleary-eyed drunks, who all seemed glad for the game to end now that Taylor Terrapin had summoned Reno for a little chat. “The owner has need of my attention, so I must
She could tell by the hard edge to his voice that he meant what he said.
Blast him!
Why couldn’t he simply follow the rules? She decided to concede the point and press on to the next one. “You will work at the restaurant, and I expect you to pull your load and not be a layabout. I don’t know what you’re used to or what you thought life would be here, but everyone here works hard. You will be no exception. Honest work will do you good. My mother always said that kicking a man when he’s down is sometimes the only way to make him get back up.”
Reno’s expression changed from pleasant to poisoned. The muscles in his jaw twitched and his mouth thinned to a straight line. Adele drew in a cautious breath, realizing too late that she’d overstepped.
“You know, Dellie, if I didn’t think so much of you, I’d saddle a horse and leave you to the gutless, heartless life you’ve carved out for yourself here. I keep remembering the girl you were in Lawrence and I cling to that.”
“Heartless? Gutless?” Angry tears stung her eyes. “My life is exemplary compared to yours.” She stood and walked briskly to the door, his words hurting her more than she cared to admit. “There are potatoes to be peeled and a kitchen to clean. You’re going to be the new cook’s assistant and your duties begin right now.”
Reno watched her flounce out and imagined applying the toe of his boot to her swaying backside. Hewhirled, wanting to send a lamp crashing to the floor or to plow his fist through a wall, but he fought back the demons and took a few deep breaths.
It galled him that she had him pegged for a penniless drifter, a lazy no-’count. She was used to everyone jumping when she gave an order, but he refused to allow her to treat him like a servant. Every once in a while he saw a glimmer of the girl he knew in her eyes, in the tilt of her head, in her gestures. He had loved that girl, loved her so much he had never been able to forget her.
What she needed was someone to stand up to her, to loosen her corset and unpin her hair. She didn’t know it yet, but she needed him.
He’d sleep on a cot in the parlor for now, but he meant to win his way into her bed and into her heart. For now, he’d live up to her low opinion of him and do as little as possible to please her. The potatoes could rot and the kitchen could stay dirty. Grabbing his coat and hat from the hall tree, he ducked out the back door and headed for town and a poker game at the Red Queen Gaming Hall.
Chapter 5
T oward the end of the evening, when the moon had slipped below the horizon, a heavy hand landed on Reno’s shoulder. He shifted in his chair, pressed his cards closer to his chest, and looked up into a stranger’s smile. The man wore an eye patch. Reno had a faint memory of seeing him on the train to Whistle Stop.
“Mr. Terrapin would like a word with you.”
“I’m in the middle of a card game, pal,” Reno said, glancing around at the other players. They all looked decidedly nervous.
“After this game, then?” The man’s smile stiffened and his fingers dug into Reno’s shoulder.
“Sure thing.” Reno faced the other players and shrugged off the man’s hand. The bets had been made. He laid his cards on the table and won the money piled in the center. “Much obliged, gentlemen,” he said to the three ragtag, bleary-eyed drunks, who all seemed glad for the game to end now that Taylor Terrapin had summoned Reno for a little chat. “The owner has need of my attention, so I must
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