her.
“I’m not making any promises,” he said, hugging her tight. “But we’ll give it a try, Jassy girl, if that’s what you want.”
Chapter Seven
The next five days were wonderful. For Jassy, it was like playing house. She cooked Creed’s meals, washed his clothes, mended his shirt. They usually slept late, then went out riding or walking in the afternoon. About nine o’clock, Creed went to the saloon for a few hours, because, as he said, he had to do something to earn a living since it seemed he was through hiring out his gun for a while.
For Jassy, the hours without him seemed to last forever. She always met him at the door, her heart swelling with gladness as she welcomed him home. He continued to spend his nights at her house because he knew she didn’t like to be alone, but he always slept on the sofa. A part of her appreciated his gentlemanly conduct while another, less honorable part wished he’d try to take advantage of her.
She spent the hours waiting for Creed to come from the saloon by reading her father’s books, losing herself in faraway places, imagining herself as a beautiful lady in distress, and Creed as her brave knight in shining armor.
Now, sitting on the lumpy sofa, waiting for Creed to come home, Jassy pondered their relationship. She hadn’t known him very long, but after the last few days, it seemed as if they had always been together.
Hearing footsteps on the porch, she closed the book she had been reading and ran to open the front door, smiling because he was early tonight.
“Rosie!” Jassy exclaimed, the smile fading from her lips. “What are you doing here?”
“I live here, remember,” Rose retorted. She pushed past Jassy to drop her suitcase on the floor, then whirled around, her brows drawn together in a frown. “Just who were you expecting?”
“Me? Expecting?” Jassy shook her head. “No one.”
“So that big smile was for me?”
Jassy nodded vigorously. “Of course. I’m…I’m glad to see you.”
Rose muttered a crude oath under her breath as she glanced around the room. The parlor had been swept clean, the rickety furniture had been dusted and waxed.
Still frowning, she went into the kitchen. There was a new cloth on the table, together with a tin can filled with wild daisies. She opened the cupboards, surprised to see them stocked with food.
“You’ve been busy,” Rose remarked, returning to the parlor. “Where’d you get the money to stock the shelves?”
“I…”
“You’ve had a man here, haven’t you?” Rose demanded.
“No, of course not!”
“You’re lying. Who was it? How much did he pay you?”
“Nothing, Rose, I…”
Rose took a threatening step forward. “Don’t tell me you gave it away?”
“No!”
“You’d better not be lying to me,” Rose warned. “You can only sell your virginity once, and I already know six men who are willing to pay a high price for it.”
Jassy stared at her sister, momentarily stunned. And then she shook her head. “How can you talk like that? How can you even think it?”
“Don’t be an idiot, Jassy. Your innocence is the only thing of value we’ve got, and we’re gonna take advantage of it.”
“No. Never.”
“Now, Jassy,” Rose said, wrapping her arm around her sister’s shoulder, “it won’t be so bad. We can use the money to fix this place up a little, maybe buy some new clothes. You’d like a new dress, wouldn’t you? Something pretty?”
“I don’t need a new dress.”
“Well, I do! And I’m tired of living in this hovel.”
“How was Denver?” Jassy asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Fine, just fine. Ray said he’d take me with him the next time he goes out of town. Maybe to San Francisco next time.”
“Why would he go to San Francisco?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t ask. I think he’s going to leave Tess, Jassy. I really do.” A smile softened the harsh expression on Rose’s face. “Maybe he will ask me to marry
“I’m not making any promises,” he said, hugging her tight. “But we’ll give it a try, Jassy girl, if that’s what you want.”
Chapter Seven
The next five days were wonderful. For Jassy, it was like playing house. She cooked Creed’s meals, washed his clothes, mended his shirt. They usually slept late, then went out riding or walking in the afternoon. About nine o’clock, Creed went to the saloon for a few hours, because, as he said, he had to do something to earn a living since it seemed he was through hiring out his gun for a while.
For Jassy, the hours without him seemed to last forever. She always met him at the door, her heart swelling with gladness as she welcomed him home. He continued to spend his nights at her house because he knew she didn’t like to be alone, but he always slept on the sofa. A part of her appreciated his gentlemanly conduct while another, less honorable part wished he’d try to take advantage of her.
She spent the hours waiting for Creed to come from the saloon by reading her father’s books, losing herself in faraway places, imagining herself as a beautiful lady in distress, and Creed as her brave knight in shining armor.
Now, sitting on the lumpy sofa, waiting for Creed to come home, Jassy pondered their relationship. She hadn’t known him very long, but after the last few days, it seemed as if they had always been together.
Hearing footsteps on the porch, she closed the book she had been reading and ran to open the front door, smiling because he was early tonight.
“Rosie!” Jassy exclaimed, the smile fading from her lips. “What are you doing here?”
“I live here, remember,” Rose retorted. She pushed past Jassy to drop her suitcase on the floor, then whirled around, her brows drawn together in a frown. “Just who were you expecting?”
“Me? Expecting?” Jassy shook her head. “No one.”
“So that big smile was for me?”
Jassy nodded vigorously. “Of course. I’m…I’m glad to see you.”
Rose muttered a crude oath under her breath as she glanced around the room. The parlor had been swept clean, the rickety furniture had been dusted and waxed.
Still frowning, she went into the kitchen. There was a new cloth on the table, together with a tin can filled with wild daisies. She opened the cupboards, surprised to see them stocked with food.
“You’ve been busy,” Rose remarked, returning to the parlor. “Where’d you get the money to stock the shelves?”
“I…”
“You’ve had a man here, haven’t you?” Rose demanded.
“No, of course not!”
“You’re lying. Who was it? How much did he pay you?”
“Nothing, Rose, I…”
Rose took a threatening step forward. “Don’t tell me you gave it away?”
“No!”
“You’d better not be lying to me,” Rose warned. “You can only sell your virginity once, and I already know six men who are willing to pay a high price for it.”
Jassy stared at her sister, momentarily stunned. And then she shook her head. “How can you talk like that? How can you even think it?”
“Don’t be an idiot, Jassy. Your innocence is the only thing of value we’ve got, and we’re gonna take advantage of it.”
“No. Never.”
“Now, Jassy,” Rose said, wrapping her arm around her sister’s shoulder, “it won’t be so bad. We can use the money to fix this place up a little, maybe buy some new clothes. You’d like a new dress, wouldn’t you? Something pretty?”
“I don’t need a new dress.”
“Well, I do! And I’m tired of living in this hovel.”
“How was Denver?” Jassy asked, hoping to change the subject.
“Fine, just fine. Ray said he’d take me with him the next time he goes out of town. Maybe to San Francisco next time.”
“Why would he go to San Francisco?”
“I don’t know, I didn’t ask. I think he’s going to leave Tess, Jassy. I really do.” A smile softened the harsh expression on Rose’s face. “Maybe he will ask me to marry
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