Texas Lucky by Maggie James

know when the judge is comin’. He just shows up.” He glanced slyly from Curt to Tess. “But at least while you’re waitin’”—he winked at Curt—“you can dip into the honey pot all you want.”
    He left them, cackling to himself.
    Tess had sat back down and was eating ravenously, having no choice but to use her fingers.
    She had hoped Curt would take his food and disappear into the back of the shaft, but instead he sat down opposite her, darting glances at her every so often.
    Finally, she could stand it no longer and, licking her fingers and setting the pan aside, declared, “Don’t get any notions about doing what that man said. You aren’t dipping into anything as long as I’ve got a breath left in me to fight you off, buster.”
    He had just filled his mouth and nearly choked on his laughter before he managed to swallow and say, “I don’t think I could ever get that desperate, princess. I want to feel something when I touch a woman. Not get cut to pieces by bones. A soft woman, that’s what I want.”
    “I don’t care what you want, Mr. Hammond, and quite frankly, I’m grateful you don’t find me appealing, because I certainly find you the most despicable man I’ve ever met in my whole life. You are a liar as well as a murderer. You tried to make me think you were my fiancé, remember?”
    “I was desperate.”
    “You’re a liar.”
    “And what are you?”
    She blinked. “What do you mean?”
    “Why did they put you here? What did you do?”
    “I told you that’s none of your business.”
    “Well, I don’t give a damn, anyway. You’re on your own, princess.”
    “And stop calling me princess,” she shouted after him as he walked away.
    “Then stop acting like one,” he fired back. “Get off your goddamn throne, lady.”
    Tess threw the pan after him, and it hit the rocks with a resounding clang.
    He did not look back.
    She felt like crying again but was too mad—not only with him but with herself as well, for not doing a better job of fighting back as problem after problem had arisen.
    In the first place, she never should have left to marry Saul Beckwith. It would have been better to run away and find some way to support herself and then return for Perry as soon as she could.
    Next, she never should have trusted Lulie, much less listened to her. Once Jake Harville had refused to give her the money, she had been a fool to try to take it by force.
    Tess knew beyond all doubt that she did not belong in the West. But, as she reflected on her gullibility, anger began to replace her sense of helplessness.
    She had no home to go back to now…no money to get there even if she did.
    And it would be a waste of time to send her aunt a telegram asking for help. Aunt Elmina did not want her back and would, no doubt, tell her to look around and find another man to marry. After all, there were plenty of men out West looking for wives.
    And they didn’t all want a soft woman , either, Tess thought with an indignant glance in the direction Curt Hammond had disappeared.
    So it was time to stop feeling sorry for herself and think about how she was going to get out of the mess she was in. The first step was conquering her fear of her surroundings.
    Daylight spilled through the opening of the shaft for perhaps fifty feet. Debris littered the floor—bones, too small to be anything but chicken, a few more pans, and an empty bucket. But no blankets.
    During the night, she had heard the sound of running water and she soon located the source—a trickle running down the rocky wall to a narrow stream. She was able to drink and bathe and found a private place on the other side for personal needs.
    She paced about restlessly as thoughts whirled through her head like dandelions in the wind. Would the judge believe her when she told him Lulie had loaned her the horse, or would he sentence her to hang? Dear Lord, even though her life seemed hopeless she did not want to die. She wanted, needed, a chance to