Ned. Ned Partner is who he is,” Addie said.
A look of terror crossed Emma’s face as she recognized the name. “The outlaw?” she asked, drawing back against the bed, her hands crossed over her chest.
“Oh, Ned won’t hurt you. He comes here all the time. He’s my—” Addie stopped, suddenly shy in front of Emma. She tightened the belt of the wrapper and pulled the lapels over her chest. “He’s my brother.” She couldn’t say why she’d become self-respecting all of a sudden.
“What?” asked Ned, as he got to his knees. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh, she won’t tell anybody about you. This here is a maiden lady I met on the train. She doesn’t know anybody in Nalgitas. I gave her my room,” Addie explained, then added, “just for tonight.”
Ned got to his feet, gently touching the spot on his head where Emma had hit him, then checked his fingers for blood. There wasn’t any. “You picked a maiden lady with a good arm,” he said. “You got any ice for this goose egg?” he asked Welcome.
“Any gentleman would have come in at the door, but I guess you ain’t one of them. Now come along,” Welcome told him, and the two went into the kitchen, followed by Addie and Emma, who had slipped a robe over her nightdress. Addie wondered, with the heat, how Emma could sleep in a long-sleeved bedgown that was buttoned up to her neck, especially with all that hair hanging down her back. Emma’s hair might have gray streaks, but it was long and thick and curled prettily around her face. Addie twisted her own scraggly hair into a knot at the back of her neck.
Welcome used a pick to chip off a piece of ice, then wrapped it in a towel and placed it on Ned’s head. “You hold that,” she told him. “I’d be guessing you’ll want eatments.”
“I guess,” Ned said.
Welcome stirred up the fire in the cookstove, then picked kindling from the box and fed it into the coals. She sliced bacon into the skillet and mixed up batter for hotcakes. “You want I should fix your breakfast, too?” she asked Addie.
Addie had had too much whiskey the night before, which had caused a hurting in her head, and the idea of food made her stomach churn. She shook her head. Welcome turned to Emma, who replied, “I would, if it’s not too much bother. I could help.”
Welcome shook her head, and Emma sat down at the kitchen table as far from Ned as possible, staring at him.
He stared back, amusement in his eyes. Ned’s eyes always laughed, even when he was angry, Addie thought. Ned was the best-tempered man she’d ever known—and the handsomest. He was just under six feet tall and muscular, and he had green eyes and curly brown hair that turned a little red in the sun. Women could just hardly keep away from him. Still, with all that temptation, Ned was loyal. He was loyal to a hooker, and that made Addie feel good.
“You have the advantage over me,” Ned said to Emma. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”
“Oh, she’s Emma Roby, and she’s a mail-order bride from Kansas, only her intended thought she was too old and left her at the station,” Addie said. Emma bit her lip, and Addie felt ashamed of herself. It wasn’t necessary to be so cruel. “If you ask me, she’s better off,” she added lamely.
“So you’re going back home?” Ned asked.
“She can’t. Her brother won’t take her back.”
“You got a tongue, or just a right arm?” Ned asked Emma.
The corners of Emma’s mouth turned up a little, and her eyes, almost the color of forget-me-nots, got bigger. She seemed less frightened when she glanced at Addie, who nodded for her to answer. “I thought I’d stay here a few days, with Addie, with your sister,” she muttered.
“My what?” Ned asked.
“Your sister,” Welcome said. The sound of batter poured into the hot skillet didn’t quite drown out her chuckle. She browned sugar in a saucepan and added water.
Addie wondered why Welcome went to the
A look of terror crossed Emma’s face as she recognized the name. “The outlaw?” she asked, drawing back against the bed, her hands crossed over her chest.
“Oh, Ned won’t hurt you. He comes here all the time. He’s my—” Addie stopped, suddenly shy in front of Emma. She tightened the belt of the wrapper and pulled the lapels over her chest. “He’s my brother.” She couldn’t say why she’d become self-respecting all of a sudden.
“What?” asked Ned, as he got to his knees. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Oh, she won’t tell anybody about you. This here is a maiden lady I met on the train. She doesn’t know anybody in Nalgitas. I gave her my room,” Addie explained, then added, “just for tonight.”
Ned got to his feet, gently touching the spot on his head where Emma had hit him, then checked his fingers for blood. There wasn’t any. “You picked a maiden lady with a good arm,” he said. “You got any ice for this goose egg?” he asked Welcome.
“Any gentleman would have come in at the door, but I guess you ain’t one of them. Now come along,” Welcome told him, and the two went into the kitchen, followed by Addie and Emma, who had slipped a robe over her nightdress. Addie wondered, with the heat, how Emma could sleep in a long-sleeved bedgown that was buttoned up to her neck, especially with all that hair hanging down her back. Emma’s hair might have gray streaks, but it was long and thick and curled prettily around her face. Addie twisted her own scraggly hair into a knot at the back of her neck.
Welcome used a pick to chip off a piece of ice, then wrapped it in a towel and placed it on Ned’s head. “You hold that,” she told him. “I’d be guessing you’ll want eatments.”
“I guess,” Ned said.
Welcome stirred up the fire in the cookstove, then picked kindling from the box and fed it into the coals. She sliced bacon into the skillet and mixed up batter for hotcakes. “You want I should fix your breakfast, too?” she asked Addie.
Addie had had too much whiskey the night before, which had caused a hurting in her head, and the idea of food made her stomach churn. She shook her head. Welcome turned to Emma, who replied, “I would, if it’s not too much bother. I could help.”
Welcome shook her head, and Emma sat down at the kitchen table as far from Ned as possible, staring at him.
He stared back, amusement in his eyes. Ned’s eyes always laughed, even when he was angry, Addie thought. Ned was the best-tempered man she’d ever known—and the handsomest. He was just under six feet tall and muscular, and he had green eyes and curly brown hair that turned a little red in the sun. Women could just hardly keep away from him. Still, with all that temptation, Ned was loyal. He was loyal to a hooker, and that made Addie feel good.
“You have the advantage over me,” Ned said to Emma. “You know my name, but I don’t know yours.”
“Oh, she’s Emma Roby, and she’s a mail-order bride from Kansas, only her intended thought she was too old and left her at the station,” Addie said. Emma bit her lip, and Addie felt ashamed of herself. It wasn’t necessary to be so cruel. “If you ask me, she’s better off,” she added lamely.
“So you’re going back home?” Ned asked.
“She can’t. Her brother won’t take her back.”
“You got a tongue, or just a right arm?” Ned asked Emma.
The corners of Emma’s mouth turned up a little, and her eyes, almost the color of forget-me-nots, got bigger. She seemed less frightened when she glanced at Addie, who nodded for her to answer. “I thought I’d stay here a few days, with Addie, with your sister,” she muttered.
“My what?” Ned asked.
“Your sister,” Welcome said. The sound of batter poured into the hot skillet didn’t quite drown out her chuckle. She browned sugar in a saucepan and added water.
Addie wondered why Welcome went to the
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