them coming. And Gage prided himself on being a crack shot as well. He reached to his hip to put his hand reassuringly on the pistol grip.
It was late in the day when the stage pulled into the small town of Whittington. The horses had stopped twice for water at small way stations but could go no further. Gage helped the older woman disembark from the stage to be greeted by her happy daughter and two small children. He then turned to help Billy down. She’d fallen asleep against him on the stage, lulled by its rocking motion, and now looked much more alert.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Famished.”
His eyes scanned the small town. There weren’t many buildings—a small mercantile, a saloon, one boardinghouse, a telegraph office, a rickety stable. He took note of the people milling around, looking for anyone who may have been watching the stage. The townspeople scurried about, traversing the road from one building to the other. Small holdings dotted the landscape beyond the buildings, mostly farms. They were still too far from the mountains for miners to be about. Good, Gage thought. Miners were prone to drinking and brawling after a bad day of panning. Farmers were generally sober, unless there was a drought or a hailstorm. And that suited Gage just find. The last thing he wanted was something else to worry about.
The saloon crowd was relatively sedate for so late in the day. There were raised eyebrows when folks saw a well-dressed cowboy walk in with what they assumed was his teen daughter. But this was the only place in town to get a drink and some food, and Gage wasn’t about to leave Billy outside unattended. He seated her at table and took the chair across from her. A woman came over wearing a tight black corset fringed in yellowing lace. Her huge, pillowy breasts bulged over the top, jiggling when she walked. Her frizzy hair, nearly the same washed-out color as the lace, was piled high on her head. She put a booted foot up on the chair between Gage and Billy, fixing her eyes on the handsome cowboy.
“What’ll it be, stranger?”
“Cold beer for me,” he said. “Sarsaparilla for the little lady. What you got to eat?”
“Fatback and cornbread,” she said. “Peas, too, if you want ‘em. And, uh…if you fancy some dessert…” She let her knee fall to the side. She wasn’t wearing undergarments. “…I can deliver that later.”
“Just the drinks and two plates of food,” he said, ignoring the suggestive comment and the tired-looking pussy between the flabby thighs. The woman dragged her foot off the chair and stomped off.
“She likes you,” Billy observed wryly.
Gage snorted. “I think she’d like anything that came in here with a cock.”
Billy giggled and then grew serious. “A man like you could have her or anyone else. Why me, Gage? Why me with all the problems I come with?”
He leaned over. “Because I can fuck any woman I want. But not just any woman needs me to take care of her, not like I’m going to take care of you. And if you doubt yourself again, I’m going to blister that little ass until it’s as red as that sunset outside. Got it?”
“Yes,” she answered quietly, submissively lowering her gaze.
The food and drinks came, this time without a side of suggestive offers. For such simple fare, it was surprisingly good. After they finished, Gage paid and left a few extra coins for the flirtatious server, who obviously worked more than one job in the town. Then he and Billy went to the mercantile, where he picked up a newspaper for himself and some peppermints for her. As he was heading to the counter, he saw Billy admiring a doll sitting by the window. He walked over.
“She looks like you,” he said.
“A little bit.” The doll was cloth, but the embroidered features were elegantly stitched. It wore a blue dress and bonnet that did, indeed, nearly match her own. “I’m too big for dolls, though,” she said, and her voice was almost sad.
“No, you’re not.” He
It was late in the day when the stage pulled into the small town of Whittington. The horses had stopped twice for water at small way stations but could go no further. Gage helped the older woman disembark from the stage to be greeted by her happy daughter and two small children. He then turned to help Billy down. She’d fallen asleep against him on the stage, lulled by its rocking motion, and now looked much more alert.
“Hungry?” he asked.
“Famished.”
His eyes scanned the small town. There weren’t many buildings—a small mercantile, a saloon, one boardinghouse, a telegraph office, a rickety stable. He took note of the people milling around, looking for anyone who may have been watching the stage. The townspeople scurried about, traversing the road from one building to the other. Small holdings dotted the landscape beyond the buildings, mostly farms. They were still too far from the mountains for miners to be about. Good, Gage thought. Miners were prone to drinking and brawling after a bad day of panning. Farmers were generally sober, unless there was a drought or a hailstorm. And that suited Gage just find. The last thing he wanted was something else to worry about.
The saloon crowd was relatively sedate for so late in the day. There were raised eyebrows when folks saw a well-dressed cowboy walk in with what they assumed was his teen daughter. But this was the only place in town to get a drink and some food, and Gage wasn’t about to leave Billy outside unattended. He seated her at table and took the chair across from her. A woman came over wearing a tight black corset fringed in yellowing lace. Her huge, pillowy breasts bulged over the top, jiggling when she walked. Her frizzy hair, nearly the same washed-out color as the lace, was piled high on her head. She put a booted foot up on the chair between Gage and Billy, fixing her eyes on the handsome cowboy.
“What’ll it be, stranger?”
“Cold beer for me,” he said. “Sarsaparilla for the little lady. What you got to eat?”
“Fatback and cornbread,” she said. “Peas, too, if you want ‘em. And, uh…if you fancy some dessert…” She let her knee fall to the side. She wasn’t wearing undergarments. “…I can deliver that later.”
“Just the drinks and two plates of food,” he said, ignoring the suggestive comment and the tired-looking pussy between the flabby thighs. The woman dragged her foot off the chair and stomped off.
“She likes you,” Billy observed wryly.
Gage snorted. “I think she’d like anything that came in here with a cock.”
Billy giggled and then grew serious. “A man like you could have her or anyone else. Why me, Gage? Why me with all the problems I come with?”
He leaned over. “Because I can fuck any woman I want. But not just any woman needs me to take care of her, not like I’m going to take care of you. And if you doubt yourself again, I’m going to blister that little ass until it’s as red as that sunset outside. Got it?”
“Yes,” she answered quietly, submissively lowering her gaze.
The food and drinks came, this time without a side of suggestive offers. For such simple fare, it was surprisingly good. After they finished, Gage paid and left a few extra coins for the flirtatious server, who obviously worked more than one job in the town. Then he and Billy went to the mercantile, where he picked up a newspaper for himself and some peppermints for her. As he was heading to the counter, he saw Billy admiring a doll sitting by the window. He walked over.
“She looks like you,” he said.
“A little bit.” The doll was cloth, but the embroidered features were elegantly stitched. It wore a blue dress and bonnet that did, indeed, nearly match her own. “I’m too big for dolls, though,” she said, and her voice was almost sad.
“No, you’re not.” He
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