to satisfy the yearnings of their, ah. baser natures, use the services provided by Miss Daisy's Bouquet."
McCall looked away and sucked in his cheeks. "I understand, sir."
"I don't know what it was like where you came from, but here in Gold Gulch, we keep to the old ways. Women understand it's best to leave the decision making to wiser heads."
"Women should know their place," McCall said soberly.
"Everyone should know their place," the Mayor corrected. “Those who understand that, prosper in Gold Gulch. You do your job and let others do theirs. If you have questions, my Second will answer them. We've found, over the years, that everyone is happier that way."
"I get it, sir. Mind my manners with the ladies, take my needs to Daisy's, and know my place. I plan to succeed here, sir," he added. "I plan to prosper. I have every reason to."
Rachel clenched her teeth so tight her jaw ached. A promise was a promise and she would keep her mouth shut, but as soon as Eustace was gone, she was going to break something. Challenger McCall was just like the rest of them.
Eustace snicker ed. "Didn't think you could do it, but you're doing fine. All you got to do now is listen to my words and not the words that are flyin' around in your head. Are you listening?"
Rachel's nod was sharp enough to rattle her brain.
"Good, because you might find this interesting. I couldn't hear what was said once they went inside, but I knew he still had to pick up his gear, so I hightailed it back to his truck and sure enough, don't he show up not fifteen minutes behind me."
"How'd it go," I says, pretending like I'd been waiting there the whole time."
"You know damn well how it went," he laughs, "You were spying on the whole thing."
"Now when the Mayor called out in the Saloon," Eustace explained to Rachel, "I made myself scarce. I know my place and it ain't at the big bug's table. Took a seat over in the corner and started playing Solitaire with a deck of cards that was lying there. And when he and the Mayor left, I waited a minute and left out the back, pretending I was afraid to cross in front of Billy. So I ask you, Miss Rachel, how'd he know that?"
"I don't know," Rachel admitted , unclenching her jaw. To most folks, Eustace was no more than a shadow on the wall. They didn't know he was there and only looked for him when they needed an errand run. "What did you say?"
"Nothing, because he keeps going."
"Thanks, buddy," he says, "for not holding it against me for leaving you hanging in the wind like I did."
"I shook my head and told him the truth. You do what you gotta do to get along. I know that better'n most."
"Yep, I hear ya, buddy. You do what you gotta do, even if it tastes like shit," he says and starts pulling out his gear. And then he says, "Let me ask you something, Eustace. Was that bull the Alpha was throwing about the women in Gold Gulch true?"
"And I'm sorry, Miss Rachel, but the Mayor said it and I'm not about to disagree with the Mayor, leastwise not out loud and with a wolver I just met. So I said yep, and then I swear what he said next almost knocked me off my feet."
" Why? What did he say, Eustace?"
"Then the wolvers of this town are fucking crazy."
"What?" It was a good thing Rachel was already sitting.
"That's exactly what I said, Miss Rachel. What?"
Rachel was leaning forward, halfway across the table. "Well? What?" she almost screeched.
Eustace grinned. "He starts givin’ me this little lecture." The man deepened his voice to signify it was McCall’s words and not his own.
"Sure," he says, "because of the dominant nature of the alpha male, it might be easy for an outsider to view females as second class and subservient, but any insider would know that we're all subservient in one way or another, and everyone within a pack is subservient to their Alpha. And yes, I supposed that compared to their human counterparts, wolver females might be seen as a little behind the times because of their obsession with
McCall looked away and sucked in his cheeks. "I understand, sir."
"I don't know what it was like where you came from, but here in Gold Gulch, we keep to the old ways. Women understand it's best to leave the decision making to wiser heads."
"Women should know their place," McCall said soberly.
"Everyone should know their place," the Mayor corrected. “Those who understand that, prosper in Gold Gulch. You do your job and let others do theirs. If you have questions, my Second will answer them. We've found, over the years, that everyone is happier that way."
"I get it, sir. Mind my manners with the ladies, take my needs to Daisy's, and know my place. I plan to succeed here, sir," he added. "I plan to prosper. I have every reason to."
Rachel clenched her teeth so tight her jaw ached. A promise was a promise and she would keep her mouth shut, but as soon as Eustace was gone, she was going to break something. Challenger McCall was just like the rest of them.
Eustace snicker ed. "Didn't think you could do it, but you're doing fine. All you got to do now is listen to my words and not the words that are flyin' around in your head. Are you listening?"
Rachel's nod was sharp enough to rattle her brain.
"Good, because you might find this interesting. I couldn't hear what was said once they went inside, but I knew he still had to pick up his gear, so I hightailed it back to his truck and sure enough, don't he show up not fifteen minutes behind me."
"How'd it go," I says, pretending like I'd been waiting there the whole time."
"You know damn well how it went," he laughs, "You were spying on the whole thing."
"Now when the Mayor called out in the Saloon," Eustace explained to Rachel, "I made myself scarce. I know my place and it ain't at the big bug's table. Took a seat over in the corner and started playing Solitaire with a deck of cards that was lying there. And when he and the Mayor left, I waited a minute and left out the back, pretending I was afraid to cross in front of Billy. So I ask you, Miss Rachel, how'd he know that?"
"I don't know," Rachel admitted , unclenching her jaw. To most folks, Eustace was no more than a shadow on the wall. They didn't know he was there and only looked for him when they needed an errand run. "What did you say?"
"Nothing, because he keeps going."
"Thanks, buddy," he says, "for not holding it against me for leaving you hanging in the wind like I did."
"I shook my head and told him the truth. You do what you gotta do to get along. I know that better'n most."
"Yep, I hear ya, buddy. You do what you gotta do, even if it tastes like shit," he says and starts pulling out his gear. And then he says, "Let me ask you something, Eustace. Was that bull the Alpha was throwing about the women in Gold Gulch true?"
"And I'm sorry, Miss Rachel, but the Mayor said it and I'm not about to disagree with the Mayor, leastwise not out loud and with a wolver I just met. So I said yep, and then I swear what he said next almost knocked me off my feet."
" Why? What did he say, Eustace?"
"Then the wolvers of this town are fucking crazy."
"What?" It was a good thing Rachel was already sitting.
"That's exactly what I said, Miss Rachel. What?"
Rachel was leaning forward, halfway across the table. "Well? What?" she almost screeched.
Eustace grinned. "He starts givin’ me this little lecture." The man deepened his voice to signify it was McCall’s words and not his own.
"Sure," he says, "because of the dominant nature of the alpha male, it might be easy for an outsider to view females as second class and subservient, but any insider would know that we're all subservient in one way or another, and everyone within a pack is subservient to their Alpha. And yes, I supposed that compared to their human counterparts, wolver females might be seen as a little behind the times because of their obsession with
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