Page 29 of The Saloon Girl's Only Shot

His jaw was clenched so hard, she expected to hear his teeth break.

“I’m sorry,” she said sincerely. “You never heard from him again?”

“No. When I was fourteen, she got word he was dead. She remarried and I joined the army soon as I could.”

“I’m sorry, Owen.” She felt small for being skeptical of his motives, but how could she have known it was so personal for him?

“Holding one man to account for abandonment doesn’t change the past, but at least there’ll be one less mother burdened with a hungry child today.”

She nodded, wanting to reach out to him in some way because she could sense the pain coming off him in waves, but Clarence had realized where he was. He dropped his stick and ran up to scratch at the door of Mrs. Pincher’s cottage.

Temperance was tempted to simply run away, since she still didn’t have the rent she owed, but she made herself wait until Mrs. Pincher opened the door.

“Good morning, Mrs. Pincher,” she greeted as cheerfully as she could. “I wanted you to know that I didn’t steal Clarence. He actually followed Mr. Stames the other day. Mr. Stames didn’t know where he belonged, so he’s been looking after him. When I realized what had happened, I brought Clarence straight back to you.”

“Do you have my money?” the old lady asked.

“I have a little. I was wondering, um...” She moved closer, so Owen wouldn’t overhear the embarrassing details of her impoverishment. “If I give you forty cents, would you be willing to give me my things?”

“You can have your things when you pay your debt,” Mrs. Pincher said loudly.

“How much is it?” Owen came forward while reaching into his pocket.

“That’s not necess—” Temperance began.

“Four dollars and forty cents,” Mrs. Pincher told him stiffly.

“Minus the two dollars I already gave you!” Temperance snapped her head around. Did this woman seriously think she could get away with that?

“Let’s make it two dollars and fifty cents,” Owen said. “Since you were troubled over Clarence and had to go looking for him.”

“I wasn’t troubled. I only thought people ought to know she steals dogs as well as skips on rent.” Mrs. Pincher took the money and dropped it into her apron. “I’ll get your things. Then I never want to see you again.”

Temperance didn’t dare suggest coming in to pack up her belongings herself.

She couldn’t bring herself to look at Owen, either, even when he said, “She seems pleasant.”

“I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.” She stared at the shut door, cheeks burning with humiliation.

Inside, there was a murmur of voices, then the door opened. Mrs. Pincher put Clarence out again, then dropped Temperance’s carpet bag on the stoop.

“My new boarders said they’ll pay me through February, but they don’t care for the smell of dog. Keep him.”

“But I don’t?—”

Mrs. Pincher stepped back and shut the door again, leaving the dog wagging and sniffing around their knees.

Temperance looked at Owen. She couldn’t feed herself, let alone an animal.

Owen stared back at her, equally dumbfounded.

“I guess he’s yours, since you gave her that extra ten cents.” It was only fair, right? She turned and hurried away before he could contradict her.

She looked in her bag as she walked, not that she had valuables to worry about. She and her father had had to travel light. Everything seemed to be in order.

“I don’t want a dog,” Owen muttered as he caught up with her. “This is why I’m not married, so I don’t have to worry about anyone but myself.”

Yet he’d been worried that Clarence would be cold at night and was going out of his way for a stranger and her baby.

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