Page 22 of Bride in Blue
It wouldn’t do to have Mr. Gladstone announcing his presence to the neighborhood. The cat could be downright loud when he wanted to be.
Max shook himself out of his day dreaming and placed the invoices back on his desk. He’d write a letter to the factory owner demanding a better price.
He scribbled a note to himself and then went in search of the beauty that was occupying his thoughts.
“Did your Father leave?” Max asked. He was standing at the door to the dining room.
Cassie was sitting at the table where he left her, tying the string back around the box. “Yes, he went to the hotel,” she said, her voice edged with anger. “I don’t know why you made him leave but offered for me to stay. That was wrong.”
The tone in her voice made Max pause. He would give anything to hear that honey sound again. Max placed his hand on the door latch and pressed it down. Once, twice, three times. The sound of the latch clicking back and forth soothed him.
“I know. I see that you are worried about him.”
Cassie tossed her napkin to the table. “He’s perfectly fine. He can take care of himself. I just think it is inappropriate for me to stay here with you alone. I’ll grab my bag and see if I can stay at the boarding house. Since it would only be me, there shouldn’t be a problem.”
Cassie stood and went to walk by him. Max reached out his hand and clasped her arm. She paused, looking at him.
“Let me go talk to him. Perhaps I can figure something out.”
“Your house, your rules? You wouldn’t want to make an exception for anyone.”
“I know.” He removed his hand from her arm and gently caressed her face. “Just give me a little bit to talk to him.” He dropped his hand and moved to let her pass.
Max watched as she headed up the stairs to the room she was staying in. Her hips swayed slightly as she took her time walking up the steps. Max swallowed, but he couldn’t look away. He heard her voice talking low to Mr. Gladstone, and then she disappeared behind her door.
Max hated people pleasing, but he wanted to please Cassie more than anything. He still didn’t know why.
He grabbed his jacket and headed up the road towards the Golden Nugget. It wasn’t a section of town he spent a lot of time in, as he didn’t drink or consort with loose women. The street was lined with cowboys and miners, mingling in front of the saloons. Max weaved his way through the crowd to the hotel.
He went inside and talked to the man behind the counter. The man directed him toward the saloon, saying he told Hal to come back a little later when the rooms would be cleaned up.
Max thanked him and headed to the Silver Spur. He found Hal sitting at the end of the counter, a mug between his hands. His bag sat on the floor at his feet.
“Cassie is worried about you,” Max said, taking a seat next to the older man.
“Nah, she’ll be fine. She always has been.” He drained his mug in one go and placed it back down on the counter, emitting a loud burp into the air. Laughter was heard throughout the room.
“Oh my, that hurt,” he said, pounding his chest. He signaled the bartender who appeared with a full mug that he placed in front of Hal.
“What can I get you?” the bartender said to Max.
“What’s he having?” Max asked, pointing to Hal’s mug. It was too red to be beer, and he knew whiskey wasn’t served in mugs like that.
“Sarsaparilla.”
“I’ll take one then,” he tossed a few coins onto the counter to pay for both drinks. The bartender returned with a mug and collected the coins.
“Thanks for the drink,” Hal said, taking another sip from his mug.
Max tasted the reddish drink and grimaced. “That’s a little bitter,” he said. He took another sip and the unpleasant taste mellowed on his tongue, this time with undertones of vanilla and licorice.
“I take it you don’t drink?” Hal asked him.
“Not a fan of anything that makes me lose my faculties.” Max picked up his glass and turned around, so he was looking at the patrons. “My father was a drinker. Nasty drunk too.”
Max’s eyes roamed over the men sitting at the tables. Some were playing cards, others were sipping beer, and with ladies sitting on their laps. “I don’t think Cassie would like you hanging out at an establishment like this.”
“I fit in,” Hal said, pointing to his stained pants. You, however, stand out like a dress on a mule.”
