Page 45 of Texas Splendor
A corner of Dallas’s mouth lifted up, carrying the end of his mustache with it. “Those were a boy’s wages.” He rubbed the bruise on his jaw. “As you so tactfully pointed out to me yesterday, it’s time I realized you were a man. Let’s head back to the house, and we’ll settle the particulars.”
Loree stood on the boardwalk outside the hotel. The town had grown. She never would have recognized it if it weren’t for the hotel. As they’d ridden in last night, the massive silhouette of the building had loomed before them, throwing her back in time to a night five years before.
“Why this town?” she whispered beneath her breath. As vast as West Texas was, why couldn’t Austin have settled somewhere else?
Fate had a cruel streak running through her. No doubt about that.
The town hadn’t possessed a sign when she’d been here before. She hadn’t known its name. She hadn’t cared. But it proudly bore a sign on the outskirts now: Leighton.
Named for her husband’s family. Why had Fate chosen to bring a man to her door who lived in the one place she had never again wanted to see?
But more, she wondered if Fate would be kind enough to bring the man back to her?
He hadn’t returned to the hotel room last night, and she wondered where he was, if he’d abandoned her. She wished she’d kept her insecurities to herself. What did it matter if he thought of someone else as long as he held her?
Stupid, stupid girl! she chastised herself. She had known by the pain reflected in his gaze that she’d hurt him to the core. She wanted to trust him, but life had taught her to value caution. And because of life’s lessons, she knew she needed a gun.
She strolled along the boardwalk, her stomach quivering as people skirted past her. The men touched their fingers to the brim of their hats, some even smiled at her, but she refused to look any of them in the eye.
She was grateful when she saw the sign for Oliver’s General Store. She slipped inside, cringing when the cowbell above the door announced her arrival.
A woman standing behind the counter looked up and smiled warmly. “Hello. Can I help you?”
Loree wiped her damp palms on her skirt. “I’d just like to look around.”
“Let me know if I can help you with anything.”
Loree nodded her appreciation of the offer and strolled down the nearest aisle. Toys of all shapes and sizes greeted her. She hadn’t seen many children in the town, but she’d noticed the red schoolhouse near the hotel. She supposed her child would attend school there. She and Austin might purchase toys here. Or would he carve the toys himself?
She picked up a wooden rattle. Did her husband whittle? What hidden talents did he possess? The sparse knowledge she possessed grew frustrating with each passing day. She supposed it should be enough that she didn’t fear him and that he was for the most part considerate of her.
Yet she couldn’t help but feel that he held a part of himself back. She wondered if he’d always been distant with people or if prison had reshaped him.
How could it have not reshaped him?
Her heart picked up its tempo, beating unsteadily with the thought of iron bars and brick walls and guards. How had he survived five years without freedom? She knew it would very likely have killed her.
Carefully, she placed the rattle back onto the shelf. She’d have to find out if he planned to make one before she purchased it. And she’d have to find out if they had the means for her to purchase it. She needed the little money she possessed for something more important.
She walked to the counter. The woman stopped dusting the shelves behind the counter and turned. Her burnished hair was pulled back into a stylish bun. The color reminded Loree of the locks she’d discovered in Austin’s saddlebags. The woman had eyes the blue of a summer sky.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked in a soft voice.
Loree tightened her fingers around her reticule. “I was looking for a small gun, something like a derringer.”
The woman’s delicate brow furrowed. “We don’t carry guns anymore, not since the gunsmith came to town. You’ll find his shop—”
“Becky!”
Loree’s heart felt as though an iron fist had just clamped around it. How many Beckies could reside in this town? How many with hair the shade of autumn leaves?
A tall man stormed through the curtain behind the counter. With his hand he combed his blond hair off his brow. “I just saw Austin.”
“He’s back?”
“Yep, and it’s the dangdest thing. He got married.”
Loree watched the blood drain from Becky’s face, and she hoped her own feelings weren’t as visible.
