“Surely you can figure that out, Mr. . . .?”
“Joliet,” Stuart said.
A spark of curiosity lit in Maddox’s eyes, and then quickly fizzled out. That was certainly interesting, and Stuart wondered if it had anything to do with the other men’s interest in finding work with shipping and freight companies.
“Miss Parker made it abundantly clear tonight that she much prefers my company to anyone else’s. And that includes yours, Joliet.” Maddox slid his empty glass across the bar, nodding at the barkeep as he did so. “If you wish to preserve your dignity, you’d best step aside now.”
Stuart stared at him, disbelief warring with utter amusement at Maddox’s presumption of victory. It flitted through his mind that he wasn’t exactlycourtingNorah, but that thought disappeared as soon as it arose. Instead, he took a step forward and looked Maddox right in his dark eyes.
“I’m not a man who gives up easily. And if Norah indicated she preferred you in any way, I imagine you misunderstood her words.” He kept his voice even as the rest of his body tightened with barely controlled irritation.
Maddox made no move to straighten at all. Instead, he took the drink the barkeep had set down and gave Stuart a wry smile. “If you knew the libertiesNorahallowed me, you’d take back everything you just said, tuck your tail, and—”
Stuart didn’t allow him to finish. His fist was cutting through the short distance between them before he realized he’d even moved. But it never connected with its target.
A strong hand had wrapped itself around Stuart’s arm, holding him back.
Maddox laughed as Stuart jerked his head to the right to find the barkeep reaching over the bar to keep him from smashing his fist into Maddox’s face. In the barkeep’s free hand was a shotgun, which he raised as he dropped Stuart’s arm.
“Get on out. Last thing I need is a fight in here. Fighting brings in the law, and I’ll have none of that. You two want to fight, go outside.” He motioned the shotgun toward the door.
Maddox held up his hands. “I’ve got no cause to fight Mr. Joliet. If it’s just as well, I’d rather stay here and drink.”
The barkeep nodded and swung the shotgun toward Stuart.
“I’m going,” Stuart muttered. He didn’t give Maddox a second glance as he strode toward the door.
He gulped the fresh air when he stepped outside, letting it clear his mind.
There was only one place he wanted to be right now—one person he wanted to see.
Norah.
Chapter Thirteen
THE KNOCK AT THE DOORcame just as Norah had bid goodnight to her parents.
