Mr Wade leaned back inhis chair. “Legwork, darlin’. I dislike it. Why do it when otherswill do it for you?”
Brows drawing, she turnedto Mr Wade. “Legwork?”
“Clementine’sgonna run herself into the ground to find out about Callihan. Allwe have to do is wait. She’ll point us in the right direction.”Leaning back in his chair, he gestured with the deck in his hand.“Cards?”
Disbelief held her mute.Snapping her jaw shut, she finally said, “So, yourfriend—”
“Clementine.”
She gritted her teeth.“How do you know she is going after Callihan?”
“Clementinehates to be bored. Callihan…. Well, he ain’t boring.”
It seemed a foolish planto her. Beyond foolish. “How can you be assured she will discoverhis whereabouts, and more so, how will you know she has doneso?”
“I have myways. Leave me to my work, Miz McElroy. If you don’t feel you cansit and watch time pass, you can put yourself to work arranging ahorse. We’ll be travelling over land, I suspect, and the sooner wehave everything in place, the sooner we can start.” He squinted outthe door in the direction Clementine had left. “She’ll haveinformation by sundown, by my reckoning.”
She studied him. Heremained relaxed under her regard, his hat disguising his eyes.“She was determined to harm you.”
“She was.It’s what I do, darlin’. People hire me to settle theirdifferences. I can do it on my own behalf as well asothers.”
“But youdidn’t pull your gun.”
“If I’dpulled my gun, Clementine would no longer be breathing. I likeClementine. I like her not being dead.” There was an edge to hiswords, though he still wore his seemingly permanent lazy grin.“There’s a hundred different, better ways to get what you want.Clementine’s as susceptible to them as everyone else.” He liftedhis chin sharply. “You should go back to the hotel, Miz McElroy.There ain’t nothin’ more to see here.”
She had been certain hewas in truth a layabout drifter. Reluctantly, she conceded she mayhave been incorrect in her suppositions. “And what will youdo?”
“Play cards.Drink. Be generally disreputable.”
She gritted her teeth.Maybe she wasn’t wholly incorrect. “I would have you deliverupdates.”
He remained unmoved.“When there is one, I’ll give it.”
“I willexpect it,” she said, injecting as much hauteur as she couldmanage. At the end of the day, she was paying. He would do well toremember that.
Something flashed in hiseyes. “You do that.”
Pulling herself to herfull height, she said, “I will be at the hotel. We will leave assoon as you have something concrete.”
For a moment, he lookedas if he would speak, but then that lazy grin spread across hisface. She drew in her breath. “Be ready at a moment’s notice,darlin’”
Annoyed at her reactionto that goddamn smile, she rose. “Mr Wade.”
He tipped his hat. “MizMcElroy.”
With as much dignity asshe could muster, she swept from the saloon. Once she was somedistance, she slowed. Mr Wade was a mass of contradictions. She wasbeginning to believe there was more to him then he was willing toshow, and for all it rubbed her wrong, the grin he wore seemed tobe a mask that worked. She needed to rethink how she would dealwith him…and she needed to forget how handsome the mask he woremade him.
ChapterSix
MIZ MCELROY WAS IN pain.
Jake could see hershifting in her saddle, brows drawn together as she tried to findcomfort. They’d been on the road for two days now, and though shehadn’t complained, he’d adjusted their pace some. ’Twere obviousshe weren’t used to riding, and if they continued at the pace he’dset originally, she’d be no use to anyone afore the sun set ontomorrow.
He shifted in his ownsaddle, contemplating their path. They were almost two days ridefrom Cheyenne, and the plains had given way to a sparse forest, thedistant mountains flanking them to the west. Miz McElroy hadn’tquestioned their direction yet, but he’d bet half his pay she wouldbefore too much longer. However, he weren’t one to borrow trouble,and he’d deal with that when it came.
Clementine had comethrough, as he’d known she would, and discovered Callihan had set apath for those mountains. It were still doubtful Callihan currentlynumbered amongst the living, but Miz McElroy were paying and heweren’t one to quibble when there was cash money to be had. He’dpaid Clementine for the information, forming an adequate apology atthe deception. She’d cussed him something good, but she’d taken themoney and been glad of it.
Miz McElroy shiftedagain, wisps of colourless hair drifting about high cheekbones. Nowhe thought on it, and with the sun hitting it just right, her hairweren’t colourless but instead a very fine shade of blond. She werea mite thinner than she should be, her dress looser than any richlady would wear it. She were sensible in that she’d found herself ahat, and her saddle bags were filled with necessary items. Sheweren’t like no rich lady he’d ever seen, not that he’d seen many.His time in cities was limited, and the rich folk of the towns he’dfrequented only had him in their fancy studies for instruction andeventual payment.
