Chapter 13
Pale Horse of Death
Sister Inez Castillo was a quiet guest.
Safine was also becoming a quiet guest.
“You’re hardly around anymore. The regulars miss your apple cider.” Decker browsed the collection of oddities lining her shelves as she shimmied on a frilled cream skirt over her wool underskirt—impractical for checking on Lee’s horses that had fallen ill last night, but he wasn’t going to be the one wading through muck in heeled patent-leather boots.
“Been showing Inez around,” she said, swiping a stray feather of red lip rouge away with the edge of her finger. She rifled through the pile of tossed clothes near her bed before emerging with a pair of white leather boots. “Do you think she’d like these? They’re the latest fashion. Or are they too much for a nun? Does she have to follow those rules if she’s just working for Laurie?”
Decker chuckled and shook his head as he turned the boots over in his hands. “I don’t think Sister Inez is one to follow many rules. I think she’ll love them.”
“Great, I was going to take my chances anyways.” Safine flashed a bright smile as she piled her copper-and-white hair on her head and secured it with rouge-coated pins plucked from her teeth.
The floor wheezed under him as Decker leaned away from the draining sunlight through the lace-framed window. “How’s Willa? Haven’t seen much of her.”
“Fine,” she mumbled through her pins, “she thinks she got another lead in the hills—found a cut-off finger and tracked the rest of it back to a coyote den. Lost the trail, but she told me last night she’s close to finding the doctor.”
“I thought you were with Sister Inez last night?”
Her shoulders lifted in a shrug and she smiled.
Ah.
He should have known there would be something between them once Safine met her. Once the flies died off, Safine insisted on personally delivering a pitcher of her spiced apple cider next door. She’d been gone for hours.
“I’m glad,” he said, and he meant it. For as much as Safine claimed she never needed anyone but herself, he’d seen the longing looks towards couples stopping in at the saloon—rare, as single men frequented far more often—but when it happened, she could never take her eyes off them.
Decker loved her, but he could never love her the way she wanted. The way sheneededto be loved.
Safine had her moments, from what she told him. An acrobat from a traveling troupe passing through, a gold widow heading back east, and a woman Decker was suspicious was not altogether human, after Safine told him through fits of laughter what they’d done.
None of them stuck around for longer than a few nights, after which her mind wandered and her room remained locked with the scent of old leather and pungent herbs leaking from under thedoor until early in the morning. None had stayed until Willa and Sister Inez.
“And how’s Laurie?” Safine bundled the white boots into a brightly-patterned scarf and slung bursting saddlebags over her shoulder.
Decker held the door as she ducked out under his arm and headed downstairs. “Haven’t talked to him since I took him up to the plateau.”
Safine paused on the steps, her voice falling to a hush even though there was no one downstairs to hear. The saloon was woefully slow, a point she liked; it gave her time with the others and space to finally focus on her craft. “How much did you tell him?”
“Only what was necessary to keep him quiet.”
“Which was?”
Crossing his arms, Decker finally gave in. “I told him I killed Elias.”
“Didn’t even spit on it before, huh?”
“Safi.”
She leaned against the railing, propping one boot on the step. “I’m surprised he’s still here.”
“The little bastard wouldn’t leave his chapel even if God himself rained down hellfire. He took it well.”
“What about what else you did?” Safine stared at him, as if she could see the memory of Laurie pressed into him, face tipped to the sky. “You left him on the plateau by himself. You know what kind of shit is out there.”
“He was being stubborn.”
