Between Love and Lies (14 page)

Noah gave him his best look of disapproval. “That’s not necessary.”

The marshal grinned. “Believe me, it is. I know ol’ Zimmerman. He’ll swindle you if I’m not there.” Folding his arms, the marshal showed no sign of going back to his chair. “Zimmerman owes me. With me along, we can borrow his tools for no charge. How can you refuse such an opportunity?”

“It seems I can’t.” Slamming his hat on his head, he stepped outside and down onto Front Street.

Bat followed him. “So, why do you need lumber?”

Noah stopped to let a wagon roll by. When his gaze jumped to the Star with the hope of seeing Sadie, he realized it wasn’t the wagon that had brought him to a halt. He turned in the opposite direction and continued toward the hardware store.

Bat didn’t comment on his odd behavior but instead said in a casual tone, “Heard you bought some property.”

Surprise loosened his tongue. “Where’d you hear that?”

“At the bank.”

He grunted in exasperation. “Is there anything in this town you don’t know?”

“Didn’t know you’d planned on staying in Kansas.”

“I’m not.”

“So, why you buying lumber?”

“To build a house,” Noah mumbled, quickening his pace.

“And where you figuring on building this house?”

“On the land I bought, which, if you’ve been to the bank, you know is the old Sullivan farm.”

Bat released a low whistle. “Let me get this right. You bought land. Yer building a house. But you still ain’t planning on staying in Kansas?”

“That’s right.”

“Who’s the house for then?”

Noah bounded up the steps of the hardware store and went inside. The soothing scent of fresh cut wood infused the small space, while the rasp of a handsaw drifted through the back door. The store was empty except for its owner, who stood behind a polished hickory counter. Zimmerman was a stumpy man with slicked-down hair. His welcoming smile displayed a surprisingly fine set of teeth.

“Morning, Marshal Masterson. Morning, Deputy Ballantyne,” Zimmerman said, dipping his head toward each of them in turn. “To what do I owe this honor?”

“The deputy wants to purchase some lumber.” Bat propped an elbow on the counter and regarded Noah. “You know, building a house for a lady could be considered courting behavior.”

Noah gritted his teeth and said nothing. Zimmerman’s smile faded as his gaze darted between him and Bat. Noah bit back his groan. This was exactly the type of situation he’d hoped to avoid by getting out of town.

He turned to Bat. “
You know
if this town didn’t desperately need you, I’d—”

“Mr. Zimmerman,” Bat interrupted. “How much lumber do you have?”

Zimmerman pulled a pencil from behind his ear and a notepad from his apron pocket. “How much do you need?”

“That’s a good question. How many people will be living in this house, Deputy?”

Noah glared at him.

“You should add a fence.” The marshal looped his thumbs in his belt and rocked on his heels. “I can see it now—a white picket fence around a flower garden ’n a farmhouse with a porch holding two rocking chairs.”

Noah drummed his fingers on the counter and counted to ten.

With every second that past, Zimmerman’s eyebrows rose higher with anticipation. “Is that right? You need lumber for a house and a fence?”

He wanted to give Sadie a home to replace the one his herd had destroyed. A sturdy one that would make her feel warm and safe, and entice her away from the Star. A fence might help.

“Yes,” he replied, resigned that Bat would be privy to more details about his plan. “Give me sufficient to build a strong enclosure, one that’ll keep out the cattle drovers and their herds.”

“Sounds practical,” Bat commented.

Noah ignored him and addressed Zimmerman. “Can you arrange all this?”

The shop owner scribbled a few notes. “Of course. Only hitch is the delivery. I’m short-handed right now. Got no one to load the wood. So I can’t get your order to you until the end of the week.”

“If you’ve got a wagon, I’ll load and deliver the lumber myself,” Noah said, impatient to embark on the physical labor and rein in his yearning for Sadie. “I can bring the wagon back tonight,” he added.

Zimmerman looked aggrieved. “I’m sorry, but I need the wagon this afternoon.”

“What if I assist the deputy ’n return the wagon before noon?” Bat asked.

“That would work perfectly!”

Noah was sure it was far from perfect, but he kept his opinion to himself.

“If you’ll come this way, gentlemen.” Zimmerman gestured toward the back door. “I’ll show you where the wagon is kept.”

Noah and Bat made swift work of loading the supplies. Then Noah collected Pepper and tethered his faithful gray to the tailgate, so he didn’t have to walk back into town.

“Beautiful mornin’ for an outing, ain’t it, Deputy?” Bat drawled as they cleared the last row of buildings marking the southern perimeter of town.

Noah grunted and flicked the reins over the backs of Zimmerman’s horses. The pair of matching sorrels ignored him, plodding along at their own pace.

Bat stretched out his legs until his heels rested on the footboard. Then he leaned back, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Told you it’d be wise for me to come along.”

Noah snorted. “Funny how Zimmerman didn’t try to ‘swindle’ me.”

“That’s ’cause I was standing right next to you.”

Noah debated spooking the horses into a gallop and accidentally shoving Bat out of his seat. But when a rabbit darted across their path, the team didn’t even raise their heads. The nag on the left hadn’t twitched an ear since they’d set out.

“You ever gonna share the truth of why yer in such a hurry to start a-cuttin’ ’n a-sawin’ on yer mysterious project?”

“I’m in a hurry to get away from
Dodge
for a while.”

“I’m sure you are. Dodge, and the folks in it, can be mighty vexing at times.”

“So can you.”

The marshal laughed. “Well, I hope you know what yer doing.”

“I know how to build a house,” Noah replied, exasperated.

“I’ve no doubt you can handle the house.” Bat’s expression turned serious, and more than a little troubled. “Miss Sullivan’s a whole different matter.”

* * *

The creak
of the Star’s swinging half-doors combined with the tread of booted feet and the jingle of spurs brought Sadie’s head around like a compass needle seeking north. Her spine sagged, along with her spirits, when a freshly shaven cowboy dressed in starched clothes strutted across the threshold. He surveyed the saloon with the curious eyes of a newcomer. An eager grin parted his lips and he headed for the bar, where Cora and several other girls stood smiling coyly at him.

Another cattle drive had arrived in Dodge, bringing enthusiastic guests and their money to the Star.

Sadie turned back to her cards. She was not looking for
him
—that amber-eyed, mahogany-haired Texan with his earnest promises and decadent kisses. His interest and affection had vanished, along with him.

She should be thankful. He was a distraction she could ill afford. His disappearance was a blessing.

Straightening her spine, she fought the heaviness that kept descending on her shoulders. One night and two whole days had gone by without a glimpse of him. Every shadow in the Star grew increasingly ominous without his presence or the prospect of his return.

Unable to stop herself, she sought him again. She sucked in a ragged breath when she found Wardell sitting across the saloon, observing her. Though his jawline lacked strength, his gaze did not. He smiled and tilted his head in acknowledgment. His attention always caused her stomach to clench with unease. Tonight was no different.

She tried to conceal her reaction by once again staring at the deck of cards in her hands.

Despite their many differences, Wardell and Noah had one thing in common. They could derail her plans and hopes. She’d be damned if she gained her freedom from Gertie, only to lose it to Noah or Wardell or any man.

“Concentrate,” she muttered under her breath. Concentrate… Find Edward’s watch and jewelry box. Use them to get far away from Gertie. Go to…

After Chicago, where should she go?

Back to Virginia and a string of towns she didn’t care to remember? Or to the endless unknown on the edge of the country in a metropolis like New York where she’d be hemmed in by thousands? The idea of living in either location was disheartening. She’d grown used to the West’s wide-open spaces, to the idea of independence, if not yet its reality.

Where then?

Think—there has to be someplace. Go to…to…Texas.

Texas?
Why had that destination come into her mind? She’d never been to Texas. She knew nothing about the place. Her only experience with Texas was the drovers who came north with the cattle drives. Surrounded by laughing men and chattering women, she struggled to stop the avalanche of longing that ripped through her.

Dear Lord.
She couldn’t have developed an affection for a place she’d never been. Was she losing her wits as well as her strength?

Then the truth hit her, tensing her every muscle. The one good thing about Texas was Noah.

She hadn’t lost her mind but her heart. And to a man who might’ve already become bored with her. A man who’d only paid attention to her in the first place because he’d felt guilty. A man who, if he discovered he hadn’t ruined her, would race for his home in Texas with the north wind howling at his back and the devil snapping at his heels.

Because she was the wicked one now, the one who lied and schemed. She’d sunk so low the truth was a distant memory, as unattainable as the warmth of the sun or a friend or a man who might grow to love her.

Something cold and smooth touched her hand. Slender fingers curled over hers, forcing her to grasp a shot glass full of chalky blue liquid.

“You look like Hades warmed over, darlin’,” Cora drawled. “Better not let Gertie see. Drink you medicine an’—”

Clutching the glass in one hand and Cora’s arm in the other, she pulled the woman into the quietest corner she could find.

“Why, Sadie, whatever’s the matter?” A burst of laughter escaped Cora’s ruby-stained lips, high-pitched and uncertain.

The sound stole her will to kowtow to Cora in order to keep the woman’s meddling contained. She’d never asked Cora for help. Maybe if she did— Her raw emotions spurred her on. So did her stomach now rolling like an unsecured pot in a tinker’s wagon.

“I can’t take this anymore.” She glanced from the glass in her hand to Cora, realizing she was talking about fighting with Cora as much as the effects of the medicine. “Each day, it makes me weaker. The medicine is poisonous.”

“I know. That’s why I keep insisting you take it.” Cora’s eyes blazed with satisfaction.

Sadie’s heart missed a beat. Before her stood a true devil. She released the woman as if she were made of fire and pressed her arm protectively over her chest. “You want me dead.”

“Eventually. First you must suffer.”

“What did I do to—?”

“Edward chose you. He put you ahead of—” Cora stopped as abruptly as she’d started.

He’d picked Sadie instead of Cora. The woman was jealous of a dead man’s attention. She should’ve been jealous of Orin. That was who Edward loved most. But Cora didn’t know that. And if she didn’t, she had no reason to suspect that Sadie didn’t have syphilis.

“I wish he could see how far you’ve fallen,” Cora said. “You have nothing. Not your health. Not a single friend. Not even your precious Texan.”

Sadie’s heart thrashed like a bird trying to escape a shrinking cage. Her hand squeezed into a trembling fist. Even if she had the strength to hit her target, no good would come from punching Cora…except for maybe silencing the woman’s venomous words.

“Would you be surprised if I told you he’d left you for someone else’s bed?”

She jerked back.

Cora grabbed her wrist, once more shackling them together. “You’ve been wondering where he went, gazing at the door with lovesick eyes. You know something’s changed. You know the Star ain’t the only place in Dodge with women willing to entertain a man.”

An icy cold lodged in Sadie’s veins. Noah wouldn’t—

She stopped herself before she could add to her lies. The truth was she didn’t know what Noah would do. He wasn’t here. He hadn’t been for two days. He’d whittled away her defenses, made her crave his company and then deserted her. Again.

She didn’t believe that Cora knew Noah any better than she. That didn’t matter. What mattered was that she’d put herself in a position of weakness by opening her heart to Noah. She cared for him. The possibility of him not caring in return and abandoning her hurt. Horribly.

She had only herself to blame. She should’ve held on to her refusal to have anything to do with him.

A flurry of taffeta and lace approached. “What’s going on?” Gertie demanded. “Cora said you asked for more medicine. So drink it and get on stage.”