Cowboys and Highlanders (38 page)

Chapter Four

Allison found, for the first time in her life, a small family of friends. As the sun set behind the horizon and the men came in from the mines, Allison worked without a break. Between changing sheets and replacing dirty water, she helped Marion and the girls mend and clean their clothes.

“Sandy wants to see you,” Marion said, coming into her room. Allison had just tucked a fresh sheet onto the bed. She got off her knees and tightened the apron around her waist. To keep cool and to keep it from getting in the way, she kept her hair pulled high and pinned into a bun. She pushed a few stray tendrils behind her ear.

“Is she in her office?”

“Actually, no.” Marion raised an eyebrow. “She’s in her bedroom. And by the look of her, she’s getting ready for a little business.”

“Sandy doesn’t work. Not that way.” In the several weeks Allison had been at the brothel, she’d never seen Sandy anywhere but downstairs. She flirted, but drew the line at taking men to her bed for service.

“Oh, she has a few regulars. I haven’t seen her cowboy in a long time. I’ll bet it’s him. Now that’s a man I’d gladly take care of.” She fell back onto the bed. “Lord, have mercy on women. Men should not look that good.”

“That good?”

“Good doesn’t come close. We’ll all be happy tomorrow because Sandy is going to be in one hell of a grand mood. If you want something, it’ll be the day to ask.”

Allison laughed as she left the room.

She made her way down the long corridor. Doors to bedrooms lined both sides of the hallway.

Allison lightly knocked on Sandy’s door.

“Come in,” Sandy said. “Good, I’m glad you hurried. I’m going to be busy for the next couple of hours.” Scrutinizing herself in the mirror, Sandy added a little more rouge. “Occasionally I entertain certain gentlemen. I have a long history with his family. He’s had a run of bad luck lately.”

“Marion said you still see a few.”

“Honey, every woman has needs.” Sandy stood in front of the dresser mirror and fluffed her ruffles. “I used to see his father.”

“This gentleman you’re seeing tonight?”

Sandy nodded. “The apple didn’t fall far from the tree.”

Allison wondered why Sandy was confiding in her.

“Will you put on one of Marion’s outfits?”

Confusion clouded Allison’s thoughts. Did Sandy expect her to work? In the parlor? With the men? Fear, stark and vivid, constricted her chest. The taste of bile rose into her throat. “What? Why?”

“Calm down, Allison. You should know by now I feel the same way as Marion and the girls. We want you here. I thought you could linger downstairs as hostess. Play me for a few hours.” She shrugged. “I never like leaving the parlor unattended.”

“I’d love it. Dress up, have a sweet drink. One of those tall ones Cassie makes.”

“Just one,” Sandy said. “You’ve proven you don’t handle alcohol well.”

“I’ve only been sick twice. Both times Marion is to blame. She gave me too much, too fast.”

“Three times in two weeks. One drink or forget the whole thing.”

Allison sat in the giant chair. “One drink.”

“Don’t sit down.” Sandy took Allison’s hands and pulled her to her feet. “Go get dressed and get downstairs. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“This is going to be fun, right?”

“Yes.” Sandy winked and pushed Allison out the room.

Fifteen minutes later, Allison wore her favorite dress of Marion’s into the parlor. She paused in front of the sconce mirror. The deep violet color enhanced her complexion and made her green eyes sparkle like emeralds. As she sipped her drink, she arched an eyebrow and tried to see herself as the men in the parlor did. With her corset pulled tight, her cleavage crested over the top. Pale candlelight made her skin appear creamy and flawless.

“Hello.”

Allison turned at the familiar voice. Resonating in her dreams for weeks, the image of the man matching the voice filled her head. “Mr. Bester,” she stammered.

“I see you found work.” His mouth twitched. His gaze left her face and traveled down her neck, locking on her bosom.

Heat rushed through her body. She felt his gaze like a branding iron, roaming over her flesh as if marking her as his. She couldn’t breathe. Her mouth was dry and her sex wet. With this man, she
felt
like a whore.

“I’m curious how your travels have brought you here, but I’ve business to attend to.” He tipped his cowboy hat and disappeared up the stairs. When the dizziness cleared her mind, she upended her drink and then set the empty glass on one of the small tables.

“Allison, what did he say?” Marion grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. “Can you believe all the luck? Sandy will sleep with a smile on her face tonight.”

“Sandy?” Allison asked in disbelief. “Mr. Bester is with Sandy right now?”

Marion nodded. “Lucky woman.”

“He’s married with two children.”

“Lower your voice!” she scolded. “Most of the men in here are married. I’m sure they don’t want to be reminded.”

“I thought he was a nice man. We met at his ranch when I went there looking for work. I talked to his little girl. I brushed her hair.”

“Get over it.” Marion’s voice was harsh. “The world isn’t a pretty place. He comes in, only sees Sandy, and goes on his way without socializing with anyone else. I don’t know his story, and I don’t want to any more than you should. You work in a brothel cleaning up after whores. Be careful not to hang on your own hook.”

As Allison worked, she couldn’t keep from watching the stairs to see how long TJ spent with Sandy. She told herself the entire encounter disturbed her because TJ was a married man, the truth too difficult to believe. Just as it had been when she came face to face with him in the foyer of his home, she was attracted to him. The thought alone twisted her stomach into knots.

The hour grew late, and Allison wondered if she had missed TJ when he left. The brothel was quiet and most of the girls had retired for the evening. Allison went to the kitchen and set a fresh pot of coffee to brew.

“You should be asleep.”

Allison jumped at the sound of Sandy’s voice. She hadn’t heard anyone approach. “Hi,” she said, unable to look at Sandy. She didn’t want to see pleasure in her sated smile. “I just made a fresh pot of coffee. I’m going to my room.” Allison hurried past.

Sandy reached out and caught her by the arm. “Wait a minute.”

Allison stopped but kept her eyes to the floor, focusing on a scuffmark. The glimpse she stole told her everything she needed to know. Sandy had the look of a woman who had been thoroughly ravished. After these weeks in the brothel, she recognized the telltale signs; untamed hair, swollen lips, and flushed cheeks. “I’m tired.”

“No, I think it’s something else and I’d like to know what’s bothering you. A few hours ago, you were humming like a bird.” Sandy lifted Allison’s face by the chin. “I go to work, and you look like you’ve lost your puppy.”

Allison shrugged and pulled away from Sandy. “I’m just tired.”

“Listen little girl, I didn’t just fall off the back of a wagon. You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” Sandy laughed. “You’re giving me the cold shoulder. Oh, you are a breath of fresh air.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “Such an amusing notion. I am going to miss you.”

Allison froze. She pushed too far and now Sandy intended to dismiss her. “I’m sorry. Marion warned me to mind my own business. I know I have no right to judge Mr. Bester.”

“TJ?”

“I know he’s a man and has needs. I should be used to seeing married men patronizing the Dusty Rose.” She took a deep breath, but continued her defense. “I’ve met Mr. Bester.”

“I know,” Sandy said, but Allison wasn’t listening. Her dismissal rang too loudly in her ears.

“And his children—he has the most extraordinary little girl. Smart, independent, all the qualities I admire in an adult in a sweet, sweet child. His son went to bed. I didn’t spend much time with him. His wife may not be the best housekeeper or mother.” She took a quick breath, but Sandy interrupted her.

“He’s not married. Allison, you’re wrong. His wife has been gone more than a year now.”

Suddenly it all made sense. How could she have been so imperceptive? The dirty house, Sissy in her mothering role, and TJ getting his little boy ready for bed, and most of all his brusqueness whenever she mentioned his wife should have told her she assumed incorrectly. If TJ’s proximity hadn’t unnerved her, maybe she would have paid more attention. It was hard enough remembering to breathe when he was in the room.

Allison sat at the kitchen table while Sandy moved to the stove to pour each of them a cup of coffee. “TJ lost his wife just before last winter. He has his hands full with his ranch. You wouldn’t know it. He’s a devoted father. He shelters those children too much because he doesn’t want them hurt. Losing Janelle was hard on everyone. He started coming in here a couple of months after the funeral.” She set the cup of coffee in front of Allison. “I can make him forget his problems and remind him he’s a man for an hour. He talks, I listen and then he goes back to his hectic life.” Sandy sat. “He comes to me because he’s a private man. He appreciates that I don’t share his business with anyone.”

Allison wrapped her hands around her coffee cup. “I’m so sorry.” She hesitantly met Sandy’s stare across the table. “I made a mistake. I’m not sure what to say. I shouldn’t have drawn conclusions. Please don’t make your decision final. I don’t want to lose my job. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

“You misunderstand. I’m not mad at you, just the opposite. And that is why you can’t stay.”

“What have I done? I thought you were happy with my position here. It seems harsh to let me go now.”

“Maybe it is.” Sandy took a sip of coffee and shrugged. “I’ve made my decision, and I’m not inclined to change it. I saw you tonight. You were uncomfortable even pretending to be a whore.”

“I appreciate the time you’ve allowed me to stay.” Allison stood. In her haste, she bumped the table, causing her coffee to slosh out of her cup. “I’ll clean out my room and be on my way.”

“Sit down, Allison. I’m not finished explaining myself.”

Allison wiped tears from her cheek with the back of her hand.

“You deserve better than cleaning up after whores. I’m not one to ask favors of the gentlemen who patronize my business. I made an exception tonight. I spoke with TJ. He might’ve been hesitant at first, but he’s agreed to employ you at the ranch.”

Allison’s breath hitched. “I can’t.” Unmarried, young women didn’t live with widowed men. She supposed proper women didn’t work in brothels either. There was one enormous difference. The men in the brothel didn’t weaken her knees and make her breasts tingle. Her heartbeat escalated thinking of TJ alone in the big house on the hill. “Besides, I’ve already asked and he said no.”

“He agreed when I asked him. He’s asleep in my bed. When he leaves, he is going to take you with him.” Sandy stood and pulled Allison into a hug. “We’ll miss you,” she said, stepping back. “Don’t think of this as goodbye. I’ll expect you to visit whenever you come to town.” Sandy placed her hand on Allison’s cheek. “I chose this profession. I’m educated, and I know how to make money. Children were never part of my plan. But I’d like to believe that if I would have had a daughter, she would’ve been like you.”

“You’ve shown me more love than my mother ever did.” Her mother had only ever wanted her to marry for money and to take a step up the social ladder. Never had she concerned herself with Allison’s happiness. “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.”

“Okay, enough of this sentimental fluff. Go get your belongings and say goodbye to your friends. They’ll all want to wish you luck.”

* * * * *

Allison perched next to TJ Bester on the bench of his buckboard. Her bag sat along with the supplies he’d come to town to purchase. The wagon pulled out of Copper City. They traveled in moonlit darkness. It would be another hour before first light, until then, they were alone with the moon, the stars, and the blackness of the forest around them.

Allison had been on this journey once before. She knew how long she would be sitting next to this extremely quiet and private man. At least when she’d traveled with Train, there had been enjoyable conversation to help pass the time.

“I’ll miss Sandy and the girls,” she said.

TJ looked in her direction, but didn’t speak. His eyes revealed nothing of his thoughts. Curiosity nearly drove her to ask. Instead, she chewed the inside of her cheek.

The horses kept a rhythm and each step on the hard ground made Allison’s bottom ache. Periodically, she’d look at TJ to see if he showed the same discomfort. His eyes never left the road, and he made no gestures to say he’d like to have a conversation. She wanted to ask him if this was how their working relationship would be. Before, when she’d seen him in his home with his children, he seemed relaxed and friendly. He’d been approachable. The tight line of his mouth now contradicted the man she’d met before.

Another hour passed in silence. If Allison asked a question, TJ would respond with a nod or shake of his head. This was ridiculous. Sandy had assured her that he was agreeable to her employment. Yet, he hadn’t spoken to her.