Last Promise (14 page)

When Luke pulled away from her mouth his breathing was ragged. “I came to tell you I'm leaving town.”

Trying to gain her own composure, it took her a minute to respond. When she did she found herself asking, “With
that
woman?”

“No, but I am going to Arizona. I need to find out what happened to Sam. I will be back as soon as I can.”

As long as his lips were not on hers she could think straight. And right now she was thinking he had spent the night with that woman after sharing intimate moments with her at the dance. “Why tell me?”

“When I come back we need to talk about this.” He stepped even closer.

“About what?”

“This,” he replied before kissing her again.

Chapter Fourteen

Luke had been gone for two weeks and while he was away Mary Ann worked diligently to complete her shop. She thought being busy would take her mind off of Luke, but it hadn't worked. Each time she stepped into the shop, she was reminded of the night Luke was standing at the display case asking her questions about the items she planned to carry. Tonight was no different. Luke had been on her mind the entire time she was putting the finishing touches on the shop. After she placed the last item on the shelf, she lit the blue opalescent oil lamps and stepped back to see how the shop would appear from the customers' vantage point when they entered. Under the warm glow of the lamps the room looked enchanting. The crystal perfume bottles adorning the shelves twinkled like diamonds. The garters, stockings, and camisoles were made of the finest silks and satins. Jewelry in lovely black velvet cases alongside a few of Victoria's beautifully designed reticules were as exquisite as anything she'd seen in the shops in Paris. The heliotrope and pink satin corsets displayed on the dress forms were sure to attract the ladies. She was so excited, she just knew women would love the shop, especially Victoria and Promise.

“This looks really nice,” Colt said from behind her.

Mary Ann whirled around. She had been so absorbed checking every detail that she hadn't heard him approach. “Oh, Mr. McBride, thank you. I was just finishing up. Did you need something?”

“Yes, I did. Victoria told me while I was in town to invite you and George to dinner tomorrow night.”

“That would be lovely, and I'm sure my uncle will be thrilled to have some male companionship. I'm afraid he's tired of hearing about ladies' fashion.”

Colt chuckled. “I can appreciate how he feels. I will give him a break.” His gaze surveyed the bottles of perfume lined up on the shelves before landing on the colorful corset in the corner. That was not something you typically saw displayed at the mercantile. He'd only seen such beautiful things on the women in the saloon and they ordered their clothing from the stores in Denver.

Seeing where he was looking, Mary Ann blushed. “I thought I would have mainly women customers. Your brother tried to warn me that I would have men coming in.”

“It's arranged nicely.” She had done a good job of placing the intimate items out of the view of hotel guests; one had to step inside to see them. He glanced back at the bottles. “Would you recommend one of those perfumes?”

“Yes, they are from France and smell divine.” She reached for one bottle and handed it to him.

“I was thinking about something for Victoria's birthday next month.” He took the ornate crystal bottle and pulled out the stopper and sniffed. “That does smell good.”

Mary Ann smiled at him. “This is my favorite; I'm sure she would love it.”

“I'll take it.” He pointed to two white garters in the display case. “Give me two of those lacy garters and stockings.”

He'd shocked Mary Ann to her toes. She'd never considered she would be waiting on a man, not only a man, but the most fearsome looking man she'd ever seen in the form of Colt McBride. She picked up the garters and handed them to him and watched as he felt the material. His hands were large and strong, just like Luke's, and the way he touched the garters was quite sensuous. She felt herself blushing even more.

He glanced at one of the corsets. He really liked the color and thought it would look beautiful on Victoria. He pointed to the heliotrope corset. “Would that fit my wife?”

He didn't seem the least bit embarrassed buying intimate items for his wife. She had a feeling Luke wasn't the only McBride who knew his way around a woman's wardrobe.

“I think it would be perfect for her.”

“Good. The perfume is for her and the corset and garters are for . . .” He hesitated as he pulled out some bills.

Mary Ann was stunned. Surely he wasn't buying a present for some other female when his wife was one of the most beautiful women she'd ever seen. “They are for?”

“Me.” He smiled as he handed her the money.

Mary Ann returned his smile, and placed the items in a box and tied it with a large pink ribbon.

Colt picked up the box. “Don't forget about dinner.”

* * *

Mary Ann's friendship with Victoria and Promise had blossomed over the weeks, and she was thrilled to have friends in the town she was beginning to call home. She had been to the McBride ranch several times for dinner and had the wives to tea at the hotel. Spending so much time with the McBride women, as well as Colt, she was also gaining a fresh perspective on the men in this country. Quite naturally, they all gave glowing accounts of Luke. To listen to Colt's twin boys, their uncle Luke hung the moon and the stars.

No matter what they said, or how hard she tried, she couldn't forget seeing Luke leave Arina's room that morning. Admittedly, she was infatuated with him, but she wouldn't allow herself to forget that he wasn't a one-woman man. When he came back she promised herself she would stay away from him. If she got close enough for him to kiss her, she wouldn't forget all the reasons she needed to keep her distance. It saddened her that she probably wouldn't be invited to the ranch when he returned, but she could always invite Victoria and Promise to the hotel.

Mary Ann and George were sitting in the parlor having a pleasant conversation with the McBrides when an unexpected visitor appeared on their doorstep. Mary Ann had seen the woman from a distance, but never in her life had she ever thought she would meet her.

Colt and his wife greeted L. B. Ditty, the owner of the saloon, warmly and invited her into the parlor where Colt introduced her to Mary Ann.

L. B. turned her attention on Mary Ann. “I hear you've set up a fine shop in your uncle's hotel. I'll be coming to see you for some perfume and powders. You'll save me waiting for things I usually order from Denver.”

“That would be lovely.” Mary Ann wondered how she knew about her little shop.

“Promise and I can't wait to see it,” Victoria said. “I've been wanting some pearl powder.”

L. B. was still staring at Mary Ann. “You sure are a beauty and I'm sure you have no need of your own potions.”

“Thank you.” She blushed under the woman's scrutiny.

L. B. turned to Colt. “I guess that means another one will be added to the McBride clan.”

“I wouldn't be surprised.” Colt had to agree with his wife. Mary Ann did seem like the perfect woman for Luke. He had a suspicion that Luke cared for her, but Luke was buck wild, and hadn't yet figured out that once he settled down he'd be happier than he could ever imagine. He figured every man had to come to terms with such an important decision in his own time.

Mary Ann hadn't even heard what L. B. said, she was too busy staring at her vivid red hair.

“It's good to see you again, L. B.,” George said.

“I've wondered where you've been keeping yourself,” L. B. retorted.

If Mary Ann was shocked when she saw the buxom red-haired saloon owner in the McBride parlor, she was stunned speechless that her uncle knew this woman.

“Building that blasted house has been keeping me busy. Thank goodness my niece came here when she did, she's been a great help to me at the hotel. But if today is any indication, she's going to be so busy in her shop that she will no longer be able to help me.”

“It's going to be a fine home. Now you need to find yourself a wife and do everything up right.”

Colt grinned as he walked to the bureau to pour some whiskey. L. B. was always talking marriage, but she had never married. Still she was like every woman he'd ever met, always trying to marry off the men.

“Colt, I don't want to take up too much of your time. I'm sorry I came out here unannounced, but I heard something from one of my gals that I thought you should know.”

“Before you begin, George and I were just about to have a whiskey, can I get one for you?”

“Please,” she automatically replied. She glanced at the ladies thinking she may have spoken too quickly.

Victoria caught L. B.'s concerned look. “I'll have one too, dear. The boys are visiting Mrs. Wellington, so there's no reason we can't all enjoy one tonight.”

Colt turned to his wife and stared at her. First it was that low-cut dress, and now whiskey. What was happening to his sweet little wife?

Promise realized Victoria was trying to make L. B. feel comfortable. “I'll have one too, Colt.”

Colt finally caught on and he glanced at Mary Ann. “How about you, Mary Ann?”

Mary Ann was moved by their kindness to L. B., and she could do no less. “Certainly, that sounds lovely.” She responded as smoothly as though she ordered whiskey every day of the week.

As Colt poured the drinks he figured he'd have a lot of whiskey to finish tonight. Once again, he said thanks to God for giving him such a wonderful woman. She was one of a kind, and she'd taught him so much about love and compassion. He passed the drinks around and winked at his wife when he handed her the whiskey. “You were saying, L. B.?”

“Just before I came out here one of my gals was telling me about a fellow she was . . . ah . . . entertaining last evening. It seems this man said some things that I thought you should hear. He said a woman had paid him two hundred dollars to shoot Luke. He said the woman even pointed Luke out to him and told him the best time to see the deed was done. He also said she told him when it was done . . . well, she promised him
something else
.” L. B. gave Colt a knowing look.

Colt didn't have to ask what the
something else
was. After what Luke told him about Arina, it wasn't hard to figure out. “Did your gal say when this was supposed to have happened?” Colt asked.

“It was a few weeks ago on a Sunday. Anyway, he apparently ran into a problem, and when he went to see the woman she had checked out of the hotel. I didn't know if it was just drunken talk, but my gal said she didn't think he was making up this story.”

“Is he still in town?” Colt asked.

“No, he rode out when he was finished with . . . when his business was complete.”

“Someone took a shot at Luke on the way to church with the family, and he would've been hit if he hadn't moved at the right moment. Fortunately, his hat came up with the hole and not his head,” Colt said.

“Oh, my goodness, I didn't know. I'm happy he wasn't hurt.” L. B. held a special fondness for Luke. He was always in a fine mood, and congenial to everyone he met.

“It was the Sunday before Luke left,” Victoria said.

Mary Ann's heart was in her throat hearing how close Luke had come to being shot. He'd never said a word to her about the incident. Just the thought of anything happening to him scared her to death. But Colt had to be mistaken about the day it happened. That was the Sunday she'd seen Luke sneaking out of Arina's room. “But that was the morning Luke was with . . .” She almost blurted out Arina's name before she caught herself. Luke might not want his family to know the nature of his relationship with Arina. And while she didn't approve, and seeing him that morning had hurt her terribly, she had no right to tell his secrets.

“What?” Colt asked.

Mary Ann didn't reply. She didn't want to reveal something private.

“It may be important,” Colt urged.

Still she hesitated until she saw the determined look on Colt's face. “I probably shouldn't say anything, but I saw Luke leave Arina's room at dawn.”

“It wasn't Luke you saw that morning, it was Creed Thomas,” Colt told her.

“But I was so sure it was him,” Mary Ann insisted.

“I assure you it wasn't him. Luke and I talked late into the night, and I saw him at dawn on Sunday morning. We were having a cup of coffee and we even cooked breakfast for the family.”

Victoria could see the surprise on Mary Ann's face. “Did you get a clear look at the man?”

Mary Ann saw the morning clearly in her mind. She realized she'd only seen the man from the back. “Only from the back. He was tall, had black hair, and was wearing a blue shirt. Luke had on a blue shirt at the dance.”

“There you go. Thomas is Luke's size, has dark hair, and a similar physique. It would be easy to confuse the two of them from the back.”

“I made a terrible mistake.” She was relieved it wasn't Luke coming from Arina's room that morning, but at the same time she felt horribly guilty for assuming the worst about him.

Seeing the tears welling in Mary Ann's eyes, Victoria had her confirmation of what she had been suspecting for weeks. Mary Ann was in love with Luke McBride. “Nothing that can't be undone.”

Without thinking, Mary Ann took a big gulp from the glass she was holding. Never having tasted whiskey before, she couldn't believe how it burned her throat. She gasped and looked at her uncle who was trying hard not to laugh.

Colt learned from Mary Ann that Arina had taken the stagecoach the day after Luke left for Arizona. She was probably in Arizona by now, and he needed to get word to Luke to tell him he was still in danger. Hearing what L. B. had to say didn't really surprise Colt, he'd had a feeling Arina either wanted to marry Luke, or wanted him out of the picture. Luke needed to know that Arina was behind the attempt on his life, but it couldn't have been Creed Thomas who pulled the trigger if he'd been in bed with Arina. That didn't mean Thomas wasn't involved, it just meant that Arina had no aversion to recruiting complete strangers to carry out her nefarious plan. The cowboy from the saloon was probably long gone, so they couldn't prove anything in court, but at least they knew what Arina was trying to do. Colt didn't want to wait to get word to Luke. “Excuse me, I'm going to get T. J. and have him ride to town and send a telegram to Luke.”