Texas Moon TH4 (49 page)

Chapter 40

"Let me see you honk your nose again, Peter, puleeze." Betsy bounced on the vermin-laden bed, no doubt frightening the fleas into permanent hiding.

Peter graciously donned the bulbous rubber nose and honked it loudly. Betsy bent double with laughter, and watching her, Janice trembled with joy.

Theodophilus expounded upon his own part in the rescue in accompaniment with half a dozen other excited conversations. The tiny hotel room had somehow expanded to include a major part of the circus population, all of them bursting with the triumph of their escapade.

Janice still wore her harem girl clothes. With a room full of people, she could scarcely change into anything else. She had abandoned the hot wig, and her makeup was melting, but nothing could wipe the smile off her face. She wanted to bounce right beside Betsy on the bed.

She could scarcely take her gaze from Peter. Although he seemed to be relaxed and smiling and enjoying Betsy's attention, a shadow lingered behind his smile. When he looked up and caught her, he sent her a look that melted her insides more hopelessly than her makeup. She wanted the room cleared of occupants so she could thank him properly, in the way of love that he had taught her.

It didn't seem likely that anyone would leave soon. The flute player took up his instrument, and Janice was forced to repeat her performance for those who had missed it. Attracted by the party atmosphere, complete strangers entered the fringe of the crowd and clapped as loudly as the rest of the audience.

It was into this chaos that Daniel arrived, trailing Evie and Tyler. The three of them stared in disbelief as the staidly proper schoolmarm performed a harem dance in gossamer silks, while the stiff, arrogant Easterner honked a rubber nose and shuffled around in overlarge shoes to the amusement of everyone watching. At the sight of Betsy throwing herself into Peter's arms and hugging him, all became clear.

Her hair once again cropped to silver curls, Betsy was the first to notice the new arrivals. With a cry of complete joy, she launched herself in their direction.

"Uncle Daniel! Uncle Daniel!" Even though it had been five years since she had seen him last, she leapt into his arms as if it had been yesterday. With a pleased grin, Daniel scooped her up and swung her around.

Over her head, he grinned at the red-nosed clown and the harem dancer. "We thought we were arriving to lend reinforcements. I take it we've arrived for the triumphant celebration instead."

"Peter rescued me!" Betsy informed him. "And Janice came as a dancing girl so the bad men wouldn't see what Peter was doing. And I left clues so they could find me. Did you see my clues?"

Tyler slipped in the door and pulled Betsy from Daniel's arms, throwing her up in the air and catching her as if to reassure himself that she was real. "We found your clues, little Miss Clever. Your Aunt Evie copied your sketches and they're posted all over the West by now."

"Really?" Thoroughly thrilled, Betsy looked to Evie for confirmation.

"Those sketches were so good, people recognized them instantly," Evie assured her. "I'm sending some back to my father so he can see them. He'll be proud of you."

Betsy beamed. Behind her, Tyler and Daniel gestured for Peter to join them. Reluctant to let either of the women in his life out of his sight, Peter hesitated, but he was well aware other matters needed tending. With a glance to Janice, he indicated his direction. She seemed to understand and nodded. Just the knowledge that they could communicate with each other this easily warmed his insides. He'd thought never to have that kind of understanding with a woman. He was blessed to have her as his wife.

He edged around the crowd and followed the other two men out the door. He sent a questioning look to Daniel.

Daniel interpreted the look easily. "I found Bobby Fairweather with Manuel's help. After a little persuasion, he told me about the Crooked R. I don't think he'll be leaving Mineral Springs anytime soon. Harding's told him there'd be a warrant out for his arrest for kidnapping the instant he left his wife and babe." Daniel gave his brother a curious look. "I thought to wait until I got back here before telling you where to find Betsy so I could lend a hand. Looks like you had the jump on me."

Peter had removed the wig and nose. He bounced them in his hands, impatient to return to his family. "Betsy's clues gave us the direction. We just didn't know if we were reading them right."

"So you sent a circus to find out? And here I thought Daniel was the eccentric in the family," Tyler commented wryly. "I don't suppose you gave any thought to what Stephen is doing right now, or do you have him tied up and in the tiger's cage?"

Peter shrugged. "Our first thought was to get the hell out of there. But I've talked to a friend of Daniel's since then." He sent Daniel an enigmatic look. "Pecos says if you put this adventure into a book, he'll scalp you alive."

Daniel grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Did he now? And what did the old boy do with the dastardly villain?"

Peter scratched the back of his head where his hair stood on end from the wig. "Well, I was for turning the bastard in to the law, but Pecos said the law around here is rather peculiar. For some reason, he didn't think Connor ought to be turned over to a hanging judge." He raised an eyebrow at Daniel. "He seemed to think you might know about this Judge Roy Bean? Said you'd understand."

Daniel's grin disappeared. "Yeah, I've read about him. Still, I'm not certain Connor shouldn't be hung, and that's what the judge would do to him, all right."

Peter didn't offer his theory on why the gunslinger wouldn't have Stephen Connor hung. Peter knew Janice wouldn't want to see the father of her child hung, and somehow the gunslinger knew it too. He didn't mention that to Daniel and Tyler.

"Anyway, Pecos is taking Connor back to Fort Worth for a proper trial. That ought to keep him out of our hair for a while." Peter turned to go back into the room.

Daniel's voice caught him. "What will you do now? I understand the snow in the mountains will keep you from exploring your mine until spring."

Peter stared blankly at the door facing him. "I'll be going back to Ohio, I guess, providing you can make room for me in the business somewhere."

"You know you have a better head for management than I do. Of course you'll be welcome." Daniel watched with concern as his brother returned to the room where Janice waited. He turned a questioning look to Tyler.

The older man shrugged his broad shoulders and stared at the closed door. "He thinks he owes you for the expense of finding Betsy. You're not ever going to convince him otherwise."

Daniel's long, lean face set in a grim expression. "Want to bet on that?"

Through Daniel's generosity, the remainder of the circus took the next train to San Antonio. The rest of the weary travelers had to wait for the Fort Worth train.

While they wandered up and down the station platform at the scheduled time, Janice sat on her satchel and watched her husband. She was relieved to note that Peter was coughing less now, but the strain of these last days had left its toll in the lines upon his face. He paced restlessly, with renewed energy, but she didn't like the shadowed look of his eyes. The brilliant green that once danced with excitement now had a muddy look of resignation.

Her gaze caught on a tall, stoop-shouldered man in a disreputable leather vest standing near one corner of the station. He hadn't been there earlier, she was certain. He seemed to blend in with the shadows, but this time she knew who he was. She stood up from her makeshift seat and approached him.

She thought for a moment he would bolt, but he squared his shoulders and stayed put. The others were at the far end of the train platform, listening to the wail of the whistle as the train approached. Janice stopped in front of the aging cowboy.

"I want to thank you, Mr. Martin, for everything you have done. It's a pity there aren't more men like you and fewer like Stephen."

"It's only human to take the easy route, ma'am. I'll see the law takes care of him. He won't be bothering you no more." He shifted nervously from one foot to the other, glancing in the direction of the station where he kept his prisoner tied.

"It takes a true man to take the difficult route. You were always there, keeping an eye on us, weren't you? But you let us do it our way. I don't know if I ought to thank you for that, but I thank you for being there."

Pecos shrugged. "That man of yours wouldn't of appreciated it if I'd done anythin' else. He never did need me anyways. I just kept an eye open to make that brother of his happy. I don't reckon you'll be needin' my help anytime soon."

"Not your help, maybe, but your friendship. Keep in touch, Mr. Martin." Daringly Janice stood on her toes and planted a gentle kiss on the cowboy's rugged cheek.

He colored beneath his tan and backed away. Janice smiled at the way the tough hero of Daniel's novels melted like wax around a woman. Distracted by the sound of the train pulling into the station, she turned briefly. When she looked back, he was gone.

But he was there somewhere. Smiling and whispering farewell, she hastened to join the others as they gathered up the assorted oddments they had accumulated over these last days. Janice hugged Betsy for good measure, then grabbed Peter's arm and clung to it with pride and joy as the train clattered to a halt. For a brief moment he smiled at her with the genuine happiness she had once known, but then he turned to the business at hand with the brusqueness she was beginning to learn.

Her patience with her husband's managerial attitude lasted into Fort Worth. Peter and Daniel spent the better part of the trip talking business, and Janice had already promised herself to understand this part of her husband's nature. But when he sent her on to the hotel with Daniel and the Monteignes while he remained behind to see to various matters, she began to lose a little bit of her forbearance.

She pulled Daniel aside as he arranged for their accommodations for the night. The clerk at the hotel desk smoothed his dark mustache and waited impatiently. Janice could sense the nattily dressed clerk's opinion of her travel-worn attire, knew she looked out of place in this exorbitantly expensive hotel, but she no longer cared about appearances.

"Daniel, could you arrange for Betsy to have a room in Evie's suite? Peter and I need some time alone." She ought to be thoroughly embarrassed at making such a request, but once her mind was set, she disregarded all else. Besides, Daniel was an old friend. She counted on him to understand.

He didn't even grin. He nodded in comprehension. "If anyone can straighten his thinking, you can, Miss Janice. I've never had much patience with human sacrifices. For some reason, he seems to think that's what's required to make you happy." Daniel gave her a quizzical look.

Janice's lips set in a grim line. "The man doesn't understand women very well, does he?"

Daniel grinned at that. "You got that right. He's never had one ounce of sense when it came to women. A schoolteacher like you ought to be able to teach him a lesson, though. I'm counting on it."

He turned back to the desk clerk to make the arrangements requested.

By the time he reached the hotel, Betsy was happily settled in a suite with the Monteignes, Daniel had disappeared elsewhere, and Peter found Janice all alone, luxuriating in her very first bubble bath.

He closed the door carefully, using it as a support as his gaze took in the sight of fluttery bubbles drifting over rounded curves, occasionally parting to reveal glimpses of pink. He had always known Janice was a beautiful woman, but the sight of her now with her golden tresses stacked high and loose on her head, revealing satin neck and shoulders flushed to an enticing pink from the heat made him realize he'd never known how truly beautiful she could be. She lifted her arms to soap them, and her breasts bobbed temptingly above the bubbles.

The seductive smile she bestowed upon him when she saw him standing there sent Peter's fingers flying to his shirt buttons. He didn't know where Betsy was and didn't care. Skimming out of his clothes as quickly as humanly possible eliminated all thought.

He had been weary when he entered the room, but now he felt horny as hell. It struck him as highly efficient to have a woman available when he needed one, but it was that same damned female who had created the ache in the first place. Women were a mixed blessing at best, but he meant to enjoy this part of his wife's nature. He had his boots off and his shirt stripped by the time she soaped her feet. The sight of her curved calf propped on the edge of the tub put a new edge on his impatience as he tugged off his pants with some difficulty.