Pistols and Petticoats (A Historical Western Romance Anthology) by Barbara Ankrum & Adrienne deWolfe & Sharon Ihle

Author:Barbara Ankrum & Adrienne deWolfe & Sharon Ihle [Ankrum, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: ePublising Works!
Published: 2014-03-28T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

BETRAYED

As the weeks passed, Cass allowed himself to be wooed into a false sense of security. Sterne was out of sight and, apparently, out of Sadie's mind. With time on her hands, she'd been able to live her dream, writing bawdy songs and performing them to earth-quaking stomps and thunderous applause.

Whenever she turned all Dragon Lady on him, he'd take great delight in stealing her away from Calliope—whom he'd eventually learned was her Muse. He'd drag his volatile lover into the pantry, or tantalize her in the stairwell, or romp with her behind the locked door of Chalkey's hallowed back room. In fact, they'd spent a memorable afternoon "plowing" the Poker table's field of green one day, before they'd emerged hand-in-hand, smug and sated, the imprints of betting chips decorating their butts.

But rumbles of discontent had also plagued their time together. Chalkey required Sadie to help the beer-jerkers serve liquor and food. In the taproom, more than any other place, Cass began noticing little warning signs. He'd observed her naughty winks and sultry smiles as she thumped whiskey down before former lovers—like Luke. Or Wyatt. Or Bat.

He'd noticed how she would sashay around the taproom, eliciting wolf whistles from buffalo hunters, or lean low over a cowboy's shoulder, earning herself a shower of coins because she'd placed something—and it hadn't been a beefsteak—in the right spot.

Cass knew what he was seeing. He just didn't want to see it. The hotter he burned for Sadie, the less she seemed touched by his fire. Oh sure, she went through all the motions, kissing him like dynamite and stroking him like the Devil's Daughter. But the more he observed, the more he worried that Sadie was just "doing her job" in his bed—the way she'd been doing it every night with his new, Dodge City friends before he'd ridden into town.

Blowing out his breath at the thought, he paced the Long Branch's porch and lit a cigarette, taking a few drags to cool his hot head. He didn't want anything to spoil the romantic evening that he'd planned, especially the unveiling of Sadie's present. Through no fault of his own, he'd already been delayed at the public bathhouse, which had been running low on water.

Knowing that Sadie was scheduled to perform in less than 10 minutes, Cass finally tossed aside his half-smoked cig and pushed through the swinging doors. A cheer rose from the faro table when his new, gambling friends spied him. They raised their glasses in his direction, and his mood brightened a bit. He tipped his hat.

As he skirted the dance floor, an eyelash-batting bawd slinked past with a fistful of foaming mugs. Her other hand trailed wickedly over his thigh. With an apologetic grin, he slapped the brunette's derriere and sent her, squealing, on her way.

A dozen cowboys thumped his shoulders. He winced good-naturedly, working his way through the cigar haze until he could at last belly-up to the bar. Complete strangers, with Irish brogues, Texas twangs, and Virginia drawls, greeted him by name.

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