Soiled Dove (21 page)

“Deader than a wake after the liquor’s run out,”

Peg said with a grin. She rested her hand on Clare’s shoulder and squeezed it lightly. “Your clothes are wet,” she stated the obvious.

“Had an accident. Can I stay with you tonight?”

“You know you’re always welcome, sugar. We’d better get you into a tub of hot water before you catch your death. Go on up and I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Clare nodded and motioned for another refill to take with her. The lack of food combined with the fast shots Clare downed made her light-headed. Peg ran a supportive arm around her waist. “Let’s get you cleaned up and under the sheets before you freeze to death.” Clare managed to maneuver her way across the open room, hearing the chuckles of the men playing poker at a nearby table.

“Ignore them,” Peg said quietly when she felt Clare hesitate.

In the time it took Peg to prepare a tub of water, Clare managed to get half undressed. Her shirt was unbuttoned and she had one boot off. She struggled to dredge up enough coordination to pull the other boot off, finally dropping her foot to the wooden floor, defeated.

“Maybe I should just go to sleep, Peg,” she said, the room spinning slightly as she tried to focus on the other woman.

“No one’s sleeping in my bed in damp, musty-smelling clothes,” Peg said. Standing in front of Clare, Peg turned her back to her. “Give me your foot and use your other foot to push against my ass so I can get this damn wet boot off,” Peg ordered.

Once the boot was off, Peg reached down and pulled Clare to her feet, struggling to push the damp shirt off her shoulders as it clung to her skin.

“You’re real pretty, Peg,” Clare slurred as she swayed slightly.

“No one’s bothered to call me pretty since the last time you were here needin’ some tender care” Peg snorted. “That why you’re here tonight?”

“I can take care of myself,” Clare insisted.

“I know you can, but there’s only so much you can do for yourself, cowgirl. Now shuck those wet pants off.” Peg smiled as Clare pushed her jeans down, holding on to Peg’s shoulders to step out of them.

“Ain’t you got no proper underwear?” Peg asked as Clare finally stood naked in front of her, except for a pair of gray woolen socks.

“Can’t wear bloomers under the pants and my last binder fell apart. Reckon I need to get a new one.”

Clearing her throat, Peg said, “You best get in that water while it’s still warm. Otherwise you’ll be taking a cold bath.”

Peg slipped an arm around Clare’s bare waist and urged her into the tub. Small wisps of steam floated above the water. As Clare finally brought one leg up and stepped into the water, her foot slid on the bottom. She grasped Peg tightly to keep from losing her balance. As Peg reached for her, her hand inadvertently found its way to Clare’s breast. Clare gasped and stared at Peg, unsure what to make of the jolt that shot through her.

“Sorry,” Peg mumbled as she moved her hand away and helped Clare settle into the warm water.

Peg knelt down next to the tub and stroked Clare’s hair back, brushing her thumb across her cheek. Clare shook her head. “I’m sorry for showing up like this, Peg,” she said, covering Peg’s hand with hers.

Peg patted her on the shoulder. “Something wrong you want to talk about, sweetie?”

“Nope. Just felt a little lonely.”

“Finish cleaning up so you can get some sleep.”

While Clare finished bathing, Peg removed a few stray articles of clothing from her bed and fluffed the pillows up to make them more comfortable. When she turned around, she was surprised to find Clare standing behind her, a towel wrapped around her body. Clare stepped closer and hugged the woman.

Warmth spread through her body and Clare wished it could have come from Loretta’s embrace. “Thanks for being my friend,” she whispered. “For understanding.”

As she began to pull away Peg stopped her. They stood staring at each other for a few moments in uncomfortable silence before Clare said, “You feel real good, Peg.”

Peg brought her face closer to Clare’s. “So do you, sugar. I know what you need tonight.” Her lips lightly brushed over Clare’s before she stepped back.

Not often, but occasionally, when the need to connect to another person, a woman, became overwhelming, Clare had gone to town and sought out Peg’s company. Peg never judged her and never told anyone, not even Mavis, what they did together.

The kiss between her and Loretta earlier in the day had unsettled Clare. She needed to relieve the frustration she felt when she was near the much younger woman. She should tell her to leave the ranch and not return. Clare moved closer to Peg and leaned down to kiss her again, this time with more pressure. Peg responded by running a hand up Clare’s bare back and the rancher smiled down at her.

“It’s been a long time.”

“You need to find someone to be with all the time, sweetie,” Peg sighed.

“I don’t want anyone who will leave me alone again,” Clare said through clenched teeth. “I didn’t want to go bumping around in the back of a wagon halfway across the country. I didn’t want my folks to be murdered, leaving me to fend for myself in the middle of nowhere. I didn’t want to be riding around day and night staring at the asses of a bunch of cows.

But that’s the hand I was dealt. I’m doing the best I can, Peg,” she muttered as her fingertips drifted down the brunette’s bare arms. With a smile, Peg leaned closer until their lips met. Clare felt her body react and she grasped Peg’s shoulders, drawing her closer, inhaling the amazing scent that was uniquely Peg’s.

“Come on to bed and get some rest now, sugar,”

Peg whispered. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

A moment later Clare felt Peg slide back against her and draped her arm around the woman’s warm body. She liked the feel of Peg’s naked body pressed against hers. She frowned as she wondered if Loretta’s body would fit as well against hers and feel as soft.

THREE DAYS PASSED and there had been no sign of Clare. Loretta was becoming concerned even though work around the ranch seemed to be progressing as usual. Ino hadn’t mentioned the incident at the stream again. He spoke to Loretta as he always had and shared dinner with her in the big house in Clare’s absence. If he was worried about Clare’s disappearance it wasn’t evident to Loretta.

That night over dinner, Loretta fidgeted with her food, pushing it aimlessly around on her plate.

Periodically she glanced at the empty chair where Clare usually sat.

“She’s okay,” Ino said between bites.

“You’ve seen her? Talked to her?”

“She works the herd every day, same as always.”

“But she hasn’t been back to the house in days.

Not since last week.”

“Clare’s fine. Just not eating as good as we are right now. I told her to come on back, but she won’t.

Says she can’t.”

“She’s staying away because of me, isn’t she?

Because I’m still here.”

“She doesn’t trust herself.”

Loretta gently set her fork on her plate and pushed away from the table. She took a deep breath and tilted her chin up slightly. “I won’t leave until I speak to her.”

Ino took a deep breath and puffed his cheeks out.

“There’s much you don’t know about Clare McIlhenney. No one does.”

“Except you.”

“
Si.
I see many things.” He wiped his moustache with a napkin and studied Loretta for a moment.

“What have you heard?”

Loretta laughed. “Everyone thinks Clare is having sinful relations with not only you, but all of the men who work for her. That seems to be the most widespread rumor.”

Ino nodded and smiled. “Also the oldest. It is true that I once offered to live with her as man and wife.

To protect her property. She said no, but told me to tell the man at the Land Office I was her husband to get the property boundaries of her papa’s land after he was killed. She was with me and I guess we convinced the land agent. As for the other men who work for her, there is nothin’.”

“Someone told Cyrus she’s killed people,” Loretta said.

“That is true as well, but if you tell the sheriff or anyone else I will say you are lyin’.”

“Surely she only killed to protect herself or her property.”

Ino picked up his coffee cup and took a long gulp.

He reached for the package of tobacco in the bowl in the center of the table and rolled a cigarette, striking a match before answering.

“Life here can be very hard. It was harder twenty years ago. If you’re a woman it’s twice as hard. What has Clare told you about what happened to her family?”

“Just that they were killed.”

“Their wagon was alone and it was attacked by a group of riders who hoped to steal their horses and whatever else they would be able to get money for. I heard the shots, but arrived too late to help anyone except Clare. I patched her up the best I could.” He rubbed his forehead. “You seen that scar on her head?

She’s got a worse one on her shoulder where I dug a bullet out. She wanted to hunt down the men who murdered her family. She could shoot a rifle, but not that good.”

“When did you and Clare move here?”

“Soon as she could sit a horse. One day when she was mostly recovered, she went inside the wagon to get dressed. When she came out she was the Clare you see now. Put on her papa’s pants and shirt. His boots, hat, and coat. Ain’t dressed any different since then except to buy new pants or boots. Far as I know, I’m the last one who’s seen her in a dress. She looked like a real lady back then. Kind of fragile. She decided to use her papa’s old Henry rifle and practiced until she could hit a gnat in the ass at fifty paces. And real quick, too. We rode to town and got the boundary lines, then pulled the wagon here and got to work.

Her papa had some money hid in the bottom of the wagon that got us started.”

“What does that have to do with killing anyone?”

“Clare used to go to town at least once a month. I taught her to play some poker and she got pretty good. Wish I never taught her ‘cause it wasn’t long before trouble showed up.”

INO AND CLARE rode into Trinidad to pick up a few
meager provisions they could afford just ahead of a
thunderstorm that was making its way over the mountains
behind them. It was too late to stop at the dry goods store
and they headed for the Cattleman’s Saloon. A chill was in
the air and a few drinks would warm them up. Ino went
straight to the bar and ordered a drink. He turned around
to see Clare join four men at a poker game. Early in the
morning they would saddle up and return to the ranch. He
sipped from a shot glass of whiskey and felt the liquid burn
its way to his stomach and hoped the cold rain that had
started falling would let up by morning.

It was still early evening and the rainy weather kept
the number of customers at the Cattleman’s Saloon small.

Ino heard the sound of horses outside and watched as three
men, strangers in town, wearing slickers pushed their way
into the saloon. Rain ran down the slickers and off their
slouched hats. The spurs on the men’s boots jingled lightly
as they made their way to the bar and ordered drinks. Ino
didn’t recognize them and turned his attention back to the
card game.

Once the men consumed a few shots and apparently
felt warmer, they drifted toward the ongoing game.

Between hands the players scooted their chairs around and
invited the strangers to join them. Within a few minutes
the slickers and hats were strewn across chairs at a nearby
table and all but one of the strangers had anted up. It
didn’t take more than a few hands to wipe most the
newcomers out. Ino had taught Clare well and she had paid
attention. She knew the regulars in the game and was
familiar with the way they played. Ino hoped she’d win a
few dollars from the strangers. He picked up his drink and
sauntered closer to the table and rested his shoulder
against a nearby post to watch the action.

By the tenth hand and fifth round of drinks, money in
the center of the table was stacking up as some of the
players attempted to win back their losses in a single hand.

From the look on his face, one of the new players must have
believed he had a winning hand. He reached into his pocket
and pulled out a small, red draw-string pouch and tossed it
into the center of the table. An older man, one of the locals,
reached out and picked up the pouch. He pulled out a gold
necklace. Hanging from the necklace was a cream-colored
cameo set against a dark pink background. Clare leaned
forward to get a better look at the piece of jewelry. Ino saw
her eyes narrow slightly stare at the man who had tossed it
in. “I won it in a poker game about six months ago,” the
stranger said with a friendly smile. “It must be worth
somethin’.”

Another player picked it up and examined it before
passing it around the table for each player involved in the
hand to look at. When it was passed to Clare her fingers
seemed to caress the fragile filigreed gold chain. She
turned the cameo over and looked at the back. Her fist
tightened around it before she placed it back in the pouch
and tossed it to the center of the table. When the hand
played out the stranger who thought he had a winning
hand was wrong. The winner scooped the chips and
necklace from the middle and pulled the pot in front of him
as the strangers stood and wandered back to the bar.

“I’ll buy it from you,” Ino overheard Clare say when
the winner started to stuff the pouch into his shirt pocket.

“Fifty dollars.”

“Might be worth more than that,” the man said.

“It’s not,” Clare said. “My mother had one like it.”

Ino hoped the man would turn down Clare’s offer.