Page 77 of The Saloon Girl's Only Shot

“Is working for me really that bad?” He dropped his arms to his side, insulted. He thought he was offering gainful employment and a comfortable home.

“You know it’s bad,” she said in ragged voice that hit like a slap.

“That is not what I’m paying you for. You know that. And I hope like hell that’s not why you’re doing it.” The floor seemed to have fallen away beneath his feet. She liked what they did together, didn’t she?

She snatched up her bonnet and cloak from the hook. “I’m going to see Jane.”

Temperance cried all the way into Auraria, but holding Freddie and drinking coffee with Jane and Mavis soothed her a little.

“Do you really want to go back to Chicago?” Jane asked. “Where will you live there? How will you live? What kind of work will you do?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted glumly. She missed her brothers and sister, but she had been planning to live apart from them if she married Dewey anyway. The fact was, if Adelaide hadn’t had twins, she would have pressured Temperance to leave the house five years ago.

Temperance was a grown woman who’d been putting off marriage and making a home of her own. It was time she did exactly that.

“Are you and Mr. Stames not...um...” Mavis faltered, glancing at Jane in a way that made Temperance suspect they’d already surmised the exact nature of Temperance’s relationship with her employer.

Mavis had warmed up to both of them now that she was no longer hiding her secret pregnancy. They were all growing close, which allowed Temperance to confide her own secret yearnings.

“If Owen cared about me, really cared, then I wouldn’t feel as though leaving was my only choice, but what do I have here? You two, which I’m very grateful for, but I can’t teach. Everyone knows I’ve been a saloon girl. I could marry, I suppose. There are plenty of men here desperate enough for a wife to take me, but—” ” She didn’t want to marry for the sake of it. She didn’t want to sleep with any other man. She wanted Owen, but Owen didn’t want a wife.

She loved him. That was the pain point. She loved him and wanted him to love her back. But he didn’t.

“I would offer you the stage ticket Mr. Stames arranged for me, but I sold it,” Mavis said. “We’re using the funds to pay down some of Friedrich’s debts and putting some away for Freddie.”

“Of course! I wouldn’t expect anything different,” Temperance assured her. “That ticket was yours to do with as you wish.”

Mavis wore the silver band that Temperance and Jane had bought for her. Mr. Fritz was actually Friedrich Zimmerman, so Mavis was now Mrs. Zimmerman, but Temperance and Jane continued to call her husband Mr. Fritz. Mavis had moved into his home and seemed very content.

Mr. Fritz was more polite to Temperance these days now that he’d realized she and Jane had only been trying to help Mavis.

“You’re being very patient with me,” Temperance said to Mavis. “I didn’t mean to come in here and talk ill of Freddie’s father.”

“My husband is Freddie’s father,” Mavis corrected firmly.

“Of course.” Temperance hugged the boy in apology. “That other business is forgotten. And you are a very lucky little boy,” she told the baby who was waking and rooting for his mother’s breast. “I’m so happy things have worked out for you.” She handed back the baby.

“Things will work out for you too,” Mavis assured her.

Temperance wanted to believe that, but she only smiled weakly and finished her coffee.

Chapter 21

The saloon had been open for nearly an hour. A foursome of men had been playing cards the whole time, and several others had wandered in and out, all wanting to chew the fat with Owen, but he was irritated by the distraction. Finally, Clarence picked himself up off his blanket and walked to the door into the kitchen.

Temperance was back. Thank God.

Owen let the dog in to greet her, but it was more so that he could see her.

She was changing and shot him a look over her shoulder.

“I’ve eaten,” he said.

She nodded jerkily and turned her back on him again.

He sighed and closed the door, not sure what he was supposed to say to make up with her, but he sure wanted to.

She must have taken time to eat a bowl of stew, because it was nearly thirty minutes before she finally came in wearing her gown with her hair up. She sent Owen a vague smile, eyes barely meeting his before she turned her attention to the card players.