Chapter 35
Old Cheyenne Road did not match the busyness the merchant section of town offered. Here, the rail office and train depot were both deserted. Lily walked on the depot platform, sat in the shade for a few glorious, uninterrupted minutes, and surveyed the railroad tracks.
The Union Pacific passed through town. Laramie lay thirty-four miles to the west. Perhaps someday she might venture that far. Who could tell? It sounded like a good idea now, but her feelings changed so rapidly that when the time came she might not want to see the other town at all.
Don’t worry about tomorrow, it’ll come on its own time. Mother’s words sang in her head. And while she knew Mother wouldn’t be pleased with her eldest daughter’s predicament, she still wished she had the chance to sit beside her and discuss the matter.
The time for motherly advice lay behind her. She had only herself for counsel now. Not the best option, but it would have to do.
Resolutely, she stood and continued walking. The tracks were silent, so she crossed them, taking care not to trip on the iron rails. On the far side, a feed store stood to the west, and it didn’t elicit any interest, so she turned the other way.
A large building in the distance caught her eye so she headed for it. Perhaps some kind of refreshments were served there. Her throat felt parched from the heat.
As she drew closer to the building she saw open windows on the second floor, white lace curtains billowing from inside. Tinkling notes from a piano met her ears. The sound was light and fun, the sort of tune that made a toe tap. She caught a whiff of something sweet, a cinnamon-and-apples smell that reminded her of home.
She didn’t see a sign on the building, so she walked around to the side. Maybe it had one of those hidden entrances, like some of the shops back home.
“Well, ain’t this a nice surprise.”
The voice knotted her stomach.
She looked up. The men from Theo’s property, the spitting man and his silent friend. The quiet one put his horse on one side of her while the other stopped directly in her path.
“Let me pass.” She thought about screaming but this side of the tracks didn’t attract much traffic. She doubted the people at the feed store could hear her and who could tell if her voice would carry over the piano music coming from the nearby building? “Out of my way, please.”
A stream of tobacco juice landed a foot from where she stood.
“Manners. I like that in a woman. Don’t you, Wade?”
The man broke his silence in a voice that sounded like he borrowed it from a bear. “I told ya—don’t use my name!”
The growl sent shivers up Lily’s spine. The roar took him from quietly intimidating to ferocious in a heartbeat.
“She ain’t gonna tell nobody.” The talking man brought his horse so close she smelled the sweet odor coming from it and saw its withers move. “Why, there ain’t nobody to tell where we’re goin’.”
He leaned out of the saddle and stretched an arm toward her.
Lily looked to the side. The man called Wade sidestepped his horse to bring her closer to his companion. Going forward would only bring her nearer to the dirty fingers that reached for her now.
She whirled and ran toward the animals’ tails, toward the railroad tracks and the building just beyond it. Her skirt tangled around her ankles, and she wished she could wear blue jean trousers like men did.
“Help! Please, someone help me!”
A head appeared in an upper window. The woman looked half-clad but waved to her. “C’mon over, honey! We’ve got you!”
The breath from the man’s horse hit her neck in a hot wave. A strong arm went around her waist and lifted her from the ground.
“Put me down!” She kicked but he laid her across his lap and held her there.
“Hey—let that lady go!” The voice coming from the sprawling building grew faint as the horse galloped away.
Lily wanted to jump off but knew the horse’s hooves would trample her, so she held on and prayed they wouldn’t take her too far. She had no way to get her bearings, no good ability to detect directions, and even if she did how far could a woman walk? This was not Charleston—the western frontier held all sorts of perils including snakes, nefarious men, native tribes who spoke languages she didn’t understand, and so much more her head spun considering it all.
The only thing in her favor? The Remington over-under derringer in her skirt pocket. It gave her one chance to protect herself and she planned to use it.