Tilly shot a sharp look her way.“What’s Jayce got to do with Eli Chamas?”
Malika was tempted to tell her.She was bursting to share.But Adeel had paid for her adventure in a town that relied on adventures, and word of mouth, for their income, and she’d been betrayed already by a roommate in Adeel’s employ.While she adored Tilly, she trusted no one anymore.
No one except Jayce.
And she had her occasional doubts about him.
“Every man I meet from now on will forever be compared to Jayce and his beauty,” she said.
“True that.You speak for us all.”Tilly continued to eye her with suspicion.“It’s completely normal for women to fall a little in love with him, you know.But beauty’s skin deep, and it doesn’t take long to figure out there’s not much else to him but beauty and ranching.Look how fast he’s recovered from Belle, and he was convinced he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.”
The remark about his feelings for Belle was uncalled for.
“Jayce knows when to move on from his mistakes.He’s honest, and caring, and he adores his mother.He’s perfect.”
“I knew it,” Tilly said.“You’re in love with him.Curse him and his pretty face.”
Malika saw her mistake.Her defense of him had been too vigorous, and all because she harbored ridiculous, unfounded doubts about his marriage proposal.
“Don’t be ridiculous.I can appreciate a good-looking man without falling in love with him.I’m not a child.”
Tilly gave her a strange look.“You think falling in love is for children?”
She backpedaled quickly.“Good heavens, no.It’s hardly for children.Flirting can be very romantic.A man can see a woman and desire her.He can believe himself to be in love and make an offer to her family for her.But women must be more practical about such matters than men.They must trust their family to look out for their future.They can desire a man sexually, and even act on it, if they’re careful.Real love, however, the strong kind, that lasts forever… that love comes after marriage.It happens gradually, once a couple has begun building a family together, and through shared life experience.Children strengthen the bond.”Jayce’s parents were shining examples, despite their belief they’d fallen in love before they were married.
“The nineteenth century suits you, if you believe in that crap,” Tilly said.“The room couldn’t be dark enough for me to want to have sex with a man I don’t find attractive, no matter how much money he has.”Her eyes returned to the screen.“Fortunately for you, Eli Chamas is handsome as well as loaded.”
Malika studied the screen too.Her stomach felt queasy.Eli Chamas was, indeed, very handsome.In Djitania’s eyes, and her family’s, Adeel had done well enough for the youngest daughter of his father’s third wife.
But she had no desire to do the things with Eli Chamas that she had done with Jayce Hanson.
Which meant Adeel had not done his best for Malika.
*
Jayce
Their new guestarrived during the night.
Pearl had left his Butch Cassidy clothing at the guest lodge for him.Jayce, in his role as Sundance, met him on the outskirts of town around midmorning, where the path to the lodge and the beginning of Main Street converged.Cassidy claimed to be an expert horseman in his dossier, so Jayce had saddled Side-eye for him.Jayce was to give him a quick tour of the town to case the bank, then they would ride to their outlaw camp where the unhappy Mexicans awaited.
Sounded simple enough.
He didn’t have to wait long before Cassidy strode into view, his pack strapped to his back, whistling softly and slightly off-key.He had to be well past fifty—although a well-preserved, physically fit, fifty that likely involved healthy eating and a regular routine at the gym with a trainer.Short dark hair was shot through with thick streaks of silver, although his eyebrows remained black.Equally black eyes took Jayce’s measure from above a hooked nose.Compact and slim, there was nothing soft about him, but his toughness was more the type found in a boardroom than on a Western frontier.
Jayce hoped the guy could survive a whole week of roughing it in the wild without bossing the outlaws around and making them wait on him.The Mexicans were already surly.
“Morning, Butch,” Jayce said.“Ready to ride?Thought we’d take a run past the bank before we head back to camp.Scout it out.”
He helped strap Cassidy’s pack to the saddle, but the other man mounted without any help, and he did, indeed, appear to know his way around horses, because he didn’t put up with any nonsense.A few sharp commands, and firm hands on the reins, and Side-eye knew who was boss.
They talked a bit while they rode.
“Tell me about the town,” Cassidy said.“Anything I should know?”
“Andy Danvers is the sheriff.He’s a drunk and a coward,” Jayce added, to explain why he was never around when he was needed, and because it gave him mean pleasure.“Mavis Jenson runs the saloon next door to the bank.She’s got a young lady working for her.The young lady makes pies.”He didn’t want Cassidy to get any wrong ideas about what kind of business Mavis might run on the side or Malika’s role.“Mavis’s father is the town mayor, but Benny’s getting on in years and tends to stay close to home.Grady Lovett’s the bank manager.He’s the one we’ve got to watch out for.First Bank gave him the job because he shoots first and asks questions later, which is what the townspeople asked for in the man who’s guarding their money.”
“I’d think accounting skills would be a higher requirement for a bank manager,” Cassidy said.
