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“Do you need my help?”
He was referencing the facilities, and she was embarrassed all over again. “Yes.”
Without a word, he gently scooped her up, blanket and all. He glanced down into her face. Holding her eyes, he asked, “You don’t like this, do you?”
“No.” The faint scent of his cologne and the heat of his body whispered to her softly.
“You’ll be on your feet again soon. I promise.”
She dearly hoped so. As for the whispers, she attributed them to being unwell and shook them off.
When she was back in bed, she asked, “Did I really hear music just now or is it in my head?”
“No, it’s the piano player.”
She cocked her head. “Piano player?”
“Yes. I own a saloon. We’re on the floor above it.”
“A saloon!” She didn’t think her situation could get any worse.
A slight smile curved his lips. “I’m afraid so. It’s called the Union Saloon. Jim and I own the place.”
She fell back against the wealth of pillows. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“I’ve made arrangements for you to move into Sylvia Stewart’s boardinghouse, but she won’t have room for another few days.”
“Is she a Colored woman?”
“Yes.”
That relieved her somewhat. I’m in the bedroom of a saloon owner!
“We run a respectable place here, Eddy. There are no prostitutes on the premises, and no one knows you’re here but Sylvia, Jim, and myself. We plan to keep it that way.”
Lord. A saloon! “Thank you.”
“Hungry?”
“A little.”
“I’ll have Jim fix you something. Sylvia’s a nurse and wants you to eat lightly. She also sent over some aloe to help your skin heal. It’s in that small jar on the table there.”
Eddy eyed the brown jar.
“She says you’re to rub into your face, arms, and hands.”
“What’s aloe?”
“Cactus. Out here we use it for burns. Where are you from?”
“Denver. I was on my way to California when I was robbed.”
“By whom?”
“Man named Nash. He told me he was a Catholic priest and offered to let me ride with him in exchange for my cooking, but he wanted more than that.” She didn’t elaborate. From the way Fontaine’s jaw tightened, she was fairly certain he knew what she meant. “When I said no, he took my money, set me down, and drove away.” Thinking about it made her enraged all over again. She wondered if the little boy Benjy was really an orphan or a part of the scam.
“You could’ve died.”
