A HEART SO WILD Read online

  Out in the street, Charley and Snub watched Courtney’s antics. What the hell was she doing, peeking through the front door instead of just opening it, then suddenly slamming back against the wall, as if hiding. But then the door opened all the way and the stranger stepped outside, crossed the porch to the steps, and went to his horse. Watching the gunman, they didn’t see Courtney dash into the hotel. Then Snub noticed she’d gone.

  “What was that all about?”

  Charley was watching the stranger lead his horse toward the stable. “What?”

  “Sure looked like Miss Courtney was hidin” from that feller.“

  “Well, shoot, can’t blame her none. Look what happened with that owlhoot Polecat Parker. Snuck into her room and scared the daylights outta her with his drunken pawin”. Don’t know what mighta happened if Harry hadn’t heard her scream and grabbed his shotgun. And then there was that dumb cowboy who tried to grab her right off the street and ride away with her. Sprained her ankle real bad, fallin‘ off his horse. And then—“

  “We both know she’s had her share of trouble since she’s been here, Charley. She probably figures this one means trouble, too. So she’s stayin” outta his way.“

  “Maybe. But did you ever see her leave the hotel before just to avoid a man?”

  “Can’t say as I have.”

  “Then maybe she’s interested in this one.”

  “Gawddammit, Charley, that don’t make sense.”

  “When did women ever make sense?” Charley chuckled.

  “But… I thought she was gonna marry Reed Taylor.”

  “That’s what her stepmamma’d like to see happen. But it ain’t gonna happen—I heard it from Mattie Cates. Miss Courtney likes Reed about as much as she liked Polecat.”

  Inside the hotel, Courtney took a quick look at the register book lying open on the desk before hurrying on to her room. His name was Chandos. That was all, just the single name.

  Chapter 7

  “HURRY, will you, Courtney? I don’t have all day. And you promised you’d help me pick out material for my new dress.”

  Courtney looked over her shoulder at Mattie Cates, who was sitting on the overturned wash-barrel. She gave an unladylike snort. “If you’re in such an all-fired hurry, then get over here and help me hang these sheets.”

  “Are you kiddin”? I’ve got my own wash to do as soon as I get home. And Pearce’s pants are just as heavy as can be. My arms would never last if I started now. Don’t know why I married such a big man, anyhow.“

  “Maybe because you love him?” Courtney grinned.

  “Maybe.” Mattie grinned back.

  Mattie Cates was a contradictory mixture. The petite, blue-eyed blonde was usually friendly and outgoing, but she could be quiet and reserved, too. Seemingly independent, at times just as bossy as Sarah, she also had hidden uncertainties only her closest friends knew about. Courtney, of course, was a close friend.

  Mattie firmly believed you got out of life what you put into it, that you could do anything you set your mind to doing, and she liked to say, “Do for yourself, for no one else will.”

  Mattie had demonstrated the truth of that philosophy by overcoming her own worrying nature and winning Pearce Cates two years ago, when he’d been one of the half-dozen men smitten with Courtney.

  Mattie had never held Pearce’s infatuation with Courtney against her friend. She’d been so pleased for Courtney when she’d changed from an ugly duckling into a beautiful swan, and she thought it hilarious when men who had barely noticed Courtney was alive suddenly fell all over themselves when they saw her.

  Mattie sometimes thought of Courtney as her own creation. Not the beauty, of course, for that had come from growing several inches in the last two years and from working so hard that the last of her baby fat melted away. But Courtney wasn’t as timid and nervous as she used to be, nor did she take everything heaped on her as if she were deserving of it. It had taken prodding and pushing and bullying, but Mattie liked to think she had put a little spunk into her friend.

  Why, Courtney even stood up to Sarah now, not always, but certainly more than she used to. Even Mattie couldn’t get away with bullying Courtney anymore. Courtney had come to realize how much courage she had.

  Courtney set the empty laundry basket on the washtub next to Mattie. “Well, Miss Impatience, let’s go.”

  Mattie cocked her head to the side. “Ain’t you gonna change your dress or fix your hair or somethin”?“

  Courtney pulled off the ribbon holding her long brown hair, retied it, and then smoothed down the rest. “There.”

  Mattie chuckled. “I guess you’ll do. Your old dresses still look better’n my best calico.”

  Courtney’s cheeks pinkened slightly, but she turned away so Mattie wouldn’t see. She was still making do with the wardrobe she had owned four years ago when she first came to Rockley, even though she had outgrown it entirely and the colors were all the light pastels favored by younger girls. If her clothes hadn’t been so big to begin with, she wouldn’t have managed, but she had been able to take everything in to fit her much slimmer figure, and some of her gowns had had large enough hems to let down. Most had had to be lengthened, though, with scraps of material.

  But Courtney’s old clothes of silk and muslin, China crepe and mohair, her finely laced collars, fichus, and basques, even her summer and winter wraps of superior velvet, were all out of place in Rockley. And Courtney had never liked to stand out in a crowd. Her looks made her noticeable as it was, and she was dismayed that her clothes only made things worse.

  Rockley was a small town, having only recently acquired two saloons and a brothel. There was a marked lack of young marriageable women, and so Courtney found herself being courted seriously in the last two years.

  When Richard, the young blacksmith, asked her to marry him, she was so surprised she nearly grabbed him and kissed him. An honest-to-God proposal of marriage, when she’d thought never to be asked! But the blacksmith merely wanted a wife. He didn’t love her. Too, she didn’t love him, nor did she love Judd Baker or Billy or Pearce, all of whom wanted to marry her. And she certainly didn’t love Reed Taylor, who was currently pursuing her. He took it for granted that he would win her.

  “Did you ever hear of a Mr. Chandos, Mattie?”

  Courtney blushed, wondering why the question had popped out. They were walking toward the front of the hotel, and Mattie replied thoughtfully, “Can’t say as I have. Sounds like a name out of one of your history lessons, like those ancient knights you used to tell me about.”

  “Yes, it does have a certain classical ring to it, doesn’t it?”

  “Sounds kinda Spanish, too. Why’d you ask?”

  “No reason.” Courtney shrugged.

  Mattie wasn’t having any of that. “Come on, where’d you hear that name?”

  “Oh, he checked into the hotel this morning. I just thought you might have heard of him before, that he might have a reputation.”

  “Another bad one, huh?”

  “He did have that look.”

  “Well, if he’s older, you could ask Charley or Snub. They know all the fast guns with the worst reputations, and you know how they love to gossip.”

  “He’s not that old, maybe twenty-five or -six, I guess.”

  “Then they prob’ly wouldn’t know, but if you just wanna know how many men he’s killed—”

  “Mattie! I don’t want to know any such thing.”

  “Well, but then what do you want to know?”

  “Nothing, nothing at all.”

  “Well, God sakes, why’d you ask?” A moment later, she said, “Is that him?”

  Courtney’s pulse leaped, then returned to normal. Across the street, at Reed’s saloon, leaning against a post, was one of two other gunmen recently come to town.

  “No, that’s Jim Ward,” Courtney explained. “He came in yesterday with another man.”

  “Jim Ward? Now, that name does sound familiar. Wasn’t that one of the
names on those wanted posters Wild Bill sent down from Abilene last year?”

  Courtney shrugged. “I never did understand why Marshal Hickok sent us those posters. We’ve never had a town marshal.” No one in Rockley wanted that job, which was why so many outlaws, or “owlhoots” as Charley called them, felt free to travel through Rockley. “It wouldn’t matter if he is wanted. Who is there in Rockley to arrest him?”

  “True,” said Mattie, “but it helps knowin” who to stay clear of.“

  “I stay clear of all of them if I can.” Courtney shivered.

  “Well, naturally, but you know what I meant. If Harry had known Polecat Parker was wanted, he woulda shot him instead of just runnin” him out of town.“

  Courtney steeled herself against the mention of that name. “Don’t remind me. Sarah was in a snit for months when she heard about the thousand-dollar reward that someone in Hays City collected on that vile man.”

  Mattie laughed. “Sarah is always in a snit about somethin”.“

  The two girls crossed the street, hoping to get out of the hot sun. It was nearing the end of summer, but Kansas didn’t seem to know it. Courtney didn’t get out in the sun often, except to hang out laundry, but even that was enough to give her a light golden tan each summer. It went very well with her honey gold eyes.

  Lars Handley smiled at the girls as they entered his store. He was waiting on Berny Bixler, who acknowledged them as well. Four other customers milled around, no one in any particular hurry.

  Just about anything you wanted could be found in Handley’s store, provided it was of a practical nature. The only thing he didn’t sell was meat, but Zing Hodges, an ex-buffalo hunter, had opened a meat market next door. In the front corner of Handley’s, a man could get a shave or haircut, and if the need arose, a tooth pulled by Hector Evans. The barber rented this small corner of the store from Lars because he’d never made up his mind whether he wanted to stay in Rockley, and so he didn’t want to spend the money to build his own shop.

  Mattie pulled Courtney straightaway to the wall where the old wanted posters were hung.

  “There, see?” Mattie beamed. “Three-hundred-dollar reward for Jim Ward, wanted for ”murder, armed robbery, and other numerous crimes in New Mexico.“ ”

  Courtney studied the poster and its pencil sketch of a man that did in fact resemble the Jim Ward staying at the hotel. “It says wanted dead or alive. Why do they do that, Mattie? It just gives all those bounty hunters a license to kill.”

  “They have to, or no one would bother hunt-in” criminals. You think someone is gonna go up against these hard cases if they know they can’t kill ‘em if they have to? There’s always a fight, and if the bounty hunter or marshal or whoever isn’t good enough, he’s dead. He takes that chance. If he is good enough, then he gets his man and the reward—and that’s one less criminal to bother decent folks. Would you rather no one tried?“

  “No, I suppose not.” Courtney sighed. She never had answers for Mattie’s reasonable arguments. “It just seems so harsh.”

  “You’re just too tenderhearted,” Mattie said, “but you can’t tell me you were sorry when Polecat Parker was killed.”

  “No.”

  “Well, they’re all like that, Courtney. It’s better for the rest of us if they’re dead.”

  “I… guess so, Mattie.”

  Mattie grinned. “You’re hopeless, Courtney Harte. You’d pity a snake.”

  Courtney shook her head. “A snake? I don’t think so.”

  “Well, anyhow”—Mattie tapped the poster— “you’d think this fool would change his name, with so many of these posters around.”

  “Maybe I like my name the way it is.”

  The girls gasped and whirled around. Jim Ward stood right next to them, looking none too pleased. Of medium height and lanky, with close-set eyes over a hooked nose, he had a long, untrimmed mustache reaching clear to his jaw. He yanked the poster down, crumpling it and then stuffing it in his back pocket. He turned his cold gray eyes on Mattie, who was speechless for a change. Courtney managed to find her voice. “She didn’t mean anything, Mr. Ward.”

  “Maybe I don’t like bein” called a fool no time, no how.“

  “You gonna shoot me?” Mattie sneered, suddenly reckless.

  Courtney could have pinched her black and blue. Her knees turned weak.

  “That sounds like a right fine idea,” Ward said hotly.

  “Here now!” Lars Handley called out to them. “I don’t want trouble in my store.”

  “Then stay where you are, old man,” Ward ordered harshly, and Lars stopped where he was. “This here is between me and Miss Bigmouth,” Ward finished, and Lars eyed the rifle he kept under the counter. But he didn’t reach for it.

  No one else moved, either. It was deathly quiet. Charley and Snub had come in right after Ward did, and were sitting in the barber’s section enjoying the show.

  Hector, finished with his customer’s shave, found his hands had began to tremble. The customer wiped his face clean, but he made no move to rise from the chair. Like the others, he quietly watched the drama unfolding.

  Courtney was near to tears. My God, had she just moments before felt sorry for this man because someone would probably shoot him someday?

  “Mattie?” She tried sounding calm. “Mattie, let’s go.”

  “Uh-uh,” Jim said, his hand snaking out to grab one of Mattie’s braids. He jerked her face very close to his. “Bigmouth ain’t leavin” until she apologizes. Then I’ll tend to you, honey. Well?“ he demanded of Mattie.

  Courtney held her breath, seeing Mattie’s blue eyes spitting sparks.

  “I’m sorry,” Mattie finally said quietly.

  “Louder.”

  “I’m sorry!” the girl shouted furiously.

  Chuckling, Jim Ward let her go.

  But those close-set eyes lit on Courtney now. He smiled disagreeably.

  “Now, why don’t you and me go somewhere where we can get better acquainted, honey? I’ve had my eye on you since—”

  “No!” Courtney blurted out.

  “No?” His eyes narrowed. “You’re tellin” me no?“

  “I—I have to get back to the hotel, Mr. Ward.”

  “Uh-uh.” His fingers moved up her arm, then clamped around it tightly. “I don’t think you understood me, honey. I said we was gonna get better acquainted, and so that’s what we’re gonna do.”

  “Please—don’t,” Courtney cried as he started dragging her out of the store. He paid no attention to her cries.

  “Let go of her, Ward.”

  “What?” Jim stopped, looking around. Had he heard right?

  “I don’t repeat myself.”

  Jim continued to stand there with Courtney, looking around until he found the speaker.

  “Two choices, Ward,” the man said casually. “Draw or leave. But don’t take up a lot of my time deciding.”

  Jim Ward released Courtney, freeing his right hand. He reached for his gun.

  He was dead the next instant.

  Chapter 8

  COURTNEY willed herself to think of happy things. She remembered the first time she had ridden without a sidesaddle, how shocked she’d been but how delighted to find riding so much easier. The time Mattie taught her how to swim. The first time she’d told Sarah to shut up; the expression on Sarah’s face.

  It wasn’t working. She could still see that man lying dead in Lars Handley’s store. Courtney had never before seen a dead man. She hadn’t witnessed other killings in Rockley. And she had not seen the bodies of young Peter and Hayden Sorrel on the Brower farm the day her life had changed so terribly, for Berny Bixler had covered the bodies before she could see them.

  She had made such a fool of herself in the store, screaming her head off until Mattie managed to quiet her and get her back to the hotel. She was lying on her bed now, a cold compress over her eyes.

  “Here now, I want you to drink this.” “Oh, Mattie, stop fussing over me.” “Someone
has to, ”specially after the way Sarah lit into you,“ Mattie retorted, her blue eyes snapping indignantly. ”The nerve of that woman, tryin“ to blame you for what happened. Why, I’m to blame more’n anyone else.”

  Courtney lifted the compress to stare at Mattie. She couldn’t bring herself to disagree. Mattie had made matters worse with her cockiness.

  “I don’t know what came over me,” Mattie continued more softly. “But I’m real proud of you, Courtney. Two years ago you’da fainted dead away. But you stood right up to that bastard.”

  “I was scared to death, Mattie,” Courtney cut in. “Weren’t you scared at all?”

  “ ”Course I was,“ the younger girl replied. ”But when I get scared, I sass. Can’t seem to help myself. Now drink this. It’s my ma’s cure-all, and’ll have you feelin‘ good as new in no time.“

  “But I’m not sick, Mattie.”

  “Drink!”

  Courtney drank the herbal concoction, then closed her eyes and lay back again. “Sarah was unfair, wasn’t she?”

  “ ”Course she was. If you ask me, she was just miffed ‘cause she didn’t recognize that owl-hoot and didn’t have a chance to sneak into his room and shoot him for that three-hundred-dollar reward.“

  “Sarah shoot someone?”

  “Hey, I wouldn’t put anythin” past that one,“ Mattie said, grinning. ”I can just see her sneakin‘ down the hall in the dead of night with Harry’s rifle—“

  “Oh, stop, Mattie.” Courtney giggled.

  “That’s better. You gotta laugh about things. And look at it this way, Court, you got the rest of the day off from your work.”

  “I would rather not think of it that way,” Courtney said ruefully.

  “Now, Courtney, you’re not gonna blame yourself. You can’t help it if men go all stupid when they’re around you. And that bastard deserved what he got. You know damn well what he’da done to you if he’d managed to get you alone.”