Hawk's Woman - Excerpt
Hawk walked away from the station deep in thought. He hadn’t gone far when he realized someone stalked him. The hair at the back of his neck bristled in warning. He turned, pulling his gun with practiced swiftness at the same time.
She screamed and jumped back.
“What the devil! Why are you following me?”
“Sorry, Sir. I overheard your conversation and am in dire need of funds. My name is Tabitha Meadows. I thought if I followed you to your place of business, I could apply for the position of entertainer.”
“What?” he laughed, taking a good look at her. Pretty enough, but not nearly as curvy as his customers were used to. “Not a chance!” He tipped his hat in farewell and strode off.
“Please, Sir. I can sing as well as the next person. Give me a chance,” she said as she grabbed his arm.
Surprised at how fast she’d caught up, he swung to face her and saw her bags, dropped in the middle of the street to run after him. A rowdy bunch of cowboys came around the corner, trampling her belongings and sending pretty little lace scraps flying.
“You don’t think much of your wardrobe, do you?” he asked as he grabbed her and set her on the boardwalk out of harm’s way.
“Unhand me!”
“Lady, I just saved your hide.”
She choked on the dust kicked up as the cowboys rode by, then gasped when she saw her things strewn about.
“Now, my advice to you is to pick up your belongings and catch the next train home.”
“I can’t,” she said in a low voice, looking everywhere but at him.
He sighed. “Why can’t you?”
“I don’t have any money.”
“You don’t…of all the fool things to do. Why would you travel without enough cash to get to wherever you were going?”
Indignant, she stomped her foot on the wooden boardwalk. “We were going to California to get married… a new start, he said. And I did have money. Plenty of it, but that lowdown excuse of a fiancé absconded with it and my ticket.”
“And my entertainer.”
“What!” she shrieked.
He removed his Stetson, ran a hand through his thick, black hair, then jammed the hat back on his head. “Because of your boyfriend, you have no funds and I lost an entertainer.”
“What! Because of your entertainer, I lost my fiancé!”
Her hands balled into fists and he expected her to stomp her feet any minute. Brody sighed, always a sucker for a woman in need. “I’ll purchase your return ticket.”
“You will not! You need an entertainer. I’ll be that person and then I will take your money.”
“Well, you do owe me.”
“I most assuredly do not!”
This city gal sure was beautiful when she got her hackles up. Maybe, just maybe… “You say you can sing?”
“Yes.”
“And dance?”
She nodded.
“I’ll make you a deal. You can provide tonight’s entertainment at The Lucky Dollar.”
She nodded in excitement.
“If you please me and the customers, you have a job. If not, the only recompense you’ll receive is a ticket out of town.”
“Agreed!” She held out a gloved hand to shake on it.
He held her dainty hand in a brief handshake, surprised at the protective feelings this woman generated. “If you make a mess of things, your humiliation will likely be much worse than being thrown off the train.”
“Don’t worry. I shan’t mess up,” she vowed.
“For your sake, I hope not.” He turned to walk away when she called to him.
“Where is The Lucky Dollar?”
He studied her a moment, then pointed at the sign two doors down.
She craned her neck to see it better. The dinner theaters back in Boston hired musicians and dancers to entertain during the evenings and it was all quite civilized. She supposed this was along the same lines. “Is lodging included, Mr. Hawkins?”
“Not for the likes of you.” At her questioning glance, he continued, “The upstairs rooms are rented out for business purposes.”
“And this isn’t business?”
“Not the kind you’d be wantin’ to get yerself involved in.” He allowed his eyes to travel the length of her body, the significance of his heated stare not lost on her.
“Oh!”
At her crestfallen expression, he relented. “Look, the hotel requires payment in advance. I can put you up there for the night.”
Pride stiffened her back as she replied. “I will not take your money until I’ve earned it.”
Again, he sighed. Maybe the conductor was right. This woman could be more trouble than she was worth. “My private rooms are downstairs, at the back, if you don’t mind sharing.”
“Well, I…uh…”
“I don’t see as you have much choice and, to ease your mind, there are two beds.”
“Then, thank you. I accept.”
She screamed and jumped back.
“What the devil! Why are you following me?”
“Sorry, Sir. I overheard your conversation and am in dire need of funds. My name is Tabitha Meadows. I thought if I followed you to your place of business, I could apply for the position of entertainer.”
“What?” he laughed, taking a good look at her. Pretty enough, but not nearly as curvy as his customers were used to. “Not a chance!” He tipped his hat in farewell and strode off.
“Please, Sir. I can sing as well as the next person. Give me a chance,” she said as she grabbed his arm.
Surprised at how fast she’d caught up, he swung to face her and saw her bags, dropped in the middle of the street to run after him. A rowdy bunch of cowboys came around the corner, trampling her belongings and sending pretty little lace scraps flying.
“You don’t think much of your wardrobe, do you?” he asked as he grabbed her and set her on the boardwalk out of harm’s way.
“Unhand me!”
“Lady, I just saved your hide.”
She choked on the dust kicked up as the cowboys rode by, then gasped when she saw her things strewn about.
“Now, my advice to you is to pick up your belongings and catch the next train home.”
“I can’t,” she said in a low voice, looking everywhere but at him.
He sighed. “Why can’t you?”
“I don’t have any money.”
“You don’t…of all the fool things to do. Why would you travel without enough cash to get to wherever you were going?”
Indignant, she stomped her foot on the wooden boardwalk. “We were going to California to get married… a new start, he said. And I did have money. Plenty of it, but that lowdown excuse of a fiancé absconded with it and my ticket.”
“And my entertainer.”
“What!” she shrieked.
He removed his Stetson, ran a hand through his thick, black hair, then jammed the hat back on his head. “Because of your boyfriend, you have no funds and I lost an entertainer.”
“What! Because of your entertainer, I lost my fiancé!”
Her hands balled into fists and he expected her to stomp her feet any minute. Brody sighed, always a sucker for a woman in need. “I’ll purchase your return ticket.”
“You will not! You need an entertainer. I’ll be that person and then I will take your money.”
“Well, you do owe me.”
“I most assuredly do not!”
This city gal sure was beautiful when she got her hackles up. Maybe, just maybe… “You say you can sing?”
“Yes.”
“And dance?”
She nodded.
“I’ll make you a deal. You can provide tonight’s entertainment at The Lucky Dollar.”
She nodded in excitement.
“If you please me and the customers, you have a job. If not, the only recompense you’ll receive is a ticket out of town.”
“Agreed!” She held out a gloved hand to shake on it.
He held her dainty hand in a brief handshake, surprised at the protective feelings this woman generated. “If you make a mess of things, your humiliation will likely be much worse than being thrown off the train.”
“Don’t worry. I shan’t mess up,” she vowed.
“For your sake, I hope not.” He turned to walk away when she called to him.
“Where is The Lucky Dollar?”
He studied her a moment, then pointed at the sign two doors down.
She craned her neck to see it better. The dinner theaters back in Boston hired musicians and dancers to entertain during the evenings and it was all quite civilized. She supposed this was along the same lines. “Is lodging included, Mr. Hawkins?”
“Not for the likes of you.” At her questioning glance, he continued, “The upstairs rooms are rented out for business purposes.”
“And this isn’t business?”
“Not the kind you’d be wantin’ to get yerself involved in.” He allowed his eyes to travel the length of her body, the significance of his heated stare not lost on her.
“Oh!”
At her crestfallen expression, he relented. “Look, the hotel requires payment in advance. I can put you up there for the night.”
Pride stiffened her back as she replied. “I will not take your money until I’ve earned it.”
Again, he sighed. Maybe the conductor was right. This woman could be more trouble than she was worth. “My private rooms are downstairs, at the back, if you don’t mind sharing.”
“Well, I…uh…”
“I don’t see as you have much choice and, to ease your mind, there are two beds.”
“Then, thank you. I accept.”