“I wish I’d said something.I wish I’d cast some doubt on his intentions.But I didn’t know for sure that he was going to be wrong for her.And…and maybe my gut intuition is leading me astray even now.I don’t know.”She put a hand to her forehead, her face a picture of concern.
“I reckon you know the world well enough to have a pretty good sense of the truth of things.”
She huffed.“Sometimes I wish I didn’t.”
“I feel like…like Cal would have been back to check in by now, if things were goin’ well.E’en if it ain’t her husband’s fault, maybe they’re in some kind of trouble.Maybe they both need our help.”
“Maybe.”
“We’ll find her.Oscar and me, and Trick, we’ll find Cal.Don’t you worry.”
I didn’t have a clue if we would, to be honest, but I knew she needed to hear it.And we would do our very best to find Cal and make sure she was all right.
Chapter Thirteen
A Hot Bath
’Twasn’t until after nine that Oscar and Trick turned up, and I was about gone outta my mind with worry.Luckily, this time of year, the sun this far north stayed up later than it did down south, so the light was only beginning to fade when they returned.
The Angel had been busy with men needing comfort, and there were still folks going in and out, so I sat in a corner of the front parlor and tried to be inconspicuous while I waited for my man and his friend.’Twas exhausting to work up hope every time the door opened, when it ended up being someone else.The girls kept me company and tried to distract me while they showed themselves off to the men who turned up and, one by one, they disappeared upstairs.’Twould go on like this most of the evening and night until Miss June shooed everyone out at three o’clock in the morning and locked the doors.
I’d said she ran a tight ship, and I meant it.She knew her girls needed food and rest as much as they needed their pay, and it kept them healthy and looking fetching, so ’twas a business investment, really, as much as ’twas a kindness.She kept those doors locked to folks coming in until three in the afternoon, so she and the girls had twelve hours of uninterrupted relaxing time.The other thing that made The Angel stand out among most of the cathouses I’d frequented up in Dawson City was that she didn’t sell booze or cheap dope as part of her business.She didn’t e’en let people in that were too far gone with the whiskey.The men knew that they had to be sober and respectful if they wanted to partake of what was on offer here, and I reckoned not too many of them complained, because the state of the place was so clean and welcoming and Miss June’s rules were fair, though they were strict.
Despite my worry, I had almost nodded off when the front door burst open and gales of drunken laughter regaled me.The last person I expected to see was Oscar, with his arm around Trick as she helped him inside and pushed him toward me with a wicked, sober smile.
“I brought your man home, Jimmy.”
“Jimmy!”Oscar slurred as he almost tripped o’er his big feet on his way to me.
I blinked in surprise and stood to catch him in my arms before he brained himself on the floor.
“What the hell?Why’re you drunk?”
He gave me a silly smile and smooched his lips as if he expected a kiss.Even as drunk as a skunk, he felt good and solid in my arms, and I was glad to have him with me.I looked at Trick for an explanation.
“Oh, he’s all right.I reckon he’s overactin’ to get your sympathy.”
Oscar shot her a deadly look.“You be quiet.”
Trick rolled her eyes.
“Weren’t you two supposed to be lookin’ for Cal?I suppose you might find her in a saloon, but that don’t seem so likely.”
Trick took off her hat and loosed her long honey-blond hair.It fell in charming golden waves past her shoulders.She shook it out and ran her fingers through it, then put her hat back on top of her head and winked at me.I found her almost as fetching as Oscar, to be honest, in the way that she looked rough and sweet at the same time.
“Oh, well, wewerelookin’ for Cal, then some mad dog went to attack a woman and her young uns, and Oscar took one look and fired his revolver and shot it dead.He’s a goddamn hero, Jimmy,” she said.“Seemed the whole town wanted to buy him a drink.”
Of all the things I might have expected Trick to say, that was not any of them.I swiveled to gape at Oscar, who had the biggest smile on his face as he gazed up at me.
“You taught me good, Jimmy.I got him in one shot,” he said, pushing out of my hold so’s he could pretend to aim an invisible revolver at the window and shoot it.He made the sound of a gunshot then blew pretend smoke from his pretend gun.
I stared at him for a long moment, hardly believing what Trick had said.Only Icouldbelieve it, and when I pictured it, I felt nothing but pride for my sweet boy.
My man.
Myhusband.
“You did?”
