Christie And The Hellcat Part 47

A smile curved Christie's mouth as she took in her position.

"This?" A pink tongue darted out.

Zee sucked in her breath and sat up, then pressed a rueful hand to her ribs.

Christie sat up too. "Still sore?" She nodded. "Your bandage needs changing." It was indeed coming adrift.

"Later," said Zee. "Got other things to do this morning."

"Such as?"

"Take care of Fred." Christie's face fell, and Zee studied her.

"Want to tell me about it?"

She sighed. "I think the best thing Blue and I can do is leave Contention altogether. Fred is never going to forgive me."

"Figure it's time to drop that idea anyway, darlin'."

Christie's surprise gave way to curiosity and annoyance. "Do you mean to tell me that I've been letting Fred humiliate me and all the while you have something on him?"

"Only found the lever we need yesterday. Would have told you earlier, only we had other things on our minds." Zee leered.

Christie drummed her fingers on her thigh and gave Zee a pointed look. "I'm listening."

"All right. It seems Fred has set himself up in the mine salting business."

Christie's eyebrows shot up. "He's defrauded someone?"

"Yeah. Used high grade ore from his father's mill to make it look like a friend's clapped out silver mine is a going concern. Sold it to an English ninny with more money than sense."

Christie's eyes clouded. "What's the matter with him, Zee? He has everything he could want: friends, wealth, connections . . . And he's just got engaged to Colonel Fremont's daughter, Cecilia. Why would he risk all that?"

Zee kissed her on the nose. "Not everything," she corrected. "He ain't got you."

Chapter 12.

Christie tidied away the breakfast things and glanced at Zee. The deputy had her feet up on the kitchen table and was leafing through an ill.u.s.trated "erotic handbook" that Christie had purchased via mail order last year and then been too apprehensive to open.

When Zee had found the racy book in Christie's underwear drawer (what she was doing in there, heaven knows) Christie's face had burned with embarra.s.sment. But rather than being shocked or laughing at her, Zee had chucked her under the chin and settled down to read it. Christie suspected that Blue's reaction would have been considerably different.

Zee turned the book sideways. "Good Lord! Is that possible?" A dark eyebrow rose in mock astonishment. "The things you read, Miss Hayes. Are you sure this hasn't corrupted you?"

Christie flicked the tea towel at her. "Of course it has. Why else do you think I ran off with you?"

"Good looks and charm?" Zee turned another page. "Maybe we should try that?"

Curiosity got the better of Christie and she leaned over to check the ill.u.s.tration. Her cheeks heated. "Um. I'd rather not."

Zee laughed and winked. "Just teasing." She patted Christie on the rear. "Shame though. Looks rather pleasurable." Christie looked at her, and Zee threw up her hands. "All right, all right." She closed the slender volume and tossed it aside, then stood up and stretched, a wince crossing her face.

"Your ribs?" Christie took off her ap.r.o.n and folded it.

"They're fine. C'mon. Let's get you over to the store."

Christie sighed. She had wanted to accompany Zee when she confronted Fred's father, but Zee wasn't having it.

309.

"You'd be walking into the lion's den, darlin'," she'd said. "You told me you weren't that popular with his folks when you were their prospective daughter-in-law. How do you think they feel about you now?"

"But"

"And if Fred and his cronies are there . . ." Zee pulled the disappointed Christie close and stroked her hair. "It ain't safe. Let me handle this. Let me put a spoke in his wheel he can't pull out. If nothing else, I owe him for the whupping he gave me."

So she had sighed and agreed to mind Blue's store instead.

Zee reached for her boots and pulled them on, then appraised Christie. "You going into town like that?" She buckled her gun belt and settled it on her hips.

"What's wrong with it?"

"Not a thing. Can tell you left off your corset though."

Christie looked down at herself and blushed. Zee's arrival had upset her routine and she had automatically dressed the way she did while in Benson. "No one else will be looking at me the way you do."

"Don't bet on it."

She hesitated, then shrugged. People were going to be scandalized as it was; what did one more thing matter? Jutting her jaw a little, she grabbed her bonnet and tied the ribbons under her chin.

Zee crammed her own hat on her head and reached for her gloves.

"Got everything you need?"

Christie draped her shawl round her shoulders, checked that the keys to the dry goods store were in her bag, and nodded.

GIF.

Well, this is interesting, reflected Christie, and an experience I am in no hurry to repeat.

She was walking into town, head up and shoulders back, trying to ignore the shocked looks and frowns coming their way and to keep up with Zee's long-legged stride.

"Sorry," murmured Zee, slowing her pace. "That better?"

"Much. Thank you."

Being seen with Zee was certainly sorting out who Christie's real friends were. Mrs. McPherson stepped off the sidewalk and crossed the street. That makes three.

310.

"Is it me they object to, or you, or that we are back together again?" she whispered.

"Does it matter?"

"Not really." But she regarded Zee with new eyes. Her h.e.l.lcat past meant she must encounter this kind of hostility all the time.

It was just their luck that the one person Christie wanted to ignore them made a beeline for them. Contention's chief gossip spoke when she was still a few yards away.

"Good morning, Miss Hayes." Black eyes gleamed as they turned toward Zee. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I'm Cora Chase."

"Deputy Brodie." Zee tipped her hat but kept on walking, her hand under Christie's elbow making sure she did the same. The plump woman in blue was forced to get out of their way or be mowed down.

Wisely, she chose to step aside.

"Nice meeting you," called Zee.

Christie glanced back at the frustrated figure staring after them and snorted. "That was mean."

"Did you want to talk to her?"

"No."

"Well, then."

Up ahead, a scrawny woman in a b.u.t.toned-to-the-neck black dress appeared. She stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk, put a hand to her mouth, then crossed herself and fled back the way she had come.

"Something I said?" asked Zee.

"Wife of the Presbyterian minister. She thinks you're the Devil incarnate."

Zee grinned. "I'm working on it."

"Hey, Brodie. Miss Hayes," came a man's voice from behind.

"Hold up a minute."

Zee came to a halt and turned round. "Howdy, Milligan."

Christie turned in time to see Pat Milligan clasp Zee's hand. She smiled at him and he tipped his hat.

"Giving our sheltered townsfolk something to talk about?" He fell into step beside the two women as they picked up the pace once more and headed toward Commercial Street.

"Guess so." Zee glanced at Christie. "All we need for a Full House is a nun. But she went home. Ain't that right, darlin'?" Christie snorted.

311.

Milligan gave them a baffled look. "Er . . . yes, well, so, where are you off to?"

"I'm minding the store," said Christie.

"Is Blue ill?"

"No, he's gone to Benson."

"And I'm off to see Fred's Pa," chipped in Zee. "To tell him a few home truths about his son."

The marshal's brow creased. "He ain't gonna like that, Brodie.

Need any help?"

"No thanks." Zee patted the b.u.t.t of one Colt. "Got all the help I need."

"If you're sure . . ." He turned to Christie. "What kind of business does your brother have in Benson, Miss Hayes?"

Zee beat her to the draw. "Gone to see a girl about a wedding."

For a moment Milligan looked puzzled then his brow cleared.

"Jenny Farnham?"

Christie nodded.

"Last I heard she'd gone missing."

"Really?" Zee brushed a speck of something from her vest. "Last I heard, she'd turned up."

Milligan looked at her then at Christie. He stroked his mustache.

"Had she now?"

"Seems so." Zee gave him her b.u.t.ter-wouldn't-melt smile and Christie stifled a laugh.

He opened his mouth to ask another question, then thought better of it. "Pa.s.s on my good wishes to the young couple when next you see them, will you?"

Christie nodded.

They reached Blue's store and halted outside it. Milligan tipped his hat to them and disappeared in the direction of the jail.

Christie pulled out the bunch of keys, selected one, and slid it into the lock. It turned stiffly, making a grating noise. She made a mental note to oil it then paused with her hand on the door handle and looked up at Zee.

"Are you coming in?"