The Outlaw and the Lady (4th in the Crane Gang Series)(womanxwoman)

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-One

Eleanor couldn't believe the change a week could make. A week ago she had watched Willa and Gill stand toe and toe and she had watched Gill offer Willa to take his life if it would make up for the loss of her brother.

One week since Willa had actually let her guard down, shed a tear, and finally accepted her place in the family. Eleanor knew it would take time for Willa to fully feel at home among them but she knew it would happen.

Now, one week after all of that drama, life was much more peaceful. Willa had eaten dinner amongst the family instead of separately. She had laughed with them. Played poker with Wyatt and Craig. She'd been working with Jeb and Gill to choose the best horses for the fair. And she'd continued her lesson's with Preston.

And the happier she saw Willa, the more secure Eleanor became that Willa wouldn't simply get bored of her and decide to leave. Willa truly seemed content with their life and so was Eleanor.

"What are you working on?" Willa asked, nodding toward the fabric on Eleanor's lap as they sat in their hotel room.

"Preston wanted me to add some tassels and studs to his shirt for the fair. I think your style is rubbing off on him."

Willa laughed. "Good. Everybody will notice and remember him."

The fair was three weeks away and Eleanor knew that Willa was looking forward to it. "Are you going to enter any of the fair games?" she asked. "You'll be pretty much healed up by then."

Willa shrugged. "I just might." She winked. "You wanting to see just how talented your woman is?"

Heat rose to her cheeks. "I already know how talented you are."

"Is that right?"

"Yes, that's right. Now go get us some supper, your woman is starving."

"Why doesn't my woman come with me?" Willa asked, rising from the chair where she'd been sharpening her knife. Eleanor's breath caught in her chest as Willa came closer and put her hand on the arms of Eleanor's chair, bracing herself over her. "I'd like your company."

"Only if you'll take me to the Cantina instead of the hotel diner," Eleanor replied, licking her bottom lip and watching Willa's eyes follow the movement.

"I reckon I can do that." She swooped down and captured Eleanor's lips in a hungry kiss that had Eleanor dropping her sewing and looping her arms around Willa's neck.

Willa chuckled against her lips when Eleanor's stomach growled. "Come on then, Ellie. Let's go take care of your stomach. Then I'll take care of the rest of you."

Eleanor was smiling as she stood up and grabbed her shawl from the bed, wrapping it tight around her shoulders. Willa took her hand in hers and led her from the room, down the stairs and out into the evening air.

Town was bustling this time of day but Eleanor didn't feel fear walking hand in hand with Willa. With Willa she always seemed to feel safe. The Cantina was brightly lit and full or patrons. As they stepped in the door a woman who'd been leaving the Cantina ran into them, nearly knocking Eleanor over.

Willa quickly righted her and pulled her close with her arm around her waist. "Excuse you," she snapped at the woman.

The woman flushed and fussed with her blond hair pulled back fancily on her head. "I apologize. I'm new in town and I'm afraid I was in a rush."

"Well go on then. No need to be held up anymore," Willa urged. Eleanor rolled her eyes. Willa truly needed to work on her friendliness. The woman hadn't meant any harm.

"Of course..." The woman paused. "Actually, can either of you point me in the direction of the best hotel to stay at while I'm here?"

Eleanor pointed toward the hotel she and Willa were living in. "That one is the nicest," she assured the woman. "But I'm afraid it's also the most expensive."

"Money is not a worry," the woman assured her, her blue eyes smiling. "Thank you for helping me. My name is Casey."

"I'm Eleanor and this is Willa."

"Willa? Those are beautiful clothes and that's a beautiful name." Her blue eyes studied Willa carefully. "Is it short for anything?"

Willa shifted her feet impatiently. "Willamena. Would you like to know anything else about us? Favorite colors? First kisses? Maybe our birthdays?"

Eleanor frowned and nudged Willa. What was wrong with the woman? Those blue eyes turned a bit sharper as they went from Willa to Eleanor several times. Eleanor wondered if perhaps she was noticing the way Willa was holding her so close. If she was new in town it may not be something she was accustomed to seeing.

"Well, Eleanor and Willamena. Sorry to have bothered you. I'll let you get to your supper now."

As the woman walked away and Willa led Eleanor inside, Eleanor shook her head. "Why were you so rude?"

"I didn't like her," Willa replied simply.

"Why?"

"I don't know. Call it gut instinct. There was something about her I didn't like."

Eleanor sighed. The woman, Casey, had seemed perfectly nice to her.

***

Casey Dougal was fuming as she entered the hotel and slipped up to her room. Jake and Horace were there waiting for her.

"I found her," Casey said, throwing her clutch in the chair. "I found the bitch who killed my brother."

Horace nodded. "Where is she? We'll go take care of her."

Casey tapped her chin and walked to the mirror, staring into it thoughtfully. "I don't want to simply kill her."

Jake frowned. "Well what do you want to do? I thought you wanted her dead."

Casey rolled her eyes at her worker's lack of imagination. "I do. Eventually. First, I'd like to make her suffer."

"And how are you gonna do that?" Horace asked, twirling the tassels hanging from a fancy lamp shade.

"She has a woman. Pretty native girl. She'd sell for high dollar. Men are always looking for some native honey to stick their pecker into"

Jake made a face. "A woman with a woman?"

"Sure, what's so wrong with that? We make a lot of money off people with different interests. Women don't need men to be satisfied, dear fool. We can satisfy each other quite well if we choose."

Horace chuckled at the scolded look at Jake's face. "So, ma'am, what exactly do you want us to do?"

"Go tell the men that we found her and for them to wait until I give them orders." Casey had a crew of five men, the best gunslingers she had in her employ, camped outside of town. "The three of us are going to learn all we can about this Willa and Eleanor so we can decide when the best time to take Willa's lady love will be."

Jake smiled. "And when Willa comes after us?"

Casey pulled a pin from her hair allowing the blond waves to fall down her back as she shook it out in the mirror. "We blow her brain out of the back of her head just the same as she did to Harvey." 

A/N: Trouble is getting closer........