“You should return to Denver.”
But Irma shook her head. “There’s a lot of money to be made in Jasper Rock. I intend to find myself another rich miner. I wish you were rich instead of just strong and handsome, Custis.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be,” she whispered, hands reaching for the buttons of his pants. She extracted his rod and rubbed it against herself until Longarm grew hard. “Big as ever, honey.”
Longarm just smiled and sipped her good whiskey while she went to her knees and took him into her mouth. He closed his eyes and smiled with contentment.
“And you’re as good as ever, Irma.”
After several minutes, he took her to bed and they eagerly made love. They were both tired and not quite as lively as they’d been down in Denver, but neither of them complained.
After Irma stiffened in ecstasy and then hugged his neck tightly, she whispered, “Why don’t you take me down to Denver and make me an honest woman? I’d be a good wife for you, even a mother if you wanted children.”
“Of course you would be,” he whispered in her ear. “But I’m not a marrying man. And besides, you must have figured that I was here on business.”
“Yeah, business,” she said with a hint of sadness. “Killing business, most likely.”
“I have to leave first thing tomorrow morning,” Longarm told her. “And I have a mule you can ride back down to Denver. Maybe a lame horse too. Anyway, when you get there, you’ll have a key to my rooms. Why don’t you just rest for a week or two until I return?”
“What if you don’t return this time?”
“I will,” he promised. “I always do.”
“All right,” she whispered. “Whatever you say.”
She fell asleep in his arms. He would give her some money to live on. Irma was a good woman. She just needed a little breathing room and a change of attitude. Maybe he could help with that too.
They made love the next morning, and then Longarm tried to say good-bye without hurting her feelings. “I’ve just got to get moving, Irma. I’m on the trail of a man that I think is going to kill someone in Leadville.”
“Maybe that someone needs killing.”
“He does,” Longarm said. “The man who’s going to be killed is named Hank Trabert and he’s a bad one. But I still have to try and save his life. That’s my job.”
Irma wormed the rest of the story from Longarm, and then she said, “Aren’t you going to buy me breakfast?”
“Sure,” he said. “But first, you’ll have to accompany me to the blacksmith’s shop. I had to walk into town last night because my horse went lame.”
“I hope he stays lame,” Irma said. “That way, you won’t be off so soon to Leadville.”
“Yeah I will,” Longarm said. “Come on, honey. Get up and get dressed.”
She stretched languidly. “Must I?”
Longarm had a very powerful urge to jump back into bed one more time with Irma before leaving. For a long moment, he weighed pleasure against responsibility, and pleasure won.
“All right,” he said, “I’ll have you for breakfast.”
“I thought you might,” she said coyly.
Chapter 9
“Well,” Longarm asked, “how is Target this morning?”
“He’s better,” the blacksmith replied, “but he’s still lame.”
Longarm frowned while Irma said, “Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Joe blushed. “I’ve seen you around, miss.”
“Irma. Everyone just calls me Irma. And so, if you’ve seen me around, then why didn’t you come over to say hello?”
“I dunno.” Joe cleared his throat nervously. “I’m … I’m generally short of cash.”
Irma smiled. “As cute as you are, I might have been willing to work out a sizable discount.”
Joe blushed so deeply that Longarm felt sorry for the young blacksmith. “Irma, give him a break. Joe, what do you suggest about Target?”
“That palomino needs a few more days of rest and he’ll be sound again. I can rustle you up a replacement mount, but it’ll cost plenty. How far are you planning to ride?”
“Quite a long ways. Over to Cortez and the Durango area and maybe far beyond. It all depends.”
“Is your mule rideable?” Joe asked.
“He’s supposed to be.”
Joe nodded. “Then perhaps you should ride him and lead the palomino for the next couple of days. Not having to carry your weight would make it a lot easier on that rock bruise and might allow it to heal a little quicker.”
