It was Maddy’s turn to blush. And there was no question about it. She turned a bright scarlet as the heat of embarrassment rushed into her rounded cheeks.
“Might be, miss, that you shouldn’t let that be known around town. You know what I’m saying? Folks here wouldn’t think anything special ‘bout a lady in your, um, particular circumstances needin’ to have you a word with a deputy Ewe Ess marshal. But if they thought you was talking ‘bout something personal, well, that’d be different the way they might be looking at it. You know? Me and George here, we won’t say nothing to nobody. You have my word on that. How ‘bout you, George?”
“Mine too,” the shotgun guard pledged.
“But you might oughta keep that in mind, miss.”
“That’s twice tonight you’ve been nice enough to try and save me,” Maddy said, and touched the driver on the wrist. The man looked acutely uncomfortable with that small amount of intimacy. And immeasurably pleased.
“George and me are gonna go back to the saloon and play another couple hands of poker now. Reckon the two o’ you can use the room over there to do your talking. It’s warm an’ private an’ there’s places to set. Longarm, whyn’t you drop over to the saloon later an’ have a drink with us before we all turn in.” Which was Jesse’s polite way of saying he and George would stay the hell away as long as was necessary. And no questions about what might, or might not, be happening in the tack room in the meantime.
“You’re mighty thoughtful,” Longarm said. “Thanks.”
“No trouble.”
George handed Longarm the lantern, and Jesse led the way out of the barn, carefully shutting the door behind them and leaving Longarm alone with Madelyn … or whatever it was she was calling herself these days.
Maddy followed Longarm into the tack room, where two cots and a pallet were made up. She looked at the larger of the cots. And blushed again as she turned to face Longarm and lifted her eyes to meet his.
Chapter 11
Longarm had no idea what was going through Maddy’s mind at that moment, but his own mind was very clear. He was remembering.
Seeing her eyes. But close to his. Only inches from his own. Cornflower blue, huge and bright and trusting.
And that trim, tidy, tiny body of hers. Naked. Her skin cool to the touch. Her breasts pink-tipped, the size of wild plums in August, barely a mouthful. But firm. And tasty.
Her belly flat and soft above a mat of dark curls.
The lips of her pussy an even brighter pink than that of her nipples. And wet. Slick and shiny with the moisture of quick desire.
Her laughter—Maddy Williams was always ready to find the joy in anything, everything—like the ringing of small silver bells.
She was one of those girls who is capable of bringing sunshine into the darkest shadows.
She held nothing back, gave herself fully to the zest of living. Her appetites were swift to rise, and she slaked them with a joyous eagerness. She held nothing back, kept nothing in reserve.
When she made love, every ounce of that tiny body was thrown fully and passionately into the complete giving of herself She did not merely allow Longarm to take her. She engulfed him. Contained him. Took all of his energies and captured them within herself.
Maddy Williams had been one of the most thoroughly delightful partners Longarm could recall knowing. Which was saying plenty.
That had been … what? Three years ago? No, not quite that long. Closer to two and a half. In the summer it was, and they had driven out on a picnic. Found a lush meadow high on a Mountainside and made love under the clouds, and later, when they lay side by side with Maddy’s hair spread over his shoulder like a silken cloak, a herd of elk came down through the glade, stepping with solemn dignity out of the screen of pale, trembling aspen and trooping in single file toward the creek far below, never once aware of the people who watched their passage.
That had been a wonderful moment, Longarm remembered. And afterward they made love again, and Maddy exclaimed over and over that day and for many days after about how magnificent the elk were and how beautiful. He remembered that day now. And so much more. There were many memories of Maddy.
Including memories of the screaming fury she displayed when he told her it was time that he had to return to Denver and to his responsibilities.
Quick as she was with joy and passion, she was also quick to anger, as he learned that day.
His final memory of her was the raw, bitter sound of her curses. Until now.
“Been a long time, Maddy.” He reached out to take her into his arms.
He drew her to him and hugged her. There was a moment of resistance. For several long seconds she felt wooden in his embrace, no more responsive than a softly padded oak plank might have been. Then she made a small sound that seemed almost a whimper, and after that she relaxed to his touch. Her arms came around him and she pressed her cheek against his chest.
She was so small she came only as high as his sternum, but there was so much energy in her that her size was easy to forget because there always seemed to be so much of her.
“Do you remember the elk?” he asked, his voice a whisper directed into the rich, red hair on the top of her head. He felt her nod in response. “I’ve never forgot that day,” he told her.
“Me neither.” She paused for a moment. “Do you want me, Custis?”
“You know I do, Maddy. You know I can’t look at you without wanting you. Never could.” He smiled and tipped her chin up so he could kiss her, then said, “Reckon I never will.”
Her look was very serious for reasons he could not begin to guess at.
