“It’s been my experience that words can hurt worse than a bullet.”
Lincoln studied her for a moment before asking, “Have you been shot before?”
“Of course, I have,” she replied. “After all, I am a Pinkerton agent. Haven’t you?”
He chuckled. “No. I have been shot at, but I have never been hit.”
“You aren’t missing much,” she joked.
The train began to slow down as they came into the station, and Amey watched as the town of Longworth came into view.
“Are you ready to catch ourselves a murderer, Mrs. Hoyt?”
She brought her gaze back to meet his. “I most assuredly am, Mr. Hoyt.”
4
Lincoln didn’t know what to make of his partner. When he’d pointed his revolver at her, she hadn’t flinched. Instead, she’d met his gaze, practically challenging him to pull the trigger. On the other hand, she chatted incessantly. Why was she trying so hard to be his friend? It was maddening.
He was standing on the train station platform, holding his wife’s carpetbag, and waiting for Amey to collect her horse. Which was another thing that aggravated him about her. Why had she brought a horse along with her? Pinkerton agents needed to be able to travel at a moment’s notice, and a horse was an added burden.
He watched as Amey approached him with a beautiful, brown gelding. She had a genuine smile on her face as she approached him, and he momentarily forgot that he was annoyed with her.
She stopped in front of him. “The porter has arranged for my trunk to be taken to the hotel.”
“Explain to me again why you brought a horse with you on an assignment,” he grumbled.
She patted her horse’s neck affectionately. “Wherever I go, Jasper goes.”
“What happens if we have to jump on a train at a moment’s notice, and you can’t take your horse with us?”
“I’ve never had a problem with that on my past assignments,” she commented. “Besides, I like to think of Jasper as my partner.”
“But I’m your partner now.”
“For now,” she replied.
He tugged down on his black vest. “Should we proceed to the hotel?”
“I think that’s a fine idea, husband.”
Lincoln found himself curious about the horse as they walked down the ramp of the train station. “May I ask why you insist on bringing Jasper with you everywhere you go?”
He noticed that Amey pressed her lips together before answering. “My father hated Jasper, and he was constantly threatening to shoot him.”
“Why?” he asked, surprised.
“Well, Jasper can be rather… temperamental.”
“Most horses are,” he commented.
“Not like Jasper,” she said. “For the most part, he loves to be ridden, but only by me.”
“He won’t let anyone else ride him?”
She shook her head. “No, and he can be rather stubborn about it.”
“In what way?”
She smirked. “He plays dead.”
“Pardon?” he asked.
“He falls to the ground and plays dead until the person steps away from him,” she said, smiling. “He’s rather convincing, too. He even lolls his tongue out to add to the ruse.”
Lincoln lifted his brow in disbelief. “But he lets you ride him?”
“Mostly,” she replied. “If he’s tired of being ridden, he’ll play dead with me, as well.”
“Why do you tolerate that behavior?”
“Because Jasper has acted this way since he was a foal,” she shared, “and I find it mostly endearing that he will only let me ride him.”
Lincoln huffed. “I’ve never heard of a horse that played dead before.”
“That’s why my father threatened to shoot him.”
“I can see why.”
Jasper whinnied and tossed his head, drawing Amey’s attention. “When I left for Chicago, I knew I had to take Jasper with me, or he would have been killed. I couldn’t let that happen. Not to Jasper.”
“I must admit that I’m beginning to understand your attachment to your horse,” he replied. “I find it oddly sweet.”
“Thank you.”
Lincoln’s eyes scanned the town of Longworth as they walked down the main road. Buildings lined the street, and he was impressed the community was large enough for a post office. Besides a large saloon, he saw a sheriff’s office, hotel, barber shop, bank, and a general store. Further up the road, he could see a church and a schoolhouse.
Men were leaning against the posts of the buildings, watching them as they walked through town. He saw the desire in the men’s eyes as they watched Amey. He frowned and stepped closer to her.
Amey gave him a side glance and surprised him by saying, “You don’t need to worry about me. I can protect myself.”
Lincoln cast her a disbelieving look. How did she know precisely what he was thinking?
“I never doubted that,” he lied, not wanting to give her the upper hand.
“Then, why did you step closer to me when you noticed the men staring at us?”
He shrugged. “I suppose I wanted to be closer to you.”
She huffed. “You are a horrible liar, Lincoln.”
“Fine,” he admitted. “I just find it disconcerting how much attention we are attracting because of you.”
“Let them look,” she replied. “I’ve always used it to my advantage.”
“In what way?”
A smug smile came to her lips. “Men always underestimate me because of my looks. They assume I’m a weak woman who needs protecting.”
Lincoln winced slightly, knowing he had thought something similar.
They stopped in front of a whitewashed building with a sign that read ‘Hotel’. He waited as Amey tied her horse to a post out front. After she was done, she stared up at the building for a long moment with a frown on her face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned.
She turned to face him and lowered her voice. “I just realized that we’re going to have to get one hotel room.”
“Is that a problem?”
“Of course, it’s a problem!” she declared. “We aren’t truly married.”
“But we are married.” He tapped his vest pocket, feeling a need to tease her. “I have the document proving it right here.”
“You know what I mean.”
He took a step closer to her. “Your virtue is safe with me, Mrs. Hoyt,” he joked.
She gave him an exasperated look. “Are you sure we can’t get two rooms?”
“A married couple shares
