They sat on a log near the creek. Charlie gazed up at her with a curious look. “What’s up?”
“I’ve battled with myself for days over this—should I tell Charlie, or shouldn’t I?”
Charlie’s eyebrows raised.
“Don’t trust Jesse Morgan. He’s only out for one thing from women. He tried it with me, and I’m finished with him. Just because I work in a saloon doesn’t mean he can take liberties. It was a good thing Roy walked in, or he’d have had his way with me.”
“That’s strange,” Charlie said. “He’s never even tried to hold my hand. I trust him; I have to—he’s escorting me to Cheyenne tomorrow. We leave at dawn. Sean would never allow me to go with him if he thought Jesse wasn’t a gentleman.”
Delia brushed imaginary lint from her skirt. “Don’t take my word for it. The other girls at the saloon can vouch that what I’m saying is true. They’ve all been with him.”
Charlie shrugged. “Why not? He’s single.”
Delia stood. “Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Have a wonderful trip.” She went back to her horse and rode away.
While Charlie doubted Delia’s truthfulness, she still had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she wondered why. Jesse and she were friends and nothing more, still, Delia’s words had stung somewhat.
She returned to the house to wash dishes. Sophia was upstairs making beds, and Sean was in the barn. Still feeling uneasy about Delia’s words, she threw down the washrag and went out to the barn.
“Sean?” she called, gazing around while her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the barn.
“Over here,” he called from a nearby horse stall.
“I need to talk to you,” she said.
“I’m in the middle of grooming a horse—can it wait until lunchtime?”
“No. I need to know the truth now.”
Sean stood and brushed off his pants. “This sounds serious. Let’s sit down on the front porch.”
Charlie followed Sean to the porch where they both sat in rocking chairs.
“What’s wrong?” Sean asked.
“Delia from the Rusty Spur Saloon just paid me a visit.”
She watched Sean’s eyes widen. “And?”
“She warned me about traveling with Jesse. She said he’s a womanizer and that he attacked her and also slept with every woman at the saloon.”
Sean threw back his head and laughed. “Don’t you see what she’s doing? She’s trying to scare you off so she can have Jesse.”
“Jesse is just my friend.”
“I know, but she’s afraid of losing whatever kind of hold she might have on him.”
“So, do you think it’s safe to travel with him?”
“Listen, I haven’t known Jesse long, but he’s a straight-shooter. Once a month, the three of us meet at the saloon and enjoy a few drinks and some conversation. I’ve never seen Jesse react to the saloon women until the day he saw Delia. I think he took a shine to her, and she might want to protect that. Despite being a bounty hunter, with women, Jesse is a gentleman. I've never even heard him swear near a woman, though he's not a churchgoer. The stories he tells are never about women but wild animals he's come face to face with or some other adventure. If I didn’t trust Jesse, I’d never allow you to go with him.”
“Even if it meant having me hang around longer?”
Sean laughed again. “You’re a pleasure to have around. It’s not personal, Charlie. We just need some time alone to get to know one another. That’s all.”
“Do you think I could come back after you two know each other well enough?”
“Of course, but why do you dislike Niagara Falls so much?”
Charlie frowned. “Our mother is very controlling. She wants me to wear pretty party dresses and go to hotel dances and such. Now, don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman, but I just don’t like the way women have to behave back home. Here, things are less rigid. I can ride astride, wear what I want, and go where I want.”
“Sophia told me you two were close growing up.”
“Yes, we were, and I’ll miss her terribly in New York.”
“A lot of people would love living in a city with the largest cataract in the United States. What’s it like?”
“It’s enormous. People come from all over to see it. Some days we can hear the roar of the water fall from our home. Sophia and I used to go to the Falls often. It’s a magical place, especially when no one else is around. We imagine the tale of how the Indians sacrificed one maiden from their tribe to the Falls each year. They placed her in a white canoe with flowers painted on the sides.” Charlie sighed. “Those poor maidens.”
“I’m hoping that Sophia and I can make the trip there someday.”
Charlie stood. “So, I’ll be safe with Jesse?”
Sean gave her a sisterly hug. “Perfectly safe.”
The first thing Charlie did to prepare for traveling was to cut her long hair. She used Sophia’s sewing shears and cried the whole time she snipped away. She kept telling herself that it would grow back. Some lads wore hair that went past the neckline, so she cut hers the same.
Charlie wondered what she should pack. She had a closet full of clothes at home in New York, and just the thought of returning made her stomach churn. Could she somehow talk Jesse out of going? Maybe she could hide out somewhere until Sean and Sophia were better acquainted. Or, the thought kept crossing her mind, she could run away. Instead of waiting for Jesse to stop at the house in the
