One thing I will say for my brother – wounded shoulder or not, when he wants to move fast, he certainly can. He was out of that stagecoach quicker than I could say "poker," immediately scrambling to help Ally out and onto the sidewalk. Burton Paxley was next, and by the time I managed to struggle out by myself, crutches and all, Ally had already begun the introductions. I know because I heard her say, "and his brother Bart Maverick. I've asked them to help with the Eamon situation."
Nora Garrity looked aghast, to say the least. "You've brought us wounded men?"
"Healing men," Bret corrected her, as he tipped his hat to the lovely Miss Garrity. "Rapidly healing men."
"Nora!" Ally admonished. "Two fine gentlemen that can help us find a way out of the mess that your wee brother has created. Both are expert poker players and very, very wise in the ways of this strange land. And you'll not be insulting them like that."
"I didn't mean to be insultin' ya," Nora pleaded. "It's just . . . "
"That we're not what you expected," Bret finished for her.
"Aye," the girl answered. "I was expectin' . . . ruffians. Instead she brings me elegantly garbed gentlemen. I apologize if I caused any offense."
"None taken," I told her. "You are exactly as Ally described. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Garrity."
Bret had recovered enough from the shock of seeing Nora Garrity in the flesh to reassert his poker face. "Willie, can we have Miss O'Rourke's bags, please, as well as ours?"
Willie looked down from the driver's seat and grinned. "Looks like you two hit the jackpot," he declared as he threw the bags down, one at a time, to the both of us. Once we had everything Willie tipped his hat to the ladies. "You all take care now," he told us and left for the livery and fresh horses.
"Strange little man," Nora pronounced.
"Extremely skilled stage driver," I assured her.
"Well, we've a lot to catch up on. Bret, Bart, would you be able to join us for dinner this evening at Nora's – I mean our – house?"
"No, no, no, Ailish, no one should have to cook the first night they're in their new home. Please allow us to take the both of you to dinner this evening. Is the Tucson Steak House still open?" Bret was wasting no time.
"Aye, it is," Nora responded. "But that's not necessary."
"Necessity has nothing to do with it," I responded. "It would be our pleasure to escort you two ladies to dinner tonight. Around six, shall we say? And your address, Miss Garrity?"
"Nora, please. The house is two streets back of the newspaper office. It's the third house on Willow Street. You can't miss it – it has a big white swing on the porch. And I can explain what's happened with Eamon and everything since I last wrote to Ally."
"You have a buggy, Nora? Let us get Ally's bags." I picked up one and my own, leaving Bret to get the other one.
"Right over there, Mr. – uh, Bart was it? Would that stand for Bartley, by any chance?"
I winced and Bret grinned. He knows exactly how I feel about 'Bartley.' "Yes, ma'am, it does. But I prefer Bart if you don't mind."
"Ah, that's a shame," Nora stated. "Bartley is such a fine Irish name." We deposited Ally's bags in the buggy and assisted the ladies into same. "Thank you, gentlemen. We shall see you at precisely six o'clock." Nora shook the reins gently and the horse cantered off. Ally turned around and waved to us. I waved back.
I turned back around to my brother and he looked rather stunned. "Bret." No answer. "Bret." Still no answer. "BRET."
"Hmmm? What?"
"Is there a general store close?"
"What for?"
"I need a cane to replace these crutches."
I think what I was asking him finally sank in. "Down the street, right before the livery. We have to go down there anyway and arrange for a buggy."
"And make sure the boys got here alright."
"The boys?"
He must have been even more impressed with Nora Garrity than I realized, because his mind was thousands of miles away. "Blackthorn and Noble? Our horses?"
"Oh. Oh sure. The boys. Let's get a hotel room first, then we can get rid of the bags. Tucson Palace alright with you?"
"Fine," I told him. Sometimes I can be slow on the uptake. It had taken me a while to realize that there was something bothering Bret besides his appreciation of Nora Garrity. No woman had ever elicited a response like the one he'd just given. He'd noticed something, or seen something, or thought of something, and that's why he was so distracted. All I knew for sure was that whatever it was, he wasn't about to share it with me while we stood out on the sidewalk in Tucson. So I picked up my bag and started hobbling as best I could back up the sidewalk towards the Palace. Bret grabbed his bag, still deep in thought, and followed.
XXXXXXXX
Typically we share a hotel room, both for company and frugality. This time we splurged just a bit and got what could be described as a suite, which is nothing more than a central sitting room with a bedroom on either side. It wasn't that much more expensive than a single room, and since we were both still suffering from the after-effects of bullet wounds, we didn't need to try and share a bed. I could just imagine us running into each other as we awkwardly endeavored to maneuver injured bodies around.
Contrary to what I'd told Ally about not unpacking, I did just that. When everything was hung up or put away, I went into the sitting room to see if Bret was finished yet. He was there waiting for me. "Wanna tell me what had you so distracted?" I asked.
"Nora Garrity," he answered, and I knew as soon as the words came out of his mouth that he'd only told me a partial truth.
"Besides the tall, gorgeous brunette."
"Nothing."
My brother didn't lie to me. On occasion he would give me only a partial answer, or not answer me at all, but he didn't tell me out-and-out lies. So there was something going on besides normal boy-meets-girl and is instantly smitten. I also know when he's not going to give me any more of an answer than he's already given me. This appeared to be one of those times.
"Let's go to the livery," I proposed.
"Good idea."
We went down the street to the livery first and found that our instructions regarding the horses had been followed. Blackthorn and Noble seemed pleased to see us, especially the gelding, who definitely has a mind of his own. This time I'd managed to secure an apple from the dining room before coming to see the old man, and he obligingly forgave me all my past transgressions. Whatever they might have been. The way to that horse's heart is decidedly through his stomach, and I made him euphoric today. He seemed to know that I wasn't completely myself because there was none of the normal 'pushing me around' that he does when I haven't seen him for a while. Bret made arrangements for the buggy and we started back up towards the general store.
I was determined to get rid of the crutches and switch to a cane, which I'd used on several previous occasions. While I was looking around for anything else that might prove useful I saw Bret staring out the store window at someone, so I walked over to see just who or what had attracted his attention. When I got within a few feet of him he put out his arm in a "stop now" sign and I did just that.
"What's that for?" I asked him.
"They've already seen me. I don't want 'em to see you with me."
"Who?" I was beginning to get exasperated.
"Nate Turner and Big Ed Dumbrowski."
"Who?"
"The two lowlifes giving Nora's brother such a hard time. I know 'em." That was not like Bret. Being what might be considered lowlifes ourselves, we tended to stay away from people like that. Unless they happened to be friends. Didn't sound like these two were.
"From where?" I questioned.
"Dodge City."
I gave an involuntary shudder. Dodge City was the place where Bret had been shot and killed in a gunfight forced on him by Rob Hinkel. At least, everyone thought he was dead, including me. That was supposed to have ended when I killed Hinkel in self-defense. I didn't remember the names Turner or Dumbrowski. Where had they come from?
"I don't know either one of 'em. That don't make sense."
"Hinkel sent 'em off to Texas to take care of somethin' for him right before . . . well, right before the fight. I guess they didn't come back."
"You must be right. They weren't around when I was there."
"Then at least they don't know you by sight. Let's keep it that way." He turned away from the window and back to me. "Did you find a cane?"
"Yep." I raised what was in my hand. "Got just the thing. Let's get back to the hotel. I need a bath."
"That makes two of us, Brother Bart. Let's see what we can do about that."
I had traded the crutch for the cane, so I gave it a real test on the way back to the hotel. Bret reasoned that since Turner and Big Ed had been gone by the time I got to Dodge, they wouldn't know I was his brother. Now that Rob Hinkel and Orin Johnson were both dead, who were those two working for?