Chapter 9

Cimarron, Kansas

February 1866

Calliope noticed almost the moment the young woman had been cornered by the stranger. All the locals knew better than to mess with the girl but Calliope was always more vigilant when the stagecoach brought people passing through.

At first sight, Calliope wouldn't have suspected this stranger to pose any trouble. He possessed a striking handsomeness, almost beyond what seemed fair for one man to possess. His hair, was a rich shade of almost black, with subtle undertones of warming brown. His eyes, a mesmerizing blend of blue and grey, seemed to beckon one to embark on an imaginary voyage around the world within their depths. She estimated his age to be around thirty-five, aligning with her own. Several of the girls gravitated to him, drawn by the allure of his apparent wealth he exuded. He wasn't the first man to seek Kaylie out in this den of depravity.

"Darlin'," Calliope rested her hand on the man's shoulder and gently removed his hand from the girl. "This one ain't on the menu."

Kaylie took the brief moment and sprinted up the staircase, her heart beating hard in her chest she quickly locked the door behind her. She didn't have that many belongings but she tossed everything she owned into a bag and threw her coat on over her dress. She jumped when she heard the knock at the door and she sat completely silent and waited. She could almost hear her heart beating.

Another loud knock on the door.

"Kaylie are you alright honey?"

Kaylie exhaled a sigh of relief as she recognized the comforting southern drawl in Calliope's voice. Swiftly, she unlocked the door and ushered her friend inside, ensuring its security by promptly locking it behind her.

"What is going on darling?" She noticed the jacket around Kaylie and bag in her hands. "He's just a wandering passin' through town."

"No, no," Kaylie grabbed her letters and shoved them in her pocket. "You don't understand."

"Do you know this man?"

"You wouldn't understand." She looked out the window at her options of escape. When she first found work at the saloon, she practiced near every night getting down off the building from the second floor, but it had been almost a year since she tried. Her hands were shaking with the realization of traversing the balcony.

"Kaylie, tell me what's wrong honey." Calliope sat on the edge of the bed trying to comfort her.

"He's my uncle," Kaylie looked at her with a pained expression on her face. "I have to leave."

Calliope reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of cash. "You take this."

"Cal, I can't accept this." She shook her head. "I can't repay you."

"Sweet girl you just take that money and you find that man you talk about all the time. Make a good life for yourself."

"Why?" She looked at her curiously.

"Because I do understand." Calliope shoved the bills into the bodice of Kaylie's corset.

"Thank you! So much!" Kaylie hugged her.

"Get on out of here." Calliope quickly wiped a tear away. "I'll try my best to keep him preoccupied."

Kaylie pressed a kiss to her friend's cheek before clutching her bag tightly and slipping out through the window onto the balcony. In the six years she had known the woman, she had never seen her cry, even when she had been shot.

Carefully she held fast to the railing and slid down the roof to the first floor. Taking refuge in the alley and staying in the shadows she quickly made her way towards the stage coach. Before she could decide whether to board the stagecoach or await another means of leaving town, Kaylie suddenly felt her body being pinned to the wall. She looked up and saw her uncle staring down at her.

"Took me a while to find you sweetheart." He winked and kissed her cheek. "You have been a very busy girl."

"Conner you're hurting me." She struggled against his grip.

"Stop resisting." He held her tightly with one hand and ran his other hand down her side. "Take my hand."

Kaylie took his hand reluctantly and walked towards the hotel with him. She noticed a couple bottles sitting on a barrel along the boardwalk. As they walked by them, her free hand darted out and grabbed one of the bottles. Before he realized what was happening, she hit him as hard as she could over the head.

She watched him stagger backward, clutching his face as blood streamed from his temple. Without hesitation, she turned and sprinted down the street, veering into the wooded area at the town's edge.

Concealing herself among the leaves, in the hallow on the towns edge Kaylie waited until dawn before cautiously making her way to the blacksmith's. Realizing that walking to the next town was impractical given the distance, Kaylie contemplated an alternative. Recalling the kindness of the blacksmith, she pondered whether he might be willing to lend her his buckboard, especially if she offered compensation.