Chapter 2
Ezra counted the money in front of him. Decidedly less than he had hoped for tonight. But he hadn't counted on that woman barreling in and demanding she be dealt in.
The thought of Kaylee had his lips thinning in a grimace. He couldn't figure out what her angle was. Not knowing what angle someone was working set him on edge. If she didn't have an angle…heaven help her because she had no business being on her own if she was that naïve and that inept. But he wasn't the one to help her, he told himself. He didn't know her, he wasn't responsible for her.
The door slammed open, banging against the wall and bouncing back. And there stood Buck Wilmington, eyes burning above his thick mustache.
Ezra placed his money clip around the stack of bills and raised a laconic eyebrow at the taller man. "That's quite an entrance, Mr. Wilmington. Am I to be privy to the cause of the theatrics?"
Buck strode toward him, wagging a finger. "Nope, you're not going to throw me of course with your fancy talk, Ezra. Not this time. I need to know what you did to Kaylee."
His jaw nearly dropped before he closed his mouth like he hadn't a care in the world and leaned back in his chair. "What I did to her?"
"Are you tryin' to tell me that little thing did something to you?" Buck asked. His voice was getting dangerously quieter.
"I'm simply telling you the objective truth, Buck. She insisted and I obliged."
Ezra wasn't sure how Buck got across the table and his hands on the front of his shirt. He only knew he was hauled out of his seat without warning and Buck was face to face with him.
"You obliged?" Buck asked.
"Whoa! What's going on here?" Chris Larabee's voice cut through the room, followed by Vin Tanner's.
"Buck, what are ya doin'?" Vin demanded.
Ezra remained unmoved on the surface, but he had no doubt in his mind that whatever offense he had made that had Buck so worked up was going to rile the other men just as badly. He had no illusions about his place among them. As much as he counted them friends, he had learned after a lifetime with Maude that he was dispensable.
Ezra did his best to lean around Buck in spite of the tight grip on his shirtfront and see the other men.
It was worse than he thought. JD, Nathan, and Josiah flanked Chris and Vin.
"Hello, gentleman," Ezra said as if he was inviting them to sit in the parlor of a New Orleans mansion. "There seems to have been a misunderstanding."
Josiah stepped forward, studying Ezra. A coming punch from Buck wouldn't make Ezra squirm, but the way the older man seemed able to read every thought and insecurity in Ezra was enough to make him shift slightly.
Josiah clapped a hand on Buck's shoulder. "Put him down, Buck."
Buck hesitated until Chris spoke, a warning in his tone. "Buck."
Ezra's feet lowered fully to the ground and he took a step back, dusting at the front of his shirt.
Chris didn't have the same patience in his voice as Josiah. "What're you doing?" he demanded.
"I would be interested in the answer myself," Ezra agreed. He pulled the cuffs of his shirt back into place, allowing himself the satisfaction of allowing some of his annoyance to show.
"What am I—?" Buck sputtered. "What is he doing?" Buck swung an arm toward Ezra.
The six men he counted as the only ones he trusted, looked at Ezra.
Aside from Buck, Ezra only saw concern and confusion in their eyes. Buck was angry. The rest were at least withholding judgment.
"I've been here all evening playing poker," Ezra said. "I'm not certain why that should be a surprise to any of you."
"And Kaylee?" Buck asked, taking a step toward him. Josiah reached out a hand to stay him.
"She wanted to be dealt in. She was relieved of her money." Ezra held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. "She placed a high wager and lost. I'm many things, but not a cheat." Not anymore.
"Her money?" Buck asked, some of the wind leaving his sails.
"What did you think occurred here?" Ezra asked.
"Not that," Buck said succinctly.
"She came running out like she was going to keel over," JD offered up.
She had? Ezra stopped himself from starting toward the door to check on her. She was a talented actress, and JD was an easy mark.
"How much did she lose?" Vin asked.
"Three hundred dollars." It was a rather paltry sum to him now, but Ezra wasn't so far removed from his past that he didn't know how much that meant to most of the riders on the rodeo circuit.
Vin's brow wrinkled in concern. "What was she doin', gamblin' that?"
"Her truck broke down," JD said. "It needs a new alternator, starter, and probably a new transmission. She needs money to fix it. It's sitting over at the local mechanic's."
They all looked at him, eyebrows raised.
"Casey told me," JD explained.
"How's she gonna haul her trailer?" Nathan asked.
"She sold that two towns back to pay for new tires on her truck and her entry fees. She's been paying one of the steer wrestlers to haul her horse for her."
Ezra made a mental note never to tell the boy anything personal. He was a veritable fount of information. Also, never to invest money with Kaylee Timms. Her lack of financial management was appalling.
All eyes had turned from JD to Ezra.
"What?" Ezra asked.
A couple frowns, a glare, and a look of pity from Josiah.
"You gotta give it back," Vin said.
Ezra immediately started shaking his head. "Oh no," he said, moving to the table to collect his winnings and slide them into the pocket of his expensive jeans.
"Ezra, you took everything the girl has left," Chris said, exasperation in his voice. Though, he most often sounded exasperated when he talked to Ezra, so Ezra didn't pay much attention to it.
"Do you have any inkling of what would happen if word got out that I was returning money I won fair and square to the less fortunate parties? I'd have to give back my bulls, half the steers, my camper, and most of my liquid assets."
"I don't know nothin' about 'liquid assets'," Buck said, "But you'll be a less fortunate party if you don't give that girl back her money."
"Lovely sentiment," Ezra said, moving toward the door. "But I'm going to go retire for the night, and allow you gentlemen to indulge in whatever Robin Hood act of helping the unfortunate you decide on."
Ezra made it past Buck, but Chris stopped him with a hand to his chest. He didn't say anything, just stared down at the younger man.
Everything in him rebelled. But he reminded himself he had turned over a new leaf, and thinking of others—or at least these men he could almost consider family—was part of that change.
"Fine. I'll offer recompense to Kaylee." The words physically hurt. She had a tale of hard luck and woe, but then, how often had his mother when it suited her? But this was about showing these men that he was worthy of being called their friend, not about revisiting ghosts of the past.
But Chris didn't budge. "How far do you think that three hundred dollars is going to take her?"
"And I'm supposed to be her personal banker and financial planner now?" Ezra asked.
"She doesn't have a truck or nothin'," JD said.
Ezra nodded to him. "As you've made us all aware."
"Well we can't just leave her stranded here!" JD burst out.
"Don't worry, JD. We won't," Chris said, keeping his eyes on Ezra.
"I can trailer her horse to the next rodeo," Vin said. "I got room in my trailer."
Buck nodded. "And she can bunk with me. JD won't mind sleepin' in the truck."
All eyes turned to him and JD let out a protest.
"Mighty generous of you," Josiah drawled.
"Anything to help out a damsel in distress," Buck said with a wide grin.
Chris hinted at a grin again, but shook his head. "No one really has space for her bedroll besides…"
And everyone was looking at him again.
Ezra couldn't hold back the sigh that heaved forth. "Alright. I'll discuss lodging with her. But it will be temporary," he declared, making sure he looked each one in the eye to firm up that point. "Temporary until she improves her situation."
Chris' full smile finally broke forth and he squeezed the back of Ezra's neck. "That's what we like best about you, Ezra. You're always thinking of others."
Ezra was not amused.
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Kaylee made it out of the auction barn that was housing the dance and behind a horse trailer before she lost her lunch. She took a shaky breath. It would be ok. She would be fine. She had no money, no vehicle, no camper since that was on the back of her truck, and no prospects if she couldn't get to the next town and come up with the entry fee.
She was so screwed.
She sank down onto the grass next to the trailer. The rodeo grounds were shadowed except for the squares of light coming from the windows of various campers parked over the grassy field.
A wet nose nudged at her arm. Kaylee opened her arms and let her black lab crawl half on her lap. She buried her face against him. She still had Barney. And her mare, Alcott.
She didn't know how long she sat there, trying to forget about everything that was pointing to signs of homelessness and joblessness. Barney heaved a sigh and Kaylee hugged him.
"Excuse me."
Kaylee froze at the voice.
"I don't mean to interrupt this…canine therapy session, but may I have a word?"
Ezra stood a few feet away, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. He looked at Barney. The lab opened his mouth and his tongue lolled out happily.
"Charming," Ezra muttered.
"Are you here to gloat?" Kaylee asked. "Because I know how stupid I was." She shook her hair, the strawberry blonde strands falling forward over her shoulders. "I was just desperate. Haven't you ever been desperate?"
Ezra stared down at her. Something passed over his face, like a shadow, so quickly she thought maybe she imagined it. But then he was the composed gambler and businessman and he didn't answer her question.
Ezra crouched down so he was eye level with her and met her gaze with his green eyes that almost leaned toward hazel. Kaylee was surprised to find she liked that he did that.
"I'm here to offer you lodging."
"Lodging," Kaylee said skeptically.
"Accommodations, room and board, three hots and a cot," he said, a glimmer of humor coming into his eyes as his word choices grew progressively colloquial.
"Where?" she asked, one hand burrowing into Barney's silky short fur, holding on as if letting go would lose her the chance at a roof over her head.
"Well, that would depend on what town our nomadic lifestyle leads us to. But a more specific answer would be in my travel trailer."
Kaylee jerked back. "You want me to live with you?"
Ezra frowned.
Ok, she hadn't meant for that to come out like she was disgusted by the idea of being near him. But living with him? With some man she didn't even know?
She was shaking her head no, event though she knew it meant she was turning away the only offer on the table. It wasn't like she had any other options.
"I have a perfectly adequate fold out couch," Ezra said. "I am generally in my quarters only to sleep. It's plausible you'll rarely see me."
Kaylee narrowed her eyes at him. "You don't owe me anything."
Ezra's long-suffering sigh dragged out. "A fact I am acutely aware of, believe me. But I find myself needing to make sure you have shelter, and here we find ourselves."
She pressed her lips together. They'd be in a camper, in the middle of a million other campers. All the other folks she had met on the rodeo circuit, who had no extra room for her, would only be a shout away.
No. She couldn't believe she was even considering this. Even if Mr. Standish seemed…well he was good-looking and didn't seem like serial killer, and he was a good poker player. She didn't have a lot else to go on. But it boiled down to pride.
"I don't take charity."
"Of course you don't." She didn't understand why he had to look so annoyed by her not jumping at his offer. It wasn't like he sounded thrilled to be making the offer.
He glanced over his shoulder and she saw his six friends standing in a huddle near the door to the auction barn/dance hall, casting frequent looks toward them.
He looked back at her, new determination on his face. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a deck of cards. "What do you say we venture a bet?"
#
He couldn't believe he was doing this. Conning a con artist into moving in with him.
He fanned the cards between his hands and waited for Kaylee's answer. In the meantime, he tried not to pay attention to the specific shade of emerald her eyes were.
"What's the bet?" she asked.
He bit back a grin at the interest in her voice. If she hadn't somehow worked this entire thing out so it ended with him folding out his couch bed for her, he could appreciate the way she couldn't seem to resist a dare.
"Double or nothing," he said, shuffling the cards again.
"I don't have anything…"
"You have a horse, I believe?" Ezra said.
He saw the horror in her eyes as soon as he said it.
"A well trained barrel horse is worth a fair amount," he said, hating that for the first time all evening she looked like she was going to cry. Hating that he was the one pushing her to this. He steeled himself. It wasn't like he was going to let her lose this time. Choosing the right cards was the easiest, and oldest, trick in the book.
"You want my horse?" she whispered, clutching the large mongrel of a dog closer.
"I want a good deal," he corrected her. "And I only get your horse if you lose. We each draw, high card wins. It would give you the assurance of a place to sleep each night."
She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, looking at the cards he shuffled. Suddenly, she snapped her gaze up to him, the determination in her eyes surprising him. "Let's go," she said.
Ezra shuffled the deck one last time, and held the deck out to her.
She drew an eight.
Not that it mattered what she drew.
He took the top card from the deck. In all that shuffling, he hadn't moved the top card.
He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. "A two," he said mildly. "It appears as though your horse will remain in your possession."
The stark relief on her face couldn't be an act.
He stood, moving the deck between his hands. "I will be turning in shortly. I'll leave a blanket and pillow on the couch for you. I trust you can find your way to my rig?"
She looked up at him like he was some sort of knight in shining armor, seeming to forget he was the one who had put her in this predicament when he took her money in the first place.
He wanted to bask in that look, wished he was the kind of man who deserved it. Instead he felt the painful tendrils of shame, vine like appendages that wrapped around his lungs and squeezed, make themselves known. He had thought he was free of that feeling, now that he had been accepted into the group of close-knit friends who watched each other's backs as if they were gunslingers in the old west. Maybe he never would be free of it. Most likely he never would deserve to be free of it.
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