Robert looked at her suspiciously. "What business do you have with Indians?"
"Ain't none of yours, that's what. If you ain't going to help, best you just get. I don't need you looking all prickly and scaring off the decent folk what come in for a little morning poker. Vicky's doing enough of that as it is."
Victoria gave her a scowl. "I beg your pardon?"
"See? There you go again. I swear I'm the only person here who ain't sat on a cactus this morning."
With that, Cora took up her usual place behind the bar. Robert twisted a rag around his fingers, his face alternating shades of red and white, but he didn't move. Victoria remained where she was for a moment, then sat down at the nearest unoccupied table. Her blisters wailed in agony. Despite the pain, she fought the impulse to pull off her boots and give them some relief. The sight of her bare, bleeding feet would probably undermine whatever charm Cora expected her to use on the two men they were expecting.
The thought still made her furious. What did she know about seducing men? Her parents hadn't raised her to be wanton, winking at every man that crossed her path. Perhaps she enjoyed the occasional attention she garnered from young men, but what of that? She still had her dignity. Even if she didn't, she knew she would only end up embarrassing herself. Heaven knew her riding clothes weren't exactly alluring, and what guarantee did she have that these two Indians would even be able to understand her? They could very well not speak English. A fine sight that would be.
The batwing doors creaked as two men entered. Victoria knew right away that they were the men Cora was expecting. Both had broad faces, raven-colored hair, and black eyes that seemed to spark in the smoky air. To her surprise, however, they wore denim pants and flannel button-up shirts. Red kerchiefs hung around their necks. She had expected them to come dressed in skins and face paint and feathers, like the stories she'd heard of such men, but they looked more at home in the saloon than she had when she first arrived. But for their long braids, they might have passed for dark-skinned Mexican cowboys.
After giving the room a brief glance, the Indians stepped up to the bar. Cora set a pair of glasses in front of them and pulled out a familiar jug. Victoria could feel the fire in the back of her own throat as she watched the brown liquid flow. The two men nodded their thanks and drained their glasses.
"You boys care for another?" Cora asked. "It's on the house."
Robert started to sputter a protest, but she silenced him with a look. The two men nodded. Cora refilled their glasses with a grin. "Drink on up."
They obliged. Cora watched the whiskey disappear down their throats, her grin widening. Behind her, Robert deflated with a shake of his head. He moved down to the other end of the bar and settled in to watch a game of poker.
"Say, you fellers got a minute?" Cora asked. "I was wondering if you might answer some questions I got for you."
The two men exchanged glances. "What questions?" one finally asked.
"Nothing incriminating," Cora said, holding up her hands in surrender. "I ain't looking to get you all in trouble or nothing. Wouldn't be no kind of business owner if I went around getting my own customers locked up, anyhow."
Another glance. "What questions?" the one repeated.
Cora nodded in Victoria's direction. "See that pretty little thing over there?" Two sets of black eyes settled on her. Victoria returned what she hoped was a shy-yet-inviting smile. "You might have seen her around town lately. She's got herself in a bit of a fix, and she done came to me for help. Sorry to say, but I ain't got the know-how necessary to help her out, but then I thought of you two fellers and figured you might be able to lend her a hand."
Their eyes lingered on her. Victoria willed herself not to squirm under their gaze. Instead, she raised her eyebrows in a hopeful expression, as if her life really did hang in the balance. Then again, maybe it did.
Faces betraying no hint of emotion, they sized her up for a minute longer before one of them - the one who had spoken earlier - finally nodded. "We will hear your questions," he said. His accent was thick, but it