took the hotel stairs two at a time and walked in on Benjamin. Ben had already tired of lying about and was oiling his gun by the window when Tyler entered.
Ben threw his friend an enigmatic look. "Appears you've found some acquaintances already. You planning on heading out?"
"They've got a cattle ranch. I'm going to check out their operation. Feel well enough to come along?"
Ben gave him a look of disdain. "I don't need no redneck farmers around me, thank you. What in hell would I want with cows?"
Tyler casually twirled his hat on his hand. "They've just brought in a herd of wild mustangs they mean to tame. Thought you might be interested."
Ben started piecing the gun back together. "And what about them kids you brought out here?"
"Evie's already got a job as the new schoolteacher. I don't see anything dangerous around here that they need protecting from. I'll go tell them where to find us while you pack."
Ben grunted disapprovingly as Tyler sauntered out.
Evie answered her door, and Tyler felt the shock of her proximity as if this were his first time with a woman. She was still wearing the dark blue gown that made her eyes look warm and sultry, and his gaze drifted to the curve of her breasts. They were as beautifully proportioned as the rest of her, and he hadn't even taken the time to enjoy them. Lord, but he had been an ass.
He suddenly realized that they weren't alone. Giggles issued from the room behind her, and he looked over Evie's shoulder to a pair of young girls in short skirts and loose hair streaming down their backs. He silently cursed and returned his gaze to Evie, who smiled mockingly.
At his questioning glance, she replied, "Philly and Delphia, the daughters of Mr. Averill, the newspaper editor. They will be two of my students."
"I suppose I could make a wild stab at where Mr. Averill hails from." Tyler remained in the hallway, though Evie had stepped aside to allow him in.
"Wouldn't you like to meet them?"
Tyler took a step backward, as if she had just offered to introduce him to the devil. "Not particularly. I came to tell you I'll be staying out at the Harding ranch for a while, in case you need anything." His gaze drifted past the giggling girls to an easel by the window. The canvas was turned so he couldn't see the picture. He had the urge to walk in, make himself at home, and examine it, but their audience made him nervous. He didn't know Evie painted.
She watched him with puzzlement. "Don't you like children, Mr. Monteigne?"
"I wouldn't know. I've never had any. Well, if you don't need me for anything, I'll be off then."
Feeling like a fly escaping a sticky ointment, Tyler made a sketchy bow and practically ran for the stairs. Evie's laughter chimed with the giggles of the children as she closed the door, and Tyler closed his eyes and clutched the wall for a brief moment before descending. Echoes of similar sounds rocked his memory, and he fought them off, banishing the joyful noise to the dark recesses of his mind where it belonged.
Summoning his usual demeanor, he clattered down the wooden stairs to find Daniel limping through the doorway, a smile wider than the horizon on his face. At sight of Tyler, his eyes lit.
"I've got a job! Mr. Averill said I could start out proofreading his work and learn typesetting when things were slow. I'll be learning all about the newspaper business. Have you ever seen printing presses? They're..."
Tyler interrupted the monologue with a wave of his hand. Remembering the giggling girls in Evie's room, he asked wryly, "Does she always get her way?"
Daniel didn't have to think twice to know what he was talking about. He grinned. "Usually."
"Thanks for the warning." Holding out his hand, he offered, "Congratulations on your new job. I just told Evie that Ben and I are heading out for the Harding ranch for a while. If you should need anything, you just send someone out there."
The smile disappeared from Daniel's face as he shook Tyler's hand. "Are you going to stay around awhile? It could be weeks before that lawyer comes back." He stopped, as if realizing he had said too much.
Tyler pretended not to notice. "I'm not making any promises. The Hardings seem to be influential men around here. Should I be trying to find out anything from them?"
Daniel hesitated. Making a decision, he answered,