front corner of the canvas. The figure in the background was barely sketched in, but he had the ominous feeling that he might be the subject. There was something uncomfortably familiar about the figure's stance with hands in pocket and shoulders thrown back. The child in the picture was apparently offering him something, but the object wasn't finished yet. The whole subject made him uneasy.
Manuel and Jose burst in at that moment, followed by Carmen. Evie scowled at Tyler as he continued to peruse her work, but she was forced to ignore him as she shepherded the boys into cleaning up before they came to the table.
Without comment, Tyler handed the piece to Daniel. Then he bent and picked Maria up and put her on the high stool evidently meant for her. The boys' excited chatter filled the sudden silence between the adults as they settled at the table.
Tyler watched as Evie bustled around making certain everyone had what they needed, including Daniel, who had to eat in his corner. She was not only a beautiful liar and a woman who could handle four children and a rebellious adolescent at once, but she had talent that he had never suspected.
What else was he going to find out about Evie Peyton before she put the noose around him and lynched him good?
Chapter 22
"That was a delightful dinner, Evie, but I've got a game waiting for me over at the Red Eye." Tyler moved his chair back from the table and eyed his hostess warily as she passed the dishes to Carmen to wash. As far as he could tell, she wasn't wearing his ring. He didn't know what to make of that.
The look Evie gave him was fulminating, but not clear as to his transgression.
"Why, go and play and have a good time, Mr. Monteigne. Perhaps we'll see you again before you move on."
She didn't even need to lace her words with scorn. They were quite effective all by themselves. Tyler stood and reached for his hat. She knew he made his living by gambling. She didn't have to make it sound like he was just out for a good time. And that crack about moving on deserved some kind of retribution, but not in front of the kids.
He needed to come back and have a good long talk with Miss Evie Peyton, but now wasn't the time. He had new reasons for wanting to add to the stack of cash he was accumulating in that bank back in Natchez, and time was wasting while he stood here arguing with this woman he wasn't certain he could call wife.
"I need to talk with you when you get a chance. Alone." Tyler added the emphasis when Evie just gave him one of those tantalizing smiles.
"I'm sure you do, sir, but as you can see, that's not likely to happen any time soon. But we'll be happy to have you for dinner if you happen by." Evie removed the damask tablecloth and took it to the back door to shake it out, deliberately turning her back him.
Tyler reckoned she wanted to shake him just like that cloth, so he said his farewell to Daniel, gave Carmen a charming smile, and left.
Several hours, a few hundred dollars, and a few drinks later, Tyler gazed with satisfaction at his winning hand until he caught sight of one of the saloon girls sweeping down the stairs in a pink gown that he had reason to remember very well. His hand halted over his stack of coins. Instead of raising the ante, he laid his cards out and collected his winnings while following that pink dress through the crowded saloon with his gaze. He felt fury simmering, a fury that he had long ago buried and thought under control until a certain infuriating female had appeared in his life.
He wasn't going to let her do this to him. He was comfortable, with nothing to lose. He had no reason to fight, no reason to get angry, and all the world was at his feet. He ought to just sit back down and continue with his game, but he was on his feet and following that pink gown without giving his actions a second thought.
From out of the corner of her eye, Starr watched Tyler rise and noted his direction. For a saloon this far west the Red Eye had a certain elegance, and Tyler Monteigne's formal frock coat and tie suited it well. The cowboys lined along