have to hitch up a bundle of clothes, or find a place to hide their bare butts while squatting to relieve themselves. For just a moment, she almost wished she was still back in Lizard Flats at the White Dove Saloon. At least there she’d had her own clean bed and a bath every night. Then she reminded herself that she’d gotten salvation and left the sinful part of her life behind. However, she couldn’t help but wonder what her decision might have been if she’d known how difficult it was to be a moral woman.
As soon as she was finished, she stomped out of the trees and strode toward the road. The men were straggling back to the stage; every now and then giving an assist to Eulis, who seemed unsteady on his feet. She knew that he was hurt and she was sorry, but it wasn’t her fault Shorty hadn’t missed even one hole in the road all day.
By the time she got back to the stage, Shorty and Big Will were up top. Eulis and Morris were inside and Boston Jones was standing by the door, holding it ajar for her. His lanky build and his greasy black hair made her think of a snake. Still, she’d seen worse and was inclined to withhold judgment until someone proved to be false. After that, God help them, because she would not.
She had one foot on the step when Boston suddenly leaned down near her ear.
“Feeling better now, are you?”
Letty stopped. Her gaze landed on Eulis, who was already regretting his rash behavior.
He’d heard Boston’s question, and he knew Letty in a way that the rest of the men did not. To begin with, she was no fragile shade of femininity, and right now she looked as if she was coming out of hell with her tail on fire.
Letty glanced toward Morris, who was cowering in the corner with his hands splayed across his face, then took a deep breath and backed down off the step. Once she and Boston were on firm ground, she looked at him and smiled.
“Why yes, I am. How about you?” she asked, then grabbed the gambler by his dingus and gave it a hard yank. To add insult to injury, she added a short twist before turning loose and climbing up into the coach.
Stifled by both shock and pain, the blood immediately rushed to Boston’s face, and then flowed out as quickly as he grabbed his crotch and dropped to his knees.
“Ever’body inside?” Shorty hollered.
“Aagghh,” Boston said, and threw up.
Shorty leaned over and looked down.
“What in hell is wrong now?”
Boston rolled over onto his side, drew his knees up to his chin and started talking in a tongue Shorty didn’t understand.
“Hey, Will, somethin’s wrong with the gambler. Throw him in the coach and let’s get movin’. I got me some time to make up.”
Big Will climbed down off the seat, thrust his hands beneath Boston’s arms and lifted. Despite the gambler’s best intentions, gravity prevailed and his legs dropped, which only increased his pain.
“Oooommmmyyyygggoooddd.”
“What’s wrong with you, man?” Big Will asked, and pushed him toward the open door of the coach.
Tears were streaming down Boston’s face. He visibly shuddered as he reached for the coach to steady himself.
“Come on, man,” Big Will said. “Shorty’s on a tear and ready to go, so you need to get on inside.”
Boston nodded as Big Will gave him another push. He tried to step up, but it felt as if someone had tied one end of a rope to his guts and the other end to his testicles, and tied it too short. He couldn’t get his foot off the ground without feeling as if someone had put his dingus in a vice, so he crawled in instead. He was still on his knees when he glanced up.
Letty was staring down at him in silence.
He whimpered. “Don’t hurt me.”
She leaned down until they were eye to eye.
“Were you speaking to me?”
He whimpered again. “No, ma’am.”
“I didn’t think so,” she said, and began tucking stray bits of her hair back into the bun at the top of her head.
Eulis eyed Letty nervously out of his good eye and then ran his finger along the swelling on his lower lip. He’d shot his wad of rebellion and was now willing to suffer in silence, if only she’d let him live.
“I’m sorry,” he muttered.
She didn’t bother to acknowledge his presence.
Morris chanced angering her further by helping Boston into the seat