Deadly Is the Night Read Online Free PDF Page A

the stage depot. The others were hugging and kissing good-bye. Both of the other women came over and spoke to her as the men loaded their saddles and war bags in the back rack.
    Chet waved at his wife and climbed aboard facing the back. Jesus took a place beside him and Spencer rode in the backseat. In a clatter of hooves, with driver Pike Moore shouting at his teams, they went rocking off to Hayden’s Ferry.
    â€œYour wife doing fine living in town?” Chet asked Jesus.
    â€œShe says at first it was different, but she says she really likes her privacy now she has it. The lady next door walks to the store with her. The merchants treat her very politely. And she attends church twice a week. So far she says it is fine.”
    â€œHow about your lady?” he asked Spencer.
    â€œWe had a long talk the past two days. She promised to give us some more time. She really likes your wife. When she learned about what happened to her, she asked if we should go see her. Then she changed her mind and said you were there and she didn’t need us.”
    â€œYou think she will find her a place in your life?”
    â€œI really hope so. But who knows—her life with me is not wild partying and raising hell with men.”
    â€œA woman has to decide, I guess, whether she wants a real life and family or just a good time.”
    â€œI’ve been around several crazy women of the night. She doesn’t act like that even when we’re alone. But I guess they act like other women, too, when they aren’t raising hell. I’d say she hasn’t found a track to run on in her life so far.”
    â€œGood luck.”
    Jesus chuckled. “Yeah, mine never wanted to marry me and now she says she really likes it.”
    â€œGood for you. Chet, is your wife okay?”
    â€œDisappointed. But she comes up fighting. It bothered her the whole time she was not pregnant. Now she lost it she’s slipped back some in her disappointment. But we have each other. I have two sons. She really wanted one. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens next.”
    â€œI can’t believe your story how she came to you to buy a gold horse and ended up marrying you.”
    Jesus shook his head and laughed. “It happened. I was there. But the best part was her wading in the Santa Cruz River and him afterwards drying her feet and she thought he was like Jesus and the apostles before the Last Supper.”
    â€œHow was that?”
    â€œShe asked if she could wade in that small river. I said yes. There she was, pretty as any woman I ever knew in the golden sunlight, shafts coming down through the giant cottonwood leaves, her kicking water and wading around like a ballerina. I was in such awe and she came out saying that I sure had lots of patience to put up with her foolishness. I had gotten a towel to dry her feet so she could put her socks and boots back on. That was all.”
    â€œMan, I could see her doing that. Well tell me—” They hit a large bump and had to regain their seats. “Then what happened?”
    â€œShe asked me to bathe her. That was hard but it didn’t seem out of order to her. She later said, “I know I was bold but I wanted you to see me as I was.” Later we danced the night away and then took my bedroll and made love in the hay. I can’t forget the night every time I am around hay.”
    â€œDid you commit to her anything?”
    Chet shook his face. “We said we’d write. I was on the go and no letters followed me I guess. I thought she had gone back to her hacienda for good. When I got back to Tubac she’d written two letters to me. Boy I was elated. She had a plan to have guards take her to the border. Could I pick her up there? I said I’d send Jesus to go get her, and Ortega’s wife Maria told me I had to go get her myself. If it was her and I’d sent some guy to go get her, she’d have gone back