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man, a decent man, respected all women, be they the
lowliest of whores or a genuine, high-society lady like Miz Montgomery. He sure
as hell didn’t lust after daughters of friends.
    They stopped in front of the open door and Ward helped his
siren-of-a-daughter into the coach.
    But Miz Montgomery didn’t act like high-society ladies.
Ladies didn’t say things like that. Then again, he thought disgusted as he went
over the conversation in his mind, she hadn’t really said anything bad, had
only implied it. Ah hell, she’d baited him and he’d gone for the bait
like a half-starved coyote. After which he’d high-tailed it into town, to the
Golden Nugget, even though it wasn’t one of his regular nights with Eva or May,
even though he’d been looking forward to spending an evening talking to Ward.
He couldn’t, not when he was lusting after the man’s daughter.
    It hadn’t done much good. Eva’d only taken the edge off,
because his brain insisted upon creating visions of black hair and
brandy-colored eyes.
    Ward turned to him and offered his hand. With the
Montgomerys in one coach and Melinda and the kids in the other, they were ready
to leave. “We are very much obliged to you, Nick, for your hospitality. You’ve
made this journey worth the while, regardless of its outcome.”
    Nick gave him his hand, and Ward’s greeted his with the
fairly-met grip of a man who had nothing to prove. “Monty’ll be fine, sir. I’ve
seen him in trouble before. He always lands on his feet.”
    Ward grimaced. “Aye, Nick, and that would be a comfort if my
son’s physical welfare were all that concerned me. However, the situation
surrounds other weighty matters of which Lee seems entirely unaware.”
    Jess Sullivan. Nick hesitated. He liked Jess, but he doubted
his view would hold any sway with Ward. A man like him made his own mind up. “I
reckon you’ll straighten it all out.”
    Ward nodded. “Indeed we will. Thank you, again, and should
you or your family ever find yourself back East, we should be greatly honored
if you would stay with us.”
    “And you too, if you’re ever back this way,” Nick replied,
meaning every word—until the window opened and Miz Montgomery leaned out. She
flashed her wide smile and said in her husky, singsong voice, “Why that is ever
so kind of you, Nicholas. I am sure we’d love to visit with you above all
things.”
    He stepped back and tipped his hat. “Any time, ma’am,” he
said politely as Ward scowled at his daughter and climbed in. Nick nodded at
Horace atop the carriage, who slapped the reins. They started off. For a moment
Nick watched them, squinting against the morning sun as they moved through the
valley. Oh yeah, she was an a-number one tease and good riddance to her. You,
woman , he thought, turning back to the ranch house, are a world of
trouble .

CHAPTER FOUR
 There is no animal more invincible than a woman,
Nor fire either, nor any wildcat so ruthless.
    Aristophanes, Lysistrata

Don Predro: She cannot endure to hear tell of a husband.
Leonato: O, by no means. She mocks all of her wooers out of suit.
    Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
December 1885, Denver
    Star took a sip of champagne and surveyed the small
ballroom, crowded with Jess and Lee’s wedding guests. A little more than a
month earlier, her confirmed-bachelor brother had shocked his family by
declaring that, far from having a fleeting interest in his actress, he had
formed a serious attachment to her. The news had all but sent Father into an
apoplexy. At length, however, between a kidnapping, a rescue, and one minor
gunshot wound, Lee had persuaded Father of Jess’s good character. A proposal
naturally followed, for one could not shoot a woman of good character without
proposing. Jess, displaying the perfect manners of the gunshot victim, had
accepted, and then insisted upon a wedding in Denver so that her acting troupe
might attend. Happily, Marvelous Melinda had insisted upon helping with the
wedding