“What are those white marks on some of the buildings?”
“That means they’ve been checked out and are safe to enter. A lot of these places were in pretty bad condition.”
“Can we go in the saloon? I’d like to see it.”
“I thought you might. They started work on it yesterday. The saloon and the hotel were actually in better shape than we expected.” He pushed open the doors and led Charley inside.
Murky light filtered in through a set of dirt-covered windows at the front of the building, but it was enough to see the old bar that still held pride of place across one wall. The scent of long abandonment mixed with the odor of fresh sawdust.
Charley moved to the bar and ran a finger across the top, leaving a line in the dust that covered the wood. “Are you going to keep it?”
Cole nodded. “It looks pretty ratty right now, but I’ve got some specialists who are going to restore it. They seem to think it’s worth salvaging.”
“I think they’re right. This looks like good wood under all the dirt.” She turned in a circle, her eyes squinting as she surveyed the room. “Wonder if there really were gunfights in here?”
“Apparently. Kristy found some old newspapers that covered a span of about ten years. A few of them mentioned gunfights. The losers are still up on Boot Hill.”
Charley shivered. “You may really have a few ghosts floating around.” She turned again and then pointed at the stairs. “What’s up there?”
Cole smiled. “The rooms where the saloon girls ‘entertained’ their cowboys and miners.”
“Oh, this I have to see.” She turned toward the stairs.
“I’m afraid there’s not much there right now,” he said, as she started up. “All the rooms are empty.”
“That’s okay.” She smiled at him over her shoulder. “I have a good imagination.”
Charley had almost reached the top step when Cole felt the vibration. The stairs wobbled and a fine haze of dust sifted down from under the frame. “Charley, stop.” He tried to keep the panic out of his voice even as he moved carefully toward her.
“What’s wrong?” She stood poised above him, looking down in puzzlement.
“Don’t move. The stairs are loose.”
“Loose?” Instantly she gripped the railing and the stairs groaned at the movement. She froze. “Cole?”
“It’s okay, just stay still.” His mind spun furiously. If he started up after her, his weight would bring them crashing down. There were probably ladders in one of the other buildings, but he didn’t dare take the time to find one. There was only one thing they could do. “Charley, you’re going to have to jump. Do you think you can vault the railing?”
Her face was pale, but she gave a tiny nod. “I think so.”
“Okay, it’s going to have to be smooth. Don’t hesitate once you start. I’ll be here to catch you.” Fear constricted his chest so tightly he could barely breathe. “On three. Ready?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He sucked air into his starved lungs. “One…two…three.”
On the last number, Charley moved. With both hands gripping the rail, she vaulted. Time slowed to a crawl as the staircase began to move with her, and Cole’s horror intensified. Instead of collapsing, the stairs were toppling over right in their direction.
Instinctively, he forced tensed muscles to relax and then reached for Charley. Letting her weight carry them to the floor, he rolled, taking her with him, covering her body with his own.
The crash was deafening in the saloon, and Cole felt a whoosh of air next to him. Dust billowed, covering them in the sudden silence. For a second, neither of them moved. “Charley?” He raised his head to look at her.
“I’m okay, I think.”
Cole dropped his forehead onto hers, relief sweeping over him in giddy waves. “Thank God,” he whispered.
“No,” she said. “Thank you. Those stairs would have crushed me if you hadn’t been there. I thought this building was supposed to be safe?”
“So did I.” His tone was grim as he moved off of her. The edge of the stairs was less than an inch from their bodies, and he shuddered again at how close they had come. “And I intend to find out why it wasn’t.”
He stood and pulled her to her feet. Both of them were covered head to toe in dust. “Let’s get out of here before something else happens.”
“Good idea.” She took a step and winced.
“Charley? What’s wrong?”
“My leg. Maybe I’m not quite as ‘fine’ as I thought I was.”
Cole looked down at her leg and his heart stopped again. “You’re bleeding!” Without thought, he scooped her up in his arms and headed out the door. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”
Chapter Eleven
“Cole, I really don’t think it’s much more than a scratch. It just surprised me when I put my weight on it.”
He balanced her carefully while he opened the car door, then slid her onto the seat. “Let me see.” Dropping to one knee in front of her, he turned her leg and examined the tear in her jeans. It wasn’t large enough to give him a view of the wound, so he inserted his fingers and tore the material all the way to the hem.
Beginning at the top of her calf, the scratch ran to just above her ankle, ending at a small puncture. It wasn’t deep, but the sight of Charley’s blood infuriated him all over again. This should never have happened, and he would get to the bottom of it before the day was over.
“Well?” Charley was looking in the other direction with great determination.
“You were right, it’s just a long scratch, but it looks like you may have a sliver of wood just under the skin. I think I can get it out.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and braced her hands on his shoulders. “Okay, go ahead.”
Cole propped her foot up on his thigh and gripped the top of the splinter between his fingers. With one fast pull, he yanked the inch-long piece of wood out, and then stanched the fresh flow of blood with his thumb. “It’s out. You can look now.”
She leaned over, looked, and shuddered. “I hate blood. Especially when it’s my own.”
He checked to make sure the bleeding had stopped, then swung her feet into the car. “As soon as we get home, we can clean it out and bandage it.” And he desperately needed to sit down. Reaction was setting in, and his legs were so wobbly he could barely stand on them. Charley could have been killed, and the thought terrified him.
His knuckles whitened on the steering wheel as he started the car and backed out of the lot. The minute they were back on the highway, he reached for his cell phone and punched his home number. “Kristy? I want you to get Hank Farrell on the phone. Charley and I were just out at Duncan Mills and the staircase in the saloon collapsed while she was on it.”
There was a second of shocked silence. “Oh, my stars. Are you both okay?”
“Charley has a scratch on her leg, but we’re both fine. Now, I want to know who was responsible for marking that building safe when it obviously wasn’t, and I want to know tonight. I’ll be at Charley’s. Have Hank call me there, and he better have a damn good explanation ready when he does.”
“Cole, that building was safe. I’d swear it. I was up and down those stairs myself at least a dozen times today with no problem.”
“Well, there sure was a problem tonight,” he snapped. Charley’s head was leaned against the back of the seat, but she turned to look at him at his tone. He took a deep breath to try and calm down. “I’m sorry, Kristy. This isn’t your fault. Just get Hank out there to take a look. I don’t want any more accidents like this one.”
“I’ll call him right now. Is there anything else you need me to do?”
He glanced down at his dirty clothes. “Yeah. Can you bring me a change of clothes? I need to get Charley home, and I don’t want to leave her alone tonight.”
The smile in Kristy’s voice was apparent when she answered him. “You bet. Shall I just bring your entire wardrobe???
?
Cole grinned. “I wish. See you later.” He clicked the phone off.
“You wish what?”
He glanced at Charley. Damn. She would have to pick up on that one thing from the entire conversation. “I think Kristy is trying to get rid of me. She just volunteered to bring all my clothes to your house.” He tried to sound casual, but was afraid he’d failed miserably.
She was silent for so long they had almost reached Canyon Bend before she spoke. “And you said you wished? Why?”
Cole turned onto her street and pulled into her driveway. This conversation had suddenly headed for shaky ground, and he wasn’t at all sure she was ready to take that step, but he wasn’t going to lie to her. Instead of getting out, he faced her. “For me, the thought of living together has a lot of appeal. Does the idea bother you?”
She shifted nervously in the seat, her gaze moving away from him. “I don’t know. I think it surprises me more than it bothers me.”
“Why does it surprise you?”
Surprise? Shock would be more like it, Charley thought ruefully. She glanced at Cole’s face. He was watching her intently, and she got the impression that he was holding his breath. “Because you’ve only been back a few weeks now, and last night was the first time we spent the night together. I know it sounds clichéd, but isn’t this rather sudden?”
He smiled and moved one hand to her nape. “I know what I want. Why waste time?”
Her heart was trying to push the words of acceptance out of her mouth, but she hesitated. It would only make the pain worse when he left. She had to stall. “Why would you want to move into my place when you have the Carstairs house?”
Warm fingers caressed her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. “Truthfully, I’d rather you moved in there with me.” His voice dropped into the husky range. “Our house, Charley. It always has been, and it always will be. The only thing missing is you.”
Tears welled in her eyes. He was right. It was their house. “That’s not playing fair, Cole, and you know it.”
“Is it working?”
She brushed at the moisture on her cheeks. “I can’t give you an answer now, Cole. I need time to think about it.”
He pulled her closer and let his lips brush hers. “There’s no rush, Charley. I’m not going anywhere. Take all the time you need.”
Now it was her turn to wish. She wished she could believe he would stay this time, but she couldn’t. Sooner or later he would vanish from her life. It was something she knew and accepted. Even as she watched his tall, muscular form move around the car, a tiny voice in her head was urging her to give in. Images of waking up with him every morning, sharing breakfast over the newspaper, lounging together on the couch after work while they talked, all tumbled through her mind rapid-fire. God, how she wanted it, ached for it. Ached for him so badly she could taste it.
The car door opened, but when she would have stepped out Cole stopped her.
“Oh, no you don’t. I’ll carry you.”
“Cole, it’s not that bad. I can walk.”
The look he gave her almost brought her heart to a standstill.
“I know you can. But when I realized those stairs were falling with you on them, it scared me half to death. Let me take care of you tonight, Charley. It’s what I need to do.”
She reached up and put her arms around his neck.
* * * * *
By the time someone knocked on the door an hour later, Charley was ensconced on the couch, her foot lying in state on a pillow Cole had placed on the stool. Not only had he insisted on bathing her and washing her hair, but after he’d disinfected her cut and bandaged it, he’d made tea for her. She’d never felt so pampered in her whole life. She could get used to this, real easy.
“Don’t get up,” Cole told her when the knock sounded. “It’s probably Kristy.”
“Like I could even if I wanted to,” she mumbled, reaching for her tea.
He returned with an overnight bag in one hand and Kristy beside him. The blonde took one look at the thick layer of gauze that encased Charley’s leg from her knee to her ankle, and paled. “Oh, heavens. Are you sure you shouldn’t be in the hospital?”
“I’m sure.” Charley tried to hide her grin behind her cup. “It’s just a scratch.”
Kristy was still looking doubtful. “I’ve seen less bandages on people in dire need of massive surgery.”
Charley laughed. “I promise, it isn’t as bad as it looks. I think Cole has just discovered a hidden fetish for gauze.”
Cole’s face reddened slightly. “Okay, so I’m not a doctor. I figured if a little was good, a lot would be better.”
Kristy grinned at Charley. “Can you walk like that?”
“Only if I want to look like a penguin that fell into a bleach bottle.” She indicated the white terry cloth robe she wore.
“Now I’m afraid to leave you alone with him. It’s a wonder he doesn’t have you in traction.”
Charley almost dropped her tea. “I think the thought did cross his mind. But I promise, he’s a lot better nurse than he is a doctor.”
“He’d almost have to be.” Kristy turned back to Cole. “I got in touch with Hank, and he was on his way to Duncan Mills when I left. He’ll call you as soon as he knows anything.”
Cole nodded. “Good. Did he say how long it would take?”
“No, but I’m sure it will be a few hours, at least. You know Hank. He won’t stop until he knows exactly what went wrong. Try to get some rest. Both of you,” she added, looking at Charley.
“We will. Goodnight.” Charley smiled and waved as Kristy headed for the door.
“I need to take a shower and get out of this dirt.” Cole picked up the carryall. “Will you be okay?”
Charley grinned at him. “Unless the house catches on fire and I have to run for it.”
He laughed. “Okay, maybe I did overdo it just a little. I’ll fix the gauze when I get out of the shower.”
“Thank you.” Charley gave a sigh of heartfelt relief.
* * * * *
Cole hung up the phone and glanced at the clock next to the bed. It was after one a.m. Moving silently, he slid off the bed and into his jeans. Charley hadn’t even twitched when the phone rang, and he was just as glad. He needed time to think about what Hank had told him before he talked to her.
His gaze moved over her. In spite of her attempt to act brave, he knew today had scared her badly. She had been emotionally exhausted by the time they went to bed, and he suspected his unplanned bid to get her to live with him hadn’t helped her state of mind. But at least she hadn’t said no.
Barefoot, he padded into the kitchen and flipped on a light. Normally, coffee would be the last thing he’d want in the middle of the night, but there was little chance he’d sleep again, anyway. When it was finished, he poured a cup and carried it out onto Charley’s back porch, perching on the rail as he sipped the hot liquid.
According to Hank, someone had deliberately sabotaged the stairs in the saloon. The braces had been knocked out from under them, and the nails had been pried loose from the frame. It was nothing short of amazing that Charley had made it as far up the steps as she had. If it had been his greater weight, they never would have held that long.
Hank and one entire crew of men were going over every inch of Duncan Mills, making sure nothing else had been tampered with. Cole didn’t think they’d find anything. Whoever had done it knew that of all the buildings in the ghost town, the saloon was the most likely place for him and Charley to explore. And there was only one person who had known they were going to be there that evening. Victor Channing.
Victor’s words from Charley’s birthday party ran through his mind again. “I’m warning you for the last time, Jordan. Stay away from my niece.” He’d thought it was an empty threat, but maybe Victor was more desperate than he’d realized. Desperate enough to risk hurting Charley just to get at him?
Cole ran a hand through his hair in frustration. Nothing Victo
r did would surprise him. Briefly, he thought of calling Ben Zimmerman, then discarded the idea. What would he tell him? That he suspected Victor was trying to kill him? Not only would Ben laugh him out of the county, Charley would never speak to him again. No, he’d just have to keep his suspicions to himself. And keep a closer eye on Victor.
* * * * *
The ringing of the phone yanked Charley out of sleep, and groggily she reached for it before the murmur of a voice from the kitchen told her someone had already answered. Cole. The sheets on his side of the bed were cool, and the scent of coffee and bacon drifted on the air.
She settled back down on the bed, her sleep-muddled thoughts going over everything that had happened yesterday. While terrifying, the accident took a backseat to Cole’s later revelation. He wanted her to live with him.
Why? Because he cared about her? Charley rubbed her eyes, then rolled onto her stomach and cradled the pillow under her head. He certainly had been acting like it since the accident. After his shower they had cuddled up together on the sofa and watched TV, laughing like loons at a rerun of “Robin Hood, Men in Tights.” It had felt so good, just being with him.
Somewhere deep inside, she knew she was halfway to telling him she would move in with him. And yet, something held her back. When he’d left last time, she’d only had his proposal and one night of love to deal with, and it had almost killed her. Could she survive a second time after sharing so much more with him?
He had told her he wasn’t going anywhere, and she could tell he believed it. But whatever had taken him away from her before still hung between them. What was stopping it from happening again? She sighed, and pushed the thoughts from her mind. She loved him, and they were together. For now, today, that was all she would think about. Sooner or later Cole would tell her why he’d left. When he did, she would face the choices fate had handed her and deal with them. Until then, she just wanted to be happy.
After a quick trip to the bathroom, she pulled a nightshirt out of a drawer and slipped it over her head. Cole was just hanging up the phone when she entered the kitchen, and she couldn’t resist putting her arms around him and snuggling against his chest. Every time they made love it seemed as though the bond they shared tightened even more. Face it, Charley, she thought. Even if he stayed forever, you’d never get enough of him.