Callahan's Gold (Southwest Desert Series Book 3) (18 page)

"You know what I think?" She ran a hand through her short dark hair, mussing it even more. "I think this is a repeat of history."

"What?"

She folded her arms. "Only I was lucky enough to find out about it sooner than my mother did."

"Tory, what are you talking about?"

"Oh, Dodge Callahan," she muttered, shaking her head slowly, "you're just like my father. You can't make a commitment."

"No, you're wrong, Tory. I'm different from Sharkey. I want you with me. I just haven't figured out how to keep you yet. But I will."

"Well, when you do, let me know what you've decided! And I'll see if it fits in my world!" She bolted from the room and slammed the bedroom door. Her frantic gaze fell on the rumpled bed where they'd made love, where they couldn't bear to be apart, where they were crazy for each other. Her eyes filled with tears, fogging the view. Furiously, she threw her suitcases on the bed and began piling her clothes into them.

This was it—the end! They'd been lovers . . . perfect lovers. But nothing more than perfect lovers. She couldn't believe her plan hadn't worked, her plan to make him love her. She'd wanted Dodge so badly. And she thought he wanted her. But, obviously not.

His voice sounded strained as he called through the closed door. "Tory, we're supposed to meet Ramona and Rex at noon at the Crystal Palace."

"I remember. I'll be ready." And then I'm leaving. Her heart was heavy with sadness as she finished packing.

In a spontaneous moment, she removed Sharkey's plaid shirt and stuffed it into a corner of her bag. Dodge wouldn't want it, and she would value it as a small memento of her father. Suddenly, her eyes filled with tears as she realized she really did regret never knowing him. And that meant more to her than any inheritance he could have left for her.

The Crystal Palace was crowded with tourists. Tory and Dodge were there first. They sat in the back near the framed antique roulette wheels in strained silence. Heck, the bartender, brought them cold drinks while they waited. Tory stared at the huge mahogany bar that covered one long wall, wondering how many lovers' quarrels it had witnessed. Or how many lovers had parted from there, heading for separate futures. Like her and Dodge.

Well, she'd come to Tombstone and stepped back in time, far enough to fall in love with a man very much like her father. Far enough to leave herself aching and brokenhearted, like her mother had been.

It would end between her and Dodge today. She had no illusions about them getting together again. That was a dream with no hope of coming true. They had loved, and now they would part, never to be together again.

"There she comes," Dodge said quietly, nodding toward Ramona entering the front door. "But Rex isn't with her. Wonder if he's all right?"

Tory watched Ramona's confident demeanor as she walked across the crowded room, slipping between the tourists who came to admire the antique bar and review times past. She recalled the first time she had seen Ramona and how she felt when she discovered Ramona was her father's lover. It was something close to hate. But then, she disliked a lot of people that day. Sharkey included.

Now that she had gotten to know Ramona, they had become good friends. And it was a friendship that would last, bonded by mutual respect and the crises they'd overcome.

Tory met her with a hug and a smile. "Okay, what gives? You look like you swallowed a canary!"

"Have I got some great news for you!" Ramona kissed Dodge's cheek, then sat opposite them.

"Where's Rex?" Dodge asked first.

"He's still in the hospital. They had to do a little corrective surgery on his arm, but he's going to be out and fine in a few days. I stopped by to see him this morning to give him the news, and he was sitting up in bed, letting a blond nurse feed him."

"Leave it to good ole' Rex to find the prettiest woman in the hospital and pretend to be helpless," Dodge said, chuckling. "I guess keeping him from medical attention those extra days didn't hurt him much. What about his other injuries?"

"Mostly minor." Ramona's dark eyes twinkled. "But still he was talking about needing special round-the-clock nursing care when I left."

Dodge rested his large hands on the table. "Tell us, Ramona, did we dig up enough gold to pay his hospital bills?"

Ramona couldn't keep from smiling and opened a couple of forms from her purse. "I think so. Here, these belong to you. They give an accounting of the assay preliminary evaluation. It'll be a few weeks before we know how much, and before any money is forthcoming, but it looks good. Very good."

Tory reached for the paper and scanned the confusing columns. "What does this mean?"

"Oh, more than twenty thousand. Each."

"Twenty? Twenty thousand dollars?" Tory couldn't contain her joy and jumped up to hug Ramona. "This is fantastic! Just great! Better than I ever dreamed."

"Me, too." Ramona nodded happily. "It'll mean I can start the Center for Southwestern Studies, something I've always wanted to do. We'll document and investigate every pictograph I've recorded. And we'll be able to study that ancient skull we found in the wash."

"You could have a whole new career, Ramona," Dodge said.

She nodded proudly. "All because of Sharkey."

"What about the cave room full of Indian artifacts?" Tory asked. "What will happen to those?"

"That entire area will be federally protected and preserved in its present state. The college will administer to its protection and be permitted to study the ghost town. The Indian ruins are at least two hundred years old, maybe more. It's all very exciting and will improve our academic standings in archeology studies."

"And yours as a professor?" Dodge added.

"Yes," she admitted with a shy grin. "I don't think I'll have any trouble getting my book on Indian pictographs published now. And I have ideas for about three others!"

"That's fantastic, Ramona," Tory said with enthusiasm. "I'm so proud of you! Now you have to promise you'll come to visit me in L.A. when your first book is published. I'll give you a big autographing party. Oh, we'll have a wonderful time together."

"So you're going back to L.A.?" Ramona looked pointedly at her, then to Dodge. He remained impassive.

Tory answered quickly. "Oh, yes, I have to get back to my business. Been gone too long now."

"What will you do with your money, Tory?"

She sighed. "First and foremost, it will allow me to pay off my debts. Then, I don't know. Maybe I'll give the shop a little facelift to improve business."

Ramona shifted and looked at Dodge. "What about you, Dodge? What will you do? It isn't quite enough to buy that cruiser and sail around the world."

"No, there won't be any cruises." He sighed with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "You're right, it isn't enough to make all our dreams come true, although it sounds like Ramona is coming pretty close."

She smiled sadly. "There is one dream I'll never see come true because Sharkey is gone."

"I think losing Sharkey was a great loss for all of us," Tory said.

Dodge and Ramona looked at her curiously. "Even for you, Tory?" Ramona asked softly.

"Especially me," Tory admitted painfully. "I came here, not as his daughter but as a stranger, angry about my past. Through all of you, I've been able to learn about my father and to get to know him a little bit. That knowledge has given me a connection with the past so I can understand myself better. I want to thank both of you for enduring me when I was so overbearing and miserable."

Ramona reached for Tory's hand. "Actually, we're the ones who have benefited the most, to get to know Sharkey's little girl."

"Thank you," Tory murmured shyly. "Well, it's time for me to leave. I have a plane to catch."

"I hate to see you go," Ramona admitted. "But that's selfish of me. I know you have other things to do." She looked at Dodge. "What about you? Are you going to stay here with your old job?"

"Teaching at the University of Nevada in Reno. It's time I settled down to a regular job and lived a regular life for a change."

Tory's hands knotted in her lap, but she said nothing. They'd be parting soon, her to go back to her old life, Dodge to live a "regular life." Why couldn't he live that regular life with her? There was only one reason, and it broke her heart to acknowledge it.

"A regular life for you sounds dull, Dodge," Ramona said with a little laugh. "Somehow I can't imagine that."

"Well, you never know. I may find another gold mine to explore out there."

Ramona folded her assay slip with her large hands and stuffed it into her purse. "Sharkey's mine will be closed forever. Fenced and boarded. What we got out of it will be the final digs because the mine backs up to the protected Indian ruins. If anyone should dig much further, or use explosives like we discussed, the whole thing could be ruined. They don't want to chance it, so I guess this is it."

"I'm happy with it," Dodge said.

"Me, too," Tory agreed. "Actually, it's more than I expected."

"That's because you expected nothing," Dodge mumbled.

"But I got a lot," Tory admitted. "I hope you'll all come to see me in L.A. Crazy as this sounds, I do appreciate the experience of going into the mountains. It was beautiful in many ways. It opened me up to another way of life that is totally different and even better in some ways than the city life I've always known."

Ramona stood and hugged Tory long and hard. "Meeting you has been a highlight, Tory. I wish you didn't have to go so soon."

"I know, but we'll probably see each other in a few months when they have Yazzie's trial. I'm definitely coming back for that," she promised. Slowly, she turned to Dodge.

He was already standing, and his hands went around her naturally.

She felt so clumsy with him. Why, just last night they'd made love. For the last time! Now she couldn't decide whether to hug him or shake his hand. She didn't think she could touch him casually, so she tried not to touch him at all. Like a dope, she leaned her cheek forward for a pecking kiss.

Refusing to settle for such, Dodge cupped her chin in one hand and lifted her face to his. The kiss was breathtaking and hard and lasted far too long. They broke away to applause and turned to see that every tourist in the place was watching them.

Tory was embarrassed and somewhat flustered. Grasping her purse, she hurried out amid a sprinkling of oohs and ahs from the audience.

Dodge watched her disappear, even listened for her footsteps on the wooden sidewalk. Then they, too, were gone. Even though the Crystal Palace was full, his life was now empty. He knew it and couldn't do a thing about it. In his cowboy style, he ambled over to the huge dark bar and ordered.

"Heck, give me a Scotch and water. No, make that a double."

Heck didn't raise an eyebrow. He just filled the glass with amber liquid and slid it in front of Dodge, then moved away.

Ramona walked over to the bar and stood next to Dodge. She was quiet for a moment, and looked up at him. She smiled sweetly, although her dark eyes were cold. "You know, Dodge, you always were a lot like Sharkey. Sometimes that's pretty good, sometimes not. Right now, I think you're the biggest damn fool I've ever known, except for Sharkey. That woman loves you. And from that stupid expression on your face, you love her. But you're too big a fool to know it. Or to know what to do about it."

She wheeled around and walked out of the Crystal Palace.

Dodge just stared at her, and he turned back to his Scotch. But it didn't help.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

"Tory! There's been a big mistake!"

"Huh?" Tory whirled her chair back around to the desk. Daydreaming out the office window held more interest for her than the piles of rubble on her desk. Somewhere in that rat's nest was Cliff Snyder's letter stating that Yazzie's trial was set for September. She and the others would be subpoenaed, so she should make the appropriate arrangements to take a short leave from work. She and the other sun seekers would be there, including Dodge.

Dodge's note was there on her desk, too. But she knew exactly where it was. She had hidden it beneath the right corner of the large flat calendar.

Megan, Tory's assistant, strode into the office waving a pink order blank. "This just can't be right." She jerked open a drawer of the gray metal cabinet and began leafing furiously through the files.

"What's wrong?" Lethargically, Tory watched as Megan flipped back her straight blond hair and mumbled to herself as she searched the files. Tall, statuesque Megan was a natural with sales at Tall and Terrific. She was also a natural with the bookkeeping. And the ordering.

Megan didn't halt her search but said over her shoulder, "I'm positive we only ordered thirty, but they've delivered three hundred! Now what are we going to do with three hundred alpaca vests? Aha! Here it is!" She pulled out a corresponding sheet and studied it with pursed lips.

"What does it say?"

"Says here three hundred." Megan looked at Tory. "Your initials."

Tory's blue eyes widened. "Oh, good heavens! Did I do that? I'm so sorry ..."

Megan shook her head. "Don't apologize, Tory. I'll see what I can do about rectifying it."

"Maybe I should go talk to him since it's my mistake."

"No, let me." Megan paused and looked closely at her boss. "It's probably none of my business, Tory, but you're just not with it these days. You haven't been since you returned from Tombstone. I don't understand. It's like you just don't care anymore."

"But I do care. It's just a simple mistake." She ran her fingers through her hair. "I know, I know. No mistake is simple."

"Maybe I should do all the ordering to prevent this from happening again."

Tory nodded weakly and watched rather helplessly as her capable assistant whirled out of the room. She tapped her glossy fingernails on a tiny cleared spot on the desk and listened as Megan explained the mistake to the delivery man. What was wrong with her? In her heart, she knew. She had fallen helplessly, hopelessly, in love with a rake and a rambler named Dodge Callahan. And he was not in love with her.

She looked down and studied the mess on her desk. She really should get this stuff organized. Tomorrow. She'd do it tomorrow.

Megan's pleading voice hushed, and Tory waited expectantly.

It was a few minutes before Megan reappeared, a cup of hot tea in each hand. With her elbow, she cleared a corner of the desk and set the cups down. "Hope you have lots of friends who'd like Alpaca vests for birthday and Christmas presents for the next ten years. We're stuck with them."

"Oh, no!"

"Oh, yes. Signed and sealed. A deal is a deal." Megan posed with a finger alongside her cheek. "Maybe we can come up with some crazy promo
tion and give them away."

"It's a thought."

Megan laughed off Tory's seriousness and reached into the bottom drawer for a small brown bag. "I've closed the shop so we can take a lunch break. We'll discuss vest gimmicks later. Right now, there's something else."

Tory smiled and sipped her tea. "Okay, what's on your mind?"

"Look, I don't know what's bugging you, Tory, but I feel we should talk about it. We've been friends as well as coworkers for a long time, and I wish you'd share it with me. Maybe you're worried about the upcoming trial with all the negative ramifications it might have."

"No, I feel very positive about that. It's the one thing I can do for my father. Our only link. I'm looking forward to testifying against the bastard who killed him."

Megan nodded silently and studied Tory's intent expression. "Well, if not the trial, what is it then?"

"Oh, Megan, I haven't meant to exclude you," Tory said earnestly. "But you're right. I've had a lot on my mind lately, and I haven't been very alert to the business at hand. Actually, I've been thinking seriously about selling the shop."

Megan's eyes flew wide open at Tory's bombshell. "What?"

"Don't worry, I intended all along to offer it to you first. In fact, I want you to have it so much that I'm willing to work with you on the finances. You do want it, don't you?"

"Yes, but this comes as a shock! You've never even mentioned selling out completely. I had no idea you were thinking about this."

"I know. I just came up with the idea recently." Tory played with her cup nervously. "It was a hard decision to make. There are lots of memories around here."

Megan smiled gently. "Tall and Terrific was your mother's pride and joy. But you made it successful."

"That's just it," Tory agreed. "The shop was Mama's, not mine. I merely helped her run it and evolved into being the manager when she was sick. Of course, when I inherited it, I tried to carry on. But it just wasn't the same without her around. And I just don't have the enthusiasm for this type of business."

"I can see that."

"But you, Megan . . . Why, right from the start, you had a way with the customers and a feel for the business. That's why you're just the right person to run it, and I'd feel good about selling to you, whereas to a stranger ..." Tory's voice dwindled to nothing, and Megan filled in the silent gap.

"I do love this type of work. And this shop. I love the idea of me owning Tall and Terrific." She looked sharply at Tory. "Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

Tory's smile was sad but firm. "Yes."

"But what will you do?"

"I honestly don't know yet. I haven't given it much thought."

Megan looked closely at her friend. "You haven't thought about the future? Maybe you should wait a little while before making a final decision. I don't mind, honestly."

"No, I've decided for sure. I'm going to sell it to you, Megan."

The two looked at each other for a moment, then fell into a warm embrace.

"I can't believe this is happening to me," Megan said happily, and opened her lunch bag.

"Maybe we should go out to lunch and have some wine to celebrate," Tory suggested.

Megan shook her head. "This may not be very appropriate, but it'll have to do. I think we both need to save our money." She pulled out several small packages and lined them up on the desk. "Take your pick. Boiled egg. Ritz crackers and—"

Tory gasped audibly. "Not Ritz crackers and peanut butter!" Surely she didn't have Ritz crackers and peanut butter, Dodge's old standby.

"No, but that's another favorite." Megan chuckled. "This is almost as bad. Ritz and cheddar cheese. You like it?"

Tory sighed with crazy relief. "Yes, cheese on a Ritz is fine." She had to stop doing this, letting her mind go berserk, letting everything remind her of him. Why, cheese and peanut butter were common foods, not restricted to a rangy cowboy named Dodge Callahan. Still, her hands fluttered, and she fumbled the small cracker sandwich and dropped it right into her tea cup. "Oh, drat! Look what a mess I've made! How awkward of me!" She took the cup into the adjoining bathroom and dumped it into the toilet.

"Tory, are you all right?"

"Yes, sure. Just a little flighty today." She emerged with a fake smile.

"Shall I fix you more tea?"

"No—uh—yes. No, you stay there, Megan. I'll do it. I can certainly fix myself a cup of tea."

Curiously, Megan watched Tory's nervous antics. Finally, Tory sat down again, with fresh tea and another Ritz with cheese. "It's that man, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

Tory's blue eyes shot open, then dropped just as quickly. "What make you say that?"

"Just a feeling I have. It's that man you met in Tombstone. Dodge Callahan. Wonderful name, Dodge Callahan," she murmured dreamily. "Have you heard from him?"

Tory swallowed hard and decided to try to talk about him. If she couldn't tell her closest friend, who could she tell? Anyway, maybe talking about it might relieve this tremendous pain deep inside her. "Actually, yes. I got a note from him just this week inviting me up to see him in Reno."

"Great! Then that's why you're so nervous."

"No, I don't think so." Tory kept her eyes averted and tried to convince herself it didn't matter.

"Well, what is it? You're going, of course." Megan popped a cracker into her mouth with a satisfied smile. "A trip to Reno to see Dodge Callahan should settle you down."

"I don't know if I'm going." Tory folded a tissue neatly in her lap and stroked it as one would a cat. "I haven't decided."

"Don't you want to see him again?"

"Well, it isn't that simple. Of course I'd like to see him . . . Well, what I mean is, it would be nice—"

"Nice?" Megan repeated shrilly. "I think you might just crack into a million pieces if you don't see him. That's how serious this is."

"Now, Megan, you don't understand everything."

"What's to understand? Do you like him?"

Tory pressed her lips together and nodded.

"Love him?"

"It doesn't matter what I feel. That feeling isn't mutual."

"Has he said so?"

"It's what he hasn't said that counts."

"I see. Well, I wonder if he's as miserable as you are?"

Tory smiled weakly. "I don't know."

"Then why don't you go find out?"

"I . . . well, maybe I should . . ." Tory's eyes clouded as she thought of the rugged, broad-shouldered man she'd loved so quickly. And left. But there was good reason. They weren't well suited for each other. They were as different as night and day. The man was too much like her father. A rake and a rambler. A sun seeker. While she was. . . a fancy pants gal.

"Tory, I'm no great voice of experience, but I am your friend. I hate to see you going through such pain. And as much as I want to buy this shop, I'd also hate to see you do anything drastic, like selling out because of this unappreciative man."

"Oh, I'm not selling because of him. It's because of me."

"Don't ruin your life over a man, Tory."

"You're a good friend, Megan, and I appreciate your concern. But selling the shop is the only thing I'm sure of. In my heart, I know it's right for me. Somehow, I just know it." She lifted her chin and smiled firmly.

"Before you make a final decision, go visit Dodge Callahan. See for yourself if it's over between you. The fact that he invited you to see him indicates something, doesn't it?"

Tory raised her eyes. "I ... I suppose it does. Yes, maybe I should go see him." She began to smile, and a devilish gleam lighted her blue eyes. "I'll have a showdown with the town marshal!"

"The what?" Megan laughed.

"Dodge played the rough and tough town marshal in the streets of Tombstone the first day I arrived. He gunned all the bad guys down in a blaze of glory. Maybe I should see how tough he is under fire of a different sort."

Megan grinned and punched her fist through the air. "All right! You show him, Tory!"

But by the time Tory's plane landed in Reno, her fire had dwindled somewhat. During the flight, she was as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof. Then she saw Dodge standing in the waiting room, head and shoulders over everyone else. Her heart soared with joy. He looked the same: white Stetson, western shirt, well-worn jeans and boots. And he looked wonderful!

Dodge spotted Tory right away. He smiled. A lady of five feet nine stood out in any crowd. She looked fantastic in a classy jade green blouse and Levis. Absolutely beautiful! Her blue eyes glistened happily as she approached him. He wondered if she were really as glad to see him as she appeared to be.

He met her with a big bear hug and a quick kiss right on the lips. Then he laughed and grabbed her again, swinging her up in his arms and around in a circle. "Tory, you look great!"

She smiled up at him, and all her reservations about seeing him again flew out the window. His strong arms swept around her, and she knew this was where she belonged. With him, no matter where. She embraced his neck and encouraged him to kiss her again. He obliged, this time long and hard. By the time they came up for air, most of the crowd had cleared.

One elderly lady scuffled past them and winked at Tory. "Atta girl! Go after 'im! The bigger they are, the harder they fall!"

Tory smiled at the sassy lady. "Not this one." She didn't think Dodge had fallen at all. Certainly not for her, it seemed. Although his welcoming kiss was nice. Very nice.

His arm tightened around her ribs. "What do you know?"

She looked up at him curiously. "I know you, Dodge. You're your own person. Independent and restless. You're not going to fall for anyone."

"I'm not like that anymore. I've changed."