Montana Sky

up, can I?” Nate took out his keys, jiggled them in his palm. “But I’m betting she stays. And I’ve got some time yet to work on it.”
    Ben thought of Willa, and how he’d react if she suddenly got it in her head to pull up stakes. He’d have her hog-tied in record time. “Don’t think I could be as reasonable.”
    “Well, push hasn’t come to shove yet. I’ve got court the next day or two,” he added when he climbed into his rig.“Soon as I’m able, I’ll swing by with that picture.”
    “You do that.” Ben paused by his own rig, looked back toward the main house. No, he didn’t think he could be reasonable if he was in love. On the drive home he told himself, several times, that it was a good thing he wasn’t.

TWENTY-THREE
    J ESSE HAD IT ALL WORKED OUT . OH . HE ’ D BEEN WILLING to wait, be patient. Be reasonable. After all, if he held out till fall, he could sweep up a lot of money along with his wife.
    But now the little bitch thought she could go off and marry that Indian bastard. He’d studied on it and knew that if he let that happen, legally he’d get zilch. So he couldn’t let it happen.
    If his aim had been a little more true, he’d have taken care of Adam Wolfchild already. The opportunity had been there, but the son of a bitch had gotten lucky. And since Wolfchild hadn’t been alone, Jesse hadn’t risked waiting around for another chance at him.
    He was sure there’d be another opportunity. Just a little window of luck was all he’d need. But spring work, and that damn slave driver Ben McKinnon, kept him tied at Three Rocks while his adulterous wife was out buying wedding finery.
    So if he couldn’t get to Wolfchild, he would damn well get to Lily. He’d have to make her sorry she’d messed withhim and ruined his plans for cashing in on her inheritance, but that would be a pleasure.
    He’d hoped to cash in on a lot of things, he thought as he drew another queen to go with his other two ladies. But it was time to move on. And he was taking Lily with him.
    “I’ll see your five,” Jesse said, smiling easily at Jim across the poker table. “And bump it five.”
    “Too rich for me.” Ned Tucker tossed in his cards, belched, and got up to get a fresh beer. He was comfortable at Mercy; he found Willa a fair boss and enjoyed the company of the men. He gave the bear the men had wrestled into the corner a rub on the head for luck. Not, Ned thought, that it had done him a damn bit of good at the table that night.
    He shook his head as Jesse pulled in another pot. “Sumbitch can’t seem to lose,” he said to Ham.
    “Got enough luck to shit gold nuggets.” But Ham decided to try his own. “Deal me in this hand. I’ve gotta take over for Billy outside in an hour. Might as well lose some money first.”
    An hour, Jesse thought, as he took his turn at deal. Billy and that know-it-all college boy were on shift now. Neither one of them would be much challenge to him. He would give the game another ten minutes, then make his move.
    He lost one hand, folded on another, then pushed back from the table. “Deal me out. Gonna get some air.”
    “Make sure Billy don’t shoot you,” Jim called out. “That boy’s mind’s on town pussy and he spooks easy.”
    “Oh, I can handle Billy,” Jesse said, and shrugging into his jacket, he strolled out.
    He checked the time. He’d studied the workings of Mercy carefully enough to know that Adam would be giving his horses a final look for the night. The main house would be settled down, and Lily would be alone. He took the Colt out from under the seat of his rig. You could never be too careful. Tucked it into his belt and moved through the shadows toward the pretty white house.
    It would go like clockwork, he mused. Lily would cry and plead, but she’d come easily enough. She always didwhat she was told. If not quick enough, after the first smack.
    He was looking forward to that first smack. It had been much too long.
    He tapped his belt, moved quietly toward the rear of the house.
    “That you, J C?” Cheered by the prospect of company on his shift, Billy came forward, rifle lowered and on safety. “You skinning the guys back at the bunkhouse again? What are you doing out here?”
    Jesse smiled at him, slid the gun from his belt. “Taking what’s mine,” he said, and smashed the butt of the Colt down. “No reason to shoot you,” Jesse said as he dragged Billy into the bushes. “And it makes too much noise. You just stay