~ New Prints In Old Calico ~

by

Jennifer Lynn

She pushed through Lil’s saloon doors, her chest heaving and her heart pounding in her throat. "Lil!"

The brunette barkeep’s mouth dropped open at the sight of her friend rushing through the bar. She quickly took in Amy’s disheveled appearance and ripped gown. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Hide me quick." She looked fearfully over her shoulder. "He’s coming!"

"Who’s coming? Who did this to you?"

Footsteps thundered along the boardwalk. "Amy! You can’t hide from me!"

"He’s coming!" Amy cried.

"Back room, now!" Lil ordered, holding the red velvet curtains aside. Amy ducked inside and Lil adjusted the drapes before returning to the bar.

Austen burst into the bar, eyes wild and blood streaming from his nose. He scanned the saloon, searching out the source of his anger. His eyes settled on Lil.

"Where is she?"

Lil ignored him but let her gaze flicker up and down his body. "Looks like you’ve met your match, Marshal. ‘Bout time someone knocked you down to size."

"I’ll kill that bitch, where is she?"

Her hand slipped under the bar and brushed against the pistol she kept for emergencies. "I don’t know who you mean, Riley. No one’s here but me."

He wiped his nose with the back of his sleeve, wincing with the contact. He squinted and peered around the room, moving closer to the bar and the red velvet curtain. Lil’s fingers closed around her pistol.

Austen lurched a few steps closer, and hearing no movement behind the bar, gave his nose another dab with his sleeve. He blinked and focused his gaze on Lil.

"If you’re lying to me," he stabbed at the air with a finger, "you’ll get a taste of me too!"

He stomped out of the saloon, looking left and right before turning left towards Dory’s, and the blonde schoolteacher with the audacity to fight back. She was no better than the last one. But he’d shown her. She didn’t laugh at him by the time he was through. She didn’t do much of anything by the time he was through. And neither would the Bradshaw bitch.

Amy peered out from behind the curtain. "Is he gone?"

"Yes," Lil answered. "Amy, he’s crazy. Going on about wanting to kill you. What happened?"

"I’m not quite sure," Amy gulped. "I think I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see. He dropped by to talk about it."

"Looked like one hell of a conversation."

"Thank God for Miss Mackey’s Kick His Ass School of Self Defense." She took the mug Lil offered and quickly swallowed a mouthful. Her eyes bulged and watered, and her throat burned with liquid fire as the brew burned its way toward her stomach.

Lil took the mug away and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, forgot to mention that it was whiskey, not beer."

"Thanks," Amy choked out. "I’ll be okay once I can breathe again."

Her smile faded, and Lil became serious once again. "What are you going to do?"

Amy swallowed with difficulty and tried to find her voice. She held her hands tightly together to quell their trembling. Her voice was low and shaky. "I don’t know. I have to get to the ranch though. He can’t hurt me there, and Chili will know what to do."

"You might also want to tell him that the Circuit Court has not been wired to send a judge out here."

Amy shook her head. "I didn’t think so."

"Need a horse?" Lil queried.

~ * ~

Amy met Gransom at the gates of the Triple M.

"I was just on my way to…" he stopped. His eyes widened at her disheveled appearance and then narrowed when he spied the tattered gown. "What happened?"

"I want to change clothes right now, Gransom. Can you take care of the horse and meet me inside? I’ll explain it all then."

He nodded and took the horse’s reins from her and led the animal into the yard. He regarded her for a moment, then lifted her down from the saddle. "I won’t be long, ma’am."

Chili came out onto the porch, shoulders sagging and looking a bit haggard for the time of day. With hands on hips, he looked down at his feet and grumbled just loud enough for Amy’s ears. "That woman’s gonna drive me crazy if ya let her come back again. Don’t even be a-thinking about asking her…"

He stopped short. "Landsakes, what happened to you?"

Ever under Chili Bob’s feet, Mrs. Kendall appeared at his elbow. She took one look at Amy and paled. "Oh my," she said. "My, my, my."

"I’m okay, really I am." Amy managed a tremulous smile.

"You most certainly are not!" The mayor’s wife exclaimed. "Come inside and I’ll pour you a nice hot cup of tea. You look like you’re about to collapse at any moment."

She tucked a motherly arm around the younger woman and steered her inside toward the kitchen. Hovering nearby as Amy sat, Mrs. Kendall motioned to Chili. "Don’t just stand there gawking at the poor girl, get her a cup of tea!"

Chili opened his mouth to speak but thought better of saying the words on his lips. He pinched his lips together tightly and turned to fetch the tea.

"Now, Miss Bradshaw," Mrs. Kendall sat close and put her arm around Amy’s shoulders. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

Amy gathered the mug of tea between her icy fingers. A shiver coursed up her spine, and gooseflesh rose up on her skin. She was safe now. Austen couldn’t hurt her at the ranch, and the reality of what had happened slowly sunk in.

She raised tear rimmed eyes to the people gathered round the table.

"It was Riley," she said. "Marshal Riley."