Double The Bounty

Chapter XXVI

After they’d made camp, Felicia cooked dinner—she would have refused Rebecca’s help even if the older woman had offered it—and Decker took care of the horses. When the food was ready, Rebecca accepted hers with a nod of her head and carried it away from the fire.

“Guess she’s too good to eat with us tonight,” Felicia said, handing Decker a plate of bacon and beans.

“She’s got a lot to deal with,” Decker said.

“Why are you making excuses for her?”

“She lost her brother, Felicia, and she’s out here in the middle of nowhere, totally out of her element. I think deep down inside she’s sorry she came.”

“Why doesn’t she go back, then?”

“She’s committed to this now. To come this far and not go through with it would be to admit she made a mistake and wasted a lot of time. Also, she’d probably feel like she was betraying her brother’s memory.”

They sat and ate in silence for a while, and then Felicia said, “You like her, don’t you?”

Decker didn’t answer immediately, then said, “I like some things about her. Her dedication to her brother, her spunk—”

“The way she looks.”

“She is beautiful.”

“I knew it!” Felicia said, putting her plate in her lap. “If she came over and offered to sleep with you, you wouldn’t turn her away, would you?”

Decker considered that question carefully. Maybe Felicia needed a lesson.

“As a matter of fact, I probably wouldn’t,” he said, “but then she’s older than you are.”

“And prettier. Go ahead, say it.”

“Well, Felicia, when you’re her age you may very well be prettier than she is, but right now I’d have to say yes, she’s prettier.”

“I knew it!” she said again. “I’m gonna eat over here!”

She picked up her plate and stalked away from the fire, staying within its circle of light.

As Felicia walked away, Rebecca decided to join Decker.

“I came over to apologize,” she said, hunkering down opposite him.

“About what?”

“About this evening, the argument we had.”

“You’re within your rights to argue.”

“Maybe, but I also want to apologize for my attitude since we’ve met. I’ve judged you very badly and treated you badly, and you’re only trying to help.”

“That’s all right,” he said, “There’s no need to apologize. You’ve gone through a lot.”

“Yes, I have, but that’s no excuse. Anyway, I just wanted to get that said.”

She fell silent and began to concentrate on her meal.

“What did you do to Felicia?” she asked.

“Why?”

“She’s glaring at you.”

He looked over his shoulder, then back at Rebecca.

“Look again.”

Rebecca frowned.

“She’s glaring at you.”

Rebecca looked over, and Felicia averted her eyes.

“She’s in love with you, you know,” Rebecca said.

“She’s looking for a story, looking to ride my coattails.”

“No, she’s in love with you,” Rebecca insisted, “and she’s probably afraid that I’ll steal you away.”

“She did ask me if I’d sleep with you—providing you made the offer, that is.”

“And?”

“I said yes—just to teach her a lesson.”

Rebecca looked down at the fire and said, “Of course.” Decker thought he detected the hint of a smile—the first since they’d met.

“She’s got nothing to worry about,” he added.

“No.”

“She’s just a kid, anyway.”

“No,” Rebecca said, “she’s a young woman. Maybe I should go over and talk to her. Would you mind?”

“No, not at all. Is that the schoolteacher in you coming out?”

Now she did smile and said, “Old habits are hard to break.”

She put her plate down, got up, and walked over to where Felicia was sitting.

Now Felicia and Rebecca were sitting together and it was Decker who was left alone.

Maybe he’d go over and eat with John Henry.

Later Felicia and Rebecca came back to the fire, laughing and talking, and proceeded to clean up. Decker was gratified to see both of them in a better mood than they had been in for some time.

He really didn’t need the extra headache of having two grumpy women along.

“Should we set up a watch?” Rebecca asked.

“All right. Who wants the first one?”

“I’ll take it,” Felicia said, “and then I’ll wake Rebecca.”

“And I’ll wake Decker.”

“We’ll take two-hour watches,” Decker said, reclining on the ground with his head on his saddle. “Good night, ladies.”

He tipped his hat over his eyes and proceeded to sleep as lightly as he had the previous nights.