Longarm and the Lusty Lady

Davis shook his head. “Not from me.” He paused. “Of course I think it might want to make you cut down a little on that talk about being a better poker player than me. And better with the ladies.”

“All right, all right. Damnit.”

They were quiet for a few moments, each busy with his drink and his own thoughts. Finally Davis said, “I got to admit that was a mighty slick way that Caster had. He gave you cattle that had been in quarantine ninety days. And if you hadn’t noticed how poor they was, nobody would have ever been the wiser.”

“Except for the paint he supposedly used on the few cattle that stuck out. Odd-colored ones and them as had funny horns. Them he painted with that limestone water.”

“Colored limestone water. Chalk. Wipe right off.”

“It was slick all right.”

Longarm sighed again. “I never been so tired of a job in all my life. I wish we were through.”

Davis looked surprised. “Through? Ain’t we? Outside of escorting them two to San Antonio, what is left?”

“Her.”

“Who?”

“Dulcima. Who’d you think? She damn near got me killed. You know that was planned. Caster had told me to stay in my room at least fifteen minutes after I went in there to get my papers. He didn’t know I knew about Mull. And he had the window all set for Raymond to blow me in two. If I hadn’t broke in there, if I hadn’t known about Mull already being in the hotel, I’d have been a sitting duck. It was just bad luck that San Diego went to scouting around. Though I would guess he knew which room was Mull’s. As did you. And no thanks to Jasper White. If I see that bastard, I’m going to beat the hell out of him. Unless I can think of some reason to put him in jail.”

“Yeah, I agree about Jasper, but why don’t you leave the damn woman alone? Hell, let’s be done with this mess and get on back and have a good time somewhere.”

Longarm frowned. “Hell, Austin, she done her best to get me killed.”

“Yeah, but you’d have a hell of a time making such a charge stick. Especially on a woman that good-looking. Something bad will happen to her eventually anyway.”

“Well, it makes me angry,” Longarm said stubbornly. “I’d like to give her a good scare, anyway.”

“Hell, Longarm, all she did to you was try to do what you done to her.”

Longarm glanced at Davis. After a moment, he said, “Yeah, I reckon you’re right.” Then he smiled. “But I bet I had a hell of a lot more fun doing it to her.”