we can talk about it, canât we?â
âSure. Come on and sit on the front porch.â
The three sat down in front of a shack that at least had a porch with a roof on it.
Waco brought out a bottle and three glasses. âIf youâre dry, this is pretty good whiskey.â
âAny whiskey is good whiskey,â Trey said. When he swallowed it, his eyes flew open, and he gasped. âThatâs like liquid fire.â
âYeah, the Indians like it.â
âWhat are you doing out here all by yourself?â Callie asked.
âThatâs what I am. All by myself. I got tired of people back East. Here I do as I please.â
âYou couldnât be making much coin selling whiskey to the Indians.â
âI donât need much.â
âOf course you do. Every man needs a lot. Look, you go in with us, and in six months youâd have enough cash you wouldnât have to sell whiskey to the Indians.â
âWell, tell me about it.â
Trey was a good talker, and for a while he outlined the plan for making money. âRobbing trains, thatâs where itâs at. My boys are good at that, but like I say, we lost a man.â
âYou donât know me.â
âWell, you donât know me either. You watch me and Iâll watch you.â
âI wouldnât do it if I were you, Smith,â Callie said.
Her remark obviously interested Waco. âWhy not, Miss Callie?â
âYou just look like a loner.â
âThatâs what I intend to be.â
âCallie, you keep out of this,â LeBeau protested. âWe need some help.â
The conversation went on for an hour, and Trey was pleased to see that Waco was interested.
Waco said finally, âWell, Iâll come along with you, and weâll see if I fit. If I donât, I can always come back.â
âSure. Weâre not too far away from here. You can come back anytime.â As they shook hands, Trey was mentally counting all the money Waco Smith was going to help them take from all those unsuspecting trains.
Waco had been welcomed by LeBeauâs band. Frank and Jesse James were gone, but the rest of them seemed to find him acceptable. It was not that he did anything, but they were careful in their movements around him for they had heard he was deadly with a gun. He did not have the reputation of a killer, but he had pulled and drawn on several men before they could even move.
One interesting thing was that Callie seemed to be fascinated by him. They went on several brief hunting trips together, and on one of them she said, âYou have many sweethearts, Waco?â
âI almost had one once, but she didnât love me.â
âDid she say that? Tell you she didnât love you?â
âNo, she waited until I was gone to war, and then she ran off with my best friend. He was my partner in business.â A wry expression touched his face. âHe took all I had.â
She was quiet for a while before she said, âTrey is jealous of me. Havenât you noticed how he looks at you when we go out together?â
âIâve noticed.â
âAre you afraid of him?â
He grinned. âAll LeBeau can do is kill me, and he couldnât kill me but once.â
âDoesnât that bother you?â
âNo.â
She suddenly said, âWhat do you feel for me?â
âYouâre the most beautiful woman Iâve ever known.â
They were sitting under a tree, and he read an invitation in her eyes. He reached forward, pulled her close, and kissed her. She lay soft in his arms. Then she put her arms around him and drew him closer. Her warmth became a part of him, and her nearness brought up a constant, never-lessening want. He was conscious of her in a way he had never been conscious of any woman, not even Alice.
The effect of the kiss worked at him. They were along the edge of the same mystery every other man and woman