Free Kaitlin's Silver Lining by Ciara Gold

his hat.
“The pleasure was all mine, ma’am.”
    His smile faded the
minute he turned from her engaging presence. He headed straight for the nearest
saloon and liquid fortification against his depressing thoughts. Kaitlin might
throw a fit when she smelled the liquor on his breath, but she wasn’t his
keeper. With Emma spoken for, he’d have to look in other directions for a
potential wife.
    He groaned. This
courtin’ business was harder than ropin’ a wild bronc.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Seven
     
    James watched his
employer, Farley Kaufmann, pace the confines of his office like a caged bear.
Anger vibrated off the man’s shoulders and permeated the room. Farley stalked
from one end of the room to the other, floorboards groaning beneath Farley’s
weight.
    He stopped abruptly
and glared at James. “I want those women stopped. I don’t care how you do it,
but I won’t be made a laughingstock. Confound it, James, what would the men do
with their free time if they didn’t have saloons and gaming houses?”
    James relaxed in a
winged chair and observed his employer’s tirade. The man displayed a temper the
size of Texas and the common sense of a mouse. He figured Farley liked to rave
and rant just to hear himself talk. If Farley weren’t blackmailing him into
cooperating, he’d have long since gone. On the other hand, Farley Kaufmann paid
his minions well, and they did have a mutual goal.
    “I don’t think your
business partner will side with you on this. Jack says the ladies will
eventually tire of this game, and their antics will fade into a distant
memory.” His own source told him the same thing. He smiled, thinking of his
Little Em. She’d braved many escapades to please him, including spying on
Kaitlin’s ladies.
    Beady eyes flattened
to slits of anger, and Farley pointed a beefy finger. “I pay you good money to
see things go my way. I don’t pay you to comment on Jack’s opinion. He’s just an
investor. He’s not my partner, and he has no say in how I run my businesses.”
    “I think you’re
making a gully-washer out of a little rain shower. Ignore Miss Kanatzer and her
band of temperance followers. The German community is too large and influential
to allow these women a stronghold.” James just couldn’t see a handful of women
making a difference. Besides, he enjoyed seeing Kaitlin flounder about. “Let
them blither about our saloons and our breweries. Their influence is about as
detrimental as an army of gnats.”
    “You underestimate
these women, James. They’re gaining followers. They won’t win anytime soon. It
may even take years, but they will eventually gain enough support to put a
serious dent in our business.”
    James laughed. “So
now you’re a fortune teller?”
    “Make light of it if
you want.” Farley paced the small confines. “Those women are determined.
They’ll have their vote, and then they’ll close down our drinking
establishments.”
    “Let’s say for the
sake of argument you’re right, what you did the other afternoon to those women
played right into their hands.” James shook his head. Farley had no idea how to
handle the situation without making things worse.
    “Me?” Farley raised a
brow. “You were the one that overturned that barrel of molasses.”
    “At your insistence.
And the men all heard you give the order.” James shrugged. “Several of our
regular patrons objected strongly to the abusive handling of Miss Kanatzer and
her followers. On the other hand, it was rather fun seeing her waddle about in
all that muck.”
    Farley sighed and
rubbed his chin. “I admit my burst of temper got the better of me, but those
women had it coming. Perhaps you’re right. I should have been a bit more
discreet so the blame would have been solely on your head and not mine.” He
paused, grinning. “But just as many were quite amused by the debacle.”
    “Next time, we’ll
both show more restraint.” While he’d enjoyed seeing Kaitlin get