Free Relentless by Bobbi Smith Page A

Gertrude.
    “Yes, ma’am,” he responded cordially, “but I have to warn you, it’s been quite a while since I’ve been dancing.”
    “Once you start moving again, you’ll remember how. I saw you with Dusty earlier, and you seemed to be doing just fine,” she assured him as they made their way out to the dance floor together. She understood what a rough life Charley had and wanted to try to get a smile out of him. “Your little girl has been behaving herself, in case that’s what you’re looking so worried about and—” She fixed him with a discerning look. “Just where were you when all the excitement broke out? Down at the saloon?”
    “Yes, Miss Gertrude, I’m afraid I was,” he admitted. “I didn’t think we had to worry about that kind of trouble tonight.”
    “When these cowhands get all drunked up this way, we always have to worry about there being trouble. Thank heaven Francie wasn’t hurt.”
    “How bad was it?”
    “Luckily, the cowboy was interrupted very quickly, but if it hadn’t been for our new banker and the stranger who showed up just in time, why, there’s no telling what might have happened. It’sfunny, though—I’ve been looking around, and I still haven’t seen that stranger again. One minute he was there, and the next he’d completely disappeared.”
    “So some stranger got involved and broke up the fight?”
    “You haven’t heard the whole story of what happened yet?”
    “No, I haven’t.”
    She quickly told him everything. “I don’t know who the man was, but I intend to find out. We need more men like him and Rick around these parts—true gentlemen—men of honor. If there were, Canyon Springs would certainly be more civilized.”
    “Well, if anybody can find out who this stranger was, it’ll be you.” Charley couldn’t help laughing.
    “I plan on it,” she declared, and she kept an eye out for any sign of the man as she and Charley finished their dance and moved apart.
    When Grant returned to the hall, he was glad to find that the dance seemed to be back to normal. He knew the festive atmosphere would make it easier for him to just blend in with those in attendance and keep a lookout for Jackson and his men at the same time.
    What he didn’t know was that the eagle-eyed Miss Gertrude was keeping a lookout for him.
    At that particular moment, the music paused to signal the end of a dance.
    Miss Gertrude was making her way back to her seat when the announcement came for the muchanticipated second “ladies’ choice” dance. Everyonewas excited, and Miss Gertrude turned and swept the room with a sharp-eyed gaze. It was then that she caught sight of the stranger at the far end of the hall. Tall, lean, broad-shouldered and real good-looking, the new man in town stood out in the crowd, and Miss Gertrude was ready for him.
    Grant saw the prim elderly lady making her determined way through the crowd. He thought nothing of it—at first. Only when she came straight up to him and took him by the hand was he surprised.
    “I’ve been looking for you, young man,” Miss Gertrude said, giving him a conspiratorial grin as she boldly drew him out onto the dance floor.
    “You have?” He looked down at her as he took her in his arms to dance, and it was then he saw the unmistakable twinkle of mischief in her eyes and knew she was a woman to deal with.
    “I saw what you did outside, breaking up the fight that way, and I wanted to thank you for helping out. Did you go follow those two troublemakers to make sure they weren’t coming back?”
    “Yes, ma’am, I did.”
    “That was smart of you,” she said, nodding her approval. “Paul and Mark are known for not being the brightest boys around, and they do like stirring things up and causing a lot of trouble. It makes them feel like real big men.”
    “Last I saw of them, they were going into the saloon.”
    “That’s the best place for them. I hope they stay there,” she told him with satisfaction.
    “With any