Free Mail-Order Groom by Lisa Plumley Page B

them was doing right fine, with enough coin to spare for all five of the brothers. They had no needto work, ’cept for a bit of thievin’ here and there—usually whenever something caught their fancy, like the horses and tents and bits and pieces they’d lifted off them soldiers a while back.
    Roy had been plenty generous with his windfalls. It was because of him that the Bedell brothers had prospered and made a name for themselves—even if it was an infamous one. So Linus owed Roy plenty. His brothers did, too. But this time, Linus thought he might have to make a decision all on his own—because of what he’d overheard the lady and her man talking about.
    I’m still The Seductive Sensation, she’d said.
    Those words had made Linus’s ears perk right up and have a listen. Because he knew all about The Seductive Sensation. He’d seen posters for her shows. In those posters, she’d looked all sparkly and pretty—just like she’d been wearing diamonds all over. She didn’t look like that right now. But that didn’t change anything. Linus wasn’t as smart as Roy, but he knew what he’d heard. He wasn’t fooled by The Seductive Sensation’s new clothes and dowdy hair. Back when he’d seen those posters, Linus had wanted to go to her show (and maybe snatch some of those diamonds of hers, too) but Roy had put the kibosh on that.
    He hadn’t even listened when Linus had started in telling him about the special way The Seductive Sensation danced. Roy fundamentally hadn’t wanted to hear it. He’d smacked Linus pretty hard to make sure he realized it. A few days later, they’d headed to Kansas City for their next marriage scam.
    Things had really gone to blazes then. Roy’s “fiancée” for that scheme had kicked up a big fuss, and Roy had had to put her down. But Linus had known better than to needle him about it. Roy was always in a sour mood whenever he had to kill someone. Linus guessed that showed his brotherwas still a good person on the inside, no matter what circumstances forced him to do.
    This time, though, Linus figured they could get through this particular scheme and clear out of Morrow Creek afore things got bad again. That was what he wanted most. Leavin’ behind dead bodies always made him worried. It made him worried for his eternal soul and for the eternal souls of his brothers…just in case the Almighty didn’t understand how tough things were, now that it wasn’t biblical times with milk and honey anymore.
    That’s why Linus had volunteered to go look at the telegraph station himself for the nest-egg money they were after. His other brothers weren’t nearly so squeamish about what happened to the ladies in Roy’s schemes. They’d as soon shoot up the place, tear it up to get the money, then bolt for the Mexican border. They were within a few days’ ride—close enough to Mexico to get off scot-free with whatever they did.
    That nearness made the other Bedell brothers antsy. And hostile. And twice as hotheaded as usual.
    But Linus considered himself a sight subtler than that. He knew if he just watched awhile, he’d learn where that money was hidden—and he wouldn’t have to kill nobody for it, neither.
    So far, he had learned a few things. The lady who ran the place—The Seductive Sensation, he remembered with a thrill—was pretty, with golden hair. She liked to sing while she milked the cow. She’d named the cow Penelope. The chickens all had names, too.
    The colored man who helped her kept funny hours, too unpredictable to count on. When he was around, he scared Linus something fierce. That big man might be old, but he moved with authority. Even though he was armed—and a decent shot—Linus knew better than to tangle with a manlike that. Not if he could help it. That was the kind of man who formed posses and went after people. Linus