Free Abby's Last Stand by Michelle Marquis Page B

contents all over the barkeeps feet. The bald barkeep and the gunfighter exchanged a cold, tense stare. "That ain't no way to treat a lady, Buck. You gonna have the gall to change this girl then you gonna give her dirty water to drink?" He held the now-empty glass out. "I know you can do better than that."
    Abby was about to say it was fine, she'd drink it, when the bald man walked away. To her surprise, he came back with a clean glass of fresh water. She grabbed the glass from him and downed the whole thing in a few long swallows. Then she replaced the glass on the bar.
    The gunfighter watched her, amused. He didn't smile, but there were small lines around his eyes when he squinted that made him look like he was laughing at the world. "You want another one?"
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    Abby's Last Stand
    by Michelle Marquis
    Abby was sure it might be a mistake to say 'yes,' but she was already beholden to him for the first one, so how much worse could it get? "Yes, please."
    The gunfighter put two more shiny coins on the bar. The barkeep, apparently embarrassed about charging her, pushed the coins back to the gunfighter and gave her another glass of cool water.
    He folded his beefy arms and studied the gunfighter. "You gonna order a drink or you drinking water, too?"
    The gunfighter scratched the razor stubble under his chin.
    "Bring me a shot of whiskey and leave the bottle."
    The barkeep nodded.
    "Oh, and Buck?"
    "Yeah?"
    "Only bring the good stuff." He winked, but it somehow conveyed a hidden threat.
    The barkeep disappeared into a backroom concealed by a torn piece of gray fabric. Abby was alone with the gunfighter.
    "Thank you for the water."
    The gunfighter eased onto the stool next to her. The faint scent of gunpowder and wood smoke filled her senses. "You waiting on a coach or just get off one?"
    "I just got off one. I was hoping to settle here for a while, maybe find some work."
    The barkeep returned with two shot glasses and a bottle.
    The gunfighter placed one of the glasses in front of her and poured her some whiskey. He downed two shots. "What do you do?"
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    Abby's Last Stand
    by Michelle Marquis
    "I'm a seamstress." She stared down at her glass. She'd never drunk hard liquor before. She was raised to believe it was the devil's drink. "I don't mean to be rude, but I don't drink."
    The gunfighter shifted on his stool and tossed back two more shots. "What does a seamstress do?" His eyes were impossible to see under the flat-brimmed hat, but she could see them shine every now and then.
    "I repair clothing that is torn or frayed. I'm hoping to get good enough to be a dressmaker someday."
    "That so?"
    A big, barrel-chested man moseyed over and stood right between her and the gunfighter. The energy in the room seemed to spike. "What 'chew got here, Bear?"
    The gunfighter took a drink and in the next instant pulled his revolver. He pointed it at the big man and pulled back the hammer. "You need to sit down and get back to your poker game before your luck runs out."
    "Okay, okay, Bear," the big man said, holding his hands up in surrender. "I was just trying to be friendly like. I didn't mean to get you all riled up." The man returned to his table and picked up a deck of cards. Someone started playing a festive tune on the piano.
    Abby swallowed, feeling small and vulnerable. "Is Bear your Christian name or a nickname?"
    A strange grin softened his features. "It's Bear. Bear Tooth McCoy. It's an Indian name."
    "My name is Abby, Abby Wimple." She grabbed her bags and eased out of the stool. She needed to put some distance 14

    Abby's Last Stand
    by Michelle Marquis
    between her and this very dangerous man. "Well, um . . .
    Mister Bear Tooth, I'm very grateful for your kindness, but I should be going. I need to find a position."
    "As a seamstress?"
    "Yes, sir."
    He turned his stool around to face the patrons and rested his elbows on the bar. "Take a good look around you, Abby.
    You see anyone here that might be in need of your services?"
    She