Free Way Out West by Blanche Marriott

around,
whipping his gun up at arm’s length, catching Tyler by surprise. Before the
scoundrel knew what had happened, Rand snatched his gun and disarmed him.
    “Well, you’re wrong. Dead
wrong. In fact if there were bullets in this gun, you’d be dead because I don’t
take kindly to being called a cheat.”
    Callie sighed inwardly. No
bullets. Of course! Rand had said they weren’t loaded. So why pull guns on each
other if they weren’t loaded?
    She remembered the fight
outside, the cheering spectators. It had to be a male thing. The element of
danger, the hunt, the kill. But that didn’t stop her anger toward Rand for doing this to her, making her believe he was in danger.
    He stepped closer to Tyler. “If I was cheating, how come you’re the one with the big pile of chips and I’m
empty handed?”
    Tyler showed signs of relenting. He looked nervously
about the room. “I...I don’t know. Maybe you were just setting me up to take me
for everything later.”
    Rand pushed his gun in Tyler’s chest and spoke in a low tone. “Why don’t you just pick up your winnings and
high-tail it out of here before you get hurt?”
    A few titters of
laughter crossed the room. Tyler grumbled something under his breath and did as
Rand suggested. Just before he pushed open the door he sent a blazing look in Rand’s direction, then left without another word.
    Rand set his gun back in his holster. He aimed a
blank gaze at the door and took a big breath as though he were trying to regain
the composure he so handily displayed just moments before. After endless
minutes, he finally turned and walked over to the bar where he slid Tyler’s gun to Smitty. Then, leaning his elbows on the polished wood, he looked from Becky
to Callie.
    “The two of you look
like you’ve seen a ghost.”
    Callie knew her face was
probably white as a sheet, but when she turned to Becky, she was surprised to
see hers was just as blanched. Wasn’t she used to this sort of thing? If
showdowns were a regular occurrence, why would she seem so shaken? And why hadn’t
she warned Callie about this?
    Becky said nothing, but
Callie decided Rand deserved a piece of her mind. “Is this the way gentlemen act
in front of ladies? Scaring them half out of their wits playing with guns?”
    Rand stiffened his shoulders. Becky gaped at Callie’s
harsh tone before shaking herself and skirting around the bar.
    “If the two of you will
excuse me, I think I’ll mingle among the patrons and try to calm everyone down.
That might not be a bad idea over here either.”
    As she left, Rand peered at Callie, a quizzical look on his face. “What are you talking about?”
    “The show you just put
on, that bold display of male ego. And don’t try to act innocent. I should have
guessed you were an actor with your good looks and charm and easy manner.”
    Rand looked around to see if anyone was listening. “Shush,
Callie. You’re getting upset for nothing.”
    “Don’t shush me! I’m not
going to fall for any more shenanigans around here. Real or not.”
    She made her way around
the bar and headed for the stairs. Rand caught up with her, holding her forearm
to keep her from leaving. “Let go, you big ox, you’re hurting me.” She reached
out, groping for anything in an effort to fight back. She caught his string tie
and yanked hard, breaking it in her hand.
    Rand immediately released his hold. “I’m sorry,
Callie. Give me a minute to explain, please. You’ve got it all wrong.”
    “I think what I’ve got
all wrong is the idea that I can fit in around here. You’re all so weird. You
really believe all this western stuff. Well, you can’t go back. We’re in the
twenty-first century.”
    She took a few steps up,
but Rand caught up with her and held her wrists. With a determined, but gentle
pull, he sat her down on the step and sat facing her.
    “What you just saw was
no act. I’m not an actor, I’m a guest. Sometimes things happen when people get
caught up in the