Chapter 50

When Billy placed a glass of water in front of him, the tenderfoot drank it greedily, then glanced around the room. A few cowboys in the corner were still snickering, and Joey’s whore winked at the stranger, causing his cheeks to turn redder still as he looked away. He turned his attention to Diego’s table.

Jesse met his curious gaze with a bold look that the stranger returned openly. There was no fear in those dark eyes, no hint of knowing who it was he stared down. Jesse let the corner of his mouth pull into a half-smile, and the stranger smiled back like the sun. A man could fall hard for that smile, so hard he wouldn’t even feel the ground rise up to meet him on his way down.

Jesse sure didn’t.

Turning to Billy again, the stranger asked, “Do you hire entertainment for the night?”

“She’s it,” the barkeep said, jerking a thumb to indicate Marie, “and she’s taken.”