But I couldn't leave town as I'd originally planned. I couldn't take my portion of the money and disappear. I could, but I had no doubt I'd have two handsome men tracking me. They were ardent husbands who I doubted would allow their wife to run off, and they were US Marshals, skilled at tracking. It would be ill advised because then I'd definitely raise their suspicions. There was no doubt I'd enjoyed our night together. I couldn't play a scandalized miss. And, I was married-married!-to Seth. He wasn't going to be abandoned by his new bride and neither was Landon.
No. I'd had no choice but go to the hotel.
"Yes, it has been so exciting," Tara countered, her eyes wide with excitement. The energy from the robbery had yet to dissipate and she was all but humming. Even energized, she looked so sweetly innocent in her gingham dress and straw hat, her pale hair pulled up beneath her hat, but the back hung long in loose ringlets. "I fear I shall miss it."
"I shall miss the two of you," I countered. We would never have met without the evil intentions of Mr. Rollins. While I wished Daddy had just taken the man's offer when he'd wanted to purchase the property initially, we would not have become friends-even outlaws-together otherwise. Nor would I have married Seth and Landon. How my life had changed!
A knock came at the door and we startled, eyed each other. "Front desk."
I put a hand to my chest, felt the quick pounding of my heart as I opened the door to a porter.
"You requested a bath?" The man was older, but burly, and the tub appeared to be no difficulty for him to carry.
When he saw Amanda and Tara, he offered a nod and a simple, "Ma'am," since his hands were full. "I'll be back with the hot water."
After placing the tub in the middle of the room, he left as quickly as he came, shutting the door behind him.
"A hot bath sounds divine." Tara moved to sit beside Amanda and offered a small smile. "We won't stay long. Besides your bath, we need to stick with our plan. While we need to remain apart until the interest in the robberies dies down, it will be quite lonely without you both."
We'd plotted and planned for two months before the first robbery, but after that, saw as little of each other as possible. Our only visits were to disburse the money and set a date and location for the next one. I'd wished we'd only needed to rob the first bank to collect all the money owed to us, but it had taken three extra chances at being caught to do so. Now that we'd ensured our shares were all covered, I was glad we'd done so.
I felt some closure, although I knew it wouldn't bring the ranch, or my father, back. Not Tara or Amanda's family's land either.
"You will find husbands and have beautiful babies," I forecasted. While they were smart and cunning enough to be whatever they wanted, life as a woman in the Montana Territory was based on a husband and most likely children. With the money they'd retrieved from Mr. Rollins, they had a choice, unlike others. But I knew their hearts' desires were to marry and settle.
Tara blushed, putting her hand on the blanket and smoothing out imagined wrinkles. "And you? You are a catch yourself."
I bit my lip. "Well … "
Amanda popped up, clearly she saw something on my face or heard something in my tone. "You've met someone!"
Tara's face brightened even further. "You have? Do tell."
I couldn't keep Seth and Landon a secret. Well, I could keep Landon a secret. "It was all rather whirlwind."
Tara clapped her hands in glee.
It had been several hours since Seth and Landon went to their meeting across town. I had no idea when to expect them and didn't really want them to discover Tara and Amanda in the room. I had told them I was meeting a friend, so if they did return, discovering them both here was easily explainable. And, there'd been no mention of three women as part of the string of robberies, only me. Therefore, I felt safe in their presence, although we could not linger together for long.
I did wish to share though, for I was married and I had yet to tell a soul.
"Tell us everything," she said, her eyes laced with mischief.
A brisk knock at the door and the porter came in, a bucket of steaming water in each hand. He poured the water in the tub, said, "Be back with more," and left.
Tara's cheeks were flushed and she was biting her lip. I was the widow, the newly married one. I was older, although not by much. Still, I was the one who needed to be level headed.
"There were no other rooms available at the hotel," I replied. "This was where we'd agreed I'd stay and I didn't wish to deviate from the plan."
Amanda waved her hand. "That's very dull. We want to hear the exciting part."
I grinned. "He overheard my predicament and offered me his room."
Tara frowned. "Then where is he staying?"
"With her, silly goose," Amanda countered.
Tara gasped at the impropriety of her words. "She might be a widow, but she wouldn't," she countered, sure I was virtuous. Little did she know.
"He's traveling with a friend, so he was intending to share his room. But then I was invited to dinner and well … we married this morning."
"What?" Both women spoke at the same time, their faces showing complete shock.
I had to laugh and it made me feel better. Telling them was worrisome because my actions had been so incredibly rash. What if they said I'd been silly or naive or just plain stupid? "We went to the sheriff who is a justice of the peace."
Amanda's mouth fell open. "You went to the sheriff's office? After what we've done?" She whispered the last, as if the porter was in the room instead of in the kitchen refilling the buckets.
"I admit, it was very scary. It's not like I went with a gun in my hand and my reticule full of stolen money. I had two men with me."
"Two?" Tara asked, frowning.
I realized I'd blundered and replied quickly. "He came to Helena with a friend. The man came as witness."
They accepted that readily enough. Why wouldn't they? It wasn't as if they'd consider being married to two men as a possibility. I hadn't until I'd spent the night with them.
"What's his name?"
Another knock, the porter again with two more bucketfuls that he poured into the tub. "One more trip."
"Seth Bane," I said after the porter had left. I wasn't going to mention my new husband was a US Marshal. That would only make them panic and even question my insanity. I was questioning my sanity.
"We should leave so you can have a bath before he returns." She waggled her eyebrows. "Or maybe you want him to return while you are in the tub?"
Tara gasped, swatted Amanda on the arm. "That would be unseemly," she replied.
Amanda grinned. "Not if they're married."
Tara frowned, but kept her mouth shut, as if the idea of being seen bathing by a husband had never occurred to her.
"You have your money and gun stashed away so he can't find it?" Amanda asked, ever practical.
"In my bag," I replied. My drawers were wrapped around the small pile. Since Seth and Landon both seemed adverse to my underthings, enjoying me bare beneath my dress as I was now, I had to hope they wouldn't change their minds and pull out some for me to wear after all.
Tara stood, gave me a hug. "I'm thrilled for you. Enjoy married life. Who knows?" She shrugged. "The next time we meet, maybe we'll be married too."
I had to hope so. They deserved good men. They deserved a good life, more than what Mr. Rollins had stripped from them and their families.
The porter returned one final time, emptied his buckets. I offered a hearty thank you. He left with another nod and a coin I'd pulled from my reticule.
I hugged Amanda next. "You two married?" I asked. "I hope so, if that is what you wish. At least you have your money that allows you to make a choice about it."
"Like you," Tara said.
I'd had a choice-and made it-although I'd barely had time to even think about it. I'd known my men less than a day and now I was married. And, in the middle of that, I'd robbed another bank, without wearing any drawers. Perhaps it was actually good I wasn't thinking too much about what I'd done, otherwise, I might panic.
One thing I didn't have to think on was that I wanted to get between Seth and Landon again. As soon as possible. There was one area of our marriage that was worry free, and that was when we were naked.
CHAPTER NINE
Maddie
"I could get used to this," Landon said as they came through the door. His serious expression didn't match his humorous tone.
Seth grinned as he quickly shut it behind them. While they didn't seem to mind seeing me indisposed, apparently he didn't wish for anyone else in the hotel to do so.
I was in a copper tub, hair quickly pinned up on top of my head, steam rising from the water. It had barely been two minutes since Tara and Amanda had left and my men's arrival startled me. Had they run into them in the lobby? A jolt of fear had me stilling, but they didn't appear to be men who'd just arrested two accomplices and were intending to handcuff me. Not unless it was to the bed again.