Love on the Line - Deeanne Gist [144]
“No, ma’am. I like y’all just fine, but I got me some wanderlust what cain’t be ignored.”
Wanderlust. At the time, Georgie assumed the girl had picked the word up in a saloon of one sort or another. Now she quickly did the math. Ten years of wanderlust. She was twenty-one years old and pretending to be a man?
Good heavens. The Rangers would be horrified, aghast to discover she was a female. Georgie couldn’t imagine the rough talk she must have put up with this day.
“I hear tell they just passed a tariff act banning the importation of wild bird feathers.” Bettina took out a pouch of Honey Dew chewing tobacco and stuck a wad in her lower lip. “Called it the Georgie Gail Landrum Act.”
Ignoring the tobacco, Georgie smiled. “Yes. That’s where we were. We’re on our way home from Austin right now.”
“Congratulations. That’ll shore put a crimp in the plume trade.”
“Yes. Yes, it will.”
“Heard the boys were released a couple o’ years back. You ever see any of ’em? Duane?”
Georgie’s smile widened. “Duane was released much earlier than the others. He’s so respectable you’d hardly recognize him. He married Mattieleene Honnkernamp and preaches at the German Methodist Church over on Quitman.”
“He don’t, neither.”
“He does. And his sermon illustrations are vastly amusing.”
Bettina chuckled. “I can just imagine. Mattieleene.” She shook her head. “I wonder if he wishes he were back in the calaboose rather than being saddled with that gal.”
“They seem to be very happy.”
“Well, what do ya know about that? And the rest of ’em?”
“Well, let’s see. Lulie Necker ran off with another man while Arnold was in jail. He’s back on his farm now but has turned awfully bitter. Mr. Finkel and Blesinger are both home and staying on the straight and narrow. The Ragstons moved to Kansas or some such place. We have no news on that front.”
Bettina nodded. “Well, I’ve always a’wondered.”
Fingering a button on her jacket, Georgie hesitated. Luke had told her of Comer’s true identity the moment they’d had some privacy that long-ago day of the man’s arrest. But while incarcerated, Alec had refused to speak to Luke or interact with him in any way. “You ever hear anything about Frank Comer?”
Bettina shook her head. “Nothin’. After he escaped from jail, it was like he plumb disappeared into thin air.”
Georgie’s shoulders slumped. “Well, if you ever hear anything, we’d sure appreciate a quick note or telegram.”
“You bet.” She spit out a wad of tobacco juice, swiping her lower lip with her cuff. “It shore is good ta see ya.”
“Same here.” Reaching out, she gave Bettina’s hand a squeeze. “What are you doing, dressed like this?”
“Seein’ the world. Pickin’ up jobs here and there.”
Georgie shook her head. “Clothes do not make the man, B-Benito.”
The girl grinned. “They’re sure mighty comfortable, though. Now, ya gonna introduce me ta all these lovely ladies?”
Sighing, Georgie nodded. “Of course.” She started with Julia, the youngest, and ended with their oldest. “And this is Tina. She’s ten.” Georgie placed her hands on Tina’s shoulders. “Her name is short for Bettina.”
The young woman whipped her head up, surprise and wonder filling her gaze. “Well, if that don’t beat all. I . . . I . . .” She looked again at Tina.
“Hyena,” one of the men called. “You gonna jaw all day or give us a hand?”
Lucious whipped his head around at the nickname, his gaze landing on Bettina.
She turned back to Georgie. “I gotta go.”
“I understand. If you’re ever in Brenham . . .”
The girl shook her head. “Don’t know as that would be a real good i-deer.” Squatting down to Tina’s eye level, she took her by the arms. “I want ya to remember somethin’, Miss Tina. Ain’t nothing a man can do that a woman cain’t do better. Ya hear?”
The girl nodded, her blond curls bouncing. Lucious stepped up next to them. Though he no longer wore overalls on a regular basis, neither did he dress in fancy clothes. Just a string tie, chambray shirt, vest, and denim trousers, with a single holstered gun belt strapped across his hips. He’d