"I hope not!"

"Me too."

Longarm chose not to say anything about the outlaw Hank Ba.s.s because you never knew who might be one of his friends, relatives, or even his lovers. But this elegant and obviously upper-cla.s.s lady seemed the most unlikely of candidates.

"I'm going to Prescott," the woman announced. "So I guess that we'll be traveling at least partway together."

"That would please me right down to the soles of my flat feet," he said with a disarming smile. "How are you getting from Ash Fork to Prescott?"

"There will be a buggy waiting."

"Oh."

"One that you'd be welcome to come along in, Marshal."

"Thanks. I'm going to be a little short on funds until the government wires my expense money to Prescott. So your offer is appreciated."

"I'm sure that my fiance will enjoy meeting you, Marshal Long."

Custis tried hard to mask his disappointment. A fiance was fine, but he did cut out all the promise of a more interesting relationship. Oh, well, Miss Hathaway was out of his league anyway. And besides, there was that lovely lady in Prescott.

Chapter 4.

Longarm had an enjoyable train ride to Ash Fork, Arizona, because Victoria Hathaway was fun and a very interesting lady. Over the hundreds of hours they spent together in conversation, Longarm came to know the woman quite well. Victoria really had been a Nebraska farmer's daughter, but had so detested living there and working from morning to night that she had eloped with a traveling salesman when she was just fifteen. Together, they had traveled across the plains and wound up in the Colorado gold fields. Both she and her husband had contracted gold fever and then had made a good strike near Central City.

"And that was when the trouble began between us," she confided. "Art went crazy over the money. Try to imagine that we were literally dressed in rags and down to the last of our food when we struck it rich. Suddenly, we had more money than we knew what to do with and Art couldn't handle it."

"What do you mean?"

"He wanted to buy everything! He stayed drunk, spent his nights partying and whoring a oh, he just went to h.e.l.l in a hand-basket. I never knew that money could corrupt a man so quickly and completely."

"So," Longarm said, "you divorced Art and took your share of the money?"

"I was going to do that, but he was stabbed to death by a wh.o.r.e and robbed. I wound up with the mine, but legal fees and thieves nearly broke me. Finally, I sold out and took what I had managed to save to Arizona."

"Without a thought of returning to that Nebraska farm country?"

"That's right. I moved to Prescott and bought a nice Victorian house. I opened a cafea"I suppose because of all my experience cooking and doing dishes. The business prospered and I hired someone to manage it, and then immersed myself in civic works which brings you up to my present."

"And your fiance?"

"He's a banker. Handles all my money and investments. He's older than I am by fifteen years, but we are compatible. Bernard is very stable and practical. He would never be corrupted by sudden wealth."

"It sounds like you've come a long way from Nebraska."

"I have," Victoria agreed. "I send money back to my mother. Father died and my oldest brother is running the farm. The rest of my family all moved awaya"some to California, one to Oregon, but none to Arizona."

"Even so, you're still a relatively young woman. What about children?"

"I don't think that I can have them." Victoria blushed a little. "I mean, it's not as if Art didn't try. Bernard a well, he doesn't care for children."

"Do you?"

A deep wistfulness crept into Victoria's eyes. "I'd give anything for children. Especially a daughter that I could raise and love."

"Maybe," Longarm suggested, "you ought to think hard about that and consider breaking your engagement."

Victoria gazed out their train window at the pa.s.sing country. "Believe me," she said, "I've given it some thought."

"I'm sure that there are any number of men who would fall to their knees and beg you to marry them."

"Oh, yes, but probably for my house and money."

"Not so!" Longarm was shocked. Didn't this woman realize how desirable she was in and of herself?

While he was trying to collect the right words to tell her this, Victoria leaned close and said, "What about you? I don't know about such things, but I'm sure that federal marshals, like all other public officials, are underpaid. Lawmen risk their lives for very little monetary compensation."

"That's true enough," Longarm admitted. "We're definitely not in this line of work for the money. On the other hand, we do have a small pension cominga"those of us who live to a retirement age."

"Aren't you concerned about being old and poor?"

"No," Longarm said. "I'll never be poor."

"But you don't know that. I mean, I don't wish to raise alarm, but a lot of men and women who always thought that something would come around to keep them in their old age do wind up practically on charity."

"I've saved some money and I've invested in some mining stocks that have done just fine. I have a good many friends that owe me a good many favors. Besides all that, I am a pretty simple man and don't require much in the way of material goods or comforts. I have my eye on a piece of mountain property with a cabin in the trees that I could pick up for a song, and I may just do that one of these days."

Victoria smiled. "Does it have a stream or river nearby?"

"A river runs right alongside the property. Right now, cottonwood trees are blooming and, in the fall, they will turn gold and red. There are meadows with deer and the fishing is as good as it comes. A rancher friend of mine owns the little homestead and he says that he'll only sell it to me for a dollar, because he owes me his life."

"How wonderful!" Victoria's green eyes had misted. "I'm so happy that you'll always be taken care of, Custis. We've known each other only a few days, but a"

He leaned closer. "But what?"

Victoria almost kissed him. He could see, even feel her desire, but she was strong and engaged to Bernard, the banker. So she excused herself quite suddenly and went off to powder her face. Longarm took a deep breath. Steady, he told himself. This is no time to fall in love again. Not with Jimmy c.o.x in big trouble, an outlaw named Ba.s.s to arrest and bring to trial, and a promise to Dolly to take her on a vacation in New Orleans. Jezus, Custis, haven't you got enough fires in the iron without getting all worked up over a woman who is engaged to a wealthy banker and has her life completely planned?

After that, Longarm spent a little more time by himself in the smoking car talking to other men. He and Victoria still had all their meals together, but their relationship had changed and both were aware that their attraction could only end in sadness and disappointment.

And so it was that Longarm and the auburn-haired woman traveled all the way to Ash Fork, each highly aware of the other and each trying to guard their heart.

"Have you ever been to Prescott?" Victoria asked as their train neared Ash Fork.

"Yes," Longarm replied. "Any number of times. But I really can't recall Wickenburg."

"It was once a mining boom-town," Victoria told him. "The reason I know quite a lot about it is that I've gone there often to visit some of my mining investments."

"I see."

"Wickenburg is named after Henry Wickenburg, who founded the town during the Civil War. He was a prospector just poking about in the hills. He had a nasty mule, and one day, in a fit of anger, he picked up a rock and hurled it at the fleeing beast. Turned out that very rock was mostly gold. Wickenburg and some others started up the Vulture Gold Mine, and some brag that it produced more than twenty million dollars before its decline. At one time, Wickenburg was Arizona's third largest city, and it almost became our territorial capital."

"Is that a fact?"

"Only missed it by two votes!"

"Fascinating," Longarm murmured, infinitely more interested in Victoria than the history of Wickenburg.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked, blushing.

"I just find you extremely attractive and hope that your Bernard is aware of what a prize he's going to marry."

Victoria's cheeks really did turn crimson now and she looked away, saying, "I'm having second thoughts."

"About marrying Bernard?"

"No. About you joining us on the way down to Prescott."

"Why?"

"You're just so a so different!"

Longarm reached across the aisle between them and placed a forefinger under her chin. "Look at me, Victoria.

She did.

"What did you expect? I'm a frontier lawman. I live for the hunt and I'm always watching for someone I've arrested or whose brother I might have gunned down and expecting to be ambushed. I have learned to be a loner. I trust very, very few people. I shun permanency and commitments because I am never sure that I'll be around much longer. I prefer the outdoors and a yes, even feel most alive when I am in danger."

Longarm leaned back in his seat. "Now, does that sound anything like the kind of a fellow who would make a good banker?"

"Absolutely not!"

"Then what did you expect?"

"I don't know," she whispered. "I do love Bernard, in a fashion. But I don't find him very a"

She couldn't say it, but Longarm thought he knew what she wanted to tell him. He had, over the past few days, picked up enough information about Bernard to draw a mental image of the Prescott banker and investment advisor. Bernard was staid, and considerably overweight, and very, very predictable. He was good, honest, and as boring as a board. He was fussy too. Didn't want children who might interrupt his little routines or disturb his precious serenity. Yes, Longarm knew Bernard. He'd met a few just like him and they bored him to tears.

" a very exciting," Longarm said, completing her thought. "And, to be honest, Victoria, I doubt you even love the man."

"Love him? I admire and a and like Bernard. I'm very fond of him."

Longarm wanted to throw up. "What a poor bargain you settle for! And why? Because your heart was broken by your husband and now you prize security and predictability above all other things in a man?"

"Yes!"

"Excuse me," Longarm said, coming to his feet. "But I need some fresh air. I can't stand the thought of you compromising on life. It saddens me, Victoria."

As he was starting to leave, she grabbed his arm. "So what should I do? Fall in love with some penniless lawman who admits, yes, admits, that he loves danger?"

"No," Longarm answered. "Marry your banker and become old and safe and bored. You can at least dream of what life should have been likea"if you'd only had the courage to live it to the fullest."

Longarm had no more to say to Victoria Hathaway. He was sad, rather than angry, and so, when they finally disembarked at Ash Fork, he didn't even consider riding down to Prescott with her and Bernard. And yes, the banker did prove to be the spitting image of what he'd imagined. The man looked old enough to be Victoria's father, or at least an uncle. He was pudgy, proper, and greeted Victoria with a brotherly peck on the cheek that almost turned Longarm's stomach.

Oh, well, Longarm thought as he headed for the stage line office to make his own travel arrangements to Prescott. It's her choice and her lifea"but what a monumental waste!

Chapter 5.

Longarm was reluctant to turn away from Victoria Hathaway, but she'd made her own choices in life and everyone had a right to make mistakes. She, Bernard, and a tough-looking man who was driving their fine carriage pa.s.sed Longarm, and he paused to gaze at her one last time. Victoria looked right back at him, and he thought that he detected regret in her pretty eyes. "Have a happy life!" he called.

Victoria's head turned away, but the driver gave Custis a hard look as they pa.s.sed on down the street and out of Ash Fork on their way down to Prescott. With a sigh of regret, Longarm trudged over to the stage office and was pleased to learn that his luck was holding and that the next coach to Prescott would be leaving at mid-morning.

"Where you from?" the clerk asked, taking Longarm's three dollars.

"Denver."

"Here on business?"

"Yep."

The clerk, a middle-aged man with big muttonchop whiskers and a badly stained brown suit, waited for Longarm to elaborate. When he did not, the clerk said, "You'll be needing a place to stay tonight."

"Yep."

"I'd like to suggest the Majestic Hotel. Clean rooms, good rates. You'll like it."

"What about meals?"

"The Majestic has a dining room. Better than most places to eat in town." The clerk handed him his ticket. "I expect that you are a cattle rancher. Am I right?"

"Nope." Longarm picked up his baggage and started for the door.

"How about a cattle buyer?"

"Nope."

"Well, I'll guess it! I most always do by the third try!"