Page 145 of The Ranger
When he reached town, he looked at the saloon, and headed for it. He shouldn’t be alone, and knew Paddy Mulligan was there. The Wallers and Dunnigans had gone with the rest of Maida’s family to her cousins for dinner and weren’t around to console him. But he also knew he shouldn’t be alone for several reasons, and wouldn’t you know, his heart was getting hungry.
He entered the saloon, went straight to the bar, and leaned against it. The strangers staying at the hotel were all there, along with some of the men that entered the canyon the other day. He ignored them and instead watched as Asa Davenport, who with his wife Daisy ran the saloon for the Mulligans, set a glass in front of him. “Mr. Markhel. I heard you were in town. What can I get for you?”
He stared at him a moment, his mind a blank. What had he done? He should never have left Maida. But she told him to leave...
“Buy ya a drink?”
Markhel slowly turned his head to John Bolger, now standing beside him, grinning like he’d just won a huge pot at a game of cards. “No.”
“What? Don’t you know ya ain’t supposed to refuse a man who’s offering to buy you a drink?” He slapped some money on the table and grinned at Asa. “Give this man a whiskey!”
Asa’s eyes skipped between them. “Ah, he doesn’t drink it.”
Mr. Bolger’s eyes narrowed in disbelief. “What kind of fool doesn’t drink whiskey?” He made a face at Markhel. “Look at ya. You need a drink!” He leaned toward him. “Don’t tell me, let me guess.” He slung an arm around one broad shoulder. No mean feat as Markhel was a foot taller. “It’s a woman, isn’t it? Only a woman can put that sort of look on a man’s face.”
Markhel didn’t so much as blink.
“Hey boys!” Mr. Bolger called. “This man needs a drink!”
His brothers and cousins left their card game and joined them at the bar. One of them shoved a half-full shot glass in front of him. “Here, slug it back.”
Markhel took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Asa blanched. “Oh boy.” He took off down the hall off just behind the counter and disappeared.
Markhel didn’t care. He was still puzzling over what else he might have done wrong. He would have to speak to her more. But... what would he talk about? Hmmm...
Another man put his shot glass in front of him. “Here you go, mister.” He patted Markhel on the back. “So, that pretty little thing we saw ya with the other day, she put that look on your face?”
“Who else?” Mr. Bolger said and hit him upside the head. “Women, they’ll break your heart every time.” He pointed to the three shot glasses lined up in front of him. “Ah c’mon, a drink will make you forget her.”
Markhel continued to stare straight ahead. Maybe if he’d spoken more tenderly to her? No, that wasn’t it. What did he say that upset her so?
One of them men went behind the bar, filled a shot glass with whiskey, and put it in front of Markhel. “There, now ya got your own glass!”
The others laughed, took their drinks back and slugged them down.
Maybe if he’d held her more? The bond strengthens quickly through touch. Yes, he needed to remedy that. He would hold her more, caress her hair, speak to her tenderly. There was something deep down inside him that surfaced and did just that. Then it would disappear, and he wasn’t sure how to get it back. It made it easier to talk to her.
The same man that went behind the counter was refilling everyone’s shot glass. Several other men left their tables and joined the men gathered around the bar. They held their glassed out to the man slinging drinks and got their glasses refilled.
Markhel frowned as Paddy hurried to the front and slipped behind the bar. He took one look at Markhel and gasp. “Laddie, ye look terrible!” He took in the men gathered around him. “Back away now, give the poor man some breathing room!”
They did. Markhel still ignored them.
Paddy noticed the man behind the counter and grabbed the whiskey bottle from him. “Give me that!” He shoved him out from behind the bar and put the bottle away. When he turned back to Markhel, his frowned had deepened. The men still hovered around him, probably hoping to get more free whiskey.
Markhel cocked his head and looked Paddy in the eyes. “I thought I knew how to court a woman properly in this time. I was wrong.”
One of the men around him fell against him. “Isn’t it a shame? Ya think ya know what you’re doing and then...” he tossed a hand in the air. “They’re tossing ya out of the house!” He downed his drink then slammed his glass on the bar. “Another round!”
“Asa!” Paddy called. He looked at Markhel and made a tsk, tsk, sound. “Laddie, ye best tell me what happened. She didn’t Call again, did she?”
“She did. It was painful.”
“It always is,” Several of the men around him sang.
Markhel sighed again, his eyes taking in those closest to him.