“Welcome, Jade. You have been sorely missed.”
“And you, Aunt Lily.”
The slim, shapely woman with upswept blond hair and a fashionable beaded gown was not really a relative. The title was one of honor. Lily Austin had been Ahn Lin’s most trusted assistant. It was Lily to whom Jade had turned when Ahn Lin had died. And it was Lily who had promised to keep the Golden Dragon running smoothly when Jade had rushed to Texas at the news of her father’s death. When Jade had written a long, impassioned letter stating that she wished to remain in Texas to get to know her new family, Lily had understood. She would wait as long as necessary for Jade to decide the next step in her life’s drama.
The door was closed by an Oriental giant whose body rippled with muscles honed through years of labor on the docks of San Francisco. The warrior, Lee Yin, had been chosen by Onyx Jewel himself to guard the women of Ahn Lin’s business. His loyalty to Jade Jewel was unquestionable.
As the door closed, he leaned against it and watched as the party of women climbed the stairs.
In Jade’s suite of rooms Lily settled herself on a lounge while two maids unpacked the bulging trunks. Jade moved restlessly around the luxurious rooms that had been her home for all of her life. She had no need to speak of the homesickness she had suffered. Her deep silence, broken only by an occasional sigh, spoke volumes.
She touched a hand to the silk wall coverings, the elegantly embroidered bed linens, the heavy velvet draperies at the windows. She opened the window wide and breathed deeply, filling her lungs with the scents that were uniquely San Francisco. These familiar sights and sounds would always touch her in a special way. The fine, misty rain that was so much a part of the city. The scents of ocean and harbor carried on the damp breeze. The streets littered with hand carts, horse-drawn carriages and a swell of humanity from every part of the world.
“Perhaps you would like to rest. We can talk later.”
Jade seemed momentarily confused, as though surprised that the others were still here. Her mind was awhirl with memories. “Yes, please. It has been a long journey, and I am weary.”
Lily clapped her hands. At once one of the maids approached, eyes downcast, head bowed. The bed linens were turned down. A second maid helped Jade to undress. Naked, she slid between rose-scented sheets. The draperies were drawn. By the time the door to her room was closed, and Lily and the maids had taken their leave, she was back in her childhood. Steeped in memory.
Jade lay in her bed listening to the sounds that filtered through the walls. During the past months she had learned to adjust to the sounds of life on a cattle ranch. Cattle lowing, wranglers swearing, hoofbeats thundering across hard-packed earth. Now, as darkness covered the land, she heard the music of the city. The music that had lulled her to sleep since her birth here in San Francisco. A foghorn sounded out in the bay, warning other boats of its presence. On the streets, carriages rolled past. Below stairs, the notes of a violin, high and pure, were a soothing background to the clink of glasses, the deep rumble of men’s voices and the occasional trill of feminine laughter.
A door opened softly, then closed. The light of a lantern drew closer, illuminating the room. Jade sat up and watched as Aunt Lily approached and set the lantern on her night table.
“Do you wish a bath?” she asked.
“Yes, please.”
Lily clapped her hands and two servants approached, balancing an ornate tub between them. Several more servants trailed behind, carrying buckets of steaming water. Soon a bath had been prepared in front of a cozy fire. With a sigh of contentment Jade settled into the water.
She had forgotten how wonderful it felt to be pampered. Her hair was washed and wrapped in a warm towel. Her body was soothed with oils and perfumes. By the time she stepped from the tub, she felt renewed and refreshed.
A maid approached holding several gowns.
“You will choose, please.”
“This one.” Jade chose her usual, a gown of shimmering green silk with a mandarin collar and black frog fasteners. When it was slipped over her head it skimmed the curves of her body like a second skin. She wondered if her Texas sisters had ever experienced the feel of silk against naked flesh, with no undergarments as barriers.
The narrow skirt was slit to the thigh on either side for ease of walking, revealing a length of shapely leg. On her feet she wore dainty green satin slippers. At her throat was her only jewelry—the rope of gold with the glittering onyx and jade. Each time she wore it, she felt her father’s presence beside her.
For a moment she clutched it tightly in her fingers, savoring the memory of her birthday.
I feel you with me still, honorable Father. Here, in the place where you presented this to me, more than ever.
With a shake of her head she brought herself firmly back to the present.
She was led to a dressing table, where her hair was brushed and secured with jeweled combs so that it fell, sleek and smooth, over one breast.
She turned to study her reflection in the tall looking glass. Gone was the simple young woman who had arrived tired and dusty from the trail. In just a matter of hours she had reverted to the young woman who had been trained at her mother’s knee to suit the sophisticated tastes of the men who frequented the Golden Dragon.
“Aunt Lily, I feel like a new woman.”
“In fact, you look like the Jade I remember. Come,” Lily said, holding out her hand. “We’ll dine. And you’ll tell me everything that has happened since you left. I especially want to hear about your father’s home in Texas.”
As she descended the stairs, Jade thrilled to the foreign languages, the many strange dialects. As she entered the formal parlor, she greeted the men in their own tongues, conversing easily in French, Spanish, Italian, German. As she moved on, their admiring glances followed her.
Lily led the way to a small alcove, where a table had been set with fine china and crystal.
When a servant poured wine, Jade lifted a brow. “Spirits?”
Lily smiled. “I know. We rarely indulge. But it is a special occasion.”
Again Jade was reminded of another occasion. Without realizing it, she glanced around the room.
“Are you expecting company?” Lily asked.
Jade felt heat stain her cheeks. To cover her discomfort she said, “No. It’s just that this is all so new, and yet so familiar. I shall miss this place.”
“You talk as though you are leaving.”
Jade waited until the servant walked away before saying, “I am.” She caught Lily’s hand between both of hers. “Aunt Lily, I have come to a painful decision. My home now is in Texas. I’ve come back to sell the Golden Dragon.”
She could see the shock and horror her words caused. Lily’s eyes widened. Her lips trembled, and she caught her lower lip between her teeth to keep from crying out.
“You cannot be serious.” Lily pulled her hand free and lifted the crystal goblet to her lips, drinking deeply. “What will happen to all of us?”
“I…was hoping you would come with me. I have already begun to duplicate the Golden Dragon in my new home.”
Lily gave an incredulous laugh. “You want me to live in Texas? In the dusty little town of… What is it called? Hanging Tree?”
Hearing it from Lily’s lips made it sound so impossible. And yet, until this moment, she had truly believed she could succeed in her dream.
Jade sipped her wine and chose her words carefully. “I have found family in Texas. Sisters.” Over dinner she described the three young women with whom she now shared her life.’ “Diamond and Pearl have married, and now have homes of their own. Diamond’s ranch adjoins ours, and Pearl’s home is actually on our land, just across Poison Creek.”
Lily cringed. “Is the water poisoned?”
Jade stifled her laugh. After all, she had once wondered the same thing. “The water is as pure as a mountain stream.” She shrugged. “Who knows where such names come from? Anyway, Ruby and I are still living in Father’s ranch house, but
we manage to see Diamond and Pearl every day. We’ve become a family. A true family. And I do not wish to be separated from them. But I must have a purpose in my new life in Texas. And the only thing I know is this.”
Lily set down her fork. She had managed a few bites, but the food now stuck in her throat. As did the regret.
Lifting her goblet, she sipped before saying as gently as she could manage, “I understand your need for family. Each time your father left, I could see the pain in your eyes. But I always thought we were your family. All of us here, who have worked at the Golden Dragon.”
“You know I love you.” Jade’s eyes were troubled. “And you have always been an important part of my life. I want you to continue to share my life. But Diamond, Pearl and Ruby are my father’s daughters. We have just now found each other. I cannot bear the thought of being separated from them. There is so much they can tell me about my father’s life when he was not with me.”
Lily studied her young friend. With a wan smile she pushed away from the table. “I will need some time to ponder this. In the meantime, I have work to do.” She held out a hand. “Will you join me?”
Jade nodded and accepted her hand.
Soon both women were moving through the rooms, stopping occasionally to talk, to listen, to summon a waiter or smooth over a misunderstanding.
Leaving Lily to chat with a group of gentlemen, Jade continued to move through the public rooms until she came to the private parlor where Lily had informed her a high-stakes poker game was in progress.
Jade swept into the room, then closed the door with a soft click. A pall of rich cigar smoke hung over the table. The voices were subdued, except for an occasional curse as the cards were dealt. She smiled at the young woman who was seated at the head of the table, dealing. Her smile was still in place as her gaze scanned the half-dozen men, several of whom had women standing behind them, lighting their cigars or silently watching the game.
Suddenly her smile froze. She felt her breath catch in her throat.
A man dressed all in black looked up. His face was heavily bearded and his clothes still bore the dust of the trail. But there was no mistaking those strange, tawny eyes that seemed to see clear through her. Or the daunting curve of those lips as he scowled before returning his attention to the cards, effectively dismissing her.
It was Wade Weston. And yet not Wade.
He more nearly resembled, in fact, the mysterious gunman from her past.
Chapter Eleven
For the space of several seconds Jade was forced to grip the back of a chair while she struggled to compose herself. Then, on legs that felt like rubber, she made her way around the table, greeting several of the men she knew.
“Jade, my dear,” said a courtly gentleman. “We’ve missed you. I hear you’ve been in Texas. My condolences on the death of your father.”
“Thank you, Senator Hammond. It is good to be back in San Francisco.”
“Gentlemen,” the senator said to the others at the table, “may I present Miss Jade Jewel. This lovely lady is the owner of the Golden Dragon.”
As they started to get to their feet she waved a hand. “Please. I would not want to interrupt your game.”
“But this is the most pleasant of interruptions, my dear.” The senator indicated the players. “Jade, I’d like you to meet Elmer Miller, owner of Miller Mining. And this is Christopher Hawley, who owns San Francisco’s finest carriage works.”
Throughout the introductions Jade managed to smile and nod at all the appropriate times. And though she appeared charming and relaxed, her mind was in a turmoil.
“And this is one of the finest gamblers I’ve ever had the good fortune to oppose,” the senator said with a trace of affection. “May I present Nevada.”
“Miss Jewel.” Wade bowed his head slightly in acknowledgment, and continued to meet her unflinching gaze.
Jade could read nothing in his eyes. They were as cool and clear as amber glass.
In truth, he was as stunned as she. The last he’d seen of her, she’d been riding toward her ranch house. He’d had no reason to think she would leave Texas. He felt a sudden burst of anger. What in hell was she doing here in San Francisco? And why did it have to be now? With a supreme effort he managed to bank his temper.
“May I buy you a bit of sherry later, my dear?” the senator asked, brushing a kiss to her cheek.
Jade nodded. “Thank you. Lily will find me when you’ve finished here.” To the others she said, “I wish you all good luck, gentlemen. May the cards be kind to you.”
She turned toward the door and forced herself to walk slowly, even though her first inclination was to bolt and run. She could feel Wade’s dark gaze burning into her back until the door closed behind her.
Once she was safely in her office, and away from prying eyes, she sank into a chair behind her desk and clasped her hands together tightly.
Wade Weston. Here in San Francisco. So this was why he had left Hanging Tree so abruptly. He’d had a sudden desire to return to his old habits. But he was no longer the small-town preacher, Wade Weston. He was the gambler, Nevada.
There was nothing left of the gentle man she had known in Texas. From the pistols at his hips to the tumbler of whiskey at his elbow he was giving notice that he was every inch the mysterious gunman.
What was she to do? She pressed her hands to her face in a gesture of defeat. Oh, what was she to do now? How would she get through the days and weeks to come, with the knowledge that her dream lover was here in the flesh? And that the old dream had become a nightmare?
The piano was silent. In the public rooms the voices had faded. In the small hours of the morning the Golden Dragon had grown quiet, except for an occasional trill of laughter, or a creak on the stairs.
Senator Hammond, having lost a considerable fortune, had sought out Jade. The two old friends had shared a few fond memories of her parents over a glass of sherry before he’d taken his leave. The game had ended, the players scattered. Some had gone home. Others had moved on to other pleasures. And those women who were not otherwise occupied had gone to sleep.
Though her heart wasn’t in it, Jade doggedly continued going over the ledgers. It was better than giving in to the weariness that held her in its grip. And infinitely better than facing her old, empty bedroom.
The door to her office suddenly opened. When she looked up, she was surprised to see the man who had been dominating all her thoughts. He strode casually across the room until he reached her desk.
He was as handsome and mysterious as she remembered. And her reaction was the same: her heart beat wildly, her palms grew moist, her throat felt dry as dust.
But instead of pleasure at the sight of him, she felt a deep welling of fear and anger. Fear because she knew how attracted she was—an attraction she was determined to fight. Anger that she could feel such things for a liar and a cheat.
Of the two she much preferred anger. It was an emotion she could deal with. She let the anger take over.
“A gentleman always knocks before entering a lady’s room.”
“I’m sure he does.” He opened a box on her desk and helped himself to a cigar, then held a match to the tip. Sitting on her desk, he leaned back, a wreath of rich smoke curling over his head. On his finger was a ring of twisted gold, with an amber stone that caught and reflected the light. With a smile he added, “But nobody ever accused Nevada of being a gentleman.”
“What are you doing here in San Francisco?” she demanded.
“I might ask you the same thing.”
“I have every right to be here. Have you forgotten that I own this place?”
“I’ve forgotten nothing.” He shot her a meaningful glance and was rewarded with a sudden flush to her cheeks.
He stretched out his long legs in a relaxed pose.
She had the impression that he was as relaxed as a panther on the prowl.
“My money helped build the Golden Dragon, Miss Jewel.”
“That
doesn’t give you the right to barge in to my private office.”
He merely smiled. “It doesn’t give me any rights at all. But then, I never needed permission to do as I pleased.”
She got to her feet, her back rigid, her chin high. “Do as you please somewhere else. I don’t want you here in the Golden Dragon.”
“Don’t you?” He set the cigar in a crystal ashtray, then crossed the room and poured himself a glass of brandy from a decanter. As an afterthought he asked, “Would you care to join me?”
She shook her head in refusal.
He downed the drink in one long swallow, then poured a second, carried it back to her desk and sat down again. “I’ll remind you, Miss Jewel, that I brought you a great deal of business tonight. The Golden Dragon’s cut of the jackpot was worth nearly ten thousand dollars.”
It galled her to admit that he was right. Lily had been ecstatic about the sudden influx of gamblers when Nevada had arrived on the scene. She’d boasted that the man was a magnet for all the wealthy players in San Francisco.
Instead of acknowledging it, Jade merely glared at him. “Am I supposed to be grateful?”
“I hope so. And if you’d like to show your appreciation in some… special way, you won’t hear me object.” The look he gave her had her cheeks flaming.
He seemed to be actually enjoying the role of gambler and gunman. Or was this his true self, and the preacher merely a pose? “How can you be so contemptible?”
“I’ve had a lot of practice.” He sipped his brandy and nodded toward the pile of cash on her desk. “That money should pay a few bills.”
“And what about you?” she demanded. “Did you win or lose?”
“I made considerably more than the Golden Dragon, Miss Jewel. I’m a very lucky gambler.”
“So I’ve heard.” She rounded the desk, intent upon ending their discussion. But as she swept past him his hand snaked out, catching her roughly by the wrist.
“Going somewhere?” He was on his feet and dragging her so close she could feel the heat of his breath against her cheek.