Outlaw Mountain

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

With that, Joa

Pausing in front of her dresser after spraying on one final spritz of perfume, she opened the top drawer and pulled out a tiny velvet-covered jewel box. She opened it and stared.it the contents for some time before dropping the box into her pocket. Minutes later, the dogs’ frantic barking a

She hurried out to the car before he had a chance to come inside. “So, Mr. Unemployed,” she said, getting into the Out back. “Are you sure you can afford to take me out to di

Butch gri

Joa

“Moe and Daisy Maxwell,” Butch answered. “As soon as I told them what kind of a bind I was in, they offered to take him, and I accepted. Besides, Junior knows Daisy and he likes her. She promised him another chocolate shake.”

“And where are we going? Not Daisy’s, I presume.”

“The Rob Roy, of course,” Butch said, naming a recently built golf course out near Palominas. The clubhouse contained an upscale dining room that had quickly become one of the hot-spot dining places in all of Cochise County.

“Since I’m a sentimental slob, where else would I take you? After all, that’s where we had our first real date. You look beautiful, by the way.”

“Thanks,” she said.

Their table was in a secluded corner of the elegant dining room. A chilled bottle of Veuve Clicquot was waiting for them when they arrived, as was a beautiful bouquet of roses-a dozen of the delicately colored apricot ones that were Joa

“There’s only one thing missing,” Butch apologized, as they sipped their first glass of champagne. “I love you. I’m thrilled that you’ve said yes, regardless of whether or not it was under duress because your mother was holding a gun to our heads. But you were so damned busy today that I couldn’t catch up with you long enough to drag you to a jeweler. Which I’m sure I should have. After all, with our engagement already public knowledge, you’d better turn up with a ring pretty damned soon or we’ll be in even more trouble.”

Joa

“Well, yes. I have. But I’m fearless,” he added. “I’m. sure I can handle it.”

“What would happen it I told you I already have an engagement ring?”

His face fell. “You don’t mean that there’s someone else…”

Had Butch not been so serious, it might have been comical. Reaching in her pocket, Joa

For a long moment Butch stared at the ring with its glittering emerald-cut stone. “What’s this?” he asked finally.

“Andy gave it to me,” Joa

“It’s very beautiful,” Butch said. He was still staring at the ring with downcast eyes.

“Yes, it is,” Joa

“And you’re suggesting that we use this ring-Andy’s ring-for our engagement, yours and mine?”

“It was Andy’s a

For what seemed an eternity, he continued to stare at the ring. Then, carefully, he pried it out of its velvet-covered bed. When he looked up at her, he was gri

“One thing about me, I’m smart enough to know a good deal when I see one. As far as the world is concerned, even though I have money in the bank, I am currently unemployed. It was nice of Marliss to point that out, by the way. So, since Andy already bought this and since I can be pretty well assured that the size is right, once and for all, Joa

“Yes, I will,” she returned. With that, he slipped the ring on her finger.

Myron Thomas, co-owner of the Rob Roy, had been observing them from a discreet distance. “Bravo, bravo!” he exclaimed. “Let me be the first to congratulate you. What an extraordinarily beautiful ring,” he added, as he refilled both their flutes. “Did you choose it all by yourself?”

Myron’s question was addressed to Butch, who looked at Joa

Di

While the waiter headed for the cashier’s station, Butch turned back to Joa

“No. How could I?”

Butch seemed perplexed. “But we talked about it last night, and I thought-”

“Talked about what?”

“About checking with the authorities in South Dakota.”

“Butch,” Joa

“You don’t remember my telling you about Mount Rushmore?”

“Not at all. Are you sure you’re not making this up?”

“It was after we went to bed last night. I told you how there was only one picture in the whole book that got Junior all excited, and that was the one of Mount Rushmore. When Je

“You told me all this last night?”

“Yes, and you said you’d call South Dakota today to see if anyone there has reported him missing.”

Joa

They drove back to Bisbee. Moe and Daisy Maxwell lived on Quality Hill uptown in Old Bisbee. When Junior came out to the car, he was wearing his badge and carrying his book, one well-worn page of which he insisted on showing to Joa

“Pretty convincing, wouldn’t you say?” Butch asked. “Definitely convincing. Daisy Maxwell is one smart woman.”

Behind her, Junior tapped on her shoulder. “Daisy,” he said. “Me like.”

“Yes, junior,” Joa

Driving around the abandoned black hole that was Lavender Pit Mine, Joa