To Tease A Texan. Georgina Gentry

owner. You can’t believe how much money goes in there from all these saloons.”

      “Uh-uh.” Larado shook his head. “That dog won’t hunt.”

      “Huh?”

      “It’s what Texans say when it’s no-go. I ain’t never done nothin’ crooked much. I ain’t hankerin’ for no prison cell.”

      “You got any money to get back to Texas?”

      “No. I’m flat busted except for my watch and my horse,” Larado admitted as he stuck the smoke in his mouth and reached for a burning twig from the campfire.

      “Look”—Snake leaned closer—“this bank would be a pushover. It just opened up and is bustin’ with deposits. The sheriff’s out of town, and it’s too early for the bank to be open.”

      “Then how would you get in? You gonna blow it?” Larado asked.

      Snake spat into the fire. “That’d draw too much attention. I been watchin’ and I seen that fat little banker work on his books with his teller early in the mornin’ before the bank opens.”

      Larado shook his head and blew smoke. “I ain’t no robber, and I’d like to live a little longer.”

      “I never heard of no Texan being a coward,” Snake said.

      “When you say that, mister, you’d better smile. Our motto is ‘Remember the Alamo.’ Texans go down fightin’.”

      “I meant no offense.” Snake tossed the last of his coffee in the fire where it sizzled and went up in steam. “You could just mosey in there with me and look around, see if you think it’s doable.”

      “Do I look like my mama raised a fool?” Larado shook his head. “I ain’t no bank robber, and to be mighty honest, I ain’t too good with a gun.”

      “Hell, I am,” Snake said. “I ain’t askin’ you to shoot somebody, just help me carry all those sacks of money out—they’d be mighty heavy.”

      “Mighty heavy,” Larado repeated wistfully.

      “Just come along with me and walk through the bank so I can look it over,” Snake urged. “Maybe you can give me some leads on what I ought to do when I do get a partner. You seem like a smart hombre.”

      Larado felt himself redden. “Don’t have much book learnin’, although my mama did teach me to read. I reckon I’m smart as the next fella, if only…”

      “I reckon I know a smart hombre when I see one.” Snake grinned, showing yellow teeth. “That’s why I want your advice. It’d be worth a gold eagle to find out what you think.”

      Larado smoked and stared into the fire. A twenty dollar gold piece was a lot of money to a busted cowboy. “All I got to do is look over the bank and give you an opinion?”

      The tough gunman nodded.

      “Okay, here’s my opinion,” Larado said. “A man can get kilt robbin’ banks. Don’t do it.”

      “Hell, I take back my apology. I reckon what they say about Texans is true.” Snake stood up slowly. “Folks say they’re all gurgle and no guts.”

      Larado leaped up and grabbed him by the jacket sleeve. “You callin’ me yellow?”

      “Easy, cowboy, easy.” Snake made a soothing gesture. “I wasn’t askin’ you to rob the bank, just help me look it over.”

      “I ain’t seen the color of your money.”

      “Fair enough. You’re a smart hombre, Larado.” Snake nodded, reached into his coat, and tossed a coin.

      Larado caught it and stared at it. “Ain’t you afraid I’ll take your money and skedaddle?”

      “You strike me as a purty honest man,” Snake said. “They say Texans got a sense of honor.”

      “Reckon that’s true.” Larado nodded. He didn’t like the feel of this whole thing, but he needed the money—Lord, how he needed the money. Chico could use some oats, and he damned sure needed a new sack of Arbuckles’, a hunk of bacon, and a little cornmeal to get back to the Lone Star State. “Well, I’ll go along and look over this here bank, but I ain’t gonna rob it with you.”

      “Sure, sure. Let’s go now while it’s still early and there’s almost nobody on the street.”

      Larado put the gold coin in his vest, tossed his cigarette into the campfire, and stood. “I’ll saddle up.”

      Snake followed him to saddle Chico. “I believe you’re the most honest galoot I ever met. Anybody else would jump at the chance to cut himself in on a fat job like this.”

      “My mama would roll over in her grave if she thought she’d raised a son who would take another man’s money,” Larado said. “I don’t know what she would say about just lookin’ it over.”

      “Aww, that fat banker has plenty, and you know how bankers is. He probably took half of it from some old folks he foreclosed on or cheated some poor widow out of.”

      Larado gave that some thought as he saddled up and mounted. He began to whistle his favorite song:…as I walked out on the streets of Laredo, as I walked out in Laredo one day…

      “I hate that song,” Snake grumbled.

      Larado stopped whistling. “I was wishin’ last night I had a twenty dollar gold piece. I reckon that’s what it would take to buy that gal.”

      “Dixie?” Snake laughed as he swung into the saddle. “Hell, she’s my gal. She’s meetin’ me at my camp later this morning. I tell you what, I’ll give you a few minutes on a blanket with her.”

      “I didn’t mean her, I meant that tall one with the black hair.” Silently, he wondered what kind of a man would offer the use of his woman to another man like he was offering to share some pecan pie. Maybe he didn’t know Larado had had the blonde the first night in town. She was pretty good for a dollar.

      “Oh, Lark?” Snake snorted as they rode out. “Don’t know much about her ’cept she’s a Texan too. She’ll tease you, but that’s all. Waits tables, won’t work the cribs with the other whores.”

      “Oh?” Larado’s interest heightened. “Damn, there was something about her got my blood runnin’ hot.”

      “You ain’t the only one,” Snake laughed. “But she don’t do nothin’ but serve drinks—and not very well. You got your pants soaked with beer, so you know that.”

      Larado grinned, remembering the girl. “She can pour beer on me any time. She’s purty as an ace-high straight.”

      “After you left, she and Dixie got into a fight and she yanked some of Dixie’s hair out. Don’t know what Dixie said to start it.”

      Larado pictured the scene, the luscious long legs, the tangle of dark hair, maybe a torn and revealing skimpy costume. “Texas gals ain’t likely to let anyone give them lip. You can always tell a Texan, but you can’t tell ’em much.”

      Snake yawned and shrugged. “Ain’t that the Gawd’s truth? A woman is a woman,” Snake said, “they’ll cheat you and trick you and they’re all the same when the lights is turned out.”

      “I don’t know about that,” Larado drawled. “That one wasn’t no coyote bait.”

      Snake scratched his crotch. “Weeks ago, I made a pass at her and got slapped for it. She acts like a lady, but no lady would work in a saloon.”

      “Reckon you got that right.” She was mysterious and interesting. His head hurt, but he remembered the warm scent of perfume wafting up between her full breasts.

      They rode away from the camp and into town. As Snake had said, the streets were almost deserted in the early dawn.

      Snake