Vista del Fuego was like any other rowdy border town in the 1880's. Chris Langley had left Whiskey Creek the day before and should've headed for home, but he'd heard the women in Vista del Fuego could be pretty lively. The lean, blond gun-for-hire with a reputation for speed had some time and a few dollars left, so he thought he'd give the place a chance.
After he'd settled in at the hotel, Chris Langley headed straight for the saloon. A slender young woman was on the tiny stage, singing in front of a roomful of drunken cowboys and freight handlers.
"Whaddya think?" asked the barkeep, nodding in the direction of the stage. The woman onstage was singing "Lorena," a love song from the Civil War days.
Chris smiled. "She's certainly pretty."
"'The Nebraska Nightingale', she calls herself." The barkeep shook his head ruefully.
Something familiar about the singer tugged at the corners of Chris's memory. He finished his drink as the Nebraska Nightingale finished her song. One of the cowboys grabbed her, pulling her off the stage and catching her in his arms as she struggled to escape. He set her on her feet and began to paw clumsily at her dress. She fought him as the others laughed and cheered him on.
Chris pushed aside the other patrons. "Let her go."
With an arm wrapped around her shoulders, the cowboy turned to face Chris. "Git yer own! I saw 'er first!"
Chris pulled aside the flap of his coat, his hand near his gun. He wasn't one to open fire indoors, but he hoped the threat would be enough to end this quickly.
The cowboy eyed Chris and the gun, and sobered up a bit. "Just funnin', Mister. Here." He shoved her at him. "She's all yers. Too bony fer me anyways."
The woman stared up at Chris with wide eyes.
Chris's eyes narrowed. "Rachel?"
"Chris?"
He caught her by the arm and led her out of the saloon. "C'mon," he said tersely. "I know a place where we can talk."
Chris led her to his room at the local hotel, ignoring the suspicious looks from the desk clerk, and sat her abruptly on the bed.
"What in God's name are you doin' here?" He demanded.
"Well, hello to you, too, after all this time. What does it look like?"
"Want me to tell you?"
She sighed. "I'm singing. I'm working my way to San Francisco. I do sing, remember?"
Chris nodded. "You sang in the church choir, not saloons. Why ain't you in Indiana?"
She looked at him, with a smile. "I'm surprised you even remembered. You always went for those fast, loose, skinny types like that Emma Grinstead. Men like you didn't bother with girls like me."
"A lot's changed. I've changed."
"Enough to want me now?" She moved closer. For the first time, he noticed that she'd lost a lot of weight since he'd seen her last. And she'd certainly grown up.
She was right, he thought. He remembered her as a shy, ample young woman. And prim. He used to say how she could give propriety lessons to nuns. And the Chris Langley of those days liked his women a lot "friendlier."
He smiled, embarrassed. "Rachel, you weren't the type of girl a man like me-"
"Not good enough for you?" She put her arms around his neck.
Chris shook his head, pulling her hands away. "Too good."
He could already feel a stirring deep within his body with this decidedly grown-up woman, and he didn't trust himself. He walked over to the dresser, leaving her sitting on the bed, and picked up a bottle.
"Drink?" He poured her a glass of whiskey and handed it to her.