Chapter 6

 

 

Colby rode into the town just as the nightlife started. He had already figured that most of the stores he would need to get supplies from would be long since closed for the evening. It wasn't his primary focus anyway. After passing several saloons and burlesque shows, he found himself in front of Ma Belle's.

 

Ma Belle, the original owner and operator, died a few years back. In her will, a will drawn up by Colby himself, she left the place to her favorite girl, Naomi. Wanting to profit from Ma Belle's reputation for fairness and cleanliness, Naomi kept the name and continued to operate the business in the same fashion. Colby was always welcome and even given a discount due to their business relationship.

 

After hitching his horse, Colby walked to the front door and knocked. Naomi herself answered the door with a smile. When she saw who it was she smiled genuinely.

 

“Well, do my eyes deceive me? Or could it be the one and only Colby Miller.” Naomi, although well into her forties, still had the perfect girl next door face. She had big, brown eyes and reddish brown hair not yet marred by gray. Although her figure had filled out in the past few years since not actively working the brothel, she was still a stunner.

 

“Hi, Naomi. How's business?” Colby already felt himself relaxing. He realized that just being away from his “wife” was enough to help him unwind. He knew his problems weren't Ginny's fault, but she was the personification of those problems. It occurred to him that maybe he would never be able to have a friendly relationship with her.

 

“Good, good. But, you didn't come all this way to ask me that, did you?” Naomi had a soothing voice which had added to her popularity when she was a working girl.

 

“No. I was wondering if you were busy tonight?” Colby had always had a sweet spot for Naomi. Although much older, she never rushed him to finish the job and move onto the next. Besides, she didn't take too many clients anymore, so a guy didn't have to feel like he was just another lay.

 

Smiling seductively, she gave him her full attention. “Well, now darling, you know I don't really work that side of the business anymore. But for you, I will definitely make an exception.”

 

Calling to another girl to watch the door for the evening, Naomi brought Colby up to her rooms. She kept a large room on the third floor for her private use. Not many men had ever ventured beyond its door, and Colby couldn't help but feel honored.

 

“Have a seat, darling. Can I get you a drink?” she asked, walking to a sidebar and holding up a whiskey bottle.

 

“Thank you, Naomi.” Colby took a seat in a small sitting area on the side of the room. The bed, a big, four poster, was located on the other side of the room, behind a curtain that was currently open. First thing Colby did was remove his boots and hat. Propping his feet up on a small ottoman, he felt himself relax for the first time in days.

 

Handing him his drink, Naomi began to massage his shoulders. “Oh my Colby, you have a lot of tension in your shoulders. What have you been up to that is causing you to be so uptight?” The other thing about Naomi, she sounded like she cared.

 

Taking a long sip from his glass, Colby answered. “Got myself a wife.”

 

The massage ended, and Naomi came around and sat in the chair opposite him. Concern marred her eyes, showing off the crow's feet. “Maybe we should talk first.”

 

“Nothing to talk about really. I needed someone to take care of my brothers, and so I traveled all the way to Denver to buy a wife.” Colby took another sip of the whiskey and continued to regard her. A stray thought occurred to him that this woman should be someone's mother. He quickly quashed the thought as it would have destroyed his purpose for being there.

 

Bending her head to the side, she stared at him for another moment before responding. “And this woman... she's not pretty?”

 

Colby could see she was trying to sort out why he would be here and not with her. Smiling, he said, “No, she's real pretty.”

 

“Are you afraid you might hurt her because it's been awhile?” Naomi looked even more perplexed now.

 

“No. I just don't like her, is all.” Now, he could feel himself chuckling. Colby could be sour, but after some whiskey, he loosened up a bit.

 

“Colby Miller, what a thing to say! If she's pretty, then what difference does it make to you what she has to say.” Naomi had been around the block more than once, and she knew men. They were interested in few things. Top of the list was sex. Didn't matter what the girl looked like if she was willing to fulfill that top item on the list.

 

Colby proceeded to explain the tale of his new wife. Naomi listened with rapt attention through the tale, not stopping to ask any questions, although it was obvious that she had many. When Colby was done, she took his glass and refilled it and filled one for herself. Handing him his glass, she sat across from him once again and appeared pensive. Colby wasn't fooled.

 

“Seems like it wasn't her fault... this mess you're in. Maybe you should be a little nicer to her.”

 

“I know that, Naomi.” Colby looked down to hide his shame. “I know that she didn't ask for any of this. But I just can't help thinking that she's deceiving me. I just got this gut feeling that she's gonna be more trouble than she's worth.”

 

“Darling, I haven't met a man yet who didn't think a woman was more trouble than she's worth. It's why Ma Belle was in business for so long.” Arching her eyebrow, she knew she'd made her point.

 

“Very well. I'll try to be nicer to her.” Colby answered more to his glass of whiskey, than to his companion.

 

Naomi put her glass on the floor and knelt in front of him. Catching his eye, he was forced to give her his attention. First, she removed the half drank glass from his hands. Then, she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “I don't have any answers for you darling, but I think I can take your mind off your problems for a while.” Her mouth turned into a sweet smile, seductive and alluring.

 

Smiling in return, Colby relished the feel of her hands on his chest. Closing his eyes, he pictured his wife's face and that was all he needed to prepare himself for his night out.