Chapter Twelve

Ance knew there was going to be trouble the moment they rode onto the streets of Grandy and he saw those familiar horses and tackle hitched beside the saloon. Ance had a reputation and one he'd spent his entire adult life building--toting around a little girl with a bad leg and the ability to have him learning to braid and washing laundry just wouldn't fit that image at all. 

And the men currently occupying The Bucking Mule Saloon were a few who would certainly let him know just how unlike him his current self was. They'd be more than willing to take advantage of that too. 

Ance's one armed grip on Penelope tightened as did his jaw. He'd kill any person who dared attempt to harm his girl--even if their only weapons were harsh words. Hell, Ance knew that keeping Penelope with him was dangerous... If he ran into Barnaby Wallace things would get real deadly real fast and there were plenty of other men who didn't care much for Ance.... But Ance vowed in his heart that he'd never let any more harm come to this child than she'd already endured. 

Ance led their horse toward one of only two hotels in the small town of Grandy. "Ance, I think I need a new dress," Penelope stated, sticking her finger through one of the many tears in her skirt and wiggling it around in the air. 

Ance chuckled, "I figured I'd just let you wear that one 'til it falls plumb apart."

"It has fell plumb apart!" Penelope exclaimed with a laugh.

"Well how about I just see what I can do," Ance replied. He slid off the mare's back and pulled Penelope down. Instead of setting her on her feet, he tossed her onto his back and she laughed as he held her legs around him and she looped her little arms around his neck. 

Ance's hat fell to the ground and he hooked it with his boot, tossed it up and Penelope caught it before plopping it onto her own head. "That's my hat, Penny," Ance reminded her. 

"It looks better on me," Penelope assured him. 

All Ance could do was chuckle. They went inside, Ance requested and paid for a room and asked for a bath to be brought up. Once he had Penelope settled into the bath, he went to the door. "I'll be back shortly. I gotta go take care of some things. If you need help, ring that bell next to you and they'll hear it downstairs and send someone up." 

"Okay," Penelope replied, only half paying attention as she played in the rose scented bubbles. 

Ance left the hotel and fixed his hat on his head as he stepped out into the sunlight. He figured Penelope would want to stay here for at least a few days and so he didn't need to stock up on supplies just yet but there were a few other things he was wanting to pick up. 

Ance stepped into the mercantile, which boasted of having everything you could ever need and was the only store in Grandy other than the gun shop and an apothecary. Ance knew he'd be stopping there as well to get some herbs for a good pain fighting tea that would be safe for Penelope to take on the days her leg pained her too badly. 

"Can I help you?" the storekeep asked a bit hesitantly as he pushed his glasses up on his bulbous nose and looked Ance up and down. 

Ance nodded and stuck his thumbs through his belt loops. "I am looking for a dress." 

"I don't reckon they'll have any here that'll fit you," a somewhat familiar voice stated from Ance. 

Ance turned slowly and recognized Clarence McCready, a mouthy bastard who had always rubbed Ance the wrong way. Ance was a private man and Clarence McCready was loud-mouthed, nosy and liked to think his shit didn't stink. 

Without a word to Clarence, Ance returned his attention to the shopkeeper. "I need a dress for a little girl, she stands about here," Ance indicated a spot just above his waist, "and she's real slender...." 

"I have several dresses to choose from," the shopkeep replied, seeming to overcome his shock upon first seeing Ance. Ance couldn't blame the man. He was bearded, well over six feet tall, big as an oak tree and covered in trail dust and sweat. "Without proper measurements the dress won't fit exact but I can send one of my seamstresses to wherever the girl is, if she's in town with you, and make any alterations quickly." 

"That'll work," Ance tipped his head. 

"A little girl," Clarence asked with a chuckle. "She your daughter or do you like 'em young?" 

Ance let out a long breath and rolled his broad shoulders. He turned slowly and met Clarence's gaze. "I don't see how that's any of your business. Why don't you just go on about your way now?"

"You might get by with talking to yellow-belled men like that but you ain't gonna do it to me," Clarence warned as he stepped forward. The two men were even in height but where Ance was thick with muscle built from hard living, Clarence was thick with fat built from too much food and drink. 

Ance clenched a fist. "I'll talk just the way I please to anyone I talk to," he assured the other man. "And you'll do well to get the hell out of my way. Don't come tracking me down looking for a fight because you're gonna bite off a bit more than you can chew."

The two men stared each other down a moment and then Clarence slapped himself on the thigh and laughed heartily. "You're still just as ornery as ever! It's good to see that considering the way you was loving on that little girl you rode into town with. I feared ya might have lost your edge and turned into a soft little family man." 

Ance just glared and turned back to the store clerk who appeared quite nervous that a fight may break out in his store and damage his merchandise. "I'll be needing two of those dresses, some cigars, a few packs of matches, some oil and rags and a sack of candy.... Throw in some underclothes that'll fit that girl while you're at it if you have them." 

As the shopkeeper wrote all that down, Ance worked hard to ignore Clarence's snickering behind him. There was no law in Grandy, no one to lock Ance up if he chose to shut Clarence up for good, but Clarence had friends and Ance didn't want to risk having them come gunning for him--not now that he had Penelope to worry about. 

"I'll get that order ready and send it and the seamstress to the hotel if you'd like. What room should I send her to?" the storekeep questioned as he adjusted his glasses. 

"Seven-A," Ance replied, pulling his hat down a little tighter. He paid the shopkeep for his order and then stepped back out onto the boardwalk. 

With a grumble, Ance realized that Clarence followed him outside. "You and I aint' friends, Ance, and I know that's true, but I feel I need to warn you about something," Clarence stated before spitting a long stream of tobacco into the dirt. 

"Well, ya gonna get to talking or just stand there looking ominous all day?" Ance muttered. 

"Barnaby's after you. He said you stole something off of him and he tried to hire me to hunt you down and kill you for him." 

Ance tensed slightly, though it was only internally because his posture didn't change as he squinted into the sun. "Is that why you're following me?" he questioned calmly. "You planning on killing me?" 

Clarence chuckled and shook his head. "Only a fool with half a brain or no knowledge of who you are would agree to hunt you down for a bounty--even the hefty one that Barnaby's placed on you. The way I figure a man would probably have to shoot you in the back to get you and I just ain't that kind of man." 

"Well alright then," Ance pulled  cigar from his pocket. 

"But there are men like that out there, Ance. Just thought you'd like to know you need to be watching your back extra careful." Clarence added. 

"I can take care of myself," Ance assured him. "I'm a big boy." 

"What did you steal from Barnaby, Ance? Hell, ain't you got more sense than to do something like that? Barnaby ain't an enemy that any man wants to have." 

Ance lit the cigar and took a long draw. He let it hang off his lip as he scratched his bearded chin. "Neither am I, Clarence. Neither am I." 

***

"Thank you, Ance!" Penelope exclaimed as she stood in the mirror and smoothed out the skirt of her new blue dress.

"I just didn't want to hear you complain about holes in your clothes anymore," Ance assured her as he stood against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. 

Penelope giggled. "I'll bet I smell better." 

Ance took a deep breath through his nose and nodded. "Yep, you sue do." 

"Well so do you!" Penelope stated as she limped over to him and poked his lean stomach. 

Ance glanced down at his new clothes and ran his hand through his thick dark hair that was still a bit damp after his visit to the bathhouse. "Anything for you, Penny." 

"I'm glad you feel that way," Penelope mused thoughtfully as she tapped her chin. 

Ance laughed. "And why's that?" he asked, knowing damn well that the girl was getting ready to ask him for something. She always got that mischievous grin on her face when she was about to ask him for something. 

"The lady that fixed my dresses told me there's gonna be a party tonight. Dancing, food, games..... I wanna go!" 

Ance shook his head. "I don't think so." 

"Why?" Penelope pouted. 

Ance grumbled under his breath. "I don't like crowds, Penny. I don't play games and I sure as hell don't dance. We're not going." 

"Ance....." 

"Stop begging," Ance warned. "I said no."  He went to the window and sat down in the chair before pulling out his gun, oil and rags.

Ance set about cleaning his gun and tried to ignore Penelope who came to stand beside him. Ance knew that outside preparations for tonight's festivities could be seen. Penelope sighed wistfully. 

Ance grunted but said nothing. Penelope moved closer to him and he felt her little arms slide around his neck from the side and she laid her head against his cheek. "Please, Ance?"

"Damnation, Penny!" Ance grumbled as he tossed his gun down in his lap. She simply smiled and batted her lashes at him in response. Ance felt his resolve crumbling. 

Ance turned his head and pressed a quick kiss to her blond hair. "Fine. But we ain't staying down there long...." 

Penelope didn't listen to anything else as she went back to the mirror and began playing with her dress and carrying on about how she was going to feel like a princess. 

Ance just shook his head and went back to cleaning his gun. He had Barnaby gunning for him and finding other men to gun for him as well but Ance had never been the type to run and hide... if Penelope wanted to go to a party then they would go. 

He'd do just about anything for that girl.