Was it because he’d saved her life and she felt grateful? Was it because they’d forged a close bond with their conversations? Was it curiosity? Pity? Was it somethin’ sacred, or just a last fling before gettin’ married? The whole thing didn’t make sense to me. Then again, I never was very good at cipherin’ women’s reasons for the things they do.

“And you, Emmett,” Rose said.

“What?”

“How did you sleep last night?”

“It were a long trip,” I said. “We all slept well last night.”

She looked at Gentry. “Some better than others, I suspect.”

“You’re scarin’ me,” Gentry said. Then added, “No offense.”

Monique shrieked, “Mon Dieu!”

She was pointing at Rose’s cat.

“That’s Rugby,” Rose said.

“Jesse’s ballocks!” Gentry cursed. “Where’s his fur?”

“He’s a hairless cat.”

“On purpose?”

Rose looked at me and said, “I see why you’re fond of her.”

“Does he bite?” Mary asked.

“Like a banshee,” Rose said. “But he won’t be joining us on the trip, so you needn’t worry.”

Rugby jumped into Rose’s arms, and from there hopped onto her shoulder, where he perched like a parrot.

“This is my tenth Rugby,” Rose said.

“What happened to the other nine?” Mary said.

“They died after living to a ripe old age.”

“How is that possible?” Phoebe said.

“I’m an old soul,” Rose said. “But enough about me. Climb off your horses and join me for breakfast.”

Phoebe whispered, “Is it safe, Emmett?”

“It’ll be the best breakfast you ever ate,” I whispered back.

Rose’s ranch hand, Roberto, appeared, and offered to take our horses to the corral. We let him. Then we entered Rose’s kitchen.

“Look at the size of that table!” Hester said.

As the women washed for breakfast, I helped put the platters of food on the table. There was corn bread, biscuits with currant jelly, boiled eggs, hot cakes, sausages, fried potatoes, salt beef hash with onions, and some other stuff I’d never seen.

Phoebe leaned over one such platter.

“How on earth did you come by scrapple?” she said.

“What’s scrapple?” I said.

“Smell it,” Phoebe said.

I did.

“Heavenly, isn’t it?”

It was. We looked at Rose.

“It’s common food in Philadelphia,” Rose said, simply.

Phoebe said, “Were you aware I’m from Philadelphia?”

“No, but I’ve spent time there.”

We each found something special. For me it was apple sauce, which I hadn’t had since I was a kid. Monique had a plate of fresh lemon tarts. Scarlett found peaches. Emma said, “Oh, my God! Oyster pie!”

And so it went.

As we ate, Rose said, “The women left without us.”

She was referrin’ to the Springfield whores we planned to take to Dodge City.

“All five?” I said.

Rose nodded. “They left on Wednesday.”

I paused. I had a history with one of ’em, and was surprised to hear she hadn’t waited for me.

“Gina went with ’em?” I said.

Gentry raised an eyebrow at me, but said nothin’.

“Sorry, Emmett,” Rose said. “Some dandy came through town, said he’d relocate them in Wichita.”

“Someone you know?”

“No, and I don’t think he knows what he’s doing.”

“Why’d they go?”

She shrugged. “Guess they trusted him.”

Gentry stared at me, as if wonderin’ how upset I might be about Gina not comin’ with us. When I said, “Well, that knocks the profit outta the trip,” it seemed to ease Gentry’s mind.

Rose shrugged. “Something will turn up.”

“I hope to hell so,” I said.

After breakfast, Rose said, “Emmett, there’s a bucket of water on the back porch you can use to clean the dishes. Gentry, come with me.”

Gentry looked at me before moving.

“It’s okay,” I said.