Longarm and the Colorado gundown

_{“An honest error, I am sure,” the lady said graciously, then looked away as if to pretend that none of it had ever happened.}

_{The railroad man gave Longarm a murderous look but said nothing. He picked up the hat that he’d lost in the tussle, then climbed back onto the wagon and went to the rear, taking the seat that the two drummers had shared until now. Longarm gathered that the seating arrangements were changing for the remainder of the journey.}

_{The businessmen, who had been staying well out of the way while all this went on, boarded the wagon again too}

_{and occupied the bench that until now Longarm and the railroader had used. Longarm’s choice for the rest of the trip would be in the back beside the railroad boss or else in the middle beside the lady.}

_{The lady said nothing, but she did simplify the decision for him by sliding over to the side of her seat and ostentatiously holding her skirts aside to make room there.}

_{“Ready, mister?” the driver asked. He too seemed to be pretending that nothing had happened during the halt.}

_{“Yes, thank you.” Longarm got back on and sat beside the woman. He could feel the warmth of her thigh close beside his leg. The seat benches were narrow on this rig. But not that narrow. He smiled and touched the brim of his hat to her again.}

_{She handed him an object that at first he couldn’t identify. What it looked like was a piece of trash, a twig or bit of half-rotted bark that someone might find littering a forest floor. Then he realized that this crushed and splintered thing was what remained of the cheroot he’d been smoking when he invaded the wagon. He had quite forgotten it.}

_{“I enjoy the fragrance of a gentleman’s cigar,” she said, placing a distinct emphasis on the word “gentleman’s” loudly enough for the railroader on the bench behind them to overhear. And again Longarm was acutely aware of the warmth of her body so close beside his.}

_{‘Thank you, ma’am,” he said solemnly as he pulled out a fresh cheroot and began the rituals of tending to it.}

_{Longarm found himself hoping that the lady was on her way through to Snowshoe just like he was.}