The McEllis Boys

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Two

Cavanaugh looked around the dusty bar as they entered it and realized that while it might be a bit cleaner, more well lit and have several things he didn't recognize, saloons hadn't changed much in the last hundred and some years. It still smelled of beer, sweat, perfume and crowds. There were men laughing and talking and scantily clad women hung off their arms or lounged in the corners.

"This is the most honky tonk place I could think of to bring you all," Nicole informed he and Ian.

Cavanaugh nodded and put his hand on his hip, missing the feel of his gun resting there. Nicole had told them that it was illegal to bring their guns into the bar and so he and Ian had left them in the car.

Ian had no idea what 'honky tonk' meant but he could smell beer, he could see women and he could already taste the whiskey!

"I want you to have fun, Ian, but please remember that whiskey and beer cost a lot more than a nickel and dime now and I am not a rich lady."

"Where's a poker table and I'll earn enough money to buy my own beers," Ian replied and Nicole shook her head.

"There are none. You're not really supposed to gamble in public anymore except at casinos and there aren't any of those in Kentucky." Both Cavanaugh and Ian looked shocked and Nicole rolled her eyes, "If a poker game is what you all want then I will set one up at my house for Saturday night but until then please try to stay out of trouble."

"Of course m'lady," Ian replied with a wink as he grabbed her hand and kissed it gently. Cavanaugh growled next to her and Ian grinned up at him, "Just practicing, big brother. I want to be at my best when I find me a woman to grace with my presence."

"Be careful there, Ian, or your head will get so damn big we won't be able to get you back out the door," Cavanaugh warned.

Ian just laughed and then disappeared into the crowd of people. Nicole led Cavanaugh to an empty corner table and the two of them sat down. Nicole couldn't help but notice that Cavanaugh didn't look nearly as comfortable here as Ian did.

"You look a little out of place, cowboy," she teased as she grabbed a pretzel from the bowl on the table.

Cavanaugh chuckled and nodded, "A little. I never was the saloon type," he admitted. "Leah would have thumped my head good for it and then once we had the children I never wanted to waste time at one. When they were killed I threw myself into ranch work once I was healed up. Jamison and I didn't get whatever made Ian and Andrew like the liquor so much."

"Thank goodness. I like a beer now and then but I'm not a big drinker because of what happened to my father and I couldn't be with a man who drank a lot....." Nicole voice trailed off and she bit her lip hard when she realized the direction her statement had just taken their conversation. What was wrong with her?! She grabbed a pretzel and shoved it in her mouth to keep her from saying anything else and she looked across the bar in search of Ian.

A loud smack drew her eyes toward the scarred up wooden bar and she saw Ian rubbing his face and a blond in a mini skirt and low cut tank top glaring at him, "Don't touch me again," she warned.

"Sorry, darling, I mistook you for a saloon maid," Ian replied over the sound of the jukebox. "Perhaps if you didn't display yourself so openly those kinds of things wouldn't happen."

Nicole groaned and stood quickly, crossing the crowded dance floor and pushing her way through patrons at the bar to reach him, "Excuse my friend, he's not from around here..." she said apologetically to the woman who looked ready to claw Ian's face off with her long black fingernails.