Chapter Two
“Another quiet night,” Samuel Greene muttered, wiping down the bar with a rag worn from years of use.
Daniel Maggie sat at the bar, his back to the noise of the saloon, staring into the dark liquid in his cup.
It was coffee tonight—he needed the warmth more than the burn of whiskey.
Outside, the wind howled, carrying with it the promise of another bitter winter, but inside, the heat from the hearth and the smell of sweat made the room feel cozy to him.
The din of conversation rose and fell around him, the clink of glasses and the shuffle of cards filling the space.
The bartender’s burly frame leaned slightly against the counter, though his sharp eyes missed nothing. He glanced at the rowdy card players in the corner, their laughter cutting through the room.
“For you, maybe,” Daniel said, his voice a low rumble. He didn’t look up from his cup but didn’t have to. Nights like these were always the same. Men seeking escape in drink and games, trying to drown out the long days of toil and the longer nights of regret.
Samuel chuckled under his breath. “Always the quiet type, aren’t you, Maggie?”
Daniel didn’t respond. Over the years, he had earned the nickname—Maggie for his last name, not for anything he’d ever done or said. He didn’t mind it, though, especially from friends like Samuel.
Samuel’s teasing rang true. Daniel wasn’t interested in company or conversation. His world existed beyond the noise of the saloon, out in the wilderness where no one asked questions, and no one expected answers. The quiet of the woods was where he belonged.
But still, when he visited town, those nights found him here, where the clamor gave him a place to disappear. The saloon wasn’t peace, but it was a distraction. That was enough.
The door creaked open, and a blast of cold air swept through the room. Daniel glanced up, more out of habit than interest, his eyes briefly skimming the doorway. A man stood silhouetted against the dim light outside, dragging something—no, someone—behind him.
Carter.
Daniel recognized him immediately. The man’s broad frame swayed slightly as he stumbled into the saloon, his face flushed with drink.
Beside him, a young girl struggled to keep up.
Her thin shawl was clutched tightly around her shoulders, and her head bowed to avoid the stares of the men already seated at their tables.
“Lord help us,” Samuel muttered, shaking his head. “Carter again.”
Daniel turned back to his coffee, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut.
He didn’t want to get involved. Carter was always a mess—gambling, drinking, making deals he couldn’t keep.
He was well-known in town for his temper and his debts, and everyone had long since learned to steer clear of him.
The girl was likely some unfortunate soul, desperate enough to sell her services to a man like Carter.
Daniel could feel how her presence upset everyone in the room, the way the other men in the saloon shifted uncomfortably in their seats as Carter barged his way to the center of the room.
Even the card players, normally oblivious to the world around them, paused to watch as he approached.
“Make way, make way!” Carter’s voice slurred as he dragged the girl closer to the table where the gamblers sat. “I’ve gotta wager tonight that’ll knock the boots right off ya.”
The girl—Daniel guessed she couldn’t be more than eighteen—kept her eyes on the floor, her shoulders hunched against the cold and the noise. She looked out of place here, too fragile, too scared, like a lamb thrown into a den of wolves. Was that a yellow bruise on her cheek?
“That poor thing,” Samuel muttered, his voice low. “That’s his daughter, Edith. Can’t believe he’d drag her in here like this.”
Daniel’s eyes narrowed as he watched the scene unfold.
He had heard of Carter’s daughter but had never seen her up close.
She rarely came into town, kept hidden away on the small homestead they shared.
And from the looks of it, she’d been doing little more than surviving.
She was pale, too thin, and the fearful look in her eyes spoke volumes.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Carter’s voice boomed through the saloon. “Tonight, I’m offering something real special.”
The card players looked up, interest piqued. One of them, a burly man with a scruffy beard, leaned back in his chair and raised an eyebrow. “What’s the deal, Carter? Got another one of your useless trinkets to pawn off?”
Carter grinned, his eyes gleaming. “Ya could say that. Tonight, I got my own daughter—Edith!”
The room fell silent, the only sound the crackling of the fire in the hearth. Even the most hardened men among them seemed to pause, their eyes drifting to the girl who stood trembling beside her father.
A knot formed in Daniel’s stomach. He knew what was coming. He’d seen it before—a desperate man, deep in debt, willing to sacrifice anything to dig himself out of the hole he’d created. And Carter? He’d sink as low as he needed to.
Edith’s eyes flicked upward for the briefest of moments, her gaze meeting no one’s in particular, before she dropped her head again. She stood there, afraid to move, as though breathing would anger her father. She tried to protest, but her father shut her down quickly.
One of the card players chuckled, though it was a nervous sound. “What’s the wager?”
Carter slapped his hand on the table, his grin widening. “One dollar. That’s it. One dollar and she’s yours for the night.”
The murmur that swept through the saloon was mixed—some voices muttered in disgust while others laughed. The bearded man leaned forward, grinning. “What do we get for five dollars?”
“Whatever you want,” Carter replied, his tone oily. “She’s a hard worker. Good with her hands.”
Edith flinched at her father’s words, but she didn’t move, didn’t speak. Her face was pale, her lips pressed tightly together as she waited for whatever fate was about to befall her. She looked about the room desperately, and for a moment, her eyes locked with his.
The knot in Daniel’s stomach tightened. He didn’t want to get involved. This wasn’t his problem. He had enough ghosts of his own to deal with, enough guilt and anger that he carried with him every day. But the longer he watched, the harder it became to stay seated.
“Come on!” Carter shouted, looking around the room. “One dollar for a whole night! That’s a steal, boys. Yer not going to find a better deal than this!”
The bearded man scratched his chin, his eyes roaming over Edith as though she were no more than a piece of livestock up for auction. “A dollar, huh?” he muttered. “I might take you up on that.”
“Anyone else? Anything more than a dollar?” Carter called out, scanning the room.
Something snapped inside Daniel. Before he could stop himself, he pushed away from the bar and stood, his heart pounding in his chest as he strode toward the table.
The men around the card game glanced up, their expressions ranging from curiosity to surprise as they took in the sight of the tall, scarred man approaching them.
“What do you want, Maggie?” Carter sneered, his voice dripping with derision. “You here to place a bet?”
Daniel didn’t look at him. His eyes were fixed on Edith, who stood frozen in place, her shoulders trembling. For a brief moment, their eyes met, and Daniel saw the desperation there, the silent plea for help. He couldn’t walk away now. Not after that.
He turned to the card players, his voice low and steady. “What about permanently?”
Carter blinked, clearly caught off guard. “What?”
“I asked, how much to take her permanently?” Daniel repeated, his voice tight with barely contained anger.
The bearded man leaned back in his chair, eyeing Daniel with amusement.
Carter considered Daniel, studying him seriously. “Now, she is my only daughter…”
“What about five dollars?” Daniel asked, trying not to lose his nerve. He could see Carter trying to figure out how to extort as much money as possible from Daniel. Though Daniel made an honest living, he did not consider himself a rich man.
“Double it,” Carter told him coldly.
Daniel’s jaw tightened. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small leather pouch, heavy with coins. Without a word, he tossed it onto the table. The clink of metal was the only sound in the room as the men stared at the pouch in disbelief.
“I’ll double it,” Daniel said, his voice cold and firm. “Ten dollars. She comes with me.”
The room fell into a stunned silence. The bearded man’s grin faded as he glanced between Daniel and the pouch of coins on the table. Carter’s eyes widened, his face flushed red with a mixture of surprise and greed.
“You’d really give me ten dollars for this snit?” Carter repeated, as if he couldn’t quite believe it. “Yer serious?”
Daniel’s gaze didn’t waver. “I said ten dollars. You take the money, I take her. Right now.”
For a moment, no one moved. The entire saloon seemed to be holding its breath, waiting for Carter’s response. The card players exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of this sudden turn of events.
Finally, Carter broke into a wide grin. “Well, now,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a deal!”
He released his grip on Edith’s arm and shoved her roughly toward Daniel.
She stumbled but caught herself, her eyes wide as she looked up at the man who had just bought her freedom—if it could even be called that.
The other men laughed and jeered, teasing Daniel obscenely about what he might do with his new “prize.”
Daniel’s heart raced as he reached out to steady her, his large hand gently gripping her arm to keep her from falling. She flinched at the touch but didn’t pull away.
Carter grabbed the pouch of coins from the table and pocketed it, grinning like he’d just won a prize. “Good luck with her, Maggie. She’s your problem now.”
Daniel ignored him, his focus entirely on Edith. She trembled under his hand with the uncertainty, exhaustion, and probably cold and hunger. What had he done? He hadn’t thought this through. He had only wanted to stop the madness, but now... now she was his responsibility.
“Come on,” he said quietly, his voice gentler than it had been before. “Let’s get you out of here.”
Edith hesitated, glancing back at the saloon, then up at Daniel. She swallowed hard and nodded, her voice barely a whisper. “Okay.”
The room continued to jeer and leer, shouting insults and suggestions. Daniel guided Edith from the room, needing to get her out of there as quickly as possible.