At dusk he walked back to the Baileys', telling himself it would have been too much to hope for to find his fairy woman the first day. He and Sage had dinner with the doctor and his wife, then Sage turned in and Travis pulled out the books on law that he'd brought all the way from Whispering Mountain. About nine Mrs. Bailey's housekeeper brought him tea. Travis thanked her and left it warming by the fire.
The smell reminded him of the dream he'd had on the mountain. He closed his book and stared at the fire, thinking somewhere in this busy town his fairy woman might be thinking of him. She'd said in her letter that his nearness made her heart race. He smiled. The need to hold her was almost a physical ache deep in his muscles. He'd find her, and when he did, he promised himself he'd make her heart race once more.
The next day Sage announced she was dragging him to a boardinghouse where three sisters had agreed to see her about making her dresses. As they walked she explained that the sisters were supposed to be excellent and Mrs. Bailey said that in six months women ordering their dresses might have to wait a year to get them.
Travis was not impressed, but he managed to nod now and then.
When they got to a boardinghouse called the Askew House, Travis felt ill at ease. The place was obviously for women; even the drawing room chair didn't fit him. Sage had visited the afternoon before with Mrs. Bailey, so she now talked to the sisters and the landlord as an old friend and they catered to her like she was a princess.
He stretched his hand out to Duck, planning to wait for Sage on the porch, but Duck backed closer to Sage and the plate of cookies the sisters had offered them.
Travis knew he'd lost his porch partner. "I'll be waiting." He nodded toward the three homeliest old maids he'd ever seen and backed out of the room. He'd just walked into the dark foyer when he heard footsteps running down the stairs. Out of habit, he leaned into the shadows and waited for whoever seemed in such a hurry to pass.
A woman dressed in dark green ran down the stairs, paused long enough to slip on her shoes and grab her coat from a peg, then ran for the door.
Mrs. Vivian, the landlady, opened the door for the woman in such a hurry. "Running late today, Rainey?" she said in a clipped tone.
"Yes, Mrs. Vivian, but I'll be home before you lock the door. I may miss supper tonight, however."
The woman turned for an instant as she waved goodbye, and Travis caught a glimpse of blond curls. He gripped the handle of his cane. Every instinct told him to run after her, but he knew he'd never catch her on foot. He hadn't had time to see her face. He couldn't be sure it was even his fairy woman. Maybe he just wanted it to be. Finding her couldn't be so easy.
With measured calmness, he stepped into the foyer light as Mrs. Vivian closed the door.
"Oh, Ranger McMurray, I didn't see you standing there." The owner's face softened slightly. "Your sister was just telling me that you were wounded in a battle with outlaws."
He leaned on his cane. "That was months ago; I'm almost fully recovered." He reached for his hat, then turned back to the landlady as if just thinking of something. "I'm looking for a young woman of small build with blond hair who came to Austin about the time I was hurt."
Mrs. Vivian's gaze glanced to the door where Rainey had just gone. "Is she wanted for a crime? Did she have something to do with your being shot? Oh, don't tell me she's an outlaw."
He smiled and lied. "No. I was hoping she knows something about who the boy with my sister belongs to. He was rescued the same day I was wounded."
"Oh." Mrs. Vivian seemed disappointed. "Well, I have a young lady who fits that description. In fact, she just ran past you. Only she couldn't be the one. She came from Galveston. Her family moved from New Orleans, I think, and I'm sorry to say they all died onboard ship. She was left alone to make her way in Texas. She's a school teacher by occupation, I believe."
Travis smiled. Like most people talking to a Ranger, the landlord gave out far too much information. "What did you say her name was?"
"Rainey Adams. But she's not the one you're looking for. She doesn't know anyone at all in Texas. In all the weeks she's been here, she's never once had a guest in the drawing room, and I hold it open and ready for just that purpose." Mrs. Vivian raised her eyebrows. "If she knew anyone, she wouldn't be staying here, I'm afraid. Money worries, you know. She rents my least expensive room on the third floor."
"Thank you, ma'am." He moved toward the door. "I'll be back for my sister in an hour."
Mrs. Vivian held the door open. "I'll tell her."
Travis walked slowly down the steps. "Rainey," he mumbled to himself. "I should have known it would be something unusual."
He moved around the house to the alley. There he saw the last bit of proof. A third-story window overlooking the alley lined on the opposite side by saloons.
He'd found his fairy woman.
By six that evening he was back at the Askew House. He thought of waiting for Rainey on the porch, but that might draw too much attention. The landlord seemed a nosy old woman, and he didn't want to do anything to cause suspicion. With his luck his little thieving fairy was doing something illegal, and the last thing she needed was people watching her too closely.
So he waited at the end of the street, where he had a clear view from two directions. His plan was that if he saw her coming, he'd fall into step with her. Maybe, if she grew frightened, he'd hold her arm until he had time to calm her. For if she ran he'd have no hope of catching her.
Like she'd told him, what she did best was run.
Travis moved to the corner where he could lean against the building and take some of the weight off his leg. He watched the sun set below a half-finished building that he'd been told would be a church. It was getting late and he guessed his fairy had missed her supper. Maybe he'd offer to take her to one of the cafes to eat. He'd like having time to look at her, talk to her. Then he'd walk her home and explain to Mrs. Vivian why she was out late. Surely Rainey would be in no trouble if she were with him.
Once they became friends, Travis decided it would be fun to continue to write her. He came to Austin enough so that they could see each other from time to time. He'd keep up with what she was doing and make sure she was staying out of trouble. She might not be the kind of woman who would ever invite him to her room, but he planned to make her heart race a few times as they strolled in the shadows.
Travis grinned. It wasn't as if he'd have to steal a kiss; she'd already given him a few without him even asking. He'd never taken much time to notice how it worked between men and women other than barmaids, but there must be something between buying a woman by the hour and marriage. Whatever it was, he planned to discover it with Rainey.
The evening turned dark with streetlights not close enough together to offer good light. Travis's eyes adjusted to the night. He missed little as he watched from the corner of the alley.
People moved faster now. There was no need to stroll. He noticed mostly men walking, a few delivery men running the last of their rounds, a few women of the evening talking loudly as they crossed from one end of town to the other.
If his sight hadn't been perfected by years of scouting, he might have missed the little woman in navy blue moving in the shadows. The hood of her cape was up, but a curl at her forehead caught the glint of the streetlight for a moment before she hurried farther into the shadows.
Travis didn't move. She was headed right toward him. For her to remain unseen, she'd have to pass within a few feet of him. He sensed she was frightened, for she was almost running.
Once he introduced himself, he'd scold her for being out so late. Didn't she know how dangerous the streets could be? This one looked calm enough with mostly shops and offices, but one street over the town turned ugly.