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window. As promised, there was a riverboat approaching the dock.
    â€œIs that the one?” Mia asked excitedly as she stepped up behind Clint.
    With the touch of her naked body against his back, it was difficult for Clint to concentrate on the view outside his window. Eventually, he replied, “Probably. I can’t see the name on the side, but I think the innkeeper would know better than to wake folks up for a false alarm.”
    Mia leaned forward a bit more and then quickly pulled back. “It is the Misty Morning . I can see the name on the bow.”
    Clint watched the boat move toward the dock. Standing in the window, he could feel the rays of the early morning sun warming him through the glass. As the boat got closer, men swarmed toward the dock to greet her. In a matter of seconds, the dock appeared to be almost as busy as the saloon had been the night before.
    â€œHow long do you think they’ll wait?” Mia asked.
    â€œIt’ll be awhile before they’re ready to take anyone on board. You don’t have to rush.” As he was saying that, Clint turned around to discover Mia was already straightening her dress and cinching up the laces.
    The dress didn’t look half as good as it had the previous night, but that was mostly because Mia wasn’t doing anything more than pulling it over her head and making sure she was fit to walk outside the room. “I need to get my things,” she said.
    â€œYou didn’t bring them in here?”
    â€œWhen was I going to do that, Clint? We were pretty busy.”
    â€œPlease don’t tell me you left your bags somewhere.”
    Patting his cheek, she hurried over to the door. “I got my own room, but you’re very sweet for worrying about me.”
    â€œNot so much worried as sorry that you paid for a room you never used.”
    â€œFirst of all, you’re not sorry. Second, I’ll be winning plenty of your money to make up for the fee.” With that, Mia winked at Clint and rushed through the door.
    Clint stayed by the window to watch the men at the dock tend to the riverboat and guide her into position. Ropes were thrown, knots were tied and commands were shouted back and forth. All of it may as well have been in a foreign language as far as Clint was concerned, but it was still interesting to watch.
    What was even more interesting was the sight of the people gathered across from the dock. There were several men and women standing next to their bags, chatting among themselves or simply observing one another. Clint had no trouble recalling every face he could spot as someone from the saloon the night before. The ones who caught his attention the most were the gamblers who took the time to turn and look toward the Boathouse.
    One of those men spotted Clint immediately and tipped his hat.
    Clint gave the man an offhanded wave and stepped away from the window.
    â€œI guess it’s time to meet the competition,” Clint said to himself.

ELEVEN
    In the space of a few minutes, the entire street had changed. When Clint had first walked over to his window, the approaching riverboat was one of the only things in sight that was moving. In the short amount of time it had taken for Clint to get dressed and walk downstairs, the whole place was alive and kicking.
    The Boathouse was filled with smells of breakfast being cooked and workers preparing for business to pick up. Outside, shop owners opened their doors and put on a friendly smile for the new faces who gathered along the boardwalk. Clint watched all of these things happen as he made his way to the street to get a closer look at the newest arrival for himself.
    The Misty Morning arrived as if it had been named for this very moment. The water was coated with a fine layer of fog as the warm rays of the sun met up with a river that had been chilled by the night. The paddle wheel wasn’t moving, so it took plenty of strong arms to pull the boat the few extra inches