<div class="floatright">(http://www.pictures13.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Marisa-Miller-Photos.jpg)</div>Evelyn rose with the sun, as was her habit since the first days of the saloon’s grand opening. Her eyes felt dry and sore, a direct result from lack of sleep.  She had tossed and turned all night, unable to fall into the deep sleep her body craved. It was understandable considering the events from the previous night. She had found a reprieve, however temporary, in the arms of the handsome cowboy that had enfolded her in his arms, comforting her after the tragic news of Bill’s untimely death had broken.  Taking a customer to bed wasn't exactly taboo within the saloon’s rules. However, it was rare for Eve to partake in the pleasure of the flesh with her customers without receiving some kind of monetary gain, or at the very least, presented with an expensive offering.  Over the years she had managed to build a sizable nest egg, one she had briefly considered offering to Lola in hopes they could buy back the land that the saloon stood upon.  It was a fleeting idea that had lost its appeal the moment she had a chance to think it through fully.  As noble as it was to want to help, Eve still understood that it was up to her to ensure her future, especially now that her position as the future proprietor hung in the balance.<br/><br/>Cleaned and dressed for a new day, Evie took her time styling her hair, leaving long tendrils of blonde curls to fall around her shoulders. Her choice of attire had everything to do with distraction, hoping to draw attention away from her tired eyes and placing it firmly where most men enjoyed their focus. Flaunting her charms was, after all, what she did best.  Evelyn paused long enough to cast her gaze over her room and smiled, satisfied with its neat appearance, before making her way down the grand staircase. The stillness of the early morning had always been her favorite time of day. She enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of the saloon, grateful for the time she could spend alone. There were days when one of more townies wandered in, hoping for an early start to their drinking day and possibly some female attention, but they were often shown the door with a gentle reminder of the saloon’s working hours. That being said, the more influential clients were more likely to be shown the staircase, accompanied by one of Lola’s girls and depending how prominent the customer, by Evelyn herself.<br/><br/>Settling herself at one of the round tables on the main saloon floor, Eve smiled as the cook greeted her with a warm cup of coffee and a light breakfast.  Her eyes glanced at the staircase as she slipped into her private thoughts, pondering the events from the previous evening. She mulled over the possible solutions, one more improbable than the next. In the end there were only two possible options, neither seemed remotely desirable. She could either repeat the unheard offer from the night before, sacrificing her secret nest egg that she had accumulated over the years, or vanish like Jackson had, leaving Lola to pick up the pieces on her own. Tapping her nails on the wooden surface of the table, Evie showed no outward sign of stress as she struggled with the thoughts that waged within her mind. The more she thought it through the more she realized there was only one choice, she would have to offer the money to Lola again, and hope that it was enough to buy their safety from King. To cut her losses and slink off into the night, washing her hands of both the saloon and the people she had come to see as her family was too heavy a burden for her to carry.<br/><br/>A heavy sigh slipped past her lips as she cradled her chin in the palm of her hand, resting her elbow on the table, mindlessly staring into space.<strong>”If I had gotten married like I was supposed to do, none of this would matter”</strong>grumbled Evie, pouting at the thought of the complicated mess that had become her life.  Nothing seemed to have worked out as her childhood dreams had imagined.<br/>