PASSION AND POSSESSION
Prologue:
Two Kinds of Passion
There are two kinds of passion.
There is passion and longing for something distant and
far away, having once experienced it in all its fullness, yearn forever to wish
it again. Time does not diminish the intensity of that hunger, it merely
deepens it and eradicates the imperfections that caused one to walk away in the
first place. Eventually, the passions consumes all other aspects, it dulls the appreciation
of what is and the burning desire for what was or might have been, becomes a
poison from which there is no antidote. It seeps into the veins like a vile
concoction, devastating the whole until there is nothing left but the
overriding need to satisfy something that should have remained forgotten.
She still burned for him.
At night, when the other held her close, whispering
his dreams for a new beginning, she could only left her mind drift to him who
for one brief moment, had shown her perfection. Patiently, she endured the
other's attempts to pleasure her, resigned to knowing that he never would and
fighting back the need to escape and find the man who had. She knew where he
was and for a long time after he had walked out of her life, she stared at the
stars overhead and dreamed of the night when they had shared the canvas of
light together. She wondered if he ever gazed into sky like she did and wonder
about her as she often wondered about him.
She had hoped time would ease the burden inside her
heart. At times, she wished so hard for it to go away that she thought it might
take the best part of her when it did leave and strangely enough it mattered
little if it had.
Unfortunately, there was no respite, no end to the
wanting and with each day that passed by, her life grey by definition, began to
slip further into the mists, until the only reality she could endure was the
brief time she spent with him.
She would recall what he look like and remember that
he had been a beautiful man to begin with, even though he had taken great pains
to hide it. After she had laid eyes on him that first moment, she could not
imagine why someone so beautiful would hide the way he did until she understood
that he did not believe himself to be that way. When she looked at him, she
understood what it was for the first time to lust purely for the sake of it.
She had wanted him and though it took time to break the barrier of her
reservations, it crumbled at the sight of those almost childlike eyes and a
face that should have been immortalized on someone's canvas.
Of course, he had never even imagined that anyone
could feel passion for him and was almost grateful for the interest. It had
never occurred to him that women could perceive him as a thing of beauty. His
honesty was refreshing for he did not believe himself to be attractive to women
with no idea that a smile from him could send most of them into fits of
orgasmic distraction. He had been such an innocent in these matters that when
she chose to pursue him; he did not stand a chance of resistance.
Until then, he had been quiet to the point of almost
being shy, a thing that escalated her passion for him more steadily then the
lack of physical contact. His eyes did not just look at her, they teased her
his own desires with each gaze offered. He tried to speak to her, clumsy in his
attempts to charm because it was obvious he had not much practice with
conversing with the fairer sex. His words would permeate with feeling, dripping
with desire he dared not acknowledge because he knew she belonged to another.
It did not help that the rift between herself and the
man she had chosen was widening with each mile traversed in the long journey
they had been taking. As man and wife, they viewed each other by strangers,
bound together by the loss of a child but forever split apart because they were
unable to cope with each other's grief. The further apart she drifted away from
her husband, the easier it became to justify to herself that he was what she
wanted and caution edged closer and closer to being hurled heedlessly into the
wind.
When there was danger and terrible men had spirited
her away, it was not her husband that came to find her, it was him. Without any
thought of himself, he had risked himself to save her and in doing so, sealed
both their fates as they rode into the sunset. Of course, they never reached
the others that night.
Perhaps even as they rode away with the intention, she
had known that this night was for theirs and whatever happened tomorrow was
still far enough away for either to care.
Under the same stars she would stare longingly into
every night after that, they had made passionate love the likes of which she
had never known. Once freed of his inhibitions, he had indulged himself by
pleasuring her with such searing intensity that nothing before or since could
compared to the experience.
Everything about him remained vivid in her mind. The
silk of his skin, the softness of his lips as he devoured hers and tasted every
inch of her body, the raw heat that he was capable of engendering because he
dared to find every place that yielded pleasure and exploit it.
That night, their bodies had melded continuously,
burning with the same passion that kept the fires aflame at the campsite as
they pleasured each other. She remembered the soft cries of her ecstasy and the
groans he made when he had reached the peak and was about to release it with
her. She savoured such memories, allowing them to
warm her during the nights when it was necessary to feign some interest in the
performance of her marital duties. Despite her husband's attempts to rekindle
some genuine passion, even he understood that he was powerless against a
memory.
As much as that night had been treasured and enjoyed,
she had known as much as he had that it was what it was, a one
time event. Even though she wanted him still and she knew that it was
much more than that for him, she had tried to walk away, to leave the edge of
the precipice from which she hung so precariously. She saw the pain in his eyes
because he did not understand the complications that came from her being wed to
someone else. He was a creature of feeling, even though it was restrained most
of the time. However, when it was allowed to emerge, he could see nothing but
the emotions he was feeling and had believed it to be a simple matter of just
acting on those baser impulses.
For a time, she had succumb to the fervor of his
desire for them to be together and they had fled like children together,
catching a moment in the sun before the sensibilities of adulthood claimed them
again. Far away places with names that held more
enchantment than the reality ever could sprung to mind as they dreamed of some
place that would offer them refuge in their sinful indulgence.
Places like
It was he who came to his senses first and realized
that what they had done was wrong. He was honourable
this man she loved so passionately, with a streak of nobility that would allow
him to put principle ahead of his own desires. On some level, she knew he was
right but accepting it was harder no matter how he tried to convince that that
this was the right thing to do. However, that he wanted her to return to her
husband was enough to tell her that the fever that had taken enable to take
leave of their senses was gone. It was time to walk away before more people
were hurt by what they were doing.
She had watched him go, feeling a little part of her
die as he disappeared with promises that he would always love her even though
they would never encounter each other again. She had accepted his wishes and
returned to her husband whose happiness to have her back had allowed the broken
fences between them to be mended. For the first time in a long time, her
husband looked at her with love.
And she looked back thinking how he could never be the
man who had just rode away with his six comrades
She endured the return to married life as long as she
could, throwing herself into the building of a new home on a piece of land that
would have been ideal if the man she shared it with had not been her husband
but the lover she mourned daily. Eventually, her ambivalence started showing
and the animosity that had been the cause of all this sorrow, returned with as
much vigor. The rift that was created this time was wide enough to be permanent
and even her husband knew that this time there would be no healing it.
They continued as they had always done, two animals
locked in the same cage while she indulged herself with thoughts of the man she
really wanted until the passion for him reached climax and she now found
herself on this lonely road.
She knew the stage came by this trail regularly and
she left her horse untethered, confident it would
know the way home after she was gone. Everything she owned was wrapped up in a
neat bundle including all the jewellery her mother
had given her for her wedding. She had enough money to secure passage on the
stage and when she reached her destination, the jewellery
would allow her a few weeks accommodation while she sought him out.
As she heard the thunder of hooves coming up the road,
she picked up her belongings and flagged the stage to a halt as it rounded the
corner. The stagecoach driver whom she had seen on occasion, immediately
spotted her and brought the team of horses under his ministrations to a halt.
"Good morning." The elderly man greeted,
tipping his weather beaten hat at the same time.
"Is there room Isaac?" She asked with a
hopeful smile.
"Sure thing," he nodded. "Where're you
headed?"
Charlotte Richmond paused to answer as she was about
to climb into the stagecoach.
She replied with a smile. "
There was also another kind of passion.
There was the kind that was almost as infectious as
the first. It consumes with as much intensity and drives all other emotions
away, even the ones that know the difference between right and wrong. There is
passion that is so complete in its permeation of the soul that the soul itself
is extinguished until what existed before is given away to a madness that no
amount of reason can prevent, no hurdle that is to wide to reach in its
acquisition of its desires. It starts as something small and it soon inflames
the mind with a singularity through which nothing can pass without being
changed irrevocably or destroyed in the process.
She still burned for him.
Even after everything that had transpired between,
despite the finality of their last meeting, she could not let him go. She would
not let him go. She would pursue him until the end of time if need be but he
was hers and she could not allow him freedom even if it meant damning him to
the same hell fire she would undoubtedly be forced to spend eternity. Perhaps
it was the one way to assure that he would be hers finally. She had sacrificed
everything for him and she would continue to pay the price that was required,
because he was her destiny. She knew that even though it was difficult for him
to comprehend it.
He was after all a man and despite her love for him,
she had to appreciate that he could not understand things as women do. However,
his lack of comprehension was of little consequences for she could do the
thinking for both of them, like she had always done whenever he had chosen to
go astray. It was a chore she happily endured though, making the hard choices
for him when he was incapable of making them for himself. Ever since that first
coupling, where they had made love as youthful lovers often do, she had known
that it was her lot in life to forever guard him and keep him from the dangers
that might intrude upon their grand love.
Theirs was a relationship that transcended time and
space. No matter how far away he was, no matter what he may tell himself about
her, she knew otherwise.
She loved him from the moment she met him and she
would continue to do so until the last breath left her body and when she was
burning in hell for the sins committed to possess him. There was no end to
them, there would never be so long as they were within reach of each other.
She had let nothing stand in her way, no then and
certainly not now. When he had carried out the ultimate show of foolishness by
marrying some farmer's daughter, she had stepped in and watched with careful
deliberation. Of course, she knew the woman meant nothing to him. He could be
so misguided at times by these foolish dalliances with women who could never
possibly hope to understand him or love him for that matter as much as she did.
Sometimes, she endured their presence in his life, knowing that it would not be
for long and when it was required, she stepped in and took matters into her own
hands. For his own good of course.
When he married, she had been slightly disappointed
that he would go to all the trouble when it was simpler to just sleep with the
woman but then he was never very smart. The woman, he had chosen, with her wide
eyed look of innocence might have tricked him into believing that this behaviour was the honourable
thing to do. She had sat back, waiting patiently for this show of domestic
bliss to run its course and he would come back to her, as he always did.
Until the child came.
When the child had arrived, she understood that the
farmer's daughter was attempting to sever the love that had existed between
them for so long. He was as vulnerable as most men to the pride of having a son
and for the first time, she began to see perceive the threat that was his
marriage to their long standing emotional bond. Deciding that it was necessary
to act for his benefit as well hers, she took steps to dissolve this untenable
situation he had stumbled into. It was easy enough to do since he travelled a
great deal in order to support this family that was now not only an emotional
burden to him but a financial one as well.
She had watched from afar the flames that had blazed
when the men she had sent freed him once and for all. She watched the small
house burn, mesmerized by the dance of amber in the night sky, hearing not the
screams as the end for his little family, but the sweet song of his freedom
drowning out the murder she had committed for him. She had stayed there until
the house was nothing but cinders, until the fire could nothing consume no more
and the billowing smoke disappeared as the sun ascended over the horizon.
She lost of him for a time following the fire and
searched for him through the agents at her disposal. Eventually, she heard
stories about a somber, brooding gunslinger who was always garbed in black and
had a tendency to drown himself in whisky during the nights he took up
residence in any saloon. She felt his pain and wished she could explain the
necessity of what had been done, knowing that if he could only hear her say the
words from her lips, he would understand that it was for his own good. A man
such as he could not be tethered by such mundane concerns as family and
responsibility, she understood him as a free spirit, a force of nature that
could not be tamed.
Later on, when he had found solace in the town she
would come to know as Four Corners, she was pleased that he was rekindling his
desire to live by finding six friends who would protect him as much as offer
him comfort from the loneliness of her absence. She waited until the time was
right and she was certain that enough time had passed so that she could present
herself to him, knowing that as soon as they were together again, all the
sorrow of what he had lost would be forgotten.
Except that he was angry.
He had almost killed her for taking his family from
him. If he had not desisted in killing her, she would have been forced to consider
that perhaps he might have not have been as in love with her as she originally
believed. However, she did not like what that could mean and the terrible
implication that might follow that train of thought If she was wrong about how
he felt about his family's death then perhaps, she might have been wrong about
a great many things.
She had left because he was still grieving for his
family and knew that a time would come when he would accept the purity of their
love and come for her. Naturally, she had people keeping a close eye on him
during his tenure in the town of
Unfortunately, things rarely occurred as they should
and now she was informed that he intended on taking another wife. She
remembered the woman Mary Travis and considered the blond widow to be a rival
even more formidable than the farmer's daughter. This was no simple woman who
was content to raise a child waiting for her husband on a homestead. Mary
Travis was a power onto herself and she had the intelligence to cause serious
concern.
So, for the second time in his life, she was going to
have to save him from another mistake. Mary Travis would be harder to deal with
then Sarah Larabee but then any woman who captured
Chris Larabee's heart had to have mettle.
Fortunately, Ella had more.
Part One
Homecoming
"How long are you going to be hiding out in here
for?" Buck Wilmington asked Chris Larabee as the
two men sipped coffee on the front porch of Chris' shack. With the arrangements
for his wedding to Mary Travis currently being the main occupation of almost
everyone he knew in
The strange thing of it was, Chris had never intended
on staying in the dusty town that he had more or less happened upon by chance
during one hot day in summer on his way from some place he no longer remembered
to somewhere else that mattered as much. He could not understand why he had
bothered to stop at all, save perhaps needing a drink because the day had been
hot and dry and he was in need of a shot of whisky which he never ended
drinking. At least not least until after the gun battle that would changed the
course of his whole life from that point on, had concluded.
"I'll ride in there sometime today." Chris
remarked as he eased back into the chair, admiring the day beyond his porch and
deciding with a secret smile that he had not picked a bad spot to build. It was
late fall and the leaves had turned golden and the beams of sunshine that
peered through the cracks of the foliage had bathed the place in a warm amber
glow. Besides it aesthetic value, the land was also fertile as evidenced by the
trees that surrounded the main house and the waist length blades of grass that
covered most of the property. He supposed that one of these days he ought to
think about doing something with the land since the soil was good for growing.
Still, Chris had never fancied himself a farmer, nor could he bring himself to
ruin the inordinate beauty of the place by trying to tame it.
"That's right," Buck nodded as he remembered
what day it was today. "Billy gets in today doesn't he?"
"Yeah." Chris nodded, feeling some pleasure
at the eminent arrival of Mary's son. With the new school house being erected
in readiness for the semester next year, Mary finally had reason to bring Billy
home permanently to
She had been wrestling with the decision for quite
some time now and Chris knew that it was hard to be separated from her young
son for such long periods of time. In some way, his pleasure at seeing Billy
return home permanently had as much to do with how happy it would make Mary as
well his own joy to see Billy again.
"For good." Chris added after a moment.
Despite his usual laconic manner, he was unable to keep the pleasure from his
voice at the boy's homecoming. Although it had been extremely difficult to
admit it to himself in the beginning, Billy reminded him so much of Adam that
it ached just as much as it did for Mary whenever Billy had to return to school
in Eagle
"So will you be keeping this place once you and
Mary have tied the knot?" Buck asked, his gaze sweeping over the landscape
before him and could understand if Chris was reluctant to move into town and
leave this all behind.
There was a serenity in the stillness of the woods
around them that tended to offer peace of mind. Chris had certainly needed it.
When he had first arrived in
Buck Wilmington knew people.
While his behaviour bordered
on the buffoon at times, there was more going on behind his sea coloured eyes than most people suspected. His easy going
manner masked a personality that was prone to watch and study human responses.
It was his insight that allowed him to be the most approachable of the seven.
It was also the reason why he was such a success with the ladies.
From the moment Mary Travis had asked him about Chris Larabee, Buck had known the inquiry was motivated by more
than just journalistic curiosity. Perhaps the prim and proper Mrs. Travis might
have been merely interested but the beautiful creature beneath, whose blue grey
eyes flared with hidden fire and ice desired something further. The sorrow in
her eyes as Buck told her about Sarah and Adam had given away to a deep affection.
Following that day, they were always skirting on the edge of something that was
obvious to everyone but themselves.
Buck wondered if either had suspected how inevitable
their relationship was. Nevertheless, as far as Buck was concerned, Mary had
done the impossible. Against all odds, she had been the only person in years to
penetrate the hard shell of Chris Larabee's grief.
With Mary, Buck had seen Chris come alive the way nothing had since Sarah and
Adam's death. It was easy enough to understand how one woman could change a
man's life so drastically if that woman was Mary Travis.
Even Buck had to recognize that Mary was one of those
rare women who could heal a man with nothing more than a breezy smile and a
toss of her golden hair. Buck loved her as all the seven loved her. She was
their friend and in the beginning of their tenure here, their most ardent
supporter. She accepted all of them without question or doubt, knowing that
they all had a past but concerning herself with none of it because she had
faith in them. At a time, when most of them had spent their years as exiles
from life, Mary Travis had welcome them with open arms.
Mary had made them a family and that was why everyone
of the seven would die for her if need be.
"I thought I might have Vin stay at the
house." Chris announced, answering Buck's earlier question about the fate
of this place once he and Mary were married. Chris had no difficulty staying in
town with Mary at her house since it made sense to do so with Mary's role as editor
of the Clarion News and Chris' responsibilities as one of the town's lawmen.
The gunslinger also knew that it was pointless making the offer to Buck because
his old friend was a social creature who liked having people around him all the
time and would soon tire of this place and its solitary existence.
"He'd like that." Buck agreed, knowing that
the choice was a good one. Vin preferred the quiet and was accustomed to taking
off in his wagon just to escape the noise of urban living, if a town like
"Where is he anyway?" Buck inquired, aware
only that Vin had left town but knowing little else. "Don't tell me he's
off pining somewhere for Alex because she's gone to Sweet Water for a few
days."
Chris threw Buck a look that told him to take another
guess.
"Well I'll be. ." Buck laughed as it finally
dawned on him what Chris was alluding to. "I never thought Vin had it in
him to be so sneaky."
"I'm guessing they're probably together somewhere
out of the way." Chris glanced at Buck with a wolfish grin as he thought
of what Alex and Vin were probably doing at this moment.
"No doubt signing the hotel register as Mr. and
Mrs. Smith." Buck added.
"Something like that." Chris answered.
"I think Alex is still a little skittish after all that trouble with Serfonteine."
"The lady does have to think about her
reputation." Buck agreed wholeheartedly with the couple's reasoning. They
were no doubt enjoying some heated quality time together inside the confines of
an out of the way hotel in a town none of them probably never heard of. Buck
found himself sighing with envy. "Well at least they had the sense to get
engaged."
"Yep, it does stop tongues wagging for some
reason." Chris replied, remembering how much simpler things became when
Mary and Chris had made their relationship public with news of their
engagement. Although it was a mixed blessing considering what was happening in
town at this moment. Inez was organizing the wedding with Julia Pemberton in
assistance since Mary was simply bursting with excitement at the very notion of
having Billy home, to give any thought to such arrangements.
Chris who hated fanfare of any kind was starting to
have this terrible suspicion that his wedding was going to be about as low key
as a three ringed circus. When he had told Mary to do what she had wished, he
had assumed that there would be a quiet ceremony with close friends and a
tasteful gathering following it. With so much do, what with the paper and Billy
coming home, Mary had unwisely given over the organization of the wedding to
Inez who was more than thrilled to do this thing for her best friend.
Unfortunately, it did not take very long before they
soon discovered the scope of Inez's vision for the day and suddenly, Chris
decided that Mary had made a mistake of biblical proportions. Still, without
offending just about everyone Inez had dragged into this putting together this
affair by telling Inez that she was off the coordination duties, Chris had
decided that the safest place for him to be at this time was right here away of
the line of fire. He could almost understand why Alexandra Styles had decided
to take this sudden trip out of town in order to avoid being recruited as one
of Inez's wedding entourage.
"Inez is driving Ezra crazy planning this thing
for you." Buck said with a smile, remembering the gambler's state of mind
this morning when he had learnt that he was required to take over the
bartending duties for the day while Inez ran errands for the forthcoming
nuptials.
"All I'm doing is turning up for the thing."
Chris said firmly, having no wish to become embroiled in the preparations. As
it was, he was shuddering at what a debacle the actual event was turning into
and kept telling himself that it would be worth all this trouble if at the end
of the day, Mary was his bride.
Fortunately, keeping that thought firmly in his mind
was all that was the only thing that had so far prevented Chris from riding
very far out of town. He had no wish to become a part of a community or to be
considered respectable for that matter. Chris still saw himself at the town's
bad element even though it was somewhat difficult to maintain that image when
his fiancee was a pillar of the community and his
wedding was turning out to be the social event of the year. Perhaps there was
time to make it to
"Well, I got an interesting bachelor party
planned for you." Buck grinned with just enough mischief on his face to
give Chris cause for concern.
Chris looked at him and was perfectly aware of what
kind of parties Buck was inclined to throw. His head was starting to throb just
remembering how he had felt the morning after the stag party Buck had thrown
him when he married Sarah. If Buck had anything like that planned for him then
Chris had good reason to be very afraid. "Buck, I want to be able to walk
down the aisle not be carried down it, so whatever you're planning, it better
not be like it was the last time you threw me a stag party."
"Aw come on Chris," Buck exclaimed, throwing
Chris a look of mock hurt. "You had a great time at your bachelor
party." He reminded.
"A great time?" Chris stared at him. "I
woke up in the middle of a field on Hank Conner's place, with a bell tied
around my neck and not much else! The man was already gunning for me for
marrying his daughter!"
"Yeah," Buck smiled completely unrepentant
and wished there had been a way to frame the moment, especially when Chris had
to sneak into town wearing little more than his boots. "But trust me, you
had fun."
"I'll take your word for it," Chris
retorted. "I still don't remember a thing."
"This time, I promise it will be different."
Chris gave him a stern look and said in no uncertain
terms, using a voice he reserved for manic Confederate generals and errant
ranch owners with delusions of grandeur. "If I wake up anywhere strange
with less than I got on when I came into this world, I will hunt you down and
kill you Buck. Wedding day or not."
"Would I let anything to happen you pard, especially on your big day?" His old friend
asked innocently.
Chris did not even bother to answer.
Her son was coming home.
Beyond that, Mary Travis had let nothing else permeate
her psyche today as she made preparations for the arrival of Billy on the next
stage. Although Billy had returned home on numerous occasions before this,
today was special because he was coming home for good and with her impending
marriage less than a week away, Mary had a lot of reason to be happy. The past
year had seen much changes in her life. Mary had never suspected when she had
first cast her eyes on that black garbed stranger who rode into town with an
air of mystery in his brooding blue eyes, how much chaos he would bring into
her own existence.
Not that she would have traded one moment of it for
anything.
However, with Billy coming home, Mary looked upon the
future with a sense of expectation with what tomorrow would bring. The nature
of who she was and the man she loved had more or less written it in stone
somewhere that her life would never be quiet or normal. The only thing that had
marred an otherwise exciting existence was the absence of her son and as of
today all that would change.
Mary had risen early this morning and immediately
aired out Billy's room, spending an hour changing the linen on his bed and
ensuring that everything was perfect for him when he finally arrived. She
dusted and cleaned, performing all the domestic duties a mother was supposed to
do for her only son, blissfully happy to know that she would be doing these
things on a permanent basis. She took note of the carved horse on his bureau
and recalled with a smile when he had received the tiny figurine carved of
wood.
Billy had received upon his first meeting with Chris Larabee and Mary recalled with fondness of Chris had
managed to draw a smile out of Billy where none had been for so long. At the
time, Billy had been hiding the secret regarding his father's death, a burden
which manifested itself as terrible nightmares that left Mary no choice but to
send him away to Eagle
After that, Mary became accustomed to sharing Billy's
attention whenever he was home from school and it was time she gave up
willingly when she saw how much her son adored Chris, even before they became
lovers. Man and boy had been able to fill a void within each other that had
been vacant for far too long. Chris had been the only person Billy had truly
connected with since Steven had died and Mary liked to think that her son
touched a part of Chris Larabee that still grieved
for his own child.
Mary had spent most of the morning, preparing Billy's
room for his return until she was changing the linen twice and three times
because of her determination to have everything perfect when he finally stepped
through the door. She wanted nothing to mar this day and was adamant that
everything was ready and waiting by the time the stagecoach brought Billy into
She was in the middle of slicing apples for a pie when
she heard a knock on her kitchen door. With a knife and bowl of apples in hand,
Mary made her way to the door and saw Julia Pemberton waiting outside the front
step. Since her miscarriage some time ago, Julia's relationship with Mary had
improved after the turbulence of the Emporium owner's first few days in
"You look busy." Julia pointed out as the
red head walked into the kitchen after Mary had opened the door for her.
Mary Travis' kitchen appeared to be a work in progress
with pots and pans covering the counter tops and ingredients awaiting
preparation on the kitchen table. Julia was not much of a cook but she knew
when a feast was being prepared.
"Billy is coming home today." Mary smiled,
unashamed of how happy she felt at this moment. The joy of knowing her son was
coming home to her was making her positively giddy and she radiated delight
from every pore on her body.
"I know," Julia said with a straight face.
"You've been telling us this at least three times a day for the past week.
I take it from the look of this kitchen that you're planning to cook all his
meals for the next week today?"
"He's a growing boy." Mary pouted but could
not deny that there was enough food on the table to feed the entire Union Army.
"What do you want him to grow into, a
horse?" Julia looked at her.
"Are you here for a reason?" Mary scowled at
the woman sarcastically, unwilling to hear any rebuke today because her son was
coming home. Besides, she huffed silently; it was a mother's prerogative to see
that her son had a decent home cooked meal with as wide a variety of dishes
from which to choose.
Julia chuckled; knowing Mary did not mean any real
offence by her remark.
"Actually, I'm here for Inez. She wants you to
pick which flower you would like for the reception."
"Flowers?" Mary wrinkled her brow in
exasperation, telling herself yet again that Inez was only trying to make
things perfect for her with this escalation of her simple tasteful wedding to a
full blown social event.
"Yes," Julia reached into the basket she had
brought with her and produced two small bundles of local flowers. Mary could
not remember what they were called but one was a pale lavender shade and the
other was a vibrant red. "Pick." The Emporium owner said holding them
both up for Mary's scrutiny.
Mary studied both bundles for a moment and decided to
go with the lavender shade since the red on its own might be pretty but as an
arrangement in volume, would appear quite garish indeed. The burst of colour on the day would probably kill the groom whose sole
appreciation of a colour was a grim black. "Tell
her the lavender." Mary said after a moment.
"Good choice." Julia nodded with approval
and then secreted the flowers into her basket once more. "Incidentally,
you do realize that you have created a monster, do you not?"
"I know, I know," Mary groaned as she went
back to peeling her apples. "I had no idea that Inez's idea of a wedding
could be so grandiose. Yesterday, she had me picking up the kind of napkins we
would like at the reception."
"Considering that half the guests are barely
house broken, it does seem to be a redundant gesture." Julia agreed
perfectly aware of how maniacal Inez was getting since most of the linen for
the wedding was coming from her Emporium.
Julia had not forgotten how comforting Mary had been
when she had lost her baby and had all linen for the reception her wedding gift
to the couple. "Why do you think Alex got out of town so fast?"
"Because she wanted a sordid weekend with
Vin?" Mary looked at Julia with a raised brow and an evil smile.
"Why Mrs. Travis," Julia laughed with mock
reproach in her voice. "I thought a respectable journalist like yourself
would be above such tawdry gossip."
"I know, I know, " Mary replied showing no
sign of guilt. "I feel sick absolutely sick about it."
"Are you and Chris planning some sort of
honeymoon after the wedding?" Julia asked since no mention had been made
about the subject, at least from Inez.
"I don't know," Mary replied. Honestly, the
thought of such a thing had never occurred to her. What with the wedding and
Billy coming home, the idea of a honeymoon had completely slipped her mind.
"I don't really want to leave Billy with strangers. He's going to have a
hard enough time fitting back into life at
"Well he'll get to know them when school
opens." Julia pointed out. "Have you acquired a school teacher
yet?"
"Yes as a matter of fact," Mary said
brightly, glad that she was prepared for at least one thing. Mary had sent
letters of inquiry across the state in search of someone who would be willing
to accept a teaching post in such rugged surroundings. Despite the fact that
"Her name is Audrey King and she's been teaching
for fifteen years. Apparently, her husband passed on recently and she wants to
get a new start somewhere with her twelve-year-old daughter. Her references
were quite impressive. She'll be here sometime this week, apparently to get
settled in before the school year begins."
"This is the place for beginnings." Julia
replied, being able to attest to that fact personally. "Well, I've got to
get going." she sighed as she remembered she had a dozen other errands to
run for Inez today. If she had known how determined Inez was to make this
wedding nothing less than perfect, Julia might have reconsidered her offer to
lend the woman a hand. Secretly however, Julia felt somewhat privileged to be
asked to help. Back in
"Oh God." Mary exclaimed, having enough
expertise at cake making to know how much of an accomplishment that was going
to be. "A dozen roses?"
"I told you," Julia said as she started to
leave, "you've created a monster."
"You're telling me," Mary groaned.
"Mary," Julia paused as she was about to
walk out the door. "Want a piece of advice?"
"Conditionally," she responded with a little
bit of a smirk.
"I think Billy is going to be so happy to be home
with his mother, he's not going to care what he has for dinner." Julia
gave her a little wink and swept out of her kitchen.
Mary knew Julia was right but in the meantime, she
still had a pie to bake.
It was afternoon and Vin Tanner had not remembered
ever spending such a prolonged period indoors or in bed for that matter. He
peeked out the window and saw that morning was almost over as the sun reached
apex in the sky. Outside, the main street of this quiet town showed as no more
activity then when he and Alex had first arrived here. It was Alex who
suggested that they pick this particular place for their sojourn from
He liked her sense of irony.
The hotel that they had registered was one of those
places Vin knew to be a favourite of those who did
not wish to be found, which was exactly what they were. It was by no means
lavish but had a door with a lock on it and nice big bed which was all Vin and
Alex wanted or needed. For the past two days, neither had come up for air as
they indulged their desires in this vacation away from their lives. For once,
Vin had the thrill of waking up next to her and sharing and entire night in her
bed without having to sneak away in the morning, for fear of inciting gossip.
After the business with Serfonteine,
it was Vin who decided that they needed to take caution with their intimate
encounters and this rendezvous had been born of that wish. As far as
He watched her sleep, basking in the loveliness of her
as she dreamed about things wonderful he hoped. It was still a source of
astonishment to him to know that he was engaged to a woman like her. Alexandra
Styles was a true lady in every sense of the word and yet contradictory enough
to accept him for what he was, even though he had no fortune to speak of and a
price on his head. He knew that before any question of marriage could ever come
into the equation, he would have to deal with his ongoing situation on Tuscosa.
Still it was nice to know that she was his.
Alex was lying in the sheets next to him, oblivious to
his observations of him and Vin felt the familiar tingle of arousal as he took
in the sight of her body, separated from his touch by a thin layer of cotton.
She was lying on her stomach, dark hair covering most of her face when Vin
nuzzled closer to her as another wave of desire took control of his baser
desires. Vin brushed aside her tousled dark hair, seeking through the strands
of jet for the soft skin of her neck.
She pushed up against him in her sleep, not at all
minding his weight on top of her as she slumbered. Letting out a pleasured sigh
when Vin found her neck, the tracker smiled as he lowered his mouth and started
teasing her skin her by tracing circles against it with his tongue. She was
still asleep but he could feel her body responding immediately to the gentle
nips he made along the length of her neck before he sucked insistently in the
curve where it met her shoulder.
Alex moaned languidly, pressing her body further into
his as he continued this seductive assault, still asleep but aware of his
tender ministrations by her dreamy responses to him. Vin hand slid in the space
between her breast and the soft mattress, slipping through the crease of sheets
as he searched for the nipple pressing hard against the linen. He enjoyed the
journey there, savouring the soft round warmth under
his touch, the supple curve of her breast and the texture of skin pulling taut
against muscle. He felt her sharp intake of breath as his palms kneaded the
ripe flesh, searching for the ever tightening nub of erect tissue that could
send ripples of pleasure throughout her, even in this dreamy state. Unconsciously,
her back arched slightly into him so that he could take up her whole breast in
his palm.
Vin grunted softly at the feel of her in his hand. The
sensation was strong enough to send waves of heat rippling through his arms and
continuing all the way to his cock. He felt himself stiffen with growing need
as he continued caressing her this way, thrilling in the soft sounds she made
each time he did something that touched her in just the right way. He kneaded it gently, drawing pleasured groans from her as she
started to come out of her sleep, long enough to respond.
When he finally touched the taut contraction of her
nipple, he immediately enclosed the plateau with his finger tips, teasing it
mercilessly as she started moving beneath him, trying to force more of herself
into his wonderful hand. Vin closed his eyes, feeling the arousal build in his
ever hardening cock as he felt Alex writhe under him, the firm flesh of her
bottom pushing into the hard ridge of his manhood. It strained for stimulation
and before he even knew it, he was rubbing himself against her, relishing the
feel of her skin against him while the swollen head of his erection started
pulsing against the inside of her thighs.
"Can I do something for you cowboy?" She
mumbled, coming out of her sleep almost purring.
"Whatever you want darlin',"
he smiled as continued kissing her neck, moving to her shoulders now and
showering her bronzed skin with light kisses that made her purr with delight as
his other hand explored the curve than ran from her side down to her hip. Vin
loved the feel of her skin under his hands, almost as much as he craved hearing
the sounds of delight that escaped her.
"I could take this for a few more hours."
Alex smiled as she pushed herself against into him, feeling a wicked gush of
moisture between her legs at the sensation of his chest against her bare back.
She could feel his cock pressing into her, demanding entry as his hips
involuntarily thrust itself against her.
His kisses had become more fervent now as his desire
built steadily in the erection that was making itself felt so prolifically
between her legs. Alex parted her thighs slightly, immediately allowing him to
run the shaft of his throbbing member against the heat of her own sex.
The sudden slickness against the length of his cock
made Vin pause a moment as the pleasure of it forced a small gasp for him.
"Jesus." He whispered and felt his hips moving of their accord as he
pushed against the velvet folds but not far enough to penetrate. As he slid up
and down, he could feel her moistening with each delicious stroke, until she
had gone very silent and her breaths were little more than shallow gasps of
bliss. He positioned himself so that his cock would make contact with her erect
centre and pushed again.
"Oh Vin." She whispered as she felt him
tease that tiny pearl of flesh as he ran his shaft against it. The sensation
made her buck against him and his fingers worked the flesh of her nipple with
renewed intensity as his own desires grip him with similar abandon.
Vin was covered in her juices now and the need to
enter her was so overwhelming that he could barely stand it. He left her breast
and moved both hands to her hips, sliding down her sides with a firm, descent
so that she could feel every inch of his journey in the rough calluses of his
palms. When he reached the curve of her waist, he slid his hand underneath her
belly until he reached the thatch of dark hair that would lead him inside her.
Sliding past her wet thighs, he relished the musk of her arousal in his
nostrils as his fingers started probing to the crevasse between them. Gently,
he nudged past the folds and inserted a finger, groaning immediately at the
feel of wet and tight muscle that enveloped him upon entry.
"God." She whimpered, her hips pushing into
his hand as he strained to plunge his fingers as deeply into her as he could.
Quivering flesh enveloped his insistent digits, promising him all kinds of
pleasure as he pressed his fingers within the passage that his cock would soon
invade. Her hips started to lift slightly off the bed, attempting to give him
more access to her until the texture of her round bottom grinding against his
own pelvis was enough to drive him insane with hunger.
"Get on your knees," he whispered huskily,
his blue eyes almost dark with feral need.
"Yes." She said completely subservient and
moaned when he drew away from her to allow the movement. She did not wish for
his hand to stop what it was doing to her body but knew that that what he intended
to do now would eclipse the pleasure he had made her endure until this point.
Besides, Alex wanted to feel him inside her, perfectly aware of how wonderful
he would be when he started fucking her hard and savagely.
Vin felt his cock impossibly harden when he drew back
and saw her raising herself upon her hands and knees, offering him a full view
of her sex as she did so. He wanted to be inside her so badly he could not even
wait before he was up against her, forcing himself through the silky folds. As
the head of his cock penetrated the tight ring of wet flesh, Vin had to hold
onto her hips or else he could have completely lost control and force himself
into her brutally. His need was such now that it was driving all sense from his
world.
"Jesus, you feel so good." He groaned as he
pushed into her, enjoying every inch of flesh that coaxed him further and
further inside.
Alex was moaning slowly as he made his invasion,
parting her legs wider, feeling as if he could never be deep enough inside her
as she pushed down hard, until what care he was taking was washed away in the
totality of complete penetration. She heard him gasp as he was embedded inside
her, until his hips was pressed hard against her bottom and she could feel the
weight of his semen engorged sacs bouncing against her flesh. His hands dug
into her hips with such force she was almost aroused by the pain. Their lust
had become almost animalistic in its intensity.
"Hard Vin," she gasped. "Do me
hard."
Her plea was so raw and full of need that it almost
had the effect of a physical sensation upon him. He felt a gush of fluid escape
him with the arousal from those three words. He was more than happy to oblige
her because the sensation of her all around him was beyond belief. He was
somewhat amazed he had not begun a frantic fit of furious thrusting because his
cock was so hard and bursting that he did not know how much longer he could
have maintained his control. Pulling her hips forcefully into his throbbing
member, he began pumping her hard, his own gyrations making this melding of
flesh into a dance of brutal pleasure.
Sweet Jesus, Vin thought inwardly as the pleasure
washed over him. The intense pressure of her inner muscles was crushing his
cock into submission with each hard thrust into her body. He pounded into her
with such relentless force that before he even knew what was happening, Vin was
crying out her name. He could only hold on and let his manhood do the work for
him, dragging him along on this tidal wave of sensation that coursed through
every pore in his body until all he could do to keep from whimpering in
beatific surrender was to bite down hard.
"Oh God Vin, don't stop!" She whimpered and
threw her head back, her dark hair splaying across her back, intermingling with
the sweat of her skin.
Vin saw the cascade of jet before him, a stark
contrast against golden coloured skin and immediately
felt himself pumping even harder, until the pleasure of her was so unbelievable
that all he could do in response was to hold on and enjoy the ride. He rode her
hard and fast, knowing that despite her lady like manner, she liked to be
handled with ruthless desire. Without ever knowing how he had managed to be so
fortunate, Vin knew that he had a wildcat in his bed.
He slammed into her again, his cock reaching such
heights of ecstasy that neither it nor him was going to recover for a good
while after this incredible encounter. Judging with Alex's whimpers, he could
tell that she was very close and rammed into her with continued force that he could
feel himself impacting the hard barrier of flesh that signaled the end of her
tight passage. The sensation that came from that collision was more than he
could stand and all he could do to keep in control was to bury his face in the
sheen of her jet coloured hair.
Suddenly, he felt her stiffen under him. Her back
straightening like an animal that had awoken from a deep sleep and feeling the
need to stretch out. All sense left his mind when her wet insides contracted
around his cock in a powerful display of orgasmic pre-eminence. She cried out
his name like it was mantra, as if the word chanted would make her plunge over
the abyss of pleasure all the more powerful. He felt her warmth sweep over him
and knew that it would take whatever stamina he had with it.
"Oh Christ!" He groaned, feeling himself
explode inside her until all he could see before him were stars amidst a canvas
of jet. His body spasmed as he continued pumping into
her, forcing Alex to accept every last drop of seed until finally he collapsed
onto her body, bathing them both in each other's perspiration. For a moment, he
could do nothing but remained draped over her, trying to catch his breath from
yet another affirmation of why he could not ever be without her. He rubbed the
rough stubble of his cheek against the smooth skin of her back and felt her
wriggle at little.
"Stop it." She tried to suppress a laugh.
"That tickles."
Vin repeated the action again and drew another sharp
giggle. "I hadn't noticed." He smiled.
"Stop it," she laughed again and squirmed
from under him. "That drives me crazy."
"Well then," he said with a devilishly grin.
"I'll just have to keep doing it."
With that, he covered his body with hers and filled
the room with their playful laughter.
"Is the stage here yet?" Chris asked when he
met Mary in front of the Clarion office later that day. His fiancee
was pacing the boardwalk in front of the premises, looking every bit as
impatient as he knew she was feeling. Chris tried not to smile as he saw Mary
attempting to look normal even though she was bursting with excitement over the
impending arrival of her son. This was something he had become accustomed to
seeing over the past months of their courtship. Billy's arrival was the only
thing that could make Mary Travis heady to such an extent.
"No," she glanced at the small watch she had
been keeping in her pocket. "Its ten minutes late." She said
unhappily as she glanced up the main street once more, to see if the stagecoach
had appeared on the horizon since she had looked 30 seconds ago. "This
tardiness is most unacceptable." She grumbled with her hands on her hips
as she continued pacing. People were starting to look at her curiously as they
passed by and reacted only by throwing Chris a sympathetic glance as they continued
on their way.
"Mary you're going to wear a hole in the
floor." Chris pointed out. "Relax."
"I can't relax!" She exclaimed, knowing that
he could not possibly understand how she was feeling at this moment. There were
butterflies in her stomach at the thought of having her son home permanently,
not just for a few days or weeks but forever! She was so happy she could barely
form words but this wait was driving her insane! Where was that damn stage!
"I want my son!"
Chris raised a brow at her tantrum and found himself
unable to contain the smile that sneaked past his lips almost involuntarily.
Mary noticed it and narrowed her eyes, realizing that he was having some
amusement at her expense. She was about to open her mouth and reply when the
timely arrival of Ezra, Josiah, Buck and J.D. saved him from any bloodshed.
Mary was in that kind of mood right now but she tended to keep her temper from
public view unless absolutely necessary.
"I take it young William has yet to arrive."
Ezra remarked as they approached.
"Good to see you out from behind the bar."
Chris responded, unable to hide the amusement in his voice.
Ezra gave him a smirk and retorted. "Inez has
finally liberated me from that tiresome chore. Apparently, the wedding of the
century can take a break for the rest of the day."
"Thank goodness," Mary sighed, glad that for
today anyway, she would not have any flower arrangements to preside over, any
dinner plate patterns to select and furthermore, any talk of the bridal shower
Inez intended on throwing her. All she was interested in today was her son.
"The hard work is just too much for him."
Josiah retorted, giving Ezra a reproachful look.
"I told you once and I shall it again reiterate
again, a gentlemen does not perform menial labour."
Ezra pointed out in the dignified way that only Ezra could manage in making
that statement sound completely reasonable. "I just hope you and Mrs.
Travis appreciate the sacrifice that some of us have been forced to make for
your coming nuptials.
"I'll keep you in mind when I write the thank you
cards." Mary said rolling her eyes in resignation wondering how Julia put
up with the man sometimes. Still, Julia's personality lent well to Ezra's
southern gentlemen facade and Mary was sure the woman humored him most times.
"Don't worry Ezra," Buck grinned. "It
will be all worth it when I throw the bachelor party."
"Bachelor party?" Mary turned slowly to
Chris with an expression on her face that showed she was not at all
enthusiastic about his having a stag party. She had heard what commonly went on
with those things to know that she did not want Chris hung over on the day of
their wedding.
"Nice going Buck." Chris grimaced, noting
the frown that had suddenly developed on his future wife's face.
"Don't worry Mary," Buck stepped forward,
quick to defend his friend and his stag night. "It will be perfectly
respectable, even my mother would be proud to attend." He replied, oozing
charm as he tried to convince her that nothing sleazy would be taking place
even though it was an outright lie that neither Mary nor any of the seven
present believed.
"I'll believe that when I see it." Josiah
remarked, giving Chris and Ezra a knowing look. If Buck could do anything with
complete expertise, it was to organize celebrations that included plenty of
libations and all the vices that would make it an evening to remember. Of
course, such parties would give any potential groom much cause for
consternation with all the temptations that would undoubtedly be present on the
night.
"Stage is here!" J.D. announced and
immediately moved everyone's attention from what was possibly a provocative
subject.
As they made their way to the stage depot, Mary easily
outdistanced them as she hurried forward, raising her skirts so that it would
not hamper her swift approach. The stage rumbled into town, trailing a small
cloud of dust as it travelled through the outskirts of town and meandered into
the main street. Mary felt her heart pounding with excitement, oblivious to the
men who were attempting to keep up with her as she strode purposefully along
the boardwalk.
By the time she reached the depot, the stage had
already pulled up and the driver had alighted and was preparing to open the
door for the passengers.
Unsurprisingly, it was Billy who bundled out of the
carriage first, even before the driver could swing the door completely open.
The long confinement during the journey had strained his youthful patience to
such an extent that he was extremely grateful to be free of it as he hurried
out of the Concord in search of the mother who was no doubt waiting for him as
she always did.
"Billy!" Mary called out happily and the boy
ran straight into her arms as mother and son exchanged a warm and happy embrace
of greeting.
"Let me look at you," Mary said trying not
to let her emotions get the better of her as she spoke. Every time she saw him,
it just felt as if it had been years since he had been gone. Upon observation,
she noted that he had grown a little taller and he was in need of a haircut but
other than that he was still her little boy and that alone was enough to make
Mary forget everything else.
"Is it true ma?" Billy asked
enthusiastically. "Am I home to stay?"
"Yes," she said delighted that he was happy
about this. "You don't have to go back." There had been a moment of
darkness when Mary considered the possibility that Billy may not want to leave
his friends and grand parents in Eagle
"And I can go to school here?" He questioned
further.
"When school opens." Mary nodded and her
response was rewarded with another warm hug from her son that just about broke
her resolve to keep from crying. She looked up to see Chris approach with a
smile on his face that he rarely offered anyone. It was not one of his faint
and shadowy smiles that he reserved only for the others. This one was a real
and was mostly reserved for those occasions when Billy was home.
"Hey pardner."
Chris greeted the boy as Mary disengaged herself from him and ran towards the
gunslinger.
"Hi Chris!" Billy grinned, staring at the
tall man in black with nothing less than adoration as he ran to Chris and
hugged him which just as much intensity as he had done with his mother.
Immediately, Chris dropped to his knees and hugged the boy back, showing his
comrades a side of him rarely displayed except when in the presence of this
child.
The next few minutes were a chorus of greetings and
ruffled hair as Billy was offered warm salutations from all the lawmen present
who were just as enamored with Mary's young son as Chris Larabee
himself. In a way, though none would admit it, they had always felt warmly
towards the boy and felt some measure of responsibility for the child as they
did for his mother. Ever since they had arrived in Four Corners, each one of
them had adopted Billy in one fashion or another and the young Master Travis
could always be counted to be in their company whenever he was home from
school.
It was Ezra who noticed the other passenger that
alighted from the stage.
"Oh my God." He said with open eyes,
watching the young woman who climbed out of the stagecoach with nothing more
than a wrapped bundle as her luggage. He recognized her immediately of course.
After all, the part she had played in their lives during those turbulent days
on the trail had left an impression in all their minds that time could not
dispel no matter how much of it hurtled by.
"Mrs. Travis, is that who I think it is?"
Ezra asked, calling their attention to the new arrival's presence.
"What?" Mary asked as she followed Ezra's
gaze and looked over her shoulder. Her mind was still wrapped in euphoria over
her son's arrival so she did not realize immediately what had captured his
attention completely until she concentrated. When she did, it made her stop
short in astonishment at the sight of the familiar face.
The woman let her hazel eyed gaze sweep over the area,
taking in her new surroundings while at the same time, collecting herself after
her long journey. She brushed a strand of red hair out of her eyes as she
adjusted her straw hat on her head before her line of sight shifted in their
direction. It took an instant longer before those eyes came to rest upon then
and their faces registered in her memory. Recognition flooded her face
immediately and she broke into a wide smile as she made her way towards them.
"Mary, its me
Charlotte, Charlotte Richmond." She announced upon reaching them, as if
any introductions was necessary when it came to her.
"I remember," Mary smiled politely, still
somewhat surprised at seeing this face from their recent past. "How are
you Charlotte?"
It was difficult to not remember Charlotte Richmond
after her illicit affair with Vin Tanner during the time when the seven was
required to escort a wagon train further west. Vin who until that point had
very little experience with women had fallen head over heels in love with
Charlotte whose relations with her husband had been strained. While Mary had
thought Charlotte had been merely using Vin, the tracker had taken the
relationship very seriously and was prepared to throw everything away just to
be with her. The subsequent affair had damaged Chris and Vin's relationship
significantly and strained relations between the seven as nothing had done
before.
Fortunately, Vin had come to his senses eventually and
dissolved the relationship by sending Charlotte home to her husband after a
brief flight and neutralized a situation that was on the fast track to becoming
explosive. The affair had left the tracker sullen withdrawn for quite some time
as he came to grips with losing the first love he had ever had even though both
Chris and Mary were of the firm belief that Charlotte had merely taken
advantage of Vin's inexperience for her own gratification.
"I'm fine," Charlotte said breathlessly
completely unaware that Mary did not think much of her for the injury she had
caused to Vin. Instead, her eyes searching the faces of the men behind Mary,
seeking one in particular only to find that he was not present. "I'm in
town for a few days. I thought I would catch up with Vin while I'm here. Is he
in town?" She asked, forcing her voice to sound as nonchalant as possible
even though Mary saw through the ruse easy enough. Mary had the insight that
Charlotte had come to Four Corners specifically for Vin and nothing else.
"Chris?" Mary looked to her fiancee's with some help as to what she ought to say to
Charlotte considering Vin's situation at present. She wanted to blurt out that
Vin was not her toy any longer and that Charlotte should leave the young man
alone considering there was someone else in his life but it was not her place
to make that decision. It was Vin's.
The gunslinger fidgeted uncomfortably, gripped with
the same emotions running through Mary's head at this moment. Like Mary, he was
wrestling with whether or not it was his business to tell Charlotte that not
only Vin was only attached to someone else but he was also engaged. Chris
cleared his throat and finally made the safest response that he could think of
at the moment since he was unwilling to do anything until he spoke to Vin and
heard it from the tracker how he wished to handle things.
"He's out of town." He said abruptly,
revealing in no uncertain terms that he was not happy to see her. Charlotte had
brought Vin a great deal of pain by playing with his affections they way she
had and he knew as well as Mary that Charlotte had a specific agenda for coming
to Four Corners that involved his best friend.
"Oh." Charlotte said with clear
disappointment before she was aware of the eyes that were watching her closely.
She knew that Chris Larabee had not approved of her
relationship with Vin and the lack of his understanding had contributed to Vin
making the decision that she ought to return to her husband. She returned his
piercing gaze with a hard look of her own, unwilling to let his imposing manner
keep her from what she wanted.
Vin was no one's creature and he loved her. The choice
was always his to make, not Chris Almighty Larabee's.
Recovering quickly, Charlotte shrugged off the stares of the men before her and
decided that there was nothing to be done until Vin returned to Four Corners
and she was certain that they would be no help to her.
"Well, could you please tell him that I'm in town
when he does get back? I'll be staying at the hotel for awhile." She
gestured to establishment as she spoke. Deciding that there was no further
reason to linger, Charlotte decided that it was wiser to depart. "I guess
I'll be seeing you around town." She said with a small smile before
sweeping out of their presence as suddenly as she had stepped into it.
For a few seconds after her departure, no one spoke.
Finally it was Billy who broke the silence. Youth
spared him from knowing the history of the woman who had just appeared before
them. "Can we go home now ma?" He asked looking up at Mary and
oblivious to the surprise that was currently running across the faces of his
older companions.
"Absolutely," Mary nodded, still staring
after Charlotte who was continuing down the boardwalk towards the
"Are you hungry Billy?" She asked as she
started to lead him away from the stage back to the house.
"Grandma gave me sandwiches," he informed her
dutifully. "But I didn't like them much."
"Never mind," Mary said brushing a strand of
blond hair out of his face. "I got some afternoon lunch ready for
you." She smiled and then regarded the men who had been very silent
following their encounter with
"Much obliged Madam." Ezra finally responded,
shaking thoughts of Charlotte Richmond out of his face as he looked at her.
"You go on ahead," Chris replied.
"We'll join you shortly."
Mary nodded and continued towards home with Billy at
her side. Chris could not help but let a jaded smile steal across his face as
he saw the mother and son walking down the boardwalk, hand in hand as they
spoke in the language that outsiders could never grasp. Chris recalled how he
used to watch Sarah and Adam do the same thing, lost in their own world and
felt a profound feeling of gratitude at having them back again in Mary and
Billy.
After a moment, he turned to his companions who were
still rather silent in light of
"You know something?" Buck asked no one in
particular.
"What?" J.D. responded since no one else
did.
"Vin is in for a world of trouble." Buck
stated firmly capped the whole situation in that one sentence with everyone
else in complete agreement.