Take Me Home, Country Roads

No one could tell me why Roseanna had left us. Johnse had no clue, no note, no indication if she was coming back and it was tearing him apart. Nancy said that she had just packed her things and left, not saying a word. Levicy merely said that Roseanna had decided to go back to her family, but I didn’t completely believe that. Roseanna would have said something…wouldn’t she have? We slept in the same room every night, and never once had she said she was thinking of going back to her family. I knew that she would have, if they would have allowed her, but not at the expense of Johnse.
As long as he wanted her, she wouldn’t have left his side.

It was strange and unnerving, not having Roseanna in the house anymore, but seeing as I couldn’t just ride over to the McCoy’s to visit, there wasn’t much I could do. I considered writing her, but I doubted that would go over well.

Johnse didn’t stick around after she had gone. He went to stay his own cabin in the woods near his drip still, about two-hour ride away from the Hatfield homestead. The only reason he was around as much as he had been was due to Roseanna, and while it hurt slightly that he didn’t want to see me as much, I knew it was because he was nursing a broken heart.

I had planned to go out to see him, and Cap had promised he would take me to visit, but after our afternoon in the meadow there was an odd tension between us: unspoken desires and feelings that were bound to explode at some point. But with the Roseanna events, we had to push them aside. Beyond that, heavy storms rolled through the countryside, meaning that I was housebound for almost a week, unable to even ride Orion for an hour in between the storms.

It was the longest week of my life.

One Tuesday, the storms finally cleared up a bit, the break in the clouds bringing much cooler weather and an indication that summer was coming to an end.

“Levicy,” I said, coming into the kitchen. “Do you mind if I go visit Johnse this afternoon? I promise I’ll be back before it gets dark.”

“How’ll you get there?” she asked, kneading some dough in her hands. “You got that horse now but you ain’t got an idea how to get across Mingo County.” Levicy always liked to ask rhetorical questions; at least she did when she though she knew the answers to them already. But I had taken the proverbial bull by the horns and gotten myself my own personal guide.

“Cap will show me the way,” I said, as the man of the hour walked into the room, light blond hair swept down over his eyes. “I thought I’d go with him to the timber yard and then go on to see Johnse after lunch.”

“What are you gonna do all mornin’ at the yard?” He asked, grabbing a roll from the table and smothering it was jam. I shot him a glare – he was supposed to be on my side. Cap withered under my look. “Oh, uh, sure, Emma. Ma, I don’t mind. I’m sure there’s some housekeepin’ and books to be looked after.”

Levicy looked between us. “What’s your father say?”

“He don’t mind,” Cap shrugged easily, and I gave Levicy a pleading look. I needed to get out of the house.

“I’ll get more money to pay for Orion,” I offered, knowing that my trips to be bank would become few and far between once the fall harvest kicked up. From what Nancy told me, the end of summer also brought an end to free time.

She sighed. “I suppose it will give Johnse a reason to show his face ‘round here,” Levicy replied, though I think she meant it more affectionately than it came out. She missed her son. “Tell ‘im I wanna see him for breakfast t’morrow and make sure he knows to get you back by nightfall.”

I grinned and bounced on my toes, tempted to hug her but knowing that Levicy, like her husband and second son, was not the most touchy-feely person. Cap gave me a smile, mouth full of bread and jam.

We set off shortly after that, taking the 45 minute ride to the Hatfield timber yard. Anse had stayed overnight to get an early jump on things, and Lias, Jim, Ellison, Tom, French, Lark, Alex and all the rest were already there when we arrived. Cap might have gotten an earful from his dad had Selkirk McCoy not stumbled in twenty minutes later, reeking of alcohol. Selkirk, despite being a McCoy, seemed accepted by the Hatfields; I had a feeling, though, that he didn’t see his relations that often. Being Anse’s employee seemed to mean his alliance had changed. Money was more important than blood to Selkirk.

I helped around the small office, organizing papers, cleaning up after the men and making sandwiches for their lunches. I often found myself staring out the window at Cap, who was working with his Uncle Ellison sawing some logs down into board. He had taken his shirt off, so my staring really couldn’t be helped. God, I wanted him.

I nearly dropped my pitcher of lemonade when Jim walked in and barked at me to get the food ready.

After lunch, I took off down the road. Johnse’s place was up in the mountains, but was easy enough to find on my own. About an hour after setting off, I came upon a small lean-to just off the side of the road, some steam coming up from the stills in the ground. The dirt was littered with half empty whiskey bottles. I tied Orion to a tree and approached, about ready to call out for Johnse when I saw him passed out on a bench toward the back of the hut, his hat covering his face.

“Johnse?” I asked, coming up cautiously and not wanting to disturb him. “Johnse, are you awake?” There was no response, so I prodded his shoulder. Still nothing. I sighed and looked around, spying a bucket of water. Bingo.

“Jesus Christ!” Johnse jumped up, arms flailing as the wave of tepid water doused him, blonde hair sticking to his face and white shirt soaked through. “What the hell, Emma?”

“I missed you too, Johnse,” I replied with a cheeky smile. He groaned and ran his hands down his face, looking incredibly worse for wear. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah…I’m – I’m sorry ‘bout that,” he said, though he didn’t sound sorry. “I’ve been busy.”

“Clearly.” I eyed the empty bottles around him. “Drinking yourself into oblivion, it looks like.”

“You know, I don’t need that from you, Ems,” he replied sharply, but he shook his apologetically almost immediately. “I’m…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m just tired, I guess, tired tryin’ to convince myself that I ain’t the fool everyone says I am.”

“You’re not a fool, Johnse. You’re just broken hearted.”

“I’m a fool for thinkin’ Roseanna loved me like I love her!”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Boys could be so dramatic at times. “She does love you!”

“Then why’d she leave?” he asked, standing up and swaying, looking for another bottle to kill. “Why’d she just up and go without tellin’ me?”

“There’s got to be an explanation, Johnse. And she didn’t just leave you, she left all of us.”

“Maybe her Pa found her some new man,” he sniffed, finally finding what he was searching for. Pulling the cork off the whiskey with his teeth, he took a long gulp. Considering how his blood was mostly alcohol already, the first bit of new drink had him already swaying on his feet. “Maybe she found some McCoy that can marry her and provide for her like I can’t.”

“Don’t say that, Johnse. She loves you. Something must have happened…” I trailed off, unsure of what that something could have been. “She didn’t find someone else.”

“I bet anythin’ she did. Her Pa hates me, bet he done find some fella for her to marry, promised to welcome her back with open arms.” He kicked the ground, depressed. “Probably wouldn’t blame her, though. Can’t be easy for her, livin’ with us, all the talk behind her back.”

“We’ll figure it out, Johnse. Do you want me to go over to the McCoy’s and see her? You could maybe ask Selkirk if he’s heard anything?”

I knew it was a pipe dream – I’d never be allowed across the river by myself, not to mention I didn’t know where to go. I doubted rolling up to the McCoys with Johnse or Cap in tow would solve anything.

“That’s mighty sweet of you, Ems,” Johnse said, giving me a smile for the first time. “Don’t think it would do much good though.”

I sat with Johnse for another hour or so, and the topic of conversation thankfully moved away from Roseanna. He explained how his drip still worked, the places he delivered to, his expansion plans once he saved up some money…all the while drinking more and more of the whiskey he was supposed to be selling.

“Okay, Cowboy,” I said, taking a bottle from him. “Keep drinking it and you’ll never make up the profits.”

“You’re real smart, Emma Yankee,” he slurred, pulling me into a bear hug and planting a slobbery kiss on my forehead. “Real smart, always lookin’ out for me. I might just love you.”

“I love you too, Johnse,” I patronized, patting his side and trying to casually pull away fro him.

“No, you love Cap,” he grinned, popping the ‘p’ between his lips. He made a kissy face at me and I swatted him away. Laughing, Johnse stumbled back onto a stack of logs, giggling harder as he landed with a thud.

“Well, as fun and enlightening as this has been,” I said, standing, “I have to get going back. Looks like it’s going to rain again and your mom wanted me back before dark.” I didn’t think he was in any condition to show up at the Hatfield house, no matter how much his Mama wanted him there for breakfast the next morning.

Johnse took a deep breath, his mood sour again. “You know what I’m gonna do,” he said, pointing emphatically at me. “I’m gonna go to town and I’m gonna forget Roseanna, just like she forgot me.”

He made to move for his horse, Bear, which was tied to a tree near Orion, tripping over nothing as made the attempt.

“You know, I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Johns,” I said, catching his arm and helping him stand. “You’re a bit wasted as it is and - ”

“I’m goin’, Emma,” he said sternly. “Either that or I stay here and just die of heartbreak and loneliness.”

“God, you’re dramatic.”

He shook me off and tried to get on his horse, resulting in poor Bear getting kicked in the stomach and Johnse flat on his ass, looking perplexed and forlorn. He looked up at me with his sad, puppy dog eyes.

“You gonna help me, Emma? Or you just gonna leave me too?”

I rolled my eyes. “Jesus. Okay, fine, I’ll help you. But you’re not riding on your own. Last thing we need is for you to fall off and break your scrawny neck.”

“My nightly armoir. Nightingale armor. My shiny armchair.”

“Your knight in shining armor, I got it, Johnse,” I grumbled, helping him onto Orion’s back. Apparently my horse was tolerant of men who were too intoxicated to stand up straight. “Just don’t vomit on me and we’ll be good.”

The entire ride down to Mate Creek, Johnse sung some forlorn song about a man who lost his girl, no doubt making up the lyrics as he went. He arms were drooped loosely around my waist, chin resting on my shoulder, his breath reeking of whiskey and a sour stench coming off his unwashed body. I debated how reasonable it was to take him to the tavern and I certainly didn’t expect him to get home, but I didn’t doubt that once he was there I could make Johnse someone else’s problem. That’s just the kind of good friend I am.

I couldn’t take him back to the house in the state he was in and Levicy was already going to be annoyed at me for being late. By the time we got to Mate Creek, the sun was starting to set. I pulled to a stop in front of the tavern and dismounted, my feet sinking deep into the mud. I grimaced – that was going to be a bitch to clean.

“Come on, Johnse, you big oaf.” I tried to hold onto his hands, helping him off Orion, but his foot got stuck on the stirrup and he fell forward into me. I slammed backward into the ground, squishing down into the muck. Johnse giggled.

“Hey, little piggy.”

I restrained myself from slapping a mud pie into his pretty little face. Struggling, I stood up, wiping my hands on the front of my skirts, the only part that wasn’t mud-caked. “Hey, Alex!” I called out to the boy approaching, his dark hair hanging in his eyes. Alex Messer smiled at the sight of the two of us. “Can you help me with him?”

“Lookin’ mighty nice, Miss Emma,” Alex teased, before helping Johnse disentangle his foot. “Got our Johnse drunk now?”

“I had nothing to do with that, he did that all on his own.” I helped him get Johnse up the stairs of the saloon and inside, setting the drunken blonde down at the first open table we saw. I had never been inside the Mate Creek Tavern, and looking around at that moment, I could sort of see why.

It wasn’t exactly the type of place Devil Anse would have wanted me to be seen. There were no women in there, save the four or five that were unquestionably prostitutes, and all of the men looked worse for wear and had a beer or three in front of them. Guns laid threateningly on the tables, warnings to those who wanted to cheat at their card game or skip out on a tab. The friendliest looking patron, aside of Johnse and Alex, was Uncle Jim Vance, which was saying a lot. He glared at me from the corner and I knew it was probably a good idea if I left – the last thing I wanted was him tell Anse that I was there for longer than absolutely necessary.

“Can you make sure he gets home okay?” I asked Alex. “Or at least that he doesn’t drink himself to death?”

“I can help him, sugar,” a prostitute said, coming up to the table and letting her practically exposed breasts introduce themselves to Johnse. I raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, you’re leavin’ him in real good hands.”

“Right…okay, on that note, I’m going. Good to see you Alex. Johnse…don’t do anything too stupid, okay?” But he was already zoned out, looking for his next drink. Shivering off the STDs I undoubtedly caught while standing in there, I hurried back outside. I hurried so much that I slammed right into a woman on the stairs and fell down the remaining to steps, landing face first into the mud puddle I had fallen in not five minutes earlier.

“You’ve got to be shitting me.” I pushed myself off the ground, the mud squishing beneath my fingers. I looked up at Orion, who seemed amused at my struggles.

“Hmm, foul clothes, foul mouth,” the woman I had hit commented from the porch. “Ain’t surprised none ‘bout the foul manners.”

I looked up at Nancy McCoy, who was looking down at me in the mud like I was some sort of barnyard animal, hand on her hip and mouth twisted into a snide smirk. What a bitch.

“Sorry about that,” I replied, not sorry at all. “I didn’t see you there.” I stood, not even bothering to try and find a clean part of me to wipe my hands off.

“You Hatfields never see further than your own noses. Seein’ as you’re a Yankee one, I am surprised if you see any of us lowly folk at all.” Nancy McCoy was like the Regina George of 1880’s West Virginia.

“I’m not a Hatfield,” I replied, untying Orion.

“Might as well be.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

“Them Hatfield’s killed my Pa,” she said, her voice hardening. This was no longer some lame girlish intimidation – she was pissed. I looked up at her.

“I’m sorry, Nancy, I didn’t know that.”

“Well, no doubt they’ve all come ‘cross as angels to you. Words gone ‘round that you and Cap’s been knocking your boots together. That one eyed-ape appeal to your Yankee sensibilities?”

I had to bite my lip so as not to tell her to shut the fuck up. “You know what Nancy? I’m going to put your bitchiness down to you being on the rag, because I find it hard to believe someone could be so rude to someone they don’t even know.” I pulled myself into the saddle, holding my head up high despite my disheveled and dirty state. “Have a nice night.”

Pushing Orion to a gallop, I made it within a mile of the Hatfield homestead by dusk. It was creepy riding out on your own in the dark, but I appreciated the beauty of the just-before-nightfall quiet of the woods. The only sound besides my horse’s hooves on the soft, rain soaked ground was the rustling of the leaves. And whistling.

I pulled Orion to a sharp stop as we rounded a bend and found a man limping down the middle of the road, dark hat pulled down over his eyes and brown beard obscuring most of his features. Orion reared slightly in surprise, and the man stumbled back slightly.

Getting my horse under control, I peered at the man. I didn’t recognize him, and by this time I had seen most people in town at least once. Surveying the figure, I noticed how he heavily favored his right side, using a wooden crutch to help prop himself up. He looked tired and hungry, not to mention in dire need of a bath.

I held Orion still, though my horse wanted nothing more than to get home to his feed.

“Sorry, miss,” the man said tiredly, taking off his hat. ‘Didn’t mean to startle ya.” He limped toward me slightly.

“Are you alright, sir?” I asked, holding steady to Orion as he approached. My horse was still antsy around men, though when I controlled him he managed to stay calm, though reluctantly. He didn’t, however, seem to like this man, and bucked his head in annoyance as he approached. I jerked the reins.

“Name’s Dawson, Miss. Damn horse got spooked by a fox or somethin’,” the man replied, pointing off vaguely in the direction we were both heading. The woods got a little darker. “Pardon my language. I do ‘preciate you stoppin’. This leg here done got busted when I fell.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that…are you able to walk?”

“Not well, I’m ‘fraid.” He grimaced slightly. “Anyway I could get a ride into town?”

“Oh, well, I’m really sorry but my horse doesn’t take to strangers that well,” I admitted, as Orion let out a snort. “And town’s the other way from which you’re heading. But I can ride up to my house and get some help. It’s only about a mile more down the road.”

Dawson sighed. “I sure ‘preciate that, Miss, but I don’t think that’ll be needed.”

“No?” I asked, confused. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. I’m thinking you have everything we need right here.”

I blinked. “What?”

Suddenly, a hand grabbed a fistful of my skirts on the other side of Orion, and before I even had a chance to react I was being dragged to the ground, landing with a painful thud in the leaves. Orion whinnied and reared as Dawson tried to grab ahold of his reins, limping no longer. Grimacing, I looked up, shocked to see a younger, bulkier man looming over me.

“Hey there, Missy,” he said, his breathe reeking of alcohol and the decay of teeth.

I watched in shock as Dawson tried jerking Orion into submission, but my horse was having none of it, rearing and kicking out his hooves at our assailant. The second man stood over me, eyeing me up and down.

“Get that damn animal under control,” he snarled, reaching down to grab my saddlebag. “And I’ll just take this from you.”

“What the hell are you doing?” I yelled, finally finding my voice – the somewhat brash New Yorker coming out. I should have kept my mouth shut, but that had never been my style. “Get the fuck off me!”

I grabbed the strap of my bag as the man yanked it from around my neck, wincing in pain as the leather snapped against my skin, leaving a stretch of rope burn. As I was on the ground and the man was twice my size, he easily wrestled my bag away from me, laughing at my feeble attempts. Orion was still snorting and rearing in anger, and I scrambled to my feet as the two men became distracted by the horse.

I wasn’t going to let this happen. That bag had a ton of money in it and Orion was my horse. Being apart of the Hatfield family meant standing up for yourself, being brave and not backing down. My anger may have blurred my judgment, and before I knew it, I had picked up a large branch from the side of the road, wielding it like a baseball bat.

With a determined growl, I brought the branch down on the back of the burly man’s head, though my short height worked to my disadvantage and I didn’t get the most powerful strike.

“Damn it, girl!” He cried in pain and I wound up to his him again. Orion, however, chose that moment to break free from the hold of Dawson, and with a roar took off down the leafy path. My only hope of escape was gone.

Taking advantage of my distraction, the burly man grabbed the branch and tried to yank it from my grasp. The fight I gave ended quickly, and I reeled back in pain as he struck the branch against the side of my head, much harder than I could have ever hoped to inflict on him.

I was knocked out almost instantly, only to regain consciousness as I soon as I hit the ground. I blinked back my vision, my head ringing with pain and disorientation. The world was fuzzy and the shouting of Dawson and his companion sounded mumbled and far away. I had never quite felt pain like that. I had once gotten a concussion playing soccer, and cracked my head on a cabinet door, but nothing quite compared to the throbbing pain I was currently experiencing, like my brain was getting ready to explode.

Eventually, as if time had slowed, I was able to focus again, and the only thing I could think was that Orion had run off. And that I should probably do the same thing.

“The bitch distracted me!” Dawson shouted at his companion. “Ain’t my fault that damn horse was plum crazy. Just grab her bag Gus and let’s get outta here.”

“That horse was worth somethin’ more than a damn bag,” Gus shot back, apparently not having opened my purse yet.

I tried to slide away, but with my dizzy head and the crunching of the leaves, I had barely crawled a few feet before the Gus grabbed my arm. “Don’t you go nowhere yet, girl.” He gripped my forearm painfully, glaring down at me.

“I don’t have any money,” I managed to reply, my voice cracking a bit. I felt a trickle of blood roll down from my hairline.

“Not anymore you don’t, but that ring there is mighty nice.”

Realizing what he wanted, I tried pulling my arm away, but his grip was too strong. I kicked out my legs and balled my hand into a fist as Gus tried to pry my ring off of my finger. That ring was the last thing I had of my parents, the last memory from my old life, and I was not going to give it up to some toothless drunk on the side of the road.

“Quit fightin’,”he growled, throwing me back down on the ground. I scrambled back away from him, but he straddled me quickly, pinning me to the ground between his legs as he tried to take my jewelry.

“Gus…” Dawson said, concern in his voice. I was too distracted by trying to fight off my assailant to notice that we were no longer alone.

Gus didn’t notice either, and he raised his hand to hit me again. I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain, but it never game. Instead, a gunshot pierced the sky, and I felt the warm splatter of blood across my face. Gus cried out in utter pain, and rolled off of me, holding the hand that had been raised to hit me to his chest, crimson blood pooling through his fingers. He had been shot right through the palm.

I looked up at Cap who was sitting on his horse, rifle raised and aimed at Gus. Anse rode beside him, pistol aimed at Dawson whose hands were raised in surrender. Ellison rode in a wagon at the back, rifle at the ready and Cotton Top peering out from behind him. I felt relief course through me.

“Leroy Dawson and Augustus Green,” Anse said, glaring at the two men, his pistol steady in his hand. “I knew you weren’t too smart, bein’ horse thieves and all, but you must be complete morons if you think it’d be wise to attack a Hatfield kin.”

“How – how’d you know our names?” Dawson asked, looking fearfully between Anse and Gus, the latter of whom was writhing on the ground still, whimpering.

“I seen your pictures on the wall in my brother’s office,” Anse replied casually, walking his horse closer the men and looking down at them, radiating authority. “His name’s Judge Wall Hatfield, and I reckon you’ll be meetin’ him soon enough.”

“You alright, Emma?” Ellison asked me, hopping down from the wagon and coming toward me.

“Yeah, I think so,” I replied, using his body to steady myself as I stood. “Orion ran off.”

“We’ll find ‘im. Do’ya need the Doc?”

“ No…I think I’m okay.”

I looked up at Cap as Ellison helped me to the cart. Cap wouldn’t meet my eyes, his gaze hadn’t moved from Gus’s figure since he fired that amazingly accurate shot. His jaw was set, his eyes intense and radiating fury. He was an incredibly intimidating figure, sitting there on his horse with his rifle at the ready, black hat casting shadows over his features. His blonde hair had fallen in front of his good eye, meaning the white one stood out that much more. For a moment, I was struck by how much he looked like his father.

“Cap,” Anse said to his son, circling the two men. “Think we can get these two low-lives back to town before night falls?”

The blonde didn’t respond, only kicked Star toward Gus, knocking the man forward with little care. I sat down next to Cotton in the back of the wagon, resting my throbbing head in my hands. The site of my ring on my finger made me smile slightly. Maybe I wasn’t as helpless in this world as I had thought.

I sat in the wagon and watched as Cap and Anse herded the two horse thieves back down the road toward town. I stared at Cap, waiting for him to look at me. I wanted to tell him I was alright, that despite the seriousness of the situation that I was actually sort of exhilarated. Granted, if they hadn’t shown up I probably would have been robbed completely and beaten again…but I didn’t want to think about that.

He didn’t look at me though. He just turned and rode off with his father. I swallowed hard; my head starting throbbing again.

“You alright Miss Emma?” Cotton asked, looking at me wide-eyed. He reached up tenderly and wiped from of the blood from my temple. My wound was superficial, but cuts to the head always bled more than necessary.

“I’m fine, Cotton,” I replied to him as well as his father, who brought the reins down on the back of the cart mule to get us moving again. “I’m fine.”

Upon entering the Hatfield home, I was immediately ushered to to the small kitchen stove where Levicy was cooking her stew. She sat me down on a stool, ordered Nancy to continue cooking for the menfolk, and set about bandaging up my head.

“Don’t look deep,” she said, her voice matter-of-fact and lacking much emotion. She had seen much worse in her time and my little cuts and bruises weren’t going to worry her. “Don’t need stitches, I suspect. Still, best take it easy the next day or so.”

I gave her a small smile of appreciation, before glancing over at Ellison, who was leaning against the wall, arms across his chest and watching me closely, making sure I wasn’t too damaged.

“You probably want me to tell you what happened, right?” I asked. The earlier sense of pride I’d had in (sort of) fending off those men has evaporated quickly once we got back to the house and I realized the fuss that was sure to arise from this. I only felt embarrassed now.

“I think it’s best we wait for Anse to get back. Sure he’s bringin’ Wall back with him.”

I gulped. The thought of telling Devil Anse about how I tried to fight off two horse thieves on my own made me realize that it was a pretty stupid move on my part. And then I thought about how Cap wouldn’t even look at me…shit. I was in trouble.

Levicy had up all eat as we waited for Cap, Anse and probably Wall to get back to the house. It was another hour before heard steps on the front porch. Anse and Wall stepped over the threshold, looking tired and hungry, but otherwise fine.

“Howdy, Levicy,” Wall said, tipping his head in respect to his sister-in-law, before looking at me. “Miss Anderson. I hear you had yourself a bit of an altercation this evenin’.”

“You could say that,” I shrugged slightly. “Where’s Cap?”

“You wanna tell me about it?”

Not really, at least not in front of the entire Hatfield family, but they all sat around the kitchen table waiting expectantly. I sighed, thinking maybe I could change the topic. “Where’s Cap?”

“He’s out getting your horse that done ran off. Now, you gonna tell me what happened or am I gonna have to ask you to come down to the courthouse for a full statement?”

This was so embarrassing.

“I was stupid,” I started out apologetically. “I saw this man limping along the road and asked if he needed any help. He said his horse had thrown him and I offered to ride up here to get another horse for him to borrow or something to get him back to town and then all of sudden another guy burst out of the trees and pulled me off Orion. And you know how Orion hates men so of course he was bucking and rearing and eventually ran away, leaving me there. And then they tried to take my bags and my ring and I tried to get them off and it didn’t quite work out well…and then Mr. Hatfield and Ellison and Cap and Cotton came up and got them off of me and took them back to town.” I took in a deep breath. “I’m really sorry, it’s my fault, I should have been so stupid.”

Anse took a sharp suck on his pip and looked at me. “Miss Anderson,” he said, his voice laced with annoyance. “You tellin’ me that its your fault some horse thieves done knocked you off your mount while’s you ridin’ on your own?”

I blinked. “Um, yeah, I guess so.”

“That you’re stupid for stoppin’ to help someone who seemed to be in need?”

Well, now I just didn’t know what to say. I glanced at Wall, whose lips twitched slightly into a smile. I looked back at Anse, who was still staring at me in irritation.

“I should have known better, Mr. Hatfield, I’m sorry if I - ”

“You apologize one more time, Miss Anderson, and I’ll start to believe you are stupid, cause only a stupid person would believe any of this was their fault. Don’t let me hear that word one more time.”

“Right, sorry…”

Realizing my error too late, I felt heat rise in my cheeks as Anse glared at me. Ellison let out an amused chuckle in the corner.

“Right, well, that seems straightforward enough,” Wall said, relieving me from my embarrassment. “They have warrants out on them in four different counties. Shouldn’t be too hard to convict them.”

“Will Emma need to go to court at all?” Levicy asked. The idea of doing that wasn’t exactly pleasing.

“Shouldn’t,” Wall replied. “Like I said, plenty of evidence against them, and we’ll add on the assault but it won’t add much time to their sentences, wouldn’t think.”

Just then, the door opened and a new and rather unwelcomed figure strode into the kitchen.

“Found that damn colt,” Jim Vance grumbled, not even bothering to look at me. “Took use near thirty minutes just to get a rope around its neck and then it fought us the whole way back here.” If Orion had caused him any sort of annoyance, I would have to remember to give my horse an extra carrot or two. “Got any food, Levicy?”

Levicy gave an unpleasant look to Uncle Jim, but nodded. “Wall, you wanna stay for some stew?”

“Best be gettin’ back, Levicy, but thank you.”

“Cotton and I need to get goin’ as well. You take care now, Emma,” Ellison said with a kind smile.

“I’ll walk you out,” I offered quickly. “I want to check on Orion.” And Cap.

“You’re welcome,” Jim commented snidely as I passed him. I hadn’t acknowledged his help, because I didn’t like the idea of being in his debt in any way. Besides, I knew Cap had probably done all the work. Jim would have just let Orion go. I walked out into the cool night, steadier on my feet now that I had some food and water in me.

“Thank you again for your help, Ellison,” I said as he helped Cotton into the wagon. “And I’ll see you soon Cotton.”

“Feel better, Miss Emma,” the boy grinned, waving to me as they set off.

Wall rode his mount over to me, looking down from under his black hat. “I’ll let you know if we need anything from you regardin’ prosecutin’ them horse thieves, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”

“Thanks Wall,” I replied, genuinely happy to have a lawyer on my side.

As he rode off down the hill, I headed over to the barn. The wind was picking up again, and the smell of storms was in the air. The low roll of thunder sounded in the distance. I got to the door, which was slightly open and the soft lantern glow poured out onto the grass. I slipped in through the narrow opening, looking to was far side of the barn where Cap struggling to get Orion into his stall. Cap’s jacket was tossed on the ground with his hat and gun, as he put all of his strength into trying to get my horse to obey him. Orion wasn’t fighting him actively, he just wasn’t doing anything. I watched, amused, as my boyfriend yanked and my horse refused to budge, locked in a battle of wills that I doubted would end anytime soon. Deciding to put Cap out of his misery, I took a few steps forward.

“Need any help?”

Cap immediately turned to face me, his lips curved into a slight frown, brows furrowed. Orion’s reigns fell from his hands, and my horse casually walked back into his stall all on his own, going straight for his hay bale. I would have teased Cap, had it not been for the look he was giving me. Now, Cap was usually serious and intense, but this was a look I hadn’t experienced before. His eye was dark, and even the capped one seems more gray than white. The creases in his forehead were prominent, and his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

“Cap?” I asked, suddenly worried he was mad at me.

“Are you okay?” he finally asked, his voice tight. “Are you hurt?”

“Just a bump on the head,” I tried to sound as casual as possible. I gave a small smile. “Levicy thinks I’ll survive.”

Without another word, he strode toward me quickly, his long legs bringing him across the room in less than three seconds. At first, I thought he was coming to hug me or something, but instead I walked by me and to the bark down, pulling his shut with a bang. Thunder sounded again.

I watched him closely as he leaned against the door, his hands pressed against the wood and his head hanging.

“Cap, are you okay?”

He didn’t respond. At least not with words. What he did do quite literally took my breath away. He turned from the door and to me and caught my face in his hands, kissing me with such intensity, such passion, that I nearly forgot where and who I was. Before I knew what was happening, he had pushed be back against the hay bales, his hands searching my body frantically, looking for an opening to my skin. These damn antebellum frocks didn’t offer much access, so I did what I could to help by quickly unbuttoning my dress, without disconnecting my lips from is.

We were soon rolling around in the hay – no pun intended – both half naked and fully intoxicated with one another. Outside, the storm announced its arrival with pounding raid, flashes of lightening and gusts of wind. Cap and I could have cared less; we were too busy with each other. It was a frantic, expressive, frenetic and urgent love-making, but that didn’t make it any less meaningful. The way I had come to know Cap…for him to let himself go like this was a big deal. He was so precise, so methodical in everything that he did, that for him to lose control…I knew he cared for me.

As we lay there after we had finished, tangled in various articles of clothing, itchy and straw covered, he held me close to him and kissed my temple lightly. I could have stayed like that forever.

“I’m sorry that this was how it happened,” he said after a while.

“What do you mean?” I asked, turning to face him. He was so incredibly handsome – and I don’t mean hot, or cute (even though he was both of those things), I mean handsome. He had a wisdom about him, with his strong jaw, pensive eyes, mature face. He was striking.

“Your first time…it should have been more proper than this.”

I blanched slightly. That wasn’t my first time. It wasn’t my second, third or fourth time. In fact, I was fairly certain that I had had sex more times than Cap had (not that he wasn’t good, because he was exceptional). I had only had two serious boyfriends, but when you’re in college you can sleep together whenever you want and I like having sex, so…yeah. I hadn’t met Cap a virgin, but I wasn’t going to tell him that. He already had enough to deal with, what with my Yankee-ness and lack of a verbal filter.

“It’s…it’s okay. I don’t mind. I’m just happy I’m with you.” He smiled, seeming genuinely relieved by this and I felt a swell of affection for him. He really was a gentleman…but also had a naughty side to him that let him rip my clothes off in a barn. “The others are probably wondering where we are,” I said reluctantly, knowing that we should probably get going.

The last thing I need was Anse to realize something was going on with Cap and me, particularly after just getting out of the whole Roseanna situation. The repercussions of what we had just done suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks. If I got pregnant from this…

I found myself shocked that I didn’t really mind the idea of having Cap’s baby.

I shook the idea from my head as Cap stood and started to gather my clothes for me. No babies. Babies only brought trouble.