Wildwood Flower

Forrest Bondurant sat in his rocking chair on the porch of the Blackwater Station, watching the breeze rustle the trees as the sun slowly crept over the tops of the old oaks. The song of whippoorwills filled the quiet of the morning while Forrest yawned – his night had not been a restful one. Each time he'd manage to drift off to sleep and revisit his recurring fantasies of Nora, Charley Rakes was there in his mind.

Forrest was not afraid of the special deputy, the man was merely an inconvenience that would be dealt with in time. The Bondurants didn't bow for anyone and surely not for some suited puppet of a lawman that had just rolled into Franklin.

He took a sip of his strong, black coffee; rocking himself slowly as he decided to speak with his fellow businessmen, to encourage their defiance. If they all stood united -

The rumble of an automobile pulled Forrest from his thoughts, drawing his attention toward the road. He picked up his revolver from the table as he stood, leaving his coffee cup in it's place as he stepped to the edge of the porch.

Henry's truck emerged from the woods and for a brief moment, he was certain his old neighbor had come to speak with him about what his granddaughter had witnessed. With one look through the windshield it became clear that it was not Henry behind the wheel of the pickup, but Nora. Forrest tucked away his revolver at the small of his back, hiding it beneath his old, worn cardigan. He watched her silently as she parked and stepped out into the golden rays of the morning sun.

“Good Morning,” She offered with a smile, looking up to him on the porch. She wore a black dress today, her pretty hair was tucked and pinned off of her shoulders, and her lips were painted a deep crimson.

“Mornin'” Forrest drawled, watching her climb the few steps up onto the porch and doing his best to keep the surprise he was feeling at bay.

“I wasn't sure what time I should be here,” She said, her arms wrapped around herself as the breeze picked up.

“I wasn't expectin' you,” Forrest answered, knowing he should send her home. It was almost as if Charley Rakes had been a sign from above that this girl didn't need to be around the Blackwater, but here Forrest was, debating sending her on her way.

She grinned, “Here I am.”

“Let's go on inside then, I'll show you the kitchen,” Forrest offered, once more going against his gut instinct, making what he was sure would be another misstep. He moved past her, giving her a wide berth an opened the screen door that lead into the station. Nora smiled a thank you as she passed him and entered the building, the scent of honeysuckle trailed her and caught Forrest as he stepped inside behind her, “The people that come in here ain't lookin' for a four course meal, just some coffee and eggs are fine for breakfast. Come lunch, sandwiches. Dinner, depends on what we got.”

“Alright,” She nodded, looking to him, “And what do I do if someone comes in looking for...what you sell?”

The question caught Forrest off guard, making him hesitate in his answer.

“You come'n get me or Howard,” Forrest said, the floor groaning beneath him as he walked around the diner counter to the other side, he gestured for her to follow him, “And if we're not around and someone's givin' you trouble,” Forrest retrieved a small revolver, similar to the one he currently had tucked at his back “There's this.”

“I don't know how to use that, Forrest,” She said, quietly. He could hear the shock in her voice and he couldn't help feeling awkward. He was anticipating her decision to leave, to change her mind about the job.

“I can show you,” He offered, “There's going to be times you're here on your own.” Forrest opened the revolver and dumped all six rounds into his palm. He snapped the cylinder back into place before handing the firearm to the girl, her hands were timid as she took the weapon. Her slender fingers brushed his hand, making his heart slow within his chest, “You want to pull the hammer back, before you aim, before you draw. If you're pulling this out, they're probably going to be on just the other side of this counter, you just level that and pull that trigger, understand?”

Forrest watched her struggle to cock the hammer, her arms were ridged as she held the gun out, aiming for the door. He dropped the bullets into his pocket before he took a step closer to her, his large hands going to hers to adjust her grip; the smell of honeysuckle over took him once more as he looked down at her. She smelled just like a summer day.

“What happens after I pull the trigger?” She asked, her voice soft and lilting as she looked up to him with those clear, sapphire eyes. He wondered if she was feeling anything similar to the butterflies he had stirring in his stomach.

“We'll take care of it,” He managed, his voice a low drawl as his skin began to tingle where it touched hers. He didn't want to take his hands from hers, in fact, he wanted to let them travel up her smooth, pale arms over her shoulders to her neck, finally to cup her beautiful face. He wanted to trace his fingertips over every inch of her, starting at her hairline and moving down until he reached her toes. After he was done, his lips would follow the path laid by his fingers, he would -

The door opened suddenly, startling Forrest back into reality and starting Nora as well.

“Whoa! Whoa!” Jack cried, spotting the gun and ducking out of the way, “What the hell are ya'll doin'?”

“Ain't loaded, Jack,” Forrest grumbled, his heart racing as he took the gun from Nora and stepped back, “Nora's here to help run things around the station. Why don't you go on and show her what you do for breakfast.”

“Alright, Forrest,” Jack said with a nod, wearily eyeing his brother, “C'mon Nora, I'll show you the chicken coop.”

“Chicken coop?” She asked, walking around the counter, leaving Forrest standing there.

“We gotta get the eggs,” Jack explained, looking over his shoulder at his older brother. Forrest didn't notice, his eyes were trained shamelessly on Nora, watching the way her backside swayed as she walked away from him.



Outside Nora followed Jack in a bit of a daze, her mind swimming from being so close to Forrest. She had debated for most of the night over whether or not she should come back, but the urge to get out of the house coupled with the strange desire she had to be near Forrest Bondurant had made her decision for her. She couldn't shake the thought of him, despite his intimidating nature, and she came to the conclusion that she didn't particularly want to.