The Western Chronicles
by B L Miller and Vada Foster
34: Endings and Beginnings
"They want to leave?", Josie asked as she took her shot, sinking
the four ball cleanly in the corner pocket.
"Yup. Both of them. I can understand Stacey, what with the shooting and all," Sandy replied as she watched the seven ball fall into the side pocket. "And Victoria, well, I think your Rebecca had something to do with that. She said she wasn't doing no more whoring."
"What is she going to do?" She passed the cue back to the blonde madam and ignored the 'your Rebecca' remark. "From what I understand, she doesn't have any skills."
"I don't know, Josie. She's still young. Maybe she can find herself a man and have a family." She bent over and took aim. "Of course she can't do that around here; someone might pass through town and recognize her from Rosewood." Sandy pulled her arm back and let loose, sending two balls into the pocket. Unfortunately, one of them was the cue ball. Josie held her hand out for the stick, her face an unreadable mask.
"Think she'd make it if she wasn't around here?"
"I don't know. Even without an education, she's a smart girl. I imagine if she gets somewhere where she can make a new start she'd be okay," the madam said. "Don't know her too well, though. You'd be better off asking Elaine or even Rebecca."
"Hmm." Josie let the conversation drop as she took her shot, letting out a low growl, as the eight ball bounced off the green felt bumper. She set the cue stick down on the pool table. "Sandy, I have to go somewhere. Keep an eye on Rebecca."
"Well, that should be no problem. She's probably with Victoria anyway. Where are you going?" Sandy asked.
"Express office."
Despite Rebecca's best efforts at dinner to get the gunslinger to tell her why she had to go to the express office, Josie adamantly refused. It was half past eight and they were settled in for the night in their room, the bounty hunter cleaning and polishing her guns and the young woman studying her medical text. The blonde head poked up from behind the large book. "Did you send a telegram somewhere?"
"Rebecca..." she warned gently.
"I'm sorry, Josie. If you'd just tell me what you were up to then I wouldn't bother you about it," she coaxed, anxious to quench her curiosity. The gunslinger merely smirked and continued to rub the cloth over the steel.
"Nope.", she said smugly, watching Rebecca get more and more frustrated.
"Josie...come on, tell me."
"Nope."
"Please? I'll give you a backrub."
"Nope," she said, even though the offer was tempting. Not being on the road, there had really been no physical activity to strain her back. The scuffle with Lance was nothing. Josie missed those moments when she could relax and let her friend rub the tension out of her. But she wasn't going to give in on this one, no matter what Rebecca tried.
"Josie...you know I'm just going to keep asking until you tell me, so you might as well just tell me now and get it over with," she grinned mischievously.
"Nope."
"Please?"
"No."
"Come on, please?" Each time she asked only served to make her more aggravated, much to the gunslinger's amusement. She could just imagine what Rebecca was like on Christmas.
"I'm going downstairs to take a bath," Josie said, rising. The young woman was about to beg again when the words registered. Rebecca lifted her arm slightly and lowered it quickly. The hot afternoon had done nothing to help her aroma.
"Um, Josie?" she asked with all seriousness, the change in tone drawing the gunslinger's attention to her and away from the door handle that her fingers were about to close on. "If you don't mind, I'll watch the door for you if you watch the door for me? I'd um...feel safer with you there," she said, fairly certain that Josie would agree, especially after the way the gunslinger reacted to seeing the flimsy lock yesterday. What Rebecca didn't expect was the momentary look of affection on her face. Josie picked up the second towel and held it out to her.
"Come on," she said with a gentle smile, understanding what the offer truly was. 'Never fear, Rebecca; I'll always protect you,' she thought as she watched the young blonde grab her nightgown from the edge of the bed.
"Josie, I know you sent a telegram. Come on, where'd you send it?" she asked through the closed door. The raven-headed woman lifted her leg straight up in the air.
"Give up, Rebecca ...and stop yelling through the door," she called. "If you want to talk to me then come in here." She washed and lowered her leg back into the warm water. Josie watched the latch slowly lift and the door open. She didn't bother to twist the useless piece of wood when she entered, knowing full well that even without her weapons, she could handle anything that happened. The clawfoot tub was not really deep enough for the tall woman, causing the water to lap gently against the underside of her breasts. Rebecca entered and trying not to look at the naked woman, she crossed the room to sit on the floor with her back against the porcelain and steel fixture. Josie laughed lightly. "You don't have to sit on the floor, Rebecca. There's a perfectly good stool over there, just scootch it over."
"Uh...no, I can't. I'm fine here, really," she said, her embarrassment showing. Josie smiled softly, although the little blonde couldn't see it.
"You've seen me naked before, Rebecca." She did her best to keep her tone gentle and understanding, not wanting to do anything to further embarrass her young friend.
"Well, yeah, but only for a few seconds while you're changing.
We've never talked with you...like that." She kept her eyes focused on a knot in the door panel.
"I sleep topless against you every night," Josie tried again.
"I know...and I know I'm being silly," Rebecca said, turning her head toward the gunslinger, but not far enough to see anything. A long wet arm slipped out of the tub and lightly patted the blonde head.
"It's all right, Rebecca. If you're more comfortable there, that's fine. I'll tell you what, why don't you tell me a story," Josie said, hoping to make her more comfortable. It really was annoying to have to turn around every time the young woman got dressed or undressed.
"Which one do you want to hear?"
"I don't know...tell me something I haven't heard before," the gunslinger replied as she lathered up the cloth until it was covered with a bubbly white foam. She twisted her arm up behind her and tried to wash her back, grunting as she stretched her fingertips to try and reach that one area that was always impossible to get to.
"What are you doing?" Rebecca asked, getting to her knees as she twisted to see Josie.
"Trying to wash my back, what does it look like I'm doing?" she replied testily.
"Well, if you'd ask for help," the young woman replied as she rose to her feet and walked over to the corner. She picked up the stool and set it down at the head of the tub. "Lean forward please," Rebecca said as she took the soapy cloth from the long fingers and started to wash her friend's broad shoulder. Josie reached back and gathered the long black tresses in her hand, pulling it to one side and out of the way so the young woman could continue her task.
Rebecca hummed a tune as she continued to run the washcloth over the gunslinger's back, gently rubbing the well-defined muscles as she passed over them. Josie closed her eyes and let her head fall forward, her hair spilling forward, the black tips sinking into the soapy water. "How's that feel?"
"Mmm, good," the gunslinger murmured, lulled into relaxation by the gentle hands sliding over her skin, aided by the soap. Rebecca dipped the washcloth back into the water before raising it and squeezing the water out over Josie's shoulder. She repeated the procedure until she was certain that every last trace of soap was off. Only then did she drape the cloth over the edge of the tub and sit back on the stool. She was disappointed slightly that it was over. Rebecca didn't know what it was, but there was just something so enjoyable about giving the stronger woman a massage. To feel those strong muscles loosen under her touch, to see the small smile that formed on Josie's face, to know that there was something that she could do, no matter how small, that made the older woman feel comfortable and relaxed. Twice that she was sure of Rebecca had made the gunslinger fall asleep. She wished that Josie would ask for backrubs more often.
The raven-headed woman took the now cool cloth from the side of the tub. "Thanks, Rebecca," Josie said as she quickly finished up, the water now cooled down to an uncomfortable level. "Could you hand me the towel please?"
"Oh...um, yeah." Rebecca stood up and retrieved Josie's towel from the shelf. She held it out and waited for the gunslinger to rise and exit the tub.
"Thanks," Josie said as she took the towel and began drying off.
"Oh, I forgot!" Rebecca exclaimed. "I put water on to heat.
It's probably all boiled away by now." She couldn't keep the disappointment from showing on her face. She had been looking forward to soaking away all the sweat and dust. "I'd better go see."
Josie watched the door close behind the young woman. She rolled her shoulders, enjoying the lack of tension within them. She picked up the clean pair of drawers and stepped into them, pulling them up just as she heard a soft knock on the door. "Josie? Can you get the door? My hands are full." The gunslinger pushed her arms through the sleeves of her shirt, letting it hang loosely on her body as she headed toward the door.
The stronger woman opened the door and took the two heavy pails from Rebecca, careful not to pinch the blonde's fingers during the exchange. Within seconds, both pails were emptied into the tub, causing wisps of steam to rise. "Guess you didn't boil it away," she said as she set the empty containers on the floor.
"No," Rebecca said in a relieved tone. "I guess the stove wasn't that hot." She stood there for a moment and then asked hesitantly, "Josie...aren't you going to leave?"
"Sure, I'll wait outside," she said, buttoning up her shirt as she headed for the door. The gunslinger had thought that the young woman had wanted her to stay and wash her back. 'Sprite, you really need to get over this modesty,' Josie thought to herself as she closed the door behind her and flopped down on the nearby stool. She leaned her head against the wall behind her and closed her eyes, planning on taking a short catnap while Rebecca soaked.
Josie heard in one instant the splash of water, the startled cry, and the thud. She leapt to her feet and flung open the door in time to see Rebecca lying on the floor, one foot still on the side of the tub. "Are you all right?" the gunslinger asked as she knelt down next to her and helped the young woman get her leg down and sit up. "Did you get hurt?" she asked. Rebecca shook her head, waving her hand to say that she was fine.
"Just my pride, I guess." A slight tinge of embarrassment colored her cheeks. She drew her knees up and rested her arms on her knees, her back against the tub. "I'm fine, Josie." She looked at the door expectantly.
"Rebecca..." she said sternly. "If you think I'm going to take a chance of you falling again, you're sadly mistaken. You're lucky you didn't crack your head on the side of the tub." The gunslinger felt her heartbeat slowly return to normal. Once she had slipped in a tub and been knocked out; only her long frame kept her from slipping under the water and drowning. Josie stood up and held her hand out.
"I'm fine. Go on, I'll be all right now," Rebecca said, not moving from her position against the tub. The gunslinger noted that the young woman's position did nothing to hide her personal areas from view. She knew that Rebecca had to be a bit shook up from the fall, but it still didn't make sense that she made no attempt to cover herself yet still insisted on being left alone.
"Stand up and let me help you into the tub," she said firmly, regretting her tone the instant she saw the sad look in the green eyes. For a long moment, neither moved from her respective position. Rebecca reached out tentatively and took Josie's hand, allowing the taller woman to help her to her feet. She faced the gunslinger, green eyes locking with blue as she lifted one leg up and into the slippery tub. She felt the strong hand grip hers tighter as she lifted the other leg and stepped in. Rebecca twisted and sat down in the tub careful not to move so fast as to make the water splash out. She leaned her back against the slight slant of the end and looked up at Josie. "I'm in now," she said, stating the obvious.
"I see that," the gunslinger said as she moved to the head of the tub and sat down on the stool. "Since I'm here I might as well wash your back, seeing as how you washed mine."
"Josie?" came the small voice, "I-I don't want you to, okay?"
Instantly the raven headed woman moved to the side of the tub and knelt down until she was eye level with the now visibly upset woman. Josie folded her arms and leaned against the cool porcelain, her face showing her concern. "What's got you so scared, sprite? What are you afraid of me finding out?" she asked gently, silently willing her friend to confide in her, to trust her with whatever was wrong. A thought occurred to her. "Rebecca, are you afraid of me?"
"No!" she sat up and caught the blue eyes with her own. "It's not you, Josie, honest," the blonde lowered her head, staring at her hands underwater. It took only seconds for Rebecca to lose the battle to control her emotions. Her heart told her to take the chance and a small voice in her mind screamed at her not to tell. The green eyes closed yet the tears still came unbidden, leaking out to leave wet trails down her cheeks.
Rebecca found herself instantly enfolded in strong, flannel-covered arms. Her tears gave way to outright sobs and she wrapped her arms around Josie's neck, squeezing tightly. The gunslinger held her, unmindful of the hard tub pressing against her ribs. Nothing mattered except trying to get her friend calmed down. Josie pulled her closer, the shift causing her to look over the blonde's shoulder and there she saw what had gotten her so upset.
There was no need for words; the faded scars told the tale all too clearly. Josie swallowed and took a deep breath to quell her rising anger and outrage at the sight. She felt the small woman stiffen in her arms and she held tight. "No, it's okay, sprite. It's okay. I know." She repeated the words over and over like a mantra into the young woman's ear, rocking her gently in the process. Josie was dimly aware of a growing pain in her ribs from the tub, but chose to ignore it. Her friend was more important at the moment.
In the darkness of the older woman's comforting shoulder, Rebecca cried. She cried for the pain of a young girl who only wanted to be loved. She cried for the loss of happiness and joy within herself at the hands of those who were supposed to protect and care for her. She cried until no more tears were left; only the feeling of a great weight removed from her. Rebecca took several deep haggard breaths before pulling back from Josie's embrace. They sat there silently, both needing time to compose themselves. The bounty hunter's hand went to her own ribs, touching lightly and wincing at the pain. She didn't realize how hard she had been pressing against the tub. "You okay?" Rebecca asked softly, her voice a bit raspy.
"I'm fine. What about you?" Josie asked as she moved back to the stool, her back protesting from being kept in that position for so long.
The young woman nodded slightly, both knowing that it wasn't the complete truth. "This water's getting cold."
"Well then let's get you washed up quickly, shall we?" Josie replied, grabbing the soapy washcloth. With the gentleness of a washerwoman cleaning the floor, she scrubbed the smaller woman's shoulder.
"Hey!"
"Sorry," she replied, leaning forward and giving Rebecca a lopsided grin. "I guess I'm not used to washing other people. I'll go easier."
Josie wrapped the cloth around two of her fingers and gently rubbed the young woman's other shoulder, using small circular motions. Her lips set in a tight line when her hand passed over the most prominent streak of white against Rebecca's skin. 'I guess you're not such an innocent after all, are you sprite?' she thought. 'You should have been protected from him, from his rage. How could anyone raise his hand to someone as gentle and caring as you?' "Never again," she said, realizing that she had spoken aloud.
"What?" Rebecca asked as she turned in the tub to face her. Josie handed her the washcloth and forced a smile.
"I said I'm done. Finish up," the gunslinger lied. She waited until the young woman was done and helped her out of the tub before leaving her to dry off and get dressed.
Leaning against the wall outside the washroom, Josie's mind raced while she waited for Rebecca to finish. She tried to think of all the reasons why having the young woman stay with her was no good. It was too dangerous. She could get hurt. A dozen reasons later, Josie rubbed her face with her hands vigorously and sighed. The decision was made.
Once in their room, Josie turned the lamp down and joined Rebecca in bed. As had quickly become the habit, the gunslinger wrapped her arm around the smaller woman's waist and curled up against her back. Both lay there, wide-awake and deep in thought. "Can't sleep?" the blonde inquired. Josie propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at Rebecca, who rolled onto her back to look at her companion.
"Do you..." the gunslinger began. "Do you want to stay with me?
Traveling from place to place with no roots and no home? Is that what you want?"
"Josie...I had a home and a family and I was miserable." She lowered her eyes. "I want to stay with you, if you'll let me." Rebecca wanted to plead, to beg, to offer anything just to continue being with her friend, her protector. But she held back, still not daring to hope that Josie wanted the same thing.
"You know it's dangerous...you can get hurt, or worse."
"I could get hurt or worse anywhere."
"Don't you want to settle down? Raise a family?"
Rebecca raised herself up on one elbow, her face inches away from the gunslingers. "Josie, I'm not ready to settle down yet. There's too much to see, too much to do. I know it won't be easy, but I'm willing to try. Neither one of us has to be alone again." She lowered her head, her voice quavering as she continued. "I don't want to go back, Josie. If you don't want me to stay with you then leave me here, but I won't go back to Chancetown...I-I can't."
"No. I won't let them hurt you again, Rebecca. Never again." Josie said firmly, her own outrage and anger at her friend's pain showing through. "I can't promise that it'll always be easy."
"Are you saying that I can stay with you?" she asked hopefully.
"Yes," was all the gunslinger could get out before she was knocked onto her back by the smaller woman's fierce hug. Rebecca held on tight, her emotions a mixture of relief and joy. Josie smiled in the darkness, feeling her own sense of joy at the young woman's reaction. She wrapped her own arms around Rebecca. "Yes, sprite, you can stay with me. I won't make you leave, I swear."
Long after the young woman had fallen asleep in her arms, Josie lay awake, her own emotions still churning about. Her head and heart warred with each other over her decision, her mind telling her that someone as gentle and caring as Rebecca could only get hurt being around her and her heart quietly saying that she had no other choice. She looked down at the sleeping blonde, noting the soft smile that graced her lips and the gentle, even breathing of a most peaceful rest. "Neither one of us will be alone again. I'll die to protect you," Josie whispered before placing a soft kiss on the young woman's forehead and settling down to let sleep claim her.
Rebecca woke to find herself alone, a cool cup of coffee waiting for her on the table. She stretched and yawned, wondering where the gunslinger went at such an early hour. "Damn," she swore when she realized. She peeled off her nightgown, not bothering to notice where it landed, and quickly dressed.
Josie exited the express office, telegram and draft note in hand.
"You gonna tell me now?" She turned to see Rebecca sitting on the small bench next to the doorway. The young woman hopped up and stood beside the gunslinger, trying her hardest to steal a peek at the note.
"Nope," Josie said as she folded up the papers and tucked them into her vest pocket. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught the frustrated and furious look on her young friend's face and smirked.
"Josie..." She followed the gunslinger up the street, walking quickly to keep up with the taller woman's longer stride. "Josie...you know you can trust me with anything...Josie are you listening to me? What is it? Friends share things, you know...come on, Josie..." All she heard was a deep, throaty chuckle from the woman in black.
Sandy watched the tall woman enter with a bemused expression on her face, followed closely by Rebecca, who was pestering her about something. "Why won't you tell me? Come on, Josie, I'm no good at surprises."
"Rebecca, go get Stacey and Victoria and have them meet us in the back room," Josie said just as Sandy reached them. "I swear I'll tell you what's in the note then."
"Oh, okay," the young woman replied, a bit disappointed. "You wait, Josie," she said as she reached the stairs. "Someday I'm gonna have a secret and you just see if you can get it out of me," she said smugly, although deep down inside she knew that she'd probably have a hard time keeping anything from Josie if she really wanted to know.
Sandy and the gunslinger entered the back room and waited for the others to arrive. Josie leaned against the pool table, one leg bent and resting on the green felt. The madam frowned but said nothing, choosing instead to take a seat on the couch. Stacey, Victoria, and Rebecca entered, the two prostitutes choosing to stand at the end of the billiard table while the young blonde stood next to Josie. The tall woman looked at the two women at the end of the table. "I understand you both want to leave, to go somewhere and make a fresh start." Both women nodded in agreement. A rare public smile formed on Josie's face as she pulled the notes out of her pocket and unfolded them. She passed the telegram to Stacey. "There are jobs waiting for both of you as well as a place to stay," the gunslinger said. The redhead read the note aloud for Victoria.
"J MOST PLEASED TO HEAR FROM YOU STOP ARRANGEMENTS MADE STOP
REPORT TO MRS STANTON 128 W 140TH STOP DRAFT ATTACHED STOP SBA STOP", she set the telegram down and looked at Josie. "I don't...."
"You both need work and somewhere to live. Mrs. Stanton needs two maids," the gunslinger explained. To Victoria's surprised look, she replied. "Mrs. Stanton is a friend of the family. I've known her since before I was Rebecca's age."
"But I don't know nothing about being a maid," the young brown-headed woman protested. Josie held up her hand to forestall any more argument.
"Elizabeth is a good woman, very well educated and part of the suffrage movement. She'll take care of you and help you find something you're suitable for. Most likely she'd even teach you how to read and write if you wanted."
Victoria looked squarely at Rebecca. "Is this the second chance you were talking about?"
"Yes." She moved closer and took the brown-headed woman's hands in her own. "I don't know this Mrs. Stanton but I do know Josie. If she says it's the right thing, then I believe her. Victoria, think of it; New York City. A place to live and an honorable job," Rebecca cast quick glances at the others. "No offense."
"None taken, child. We know you didn't mean nothing by it," Sandy said. Stacey stared down at the note again.
"I know that working for someone who treats women as people and not objects is a far cry better than this," the redhead said to Victoria. She turned her attention to Josie. "She said there was a draft attached?"
The gunslinger smiled a self-satisfied smile and nodded. "Plenty for both of you to take a stage to Saint Louis and then a train the rest of the way," she said handing Stacey the draft note. "The stage will be here in just over four hours. You have enough time to get to the bank and the mercantile to get the things you need for traveling. There's enough money for that too."
"Josie?" They were lying in bed, darkness long since fallen.
"What?"
"Do you think Victoria will be all right? I mean, what if she gets there and that woman doesn't like her?"
"You worry too much, Rebecca. Go to sleep." She tightened her hold around the younger woman's waist. "She'll be fine. Elizabeth will make sure of it. It's not the first time she's taken people in and helped them."
"You said her and the one that you sent the telegram to are friends of yours?" Rebecca had trouble believing that anyone who had the money and position to hire maids at will would be a friend to a known outlaw.
"Well, Susan and her are friends of my mother's mostly. I know them through her," Josie explained. "They used to hold meetings with other suffragists at my mother's home. Victoria will be fine. Besides, Stacey's with her. Can we go to sleep now?"
"Yeah. What time are we leaving tomorrow?" She heard the exasperated and rather tired sigh behind her.
"Rebecca, once we're up and ready to go, then we'll leave."
"Okay."
It was silent for several moments before Josie spoke. "You can buy all the supplies from now on."
"W-what?" Rebecca said as she turned in the older woman's arms and faced her, the blonde's left arm trapped between their bellies. "You mean it?"
"Of course. You get better prices than I do. I never would have been able to get all the supplies for the price that you did. You're good at that haggling stuff. Now roll over and go to sleep," Josie said, pushing gently on the young woman's side in an attempt to get her to move.
Rebecca rolled over happily and grinned in the darkness.
"I do get better prices, don't I?" she said smugly. "Hmm, wonder what else I do better than you."
"Talk...and talk and talk," the gunslinger teased. She felt the light swat on her forearm and chuckled before becoming serious. "You have your own skills and talents, Rebecca. You just have to discover them." She snuggled deeper into her pillow. "Now go to sleep."
"Before you shoot me?" the teasing blonde inquired. Both bodies shook together as they remembered the old threat and realized how funny it seemed to think of it now. It wasn't long before sleep claimed both the gunslinger and the young woman curled up in her powerful arms.
Late morning found them at the stable, readying the horses and wagon for departure. Despite Josie's best attempts, the good-byes from Rebecca to all the other women dragged on far longer than planned. It seemed that the young woman had a speech prepared for each one of them, the ones from Rosewood as well as the women from Cheyenne, whom Rebecca knew very little about. All were treated to parting wishes of the best for them and several offered and received hugs from the bubbling young woman. Of course the most they received from the gunslinger was a polite nod and a mumbled 'you're welcome' to the women from Rosewood's repeated thanks. Josie and Elaine exchanged a knowing nod and Sandy received a handshake, but no one else dared get that close to the well-armed woman. When all of their good-byes were said, Rebecca told Josie that she had an errand to run before she was ready to go, and sent her on ahead to get their gear stowed in the wagon and the horses ready to do.
"Ready?" Josie said as she climbed up into the sheepskin covered seat and took the reins from Rebecca.
"Yeah," she said as she put her hat on and adjusted the brim to keep the sun out of her eyes. "Josie, how long do you think it'll take to get there?"
"Shouldn't be more than a week, but it's not going to be an easy ride," the gunslinger said as she double checked the position of the Winchester leaning against the seat between them. "The Cimarron Cutoff is a dry and dangerous route, but it cuts at least five days off our journey." She turned in her seat and looked at Rebecca, wondering not for the first time if she shouldn't take a much longer yet safer route.
"Is that why you bought the extra barrel for water?" the young woman asked, reaching back and laying her hand against the large, heavy wooden container. Josie nodded, not mentioning that it was also why she bought extra boxes of shells for the Winchester as well as for the Colts. The Cimarron cutoff was known as a route where ambushes were common from both bandits and renegade Indians. Josie took one more look at the contents of the wagon, making certain that she hadn't forgotten anything before they left town. Not that she would ever forget something she considered necessary for traveling, but there was also Rebecca to consider. Thus there was a small box of rock candy hidden underneath Josie's saddlebag as well as a dime novel called 'Tom Sawyer' that she had seen the young woman pick up and look at while they were at the mercantile. There were also two more blankets in preparation of the upcoming cold nights. With a flick of her wrist, Josie set Flossy in motion, and the wagon made its way slowly out of town with Phoenix tethered behind.
35: Cimarron Crossing
Despite the late start, they still made good time before dusk started to settle and Josie decided to stop for the night. She turned the wagon off the trail, stopping it only when she was certain that she was far enough away that a fire wouldn't attract attention from the rutted road. They unhitched the horses and tended to their needs before going about setting up the camp. Josie went in search of dry brush and wood for the fire while Rebecca unpacked the gear that they would need for the night.
After sleeping next to Josie for the last few nights, it seemed strange to her to set their blankets on opposite sides of the fire. It didn't seem right to set them side by side either. Rebecca solved her dilemma by setting her blankets ninety degrees from Josie's around the fire. She was careful to place her pillow on the end closest to the gunslinger, knowing full well what her feet were like after a long hot day packed in her boots. Thinking about her companion's own ability to smell like she traipsed through a swamp whenever she removed her black boots, Rebecca set Josie's pillow in a similar manner. The end result was their heads would be less than four feet apart during the night, close enough to be near without being on top of each other. Once the sleeping arrangements were settled, Rebecca began setting up the ring of stones that would circle the fire before setting out the coffee and cooking pots, their flat metal plates for eating, and their utensils.
The young woman was rummaging through the supplies, trying to figure out where Josie had packed their tin mugs when she felt the sensation of being watched. Rebecca's heart raced and her breathing increased, and her mouth suddenly felt very dry. She knew the gunslinger would most likely be within earshot, but found herself unable to utter a sound. Her eyes fell on the Winchester lying propped against the seat of the wagon. Acting as if she was still looking for the elusive mugs, Rebecca climbed up in the back of the wagon and slowly moved forward until she was within arms reach of the rifle. "What are you looking for?"
Rebecca jumped visibly at the sound of Josie's voice behind her. "Oh, land sakes Josie, you scared the daylights out of me," she said as she turned to face the grinning gunslinger. "I thought there was a bandit sneaking up on us." She placed her hand over her still rapidly beating heart. Her fear turned to anger as she watched the older woman smile even wider and hold her hand out to help Rebecca off the wagon. "Why did you do that to me?" she said annoyed as she stepped down.
"I wasn't trying to scare you, Rebecca, I was trying to find out what you were up to." The smile disappeared and Josie became serious. "You did good, though, you didn't panic or scream. That's an improvement."
"I would have shot you if you hadn't spoken up," the young woman said with an angry tone in her voice.
"Uh huh," she replied, not believing a word of it.
"Well, I would have waited to see who it was first, but then..." she pointed her finger out at the gunslinger and made the motion of a hammer falling.
"You would have waited to see who it was and even then tried to talk the person into surrendering," Josie said confidently. Rebecca smiled in acknowledgment.
"Yeah...come on, let's find the mugs so we can get the dinner fixings going," she said, turning back the wagon to look for the missing items again. "Josie, where did you hide the cups?"
The tall woman reached over Rebecca's shoulder and picked up the one canvas sack that the young woman hadn't checked yet. "Josie, why did you put them in there? That's where the towels are. I don't want to taste towel fuzz in my coffee."
"Would you rather have had them bounce around the wagon and make more noise than a dozen washboards? We don't need to be announcing our presence from miles away," the gunslinger replied. Rebecca looked at the wagon again, noting for the first time that there was a piece of leather nailed on one side of the washboard, the other end going over the wood and metal object and hooking on a nail on the opposite side.
"You think of everything, don't you?" the young woman said in awe of her friend's foresight.
"Not everything...I haven't figured out a way to cook the jackrabbit I caught while looking for firewood without some matches to start the fire." She arched her eyebrow and looked at her young companion and received a sheepish grin in reply as Rebecca turned and retrieved a match from their supply.
The evening was passed fairly quietly with the gunslinger cleaning her weapons and Rebecca repairing yet another tear Josie managed to make in her shirt. Staring at the thin and worn material in her hands, the young woman contemplated tossing the black shirt in the fire 'accidentally', but instead sighed and continued her precise stitching.
Sleep was another matter altogether. Twice Josie woke the younger woman up with her thrashing about when demons visited her dreams. Rebecca sat scant inches away from the gunslinger's head, softly speaking to her. "Shh, it's all right now...it's okay...." she continued to gently try to coax Josie back to a peaceful rest, her own heart feeling the pain the sleeping woman was suffering through. She crawled to Josie's side and brought her head to her breast. With feather light touches she stroked her hair as she sang one song after another until the gunslinger was still, her breathing even. Morning would find the outlaw sleeping with her face pillowed on Rebecca's soft breast. She did not know when the young woman came to join her, but the feeling of contentment she felt upon waking to find her so close made her want to kiss her until she wakened. With a sigh she realized that Rebecca had never given her any reason to believe she would welcome her advances, so reluctantly she untangled her limbs from the sleeping woman and rose to start the day.
The sun shone brightly down on the small campsite. Josie took a sip of the coffee and winced. She really wished Rebecca was an early riser or at least had set the coffee up the night before. No matter how hard she tried, Josie was unable to make the beverage taste right. She looked over at the sleeping form, buried deep beneath the blankets that the gunslinger had covered her with upon waking and finding her uncovered. Josie could only surmise that she had once again woken Rebecca up with her nightmares. Feeling a bit guilty, she decided to let the young woman sleep in instead of waking her.
Rebecca woke to the smell of bacon burning in the frying pan. She wrinkled her nose and poked her head out from under the blankets, squinting from the bright sunshine. "Are you trying to cook?" she asked groggily, her eyes focusing on the gunslinger as she frantically tried to move the smoking meat from the pan onto the metal plate.
"Trying," Josie muttered, looking down at the blackened strips. "Glad to see you're awake."
"Why?", she said as she sat up and stretched.
"Because I'm hungry," she said smiling. "I, uh, tried to make coffee too," she said holding out the tin mug to Rebecca, who took one sniff and shook her head.
"Let me take care of nature and I'll get breakfast ready," she said, rising to her feet.
"And coffee, don't forget about that," Josie said to the retreating blonde.
"And coffee," Rebecca yelled back, grinning. She heard the splash of the gunslinger's attempt at the morning drink being dumped on the ground. Josie's many skills obviously didn't include anything domestic, the young woman joked to herself.
The next two days continued in much the same fashion, except that the gunslinger didn't try to cook anything. Rebecca had, at Josie's suggestion, set the coffee pot up the night before so all the tall woman would have to do was add water and heat it up when she woke. It worked out well, allowing Josie to enjoy some private time in the morning and affording Rebecca a couple of much needed extra hours of sleep. The beds stayed in the same position and the nightmares continued. Despite the young woman's protests that she wasn't always woken up by Josie's cries during the night, the gunslinger didn't believe her, especially when the telltale dark circles started to appear under the green eyes.
On the third day, they were taken by surprise by a sudden storm. Within seconds, what began as a light spattering of drops developed into an all out teeming downpour. Josie pulled the wagon to a stop and both women tried frantically to cover their belongings with a large piece of canvas, but the sudden gusts of wind threatened to take the cloth away from them before they could get it tied down. There was no time to look for Josie's riding duster or Rebecca's cloak before they were both soaked to the bone. "Lay down on top of the canvas to hold it down," the gunslinger yelled, trying to be heard over the driving rain. "I'm going to try to find us some shelter. Hold on!" Flossy seemed as eager as the outlaw to find a place out of the deluge and she responded when Josie slapped the reins on her backside by breaking into a trot.
Josie could barely see the trail in front of her, and if not for Rebecca they would have passed by the little sod cabin in a stand of trees. Rebecca did not think she could make herself heard, so she simply tapped Josie sharply on her thigh and pointed toward the cabin. Josie veered off the trail and pulled the wagon sharply to a stop under the trees. She leaped from the seat and nearly lost her footing in the rivulets of water that coursed through the trees. The thick canopy of leaves did offer some shelter for the horses from the worst of the rain, so she figured to leave them there while she and Rebecca made a dash for the soddy. Clutching the side of the wagon to keep her feet, Josie held out her free hand to Rebecca to help her from the wagon. "Come on," she yelled over the pounding rain, "We can come back later for what we need after the rain lets up!" Rebecca scrambled over the side, and reached back to make sure that the canvas was securely tied over their belongings. Josie grabbed her hand and pulled her away. "Don't worry about that now. Let's get out of this downpour."
They took off for the cabin at a run and when they reached the door, Rebecca insisted they knock in case someone was still in residence there. It appeared from the outside to be deserted, but she did not want to assume that and burst in and frighten some poor settler. Josie humored her and gave a perfunctory knock and immediately opened the door. She rushed through dragging Rebecca behind her, and slammed the door.
As Josie thought, the soddy had been deserted for some time, and rain fell steadily through several holes in the thatched roof. The corner closest to the stone fireplace was relatively dry, and they threw themselves down on the floor there, grateful to be out of the rain.
They caught their breath from the dash to the cabin and sat closely together on the floor allowing their eyes to grow accustomed to the dimness so they could see if there was anything of use to them in the little soddy. It was a one-room cabin constructed solely of sod bricks. The stone fireplace was the only thing in sight not made of dirt. No furniture had been left by the builders of the cabin, or if it had, it had long ago been carried away or put to use by other needy travelers. There was no wood with which to start a fire, and no sign of a blanket that they could use to warm themselves with.
They sat in silence for what seemed like a very long time but which in reality was probably no more than a few minutes, listening to the rain beat against the walls and roof of their little shelter. At last, with a little sigh, Josie climbed to her feet and took a few steps in the direction of the door.
"Where are you going? Josie, it's pouring buckets out there," Rebecca exclaimed as she moved to follow the gunslinger.
Both women were freezing cold and wanted nothing more than to dry off and warm up, but there was still work to be done, and they both knew it. Josie removed her gun belts and set them on a dry spot of the dirt floor. All they were doing at the moment was adding to the weight of her soaked britches.
"We need blankets and dry clothes and some wood for a fire. Stay here; I'll be back as soon as I can." She frowned when she saw Rebecca stand up defiantly and place her hat on her head.
"That's right, I'm as soaked as you are and if you're going to go out there, I'm going to go out there." She crossed her arms in front of her chest and looked up at Josie. Rebecca's green eyes burned with determination under the rain soaked brim of her hat. The gunslinger knew that it wasn't worth it to try and argue. They were both soaked through and having the extra set of hands would only help to get them warm and dry quicker.
"All right," Josie agreed. "I'll see about getting some wood for a fire, and you get the blankets and clothes out of the wagon." Rebecca nodded, and the two of them started for the door. They stood for a moment in the open doorway looking out at the still teeming rain. They turned and looked at each other briefly and then stepped outside.
They had a woefully small supply of kindling in the wagon, but it was way in front and would require removing all the canvas to get to it, something Josie didn't want to do. She made a mental note to move the wood to the rear of the buckboard once weather permitted and struck off into the stand of trees to look for fallen branches that might be somewhat protected from the rain.
Rebecca fumbled with the knots in the rope that held the canvas down. They were swollen from the water, and she was ready to cry from frustration when finally the knot on one corner came loose and she was able to peel back the canvas. She grabbed the carpetbags containing hers and Josie's spare clothes, and shoved as many blankets as she could reach into each bag, then she turned and ran for the soddy. She returned to the wagon several times for additional supplies that they would need. The wind had picked up considerably while she was making her trips, and it drove the rain right through her clothes and into her skin like thousands of needles. By the time she returned from her last trip, she was chilled to the bone and too numb to do anything but sink down into a sodden heap on the floor.
The gunslinger returned with an armful of wood covered by her vest, which was the only thing she could think of to keep at least some of the rain off the timber. She set the pile down beside the hearth and set about getting the fire going. She noticed Rebecca sitting in the corner, and wondered why she had not changed into the dry clothes she had brought in. "Rebecca, get out of those wet clothes," she said. "I'll have the fire going in a few minutes." She started piling the smaller pieces of wood in the fireplace, but stopped moving the sticks around when she heard no movement from her friend. "Rebecca?" Josie came closer and saw that the blonde was in the midst of an all over shiver. "Blazes," the gunslinger muttered and drew even closer to the young woman. "Come on, let's get you out of these wet things."
"H-how'd it get so cold so fast?" Rebecca said through chattering teeth as her numb fingers tried to undo her shirt.
"Northers. That wind comes down from the north and the temperature just drops through the floorboards," the gunslinger replied while removing Rebecca's hat and toweling the blonde hair dry. "Little early for them, but I guess there isn't much we can do about it." She dried Rebecca's hair as much as she could before using the damp towel on her own hair, trying to save the remaining towel for their bodies.
Josie helped her peel the shirt off her soaked skin and handed her the dry towel. The gunslinger shivered uncontrollably for a moment, drawing her concern to herself for the first time. She quickly wiggled out of her clothes, the boots being the hardest to remove and requiring help from Rebecca. Josie laid one of the blankets out on the ground and sat down on it. She ignored the goosebumps that covered her flesh as she helped the young woman remove her clothes. Josie pulled her close and wrapped the remaining blanket around them, trying to generate body heat. "Once I get you warmed up a bit, I'll get the fire going," the gunslinger said softly as she ran her hands rapidly up and down Rebecca's forearms.
"G-guess we'll keep the dusters under the s-seat from now on, huh?" She felt the strong arms wrapped around her tighten, drawing her closer to the warm body behind her.
"I reckon. Not to mention the tent. You know I put the sack of oats on top of it?" Josie said in an 'I can't believe I did that' tone of voice. "I think before we head out tomorrow we'll re-pack the wagon." She smiled to herself when she felt Rebecca's body stop shivering and start to warm up.