The Western Chronicles
by B L Miller and Vada Foster
29: The Gift
Josie left the bank with her small pile of bills. She met Elaine at the trading post and spent most of the money getting the vast amount of supplies they would need to keep nine women going for the length of the journey. The gunslinger insisted on staying away from the smaller towns along the way, as the large group of women would most surely be noticed. Even with the two horses, the load in the wagon made for slow going. On impulse, Josie went to the Express office and wired money and a telegram on to Cheyenne.
"Ready?" Elaine asked as the gunslinger returned from the Express office and climbed up on the wagon. She nodded and took the reins, sending the horses into motion. She came to a sudden stop in front of the doctor's office.
"Stay here, I'll be right back," Josie said as she hopped down and entered the small building. She returned a few minutes later with a large, heavy, dusty book which she put on the seat between her and Elaine. "Rebecca likes to read," was her reply to the curious look she received from the black headed harlot. As they rode back to the camp, Elaine noticed that the gunslinger used her new bandanna to wipe away the years of built up dust on the large book. By the time they reached the others, no one would have known the book had resided on a bottom shelf in a back closet of the doctor's office for the last ten years.
They pulled up and were quickly surrounded by the women, excitedly asking about the bounty or looking at the fresh load of supplies. Rebecca spotted the small jar of pickles. She was working on the latch that held the Mason jar closed when Victoria came over to see what she was up to. They each took a pickle and munched happily. Josie came up behind Rebecca and tapped her on the shoulder. "I want to show you something."
They walked over to their wagon. "I bought you something," Josie said a bit nervously as she leaned over the edge of the buckboard and hefted out the medical text.
"Oh...oh my," Rebecca exclaimed as she took the book from the gunslinger. Even though she knew it was heavy, she wasn't quite prepared for the weight and Josie had to make a lightening move to keep it from dropping on the young woman's toes. Rebecca opened the book, supporting the spine on the edge of the wagon, and flipped through the pages reverently, her fingers running over the lines of text and drawings.
"It's a beginner's medical text," Josie said, stating the obvious to the overjoyed blonde. Rebecca set the book back in the wagon and gave the gunslinger a huge hug.
"Thank you so much," she gushed as she continued to squeeze against Josie. The appreciation was so genuine and the affection so honest that the normally stoic bounty hunter smiled and gave Rebecca's shoulders a gentle squeeze. When she pulled back, Josie frowned as she saw the tears spilling out from her green eyes. She fought the urge to wipe them from the blonde's cheeks. 'I won't get attached to you, Rebecca,' she thought to herself, but couldn't stop asking,
"What's wrong?"
"It's just that...well no one ever bought me something so...so wonderful before," she said as she wiped the tears from her face. "I don't know what to say." She looked up at the gunslinger with a smile that could warm the coldest of hearts. Josie smiled, but clearly looked uncomfortable. Rebecca realized this and gave the gunslinger a gentle squeeze on the forearm. "Thank you, Josie."
"Sure. Glad you like it. I'd better go help get the gear unloaded."
"Uh, yeah, right. Good idea," Rebecca said, the smile never leaving her face. As soon as the gunslinger left, she pulled the book out and sat on the ground. She didn't move until dinnertime except to turn the page. Had someone paid close attention to Josie, they would have noticed her smile every time she looked over at the voracious reader.
Dinner of salt pork and beans was eaten in shifts, as they had only the few plates they had taken from the men whose final stupid plan had involved an attempted rape of Rebecca. Only a few utensils were purchased since the money was best used on meats and supplies. The funds that Josie spent on Rebecca's book kept her from getting a keg of ale she'd been looking forward to, but the gunslinger had no regrets. Rebecca was still sitting against the wagon with the book in her lap. She was eating and reading at the same time, trying to absorb as much as possible before the sun set for the evening. Victoria tried to talk to her a couple of times, but the blonde smiled apologetically and pointed at the book. Only when the light became so dim that it hurt her eyes to read did Rebecca set the book back gingerly in the wagon and join the others. Josie sat apart from the rest, leaning against a tree cleaning her guns. She frowned at the multitude of fingerprints that littered her Winchester. 'What'd they do, all take turns touching it?' she wondered as she ran the oily cloth up and down the barrel.
For the next several days, the routine stayed the same. Up at dawn, ride until noon, rest for a while, ride until almost sunset, and then camp for the night. The bumpy ride made it impossible for Rebecca to read so she spent most of her time in the back of the wagon with Victoria. The supplies were split between the two wagons since the women were now riding the horses taken from the dead men. Josie drove her wagon with Phoenix tethered behind while Stacey's wagon brought up the rear with the extra horses nestled safely between them. While the gunslinger appreciated the respite from the blonde's usual chatter, she found herself listening every so often to the two young women talking behind her, smiling when she heard Rebecca tell something funny. Even though the blonde became close to the women - Victoria in particular - Josie kept her distance from the group whenever possible. Every so often she would exchange a knowing glance at Elaine, but never did she approach her. Both understood the reasons why. Repeat performances create complications.
The late summer sun gave way to an unseasonably cold night. The fire gave off some heat, but there was no way for all nine women to sleep around it. Several of the women coupled off to share body heat and blankets; only Stacey remained alone, taking up the fourth side of the fire. Rebecca set hers and Josie's blankets down next to the wagon in a heap. "Josie, aren't we sleeping by the fire?" she asked as she watched the gunslinger remove the items from the ground and setting them neatly back in the wagon.
"No, there's not enough room. And it'll be warmer up here in the back of the wagon than on the ground." She pulled the sheepskin from the seat and laid it out in the back and covered it with one of her blankets. Rebecca walked to the other side of the wagon and helped to straighten out the covers as they made their makeshift bed. Without thinking, she pulled Josie's rolled up duster out of the pile of belongings and set it at the head of the blankets. The gunslinger arched an eyebrow and looked at her for an explanation.
"Oh, this? Well, I uh...kinda borrowed it," Rebecca said sheepishly. Josie reached out and moved the duster from the blonde's side of the wagon to her side.
"If it's going to be used as a pillow, at least I should be the one to use it."
There was enough room between them for a third person to have fit comfortably, yet Josie still felt the young woman shiver. She mentally berated herself for not making space for Rebecca at the fire. The gunslinger hadn't counted on the temperature dropping quite so much. She moved closer and pressed her body up against the young woman's back. "I didn't think it would be this cold," she said apologetically.
"I didn't say anything," Rebecca said softly, yet her body instinctively moved closer to Josie's, craving the body heat.
"I know. Lift your head," she said, placing part of the rolled up duster under Rebecca's head. Their bodies shifted and moved as they adjusted to each other. Josie wasn't totally certain she could sleep so close to another person. Even during the night with Elaine, she slept on her side of the bed, making certain there was space between them. She laid awake for a few moments as one thought continued to race through her mind. "Why?"
"Hmm?", the half-awake blonde responded.
"Why, Rebecca?" she propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at her. "Why didn't you tell me you were so cold?"
Rebecca rolled onto her back and looked up, the gunslinger's blue eyes demanding the truth. "I...I didn't want you to think I couldn't handle one night in the cold," she said in a small voice, unsure of what Josie's reaction would be. The gunslinger understood the implication behind the words.
"Roll over." She settled back down and wrapped one long arm around the blonde woman's waist. "Don't do that again. And I don't think that," she added softly. She felt Rebecca relax against her, soon falling into a deep sleep. The gunslinger laid awake a while longer, watching the steady rise and fall of the young woman's chest and wondering just what it was about the little sprite that made her care so much about her. Years of running and depending on no one but herself had built a wall of armor around her heart that no one could penetrate. Josie cared for no one and no one cared for her. That was just how it was and she always felt comfortable with that fact. Then came Rebecca; in a mere three months she had managed to make the gunslinger care for her, enough to give up her own personal pleasures for the sake of a smile. "My friend," she whispered to the sleeping form in front of her. Josie allowed herself to relax and be lulled to sleep by the blonde's gentle snoring.
Unlike the previous nights, there were no nightmares to disturb the gunslinger's sleep. She had been grateful that Elaine slept deeply and wasn't wakened by her tossing about the night before. It was a well-rested and refreshed Josie that faced the morning.
30: Called Out
Several miles from Cheyenne the group came upon a covered wagon all but blocking the road and preventing them from passing. A large blonde woman with deep green eyes sat patiently on the seat. A small scar faced man sat next to her, holding the reins. On the ground next to the wagon a cat lay curled up. She was white except for dark gray feet, face, and ears. Nervous looks were exchanged between the women as Josie pulled the wagon to a stop. "Stay here," she said firmly to Rebecca as she hopped out and walked over to the covered wagon.
The young woman watched the gunslinger, noting the way Josie's hands never strayed far from her talking irons as she approached the strangers. Rebecca noted that even in the non-confrontational times, Josie felt the need to be on her guard. The blonde in the covered wagon climbed down, aided by the gunslinger's strong arms.
"It's so good to see ya," she said as she wrapped her arms around the woman in black.
"It's good to see you too, Sandy," Josie replied, taking a step back from the embrace. She looked up at the small man. "Earl," she said with a nod, receiving the same in response.
"Your wire said that you needed help," Sandy said as she walked with Josie back to the caravan.
"I don't; these women do," the gunslinger replied, waving with her arm to indicate the others. Sandy looked from one woman to the next, mentally assessing them. Elaine dismounted and walked over to her. The others took that as their cue to dismount. Many of them were rubbing their aching thighs and rears from the long ride. Rebecca climbed down and stood just behind Josie, close enough to hear the conversations without being in the way.
After brief introductions, they settled down to business. "I have room for five women, but if necessary, I can probably find positions for the others at one of the other houses," Sandy said. Her eyes locked on the small blonde standing behind the gunslinger. "I don't know about this one, Josie. She looks a little too innocent. Reminds men of their daughters. A serving girl, perhaps."
Rebecca's eyes flashed indignantly, but she held her tongue. Josie smirked at her friend before turning to face Sandy. "She's with me."
"Didn't think you went for the young ones, Josie," Sandy quipped, drawing a confused look from Rebecca and a warning glare from the gunslinger.
"Can we get going?" Josie asked, but it was more of a statement.
"Yes, of course." Sandy turned her attention to the prostitutes. "I don't want to be seen bringing all of you into town. You'll have to hide in the back of my wagon."
One by one the women were put in the safety of the covered wagon. Only Josie, Rebecca, Stacey, and Elaine remained behind to deal with the horses and wagons. Sandy scooped up the purring feline and climbed back up into the seat on her wagon. The short man snapped the reins and set the horses into motion, turning in a wide arc to head back into town. Josie waited a few minutes before indicating that everyone should mount up.
"What's going on?" Rebecca asked once they were settled back on the sheepskin covered seat. Josie slapped the reins on her flanks to get Flossy going before answering.
"Sandy operates the largest whorehouse in Cheyenne. She'll take care of them, give them jobs."
"But why hide them in the back of the wagon?"
"Can you imagine what would happen if people see a half dozen whores suddenly show up in town? Sandy will slip them in through a back entrance. In time no one will realize that they weren't there before," although it seemed perfectly clear to her, Josie didn't seem to mind explaining everything to her young friend. "We'll enter separately and get a room at the boarding house."
Seeing that Rebecca was satisfied with her explanation, Josie concentrated on guiding Flossy to the livery stable with Elaine following on her horse, leading one of the riderless mares. Stacey brought up the rear as usual, the remaining horses tethered to the back of her wagon. A heated discussion occurred at the livery between the gunslinger and the stable owner over the price. Rebecca was certain that Josie was at the point of handling the situation with her irons when she stepped in, smiling pleasantly.
"Sir, you see these fine pieces of horseflesh?" she indicated the small string of horses. "What are they worth to you?" He rubbed the stubble on his chin as his mind worked feverishly to come up with a price.
"Best I can do is one hundred dollars for the whole lot, including the wagons."
"What!" Josie said loudly, pushing Rebecca gently out of the way so she could tower over the man.
"Uh...er...I mean...."
"You mean that two hundred for the horses alone is a fair price. That also includes stabling the others and storing the wagons." Her deep blue eyes dared him to argue.
"Uh...yeah," he said, defeated.
"I could have gotten a better price for the horses, you know," Rebecca said as they walked to the saloon. Stacey and Elaine walked behind them, exchanging amused glances as the young woman made the statement for the third time in as many minutes. As before, Josie chose to simply ignore the comment. Rebecca let out an exasperated huff and scowled. "If you would have just been patient."
"I didn't feel like waiting an hour for the two of you to haggle," Josie replied matter-of-factly as they reached the saloon. The scowl was replaced with a look of hurt, reaching straight into the gunslinger's heart and filling her with guilt. She looked back at the others. "You two go on ahead. Sandy will be waiting for you. We'll be along."
Stacey and Elaine nodded, understanding the two women's need to have a moment of privacy. Josie pulled Rebecca away from the swinging doors and out of sight of the other women. "Rebecca, I'm sorry I didn't want to wait. I have no doubt that you could have talked him up on the price. Next time I'll be more patient." She managed to get the words out without choking on them. Apologizing was something that the gunslinger just didn't do. But looking at the hurt in Rebecca's eyes and knowing that she was the cause was more than she could bear. She would have said anything to see a smile on that sweet young face.
"Come on, you can make it up to me with dinner in that nice restaurant I saw as we entered town," Rebecca said, forcing a smile to her face to show the gunslinger she wasn't upset at her anymore. The comment Josie made about the next time made the young woman's heart fill with hope. It was the first time the bounty hunter had spoken to her as though they would be together in the future.
"Deal," Josie said, showing a smile full of teeth. "I need a drink. Let's go."
The saloon was typical of a large city. The long bar covered the left wall while the right wall contained a small stage and piano. Straight-ahead was the white staircase that led to the pleasures upstairs. Scattered about were several round tables, mostly empty as the men were still working in the mines or fields. A large chandelier hung auspiciously in the center of the room, the intricate design clearly out of place in the dusty tavern. The light from the multitude of candles reflected through the teardrop shaped pieces of lead glass, casting a soft glow on the room. Josie looked around and noted that the women were all upstairs. The parched feeling in her throat helped her make her decision. "We're going to have a drink first, then we'll go check on everyone," she said, knowing that Rebecca would want to see how Victoria was doing.
"Okay," Rebecca agreed. Her mouth was as hot and dry as the gunslingers. They moseyed up to the bar and sat down on adjacent stools. As the bartender approached, Rebecca felt Josie press a dollar bill into her hand under the edge of the bar. The gunslinger kept her eyes on the bartender and acted as if nothing had happened.
"Whiskey," Josie said firmly. "And an ale."
"Sarsaparilla," Rebecca added. The gunslinger watched out of the corner of her eye as the young woman paid for the drinks with the bill she had been given. Although Josie's face showed no signs as to her thoughts, inside she was smiling at the look of pride on Rebecca's face.
They were on their second round of drinks when a large boar of a man entered, flanked by two smaller but equally evil looking men. Josie watched them through the mirror behind the bar as they looked around the saloon. The bartender nonchalantly pulled on a rope that extended through the ceiling to a bell upstairs. The men took up residence two stools down from the bounty hunter. Within minutes, Sandy came down the stairs with Bobo bounding down after her. She fixed the largest of the newcomers with a glare and hissed at him.
"Felix! I told you to stay out of here," she said as she approached the corner of the bar, making sure she was out of arm's reach.
"Now Miss Sandy, you know what happened was an accident," he said as if it were true, sending the men with him into laughter. "I was just havin a bit 'o fun."
"Your bit of fun cost me one of my best girls," she snarled. "Now you get out of here. None of the girls want anything to do with you."
Felix moved off of his stool slowly, the look on his face menacing as he took a step closer to the madam. "She said for you to leave," Josie said firmly, her attention seeming to never leave the glass in front of her. Felix stopped his advance and turned to look at the woman in black.
"You got somethin' to say, woman?" he said, the last word spoken more as an insult. "Try usin' yer talking irons."
"You calling me out?" she replied as she downed the last of her ale. Rebecca's eyes grew wide as she followed the route of the conversation.
"Josie..." she hissed, pulling on the gunslinger's forearm to get her attention. "What are you doing?" Josie slid off the stool gracefully, her imposing frame towering over the smaller woman.
"Go with Sandy...now," she said in a tone that brooked no arguments. Josie walked to the door, deliberately keeping her gaze away from the young woman's face. Sandy walked past the men and put her arm around Rebecca's shoulders.
"Come on, child. This is no place for you right now," she said as the men followed the gunslinger outside, joking and slapping Felix on the back in anticipation of his victory.
"No!" Rebecca yelped, wrenching herself from the older woman's grasp. Sandy quickly recovered and wrapped both arms around the smaller woman's waist, pinning her arms. Jon, the bartender, frantically pulled on the rope, getting the attention of the women upstairs. Elaine was the first to arrive, skipping half the steps in her haste.
"Child, please, Josie doesn't want you out there," Sandy said, trying to get the squirming woman to understand. Elaine assessed the situation quickly and went to the doorway. In the middle of the street, Josie and Felix stood paces apart, paying no attention to the rapidly growing crowd of spectators. An enterprising man with a short black goatee was taking bets on the outcome, favoring the man with the bandoleers over the tall woman. Rebecca worked her way free by relaxing her leg muscles, sinking out of the madam's grasp. Elaine grabbed her at the doorway.
"Rebecca, don't you understand? Whatever happened, she can't back down now," Elaine said and then watched as a flicker of understanding appeared in the green eyes. She lowered her tone. "If you go out there, you'll only distract her. You don't want that, do you?"
"No," Rebecca said softly. It was obvious that the young woman was terrified for the gunslinger and very near the point of tears.
"You don't need to watch this," the black headed woman offered. Rebecca sniffled and cleared her throat, straightening her back and raising her chin.
"Yes I do," she said firmly. Elaine nodded and stepped to the side to make room for her to see out the doorway. Victoria came up behind them and put her hand on Rebecca's shoulder, squeezing softly.
Josie's fingers twitched, flexing and relaxing in anticipation. She watched his movements carefully. He seemed relaxed and assured, as if no one could draw faster than him, let alone a woman. He reached for his gun, his fingers closing around the familiar piece of steel. He only got as far as pulling it out of his holster when his chest took the impact of Josie's bullet. It was over in the blink of an eye. The gunslinger stood there, smoking gun drawn, looking at the mortally wounded man slumping forward. His face registered his profound surprise as he pitched forward, dead before he hit the ground. For a moment no one moved except for the man with the goatee, who decided that sticking around wasn't such a good idea. Josie holstered her weapon as Felix's friends dragged his body off the street. The marshal waited for her at the doors to the saloon.
"Nice shooting," he commented as she passed. Her face was an unreadable mask.
"I did what I had to do. He called me out." She pushed her way through the doors and was quickly hugged by an emotional Rebecca. Josie stiffened and pulled back, giving the young woman a quick squeeze on her upper arms. In a tone that only Rebecca could hear, she said. "I'm okay, sprite."
The barkeep set the bottle of whiskey and a fresh glass of ale on the counter in front of Josie. Sandy moved over and spoke quietly with the marshal. Rebecca felt the last of her reserves waning and raced out of the saloon, Victoria at her heels. Josie looked at the retreating form, debating about whether to follow her or not.
"Let her go," Elaine said from just behind the gunslinger. Josie turned to look at her. "She was pretty upset. Hasn't she seen you kill before?", she asked as she led the bounty hunter back to the bar. Josie downed the shot of whiskey and drained half of her glass of ale before answering.
"Not like that. She's never seen me called out before." Josie stared into the amber liquid, suddenly feeling very empty. Elaine recognized the look; she'd seen it on the faces of countless men over the years.
"Josie...." she said softly, running a fingernail up the length of the powerful forearm. For a brief moment the thought of drowning herself in the throes of carnal pleasure appealed to the gunslinger, but only for a brief moment. She stood up.
"I'd better go find Rebecca," she said, politely refusing the offer. Elaine gave a little smile of understanding.
"I'll be here if you need me, Josie. You're welcome...anytime," the last word said in an unmistakable tone of invitation. The black headed woman turned and went up the stairs, giving a most flirtatious smile to the barkeep as she passed. It never hurt to get in good with the bartender. It always made for the best chance of getting the better clients.
Rebecca sat on the ground with her back pressed up against the back of the building. The alleyway was empty except for her and Victoria. "Why did she do it?" she said between tears. "Doesn't she realize how easily she could have been killed?"
"Dunno," Victoria replied. "Suppose she must. Bet she'd done it before."
"Then why? Why take such a chance?" Rebecca said as she picked up a small stone and flung it as hard as she could against the building on the other side of the alleyway.
"She's not like you, Rebecca. She a killer, that's fer sure. In her blood, ah think. She said he called her out. A killer can't not go then. Looks bad," Victoria said, hoping that her words would help, but noticed that the expression of anger and fear didn't leave her friend's face. "If she didn't, he'd have killed her right there in the saloon."
"There has to be another way," Rebecca said adamantly. "She shouldn't keep putting herself in danger like that. She was out there, right in the open. If she wanted to, she could have talked her way out of it."
"She ain't you, Rebecca. She talks with her guns, not her mouth. If
you don't accept it, you'd best git away from her 'fore ya git yer heart broke."
Rebecca watched as Victoria stood and headed back to the saloon. She remained there for a few minutes more, letting the waves of emotions run their course. Josie watched silently from the edge of the alleyway, not moving until she saw the young woman wipe the tears from her face and stand up. The gunslinger crossed the remaining distance between them. There was a long silence as blue eyes met green, Rebecca's unguarded face betraying all of her emotions. Finally she broke the silence.
"I know why you did it, Josie, but I don't have to like it," she said firmly.
"No, I suppose you don't," the gunslinger agreed. "But you also can't get in my way or we could both be killed."
"Josie, am I your friend?" she asked softly, her eyes begging for a response. Josie took a step forward and put her hands on the young woman's shoulders.
"Being my friend will only put you in danger, Rebecca, but yes...you are my friend," the gunslinger said firmly, admitting it to both of them. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel the tenderness of the moment, the feeling of knowing that she wasn't alone anymore, that they were no longer two people traveling together, but now something more, something much deeper. Friends. The word echoing through her head brought a rare smile to her face. "Come on, friend. Let's mosey over to the restaurant and get something for dinner."
The mention of food paled in significance to 'friend', but Rebecca readily agreed to the offer of a warm meal, happy just to be with Josie. As they passed the theater, the young woman's eyes lit up at the sign announcing a performance later that evening. Then she saw the admission price of four bits per person and the smile left her face. The gunslinger noted and smiled to herself, knowing exactly where they would be going after dinner.
31: An Evening Together
At Rebecca's insistence, they stopped at the boarding house to relieve the gunslinger of some of her weapons. Josie had started to protest, but the young woman explained that it was bad enough that her clothes would make people nervous, but a pair of deadly revolvers might make the other patrons too scared to eat. While the bounty hunter reluctantly acknowledged this fact, she still made a point of carrying her knives in their various locations. There was no way she was going to be completely unarmed.
Josie received a curious, and mostly disgusted look from the waitress, but stubbornly waited to be seated. She was not surprised when the short, round woman led them to a table in the far corner, near the kitchen and most likely the least enjoyable spot in the place. As they made their way, Josie kept her hand resting lightly on the small of Rebecca's back, guiding her through the maze of chairs and potted cactus that littered the area. A stout man at a nearby table rose and held the chair out for Rebecca as they arrived. Josie was pleased by the respectable gesture, as unusual as it was in that part of the country, but nonetheless kept her eye on him for any sign of trouble. He smiled and returned to his wife and son at his table.
"Thank you, sir," Rebecca said sweetly as he pushed her chair in. He moved over to get Josie's chair but the gunslinger waved him off and pulled it out herself. They waited ten minutes for the waitress to pass by and drop off the menus. Rebecca thought that Josie was fuming inside as the minutes passed, and then she was certain of it from the slight tenseness in the gunslinger's jaw and the almost imperceptible narrowing of her eyes. Yet Josie said nothing, merely studying the patterns on the utensils or glancing about the room. Rebecca had tried to make small talk, but the bounty hunter's attention kept shifting to the other patrons and the young woman gave up.
"Sorry, what was that?"
"I said the beef looks good," Rebecca replied, hoping to draw Josie's attention back to her and away from the rest of the room. The gunslinger gave a quick lopsided grin and looked at the menu for the first time.
"I have a hankering for the elk. Where is that woman anyway?"
Josie said, looking around the room. As if she could feel the blue eyes boring into her back, the waitress turned around from chatting with a patron and saw that the two women were ready. The glare she received from the tall one in black guaranteed that she would return immediately with their drinks.
While waiting for their dinner to arrive, Rebecca chatted about the new things she had learned from the medical book that the gunslinger had purchased. Josie smiled and paid attention, noting that the young woman didn't mention any diseases or give any detailed descriptions that might have affected the enjoyment of dinner. "You know, Josie, it says that some of the best medicines are known only to the Indians."
"That's true," the gunslinger replied, letting a bit of pride show through. "The medicine elders - you call them medicine men - know far more about herbs and roots than the white man does."
"I'll bet I could learn a lot from one of them," Rebecca mused softly. The words did not escape Josie's ears as an idea formed in her mind. Perhaps she could take her to the Cherokees, to her people, and let her learn the medicines of old. The gunslinger was well aware of the need for good healers.
"I'm sure you could, Rebecca. Would you like that? To meet a real medicine elder and learn from her?" In her mind, the gunslinger was calculating just how far they were from the Cherokees, less than three weeks by wagon over the Cimarron Crossing. It was more dangerous than the Cheyenne Trail, but was also more direct. The trail would take them at least another week to ten days, adding considerably to the cost of their supplies.
"Oh Josie, I'd love to. I could learn so much more than the book can teach me," she said enthusiastically. The waitress arrived with the platter containing their dinners. Both women were silent while the not-so-nice-smelling woman plopped their plates down in front of them.
"Anything else?" she asked, moving quickly away without waiting for an answer. Rebecca reached out and placed her hand on top of the gunslinger's fist.
"Josie...."
"I'm fine. Just don't care for the likes of her," she replied as she relaxed her hand and pulled it out from under the blonde's grasp. She sampled a piece of the elk before speaking. "I can take you there."
"Take me where?" she replied around a mouth full of food.
"To meet a medicine elder. To learn healing." She stabbed another piece of meat with her fork. "I can take you to the Cherokees," she said as she popped the morsel in her mouth and began to chew.
Rebecca's fork stopped halfway to her mouth as she looked across the table dumbfounded. Josie smirked and took another bite of food. "Of course if you don't want to go..." she said idly, twirling her fork in the air.
"Yes! Yes, I want to go," the blonde said enthusiastically as soon as her voice returned. "Oh Josie, that would be so wonderful!"
"Now hear me out," the gunslinger replied, setting her fork down and leaning in to give her most serious expression. "It won't be easy. We'll be going through dangerous territory."
"I don't mind," Rebecca interrupted. Josie gave a quick frown.
"The first thing you have to remember is not to interrupt me.
Next is to pay attention; don't make me tell you something twice." She waited until Rebecca nodded solemnly. The gunslinger leaned back in her chair and stared at her half-eaten dinner. "Of course, that's only if you're going to keep riding with me. Any time we find a town that you think you'd be happy in...."
She didn't get to finish her thought as Rebecca bolted from her chair and gave the seated woman a hug. Josie stiffened noticeably but still managed to put a smile on her face for the blonde's sake. "Rebecca, not in public," she hissed quietly but gently. The young woman gave one last squeeze before returning to her seat, smiling with a glow that melted just a little bit more of the ice surrounding the bounty hunter's heart.
The pair strolled down the street, the warm meal and dessert still settling in their bellies. Despite the waitress's surliness, they still managed to get two large pieces of pie for dessert, of which Rebecca ate hers and half of the gunslingers. Josie deliberately shortened her normally long gait so the shorter woman wouldn't have to walk fast to keep up. Truth be told, the bounty hunter was actually enjoying the evening. The night air was the perfect temperature; the lights from the buildings along with the half moon cast enough light to see easily. There was a gaiety about the night as families and couples
headed for the theater, all chattering away happily. Men stopped to shake hands with each other while the wives exchanged pleasantries and, judging from the conspiratorial giggles in some cases, the latest gossip. As they reached their destination, Josie noted that the stout, balding man that held Rebecca's chair at the restaurant was standing outside the entrance to the theater with what she could only assume was his wife and son. The father touched his fingers to the brim of his bowler and nodded as the women passed. Rebecca smiled and wished him a good evening, although her attention was drawn more to his son, a dapper young man who was most likely only a year or two older than her.
Rebecca went up and down the aisle, pointing out possible seats for them but the gunslinger shook her head at each one. None of the available adjoining seats were in the aisle. Josie spotted what she decided to be the perfect location, not caring that it was already occupied, and headed for it. Her long strides took her there quickly and by the time Rebecca caught up, the young men who had been sitting in the desired seats were already heading up the aisle, suddenly deciding that the view would be much better somewhere else.
"What did you say to them?" Rebecca asked as she took the inside seat. Josie flopped back casually into hers, a knowing smirk on her face. She crossed her long legs, placing her booted foot up on her knee with the toes pressed against the seat in front of them.
"I suggested that they be gentlemen-like and offer their seats to a couple of women," the gunslinger said with feigned innocence.
"Uh huh, that's why they hightailed it to the back, huh?" the young women replied with a grin. "I can just imagine what you said to intimidate them." She leaned over and spoke in hushed tones, as if she wasn't stating the obvious. "You are intimidating, you know."
"Can't be too bad; haven't been able to get rid of you yet," Josie quipped without thinking. Rebecca lost her smile and straightened up, fixing her gaze on the stage.
"Do you want to, Josie?" she asked fearfully, not daring to look at the gunslinger.
Her mind raced; the skills and techniques she had used over the years to avoid any kind of commitment or responsibility snapped into place as the answer came to her. "How can I get rid of you, Rebecca? Even if I tried, you'd probably just follow me anyway," she said as she gave the young woman a playful shove on the shoulder. Rebecca reacted well, grinning at the tease and settling back in her chair, but inside she noted that Josie deliberately avoided answering the question. She thought about pursuing the matter, but decided against the possibility of putting a damper on the otherwise enjoyable evening. Josie was glad that Rebecca turned her interest to the men scurrying about the stage, getting it ready for the performance, rather than in continuing the conversation.
A polite cough drew their attention to the aisle. The man with the bowler and his family stood patiently and waited for the gunslinger to sit up and pull her long legs in so they could pass. As the young man did so, his leg brushed up against Rebecca's knee. He apologized immediately, taking the seat next to her as he did so.
"I'm so sorry, Miss," he said, his accent clearly that of a yankee. "Oh, how rude of me." He wiped his hand on his britches before reaching out to grasp Rebecca's hand and placing his lips briefly on the back of her hand. "Lance," he said by way of introduction, and looked at her inquiringly.
"Rebecca," she replied. He kissed the back of her hand once more before releasing it.
"I'm most pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Rebecca."
Despite his dapper appearance and impeccable manners, he still managed to earn a warning glare from the gunslinger. She learned long ago to trust no one, especially those who appear to be the trustworthiest. It was nothing compared to his mother's look as she reached down and grabbed him by the earlobe. "Lance, I'm sure the young lady didn't come to the theater to listen to you all night, talking that sweet molasses talk of yours. Now you move over and leave her and her mother alone."
It was all Rebecca could do not to burst into a fit of laughter. Lance was unceremoniously led by his ear to a seat further down while the gunslinger glared at his mother's back. The young woman leaned over and whispered in the still fuming Josie's ear. "I guess we do make an odd pair of cards, huh?"
"I do not look old enough to be your mother," Josie hissed back, fully insulted. Rebecca chuckled silently and gently tapped the gunslinger's leg reassuringly.
"I know, Josie," she said, trying to sound convincing, but her smile remained. The lights were extinguished moments later, leaving only the stage visible to the audience. A man stepped on stage to the roar of clapping. Rebecca leaned over, her smirk now absolutely mischievous.
"Are you going to read me a bedtime story, mother?"
Without taking her eyes off the stage, Josie leaned over until her lips were just a hair from the young woman's ear. "Keep it up and you'll be sleeping with Flossy, darling daughter," she teased back.
The play was a slapstick comedy about bumbling robbers trying to hold up a stagecoach. Josie rolled her eyes when she saw the two robbers prance out on stage riding stick horses and wearing lace scarves over their mouths. "It's supposed to be funny Josie," Rebecca whispered at the frowning gunslinger.
"Uh huh," she said sarcastically as they watched the two robbers run into each other and fall down. The rest of the audience laughed uproariously. The gunslinger slumped in her seat, doing her best not to look too bored. Rebecca was smiling and apparently enjoying the antics on-stage. The stagecoach prop was brought on-stage, complete with the 'helpless damsel in distress' riding inside. The robbers circled the wagon on their stick horses, yelling at the woman to toss her valuables out. Josie straightened up in her seat slightly. "That's not how you rob a stage."
"Oh, that's right. You're the expert," Rebecca teased, drawing a smile from the gunslinger as she realized how silly she was being. "That's better. Now sit back and enjoy the show."
"Shh!" Lance's mother hissed at the chatty young woman, despite the fact that most of the theater was laughing at the activities on stage. The damsel in distress was now out of the stagecoach and running around after the robbers, who had given up their stick horses, beating them repeatedly with her bag. At this Josie gave a chuckle and relaxed visibly. Within minutes the bounty hunter was laughing along with Rebecca, both thoroughly enjoying the show.
When the show finished, everyone got up at once to leave. Unfortunately, the people in the doorway seemed intent on talking to each other and not on getting outside. Grumbling and complaints were heard from the men and women waiting to leave. Josie leaned over and whispered in Rebecca's ear. "Stay right behind me." She put on her most intimidating face and tapped the shoulder of the man in front of her. "Move, now."
"Miss, 'taint no way you gonna get out. That's Charlie up there jabbering. He don't never shut up," the man said.
"You want to get out of here?" Josie said loudly, her voice carrying above the din to reach the ears of the frustrated patrons. Several shook their heads in the affirmative or yelled "yes" back at her. "Let me through. I'll make them move."
"You? A woman?" a large and rather dangerous looking man sneered. Several of his buddies started to laugh until they watched her grab his meaty arm and twist it up behind his back, sending him up on his tiptoes.
"Still think I can't make them move?" she asked rhetorically as she released his arm. The patrons moved back to let her through, with Rebecca following closely behind. The crowd realized that the tall woman would, in fact, get Mouthy Charlie out of the way and started to close up the space behind her, all trying to be the first ones out in case a good fight got going. Rebecca reached out and hooked her fingers around the top of the gunslinger's belt. Josie turned her head slightly, making sure it was her friend that was attached to her before continuing to make her way through the crowd.
"So how's Bertha?"
"She's doin' fine, yep. Her little doggie be due to birth them pups near about anytime now..." Charlie said as he felt a very firm tapping on his shoulder. "Go 'round. There's room," he said without looking around. The tap changed to a firm poke. "Tarnation, what in blue blazes..." he turned and faced the bluest eyes he'd ever seen just as the firm hand that was poking him now took hold of a fair amount of his hair.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you it was rude to block other people's way?" she said as she bodily escorted him out of the doorway and into a nearby trough. She was rewarded with a chorus of cheers from the crowd as people finally made their way out of the theater.
Rebecca caught up with Josie just as she felt a soft touch on her shoulder. The young woman turned to find the dapper young man standing there nervously twisting his hat in his hands. "I uh...just wanted to say that it was nice meeting you, Rebecca."
"It was nice meeting you too, Lance," she replied shyly, feeling her cheeks warming.
"Lance! Get over here and stop pestering that young girl," his mother called. He quickly grabbed Rebecca's hand and kissed the back of it.
"'Bye,", he said grinning foolishly, and returned to his mothers side before she decided to yell again. Rebecca sensed the gunslinger standing just behind her.
"He's nice," she said a little dreamily. Lance turned around and waved, smiling even more when she returned the gesture.
"You ready?" Josie said a bit more harshly than she meant to. Her blue eyes stayed on the young man as the family walked further down the street. The gunslinger couldn't put her finger on it, but something about him annoyed her. He was almost out of sight when Rebecca turned to look at her.
"I'm sorry, did you say something?"
"It's getting late," Josie replied, slightly annoyed at being ignored.
"Oh, sorry, Josie. I just..." she gazed at the darkened street where moments ago Lance had waved at her. The dreamy look settled on her face again. "He's nice," she said softly, apparently unable to describe him any other way.
"Uh huh, let's go." This time the gunslinger started walking, her long strides forcing Rebecca to jog to catch up. Only then did she slow down to a more reasonable gait.
"Josie?" the tentative tone made the gunslinger stop and turn to look at her. Rebecca looked down at her boots. "Um...are you mad at me for something?" she asked softly. The wave of guilt passed over the bounty hunter as she realized that she was taking her feelings for the boy out on the blonde. Instantly her features softened and she put her hand on Rebecca's shoulder gently.
"No, I guess I'm still mad at that codger that was blocking the door," she moved closer and put her arm lazily around the smaller woman's shoulders. "Look up there, Rebecca," she said pointing at the stars that twinkled brightly in the clear night. "It's like you can almost reach out and touch them."
"Yes," the young woman replied softly. "They're so pretty; the way they sparkle, it's just like little diamonds in the sky." She started humming the children's melody to herself and was completely surprised when Josie joined in. Rebecca smiled and put her arm around the taller woman's waist, giving her a squeeze. The gunslinger returned the gesture of affection before pulling away.
"Come on, sprite. Let's get back," she said, giving Rebecca a friendly smile as they started walking again.
The cool night breeze fluttered in through the window as both women got ready for bed. The moon cast enough light for them to see the bed and barely make out each other, so there had been no need to use the lantern. Josie sat down next to her on the bed and pulled off her boots, quickly putting them as far away from the bed as possible. Rebecca untied the thin bow at the neck of her dress and stood, wiggling her arms out of it while turning her back to the gunslinger. She reached down and pushed the dress past her hips, letting it slide down to the floor. Josie placed her guns in a convenient location near the bed, making a mental note to clean them in the morning. She stripped down to her drawers and pulled the covers back on the bed. Rebecca straightened out the sleeves on her flannel nightgown and crawled into bed, scooting up against the wall to make room for her friend.
Josie loosely wrapped an arm around Rebecca's waist. "Is this all right? There's not much room on the bed..." she said, knowing full well that there was plenty of room on the straw filled mattress. Somehow it just felt right to hold the little sprite in her arms. Rebecca reached down and patted the strong hand resting on her belly.
"It's fine," she replied, smiling in the darkness. She felt so safe and protected in Josie's arms, as if just being in her presence was enough to make all her worries disappear. She sighed contentedly and nuzzled her head deeper into the pillow.
"Good," the gunslinger whispered, moving just a fraction of an inch closer. She was so close that they ended up sharing the same pillow. A thin smile crossed Josie's lips as she drifted off to a sleep undisturbed by nightmares.
The knight fought valiantly, slaying one dragon after another in the quest to rescue the princess. At last the hero was victorious and knelt before the fair maiden. Try as she might, the sleeping women couldn't make out the knight's face when the helmet was removed. All she could see was a dark head bending down to kiss the princess. Slowly the lips moved closer until only one thin beam of light passed between them. The light became less and less until total darkness ended her dream.