She Loves Me

"She loves me, she loves me not. She loves me, she loves me not."

The man stopped his musing to have a good look at the daisy. Its yellow center almost matched the color of his hair. He paused to look out over the expanse of terrain stretching further than the horizon.

"She loves me, she loves me not."

"What'cha doin', Kyle?"

"Huh?" Startled, the blond man turned. "Wheat, ya shouldn't'a snuck up on me like that. It ain't polite."

"Polite? Pfft. Since when do I have to be polite?"

"Well, it don't hurt none, now do it?" Kyle's brow furrowed.

"Hmph. Polite!" Wheat Carlson spit off to the side. "Hell, Kyle, it sounded like you was bein' all starry-eyed … like a gal!"

"I weren't bein' like no girl!"

"I hope not, supposin' to be on guard duty and such. What would Kid say if he found out you're slackin'? Never mind Heyes."

Kyle Murtry jumped to his feet, his full height barely reaching his friend's shoulder. "Now listen, Wheat, don't you go tellin' Heyes or Kid about anythin'. There's nothin' to say, anyway. It's real quiet-like up here!"

"I don't know, Kyle. You never know when a lawman'll get too full of that badge on his chest and lead a posse straight up here. They're not stupid, you know. Least-wise, not as smart as yours truly here." He nodded, driving home his point.

"I know, Wheat. It can happen anytime. Right smart of Heyes and Kid to always want a lookout."

Wheat gazed on the expanse. "Well, then, look out instead of playin' some gal's game."

The smaller man's eyes narrowed. "I was lookin' out."

"Pfft. Yep, I could see that." He laughed. "Kyle, you can't keep a good look out while your mind's somewhere else. It's that little gal down in Buffalo you had your eye on last week, weren't it?"

"No."

"Well, you could do worse now. She weren't bad."

Kyle smirked. "That girl's taken. That big guy's her beau."

"Oh, the one Kid stared down in the bar when Heyes caught him cheatin'?"

"Uh huh. That one."

"Yep, Kid got him good in a stare-down. That guy weren't having no part of anythin' else that night. Huh, except maybe that gal of his." Wheat puffed up. "'Course, I coulda done the same thing. Kid Curry's not the only one good at starin' somebody down."

Kyle's nose wrinkled. "Wheat, you sayin' you're as good as Kid?"

The taller man chuckled. "Hell, Kid ain't the only one 'round these parts good at that kinda thing, you know. I got it in me, too. Just don't get the chance as often as Kid does is all 'cause Heyes looks to him more'n me."

"Well, they's partners."

"Yep, so it makes sense." His gaze met Kyle's. "Now, you and me, we're partners, sorta."

Kyle stared expectantly.

"Well, aren't we?"

"What's that, Wheat?"

"Partners."

"Well, yeah, I guess."

Wheat smirked. "Pfft. You guess?"

Kyle stammered, "Well … yeah ... sure. Partners." He nodded.

As one eye narrowed, Wheat momentarily lost his focus. "Uh, okay. You're sure 'bout that? You don't sound like ya mean it."

"Well, sure I do, Wheat." The blond man's tone was one of innocence, like a wide-eyed child trying to convince a parent.

Wheat's mouth opened, then closed. Brow furrowed, and smoothed. His eyed rolled. "Okay, so like I was sayin', you and me, we're partners."

"Uh huh." Kyle blinked.

Wheat blinked back. They stared at each other for several moments.

"Dad blasted, Kyle – you made me forget what I was sayin'!"

"Sorry, Wheat. I was just tryin' to get where you're comin' from."

A sigh. "Never mind." He pointed to the best spot for keeping watch. "Now, you just get on back to lookin' out and I'll tell Heyes you're doin' a mighty fine job at it."

Kyle's countenance lit up. "Gee, thanks, Wheat!"

"Pfft. You're welcome." The taller man smiled and turned.

Kyle walked the few steps back to his perch. He noticed the half-forgotten daisy in his grasp and pulled a petal. "She loves me, she loves me not."

Wheat stopped in his tracks, walking back to the blond man. "Now there you go again. That's what I was talkin' about."

Kyle stopped in mid-motion. "What's that, Wheat?"

"The part where I was sayin' you and me bein' partners and all. If'n ya got into any trouble, you could call on me like Heyes does Kid, and I'd be right there for ya, starin' down those guys just as good as Kid does." Wheat winked. "Keep your hide outta trouble, ya know."

"Well, maybe, Wheat. But I don't play cards good as Heyes."

Wheat sighed. "See, Kyle, it don't matter how good you play cards or not. Say it's with that gal of yours, the one you're wonderin' whether she loves ya or not. I could stare down that fella of hers just as sure as Sunday comes after Saturday – you can bank on that."

"Okay, Wheat, but that girl ain't mine."

"Well, you sure had me fooled. What'cha doin' moonin' all over her then? If'n ya want her, ya gotta make your intentions known … like a hunter going after his prey." Wheat looked self-satisfied. "That's a good one, huh?"

"Might be a good one or not, Wheat, but I'm no hunter moonin' after no girl, 'specially that one."

"Why not? She's a purty little thing."

"She is purty, but she's taken."

"Now you ain't gonna let that cheatin' boyfriend of hers stand in your way, are ya?"

"Well, no …"

"So, go after her."

"Wheat, I done told ya, it's not like that!"

"No?"

"No."

"Ya sure?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Wheat's eyes narrowed. "You're a hard one to figure out sometimes, 'specially for a partner."

"Ain't nothin' hard 'bout it. It's not her is all."

"'Kay." Wheat frowned. "Well, you just go back to watchin' out and I'll still tell Heyes 'bout that good job you're doin'."

"Who made you boss that ya have to tell Heyes anythin'?"

"Well, Heyes and Kid do count on me … You know that."

"Guess so."

Wheat looked quizzically at Kyle a moment before turning. "I'm just gonna get my horse here and get on back to the bunkhouse. Could use me a little shut-eye before supper time."

"'Kay, Wheat."

Once again, Wheat strode away from the guard position.

"She loves me, she loves me not."

"Kyle!"

"What?!"

"You're doin' it again!"

"Doin' what?"

The pair again came face to face. Wheat moved to grab the daisy from Kyle's hand, but the blond man faked him out. Wheat half fell into dead space, his hat flying from the sudden movement.

"What'd you do that for, Kyle?"

The smaller man retrieved his friend's hat, handing it to him.

Wheat slapped it against his thigh, coughing as the dust encircled him. He put it square on his head and raised his voice. "I said, what did you do that for? Huh?"

Kyle's eyes narrowed. "I only stepped outta the way, Wheat. There ain't no need for ya to grab what ain't yours."

Wheat's anger lessened. "I was just doin' what's best for ya, Kyle! If'n you don't get back to lookin' out, I can't truthfully tell Heyes you're doin' a good job now, can I?"

"Well … I guess not."

"So ya gonna get back to it so I can do the right thing by ya?"

"Well, Wheat, I keep tryin' to get back to it but you keep interruptin' me."

"I ain't interruptin' ya!"

"Yes, ya are. Ever' time I try to get back to lookin' out, ya keep comin' back. You're just plum confusin' today."

The taller man shook his head. "I'm tryin' to let ya get back to keepin' a lookout, but ya keep doing that girly game."

"What girly game?"

"Aw, come on, Kyle – that thing you're doin' with that flower."

Realization hit. Kyle held up the daisy. "Oh, ya mean this?"

Wheat rolled his eyes. "Yeah, that! Now stop that nonsense and get back to keepin' watch. Ya said ya weren't interested in that gal, anyhow."

"Nope, not the girl in the bar."

"Okay. Then why're ya doin' that?"

"Wheat, she's not the only girl around."

"Who else?"

Kyle blushed. "Well …" The toe of his boot dug at the dirt.

Wheat smirked. "So, out with it then, boy."

The blond man looked up. "Well, there's that little girl over at the dressmaker's. She's kinda cute."

The older man grinned. "Yeah, I can see that. She's purty, all right. Kinda young."

"Well, I'm younger than you, Wheat, so maybe she's not too young for me."

"Well, maybe. But mind your elders and get back to what ya should be doin'."

"I've been tryin' to! Don't go interruptin' me no more and I'll do my watchin'."

"Okay."

"Okay."

Kyle got back into position behind the boulders that lined the ledge. Wheat stood his ground long enough to see his counterpart look out over the expanse. Satisfied, he strode toward his horse.

"She loves me …"

"Kyle!"

"There ya go again, Wheat!"

"That little gal in the dressmaker's shop ain't gonna give you the time of day, so why you wastin' your breath?"

"I ain't wastin' my breath!"

The older man walked to Kyle and kneeled, putting them at eye level. His hand touched Kyle's shoulder in a fatherly way, although it might have been more patronizing. "Look, Kyle, you're hopin' against hope, tryin' to convince yourself that little gal'll be interested in the likes of you. Now I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news, but …"

"What happened, Wheat?"

"Huh?"

"What happened? What's the bad news? You coulda told me already."

Wheat blinked, pulling back. "What?"

"The bad news – what is it? I hope it's nothin' too upsettin' for ya."

Wheat's mouth opened, closed.

Kyle put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "It's okay, Wheat. Us bein' partners and all, you can tell me."

Wheat shrugged from the touch. "Dad-blasted, Kyle, there ain't no bad news, 'cept maybe Heyes and Kid havin' our hides when a lawman comes up here!" Wheat stood and stormed back to his horse.

"Golly, Wheat, you don't have to get all proddy or nothin'. Guess you're havin' a bad day."

The older man stared open-mouthed. "I weren't havin' a bad day until I came up here!"

Kyle gazed in all directions. "Yep, the air up here is thinner than normal today, I suppose. That's what's eatin' at ya, right?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"That game you're playin' instead of focusin' on lookin' out."

Kyle's blue eyes grew wide. He held up the daisy. "Oh, this?"

Wheat sighed. "Yes, that."

"It's not a game, Wheat. I'm just tryin' to reach a verdict on somethin'."

"A verdict," Wheat said flatly. "Not a gal?"

Kyle grinned. "No, Wheat, not a girl." He flushed. "Naw, I just look at that purty girl at the dressmaker's every now and agin. You're right, with me bein' wanted and all …"

"Uh huh."

"…There'd be no chance."

"Uh huh."

"Right." Kyle looked pleased with himself. "See ya later, Wheat. I got some lookin' out to do." He pulled another petal. "She loves me …"

"Kyle?"

"What, Wheat?!"

"Why ya doin' that if it's not about a gal?"

"I told ya, to reach a verdict." He pulled the last petal. "She loves me!"

Wheat stared blankly. "So what's the verdict?"

"That cute little mare Hank brought back with that string of ponies? He had his eye on it but I told him she favored me. Now I know it for sure!" Kyle grinned ear-to ear.

"A horse? That was all about a horse?"

"Yep." Kyle splayed his hands out from the armpits of his vest. "She likes me best! I can tell Hank she's mine, all right!"

Wheat turned back toward his mount. He shook his head. "A horse …"