Author: Tipper
Title: Demons and Lovers (or the Devil's Luck)
Status: Complete in several parts.
Disclaimer: Owned and created by MGM, John Watson, the Mirish Corporation and Trilogy Entertainment Group. Only borrowing them for fun, and no infringement intended.
Notes: There are spoilers for Achilles and there is subtle reference to a previous story of mine - Adverse Possession - by Inez. That is posted here, somewhere, so if you'd like to read that first, that'd be cool. Anyways, other than that, this stands on its own.
Description: The boys return battered and bruised from a job in a nearby town and emotions are running high. Things go from bad to worse when a group of bad guys decide to take advantage of a under-protected Four Corners. Main characters: Ezra, Buck, JD and Inez.
Tell me what you think, please! Any and all feedback is greatly loved, appreciated and thoroughly needed!
CHAPTER ONE: COMING HOME
A hush fell over the tavern, causing Inez to look up from where she'd been reading the Clarion at the bar. Tucking a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear, she noted that the handful of townsfolk had moved to stand by the window, muttering fretfully and wringing their hands. With a sigh, she closed the paper and made her way over to the bat-wing doors, squinting a little into the bright, afternoon light. She caught her breath in surprise.
"Madre de Dios..."
What had happened to them?
About a week ago, the judge had wired for the Seven's help to protect a couple of witnesses in the town of Red Fork. The two young teenagers, both barely thirteen, had been unwitting observers of a wagon train massacre by a gang of rustlers, and had bravely come forward to testify after the gang was caught. Unfortunately, part of the gang had escaped from the marshals assigned to hold them and the Judge had been afraid they would return to seek vengeance not just on the two children, but on the town. From the looks of the men returning, the Judge had been right.
JD rode in front, his face solemn, an unusual mantle of authority hanging on his shoulders as he led the others. Behind him, a little to the right, Buck trailed on his horse, the gunslinger staring listlessly at the road, his mind clearly miles away. One arm hung in a sling, and his hat was missing.
Behind them, Ezra was guiding a covered wagon, exhaustion lining his features, the dark circles under his eyes deeper than normal. To the back, Inez could see three more horses following slowly, tied to wagon's side.
Pushing open the doors, she stepped outside, and it was like a dam breaking-soon the whole tavern population stood with her on the boardwalk. Over in front of the Clarion, she saw Mary drawing her shawl tightly over her shoulders, her expression tight with worry. JD pulled up near her in front of the jail, and motioned for the others to keep moving on to the clinic. They needed no prompting, and Buck didn't even look up as he passed. Ezra's gaze, however, glanced once towards the saloon as if looking for someone. When he saw Inez, he smiled lightly in hello. She mustered a smile, not sure what more she could offer.
She continued to watch the wagon move, seeing Josiah sitting on the back, one leg hung loosely over the side. The preacher wore a bandage around his head and a tourniquet around one thigh, but he seemed unaware of his injuries. Instead, he was watching whomever lay inside the wagon. Inez frowned as she recognized the dark brown breeches of Nathan, unmoving. Oh lord...
"I got him, Sheriff." Yosemite appeared as if from nowhere, reaching a hand up to JD for the reins of his horse. The young sheriff thanked him with a nod and then dismounted slowly, as if aged by ten years.
"Thank you," he replied. "Appreciate it." The blacksmith nodded and headed back to his livery, the clearly tired horse following without care. When he passed the wagon, he spoke up to Ezra, probably promising to take care of the three horses tied to the wagon. Ezra thanked him with a tip of his hat.
Yosemite seemed to break the spell on the town at seeing the sad procession, and people quickly began to whisper and talk amongst themselves once more. Several approached JD, who was shaking travel dust out of his hat and running a hand through his shaggy hair, and Inez didn't hesitate, moving over to join them, to find out what happened. The one who actually asked the question, though, was the town's unspoken leader.
"JD?" Mary reached a hand out to touch his shoulder. "What happened?" It was the question on everyone's lips, and the young man sighed as he felt the curious crowd thicken around him. Mary bit her lip. "Where are Chris and Vin? And my father-in-law?"
"They're fine, Mrs. Travis," he answered, his voice thick with exhaustion. "They're escorting Judge Travis over to Greeley, for another trial. They should be home day after tomorrow. As to what happened?" He shrugged. "That's a long story, but your father-in-law was right. The missing gang members recruited a bunch of outlaws to help break their friends out of jail. They were fast, Mary, and though we managed to save the witnesses and the town..." he waved at the wagon, now parked in front of the clinic. Ezra had recruited some help in carrying Nathan upstairs, as both Josiah and Buck were in no condition to do more than just look on. JD looked back at Mary. "Nathan nearly died, and Josiah and Buck're both hurt. Even the Judge got swiped in the arm." He grimaced as he saw Mary's eyes widen with worry, "No, no, he's fine. Just a graze...he was lucky."
Mary nodded, closing her eyes briefly, and looked away in the direction of the clinic. She saw Lester Milton helping Josiah make his way up the clinic stairs, while Buck sat down at the base, rubbing his face with his hand.
"Are they going to be alright?" she asked softly, and Inez leaned in to hear the answer more clearly.
"Yeah. Vin took care of the wounds, got 'em stitched up and all, and Ezra's been acting nursemaid since we left town. When Nathan was awake, he told Ezra how to make those foul smelling poultices of his, the ones that stave of infection. He did a good job with them. Nathan, Josiah and Buck're healing fine." He smiled, his show scuffing the ground, "You know, between Vin and Ez, I think we got another Nathan. Well..." JD smiled. "Almost."
"Ezra going to take care of them still?" Mary asked, still watching the clinic. "Now you're home?"
"I think, yeah, probably. Feels guilty, I think, for...Yeah, anyway, he's being taking care of the boys this whole time and I don't think he's planning on stopping." He frowned, and imitated one of Chris's expressions, pursing his lips. "But he needs a break. Been meaning to get him to take one."
Mary patted him on the shoulder. "I can do that. I'll get Sarah and Gloria to help me tend the boys, JD. Don't you worry."
"Thanks," he said, smiling again. "But I'll tell him. I'll let him know you'll be by to give him a break. I don't want him to give you any guff."
Mary huffed a laugh at that, but didn't say anything to deny it. "You look like you could use some sleep too," she said then. JD chuckled.
"Yeah. I'm hitting the hay as soon as I stop by to see them at the clinic. Everything alright here while we were gone?"
"Quiet. All's well."
"Great." He nodded. "Great," he repeated more softly, mostly to himself. "Thanks again." With a last grateful smile to Mary, he nodded to the other townsfolk and turned to leave, heading slowly off towards the clinic. Upon his departure, the crowd dispersed, still whispering amongst themselves.
"I'd be happy to help as well," Inez said to Mary, still standing in the woman's shadow. Mary turned, smiling at her.
"Thanks, Inez. Maybe some food later? And I'm sure Ezra'll be needing to see a friendly face. I'll make sure he makes his way back home before too long."
Inez inclined her head, and Mary flashed another smile before leaving her, obviously heading for Gloria Potter's. Inez hugged her own shawl tighter as she turned and walked quickly back to her saloon, thinking over Mary's last words. His "home." The saloon was, of course, his home, and had been before she'd arrived in this town, but it was more than that. It was her home as well, and Ezra was part of that home. Back on the boardwalk, she looked up at the clinic across the way, and found herself hoping that JD and Mary would work their magic quickly. That Ezra would be home soon.
She'd missed him.
Not that he would ever notice - damn him. Blind as a bat and too much of a 'gentleman' to do more than unconsciously flirt with her because of Buck. Fool of a man.
But a sweet one, when he let himself be.
The sound of a wagon broke her reverie, and she looked over to see the supply wagon from Bitter Creek pulling up in front of the Potter's. The supplies she'd ordered from Mrs. Potter must have finally arrived, she thought lightly. Calling back inside the saloon to tell Seth she was fetching the supplies, she headed across to the mercantile.
Buck looked up, his eyes watching Inez as she made her way across the road. A smile lit upon his face when she looked over and nodded her head in his direction.
"Hello to you too, senorita," he whispered. God, it was good to be home.
Feeling slightly more chipper, he got to his feet and made his way over to the saloon. He needed the company of a happier folk for a while, and few folk made him happier than Inez, especially when she was rebuffing his charms. He'd win her someday, he knew. It was just a matter of time. Until then, he knew there would be some other warm bodies in the saloon to remind him of his continuing healthiness, broken arm or no.
Adjusting the sling on his arm, he offered JD a salute as the kid walked past on his way up to the clinic.
"Feeling better?" the kid asked, obviously smiling at the cheeky expression on Buck's face. Buck flexed an eyebrow.
"I forgot how good it was to be alive, kid," he grinned back, adding a little dance step to the movement. JD ducked his head, shaking it slightly. He knew exactly what Buck meant. For both of them, it was good to be home.
Ezra finished explaining what to do for Josiah and Nathan, wondering if her should be writing the instructions down, when he felt the room sway slightly. Grabbing the edge of the table, he blinked slightly and noticed that Mary was giving him an examining look. He straightened, and smiled slightly.
"Right, well..." He looked over at Josiah, and saw that Gloria Potter was already mixing a poultice together on the sideboard, clearly having started it long before Ezra had explained all the necessary ingredients and amounts. When he looked back at Mary, he saw she was smiling slightly, that terrible knowing smile that teachers often got when their students tried to tell them something they already knew. And now he felt like a heel. A very tired heel.
"Well," he said again, "do you think there is anything else you might need?"
"I don't believe so," she answered, her tone clearly placating. "But I'll come and get you if there is any change."
Ezra felt his face flush with embarrassment, and he shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Travis. I forget myself sometimes. What I just told you is information you already knew, isn't it?"
"But I'm happy to hear it all again," she said. "Never hurts to be reminded."
He gave a snort, and rubbed a hand down his face. "Of course." He shook his head, and smiled again. "Thank you for doing this. And, uh, I suppose I'll be in my room if you need me." He bowed slightly, and both woman offered slight smiles in return as he backed out of the room.
With a slightly dazed air, he navigated the steps out down from Nathan's clinic slowly, soaking up the healing rays of the sun like a starving man. A breeze tickled his skin, bringing with it the smell of fresh hay and smelting ore from Yosemite's livery as he headed across to the boardwalk. Thankfully, the man must have mucked it out recently. Ezra couldn't help but smile at the thought; Chaucer would be happy. Perhaps he should go see him before going to his room? Leaning against a handy post, he lowered his head and closed his eyes to consider the idea, content for a moment simply to listen to the sounds of the town.
At some point, he heard the gentle clearing of someone's throat. He blinked his eyes open rapidly, startled to realize the sun had moved and he'd nearly fallen asleep standing up. When his bearings returned, he found himself looking into the concerned, but also clearly amused eyes of Inez. She adjusted the packages in her arms to a more comfortable position.
"Senor?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Do you need me to take you home? You look like you should be lying down."
"Why Ms. Recillos," he replied, his face shining with innocence, "are you offering to take me to bed?"
Inez narrowed her eyes, and then stepped close to him, making him glad both her hands were occupied by the package, since those words totally deserved a slap. Instead, she gave a wolfish smile.
"In the state you're in, Ezra," she whispered, "you'd never keep up." And, miracles of miracles, she waggled her eyebrows.
He laughed, unable to resist her smile. "My dear, you shame me." He looked at the heavy boxes in her arms, wondering how she managed to keep them balanced without completely tipping over. "Can I give you a hand?"
"Oh, I don't think so," she replied. "You'd fall over if I gave you one of these. Some of these boxes contain replacement glasses for the saloon." She smiled. "And I don't relish having them broken in just yet."
Ezra winced. "A terrible pun. But I assure you..." He lifted off the top two boxes with a grunt. "I am more than capable." He was impressed-they were heavy.
"You all right?" she asked. He just glared at her, then indicated with a nod that she lead the way.
With a shrug, she readjusted her remaining package and turned away toward the saloon, the gambler on her heels.
They both nodded to Seth as they walked in through the bat-wing doors, who returned the greeting absently. In the corner, Buck looked up from where he sat with Cherise, who was massaging his shoulders. Ezra nodded at him, but Buck could only respond with a dark glower. Ezra swallowed thickly, his smile falling completely as he looked away, the flush still on his face turning hotter with guilt.
Inez waited as Ezra muscled the heavy storeroom door open with a shoulder, the thick wood scraping the floor with a painful squeal. Once open, it would remain stuck ajar until someone manhandled it closed again. The only bonus of it was that no one could break in without Inez or Seth hearing.
Inside the dank room, Ezra dumped his box on the central table and moved to light the candles. Inez put hers down opposite his and pulled a knife to cute away at the twine. Neither spoke as they ripped the boxes open and started to put bottles, cans and glasses away. Ezra stopped only once to admire the quality of the new mugs he'd been carrying, impressed by their weight and quality.
"I got a deal," Inez said from where she was reaching up to place some cans on the top shelf. "A dozen for a dollar. Not bad, eh? You were getting half a dozen for the same, and those are better. Less likely to break."
Ezra shook his head, once more impressed at how easily she could read his mind. With a sigh, he turned his back to her and sat against the table, holding the mug he'd been admiring to his chest. His mind drifted to the time when he owned this saloon, albeit for only a short time, and then beyond to other matters. Soon, he was completely lost in his thoughts, their meanderings bringing him to the misery of the last week.
How was he ever going to make up for what had happened? When everything he did, like owning this saloon, failed?
Inez put the last can away and walked around the table to his side. For a moment, she just stood and studied his profile, never having seen such an open look of pain on his face. With lighter steps, she approached and gently lifted the mug from his hands. He jumped slightly at her touch, then slumped his shoulders, his hands moving back to grip the edge of the table behind him. Placing the glass on the table, she stood in front of him and rested a hand on his chest. Something inside her shuddered at the intimacy of it, but she couldn't back away now.
"What happened?" she whispered, hoping he'd lift his gaze from the floor to look at her. He didn't comply.
"Nothing. Merely daydreams."
"No." She pressed a little harder on his chest, fingers catching the edge of his silk vest. "I mean, what happened in Red Fork?"
He shook his head. "Inez, you don't want-"
"Yes, I do. You need to talk about it." She touched a finger to his chin, lifting it. "Please. Let me help."
Ezra's face crumpled, and he pulled away from her touch. "You can't help."
"Not if you won't tell me."
He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes. "I suppose you'll find out eventually. May as well be now. Nathan...Nathan's injuries, the fact that he almost died..." He swallowed. "Nathan almost died and it was my fault."
Instead of immediately dismissing that idea as foolish, which she knew would only cause him to turn away from her, she nodded. "How?"
This time he did look at her, green eyes dark in the half-light of the storeroom. "It happened so quickly, I barely even recall how, only why..." His voice caught on those last words, and he looked down at the floor again.
"Nathan and I were assigned to protect the witnesses and the Judge. We were on the way to the grain exchange, where the trial was to be held, when the gunfire broke loose. I couldn't see the others who were supposed to be keeping an eye on us; I didn't know what had happened to them. It wasn't until later that I learned there had been a fire in the livery, started by those bastards as a diversion, and the breakout at the jail. All I knew was that we had to get the two children and Judge Travis to some sort or cover. Then a lucky shot winged the Judge's shooting arm, knocking his rifle from his hand. Nathan yelled that he would cover us, to give me enough time to get the others away. I should never have agreed." He paused, and bit his bottom lip.
"I take it someone shot him," she said.
"I had just gotten to cover when I saw him go down. But I couldn't get to him, Inez. I didn't know what to do. I was the only one between the Judge and those children and the guns. I couldn't break cover to get to him, or they would have been unprotected. My God, but he looked at me from where he was on the ground, Inez, pleading for me to help him as he gripped his shoulder. Then that behemoth came." He shook slightly, spitting out the word "behemoth" with a heavy dose of acerbity.
"Behemoth?"
"Brute. Ugly, huge, and nasty. Nathan's height, and Josiah's girth. He came out of nowhere and picked up Nathan like a rag doll, shaking the poor man as a means to get rid of his anger. I tried to take a shot, but he put Nathan between himself and me, and then we started taking fire from other sides. I couldn't cover them all, Inez. I had to make a choice...I couldn't help Nathan without..." He placed his free hand on his face, covering his eyes, and Inez frowned. "So I let that man...Nathan was screaming in pain and I...I...I just did nothing. I did nothing to help him. I am never going to be able to make up for that. I don't...I can't even...God help me, I can still hear him screaming and...and..."
She'd never seen him like this. Ezra and the other six were the most self-assured men she had ever met, even against impossible odds, and yet, here he was, admitting to her that, for a moment, he had been absolutely terrified. She crept a little closer, taking one of his hands in hers. He was shaking now, and she lifted the hat off of his head to place it on the table. He didn't stop her, and, with her free hand she found herself touching his face.
"Thank God for Buck," Ezra said suddenly, quietly. "He came charging like a bear out from the alleyway, knocking that ugly bastard off his feet. He saved Nathan's life, and sprained his shoulder in the process by throwing a man one and a half times his weight on his head." He smiled grimly. "Remind me never to get on Buck's bad side," he said, looking up at her finally. His smile fell before her unwavering gaze, as if noticing for the first time just how close she had gotten.
He jerked his head back, nervous, and Inez took a step back, lowering her hand from his chin but not letting go his hand.
"Bu...Buck's a good man," he said, and she smiled softly.
"I know," she said. "But so are you."
He shook his head.
"No," he whispered. "No, I'm not."
She didn't understand. She hadn't been there.
Buck had barely spoken to him the whole way back, unable to hide the fact that he partially blamed him for Nathan's injuries. The others had all said they understood his actions, covering the lie by expressing no more feeling on the matter than they would a day at the lake, and even Nathan had forgiven him, telling him there was nothing to forgive. But Buck was not the type to forget so easily, or to hide his emotions as well as the others. It seemed clear to Ezra that Buck blamed him for Nathan almost as much as Ezra did himself. And for all their machinations, he knew the others felt the same. He'd seen the relief in Chris's shoulders when he and Vin had ridden away with the Judge, happy that they could forget about him for a week. Even Josiah had been less forthcoming. Only JD and Nathan hadn't been cold, and Nathan only because he'd been asleep most of the time.
Inez continued to watch him, and he was amazed to notice how clear her eyes seemed. He saw only understanding and trust in them, and it took his breath away somewhat. Swallowing, he covered his discomfort, and tried to slide sideways to slip away from her. "In any case," he said, "Buck got Nathan to safety, and, not long after, the firing stopped as the rest of the gang was brought down."
"So you saved those kids and the Judge?" she asked, still gripping his hand and preventing his escape.
"They weren't hurt, no," he said, looking away.
"Then...then you saved those kids and the Judge," she said, a finality to her tone. He shook his head. Pressing her lips together in a determined expression, she stepped forward, trapping him again. Grabbing his chin in her other hand, she forced him to look her in the eye.
"Listen to me. You saved the kids and the Judge. You did what you had to. Nathan did what he had to. You can't be everywhere at once. You know that. If you had broken cover to help Nathan, leaving those three innocents without protection, what would have happened?"
He frowned. Nathan had already said this to him. It rang just as hollowly now as then, but, as if sensing his disbelief, Inez actually hardened her grip on his chin.
"I asked you a question, Ezra Standish. What would have happened? Can you honestly tell me they would have survived without you protecting them in that moment? You had no choice. What happened was a terrible thing, but you had no choice."
"Nathan nearly died, Inez. That man had him by the throat. If Buck hadn't been there..." He shut his eyes, and she loosed his chin to place her hand on his chest.
"But Senor Wilmington was there. That was what he was supposed to be doing, yes? Making sure you and Nathan were protected as you, in turn, protected those children and the Judge? If it is anyone's fault, Ezra, it is his for not being there to cover you from the beginning."
Ezra' eyes widened, and he frowned. "No, absolutely not! Don't you dare accuse Buck of doing something wrong! He couldn't be there."
Inez tilted her head. She could feel his heart beating furiously beneath the vest. "You're right," she whispered. "He did nothing wrong. And neither did you, for the same reason. Can't you see that?"
Ezra didn't answer, instead he just looked at her, unable to tear his eyes from hers. When she looked down at her hand on his chest, Ezra followed her gaze.
"Whether you know it or not," she whispered, "I know you. I knew you from the minute I walked in those doors over a year and a half ago. You think you are the only one who can read people? Believe me when I tell you, I have had many years to learn what an evil man, a selfish man, or a cowardly man looks like. I grew up around them, learned from them, was beaten by them. Do you honestly think that I would have tried to become your partner if I had seen any of those qualities in you? I could have looked for work anywhere, but I chose you."
When he didn't answer, she reached up to rest her hand gently on his face, brushing her fingers along his cheekbone, then up over his temple, brushing back a dark curl. He felt himself starting to tremble as she started talking again.
"You are a good man. The others, they know this. Even Buck. You'll see...I predict that, in a couple of days, when Senors Larabee and Tanner return, there will be no more uncertain looks. Deep down, they trust you, and their uncertainty will pass. They know that what you did, you did because that was what was required. Don't believe for a second that, if you hadn't had the Judge and those witnesses to protect, that you wouldn't have taken that beating for Nathan yourself, if you could have."
He closed his eyes. "How can you be so sure?" he asked, his voice barely a scratch.
"Because...," she replied, looking up at him, her voice fading.
She smiled, and leaned up to kiss him, ever so lightly, on the lips. The touch was feather light, and so soft that his lips tingled in the same way as if he'd just eaten too much sugar, or had touched absinthe to his lips. Instantly, he stiffened, backing up slightly, surprised.
"Inez..." He stammered, his breathing becoming more rapid. "I...What about...?"
Twice in one day, she noted absently, twice I've seen him completely terrified.
Gently, she reached up and rested her arms about his neck, allowing her hands to tickle lightly at the back of his hair.
"Are you going to back away this time?" she murmured.
After a moment, he shook his head. She smiled again, all coyness gone. Leaning forward, she once more brushed his lips with hers, taking in his scent. She could smell the pine and cedar soap he used to wash his face and hair, and the muskiness of the road on his clothes. Her fingers wrapped themselves more tightly in his hair, and she reveled in the warmth of his breath on her skin as he leaned over to kiss her back.
Ezra closed his eyes and loosened his grip on the table, his hands wrapping themselves around her. With an almost furtive touch, he pulled her in close, allowing her to wrap her arms more securely about his neck. This kiss was harder, more desperate in feeling, and Inez could feel his arms still trembling as he held on to her.
She parted her lips slightly, letting her tongue tickle his lips, inviting. He responded immediately, deepening the kiss, taking her mouth completely in his. Shivers ran down her spine, and she pressed herself closer, standing up on her toes to reach him better. Before long, he let her lips go, trailing kissed along her cheek and down her neck, nipping at her skin with his teeth and eliciting a slight moan from her. Grabbing his head in her hands, she drew him back, as if afraid to let him go, her movements more forceful as she took his lips in hers.
Neither noticed the slight creak of the floorboards near the door as someone looked in on them, and then disappeared.
Finally, Ezra moved his head away, and he once more trailed kisses down her neck until he reached her bare shoulder. Then he simply stopped, resting his forehead on her burning skin, holding her tight, hugging her so closely she could barely breathe.
For a long time, he just held her.
Buck's head was spinning. He'd gone to find them in the storeroom so that he could apologize to Ezra, to tell him that he had been wrong to be angry...
That rat bastard.
Sweeping back through the saloon, he barely glanced at Seth as he grabbed a bottle of whiskey off the bar, not caring that it belonged to someone else. Cherise stood up from the chair where she'd been waiting for him, her brown eyes bright with surprise as he walked past without looking at her. She looked over at Seth, who was busy trying to placate the man from whom Buck had stolen the bottle. He succeeded when he gave him another one.
"Should I go after him?" Cherise asked timidly, brushing a light brown curl away from her face. Seth looked up, adjusting the glasses on his nose with a nervous air.
"I don't know, Cherise," he said. "Maybe he just needs to get home to bed."
She shrugged, "Well, I could help him with that..."
"Sleep, Cherise. Home to sleep."
"Oh," Cherise bit her lip, then looked past Seth to the backroom. She lowered her voice, "What do you think happened back there?" she asked.
Seth furrowed his brow and pulled the cloth off his shoulder to start wiping down the bar. "None of our business, Cher."
"Seth..."
"No. I'm not going to go a guessing about other people. She wants to let us know, she'll let us know."
Cherise frowned at him, and shook her head. "Maybe I should go after Buck..."
"No, stay here and help me tonight. I get the feeling Miss Inez is going to be busy taking care of Mr. Standish for a while, and it's almost dinner time. Soon as the sun goes down, I'll be needing you."
Cherise grimaced. "All right. But I don't like watching wounds fester, Seth. Buck needs people with him to heal properly, even if people is just me. If he's worse tomorrow, I'm blaming you." She grabbed the rag from his hand and walked off, planning on wiping down the tables and grabbing the empty mugs. Seth sighed and leaned over the bar.
The man who'd had his whiskey stolen chuckled, and the bartender shot him a dirty look.
A few minutes later, Inez appeared from around the corner, a couple of bottles of Red-Eye in her hands. "Something the matter?" she asked, setting the bottles under the bar and brushing a piece of dark hair behind her ear. She was looking over at Cherise, who was still muttering angrily as she attacked tabled with her cloth.
The bartender blushed and shook his head. "No, ma'am. Just asking Cherise to help me. Thought you might be busy with Mr. Standish..." Inez narrowed her eyes slightly, not sure how to take that.
"Ah, I see," she watched as Cherise attacked the tables, and smiled. "I take it she'd rather be with Buck?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Well, Senor Standish has gone up to his room to rest. I'm going to take him some dinner, and then I'll be back. Tell Cherise she can leave when I return, okay?"
The bartender nodded, earning another dry chuckle from the man at the bar. Inez glanced at him, dismissed him as a drunk, then headed back into the kitchens. Seth sighed again.
"Gotta love women, eh?" the drunk asked. "Take charge better than any man I've ever known, even when they're not supposed to." Seth didn't correct him, just went to pull another rag to wipe down the bar.
When she got upstairs with the tray and knocked, no one answered at Ezra's door. Balancing it on one hip, Inez tried the doorknob, interested to notice it was open. Silently making her way inside, she found Ezra asleep on the bed in a rather odd position. He'd obviously meant to just sit on the bed and wait for her, but had succumbed to putting his head on the pillow, leaving him in a half sitting, half lying down position. He was still fully dressed, even his boots were still on.
With a shake of her head, she placed the tray on the dresser, pushing aside the guns he'd lazily placed there, noting that his derringer was not among them. Quietly, she turned and made her way across to him, to pull off his boots. Once done, she stripped him of his jacket and waistcoat, which caused him to mumble something incoherent as he dug his head a bit deeper into the pillow. She looked at the derringer rig for a moment, before deciding to let him keep it on - she wasn't sure she could take it off anyhow. Finally, she tipped his feet up onto the bed so that he was lying down properly, then rolled him over to pull the covers down. Not long after, she had him tucked in, covers up to his chin, face firmly ensconced in the white pillowcase.
"Sleep well, mi amor," she whispered, kissing his forehead. Brushing her fingers once more through his hair, she hung up his jacket and waistcoat, grabbed the tray, and left.
Cherise knocked on Buck's door, but, as Inez had with Ezra, she got no response. However, when she tried the doorknob, she found it locked.
"Buck?" she called quietly. "Buck, are you okay?"
No one answered. She thought she heard something shift inside the room, but then nothing,
"Love, I know you're in there. Listen, I don't know what you saw that sent you storming off an hour ago so angrily, but Inez is back in the bar and she gave me the night off. If...If you need me, I'm here."
She listened some more at the door, then rested her forehead against it.
"Buck...I'm uh, I'll be at the bar, should you want to find me, okay? I won't leave, except to got to sleep, which I will do tonight on my own, just in case you change your mind." Sighing, she listened for another minute, then slowly made her way back outside.
Inside the room, Buck took another swig of the whiskey in his hand and leaned against the headboard of his bed. Wiping a tired hand across his face, he wondered if he shouldn't take Cherise up on her offer, but decided against it. He wanted to wallow in misery tonight.
Tomorrow he'd teach that son-of-a-bitch gambler a lesson in making moves on innocent women like Inez.
Continued in Part Two...