Lillian Rose was pass the marriageable age, and had decided to live the life of excitement and independence. At 23, she should of already had a homestead, several children, and a husband that lived in the fields. But late into her teens she decided that would not be her fate. She wanted to handle her own destiny, and ignore her overbearing family.
As she huddled on the dust wood floor, the stranger's jacket wrapped around her, she had also decided that she was a complete moron and her pa had always known best. What was she thinking, living like a man? As the only female of six children she was always having a hard time understanding her place as a woman in the west. Her two younger brothers had more authority than she did at their birth. So running away weeks before her pa forced her into a disagreeable marriage seemed like a completely competent thing to do. At the time.
Lillian stared at her hands, caked in dirt and dried blood, and had a hard time feeling any shock left. She had been caught by Bill Williamson several days ago. She went kicking and screaming, clawing at anyone until the tied her and beat her relentlessly. After blacking out for an unknown amount of time, she woke to a horrifying event that she will block out for the rest of her life.
Men are animals. Abusive monsters and she will never be able to look at her own brothers and father again.
She heard deep groaning from the rickety bed on the other wall and quickly pushed the abrasive thoughts from her mind.
"I can't… Don't…"
Lillian jerked her head up and watched him grip the sides of the bed. His large frame dominated the area, stripped down to just his dark trousers. She had helped Bonnie move him to the bed to help tend his gunshot wound, and wished she never had to touch him. He was a terrifying man. The stranger excreted an all too male vibe. Being completely solid muscle everywhere, all dusted in black hair. His hands were calloused when he had reached for her in his delirium. His fever had been so high. But its been at least a whole day and shockingly his fever had disappeared as quickly as it came. His mumbling quickly changed to anger as he shot up from the bed, grasping at his side for his gun.
"It's okay stranger. Relax, you're several miles away." She spoke much softer than she meant and for a moment wondered if he heard her as he stared out the window at the end of his bed.
"And safe," she paused for a few moments before adding "As I hope I am too, locked in this room with you."
He lazily turned to her. "Of course." His gruff voice sent shivers down her spine. Not of fear, but of a different kind she had rarely experienced.
She wrapped herself tighter in the jacket as he continued to stare at her, his eyes showing a softening that looked alien on his hard, scared face. As he continued to watch her she felt herself begin to shake. He had better stop looking at me. She felt like she wanted to scream.
Finally turning away he asked, "Who has the key then? I'm ready to go finish what I started."
Lillian's mouth hung open. Was he serious?
"You almost died stranger, he shot you meaning to ki-"
"John," he interrupted.
Lillian stared at him in confusion. "What?"
"John is my name Ma'am. Not stranger." He swung his feet around to the floor and leaned his elbows on his knees, cupping his head in his large palms.
"Oh. Well then, John, I'm Miss Rose, not Ma'am." She had meant to assert her authority more with this witless male but instead made herself feel petty. Like a child fighting over nothing.
He sighed, but never moved. "Alright Miss Rose. May I ask why you haven't cleaned up yet?" He glanced out the window, "I know I've been out for a while."
"There are no clothes for me to change into and no water to clean myself with. If they had let me clean up I would already be in Armadillo." She suddenly blanched. Lillian never meant to blurt out where she was heading. She needed to get away from this John fellow. He jumbled her mind and she still felt far too fragile to be in anyone's presents.
He sat up and looked at her again. "You're going to… walk to Armadillo?"
She pulled the edges of the coat closer around shoulders,
"If I must, yes."
Her plans beyond that - she wasn't sure. She was ruined regardless, and there were few options for ruined women her age.
Desperate for a change in subject, she blurted "How's your shoulder?"
"Fine. Thank you Miss." He slowly rose, testing his weight on shaky legs. She watched, curious as to what he planned on doing.
"I'm about ready to go too. Maybe I can open the window and get someone's attention." Before he could act on his idea, the door opened. A blonde woman a bit older than Lillian strolled in, with an authority to be recognized. Lillian had instantly felt kinship with woman the first day they met. Someone she wanted to be, and failed miserably achieving.
"Well I'm glad you've decided to join the land of the living." She kept a care free smile on her face as she addressed a man much larger than her, with no escort. She did however have a pistol hanging from her side, one that both of them easily noticed.
"Thank you ma'am for saving me-us." He folded his arms over his thick chest, leaning his hip against the wall.
"Didn't think you would of made it, but luckily you're friend here flagged me down. Unfortunately the encounter has cost us fifteen dollars."
"Us?" Lillian finally found her voice.
"Pa and I," The woman's smile was gone but her tone still offered friendliness. "However I have an idea I hope you're willing to agree to."
John felt exposed without his weapons and most of his clothes but it would have been far more bearable if not the huddled mess of Miss Rose wasn't constantly staring at his chest. He felt a unfamiliar heat in his lap that he thought he had completely quenched. He was no young buck, and lust was not something he indulged often. In fact, not since Abigail, God rest her soul, so many years ago. He swore off women after that, finding that almost every encounter a man and woman have ended up painful in one way or another.
"I'm Bonnie, by the way. Bonnie McFarlen. My pa owns the ranch but I most definitely run it."
"I'm Lillian Rose, and this is John." She waved in his direction.
"What was your idea, ma'am?" John was hoping it could be done quickly. He didn't like being in debt to someone, especially to someone he knew nothing about.
"Dress first, I have some clothes that should fit you. My brothers if you must know." Bonnie turned to Lillian, "And you poor girl, need to get cleaned up. I apologize for leaving you in here with him without anything but I'm afraid things got a bit disorganized when I brought you two here." She reached out to take Lillian's hand.
John was pulling the shirt on over his head, biting back a nasty response to Bonnie. In truth, he was livid that they had left her like that on the floor. Although John doesn't remember too much right before he was shot, he does remember the state she was in when he had confronted Bill. After agitating Bill into a frenzy, calling him a rapist and not being able to bed a woman who actually wanted him, Bill had thrown the girl out completely naked. Wrapping his coat around the shaking woman, he forced her to his side unsure if her tremors were from cold or fear.
Even now the memory of her pale naked form was burned into his memory. He was surprised Bill let go of her at all, she was the picture of femininity. Long wavy chestnut hair that flowed to her waist, dark brown eyes and full lips. High cheekbones, almost too high, hinted to possible Indian descent. But her pale white skin erased any real possibility of that. He was ashamed to admit he remembers her round high breasts, the curve of her waist and it flared back out at her hips. Thinking about it now was a terrible idea. With Bonnie's back still to him and Lillian focused on her, he quickly reached down and adjusted himself against the tight ties of his trousers.
"She must be freezing. Leaving a blanket is the least you could of done Miss McFarlen." He couldn't stop himself from snapping at her.
When neither spoke right away he glanced over, Lillian's face was bright red. Did she think he was going to forget she was naked?
"I-I will give back your coat soon, sir. Don't worry." She seemed an odd mix of outrage and fear.
"That's not what I meant Miss." His arms involuntarily bunched up against his chest to keep from reaching out to her.
"No Miss Rose, he's livid with me now. Don't you worry about his tone." Bonnie smiled as if she was telling a joke and turned to face him.
"If you would give the poor woman some privacy I'd be much appreciative." Bonnie's tone jarred him back to her.
"Oh. Of course." He awkwardly glanced around and then walked outside, shutting the door softly behind him.