The frost glittered on the playfully blown breathes of the children. The boys held their gloved forefingers and thumbs to their lips in mock pose as though they were Hank Lawson, blowing cigar smoke out into the chilly street. The girls giggled as they huffed out to one another, attempting to grasp their freezing smoke-like breaths. It was an unusually frost filled winter for Colorado Springs. Icicles were forming along the awnings of the town buildings, dripping down like glass unicorn horns. In the midst of play Lucy paused recalling how her father had reached up and snapped one off the front of the barbershop and had handed it over to Izzy's mitten clad hands.
"Don't go lickin' it now," he'd crossed his arms over his chest, winking at Lucy. "Your tongue'll get stuck…then Dr. Mike'll have tah cut it off."
His mouth had smashed off to the side in his usual close-lipped smirk.
"Cut my tongue off!" Izzy held the icicle out at arms length passing the freezing article from one hand to the other.
Lucy had laughed, knowing Izzy had fallen for the dupe yet again. Rolling her lapis blue eyes cheerily at her father, who was peering down at them holding back a laugh, Lucy tugged on one of Izzy's scarlet braids. "You're both wrong, anyhow. Dr. Mike'id just melt it off with warm water."
Jake's brows rose high on his forehead, as he had begun to proudly address his eldest daughter, only to have all his attention stolen by the call of his wife.
"I am trapped again it seems!" her voice was blushed with embarrassment.
"Don't go gettin' intah any trouble," Lucy heard her father say as he disappeared into the barbershop to save her pregnant mother from another deep chair.
Lucy tipped her suede chocolate Stetson back on her head allowing waves of inky black lazy curls to escape at her temples. Clapping her hands together, she'd rubbed them mischievously at her seven-year-old sister. "Times ah wastin'!"
"Yes, time is wasting!" Izzy had aspired to mimic her sister, loosing her grip on the now slippery icicle. It had knocked down the slippery steps of the barbershop and shattered into chucky pieces on the muddy ground.
"Come on Izzy!" Lucy laughed grabbing hold of her sister's hand as they ran down the steps, avoiding sharp clogs of ice. They had dashed through the rarely languid street of passersby to get to the Christmas tree and their friends.
Then a crude young voice smashed through Lucy's memory, startling her back into the present.
"Why're you always wearin' this stupid hat?" it was Everly Darby. He blocked out the winter sun casting 11-year-old Lucy in his towering, gawky, 16 year old shadow. Snatching the low crowned Stetson off her head, layer after layer of silky midnight curl fell wild and free over her shoulders and down to the middle of her back. She angrily watched as Everly sat the slightly weathered hat on his dusty blonde knob of a head.
"That's my Pa's hat," her hands became fists at her sides, which hid between the folds of her wine colored dress. Lucy's eyes flared with the growing blue embers of her temper. "You'd better give it back, Everly!"
He smirked down at her, curling his thin lip up over his snaggle tooth. The top of this nearly non-existent lip was sprinkled with uneven wiry hairs that looked more like smudged chocolate, than a mustache. "Then it should be on his head not yours! Hats are for men…You wear bonnets, with pretty lil' flowers on 'em."
"You don't know what you're talking about, Darby!" Lucy protested.
A small crowd had begun to form around them. The young gathering buzzed with boys warnings of 'Everly that's Jake's kid. You'd bes' give it back.' and 'Yeah, you tell her, Ever's. Put her in place!' The girls chimed in with 'You'll be in big trouble now.' and 'What's wrong with you?'
"Lucy, that's papa's hat," Izzy stood at her big sister's back unsure. The unwritten code of the schoolyard prevented Izzy from snitching; only they weren't on the schoolyard now. "I'm gonna go get papa!"
"Go ahead baby!" Everly taunted. He tugged the curved brim down bringing the hat more snugly around his head. "Hey everyone look at me! I'm Mayor Drunk! Pow Pow Pow!" He mimed shooting into the air with his fingers.
Lucy frowned, wrinkling an eyebrow in confusion. That wasn't anything like her father. Looking around her some of the older kids where chuckling knowingly at Everly's antics, while other's seemed to be fettered to observing their shuffling shoes.
"Give Lucy back her Pa's hat, right now," Everly turned with glee, coming face to face with the sapphire gaze of Katie Sully. Her hands were balled at her hips and her long straight tresses shone in the bright sunlight. Every hue of sandy brown to glittering gold, stood out prominently down her back.
"Oh great!" Everly slumped staring down at Katie with bleak annoyance. "It's Dr. Katie." He openly mocked her likeness to her mother.
"You say that like it's an insult, but it's actually a compliment. Why don't you stop acting like a 5 year old and give Lucy back what belongs to her?" Katie eloquently stated.
Lucy waited to see if her friend's calmer tact might work before she unleashed the full fervor of her temper. Looking to Everly Darby once more, she restrained herself, holding her hand out and waiting. However, the foul boy merely stuck his lithe shaped face into hers and sneered.
"It's my hat now. Thank 'er Pa for me," he laughed pulling back.
Like a whip cracking at the wind, Lucy flung herself out just missing the brim with the tips of her fingers. Instead, Everly snatched her wrist in midair and held her suspended in mid action. Lucy raged trying to kick at his long legs only to cut through empty space. His laughter was enraging, fueling the fire that had reared up in her stomach. Katie was physically yet futilely trying to pry his fingers from Lucy's wrist as Izzy went straight away for Everly's legs. The spectacle caused an array of laughter and shouts of 'Get'em!' from the small crowd.
"Hey! What's going on?!" Michael's voice caused the group to fall silent. Izzy ran to Michael's side pointing her finger towards Everly and his prisoner. He had just completed his stable chores for the day and had decided to catch up with Katie and Lucy. Flushed from work, Michael's bay hued skin grew hot with anger. Tall for his age, he stood equal to the height of Everly Darby. As his eyes narrowed beneath the heavy curl of his lashes, Michael E. seethed at seeing Lucy struggling ferociously under her tormentors grasp. Katie stepped aside hoping Michael might have better luck. "You drop her now. Or I'll drop you and I don't think you wanna know what that's like, Darby."
"Hey, hey now," Everly roughly released Lucy nearly knocking her into the foot of the Christmas tree. Although steadied by her friend Katie, she accidentally nudged the low branches knocking down a sparkling paper angel cut out. "We's jus' playin'. No trouble here."
Still keeping an eye on Everly, Michael inquired gently of Lucy, "are you alright, Luc'?"
"Think so," she huffed brushing out her skewed skirts. "He's got my Pa's hat."
"I see that," Michael nodded holding out his hand. "Either hand it to me or hand it to her. Either way give it back."
"Give back what?" he played dumb. Two much more meaty boys stood out from the gathering then. They flanked Everly, daring Michael to take them all at once. Unfazed, Michael looked to the front porch of the saloon finding it empty of its usual occupants. Hank could surely shut this down in seconds. Mr. Slicker, perhaps? As he began to cast in the direction of the barbershop, he saw Lucy grimly shake her head. Understanding instantly, she wouldn't want to upset Ms. Teresa in her condition, he readied himself. Michael stepped forward willing to take a hit to get Lucy her hat back. Yet, something halted him. Three something's in the form of Katie, Lucy, and Izzy's hands on his arms.
"It's alright, Michael," Lucy peered sadly into his deep mahogany colored eyes. "I love my Pa's hat…" she glared at the three galoots before softening her gaze to look on the boy she'd known all her life. "But you're more important."
Their eyes locked for a moment. The air around them seemed to spark with static. For the moment, they had forgotten those around them and the situation at hand. But a cold wind twisted down from the sky and caused everyone to shiver in unison. Without turning back the small group of lifetime friends walked away choosing each other over strife.
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Jake leaned back, away from the checkerboard. It had been Lucy's move for quite a while. Running his thumb along the lower line of his jaw and past his chin, he observed his daughter. She was leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and her chin resting on the heels of her palms. The top half of her ebony tresses was loosely pinned back and strands of heavy curls had fallen free along her temples framing her face. She was looking more and more like her mother everyday. The longer her hair got the more she began to lose those tight little ringlets, Jake adored, to heavy waves and lazy curls.
He also noted the fact that she was growing, no longer the tiny little girl that Izzy was now. Lucy could no longer sit in his lap, and he couldn't carry her in his arms any longer. Jake felt a tiny pang hurt his heart, at this thought. His little girl wouldn't be a little girl for much longer. Slowly his eyes drifted to where Izzy sat quite close to her sister. She was watching in rapt attention to the checker game. Knees tucked up under her chin, Izzy pivoted in Jake's direction and smiled lightly. Her little nose wrinkled as some unknown thought seemed to plague her. Rolling her head back to the black and red-checkered board, she sighed dramatically, much like Lucy used to do.
It was then that he noticed the malaise emanating from his children. Lucy's eyes were storming dark like two pools of dark water reflecting the gray clouds above. Jake looked to Teresa, who sat in her red padded velvet rocking chair. Her hands rested on the large swell of her pregnant belly as she watched them all. He could see in the murky twinkle of her amber eyes that she was on top of the situation. Truly, nothing got passed her.
"Lucy," Teresa gently called, bringing her daughter out of her stupor. "My heart, it is your turn."
Lucy smiled at her mother, remaining stoic she peered back down at the board and jumped one of Jake's black pieces. Quietly she added her newest conquest to the pile in front of Izzy's knees.
"You have certainly been quiet," Teresa, continued looking from the back of Lucy's head to Jake's worried expression.
"Came home kinda quiet too," Jake rested his ankle on his knee as he settled into the back of his chair. "I didn't even hear you two come in."
Lucy and Izzy looked to one another. The sisters shrugged noncommittally. "Just tired I suppose," Lucy avoided her father's face. She just couldn't tell him. Just couldn't tell him that her most treasured possession that he'd given to her had been taken away. That she had been unable to get it back and worst of all that creep had it as they spoke. However, she could no longer keep her face from falling and the tears were threatening to fill her eyes.
"What has happened," Teresa attempted to sit forward only to fall back rocking. "Lucinda. Isabelle…How may we help you if you will not tell us the problem."
"Sure!" Jake chimed in. "What your Ma said!"
Izzy rolled her head towards Lucy raising her chestnut brows in question. What should they do now? The sincerity of their parents was only serving to rack up the pounds of guilt Lucy was feeling. She knew if she told the entire story, her father would bound down to the Darby farm, temper flaring. Possibly with Mr. Lawson and Mr. Bray in tow. The theatrics would upset her mother, and Dr. Mike had cautiously ordered her to endure bed rest.
"I–I…" she forced herself to look up into her father's face. His eyes were soft and radiating a most brilliant shade of slate blue. There was a hopeful expression on his face as he patiently waited for her to finish. "Oh Papa," her slender fingers fell to nervously picking at the fabric of her skirts. Lucy's pink bottom lip trembled slightly. "I lost your hat Papa."
Jake's eyes creased with laughter as his smiled stretched back revealing the bottoms of his front teeth. Lucy mashed her lips off to one side, drawing herself up straight.
"Is that all?" he finally said holding his arm out to his daughter. She instantly went to him wrapping her arms around his ribs as he hugged her tight. "Yah lost that old rag. That's all it was. An' Ol' rag. I'll buy yah a new one that looks just like it."
"It won't be the same," she sighed, feeling a great relief and heartfelt warmth at being enveloped at her father's side. He always smelled the same. Like Cuban cigars, shaving tonic, and a hint of musk mingled with the faint scent of rose.
"Well," his voice fell lightly on the husky side as he kissed the top of her head. "Maybe I'll break it in for'ah while…How'd that be?"
She only nodded pressing a feather light kiss into this cheek.
There was a knock at the door.
"Who could that be this late at night?" Teresa began to wiggle attempting to stand.
"I got it," Jake hurriedly stood ushering Lucy to take his seat. He shook his head lovingly at Teresa. Tell that woman to stay off her feet and all she wants to do is be on them. Jake was still smiling as he opened the one of the shops doors. The freezing winter air gusted forward spiking his once warm face.
"Mr. Slicker," Michael shifted from one foot to the other, his hands at his back.
"Michael?" Jake eyed the boy suspiciously at first. Craning his neck, he then looked about beyond the young man looking for his parents. "Kinda late for you to be out. Aren't yah cold?"
"No sir," Michael fidgeted. "I just got back into town."
Jake observed the boy more closely now. There was a ragged tear along the seam of the shoulder of his tweed coat. It was evident he was biting his lower lip in an effort to hide the fresh cut there. "Is everything alright?"
"Everything's fine," the boy smiled brightly almost triumphantly. "I just wanted Lucy to have her hat back…That is…I got it back for her."
Producing the slightly worn suede Stetson, Jake accepted the much-missed object into his hands. He turned the brim about, peering up under his brow at Michael E. "Yah got it back…for her," he repeated seeming to catch a beat. "Would you like to come in? Warm yourself before yah head home?"
"Oh, no thank you Mr. Slicker," Michael smiled. As he turned awkwardly to leave, he heard Jake call out to him. Jake had gone the extra mile to follow him out onto frosty walk.
"Thank you," Jake extended his hand. As Michael took it, Jake continued, "Lucy said she lost it. Not that it was taken. If yah tell me who it was I'll set this right."
Michael thought a moment. He'd like nothing more than for Everly Darby to get put in his place. But the thought of Lucy having to watch her father go toe to toe with Everly's just as mean father, didn't sit too well with him. Michaela smiled with all the warmth and brightness of Grace and Robert E.. "What this?" he pointed at his cut. "I just tripped myself up in the dark. Good night Mr. Slicker."
Jake waited until he was certain the young man was home safely, before returning to the warmth of the barbershop. Handing the treasured Stetson back to his elated daughter, Jake felt there was more to this than just a pilfered hat. Upon hearing the name of her would be hero, Michael, Lucy's cheeks blushed just slightly. It seemed like just yesterday, Cloud Dancing had placed a tiny baby in his arms. Jake never thought he'd be here. He never thought he'd feel this kind of heartbreak and joy at the same time. Yet, he was glad to feel it.