Chapter 1 – Rain

It was rainy and cold, and the wind was blowing so hard it almost knocked me sideways out of the saddle. That's what finally made me seek some kind of shelter – anything that would keep me dryer and warmer than I was now. Still, it took me a good while to find any protection, and when I finally did it lacked considerable charm. The shack, or what was left of it, wasn't much. Most of it still had a roof and it was better than continuing to be drenched by the torrential rain pouring down. I took shelter where I could find it.

There was enough dry wood inside to start a fire on the side of the shack protected from the weather, and some thirty or forty minutes later I was mostly wet but definitely warmer. My horse stood in the rain and glared at me as if I was the worst human the world had ever known. I felt bad for him, but there was nothing I could do. That's why I was riding him and not the other way around.

The rain continued to fall from the heavens the rest of the day and most of the night, and by morning the landscape didn't look much better than it had yesterday. I was in no hurry to get to the place I was headed for, and I might have been tired of sitting around doing nothing, but wet is wet. I had enough food with me for a couple more days, and I was inclined to outwait Mother Nature, who seemed to be angry about something. So that's just what I decided to do.

Now don't get me wrong. I was bored and miserable that I was sitting in a cold, wet shack on the hard ground instead of being in a nice warm, cozy hotel room. Preferably with a fine cigar and an excellent cup of coffee. And a beautiful woman certainly wouldn't hurt. But I'm practical if nothing else, and what I had was better than the immediate alternative.

So I smoked the cigars I had and drank the coffee I made and napped. Sleeping was always good for killing time, and I did plenty of that the rest of the day. I ate beans and jerky and stale biscuits and played cards, and I did my best to keep myself amused.

Towards mid-afternoon the sky began to clear, and the wind and rain slowed down considerably. My thoughts turned to the possibility that I might not drown if I left my abode of the last two days and went on my way. I almost had myself talked into gathering my meager belongings when the sky transformed itself into a black vortex, and the rain pounded down harder than ever. Five minutes of thunder, lightning, and squalls like I hadn't seen since I was a boy in Texas convinced me to sit back down and practice patience.

My voluntary confinement continued, late through the afternoon and into early evening. With nothing better to do, I finally scrabbled together a makeshift stool from the disintegrating wood on the ground and what was left of the walls. I spent quite a while, maybe even hours, sitting on my handiwork and staring outside, watching a never-ending sheet of water pour down on the ground. Just as I had about abandoned hope of ever seeing clear skies again, something in the weather shifted. There was a softening, a slowing of the downpour.

For the next few minutes the 'drizzle' got my undivided attention. I was about to start gathering my belongings again, halfway believing the weather would know I was ready to venture out and play another trick on me. I had been concentrating so intensely on the sound of the falling raindrops that it took a while for me to hear it, and it almost made me doubt my sanity. Horse's hooves, faint at first, growing louder and steadier until I thought the animal was poised to gallop right through the door.

And when he appeared, almost as if out of nowhere, he was quite an eyeful. Not an overly large horse, still, he was impressive. He was a dappled gray color, with a black mane and tail and one black stocking that reached almost all the way up his right front forearm. He came skidding to an urgent halt at the very edge of my shack, nearly trampling my horse in the process. The gelding snorted and shook his wet mane, and it was only then that I saw the newcomer had a rider. And she was almost as impressive as he was.

Her size fit perfectly with his. Neither large nor small, she sat astride him as if born there. Chestnut brown curls cascaded down her back; she was dressed in a riding skirt of almost the same shade. She was wrapped in something on top that was creamy and appeared to be form-fitting, with a buckskin jacket of a similar color. A light colored hat sat on her head; she wore black riding boots. And she appeared to be bone dry.

Before I could catch my breath she was down off her horse and running towards the shack. In seconds she was inside, standing on the ground almost in front of me, and what an unexpected pleasure. Instantly my day went from being boring to delightful. She took one look at me and the left side of her lips curled up in disdain. It definitely tarnished the stunning face.

I'm not the world's best-looking man, but I'm a whole lot more presentable than most of what else is out there. Attracting a good-looking woman's interest has never been a problem. And even after two days in a wet shack I still looked like a reasonable copy of a gentleman. She took a cautious step away from me and I'm sure my expression changed to one of abject disappointment.

Then something extraordinary happened, and it changed everything. Through the rain that still pummeled the ground outside – the sound of another horse. This one was nowhere near as impressive but much larger. He was a coal black stallion and skidded to the same kind of halt in front of what remained of the shack. His rider dismounted with the precision of a highly disciplined military man, and I caught the glint of a saber. A saber? In Louisiana? Then I paid closer attention to the rest of the rider.

He wore a full uniform, resplendent in a brilliant blue jacket and light gray pants. Gray gloves and a squared off military hat, also in gray, and he looked like he had just stepped away from a regiment of the French Creole Army. He was large, taller than me and quite solid looking, with dark hair and a full mustache. Oh, and I forgot the scowl on his face.

The next few minutes were a bit of a blur. I did my best to keep my wits about me, which was an absolute necessity for success in my profession, and I did an adequate job. As much as I can piece it together, it went something like this – soldier boy stormed into my corner of the shack and advanced threateningly on my first visitor. As soon as he got within ten feet of her the curled-lip disdain vanished, and an enticing and radiant smile spread across those beautiful lips. She rushed into my arms without a moment's hesitation and practically wrapped herself around me. She sighed seductively and kissed me with fire and passion, and left no doubt that I was the most important person in her life. Then loud enough to be distinctly heard, she murmured, "Oh, Broderick, I knew you'd be here waiting for me!"