Inez brought a cup of tea to the table and set it in front of Suzie. She didn't mention to Mary that she'd added a hint of Ezra's brandy to it, knowing the idea would be vetoed. She just hoped Ezra didn't find out either.
"Sip it slowly dear. You've had quite a shock."
"Who…who was that?"
"I have no idea. Just some bandits looking to rob the coach. They undoubtedly would have been less than pleased with the outcome."
"No, not them. The man. He saved me." There was a distant tone to her voice that worried Mary. Perhaps she had been injured after all. She certainly seemed to be in some state of shock.
"Josiah, perhaps you should ask Nathan to come and make sure Miss Bolster is alright?"
Josiah nodded and headed to search for the healer. He doubted the services were needed, but arguing with Mary when she was in full mother-hen mode was a waste of breath. He'd seen how Inez had doctored the tea and was certain that would do the job of calming her down sufficiently.
"The man who – who saved me? Who is he?" She had to have the answer.
Mary wasn't surprised by the question, but the tone in her voice was another matter completely.
"That was Mr. Larabee. He is one of the men that protects our town."
"Yes, I can understand why. Is he always that brave?"
Mary struggled to hide the grin from her face as the realization dawned on her. How she wished some of the others were here now, listening to this. Buck, JD, even Ezra would never let him hear the end of it, and the ribbing (although not the hero worship!) might serve to remind him he was human after all.
"Well, Chris does have a tendency to act in a heroic manner, so I would say yes, he is usually that brave."
"Chris? What a wonderful name. So strong and gallant."
Oh, where was Ezra when she needed him? The door opened and she thought for a moment she was getting her wish, but it was Josiah with Nathan.
"Good afternoon Miss Bolster. My name is Nathan Jackson. Josiah tells me you've had a bit of a shock, so I thought I'd come by and make sure everything was alright."
He only took a couple of steps towards her when Kenneth cut him off. "What do you think you're doing?"
"As I said sir, I am offering to make sure the young lady wasn't injured."
"No need for that – she's fine."
Mary stood and moved toward the protective youth. "It's quite alright, I assure you. Mr. Jackson is our healer in town. If your sister needs anything, he is the man you want to be talking to."
"She said she is fine." Kenneth didn't back away.
"OK then. Well, I'll let Chris know she wasn't hurt-"
Suzie's head came up at the mention of the name. "You know Chris – I mean Mr. Larabee?"
"Yes miss. Quite well in fact."
"And he was asking about me?" She was eager to discover his concern.
Nathan was getting the feeling he needed to choose his words wisely. "Well, yes, he was asking. Told me what happened out there and when Josiah came to tell me you were a bit shaken up, he suggested I make sure you hadn't been hurt."
"So, he was worried about me? With everything an important man like that must have on his mind, Chris – Mr. Larabee was worried about me?"
Ezra, JD and Buck entered in time to hear the end of that, and Buck was quick to reply.
"It is a dangerous supposition to credit too much import to Mr. Larabee. As it stands now, he feels he is entitled to dictate our situation. There is no need to add credence to that hypothesis."
"Yeah," Buck agreed with what he thought Ezra was saying. "I wouldn't say he was all that important. Just one of the bunch of us who keep things safe around here."
"But surely a man like that must be the one in charge of things. The sheriff or maybe Marshal?"
"We don't have a sheriff around here, but when we did, it was me."
She looked at JD with evident disbelief. "With a man like that in town, you were sheriff? That is ridiculous. Why you might was well say that this man here," she pointed at Ezra with a look of disdain on her face, "was sheriff."
"While I do not dispute the ludicrous nature of the claim, I suspect your conclusion is based on an unflattering interpretation of facts."
She sneered slightly. "Well, you are from the south – are you not? Your people simply cannot be trusted."
Buck didn't feel the need to control his reaction, but before he could speak, Ezra was answering for himself.
"My dear child, the list of reasons I cannot be trusted is far too long to delve into at this time, but I can assure you my place of birth does not belong on it. Yes, I am proudly from the south. A land where warm winds blow magnolia blossoms from the trees, sweet tea is served in the afternoons and young ladies are raised with manners."
Mary could see the mood turning ugly and decided to cut things off before it got too far out of hand. "Kenneth, why don't you take your sister over to the diner and get her something to eat. I'm sure things will look better on a full stomach, and then you two can be ready to be on your way again."
Suzie looked stricken by the thought. The town was far from perfect but why would she leave? When she had found the man of her dreams here, why would she even consider leaving?
"Sorry folks, but that isn't going to be an option." She turned to see who was speaking the words she had hoped to hear. The man who walked in suited the image of someone she had expected to see in the west. Buckskin jacket, long hair and the overall appearance of a man living of the land. What surprised her was his soft-spoken nature and gentle smile.
"Stage is going to be stuck here for a bit. Axle is broke, and at best it will be tomorrow afternoon before it can be fixed. Stage driver said the company will put you up for the night at the boarding house. Took the liberty of taking your bags over there for you."
Kenneth wondered if he should tip the man for his service, but since he turned and left before that could be done, the matter was resolved for him.
"Suzie, let's go eat and get you settled for the night. You've had a fright and need your rest."
"Nonsense. I have no intention of resting. I want to explore the town." She knew exactly what – or rather who – she would be looking for. Hearing his voice from behind nearly caused her to jump out of her skin.
"Not a good idea Miss. Sunset comes on pretty fast around here, and a young lady should not be out on the streets on her own."
It was a battle to keep herself from fainting away. There he was, just a few feet away. If only there hadn't been so many others in the room. But since there were, she had to maintain some propriety.
"I am quite sure this town is safe, with someone like you in charge Mr. Larabee."
Chris took a step back at the tone in her voice. It had been a while since anyone had spoken to him in that manner, but he recognized the emotion. It was all he could do not to turn and run. Why him? He was not good at this infatuation stuff. Buck was used to it, and he didn't doubt that Nathan or Ezra would know how to handle it as well. Even Vin was going to be better than he was.
He dared risk a quick glance at the girl. That was all she was – a girl. Of the group of them, only JD would have been an appropriate target for her evident crush, and even he was a bit to old for her. No, that wasn't the way to say it. She was too young for them. Any of them. He took back the thought he'd had a moment earlier. Even Buck wasn't used to dealing with this kind of youthful obsession.
"Uh, look Miss –"
"Bolster. But you may call me Susanne."
"He can call you Suzie like everybody else does. Now come on – let's get some dinner."
Chris had never been so relieved to have someone else take control of a conversation, as he nodded briefly to Kenneth before bolting from the room. He was fairly certain he heard Buck laughing behind him, and vowed he'd answer for that a little later on.
M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7-M7
tbc
