Scary Mary ~ Chapter 7
Mary had to agree, her mother was right. She needed to get her own friends. It just wasn't healthy her tagging along on her mothers visits to the Ponderosa. Mary had entertained fantasies that Hoss and herself might go to a dance or maybe a church picnic but she knew now that that was nonsense. Rebecca was doing a firm line with his father and Hoss was only being nice to her like he is to all creatures. Hoss is just a really nice person. Lucky the girl who gets him, Mary thought to herself.
She pulled out another manuscript and shook her head at Jimmy Cooks untidy homework. How many times have I told them, draw a line through the miss spelled word don't scribble it out. Her face softened to a smile as she thought of Jimmy Cooks care free face, bent on fishing and climbing trees. I'll never make a scholar of that boy she said out loud as she began correcting his work.
~o~
She was surprised to hear a soft knocking on the front door. Surely her mother wasn't back already. She went to the mirror to fix her hair and descended the stairs quickly.
She drew in a breath as she saw Hoss standing on her doorstep wearing his best shirt with his hair neatly combed. He sure looked handsome.
"Hoss!"
"Miss Mary, I'm sorry to come callin like this but fact is, I was worried bout you since I ain't seen you in a while an I thought it only manners to call an see if you're ok. So now I can see you're fine so I best be on my way," Hoss was fast loosing his nerve and turned to make a hasty exit.
"Hoss," she said, her face beginning to flush.
"W.. Won't you come in."
Hoss stepped in awkwardly.
"Please come, sit," she directed him to the couch.
"I must make you some coffee."
She was about to depart for the kitchen when a strange sound made her stop and look back at him.
Hoss could delay no longer. He put a hand in his pocket and fished out the puppy who had started to whine in distress.
Mary went to him and took the squirming creature in her hands.
"He's beautiful," she smiled, holding the creature to her face.
"Thanks to you we found homes for all the rest, this one don't seem to want to leave his momma. He's gonna need someone very special to care fer him."
She looked up at him then.
Hoss continued.
"Oh I know he ain't Rusty, no dogs gonna replace Rusty but I thought this little feller might help you get over him a little bit."
She looked into his eyes full of compassion.
His kindness, his feeling overwhelmed her.
She kissed him, she lent in and kissed him on the lips.
He looked back at her in surprise. She pulled back, suddenly feeling flustered.
"I'm sorry Hoss, I don't know what I was thinking. Please forgive me...,"
Hoss moved closer and putting his arms around her he kissed her back. His kiss was gentle and tender his mouth barely sweeping her lips. She yielded to it completely and his kiss became demanding and passionate. They both finally gave into their feelings for each other loosing all sense as they clung on in that desperate heat fuelled kiss.
Finally they broke apart, knowing that such passion in an unwed couple was against all propriety.
Neither of them was sure what to say or do next.
They looked down at the little brown eyes staring up at them a comical expression on the little puppies face.
They both laughed.
"I think we are corrupting him. Maybe we should take him out walking," Mary grinned.
"Yeah, that's a mighty fine idea," Hoss agreed.
~o~
They went walking through the town, Mary holding the tiny puppy in her arms, Hoss looking like the cat that got the cream.
Hoss stopped in at the mercantile and came out baring a basket and some lemonade.
"What's this?" Mary asked with a smile.
"It's too nice a day for roaming round this dump, we is havin ourself a picnic by the lake." Hoss told her giving her his arm.
The lake was a shield of shimmering diamonds. The sky was an impossible blue, Mary laughed herself sick at Hoss's tales of Adam serenading the last teacher Abigail Jones and how she had wanted to marry him then. And how Joe came out of the mercantile with a big plate of ice cream he wouldn't share with Hoss and Adam pushed it in his face.
The afternoon turned to evening, the little puppy curled up contentedly in Mary's skirt fast asleep. They sat together under a tree in companionable silence watching the sun go down.
"Mary, we got ourselves a problem," Hoss said at last.
"What's that," she looked up from her place cradled against his chest.
"I'm startin to have some real regard for you."
"Real regard?" She repeated.
"Yes ma'am. Do you feel any such notions Mary?"
"Hoss, I love you," she decided to be totally honest.
"You see there's the problem right there. I feel the same way," Hoss said, brightening considerably at her words.
"What we gonna do Mary?"
"Well I can't do anything, there lies the facts and they can't be changed." Mary grinned.
"Neither me, we is just gonna have to take the burden of the situation as best we can."
Mary laughed. feeling happy for the first time since her father died. As much as she didn't want to hurt her mother Mary knew she couldn't let this go. The sun had finally come out on Mary's day and all the dark clouds had vanished the day Hoss had walked into her life.
