Despite his long, leather duster, the chilled cowboy shivered as sleet assaulted him with unending precision. The rapid pings as the tiny semi-frozen pieces of rain bounced off his hat and coat seemed a direct echo of the chaos in the rancher's thoughts.
"Blasted, bloody weather," he cussed under his breath. His warm breath wafted like smoke from his mouth to hang for a moment in the frigid air. Stomping up the five steps to the huge brick home, Ren was thankful for the respite from the precipitation offered by the wooden porch. The dark haired young man pulled his Stetson from his head and pounded it a few times to clear the ice and water from its top. The Texan replaced his hat on his head and stomped his frozen feet a couple times in hopes of forcing feeling back into them. His leather boots, though excellent for his normal lifestyle, were sadly unprepared to deal with the icy puddles, mud, and slush through which he had just waded.
For a moment, Ren stared at the huge, ornate home that was glowing with candlelight to celebrate the festive season. Like a mass of worms, nervousness churned in his stomach as he wondered if he was the biggest fool in the history of mankind. The insidious thought made itself known for perhaps the hundredth time since he climbed onto the train station platform at the end of his long, uncomfortable trip.
Needing the support of the glimmer of hope that had arrived at his home around Thanksgiving, Ren reached into his pocket and ran his fingers over the worn and weather stained letter that had led to his current freezing position. It was a simple letter but one that provided the final kick in the pants the rancher needed to move outside of his carefully scripted existence.
The past few months had not been fun for the hard-working rancher. When he returned from Dodge City, he had to report to John Miller and his wife that he had not kept his word and returned the teen to their care. The stoic store owner had not been pleased. Although the older man had not said anything on the subject since confirming his failure to properly return Kuon to the trading post, Ren had felt the unspoken disappointment every time he encountered Mr. Miller at the store or church.
Soon after his return to Trails End, a gorgeous young woman had arrived at his ranch looking for the cook. Miss Kotonami was a beautiful woman who easily drew the eye of every male on his ranch but interest waned quickly once her temper reared it's ugly head. She had been livid to learn that the young woman who had inspired her to bravely move forward towards her vision for the future was gone and not planning to return. Even with their obvious size discrepancy and his ever present sidearm, Ren had been intimidated by the ferocity of the gorgeous termagant.
Between the death glares from the dark haired beauty and the disillusionment from the trading post owner, trips to the town had become quite uncomfortable for the young man.
The Dark Moon ranch wasn't much of a relief either. The Ishibashis fussed every meal about how much they missed the wayward cook's tasty creations. Deche had refrained from calling him a fool again but Ren could feel the weight of his frustration that had taken the place of the normally comfortable silence he felt in the Indian's presence. The worse reminders had come from his oldest friend. Lory made repeated points of commenting on just how empty the rancher's life was. The cowboy seemed hellbent on drawing attention to all the little empty spots in his life and the life of the ranch that the spirited young woman could have permanently filled if he had only shown more spine.
For months, Ren bore the nagging, whining, and hostility but the final straw came when Maria had complained about eating the lumpy biscuits her father had baked for Sunday breakfast. She had followed her expression of displeasure with a comment about how Kuon would have happily made them all biscuits that were fluffy and tasty and filled with healthy goodness.
"Don't you start too, Maria," Ren had snapped at the little blond. "You really only knew her for less than a week!"
Ren had instantly felt guilty. He hadn't meant to scold the youngest Takarada so harshly but he was at wits end on the subject. He had known he had messed up but he had no way of traveling back in time and fixing his mistake.
His harsh words had led to little girl tears and everyone had scrambled to make Maria feel better while they glared at the ranch owner in disgust.
Lory had gathered his granddaughter up in his arms and taken her to her room. Later in the afternoon, Takarada had joined Ren in the horse barn. He had offered him harsh words that cut Ren with their truthfulness. That evening, Ren had apologized to everyone at dinner and begged Maria for her forgiveness. The little sprite cast aside her pouting and forgave him and the rest of the residents of the ranch collectively refrained from mentioning the little cook ever again.
Neither Kuon nor Kyoko were mentioned for weeks although Ren thought about her daily. When the letter from Philadelphia finally made its way to his hand by way of the carpenter in Shade Tree, to the Daryuma Trading Post, to Yashiro and finally to the Dark Moon ranch, the young cowboy had been rendered utterly flabbergasted. He had read the thing three times before finally seeking Lory and asking him to read it too.
"This is an invitation to come to Philadelphia and make clear my feelings for Miss Kyoko, right?" he had asked of the older man who read the letter quickly.
"Yep," the older cowboy had confirmed as he reread the short missive from the real Kuon Hizuri that stated his intention to press the advantages of his own interests if the rancher did not have any feelings for the young woman. He had given the Texan until the new year as a deadline.
"I thought Deche said the brother loved her," he had questioned. "Why would he reach out to me? If she has feelings for me, he stands to lose everything."
"Who knows?" Lory had simply replied before asking Ren if he still had feelings for the young woman.
Ren had shrugged in a supposed manner of nonchalance but Lory had noticed the slight blush that colored his sun tanned cheeks.
"You obviously had feelings for her since you kissed her even though you thought she was a boy."
Ren cussed at his older friend who just smirked evilly. He had snapped that letter back against Ren's chest. The younger cowboy had caught the weathered letter before it could drop to the floor.
"You just need to make up your mind, Ren," Lory had prompted as he turned to leave.
"Make it quick too since you have a deadline. Oh, and this time, don't be a coward," he had thrown over his shoulder as he moved out of earshot.
Ren had made a decision. Therefore, he found himself standing in the freezing cold of a sloppy Pennsylvania winter while searching for the courage to announce his presence at the Hizuri residence.
"Good Lord, I think I would rather face rustlers," he muttered as he reached for the large brass door knocker.
"At least I can shoot them," he sighed as his hands roughly rapped the hinged metal knocker against the strike plate. A few moments more in the cold and the door swung open to reveal a slightly plump woman in a dark yet flattering skirt and blouse. A new appearing apron protected the fabric of her outfit and was embroidered with rather rough and lopsided daisies that Kyoko had sewn onto the crisp linen as her Christmas present to the housekeeper.
"Good evening, ma'am," Ren greeted as he stomped his wet feet once more as the older woman stared at him with equal parts curiosity and suspicion.
"I'm Ren Tsuruga and Kuon Hizuri is expecting me," he explained in hopes of being invited into the warmth of the well lit foyer. The Texan could fleetingly feel the heat from the house escaping out the front door like a teasing reminder of just how cold he was standing there in his wet, unlined leathers.
He offered the housekeeper his best friendly smile and hoped that she didn't hear the exaggeration in his statement. The rancher prided himself in avoiding an outright lie. He had been invited to the Hizuri home by the blond medical student; he just wasn't expecting him at this time or possibly even at all since he had not replied to the the youngest Hizuri's letter.
"Well, come in then, Mr. Tsuruga. You'll like to freeze your bits off if you stand there much longer," the guardian of the door expressed as she stepped back so that the cowboy could enter.
With a sigh of satisfaction, the half-frozen cowboy moved into the blanketing warmth of the foyer. He surrendered his coat and hat to the housekeeper who offered to take them to the kitchen to help them dry before directing the young man down the hallway. They passed the doorways to the formal parlor and Kuu's study which were both well lit by gas lamps and warmed with blazing fires in the ornate fireplaces. In the study, Ren saw some older gentlemen drinking brandy and smoking while in the parlor a number of well dressed women were sipping after dinner liquors and speaking softly. Ren couldn't help but smile. It reminded him of his own home when his father had hosted business parties. The Tsuruga household was not near as financially secure as the Hizuris obviously were but the atmosphere was still quite similar.
Following his matronly guide down the carpeted hallway, Ren felt a stab of guilt at the muddy footprints he was obviously leaving in his wake. He was led past the ornate stairs to the second floor and then past a formal dining room where a pair of young women was clearing the huge table of the trappings from the formal dinner the guests had recently enjoyed. Over the sounds of clinking dishes, giggles and laughter could be heard.
"The young master is in the family parlor," the housekeeper explained as she pointed to the room where the sounds of mirth originated. The older woman then continued past the door towards the kitchen.
Stepping into the doorway of the combination music room and informal entertaining space, Ren quickly cataloged the occupants and furnishings. The ornate couches, end tables, and chairs had been pushed to the periphery of the room. Likewise, the large, iron framed Steinway square piano had been shifted into the corner and the bench was even sitting upside down on the closed lid of the impressive instrument. A long table had been moved to block the huge fireplace and the French doors into the dimly lit conservatory were latched closed. Young women dressed in fine gowns and young men dressed in stylish black suits skirted out of reach of the twirling grasp of a blindfolded young woman. Ren estimated that the young people ranged in age from sixteen to possibly even his age for a couple of the well dressed young men.
His eyes were instantly drawn from the various participants of the blind man's buff game to the petite young woman who was 'it'. His breath caught in his chest as he watched Kyoko move blindly about the room with her eyes hidden under a silken scarf. Despite the golden colored floor-length gown she wore, the teen moved rapidly in hopes of catching one of the giggling young woman or the teasing young men who kept calling to her and then moving quickly from her reach.
Ren watched as a young man reached out and tickled her ear and laughed as she rounded on the unknown taunter who expertly backpedaled while laughing at her attempts to snare him. Unaware of Ren's position, the young man moved towards the cowboy while making chirping noises that Kyoko confidently followed. Finally noticing the new addition to the room, the young man grinned mischievously before making one last loud chirp and stepping silently away. Kyoko took three more steps forward and collided against a large, strong chest. Work-worn hands caught at her elbows to keep her from stumbling back. A small frown marred the young woman's face as her finger's skimmed across the rough material and the strong muscles under it.
Given her prey's size and height, there was only one person she could guess but the cloth did not feel like her brother's suit.
"Kuon?" she asked hesitantly.
"Not quite, Miss Mogami," the cowboy whispered as his hands raised to pluck the blindfold from her face.
Gently, Ren removed the scarf to reveal the golden gaze that had haunted his thoughts for months.
"Mr. Tsuruga..." Kyoko gasped in shock as she fell silent and stared at the unexpected guest.
The room fell silent as the two continued to just stare at each other. Judging eyes from the young men and woman tried to determine the worth of the unknown yet handsome intruder who seemed to have rattled the normally unflappable adopted daughter of one of the richest families in the state. Although the pampered heiresses were quick to dismiss the young man because of his obvious lack of wealth, they could not help but be intrigued by his physical appeal. Their male counterparts were similar unimpressed with his common manner of dress but leery of both his obviously displayed revolver and his physique that dwarfed all but Kuon's stature. Silently, the guests waited to discover the nature of the intruder's arrival.
A discreet cough finally broke the strange spell that had frozen Ren and Kyoko. Ren glanced towards the interloper while Kyoko lowered her eyes and blushed madly.
"Welcome to Philadelphia, Mr. Tsuruga. I hope you had a safe trip," Kuon greeted as he offered the rancher his hand.
Preferring the handshake to needing to draw his gun or getting punched, Ren firmly clasp the offered hand and returned the greeting.
"It was long and bloody cold," the cowboy replied before dropping the handshake and reaching for Kyoko's hand. He drew it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles. Ren grinned rakishly.
"It was worth it though."
If possible, Kyoko's blush deepened as she pulled her hand free of Ren's grasp. The flirting and casual manner in which the stranger treated Kyoko served to galvanize half of the guests into indulging their curiosity. The four young woman who had been playing the game surrounded Kyoko and pulled her away in a giggling fit of demands of who the handsome young man was who had joined them. Although she had never been friends with these young woman who were the daughters of her father's business associates or established families in the region, Kyoko allowed the nosy young women to pull her away. She was so flustered by the sudden arrival of the Dark Moon rancher that she was not sure what else to do.
Both Ren and Kuon watched her go.
"Cutting it a wee bit close, weren't you, Mr. Cowboy," the medical student muttered as his blue eyes followed the retreating form of his adopted sister.
"It's not the new year yet," Ren answered casually as he watched Kyoko field the rapid inquisition of her acquaintances.
A flash of pain shifted through Kuon's eyes as his right hand sunk into his pants pocket and caressed the small velvet bag hidden in its depth. His eyes went to the large coo-coo clock over the mantle of the fireplace.
"Three hours later and it would have been."
Ren frowned at the strange tone in Kuon's voice. He shifted his gaze from the cute center of his attention to the blond man beside him. He noticed the tension around Kuon's eyes and the subtle droop in his shoulders.
"I'm not too late, am I?" the rancher asked with sudden concern as he thought about the observations Lory and Deche had made about the young man beside him and his feelings for his adopted sister.
Kuon sighed as his fingers tightened around the pouch in his pocket. His fingers released it and he turned slightly. He offered a small smile to the Texan. In that expression, Ren was able to read just how right Lory and Deche were. A momentary pang of guilt flashed through Ren's chest.
"Not at all," Kuon softly replied as his hand moved to snag the silk scarf hanging limply in Ren's grip.
Ren watched as Kuon took a deep breath and turned back to the room. The emotions in the blond's eyes shifted away to be hidden under a mask of good cheer. He confidently moved towards the gathered flock of females and expertly extracted his adopted sister. He balled the silken scarf in his hand and tossed it to one of his friends from the University.
"How about you take over as it, Lawrence," the handsome blond suggested before he shifted Kyoko back to face their new arrival.
"Perhaps Mr. Tsuruga would appreciate if you took him for something warm to drink and a tour of the house?" he prompted as casually as possible. When Kyoko grinned happily, her adopted brother could do nothing but return the smile with one of his own.
"Go on," Kuon nudged.
"You sure?" Kyoko asked with concern for her brother's aching feelings warring with her desire to speak with Ren once again.
"Yes, little sister," the blond replied with an emphasis on the brotherly endearment.
The brilliant glowing grin Kyoko offered Kuon as she turned from him to excitedly take Ren's offered arm almost made the stabbing pain in his chest worth it.