Dark Reflection

Chapter 46

"New Moon"

by Lilyjack

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Ruby Moon cracked open her hazel eyes to an unexpected sight. Chester Goode was sprawled in a chair, arms all akimbo, one leg bent and propped into an unlikely position, the other resting stiffly on the table. His eyes were riveted to a small, tattered dime novel, Chief Hotah or Maidens of the Prairie: A Romance of the Lakota.

Ruby slightly shifted her stiff, achy body on the cot, all she could manage without pain shooting through her head. Gingerly, she rubbed the sleep from her bruised face.

Chester still did not stir from his dime novel, apparently engrossed in the plot, his face still and slack as in a trance. Ruby reckoned that must be a right good book. She could make out the dramatic cover illustration portraying a white woman in front of a sod house pointing a rifle at a muscular, half-naked "savage" clutching a tomahawk in the air.

Ruby's throat was dry as dust—she didn't even possess enough spit to swallow. She struggled to sit up and tried reaching for her glass of water.

At the rustling of her covers, Chester sprang into action, abandoning his paperback and bolting from his chair to her side in an instant. "Miss Ruby, now, you lay back and relax. What kin I git for ya'? Did ya' sleep good? How're you feelin' this mornin'?"

Ruby didn't quite know which question to answer first. Her parched throat won out. "I jes' needed a drink a' water, Chester."

"Course, Miss Ruby, lemme git that for ya'. You just lay back… Lemme fluff up these here pilla's and you can sit up fer a little while if ya' want… Would ya' like that?"

"That'd be nice, Chester. I'm a mite wore out with layin' down."

He handed her the water, and she thirstily downed the entire glass.

"Kin I git ya' some more? Oh - how's yer head feelin' this mornin'? I kin give ya' a dose a' Doc's powders fer the pain."

"Yes, Chester… I think some a' Doc's powders would be right good about now."

"Yes, ma'am! I'll mix some up in a jiffy. I know they don't taste none too good," he pronounced earnestly. "But they're sure good fer what ails ya'." Chester was busily pouring more water into a small glass and adding a spoonful of white powder from Doc's envelope. "I'll stir quiet-like so's that don't hurt yer head. I know how it feels when ya' got a headache. Ever' little sound just…"

Quickly, Chester looked over at Ruby, stricken. "Am I a' talkin' too much, Miss Ruby? I know Doc sometimes says I make his noggin hurt, a'talkin' his ear off."

Ruby couldn't help but smile. "Naw, Chester. You're real good comp'ny. I likes to hear you talk."

Chester ceased stirring, glanced up at Ruby, astonishment evident in his features. "You do?"

"Sure, I do. It be awful nice t' talk to a man who have sumthin' else on they mind 'sides crawlin' under the covers wit' me."

Chester, blushing profusely, gently laid the spoon on the table and offered Ruby her medication. He stammered a bit, "H-Here, uh, here ya' go, Miss Ruby. Drink this here down and yer head'll be feelin' better purty soon. How's about I go up and git Charlie t' rustle you up a little breakfast? Maybe some eggs? That's easy t' chew and won't hurt so awful much."

"That sound fine, Chester. I'm a' feelin' mighty hungry this mornin'."

"That sure is good t' hear, Miss Ruby. I imagine that's a right good sign, gittin' yer appetite back. Here's another glass a' water to warsh that ornery medicine taste outta yer mouth."

"Thank ya', Chester. I jes' wants you t' know how much I 'preciate ever'thang you done for me." Her dark brows drew together, furrowing her smooth forehead. "I don' know what I woulda' did if…"

"Aw, now, Miss Ruby, don't you worry yer head none. We're all friends here, ain't we?"

She gingerly nodded.

"And friends, why, they look out fer each other, don't they? Just like you did for Miss Kitty back at the Long Branch."

"Yeah, I reckon so." Ruby peered at him thoughtfully. "You set quite a store by Miss Kitty, don'tcha, Chester?"

"Well, I reckon I do, Miss Ruby. Cause Miss Kitty's always been a friend t' me, helpin' me out, startin' way back when I first come to Dodge. She prob'ly kept me from gittin' kilt by this great big feller one time when…" Chester stopped, realizing he was running on again when he truly needed to be fetching Miss Ruby some breakfast. He finished quietly, "I'll tell ya' that story some other time though. But Miss Kitty is a special lady, surely t' goodness she is."

Ruby gazed at him curiously with her striking hazel eyes, contemplatively sipping the water Chester had given her.

Chester cleared his throat, announcing, "Well, I'm a' gonna head upstairs now and git that breakfast, 'fore you starve plumb t' death." He grinned at her.

She smiled back at him, thinking to herself that Chester Goode was one of the kindest, gentlest people she'd ever met.

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"Matt, Chester told me somethin'." Kitty was aiming her sawed-off shotgun at the target Matt had just set up for her a fair distance away. She'd started out with the target close up, but now she was feeling confident enough to shoot a little farther.

"Yeah, what'd he say, Kitty?" Something about her tone made Matt nervous about what was coming. He eyed her stance, guardedly requesting, "Let me just…" as his hand reached to raise her elbow a little higher. Then he stepped directly behind her, gripping her waist, turning her body slightly. "Put your foot here," he instructed.

She did as he suggested, stared determinedly down the barrel at her target, and fired. Tin cans clanged, flying in all directions, and black powder smoke wafted over them, filling their nostrils and stinging their eyes. Matt smiled and nodded in satisfaction as he and Kitty removed the wadding from their ears. Doc had been real pleased when she'd reported to him the practicality of his suggestion the last time she'd gone to target practice.

She untied her bandana from her neck and wiped her sweaty face. Despite the care she took not to touch her skin with her lead-stained hands, she had greyish-black smudges on her cheek and the bridge of her nose. Kitty took a fortifying breath and finally revealed, "Chester told me you'd risked your life to try and break me outta the Long Branch, all by yourself, way before you all came to rescue me together."

"He did, huh…" Matt attempted to sound noncommittal although his mind was racing.

Kitty's voice was pensive as she gripped her shotgun. "I remember that day in my room. Not much of it, and what I do remember is hazy, but I recall a big man, and he was fightin' with Linwood Chaney. Afterwards, Phoebe told me that a man had tried to break me outta the Long Branch—he even broke down my door. But she also said he'd been near beaten t' death by Blackthorne's men and thrown in jail. Blackthorne himself was happy to inform me that the man had died, but then again, maybe he was lyin'." Kitty turned and looked directly at Matt. Her expression was brooding as she intently asked, "Was that you, Matt?"

Matt found it impossible to lie to her. "Yep." He dragged a sleeve over his perspiring forehead.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked curiously. "I don't think we'd ever met until I woke up down in Botkin's wine cellar." She gazed at him searchingly. "Had we?"

"Well…Kitty…" Matt sighed, pushing the brim of his dark hat back on his head. "Have you ever met someone and felt like you'd known 'em always?"

Her lips curved up as she answered, "Yeah… But you're not answerin' my question." She squinted against the bright sunlight. "Why would you risk your life to get me outta there? How did you know me?"

"It's kinda hard to explain, Kitty. I…" Matt searched for a way to explain it without making her think he was crazy, which he might very well be. He sighed and offered, "I guess maybe you don't remember me from back then."

"Well, I musta not spent too much time with ya'. I think I'd remember you, Matt." Her cheeks flushed, thinking that Matt might've known her long before, back when she was making a living doing things she wouldn't want Matt seeing.

"It's not important, Kitty. What's important is that you're free." He reached out, tenderly cradled her willowy neck in his oversized hands, his thumbs gently stroking her burning cheeks. "And that you're here with me now."

She looked up at him, and something in Matt's eyes and the warmth and gentleness of his touch stopped her from questioning him further. She realized she'd trusted him implicitly thus far, and he'd never let her down. She guessed she'd take him at his word and try not to worry about it, not too awful much anyway. Shoving nagging doubts to the back of her mind, she placed her hands on her hips, airily inquiring, "Is it about time for lunch yet? I'm starvin'."

Matt's eyes twinkled at her, happy that she'd trusted him and had decided to let his crazy story go. For now, at least. He blew out a big breath and smiled at her. "Me, too," he declared. He grabbed their bags, and they headed for the shady cottonwood grove to first wash up and then spread a picnic blanket over the fragrant prairie grass.

tbc

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