Chap Five:
As Aingelina stretched under the covers she realized what day it was and sprang out of bed. It was finally Saturday! She could go out riding with Charlie today! Quickly she donned her pants and shirt while making a list of the things she needed to get done before she cold go for her ride. This morning she had to help out at the café, she and Grace had made an arrangement to work for her meals, then work with the girls at the saloon and she had to meet with Dr Mike before she left for her ride. By the time she would be ready to go it would be afternoon. Sighing she put the bad thoughts from her mind and focused on getting her work done. Her morning with Grace passed quietly and it was time to get to the saloon. While the girls were moving the tables out of the way Aingelina crept into Hanks room with an evil grin on her face and a small tin of water in her hands, stopping a good distance away.
He'd surprised her the last time by reaching out and grabbing her wrist, pinning her to the wall and glaring at her even while he gloated over catching her. Oh he wasn't mad; it was kind of fun really, to see who would move faster, she to get away, or him to catch her before she could get away. To them it was a sport, a game of speed and skill. This time, though, she was ready. Standing out of range of his arms she tossed the water on his face before darting from the room, listening to the sounds of him spluttering awake as she fled with a bright smile on her face. By the time he emerged into the main room she was in front of the girls beginning their session. Seeing his glare she smiled back at him but ignored him otherwise.
"All right, lets work on breaking holds again. Grab hold of someone and show me what you do." Aingelina watched each pair as they slowly broke from the hold. "Good. Now I noticed yesterday that a lot of you are punching to low. You need to make sure that you're punching where a mans head would be. It's actually higher than mine is. Damn, there's no way to show you unless we actually have a..." Smiling slowly she looked over to Hank. "A man. Hank come here, I want you to help me out with this."
"Hell no."
"Aww come on! They're not really going to hit you, I just need to show them where to aim that's all."
"No."
Grinning she walked over to Hank and smiled at him. "I won't wake you up tomorrow," she promised.
Hank grinned. He could see the trick. "Tomorrow's Sunday, you wouldn't be here anyway." Narrowing her eyes Aingelina knew he was right. Damn. Laughing at her he stood and pushed her back to the front of the group, standing next to her. "Hit me hard enough to leave a mark and you'll regret it," he warned all of them.
Smiling Aingelina continued with the lesson, using Hank as her dummy. She showed them the proper spots to hit on a mans body, all the while using the gentlest touch when she made contact with Hank. "Now suppose he's got a hold on your arms so you can't elbow him." Motioning for Hank to grab her so her arms were pinned Aingelina was unprepared for the feeling of his arms around her when he bent down and locked his arms around her. His strong arms encased her and even through his shirt and hers she could feel the warmth he emanated. For just a few seconds all thoughts were clouded over with new sensations and she lost the idea she had in her head. Blinking she refocused and concentrated on her task. "How would you get out of a hold like this?"
"Kick him?"
"Maybe, but most times that won't work. You'll only make him angry. No what you need to remember is that with someone as tall as Hank he'll need to bend down in order to lock your arms in place, so he'll be off balance for a few seconds. What you need to do is to shift your own balance so that he's thrown off even more. If I were to move to the right or left he wouldn't be able to keep his balance and he'd more than likely fall over." Letting that point sink in she felt a shiver rising from her toes and knew she needed to step away from the man holding her. "All right, I want each of you to try it. Don't knock him to the floor but you can feel when his balance is off and that's when you need to move."
Aingelina stepped away from Hank and leaned back against the bar to watch. Her pose was casual but her mind was reeling. What had just happened to her? Why was her heart racing? She knew she hadn't been in real danger yet her heart had begun racing the instant Hank had put her arms around her. She remembered hearing about that feeling from Kathy in one of her letters; she had said that was how she felt when Johnny had kissed her. Kathy had said it was the best feeling she'd ever known but to Aingelina it had felt like she did when she was in danger, yet somehow it was different; like she knew it was a good thing to come and not a bad thing. Shaking her head to clear it Aingelina focused on the lesson and tried to put the image of Hanks arms around her into the back of her mind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"All right then, you're all set. You can go for a ride but not for too long and stick to the main roads. If anything happens at least there someone would see you."
Admonitions and commands given, and ignored, Dr Mike let her patient go and Aingelina fled to Robert E's where Charlie was saddled and ready to ride. Smiling at Robert E she led her friend out to the road and climbed up to sit in the saddle. Pausing for a moment she reveled in the feel of the reins in her hand, the saddle beneath her, the slight movement of her knees as Charlie breathed, and the dance like movements as he shifted feet, ready to race away with one flick of Aingelina's heels. Walking him down the road to the clinic as she had promised Dr Mike she would she stopped outside the clinic and said a final good bye for the afternoon. Across the street Hank watched as Aingelina leaned down over Charlie's neck and whispered into his ear. The instant she straightened he took off, her hair streaming back as he galloped out of down, her laughter hanging in the air for those she passed to hear.
Down the dirt roads they raced and it wasn't long until they left the main path to tear through open fields and meadows as the had planned, ignoring Dr Mike's warnings. On and one they flew until Aingelina was too winded to continue. In the middle of a meadow the friends finally stopped to rest. Jumping down from Charlie's back she fell to the ground laughing with joy at finally being out and about, free to ride and go where she pleased. Town had been nice but every now and then she needed to get away and it had been a month since she and Charlie were able to ride together. Lying there on the ground Aingelina fell asleep in the warm sun shining from up above only to wake to the sound of another horse approaching. Standing she looked and saw a rider approaching her. Even as he drew closer so did Charlie, coming up behind her to protect from this stranger. "Thought I might find you out here."
"Hank? What are you doing out here?"
"Dr Mike was worried. You've been gone for four hours and the woman was getting riled up. I knew where you were heading so I told her I'd find you."
"Four hours and she started to worry?" Aingelina rolled her eyes and looked toward the direction of the town. "Good grief." While she was looking up at him her stomach began to rumble. Laughing he tossed down an apple from his saddlebag. "Thanks," she mumbled as she bit into it. "Come on down, I'm not ready to head back yet."
While Hank got of his horse Aingelina dropped back down to the ground, lying back in the tall grass, her hair spanning out around her, she stared up at the sky. With the sun behind her the clouds were perfectly lit up and Aingelina planned on taking advantage of it. Hank sat down next to her and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Cloud watching. It's something I never got to do but I always wanted to." Hank looked up at the sky with a wary eye but soon looked away. "It's not the same if you're sitting. Lie back and you'll see what I mean." With a tug or two on his arm he fell back into the tall grass next to her stared at the sky. Fluffy white clouds floated overhead and he watched them but didn't see the appeal. About to sit up again he stopped when Aingelina grabbed his arm and pointed to the sky. "Look! That one looks like Charlie!"
Staring at the cloud she pointed at for a moment he shook his head. "You're crazy, it doesn't look like anything."
"Yes it does! Look." Using her finger she outlined the shape she saw and sure enough Hank could just barely see what she was describing. "Didn't you ever do this when you were a kid?"
"No, never had the time."
"What do you mean?"
"I was too busy getting in trouble with my friends and falling behind in school."
"Why did you have trouble in school?"
"Just because."
"Hank," she laughed. "What was it? Were you poor in a few subjects?"
"No, I..." Hank paused. This was not something he liked to admit. To anyone. Ever. "I needed glasses but I refused to wear them."
"Well how come? There's nothing wrong with glasses." Hank turned his head to stare at her for a moment before shaking his head and moved to sit. Grabbing his arm she kept him on the ground next to her. "Wait a minute, Hank! You wouldn't wear your glasses because they made you look like a smart person and that means being weak, I understand that part. But why not wear them when you were at home in your room studying?"
"Because I'd loose them, on purpose usually. Then I'd try to read and it'd give me a headache so I'd stop. I passed school but just barely."
"Hank, what was it like for you, growing up I mean. What was your childhood like? The only kind I've ever known is the one I lived with. What was it supposed to be like?"
Staring up at the sky he thought for a moment. "I don't know. I didn't exactly have a normal childhood either. Pa didn't know what to do with me since I wasn't as smart and he'd hoped. Kept telling me that I could try as hard as I wanted but I'd never get anywhere with my life. And Ma fretted and fussed over her social life and never gave a second glance my way. My parents lived off Nana until Pa died one night after drinking himself to death and Ma died a year later when she killed herself. After that Nana raised us."
"Us?"
"Yeah. I have an older brother and sister. Eric was working for as a lawyer when he died in the War Between the States. He played the good little soldier, got himself killed down in Virginia. And Annie... she married herself some rich man and they live somewhere in Europe now. As for me... I'm the black sheep of my family. I took my inheritance and blew most of it when I spent three years gambling my way through all the major cities on the coast, from Massachusetts to Georgia. What little I had left I used to buy the saloon and get it started here in Colorado Springs."
"What happened to Nana?"
"She traveled back and forth to Europe. Last time I saw her was when she left here to go see a heart specialist in St. Louis. I haven't seen her since."
Closing his eyes Hank fought with the emotions that were building within him. Aingelina could see and hear how much the old woman meant to him and she could feel her own eyes stinging. Holding onto his arm they lie in silence for some time staring at the sky above until the sun begins to set and Aingelina knows its time to head back. Getting to his feet Hank pulls Aingelina up with him and turns to gather his horse. "Where's your horse?"
"Oh Charlie's probably just grazing somewhere." Pursing her lips she lets out a strange whistle and within seconds Charlie comes out from a thicket of trees. "There you are fella. Ready to go?"
Climbing up into the saddle she grinned at Hank and took of, urging Charlie to go faster and faster. Watching her for a moment Hank smiled and raced after her. Catching up he passed her and eventually stopped a little ways to allow her to catch up. The silence was a companionable one as they rode back to town. When the duo stopped in front of the clinic Hank turned to Aingelina, his face serious. "Listen,"
"Aingelina! Where have you been!?! I told you to make it a short ride! You could have hurt yourself staying out on a horse that long; I need to make sure you haven't pulled any stitches. Where were you?"
Glancing at Hank she said, "I got lost. I was running in circles and got all turned around. If Hank here hadn't found me I'd probably still be out there."
Michaela shook her head. "Well go take Charlie back to Robert E and then get in here, I want to look at your stitches."
"Yes'm" Dr Mike went back inside the clinic and Aingelina turned Charlie around so she could face Hank. "Don't worry. I won't let anyone think you're not the baddest person in town."
With a knowing grin and a wink she kicked Charlie into motion and they headed off toward the blacksmith shop. Smiling he turned his own horse around to head out behind the saloon to stable him. As he entered the back door of the saloon he heard that things were already under way. By the time he emerged into the main room and headed to the bar the scowl was back in place and Hank Lawson was ready to face his customers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sunday morning arrived once more and Hank was roused by the sound of the church bells. Taking his time he put on his pants and shuffled out to the porch to enjoy the peace of the empty town. As he sat down on the railing the slamming of a door shattered his peace. Looking across the street he saw Aingelina, her loose hair flying around her as she hurriedly moved, trying to lock the door to the clinic. Watching her fumble with the key and glance at the church he could see she was running late and was getting more and more flustered. As she fought with the lock he could hear her cursing the door for its stupidity. Finally the lock clicked and she jumped from the porch, running to the church. Watching her go Hank laughed as she tried to do her hair while she ran. Hearing his laughter she turned for a moment and saw him. Laughing at herself she turned back and continued to run still trying to braid her hair, a funny sight to the one man who got to see it.
Once she had disappeared into the church Hank turned his attention back to the peace and quiet of the empty town. Leaning his head back against the roof pole he stared at the sky above, smiling to himself when he saw the bright white clouds in the sky. The entire night he'd had to fight to keep a smile from his face as he remembered their afternoon in the field. She'd gotten him to open about more than anyone else in this town knew. Somehow she had chipped a hole in his wall of brick and metal that he'd built around himself. But the oddest thing was... he didn't mind it. In fact, if he was going to be honest with himself, he kind of liked it. It was the first time in a long time that anybody had done that. Not since Clarice and Myra, but even they had only scratched the surface, never quite managing to make a hole. When they'd left his life he'd patched the scratches and kept on going.
Watching the sky Hank was amazed when, from among the shapeless fluffs floating above, he suddenly saw a dog's head floating with them. "Damn if she didn't get me to see it too," he whispered to himself while he watched the shaped cloud float on by, disappearing behind the roof of the clinic.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Aingelina showed up in the morning at the café she grabbed the coffeepot and immediately began to fill the tin mugs of the customers waiting at the tables. Every afternoon, save for Sunday, she'd gone riding on Charlie after her morning tasks were complete. It had become a routine for her over the past four days and she found that she enjoyed it. First thing in the morning she'd go over to the saloon where, while the girls rearranged the tables, she would find a new way to force Hank to wake up. She could still manage to flee the room before he was out of bed, though it was becoming harder each morning to get out in time. Sometimes he would join them for the lesson but most times he just watched. After that she went to the café to help out during the breakfast hours and then once that was complete she would brush down Charlie and escape to the surrounding fields or woods to be alone.
Of course Aingelina wasn't always alone. Two of the four afternoons Hank had joined her and they'd gone exploring, he showing her things about the woods she'd never noticed before. They had talked, about everything; childhood, life, hopes, dreams. She knew that he wanted to own a hotel and that the one thing he truly regretted was not being able to be a true father to his son. Hank had opened up about Zach, as well, telling her about his school and the letters that he was learning to write to him. Aingelina could see how proud he was of his son, and how much he did love the little boy. She in turn had told him what she could remember of her mother, what life had been like when she was still alive, and the hell she had lived in for twenty years after she died. Hank had let her cry on his shoulder after telling him about Jacob and he had lightened her heart by telling her about the stunts he and Jake had pulled on each other during their "one-up-man-ship" period of practical jokes.
"Good morning Aingelina!"
Called out of the past and into the present she looked up to see Dorothy sitting at a table with Jake, Loren and Timothy. "Good morning," she smiled back at them. Pouring their coffee she jumped when the first fat raindrop hit her head. It was followed by several more until the rain was pouring down in buckets. The café emptied as people fled for shelter in town. A few crammed under the small two-table shelter Sully had built for Grace so that she didn't have to completely close on rainy days. From under the corner of the shelter Aingelina watched the rain pour down, laughing.
"What on earth are you laughing at?" Grace asked. "It's pouring!"
"Yes it is!" Aingelina smiled back to her friend. "Do you think you'll need me today?"
"No, not if this keeps up, which it looks like it's going to. You may as well go."
"Thanks Grace."
Grabbing an apple from a nearby basket Aingelina took her time, walking at a leisurely pace through the rain as it soaked her through. She could hear Grace yelling at her to get inside but ignored the woman's warnings of sickness and colds as she moved between the buildings and crossed the street to the saloon. Walking through the empty saloon, leaving puddles of water and mud behind her, Aingelina crept into Hanks room. She'd had pity on him earlier during their lesson as the girls had said he'd had a rough night, something about a brawl, but this idea was just too good to pass up. She'd get caught for sure, there was no way she'd be able to flee the room fast enough, but it was too much of a fun idea. Standing next to the bed Aingelina gripped her soaked hair and held it over his face while she rung it out. Water splashed onto his face and Hank was instantly awake and grabbing her arms. Within seconds she was pinned against the wall as he grinned down in triumph. His grin faded when he realized how wet she was.
"It's raining out, I got soaked," she told him.
"I can see that."
"The café's closed and I can't go for a ride so I thought I'd come here for a little while. Beats staying in the clinic all day."
"Uh-huh." Crossing to the room he pulled a shirt from a drawer and tossed it to her. "See if one of the girls has a skirt or something."
Aingelina caught the shirt and left the room to find a skirt and a place to change. Up the stairs to Claire's room she knocked and opened the door to find the girl sitting on her bed trying to braid her hair. Kneeling on the bed behind the young girl Aingelina braided her hair and then changed into a clean skirt, though it was more than a few inches too short, and the too big shirt Hank had tossed to her, leaving her own hair loose to dry. Once she was changed the duo headed downstairs to the main room and saw Hank standing in the doorway watching the rain. Grabbing a pack of cards from the bar Aingelina sat down and called for Hank and Claire to join her. One by one the other girls joined the table until they had a crowded table and a steady flow of lively conversation.
Aingelina told them of the dancing girls and other funny stories from her hometown and each of the girls told the wildest story they could think of from their days as working girls, each one trying to top the last story. Hours passed like minutes and before long the storm had passed leaving a bright rainbow in the sky. Wanting to check on Charlie Aingelina changed back into her now dry clothes and left the folded skirt on Claire's bed. Stopping in Hanks room she folded the shirt and placed it on his pillow, giving it one final caress before slipping out the door and across the street to the clinic to face a worried doctor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon when Aingelina reined Charlie in and stopped to walk for a bit. Leaving him free to wander and graze Aingelina walked into the forest and saw another horse tethered to a tree a ways in. When she was closer she saw that is was Hanks horse. Calling out to him and going further into the woods Aingelina was about to turn back when she came to a small clearing and saw him lying on the ground next to a tree, passed out cold. In one hand was an empty whiskey bottle while the other held a folded piece of paper. Picking up the paper she read the few words Horace had written on it.
'To Hans Lawsenstrom.'
'Grandmother, Ilse Lawsenstrom, dead from heart attack on the fifteenth of this month.'
'From Lawrence Fish, Lawyer.'
"Oh, Hank," she breathed, her eyes tearing with the heartache she knew he was suffering. His Nana was the one thing in his life he had loved, and had been loved by, unconditionally. Now she was gone. Taking the bottle from his hands she pulled his head into her lap and stroked him, waiting for him to wake up. Leaning against the tree it wasn't long until she was lulled to sleep by the peacefulness of the woods song, the winds rustling the trees, the birds singing from their branches. When Hank stirred in his sleep Aingelina opened her eyes and saw the stars shining brightly over head, moonlight filling small the clearing. Almost by habit her hand began to stroke his hair away from his face, a soothing gesture.
"Where am I?" he groaned, blinking his eyes open and taking in the surrounding woods.
"In a small clearing a few miles from town," Aingelina softly told him.
Sitting up he winced as the movement triggered a headache. Putting a hand to his head Hank looked behind him and saw Aingelina watching him. Her eyes were red and he could just make out a little shimmer of tears in them. "Why the hell are you crying?"
"Hank... I... I saw the telegram."
Sharply he turned away, a scowl on his face that anyone had seen him in such a weak state, even if it was Aingelina. "Well go on then, spread the news that Hank got drunk and passed out in the woods all because some damn old woman died!" he yelled at her, welcoming the physical pain it brought to his head, hoping it would replace the pain in his heart.
Flinching at his words Aingelina reminded herself that he was only upset and that Hank was lashing out because he was in pain, like a wounded animal when you tried to help it. "Say whatever you like Hank Lawson, but you know damn well I'd never do that." He refused to look at her so Aingelina kept talking. "It hurts right now Hank and I'm not going to say it'll ever really go away but you will learn to live with it and sooner than you think life gets back to normal."
"How the hell would you know?" he retorted angrily. But even as the words left his mouth Hank knew that she did know, better than anyone. Dropping his head into his hands he closed his eyes, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill forth again. Behind him he heard a rustle as Aingelina moved from her seat against the tree and felt her kneel behind him, her chin on his shoulder she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.
"It's okay to cry Hank. No one is here but me and I know how much you're hurting," she said to him. Lowering her voice she whispered, crooned, "It's okay..."
Her kindness, her touch, her words, her soft voice, Hank didn't know what it was that finally got to him but the tears he had been fighting began to spill forth as a shudder trembled within him. Leaning back into her arms he gave up his fight and mourned the woman he had loved since he was a little boy. Aingelina held him in her arms, rocking him gently, soothing him with her whispers, the words unimportant. Though his tears eventually ceased she continued to hold him, keeping as firm a hold on his shoulders as he had on her arms. With Hank still in her arms Aingelina lowered them to the ground and side-by-side they took comfort in the presence of a friend, eventually the duo fell back to sleep, a comfortable rest.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The sun peeking down through the trees woke Hank from his slumber and he gradually became aware of where he was, lying in the forest, and who he was with, Aingelina wrapped up in his arms. He remembered their positions being flipped when they had fallen asleep, but at some point during the night they had shifted and turned until she was cocooned within his arms, their bodies spooned together. Raising his head Hank rested it on his hand and peered down at her. He didn't quite know what to think of the woman who lay next to him. She wasn't anything like he'd ever met before.
Not a whore, but not a normal town folk woman either. Aingelina was right in the middle of the two, not fitting with either one yet able to mix with each and be perfectly at ease. He'd seen the way she dealt with the townsfolk, how she rose to their level and conversed with them easily. Working in the café she had made friends with everyone she met, even Loren and Jake. They still gossiped about her but that was because she was fresh material, eventually even she would be worn thin and they would move onto another topic. At the same time she moved freely about the saloon as though she worked in it herself. Chatting with the whores, helping them learn to fight, handling a deck of cards and knocking back a shot of whiskey when she felt like it.
Aingelina confused Hank and that intrigued him making him all the more curious. She was a beautiful woman, there was no arguing that point, and she'd had one hell of a life, but she accepted everything that was tossed in her lap, both the good and the bad, without complaint. From the day she'd met Hank she hadn't once tried to change him, hadn't looked down on his life, like so many others had. She treated the whores like humans, defending them when they were knocked around or spoken down to; to them she was like a guardian angel that had come down from heaven to protect them. That was something he'd never even heard of before. Aingelina knew how they earned their money, she knew they were considered the scum of the town, yet she had taken to them like a big sister and would dare anyone to raise an objection to it.
A Guardian Aingel. That's what her friend had written in her letter and it fit everything about her. Aingelina was as beautiful as any angel could be, her voice as well; she was kind to everyone, even the bastard of a father that had beaten her; she was strong and giving. She was Aingel.
Hank's thoughts were cut short when she stirred, slowly stretching out her body as she woke, like a cat. Sensing that she wasn't alone Aingelina opened her eyes and looked up to see him still watching her. Smiling at him she wondered at what she saw in his eyes, there had been a definite change in them. She was curious but no words were needed this morning, they'd said enough last night. In a comfortable silence they stood and moved to find their horses. His was still tethered but Charlie had wandered off. Calling out for him Aingelina heard the church bell tolling in the distance and groaned, she'd never get back in time and her absence was going to raise some questions.
Sure enough Michaela stopped by the clinic after church and found Aingelina sitting on the bench outside the front door. "Aingelina, are you feeling well, you weren't at church this morning?"
"I'm fine Dr Mike, no need to worry."
The doctor opened her mouth to ask another question, ever curious, but Sully cut her off. "We just wanted to make sure. We have to be going to get supper started, company tonight, remember Michaela?"
"Oh goodness! I forgot! Yes of course we'd better be going. Tomorrow then, Aingelina."
Saying goodbye she watched the family leave and continued to watch the people pass by, nodding to some and speaking to others, but greeting each of them. Eventually everyone who was going to pass by had and the streets grew quiet once more as families headed home to fix their supper and relax together. Getting up from her seat Aingelina walked through the town, looking at the closed businesses and empty shops until one in particular caught her eye. It wasn't a shop but rather an empty place where one used to be. There was no trace of what had once been there but there was a "For Sale" sign in the window. Looking at the price listed a small seed was planted in her head.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lying in bed the seed that had planted itself in her mind a few days before had bloomed into a flowering plant ready to be harvested of the idea's it had blossomed. Having given it a long hard thought, planning in her head all the details, Aingelina approached Robert E and Grace with her idea that Wednesday night after they both were home, having already set up the time with Grace earlier that day. Sitting at their small table, Anthony already sent off to bed, Aingelina began to tell them her idea.
"I was walking through town the other day and I saw and empty building in the middle of town was for sale. It's the perfect size for a café."
The couple's eyes met for a moment before turning back to face Aingelina. "I know; I saw it. But there's no way we could ever afford it. The bank won't give us a loan and it was hard enough trying to get our house. With everything we went through that time it'd be too much to try it again," Grace, explained, leaving out a lot of the details of that horrible time.
Aingelina grinned. They hadn't said no. "I'm sure that the people of this town were bad about you moving in, I know enough of them to guess some of the things they could have done to you. So here's my proposition," she said, leaning forward with eagerness. "I propose a partnership. I can buy the building and you can run the café just like you do now. Everything that comes from it will be split sixty-forty between us."
Grace's eye widened and stared at the woman sitting before her. What she was offering was something the woman had wanted for a long, long time. To be able to keep the café open all year in comfort, it seemed like a dream.
"Why?"
Both women started at Robert E's question. "Beg pardon?" Aingelina said, confused by his one word question.
"Why do you want to do this? Why are you offering this when you know you won't be staying in town?"
He did have a point, and they all knew it. Why was she offering this to them? Why was she spending all of her money on a business she'd be leaving behind eventually? Taking a deep breath she met their eyes and spoke with all honesty. "Because I want to. From the moment I got here you both helped me out without a single doubt. Robert E, you took in Charlie without a second thought. You didn't know if I had any money to pay you or not but you took him in anyway and fed, watered and stabled him. And Grace, you came to the clinic everyday with food and friendship, every day, three times a day."
"Now, I don't know how much longer I'll be in town but I know that this is something I want to do. I'm not giving you anything; this is not a gift, it's a business deal. You and I would be partners and all the earnings would be split sixty to you and forty to me. You'd be running the café; I'd just be tagging along for the ride. When it does come time for me to leave, I'll sign the café over to you completely and you'd be sole owner." Pausing she looked out the window and saw that it was dark. "Why don't I give you some time to decide and you can let me know what you decide."
Saying her good-byes Aingelina left the small home and made her way back through town to the clinic. Not quite ready to turn in for the night she sat on the bench, her eyes drawn to the lights from the saloon. Now there was an area in which she had no answers. When it came to her feelings, Aingelina was lost. What was it about Hank that made her feel like she did? Every time he touched her, her skin tingled, her knees shook like a newborn colt and her heart raced. Why did she feel like that? The only other times she'd felt those types of things is when she was in danger, trembling, and her heart racing with fear. But Aingelina knew Hank presented no danger to her, so why did she feel like that?
Was it possible that this was what Kathy had meant when she said that being with her Johnny made the world disappear? When she and Hank rode together Aingelina forgot about Colorado Springs, forgot that her father was coming after her, forgot that she needed to leave before he got to close. Even now, seeing him move about in the saloon, his face appearing and disappearing from the windows, she forgot about the town that she was in, the only thing she knew was him. His big blue eyes that showed her everything he felt; his long blond locks that flowed as he walked and rode, flying out behind him as he raced. The height that he towered over everyone with, standing a good distance above the crowd, yet just the right height for Aingelina to fit perfectly under his shoulder.
Aingelina sighed. What was happening to her? No man had ever made her feel like this and yet, almost from the moment she met this man he had effected her like no one ever had before. It scared her at the same time that she craved more. Like a little child in a candy store, a little was just not enough.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Stepping through the swinging doors of the saloon Aingelina saw Claire sitting at a table shuffling a deck of cards, not playing any game, just shuffling them while she waited. "Claire?"
"Oh hi, Aingelina. The other girls'll be down soon I reckon. Kind of a late night last night. There was a poker game that went pretty late. Hank made out pretty good though, they was drinkin' all night long."
Aingelina sat down next to the girl and stretched out, leaning back in the chair. "How long have you known Hank?"
"A few years now. I had just gotten here when Myra left to get married."
"Myra? Who's Myra?"
Claire looked at Aingelina and smiled, it wasn't often she was the one who got to tell the story. "Myra was one of the girls that came with Hank when he first got here. She was a tiny little thing but she was real good at her job. She fell in love with Horace and they wanted to get married but Hank loved her so he wouldn't let her leave. He did eventually but he was real sore about it for a long time."
"Hank was in love with her?"
"Well yeah. She wasn't the first either. The first woman was Clarice. She's the one that gave him Zach. But she died and Hank eventually fell in love with Myra. Then she left to marry Horace, but that didn't go as well as she thought. She's been gone for a while now."
Digesting the news Claire had spilled forth Aingelina wondered at the man that had lost his heart twice. Would he be able to give it a third time? Shaking her head she wondered where that thought had come from. Unable to dwell on it as the girls began moving the tables to make room for their lesson Aingelina moved away from the scraping of wooden legs on wooden floor and down the hallway to Hanks room. Normally she would have woken him, another round of their morning sport, but today she leaned her head on the doorjamb and watched him as he slept, stretched out face down on the bed.
Even as her head told her to look away her eyes traced his strong arms that led to his broad shoulders and lean back, smooth tanned skin rippling as he breathed, down to where the sheet just covered his rounded bottom. His head was turned towards her and she could see his scruffy face, peaceful as he slept, his blue eyes closed. A loud crash rang out from the main room and Aingelina watched as Hank shifted in his sleep. When he began to stretch and wake she fled the doorway, back out to the main room, her heart pounding in her chest, blood rushing in her ears.
Hank had cracked his eyes open just in time to see her flee the doorway when he woke. She hadn't tried to wake him, that much he knew for sure, she had been standing in the doorway, just standing there. He wondered why but more so he wondered at the look he'd glimpsed on her face. It had been so fast that he thought he'd imagined it, but Hank could have sworn he saw something different in her eyes. What it was he didn't know, but it was something he knew wasn't there before.
By the time he was out into the main room they were halfway through the lesson. The girls were actually coming along in their skills. He doubted they could hold out in a real fight for long, but if they got in a good punch or two they would be able to get away from someone. The lesson ended while he was getting a case of whiskey from the back and when he got back to the front Aingelina was gone and the girls were putting the tables back in position, chatting as they worked.
"Did she seem distracted?"
"Grab that side," one instructed to the other. "You noticed too? I was wondering about that. It was like she had something else on her mind. I almost got a punch in that one time."
"I saw that. That was strange, she usually watches carefully."
"What do you think it was?"
"I don't know. Maybe she didn't feel well, she did look a little pale."
Hank glanced up at the girl, his mind racing. Had she looked pale? Yes, she had. Was she sick? Did her wound hurt again? Was she doing too much too soon? Hank stopped in his movements and chuckled to himself. 'Listen to me,' he thought. 'I sound like Michaela.' But there was definitely something wrong with her. As he finished restocking the bar Hank looked out the window and saw Aingelina riding by on Charlie. Moving out to the stables he saddled his horse and left town. There were a few places she would be and he intended to check them all if he had to.
As it turned out he didn't. After checking the meadow he was riding toward the river when he saw Charlie grazing at the edge of the forest. Tethering his horse Hank walked into the trees when he heard a scream. Racing towards it he stopped in his tracks when he saw Aingelina backed up against a tree, her sleeve ripped and arm bleeding, a wolf baring his teeth as it moved in for the kill. With a steady aim Hank fired a shot, catching the wolf a few feet from its victim. The first shot wounding it he moved closer finishing it off with a second and a third just to be on the safe side.
Turning to Aingelina he saw her staring at the wolf, her entire body trembling, and her arm still bleeding. Ripping the neckerchief from around his neck he wrapped it around her arm to stop the bleeding. Flinching from the pain she looked up to meet his eyes, her dark ones, filled with fear and beginning to tear, and his blue ones, concern filling their every fleck of color. Her tears spilling forth Hank gathered the scared woman in his arms, holding her while she cried over what had almost happened. If he hadn't followed her...
Hank shuddered. He didn't want to finish that thought. His arms still around her they walked to the edge of the forest, away from the dead animal. There he continued to hold her, though her tears had stopped she still clung to the support he offered. Standing with his arms around her, her body pressed to his Hank could smell her, feel the heat from her body and her breath hitting his shirt and his heart began to pound. 'What the hell has she done to me?' he wondered to himself. Why did he care so much what happened to her? When had she become so important to him?
"Hank? Aingelina?"
Shocked to hear another mans voice Hank looked up to see Sully riding up the road, wolf coming along behind him, his eyes filled with wariness and questions, all directed to the man who was holding Aingelina. Lifting her head Aingelina turned up to see Sully stop his horse. The tears in her red eyes was plain to see and Sully knew something had happened. Dismounting his eyes caught sight of the blood and torn sleeve, as well as the neckerchief tied around her arm. "What happened?"
"A wolf. Back there," Hank said, nodding his head toward the forest and the direction of the dead animal.
"I didn't see it coming. I tried to get away but I fell. When I got up there was nowhere to go. If Hank hadn't shown up..."
Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and her voice choked. Tightening his grip on her Hank met Sully's eyes. "It's dead but she needs to see Michaela. Her arm was bleeding pretty badly. Take her back to town, I'll take care of the wolf." Turning his head Hank called for Charlie with the whistle he'd heard Aingelina use time and again. Though the horse hesitated he came over and stood next to Hank. Placing his hands on her waist he lifted her into the saddle while Sully remounted his own horse and within moments they were gone.
As the duo rode back toward town Sully let her take the time she needed to pull herself together. Halfway there she turned to him with a weak smile. "Thanks for going back to town with me."
"No problem. Are you okay?"
"I will be soon. It just scared me, that's all. I'll be fine soon," she said after taking a deep breath. "Sully..." He looked at her patiently when she stopped. She didn't know quite what to say. "Could you just forget the part about Hank being there?"
"Why?" He didn't say anything else and she couldn't tell from his tone what he was thinking.
"I... it would just make things easier."
"How did he happen to be there?"
"I don't know," she said honestly. "I left to go for a ride and the next thing I knew he was killing the wolf."
"That's not the first time he's just shown up is it." Though his words were a question his tone said that he knew otherwise.
"No." Aingelina sighed. "We're friends, Sully. We... I guess we understand each other; know where the other is coming from."
Sully was quiet for some time while he thought over his words. "I won't say anything. But you need to be careful with Hank, Aingelina. He's not exactly a good man."
"Not exactly?"
"Well... he's not good... but he's not all bad either. He's... it's hard to explain. He's just... Hank."
"I know Sully. He's not perfect, far from it, but then again so are all of us if you think about it. Hank just doesn't try to hide the fact. He is a good man, Sully, he's just got his own way of things and that works for him."
Turning his head to watch her as she talked Sully realized something. He didn't know which surprised him more; the fact that he knew it or the fact that it didn't shock him all that much. "You love him, don't you?"
Glancing at her companion in surprise Aingelina opened her mouth to deny it but stopped. "I don't know. I know how I feel but I don't know if that's love or not. I've never really known too much love as far as men are concerned."
Sully nodded; that much he assumed from the little Michaela had told him and what he had seen for himself. "How do you feel?"
Aingelina smiled. "Like I could fly. Every time I see him my heart beats funny and when he holds me, even if we're just showing the girls a move during a lesson, my skin tingles. I feel like my legs can't hold me up anymore and I can't breath normal."
Laughing out loud Sully knew exactly what she was saying. "Oh yeah. Aingelina... you're in love."
"Really?"
"Yes. That's the same way I felt when I was with Michaela. First time I saw her she was in the saloon fighting with Hank. She had spitfire enough for three women and a temper to match it, but she was beautiful, still is. It wasn't long until I knew that she and I would be together forever. Took longer to convince her, but eventually we got married and now we have our beautiful daughter and Brian and Colleen." Sully paused and looked at her. "I'm not going to say that Hank is a popular man in this town. There are a lot of people who don't think too highly of him, but I don't have a quarrel with him. He's there when you need him and though he may not make decisions I agree with I respect them as his."
Aingelina smiled as he spoke his mind about Hank Lawson. "Thank you Sully. It's good to hear." The rest of the ride was silent, each one lost in their own thoughts, Sully remembering the days that he had first met the woman he loved. Astride Charlie Aingelina wondered at the small piece of newfound knowledge in her heart and mind.
She was in love.
As Aingelina stretched under the covers she realized what day it was and sprang out of bed. It was finally Saturday! She could go out riding with Charlie today! Quickly she donned her pants and shirt while making a list of the things she needed to get done before she cold go for her ride. This morning she had to help out at the café, she and Grace had made an arrangement to work for her meals, then work with the girls at the saloon and she had to meet with Dr Mike before she left for her ride. By the time she would be ready to go it would be afternoon. Sighing she put the bad thoughts from her mind and focused on getting her work done. Her morning with Grace passed quietly and it was time to get to the saloon. While the girls were moving the tables out of the way Aingelina crept into Hanks room with an evil grin on her face and a small tin of water in her hands, stopping a good distance away.
He'd surprised her the last time by reaching out and grabbing her wrist, pinning her to the wall and glaring at her even while he gloated over catching her. Oh he wasn't mad; it was kind of fun really, to see who would move faster, she to get away, or him to catch her before she could get away. To them it was a sport, a game of speed and skill. This time, though, she was ready. Standing out of range of his arms she tossed the water on his face before darting from the room, listening to the sounds of him spluttering awake as she fled with a bright smile on her face. By the time he emerged into the main room she was in front of the girls beginning their session. Seeing his glare she smiled back at him but ignored him otherwise.
"All right, lets work on breaking holds again. Grab hold of someone and show me what you do." Aingelina watched each pair as they slowly broke from the hold. "Good. Now I noticed yesterday that a lot of you are punching to low. You need to make sure that you're punching where a mans head would be. It's actually higher than mine is. Damn, there's no way to show you unless we actually have a..." Smiling slowly she looked over to Hank. "A man. Hank come here, I want you to help me out with this."
"Hell no."
"Aww come on! They're not really going to hit you, I just need to show them where to aim that's all."
"No."
Grinning she walked over to Hank and smiled at him. "I won't wake you up tomorrow," she promised.
Hank grinned. He could see the trick. "Tomorrow's Sunday, you wouldn't be here anyway." Narrowing her eyes Aingelina knew he was right. Damn. Laughing at her he stood and pushed her back to the front of the group, standing next to her. "Hit me hard enough to leave a mark and you'll regret it," he warned all of them.
Smiling Aingelina continued with the lesson, using Hank as her dummy. She showed them the proper spots to hit on a mans body, all the while using the gentlest touch when she made contact with Hank. "Now suppose he's got a hold on your arms so you can't elbow him." Motioning for Hank to grab her so her arms were pinned Aingelina was unprepared for the feeling of his arms around her when he bent down and locked his arms around her. His strong arms encased her and even through his shirt and hers she could feel the warmth he emanated. For just a few seconds all thoughts were clouded over with new sensations and she lost the idea she had in her head. Blinking she refocused and concentrated on her task. "How would you get out of a hold like this?"
"Kick him?"
"Maybe, but most times that won't work. You'll only make him angry. No what you need to remember is that with someone as tall as Hank he'll need to bend down in order to lock your arms in place, so he'll be off balance for a few seconds. What you need to do is to shift your own balance so that he's thrown off even more. If I were to move to the right or left he wouldn't be able to keep his balance and he'd more than likely fall over." Letting that point sink in she felt a shiver rising from her toes and knew she needed to step away from the man holding her. "All right, I want each of you to try it. Don't knock him to the floor but you can feel when his balance is off and that's when you need to move."
Aingelina stepped away from Hank and leaned back against the bar to watch. Her pose was casual but her mind was reeling. What had just happened to her? Why was her heart racing? She knew she hadn't been in real danger yet her heart had begun racing the instant Hank had put her arms around her. She remembered hearing about that feeling from Kathy in one of her letters; she had said that was how she felt when Johnny had kissed her. Kathy had said it was the best feeling she'd ever known but to Aingelina it had felt like she did when she was in danger, yet somehow it was different; like she knew it was a good thing to come and not a bad thing. Shaking her head to clear it Aingelina focused on the lesson and tried to put the image of Hanks arms around her into the back of her mind.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"All right then, you're all set. You can go for a ride but not for too long and stick to the main roads. If anything happens at least there someone would see you."
Admonitions and commands given, and ignored, Dr Mike let her patient go and Aingelina fled to Robert E's where Charlie was saddled and ready to ride. Smiling at Robert E she led her friend out to the road and climbed up to sit in the saddle. Pausing for a moment she reveled in the feel of the reins in her hand, the saddle beneath her, the slight movement of her knees as Charlie breathed, and the dance like movements as he shifted feet, ready to race away with one flick of Aingelina's heels. Walking him down the road to the clinic as she had promised Dr Mike she would she stopped outside the clinic and said a final good bye for the afternoon. Across the street Hank watched as Aingelina leaned down over Charlie's neck and whispered into his ear. The instant she straightened he took off, her hair streaming back as he galloped out of down, her laughter hanging in the air for those she passed to hear.
Down the dirt roads they raced and it wasn't long until they left the main path to tear through open fields and meadows as the had planned, ignoring Dr Mike's warnings. On and one they flew until Aingelina was too winded to continue. In the middle of a meadow the friends finally stopped to rest. Jumping down from Charlie's back she fell to the ground laughing with joy at finally being out and about, free to ride and go where she pleased. Town had been nice but every now and then she needed to get away and it had been a month since she and Charlie were able to ride together. Lying there on the ground Aingelina fell asleep in the warm sun shining from up above only to wake to the sound of another horse approaching. Standing she looked and saw a rider approaching her. Even as he drew closer so did Charlie, coming up behind her to protect from this stranger. "Thought I might find you out here."
"Hank? What are you doing out here?"
"Dr Mike was worried. You've been gone for four hours and the woman was getting riled up. I knew where you were heading so I told her I'd find you."
"Four hours and she started to worry?" Aingelina rolled her eyes and looked toward the direction of the town. "Good grief." While she was looking up at him her stomach began to rumble. Laughing he tossed down an apple from his saddlebag. "Thanks," she mumbled as she bit into it. "Come on down, I'm not ready to head back yet."
While Hank got of his horse Aingelina dropped back down to the ground, lying back in the tall grass, her hair spanning out around her, she stared up at the sky. With the sun behind her the clouds were perfectly lit up and Aingelina planned on taking advantage of it. Hank sat down next to her and raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?" he asked.
"Cloud watching. It's something I never got to do but I always wanted to." Hank looked up at the sky with a wary eye but soon looked away. "It's not the same if you're sitting. Lie back and you'll see what I mean." With a tug or two on his arm he fell back into the tall grass next to her stared at the sky. Fluffy white clouds floated overhead and he watched them but didn't see the appeal. About to sit up again he stopped when Aingelina grabbed his arm and pointed to the sky. "Look! That one looks like Charlie!"
Staring at the cloud she pointed at for a moment he shook his head. "You're crazy, it doesn't look like anything."
"Yes it does! Look." Using her finger she outlined the shape she saw and sure enough Hank could just barely see what she was describing. "Didn't you ever do this when you were a kid?"
"No, never had the time."
"What do you mean?"
"I was too busy getting in trouble with my friends and falling behind in school."
"Why did you have trouble in school?"
"Just because."
"Hank," she laughed. "What was it? Were you poor in a few subjects?"
"No, I..." Hank paused. This was not something he liked to admit. To anyone. Ever. "I needed glasses but I refused to wear them."
"Well how come? There's nothing wrong with glasses." Hank turned his head to stare at her for a moment before shaking his head and moved to sit. Grabbing his arm she kept him on the ground next to her. "Wait a minute, Hank! You wouldn't wear your glasses because they made you look like a smart person and that means being weak, I understand that part. But why not wear them when you were at home in your room studying?"
"Because I'd loose them, on purpose usually. Then I'd try to read and it'd give me a headache so I'd stop. I passed school but just barely."
"Hank, what was it like for you, growing up I mean. What was your childhood like? The only kind I've ever known is the one I lived with. What was it supposed to be like?"
Staring up at the sky he thought for a moment. "I don't know. I didn't exactly have a normal childhood either. Pa didn't know what to do with me since I wasn't as smart and he'd hoped. Kept telling me that I could try as hard as I wanted but I'd never get anywhere with my life. And Ma fretted and fussed over her social life and never gave a second glance my way. My parents lived off Nana until Pa died one night after drinking himself to death and Ma died a year later when she killed herself. After that Nana raised us."
"Us?"
"Yeah. I have an older brother and sister. Eric was working for as a lawyer when he died in the War Between the States. He played the good little soldier, got himself killed down in Virginia. And Annie... she married herself some rich man and they live somewhere in Europe now. As for me... I'm the black sheep of my family. I took my inheritance and blew most of it when I spent three years gambling my way through all the major cities on the coast, from Massachusetts to Georgia. What little I had left I used to buy the saloon and get it started here in Colorado Springs."
"What happened to Nana?"
"She traveled back and forth to Europe. Last time I saw her was when she left here to go see a heart specialist in St. Louis. I haven't seen her since."
Closing his eyes Hank fought with the emotions that were building within him. Aingelina could see and hear how much the old woman meant to him and she could feel her own eyes stinging. Holding onto his arm they lie in silence for some time staring at the sky above until the sun begins to set and Aingelina knows its time to head back. Getting to his feet Hank pulls Aingelina up with him and turns to gather his horse. "Where's your horse?"
"Oh Charlie's probably just grazing somewhere." Pursing her lips she lets out a strange whistle and within seconds Charlie comes out from a thicket of trees. "There you are fella. Ready to go?"
Climbing up into the saddle she grinned at Hank and took of, urging Charlie to go faster and faster. Watching her for a moment Hank smiled and raced after her. Catching up he passed her and eventually stopped a little ways to allow her to catch up. The silence was a companionable one as they rode back to town. When the duo stopped in front of the clinic Hank turned to Aingelina, his face serious. "Listen,"
"Aingelina! Where have you been!?! I told you to make it a short ride! You could have hurt yourself staying out on a horse that long; I need to make sure you haven't pulled any stitches. Where were you?"
Glancing at Hank she said, "I got lost. I was running in circles and got all turned around. If Hank here hadn't found me I'd probably still be out there."
Michaela shook her head. "Well go take Charlie back to Robert E and then get in here, I want to look at your stitches."
"Yes'm" Dr Mike went back inside the clinic and Aingelina turned Charlie around so she could face Hank. "Don't worry. I won't let anyone think you're not the baddest person in town."
With a knowing grin and a wink she kicked Charlie into motion and they headed off toward the blacksmith shop. Smiling he turned his own horse around to head out behind the saloon to stable him. As he entered the back door of the saloon he heard that things were already under way. By the time he emerged into the main room and headed to the bar the scowl was back in place and Hank Lawson was ready to face his customers.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sunday morning arrived once more and Hank was roused by the sound of the church bells. Taking his time he put on his pants and shuffled out to the porch to enjoy the peace of the empty town. As he sat down on the railing the slamming of a door shattered his peace. Looking across the street he saw Aingelina, her loose hair flying around her as she hurriedly moved, trying to lock the door to the clinic. Watching her fumble with the key and glance at the church he could see she was running late and was getting more and more flustered. As she fought with the lock he could hear her cursing the door for its stupidity. Finally the lock clicked and she jumped from the porch, running to the church. Watching her go Hank laughed as she tried to do her hair while she ran. Hearing his laughter she turned for a moment and saw him. Laughing at herself she turned back and continued to run still trying to braid her hair, a funny sight to the one man who got to see it.
Once she had disappeared into the church Hank turned his attention back to the peace and quiet of the empty town. Leaning his head back against the roof pole he stared at the sky above, smiling to himself when he saw the bright white clouds in the sky. The entire night he'd had to fight to keep a smile from his face as he remembered their afternoon in the field. She'd gotten him to open about more than anyone else in this town knew. Somehow she had chipped a hole in his wall of brick and metal that he'd built around himself. But the oddest thing was... he didn't mind it. In fact, if he was going to be honest with himself, he kind of liked it. It was the first time in a long time that anybody had done that. Not since Clarice and Myra, but even they had only scratched the surface, never quite managing to make a hole. When they'd left his life he'd patched the scratches and kept on going.
Watching the sky Hank was amazed when, from among the shapeless fluffs floating above, he suddenly saw a dog's head floating with them. "Damn if she didn't get me to see it too," he whispered to himself while he watched the shaped cloud float on by, disappearing behind the roof of the clinic.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
When Aingelina showed up in the morning at the café she grabbed the coffeepot and immediately began to fill the tin mugs of the customers waiting at the tables. Every afternoon, save for Sunday, she'd gone riding on Charlie after her morning tasks were complete. It had become a routine for her over the past four days and she found that she enjoyed it. First thing in the morning she'd go over to the saloon where, while the girls rearranged the tables, she would find a new way to force Hank to wake up. She could still manage to flee the room before he was out of bed, though it was becoming harder each morning to get out in time. Sometimes he would join them for the lesson but most times he just watched. After that she went to the café to help out during the breakfast hours and then once that was complete she would brush down Charlie and escape to the surrounding fields or woods to be alone.
Of course Aingelina wasn't always alone. Two of the four afternoons Hank had joined her and they'd gone exploring, he showing her things about the woods she'd never noticed before. They had talked, about everything; childhood, life, hopes, dreams. She knew that he wanted to own a hotel and that the one thing he truly regretted was not being able to be a true father to his son. Hank had opened up about Zach, as well, telling her about his school and the letters that he was learning to write to him. Aingelina could see how proud he was of his son, and how much he did love the little boy. She in turn had told him what she could remember of her mother, what life had been like when she was still alive, and the hell she had lived in for twenty years after she died. Hank had let her cry on his shoulder after telling him about Jacob and he had lightened her heart by telling her about the stunts he and Jake had pulled on each other during their "one-up-man-ship" period of practical jokes.
"Good morning Aingelina!"
Called out of the past and into the present she looked up to see Dorothy sitting at a table with Jake, Loren and Timothy. "Good morning," she smiled back at them. Pouring their coffee she jumped when the first fat raindrop hit her head. It was followed by several more until the rain was pouring down in buckets. The café emptied as people fled for shelter in town. A few crammed under the small two-table shelter Sully had built for Grace so that she didn't have to completely close on rainy days. From under the corner of the shelter Aingelina watched the rain pour down, laughing.
"What on earth are you laughing at?" Grace asked. "It's pouring!"
"Yes it is!" Aingelina smiled back to her friend. "Do you think you'll need me today?"
"No, not if this keeps up, which it looks like it's going to. You may as well go."
"Thanks Grace."
Grabbing an apple from a nearby basket Aingelina took her time, walking at a leisurely pace through the rain as it soaked her through. She could hear Grace yelling at her to get inside but ignored the woman's warnings of sickness and colds as she moved between the buildings and crossed the street to the saloon. Walking through the empty saloon, leaving puddles of water and mud behind her, Aingelina crept into Hanks room. She'd had pity on him earlier during their lesson as the girls had said he'd had a rough night, something about a brawl, but this idea was just too good to pass up. She'd get caught for sure, there was no way she'd be able to flee the room fast enough, but it was too much of a fun idea. Standing next to the bed Aingelina gripped her soaked hair and held it over his face while she rung it out. Water splashed onto his face and Hank was instantly awake and grabbing her arms. Within seconds she was pinned against the wall as he grinned down in triumph. His grin faded when he realized how wet she was.
"It's raining out, I got soaked," she told him.
"I can see that."
"The café's closed and I can't go for a ride so I thought I'd come here for a little while. Beats staying in the clinic all day."
"Uh-huh." Crossing to the room he pulled a shirt from a drawer and tossed it to her. "See if one of the girls has a skirt or something."
Aingelina caught the shirt and left the room to find a skirt and a place to change. Up the stairs to Claire's room she knocked and opened the door to find the girl sitting on her bed trying to braid her hair. Kneeling on the bed behind the young girl Aingelina braided her hair and then changed into a clean skirt, though it was more than a few inches too short, and the too big shirt Hank had tossed to her, leaving her own hair loose to dry. Once she was changed the duo headed downstairs to the main room and saw Hank standing in the doorway watching the rain. Grabbing a pack of cards from the bar Aingelina sat down and called for Hank and Claire to join her. One by one the other girls joined the table until they had a crowded table and a steady flow of lively conversation.
Aingelina told them of the dancing girls and other funny stories from her hometown and each of the girls told the wildest story they could think of from their days as working girls, each one trying to top the last story. Hours passed like minutes and before long the storm had passed leaving a bright rainbow in the sky. Wanting to check on Charlie Aingelina changed back into her now dry clothes and left the folded skirt on Claire's bed. Stopping in Hanks room she folded the shirt and placed it on his pillow, giving it one final caress before slipping out the door and across the street to the clinic to face a worried doctor.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon when Aingelina reined Charlie in and stopped to walk for a bit. Leaving him free to wander and graze Aingelina walked into the forest and saw another horse tethered to a tree a ways in. When she was closer she saw that is was Hanks horse. Calling out to him and going further into the woods Aingelina was about to turn back when she came to a small clearing and saw him lying on the ground next to a tree, passed out cold. In one hand was an empty whiskey bottle while the other held a folded piece of paper. Picking up the paper she read the few words Horace had written on it.
'To Hans Lawsenstrom.'
'Grandmother, Ilse Lawsenstrom, dead from heart attack on the fifteenth of this month.'
'From Lawrence Fish, Lawyer.'
"Oh, Hank," she breathed, her eyes tearing with the heartache she knew he was suffering. His Nana was the one thing in his life he had loved, and had been loved by, unconditionally. Now she was gone. Taking the bottle from his hands she pulled his head into her lap and stroked him, waiting for him to wake up. Leaning against the tree it wasn't long until she was lulled to sleep by the peacefulness of the woods song, the winds rustling the trees, the birds singing from their branches. When Hank stirred in his sleep Aingelina opened her eyes and saw the stars shining brightly over head, moonlight filling small the clearing. Almost by habit her hand began to stroke his hair away from his face, a soothing gesture.
"Where am I?" he groaned, blinking his eyes open and taking in the surrounding woods.
"In a small clearing a few miles from town," Aingelina softly told him.
Sitting up he winced as the movement triggered a headache. Putting a hand to his head Hank looked behind him and saw Aingelina watching him. Her eyes were red and he could just make out a little shimmer of tears in them. "Why the hell are you crying?"
"Hank... I... I saw the telegram."
Sharply he turned away, a scowl on his face that anyone had seen him in such a weak state, even if it was Aingelina. "Well go on then, spread the news that Hank got drunk and passed out in the woods all because some damn old woman died!" he yelled at her, welcoming the physical pain it brought to his head, hoping it would replace the pain in his heart.
Flinching at his words Aingelina reminded herself that he was only upset and that Hank was lashing out because he was in pain, like a wounded animal when you tried to help it. "Say whatever you like Hank Lawson, but you know damn well I'd never do that." He refused to look at her so Aingelina kept talking. "It hurts right now Hank and I'm not going to say it'll ever really go away but you will learn to live with it and sooner than you think life gets back to normal."
"How the hell would you know?" he retorted angrily. But even as the words left his mouth Hank knew that she did know, better than anyone. Dropping his head into his hands he closed his eyes, fighting the tears that were threatening to spill forth again. Behind him he heard a rustle as Aingelina moved from her seat against the tree and felt her kneel behind him, her chin on his shoulder she wrapped her arms around him and held him close.
"It's okay to cry Hank. No one is here but me and I know how much you're hurting," she said to him. Lowering her voice she whispered, crooned, "It's okay..."
Her kindness, her touch, her words, her soft voice, Hank didn't know what it was that finally got to him but the tears he had been fighting began to spill forth as a shudder trembled within him. Leaning back into her arms he gave up his fight and mourned the woman he had loved since he was a little boy. Aingelina held him in her arms, rocking him gently, soothing him with her whispers, the words unimportant. Though his tears eventually ceased she continued to hold him, keeping as firm a hold on his shoulders as he had on her arms. With Hank still in her arms Aingelina lowered them to the ground and side-by-side they took comfort in the presence of a friend, eventually the duo fell back to sleep, a comfortable rest.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The sun peeking down through the trees woke Hank from his slumber and he gradually became aware of where he was, lying in the forest, and who he was with, Aingelina wrapped up in his arms. He remembered their positions being flipped when they had fallen asleep, but at some point during the night they had shifted and turned until she was cocooned within his arms, their bodies spooned together. Raising his head Hank rested it on his hand and peered down at her. He didn't quite know what to think of the woman who lay next to him. She wasn't anything like he'd ever met before.
Not a whore, but not a normal town folk woman either. Aingelina was right in the middle of the two, not fitting with either one yet able to mix with each and be perfectly at ease. He'd seen the way she dealt with the townsfolk, how she rose to their level and conversed with them easily. Working in the café she had made friends with everyone she met, even Loren and Jake. They still gossiped about her but that was because she was fresh material, eventually even she would be worn thin and they would move onto another topic. At the same time she moved freely about the saloon as though she worked in it herself. Chatting with the whores, helping them learn to fight, handling a deck of cards and knocking back a shot of whiskey when she felt like it.
Aingelina confused Hank and that intrigued him making him all the more curious. She was a beautiful woman, there was no arguing that point, and she'd had one hell of a life, but she accepted everything that was tossed in her lap, both the good and the bad, without complaint. From the day she'd met Hank she hadn't once tried to change him, hadn't looked down on his life, like so many others had. She treated the whores like humans, defending them when they were knocked around or spoken down to; to them she was like a guardian angel that had come down from heaven to protect them. That was something he'd never even heard of before. Aingelina knew how they earned their money, she knew they were considered the scum of the town, yet she had taken to them like a big sister and would dare anyone to raise an objection to it.
A Guardian Aingel. That's what her friend had written in her letter and it fit everything about her. Aingelina was as beautiful as any angel could be, her voice as well; she was kind to everyone, even the bastard of a father that had beaten her; she was strong and giving. She was Aingel.
Hank's thoughts were cut short when she stirred, slowly stretching out her body as she woke, like a cat. Sensing that she wasn't alone Aingelina opened her eyes and looked up to see him still watching her. Smiling at him she wondered at what she saw in his eyes, there had been a definite change in them. She was curious but no words were needed this morning, they'd said enough last night. In a comfortable silence they stood and moved to find their horses. His was still tethered but Charlie had wandered off. Calling out for him Aingelina heard the church bell tolling in the distance and groaned, she'd never get back in time and her absence was going to raise some questions.
Sure enough Michaela stopped by the clinic after church and found Aingelina sitting on the bench outside the front door. "Aingelina, are you feeling well, you weren't at church this morning?"
"I'm fine Dr Mike, no need to worry."
The doctor opened her mouth to ask another question, ever curious, but Sully cut her off. "We just wanted to make sure. We have to be going to get supper started, company tonight, remember Michaela?"
"Oh goodness! I forgot! Yes of course we'd better be going. Tomorrow then, Aingelina."
Saying goodbye she watched the family leave and continued to watch the people pass by, nodding to some and speaking to others, but greeting each of them. Eventually everyone who was going to pass by had and the streets grew quiet once more as families headed home to fix their supper and relax together. Getting up from her seat Aingelina walked through the town, looking at the closed businesses and empty shops until one in particular caught her eye. It wasn't a shop but rather an empty place where one used to be. There was no trace of what had once been there but there was a "For Sale" sign in the window. Looking at the price listed a small seed was planted in her head.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lying in bed the seed that had planted itself in her mind a few days before had bloomed into a flowering plant ready to be harvested of the idea's it had blossomed. Having given it a long hard thought, planning in her head all the details, Aingelina approached Robert E and Grace with her idea that Wednesday night after they both were home, having already set up the time with Grace earlier that day. Sitting at their small table, Anthony already sent off to bed, Aingelina began to tell them her idea.
"I was walking through town the other day and I saw and empty building in the middle of town was for sale. It's the perfect size for a café."
The couple's eyes met for a moment before turning back to face Aingelina. "I know; I saw it. But there's no way we could ever afford it. The bank won't give us a loan and it was hard enough trying to get our house. With everything we went through that time it'd be too much to try it again," Grace, explained, leaving out a lot of the details of that horrible time.
Aingelina grinned. They hadn't said no. "I'm sure that the people of this town were bad about you moving in, I know enough of them to guess some of the things they could have done to you. So here's my proposition," she said, leaning forward with eagerness. "I propose a partnership. I can buy the building and you can run the café just like you do now. Everything that comes from it will be split sixty-forty between us."
Grace's eye widened and stared at the woman sitting before her. What she was offering was something the woman had wanted for a long, long time. To be able to keep the café open all year in comfort, it seemed like a dream.
"Why?"
Both women started at Robert E's question. "Beg pardon?" Aingelina said, confused by his one word question.
"Why do you want to do this? Why are you offering this when you know you won't be staying in town?"
He did have a point, and they all knew it. Why was she offering this to them? Why was she spending all of her money on a business she'd be leaving behind eventually? Taking a deep breath she met their eyes and spoke with all honesty. "Because I want to. From the moment I got here you both helped me out without a single doubt. Robert E, you took in Charlie without a second thought. You didn't know if I had any money to pay you or not but you took him in anyway and fed, watered and stabled him. And Grace, you came to the clinic everyday with food and friendship, every day, three times a day."
"Now, I don't know how much longer I'll be in town but I know that this is something I want to do. I'm not giving you anything; this is not a gift, it's a business deal. You and I would be partners and all the earnings would be split sixty to you and forty to me. You'd be running the café; I'd just be tagging along for the ride. When it does come time for me to leave, I'll sign the café over to you completely and you'd be sole owner." Pausing she looked out the window and saw that it was dark. "Why don't I give you some time to decide and you can let me know what you decide."
Saying her good-byes Aingelina left the small home and made her way back through town to the clinic. Not quite ready to turn in for the night she sat on the bench, her eyes drawn to the lights from the saloon. Now there was an area in which she had no answers. When it came to her feelings, Aingelina was lost. What was it about Hank that made her feel like she did? Every time he touched her, her skin tingled, her knees shook like a newborn colt and her heart raced. Why did she feel like that? The only other times she'd felt those types of things is when she was in danger, trembling, and her heart racing with fear. But Aingelina knew Hank presented no danger to her, so why did she feel like that?
Was it possible that this was what Kathy had meant when she said that being with her Johnny made the world disappear? When she and Hank rode together Aingelina forgot about Colorado Springs, forgot that her father was coming after her, forgot that she needed to leave before he got to close. Even now, seeing him move about in the saloon, his face appearing and disappearing from the windows, she forgot about the town that she was in, the only thing she knew was him. His big blue eyes that showed her everything he felt; his long blond locks that flowed as he walked and rode, flying out behind him as he raced. The height that he towered over everyone with, standing a good distance above the crowd, yet just the right height for Aingelina to fit perfectly under his shoulder.
Aingelina sighed. What was happening to her? No man had ever made her feel like this and yet, almost from the moment she met this man he had effected her like no one ever had before. It scared her at the same time that she craved more. Like a little child in a candy store, a little was just not enough.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Stepping through the swinging doors of the saloon Aingelina saw Claire sitting at a table shuffling a deck of cards, not playing any game, just shuffling them while she waited. "Claire?"
"Oh hi, Aingelina. The other girls'll be down soon I reckon. Kind of a late night last night. There was a poker game that went pretty late. Hank made out pretty good though, they was drinkin' all night long."
Aingelina sat down next to the girl and stretched out, leaning back in the chair. "How long have you known Hank?"
"A few years now. I had just gotten here when Myra left to get married."
"Myra? Who's Myra?"
Claire looked at Aingelina and smiled, it wasn't often she was the one who got to tell the story. "Myra was one of the girls that came with Hank when he first got here. She was a tiny little thing but she was real good at her job. She fell in love with Horace and they wanted to get married but Hank loved her so he wouldn't let her leave. He did eventually but he was real sore about it for a long time."
"Hank was in love with her?"
"Well yeah. She wasn't the first either. The first woman was Clarice. She's the one that gave him Zach. But she died and Hank eventually fell in love with Myra. Then she left to marry Horace, but that didn't go as well as she thought. She's been gone for a while now."
Digesting the news Claire had spilled forth Aingelina wondered at the man that had lost his heart twice. Would he be able to give it a third time? Shaking her head she wondered where that thought had come from. Unable to dwell on it as the girls began moving the tables to make room for their lesson Aingelina moved away from the scraping of wooden legs on wooden floor and down the hallway to Hanks room. Normally she would have woken him, another round of their morning sport, but today she leaned her head on the doorjamb and watched him as he slept, stretched out face down on the bed.
Even as her head told her to look away her eyes traced his strong arms that led to his broad shoulders and lean back, smooth tanned skin rippling as he breathed, down to where the sheet just covered his rounded bottom. His head was turned towards her and she could see his scruffy face, peaceful as he slept, his blue eyes closed. A loud crash rang out from the main room and Aingelina watched as Hank shifted in his sleep. When he began to stretch and wake she fled the doorway, back out to the main room, her heart pounding in her chest, blood rushing in her ears.
Hank had cracked his eyes open just in time to see her flee the doorway when he woke. She hadn't tried to wake him, that much he knew for sure, she had been standing in the doorway, just standing there. He wondered why but more so he wondered at the look he'd glimpsed on her face. It had been so fast that he thought he'd imagined it, but Hank could have sworn he saw something different in her eyes. What it was he didn't know, but it was something he knew wasn't there before.
By the time he was out into the main room they were halfway through the lesson. The girls were actually coming along in their skills. He doubted they could hold out in a real fight for long, but if they got in a good punch or two they would be able to get away from someone. The lesson ended while he was getting a case of whiskey from the back and when he got back to the front Aingelina was gone and the girls were putting the tables back in position, chatting as they worked.
"Did she seem distracted?"
"Grab that side," one instructed to the other. "You noticed too? I was wondering about that. It was like she had something else on her mind. I almost got a punch in that one time."
"I saw that. That was strange, she usually watches carefully."
"What do you think it was?"
"I don't know. Maybe she didn't feel well, she did look a little pale."
Hank glanced up at the girl, his mind racing. Had she looked pale? Yes, she had. Was she sick? Did her wound hurt again? Was she doing too much too soon? Hank stopped in his movements and chuckled to himself. 'Listen to me,' he thought. 'I sound like Michaela.' But there was definitely something wrong with her. As he finished restocking the bar Hank looked out the window and saw Aingelina riding by on Charlie. Moving out to the stables he saddled his horse and left town. There were a few places she would be and he intended to check them all if he had to.
As it turned out he didn't. After checking the meadow he was riding toward the river when he saw Charlie grazing at the edge of the forest. Tethering his horse Hank walked into the trees when he heard a scream. Racing towards it he stopped in his tracks when he saw Aingelina backed up against a tree, her sleeve ripped and arm bleeding, a wolf baring his teeth as it moved in for the kill. With a steady aim Hank fired a shot, catching the wolf a few feet from its victim. The first shot wounding it he moved closer finishing it off with a second and a third just to be on the safe side.
Turning to Aingelina he saw her staring at the wolf, her entire body trembling, and her arm still bleeding. Ripping the neckerchief from around his neck he wrapped it around her arm to stop the bleeding. Flinching from the pain she looked up to meet his eyes, her dark ones, filled with fear and beginning to tear, and his blue ones, concern filling their every fleck of color. Her tears spilling forth Hank gathered the scared woman in his arms, holding her while she cried over what had almost happened. If he hadn't followed her...
Hank shuddered. He didn't want to finish that thought. His arms still around her they walked to the edge of the forest, away from the dead animal. There he continued to hold her, though her tears had stopped she still clung to the support he offered. Standing with his arms around her, her body pressed to his Hank could smell her, feel the heat from her body and her breath hitting his shirt and his heart began to pound. 'What the hell has she done to me?' he wondered to himself. Why did he care so much what happened to her? When had she become so important to him?
"Hank? Aingelina?"
Shocked to hear another mans voice Hank looked up to see Sully riding up the road, wolf coming along behind him, his eyes filled with wariness and questions, all directed to the man who was holding Aingelina. Lifting her head Aingelina turned up to see Sully stop his horse. The tears in her red eyes was plain to see and Sully knew something had happened. Dismounting his eyes caught sight of the blood and torn sleeve, as well as the neckerchief tied around her arm. "What happened?"
"A wolf. Back there," Hank said, nodding his head toward the forest and the direction of the dead animal.
"I didn't see it coming. I tried to get away but I fell. When I got up there was nowhere to go. If Hank hadn't shown up..."
Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and her voice choked. Tightening his grip on her Hank met Sully's eyes. "It's dead but she needs to see Michaela. Her arm was bleeding pretty badly. Take her back to town, I'll take care of the wolf." Turning his head Hank called for Charlie with the whistle he'd heard Aingelina use time and again. Though the horse hesitated he came over and stood next to Hank. Placing his hands on her waist he lifted her into the saddle while Sully remounted his own horse and within moments they were gone.
As the duo rode back toward town Sully let her take the time she needed to pull herself together. Halfway there she turned to him with a weak smile. "Thanks for going back to town with me."
"No problem. Are you okay?"
"I will be soon. It just scared me, that's all. I'll be fine soon," she said after taking a deep breath. "Sully..." He looked at her patiently when she stopped. She didn't know quite what to say. "Could you just forget the part about Hank being there?"
"Why?" He didn't say anything else and she couldn't tell from his tone what he was thinking.
"I... it would just make things easier."
"How did he happen to be there?"
"I don't know," she said honestly. "I left to go for a ride and the next thing I knew he was killing the wolf."
"That's not the first time he's just shown up is it." Though his words were a question his tone said that he knew otherwise.
"No." Aingelina sighed. "We're friends, Sully. We... I guess we understand each other; know where the other is coming from."
Sully was quiet for some time while he thought over his words. "I won't say anything. But you need to be careful with Hank, Aingelina. He's not exactly a good man."
"Not exactly?"
"Well... he's not good... but he's not all bad either. He's... it's hard to explain. He's just... Hank."
"I know Sully. He's not perfect, far from it, but then again so are all of us if you think about it. Hank just doesn't try to hide the fact. He is a good man, Sully, he's just got his own way of things and that works for him."
Turning his head to watch her as she talked Sully realized something. He didn't know which surprised him more; the fact that he knew it or the fact that it didn't shock him all that much. "You love him, don't you?"
Glancing at her companion in surprise Aingelina opened her mouth to deny it but stopped. "I don't know. I know how I feel but I don't know if that's love or not. I've never really known too much love as far as men are concerned."
Sully nodded; that much he assumed from the little Michaela had told him and what he had seen for himself. "How do you feel?"
Aingelina smiled. "Like I could fly. Every time I see him my heart beats funny and when he holds me, even if we're just showing the girls a move during a lesson, my skin tingles. I feel like my legs can't hold me up anymore and I can't breath normal."
Laughing out loud Sully knew exactly what she was saying. "Oh yeah. Aingelina... you're in love."
"Really?"
"Yes. That's the same way I felt when I was with Michaela. First time I saw her she was in the saloon fighting with Hank. She had spitfire enough for three women and a temper to match it, but she was beautiful, still is. It wasn't long until I knew that she and I would be together forever. Took longer to convince her, but eventually we got married and now we have our beautiful daughter and Brian and Colleen." Sully paused and looked at her. "I'm not going to say that Hank is a popular man in this town. There are a lot of people who don't think too highly of him, but I don't have a quarrel with him. He's there when you need him and though he may not make decisions I agree with I respect them as his."
Aingelina smiled as he spoke his mind about Hank Lawson. "Thank you Sully. It's good to hear." The rest of the ride was silent, each one lost in their own thoughts, Sully remembering the days that he had first met the woman he loved. Astride Charlie Aingelina wondered at the small piece of newfound knowledge in her heart and mind.
She was in love.
