Matt took a long sip of his beer, "It's been almost two weeks, and he still
won't trust Clem to shave him?"
"Don't be fooled for a minute," Doc added, "It's not about trust. It's about money. Kitty doesn't charge him!"
"That's enough you two. He's still getting used to the idea of being cleaned up all the time. I don't mind shaving him, although I think I'm going to teach him to do it himself."
Matt agreed, "That sounds like a good idea."
"Do you suppose he's even kissed her yet?"
"Doc!" Kitty reprimanded him, "You really need to mind your manners sometimes. That's none of your business!"
"Might not be... but are you sittin' there tellin' me you don't know the answer?"
Kitty smiled, "I never said that."
"Kitty! You and Doc should really be ashamed of yourselves." Kitty swatted Matt on the arm, "Since you're the one who told me he hasn't, I don't think you should be pointing fingers."
Doc turned in surprise, "Well, well, well. Weren't you the one who thought Kitty and I should stay out of this? Look who's in the middle of it now, by glory!"
Matt set his mug down, "He just asked for a little advice this afternoon, that's all, and it sorta came out that he hasn't made a move yet." His voice turned serious, "But I'll tell you this, if she doesn't respond to him in that way, it's really going to destroy him."
Doc took a long sip on his beer, "You're right there. He's hopelessly in love with the girl."
Kitty smiled, "You two worry too much. If I'm any kind of judge of men and women, she won't refuse him, I guarantee it."
Matt sighed, "I hope you're right. I don't want to see him hurt."
***********
Festus poured her another glass of the wine that Kitty had given him, smiling at her all the while. Rose smoothed the blanket underneath her, and looked out at the moon shining on the lake.
"It's a beautiful night."
"Fittin' that it has you to reflect off of..."
"Festus, you really are sweet."
"Miss Rose, you never done finished tellin' me why you left Denver."
Her eyes took on a faraway look for a moment, then she sipped her wine, looking for courage. She set the glass down, and took Haggen's hand in her own.
"Festus, there's something I have to tell you, and I'm afraid it might change the way you... well, you might not want to be courtin' with me any more after I do." His hazel eyes glimmered in the moonlight, and Rose knew she had to just say it. "I was.... I was married before, Festus."
"Married? To some feller in Denver?"
"Yes. But it was only for a month. I left him as soon as I realized what kind of man he really was."
Festus tried not to let the hurt in his heart show, but the hurt in his voice betrayed him, "Why'dja marry him in the first place?"
"He was charming, and worldly, and he swept me off my feet. I thought that man was the sun, moon, and stars; but it was all on the surface. After we were married, I saw the real man. He was a cheat, and a liar, who only wanted my daddy's land. And he--"
Tears filled her eyes, and she couldn't speak. Festus pulled her into him, holding her for a long moment, then he pushed her to arm's length. His eyes were soft, and filled with emotion.
"What'd he do to you, Rose?"
She nodded, "One night he came home, drunk, and he beat me to within an inch of my life. I left the next morning, and I've never looked back. I filled out the state papers before I left Colorado, and left him with all I ever had, but not me."
Tears trickled down her cheeks, and Festus ran a soft hand down her face, "How any man could beat a woman is somethin' I ain't never gonna understand. And how any man could hurt you..... It tears my heart to pieces just to think on it."
He put both his hands on the sides of her face, drawing her close to him, and a moment later, he lightly touched his lips to hers. He looked into her eyes, and pulled her close again, this time allowing his mouth to linger, he brushed her lips with his own.
***********
Bo Hopkins was tired. And when he was tired, he became mean. He'd been on a horse for weeks, and he hated to ride. That damned woman. She had made him look like a fool, up and leaving him the way she did, and he intended to find her and drag her back where she belonged. She was his, and he aimed to claim his property. Town after town he inquired about a woman fitting her description. It had quickly become clear that she wasn't using her married name. But she should have chosen something other than her maiden name, because it was too easy to track. But then, he had never considered her overly bright. He had married her because she was pretty, and because she owned land enough for a cattle ranch. Her father had just died, and she was vulnerable. An easy target for one as smooth as he.
He smiled, soon enough he would find her. He heard she had gone into Dodge City. That was just fine with him, it wasn't that far, and he could get off the damned horse. He owed her for this trip, and he intended to make her pay.
"Don't be fooled for a minute," Doc added, "It's not about trust. It's about money. Kitty doesn't charge him!"
"That's enough you two. He's still getting used to the idea of being cleaned up all the time. I don't mind shaving him, although I think I'm going to teach him to do it himself."
Matt agreed, "That sounds like a good idea."
"Do you suppose he's even kissed her yet?"
"Doc!" Kitty reprimanded him, "You really need to mind your manners sometimes. That's none of your business!"
"Might not be... but are you sittin' there tellin' me you don't know the answer?"
Kitty smiled, "I never said that."
"Kitty! You and Doc should really be ashamed of yourselves." Kitty swatted Matt on the arm, "Since you're the one who told me he hasn't, I don't think you should be pointing fingers."
Doc turned in surprise, "Well, well, well. Weren't you the one who thought Kitty and I should stay out of this? Look who's in the middle of it now, by glory!"
Matt set his mug down, "He just asked for a little advice this afternoon, that's all, and it sorta came out that he hasn't made a move yet." His voice turned serious, "But I'll tell you this, if she doesn't respond to him in that way, it's really going to destroy him."
Doc took a long sip on his beer, "You're right there. He's hopelessly in love with the girl."
Kitty smiled, "You two worry too much. If I'm any kind of judge of men and women, she won't refuse him, I guarantee it."
Matt sighed, "I hope you're right. I don't want to see him hurt."
***********
Festus poured her another glass of the wine that Kitty had given him, smiling at her all the while. Rose smoothed the blanket underneath her, and looked out at the moon shining on the lake.
"It's a beautiful night."
"Fittin' that it has you to reflect off of..."
"Festus, you really are sweet."
"Miss Rose, you never done finished tellin' me why you left Denver."
Her eyes took on a faraway look for a moment, then she sipped her wine, looking for courage. She set the glass down, and took Haggen's hand in her own.
"Festus, there's something I have to tell you, and I'm afraid it might change the way you... well, you might not want to be courtin' with me any more after I do." His hazel eyes glimmered in the moonlight, and Rose knew she had to just say it. "I was.... I was married before, Festus."
"Married? To some feller in Denver?"
"Yes. But it was only for a month. I left him as soon as I realized what kind of man he really was."
Festus tried not to let the hurt in his heart show, but the hurt in his voice betrayed him, "Why'dja marry him in the first place?"
"He was charming, and worldly, and he swept me off my feet. I thought that man was the sun, moon, and stars; but it was all on the surface. After we were married, I saw the real man. He was a cheat, and a liar, who only wanted my daddy's land. And he--"
Tears filled her eyes, and she couldn't speak. Festus pulled her into him, holding her for a long moment, then he pushed her to arm's length. His eyes were soft, and filled with emotion.
"What'd he do to you, Rose?"
She nodded, "One night he came home, drunk, and he beat me to within an inch of my life. I left the next morning, and I've never looked back. I filled out the state papers before I left Colorado, and left him with all I ever had, but not me."
Tears trickled down her cheeks, and Festus ran a soft hand down her face, "How any man could beat a woman is somethin' I ain't never gonna understand. And how any man could hurt you..... It tears my heart to pieces just to think on it."
He put both his hands on the sides of her face, drawing her close to him, and a moment later, he lightly touched his lips to hers. He looked into her eyes, and pulled her close again, this time allowing his mouth to linger, he brushed her lips with his own.
***********
Bo Hopkins was tired. And when he was tired, he became mean. He'd been on a horse for weeks, and he hated to ride. That damned woman. She had made him look like a fool, up and leaving him the way she did, and he intended to find her and drag her back where she belonged. She was his, and he aimed to claim his property. Town after town he inquired about a woman fitting her description. It had quickly become clear that she wasn't using her married name. But she should have chosen something other than her maiden name, because it was too easy to track. But then, he had never considered her overly bright. He had married her because she was pretty, and because she owned land enough for a cattle ranch. Her father had just died, and she was vulnerable. An easy target for one as smooth as he.
He smiled, soon enough he would find her. He heard she had gone into Dodge City. That was just fine with him, it wasn't that far, and he could get off the damned horse. He owed her for this trip, and he intended to make her pay.