Disclaimer: I own none of the characters of this story. The WWE or themselves own them. No profit is being made from this story. It's purely for fun!
Chris had washed up quickly in his room. He didn't really have time for a bath tonight. There was too much going on and he had too much to get ready for. He quickly finished up and entered the dining room to eat.
Randy noticed Chris walking into the room. He smiled as he thought of how much he enjoyed his new friend's company. "Hey Chris, over here," Randy hollered across the dining room. "I was beginning to think that you weren't going to make it."
Chris smiled as he walked over towards the table. Randy was a good man and was a lot of fun to be around. "A working man has got to eat," Chris said with a grin as he sat down.
Lita came up to the table carrying their food. She had been thinking a lot about what Ivory had said earlier to her. She almost felt nervous as she set their food down on the table. "I'm glad you are finally here. He's been about to drive me crazy."
"Now Lita, you know you like me driving you crazy," Randy said with a cocky smile.
"Maybe I do," Lita said with a slight blush and sweet smile before running off.
Randy sat there with a shocked look on his face. He was so used to her being hateful to him that he thought he was imaging what she had said. One look at the amused look on Chris's face and he knew that she had been nice.
"Well now, that was different," Chris said with a smile. He wasn't sure what was going on but he had a feeling that Lita cared just as much about Randy as he did about her. Maybe she was finally breaking down the walls and letting Randy in. Chris hoped so; he liked the idea of the two of them being together.
"I know, she's got to be feeling sick or something," Randy said muttering more to himself than he was Chris and shaking his head. He still couldn't believe how nice she had been. There had to be an explanation for it; he just didn't know what it was.
"Or she could really like you and hey, what is there not to like?" Chris asked.
Randy looked at Chris and smiled. He then looked up and noticed Lita carrying out another table's food. She caught his eye and smiled while he did the same. Chris could almost see the hearts floating in the air between the two of them.
"Ok lover boy, let's eat," Chris said patting Randy on the back reminding him that he had food on the table.
"Yeah, need to eat while it's still hot," Randy said picking up his fork and eating but never taking his eyes off of Lita.
The only sounds heard at their table were the scrapping of the forks against the plates. They quickly finished eating and were drinking their coffee when Lita came back to get their plates.
"How was it tonight guys?" Lita asked.
"It was great," Chris said with a smile.
"It was better than great," Randy said. "It was hands down, the best meal that I've ever had here."
Lita's blush told Randy that she had once again done the cooking that night. She never realized how much she liked Randy's praises until that moment. He had always had a kind word for her amongst the flirting. Why she didn't see it until now was beside the point, she was noticing it now and she liked it.
"Thanks," Lita said grabbing their plates. She could feel her heart racing at being so close to him and it scared her a little. She hadn't let her guard down in a long time but she needed to. It was something that she really needed to do for herself.
Randy reached over and softly placed his hand on her wrist. He was enjoying the way she was acting and thought maybe tonight would be the night for a 'yes' answer instead of the typical 'no' answers. "Would you like to go for a walk later on tonight?"
Lita looked into his eyes and before she could stop herself, opened her mouth, and quietly said, "Yes, I think I would."
The blush on her face began slowly pink then turned to bright red while Randy smiled the biggest smile that she had ever seen him smile. She couldn't stop herself from smiling back. She quickly grabbed the plates and went back to the kitchen as if she was walking on air.
"Come on lover boy, you owe me a drink," Chris said standing up.
"I do?" Randy asked innocently.
"Yes, you owe Kurt and I both a drink so let's get that over with before your big date," Chris said standing up.
"Man, you would think that they would have forgotten about that," Randy mumbled getting up from the table.
Vince was sitting in his carriage awaiting Hunter's arrival. He knew the time was getting close because Pat was getting antsy. He himself also got antsy when it was time for the deals to go down. It was just part of the nature of the business that he was in. Suddenly, he heard a horse heading in his direction.
He stayed in the carriage with the curtains drawn. He had learned a long time ago that not being seen was the key to getting away with the 'unsavory' part of his business deals. He sat there quietly waiting for Hunter to get in.
Hunter stopped his horse and jumped down quickly. He wasn't expecting Vince to be there on time as he usually made him wait. Something was up and Hunter didn't like surprises. He nodded his head at Pat and then quickly opened the door. He smirked at Vince and entered the carriage.
"Vince," Hunter said taking a seat across from him.
"Hunter," Vince said. "Do you have what I want?"
"We've run into a bit of a complication with that," Hunter said not wanting to let Vince know that he didn't have the saloon yet. "The new owner paid off the bank early. The bank is not going to be able to help us this time."
"Damn it!" Vince yelled his face growing red with anger. He grabbed Hunter by his shirt and yelled, "Do you realize that this changes everything?"
"Calm down," Hunter said barely hanging on to his temper. He didn't like any man touching him but it was Vince and he was a very powerful man. He also didn't know what it was about the saloon that had Vince so torn up. "I've got a plan. I'll have the saloon soon."
Vince let go of his shirt and sat back disgusted. He looked out the window cussing for all it was worth. Once he got it out of his system, he looked back at Hunter with a calm, almost serene look. "What is the plan?"
Hunter looked at him and smugly smiled. "I'm going to marry the owner of the saloon. As her husband, I will control the rights to it. I'll sign it over to you a few weeks after things cool off a bit."
Vince smiled a cold evil smile. There were times when he felt that Hunter was still producing and this was one of those times. Maybe he was a bit hasty in thinking Hunter's uses were over. "How long will it take you to pull this off?"
"Not long, it's not going to be a willing marriage," Hunter said. "She doesn't like me much so I'm planning on kidnapping her in a few days."
"Once you've married her, you need to send word to me immediately. Everything that I have is hidden in that saloon," Vince said very slowly. "I must have the saloon and soon. There are too many people getting closer and closer to the truth. I can't let them find it."
"I understand boss," Hunter said with a smug smile. "Don't worry, leave everything to me."
Chris and Randy entered the saloon with smiles on their faces. Chris was excited about seeing Miss Stephanie again while Randy was more excited about his date later that evening. He had spoken to Lita before he had left and would meet her in front of the hotel later on after she finished working. Looking around, they quickly noticed Kurt and made their way to his table.
"Well, it is about time you two got here," Kurt said with a smile.
"Well, lover boy has got a date and had to get the details worked out," Chris said punching Randy lightly in the arm.
"Did Lita finally agree to go for a walk with you?" Kurt said with a little bit of surprise in his voice.
"Yes, she did," Randy said with a grin and a blush. He nodded at Stephanie and held up three hands. "First round is on me."
"Well, I'll be damned. Miracles really do happen," Kurt said with a smile on his face.
Chris only had eyes for Stephanie. He couldn't take his eyes off of her; it was if the mere presence of the woman rendered him hopeless. He was still stunned that every time he saw her was like the very first time that he had laid eyes on her. There was just something about that woman that made his mental capacities turn to mush just at the sight of her.
Stephanie felt her heart racing the second Chris stepped into the saloon. She had been waiting impatiently for him to get here. She noticed Randy's hand but quickly put her eyes on Chris loving the fact that he was looking at her. She quickly poured the drinks and rushed over to serve them.
"Hey guys, how's it going?" Stephanie asked never taking her eyes off of Chris.
"I'm doing much better now that I've seen you," Chris said with a smile on his face.
Stephanie's smile softened and her eyes glowed. Chris could almost see his future in her eyes when he looked at her. His eyes softened as they took in her beauty. There had to be a way to find a moment alone with her. He had to taste those lips before they drove him insane. He was starting to dream about those lips and he was tired of dreaming. He wanted the real thing and he wanted it now.
"So, what's the smiles all about?" Stephanie asked looking at Randy and Kurt.
"Lita finally agreed to go for a walk with me," Randy said with pride.
"That's wonderful. She's a great girl. You treat her right or you will answer to me," Stephanie said pointing her finger at Randy.
"Yes ma'am," Randy said with a slight grin on his face.
Stephanie glanced back at Chris and grinned before walking off. She didn't know what it was about that man but she liked him more and more each time she saw him. Show was standing behind the saloon with an amused look on his face.
"Miss Stephanie, do you think you could be any more obvious?" Show asked with a slight smirk on his face.
"You hush," Stephanie said swatting him on the arm. "You need to remember who the boss is around this place."
"Yes ma'am," Show said with a big grin. He took inventory of the bottles and noticed they were running low on whiskey. "We need to go to the stock room and get some more whiskey."
"I'll go," Stephanie said with a grin. "I could use some fresh air."
"It's dark out, you don't need to be out by yourself," Show said with a worried look on his face.
"Don't worry," Stephanie said with a wink. "I won't be alone."
Show watched with an amused look on his face as he watched Stephanie work her charm on Chris. He watched them as they walked out of the saloon together. He wasn't surprised that she was able to do that; she did the exact same thing to him all the time.
Show couldn't help but notice the way those two lit up when they saw each other and wanted things to work out for them but he had his doubts. There were a lot of secrets going on between the two of them. He then turned his attention back to the paying customers demanding more drinks.
"Thanks again for helping me," Stephanie said with a small smile.
"My pleasure, Miss Stephanie," Chris said with a wink.
"You know, you can call me just Stephanie, if you want to," Stephanie said with a slight blush.
"Ok Stephanie," Chris said loving the way she blushed.
She quickly walked up to the storage door and put the key in the lock. After unlocking the door, she grabbed the lantern hanging on a nail inside the room. She quickly lit a match and finished lighting up the lantern when Chris walked in behind her.
He smiled as he moved as close to her as he dared. It was getting harder and harder to stay away from her and to be honest, he didn't want to stay away. He wanted to get as close to her as possible in every way. "Didn't anybody tell you how dangerous it could be walking into dark rooms by yourself?" Chris whispered in her ear.
Stephanie felt shivers run up and down her spine with the words he spoke. She had never had a man fluster her as much as Chris and she liked it; she liked it a lot. She grinned a little and turned her head sideways looking him in the eyes. "I'm not scared."
"You should be," Chris whispered. "I could be a really bad man."
Stephanie moved away from Chris slightly and put the lantern back on the nail. She then turned around and looked at him. "I've been around bad men before and you're not one of them."
"Are you sure?" Chris said leaning in towards her face. "I mean, are you really sure?"
"Yes," Stephanie whispered watching as his mouth slowly moved towards her. "I'm really sure."
Just as their lips were about to meet, Show made his presence known by clearing his throat. He smiled as he watched them jump away from each other like two Mexican jumping beans in a jar. "Sorry Miss Stephanie but we're completely out of whiskey."
"Oh well, that's what I came in here for," Stephanie replied nervously. She took her hand and smoothed out the back of her hair in a nervous gesture. She looked at Chris. "Would you mind helping Show with the whiskey?"
"No ma'am, not at all," Chris said winking at her. While he was disappointed that he didn't get to kiss her, he knew he wasn't the only one. The disappointment was very evident on her face as well. He couldn't help but grin at the fact that the kiss would happen one day. He didn't know how he knew but he knew it in his gut that it would happen, preferably sooner rather than later.
Show walked over to the corner and picked up a few bottles. He handed them to Chris before picking up two more. He then watched as Chris stepped out of the room and Stephanie blew out the lantern. The three quietly walked back into the saloon.
"Here you go Stephanie," Chris said with a sad smile. He quickly handed her the bottles of whiskey, amazed at the electric shock feeling he got from just touching her hand. If it were that good to just touch her, he could only imagine how kissing her would be. "I hate to run but I've got to get up early in the morning."
"You just make sure you come see me tomorrow," Stephanie said with a sad smile of her own. She too had felt a wave of shock when he touched her hands. One look in his eyes and she knew that everything she was feeling, he was feeling it too. She decided to be bold and let him know what she wanted in a round about way. "Maybe we can pick up our conversation where we had to stop it at."
"I would like that very much," Chris said picking her hand up and kissing it softly. He let his lips linger for just a moment longer than a gentleman would. He couldn't help himself. One day he was going to kiss her good and proper, one day real soon. "Good night Stephanie."
"Good night Chris," Stephanie said with another blush.
Chris nodded his head and headed back towards the table. Kurt was still sitting there while Randy was no where to be found. "I guess Randy was afraid that he would have to pay for more than one shot," Chris said with an amused look on his face.
"No, he just couldn't wait for his walk," Kurt said with a slight grin. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah, we've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Chris said with a tired look on his face.
Kurt stood up and they headed towards the door. Chris felt Stephanie's eyes on his and made eye contact with her before walking out the door. He couldn't stop himself from winking at her and smiled when he saw her blush. He couldn't help but wish their kiss would have happened but that was ok. He was going to kiss that girl if it was the last thing he ever did.
Taker eased into town in the darkness of the night moving smoothly and slowly. He knew it would be easier to scout the town out in the dark and he really did not want to be seen, if he could help it. He quickly took in where the bank was located and smiled as he saw the name on the door: J.B. Layfield.
"That is one dumb son of a bitch," Taker said out loud with a slight grin on his face. He couldn't believe that Bradshaw thought he was safe enough to use his own name. He quickly pulled his horse over to the side when the bank door suddenly opened.
J.B. stepped out into the dark followed by Orlando. He was ready for a drink and he didn't want to wait anymore for it. The night was young and those dancing girls at Stephanie's saloon loved to see him come in. The girls loved to see his money, not him, but that didn't ever dawn on J.B.
Taker's eyes narrowed as he took a good look at the man he had been chasing for years. He smiled to himself as he noticed how he had entirely changed his looks. The long black outlaw hair was gone along with the mustache. He turned just the right way for Taker to see his eyes and his grinned. It was definitely him; finally after all this time, he was going to nail John Bradshaw Layfield.
He watched as J.B. went into the saloon and decided against going in behind him. It was better to wait. Surprise was on his side and he knew that J.B. must have been feeling pretty safe to actually put his real name on the door. He slowly smiled as he turned his horse towards the outskirts of town. Tajiri was waiting at camp and he couldn't wait to tell him what he had found.
Chris followed Kurt to the ranch to make sure the he got there safely. He then quietly put his horse up at the stables at the hotel. He then walked back towards the saloon but didn't go back in. He went around the side and went to Show's room. After knocking three times, the door quickly opened and he walked in.
Benoit closed the door behind him and said, "Ok, what did you find out today?"
"Well, Hunter had a meeting out of town," Chris said sitting down. He closed his eyes wishing everything was said and done so he could concentrate solely on Stephanie. He had to get this wrapped up and soon. "I'm betting money that he was meeting with Vince. What about you?"
"I found out that Dave isn't as loyal as you may think that he is," Benoit said with a sad look on his face. He had asked around his closest friends, which were on a few, to find out more about the mysterious Dave. What he found didn't surprise him much, Hunter was an asshole and he got it honestly from his father. "It seems as though he has took quite a bit of abuse over the years from Hunter and Ric."
Chris's face clouded over with disgust. He couldn't believe that family would treat each other that way and then stopped that train of thought. He finally understood why Shane felt the way he did about his father. He could only imagine what it was like for Shane or Dave either one growing up in their respective abusive households.
"What do we do now?" Benoit said eager to bring down Hunter quickly and quietly.
"You need to get close to Dave, get him to open up to you. He's going to be a major player in this," Chris said with a determined look on his face.
"I can do that though I have to say, you would probably be better at that than me," Benoit said.
"Why do you say that?" Chris asked.
"Because Dave works on the ranch or didn't you notice that? You'll have access to him all day long," Benoit said with a knowing look.
"Damn, you've got a point. Most people would open up to a stranger before they would open up to somebody they know," Chris said rubbing his chin as he was thinking. "I had better get back to the hotel and get some rest. I've got a long day ahead of me tomorrow."