Cassie
Written with the help of Cougar!
Rating: PG.
Disclaimer: no one besides Cassie and her family belong to me, no infringement intended.
AN: My apologies for any grammatical mistakes and colourful spelling errors.
Sorry this update has taken so long! Hopefully there will be more soon! Thanks again to all those who reviewed!
Thanks to: Cougar! Who got me started writing this story again and who helped me write it! Thanks so much! And also to those who reviewed!
~*~
Cassie groaned and shifted in her sleep, she rolled on her back and winced, finally opening her eyes. She squinted into the bright sun and sat up. It had taken her nearly three hours to get to sleep and then it had been fitful.
Now, she looked down at her arms and saw the bruises. She rotated her shoulder gingerly and slowly got out of bed. She made her way over to the dresser and sat down on the chair. She looked into the mirror and flinched.
The bruise was purple with a sickly green tinge, it spread across her left cheekbone and when Cassie feigned a smile it throbbed. She pushed her hair back from her face and brushed it slowly, trying to buy time before she'd have to go downstairs and face her Ma and Pa. She braided her hair as memories of the night before flooded into her mind. She blushed--not all of them bad.
She opened the chest at the end of her bed and pulled out a clean shift, laying it on the bed. She opened her wardrobe and pulled out a hunter green skirt and a long sleeved cream blouse to hide the bruises. She dressed slowly, and then made her bed. Paying careful mind to smoothing down the corners.
Finally she left her room and sighed when she reached the top of the stairs. She could hear her Ma and Becca in the kitchen and Cassie squared her shoulders and descended the stairs.
"Ma," she said simply and her Mama looked over.
. Mrs. Weston gasped and the frying pan dropped from her hands, and clattered onto the floor. Becca dropped to her knee's scooping the scrambled eggs into the pan. She rushed over to her eldest daughter.
"I'm all right Mama," Cassie said and Mrs. Weston took her arm. Cassie cried out and stepped away. Mrs. Weston reached out and snagged Cassie's hand, pushing her sleeve up to her elbow.
"What on Earth?"
"Scout ran off Mama, and I had to go find him..." Cassie explained, "In the woods--"
"The woods? Are you outta you're head girl?" Mrs. Weston demanded, "who did this to you? Who."
Cassie swallowed.
"You'll tell me right now!" Mrs. Weston looked down at Becca; "get your Pa."
Becca placed the pan on the counter and ran off down the hall to the back door.
Cassie hung her head, finally she heard her Pa coming through the back door.
"What's this all about?" He asked stepping into the kitchen. "Cassandra?" He said, "what--"
Cassie took a deep breath; "Scout ran off, I went to find him--"
"In the woods," Mrs. Weston interjected.
"I got lost," Cassie swallowed, "there were men in the woods," she said slowly and Mr. Weston stiffened. "A few of them Pinkerton's...they recognized me and got real mad. I tried to get away but one of them hit me and I thought..." her eyes welled with tears, "I thought for sure..." Her Mama gathered Cassie into her arms and she burst into tears.
"Sush now," Mrs. Weston whispered, "it's all right."
Cassie took another deep breath, and pulled back. Mrs. Weston wiped the tears from her face and turned to her husband.
"If...if Cole hadn't come..." Cassie's voice drifted off.
"Cole?" Mr. Weston asked.
"He must have been going through the woods to get to Clell's--"
"My Lord girl, you must have some kind of Gardena angel." Mr. Weston replied, then his face grew serious. "This is gettin' out of hand. It's one thing to come onto my property..." Mr. Weston clenched his fists, "it's quite another for them to lay a finger on my daughter."
"I'm all right Pa," Cassie forced a smile, "a little frightened, but all right."
Mr. Weston shook his head.
"Please Pa," Cassie begged, "I'm all right. Nothing time won't heal. It was stupid of me to go off into the woods anyway."
Mr. Weston took a deep breath and finally unclenched his hands, "all right. But I swear, if one of those damn Pinkerton's come onto my property again I'm shootin' 'em dead." He pulled Cassie into a gentle hug then titled her head up to inspect the bruise on her face. He hugged her again and planted a kiss on her forehead before finally letting go.
They ate breakfast in silence; Nat who usually babbled away sat stabbing her spoon into her eggs. As if sensing the tension in the room. Mrs. Weston kept looking at Cassie, trying to assess if she was in fact, okay.
"Mama..." Cassie said after they were finally finished. Cassie piled the dirty plates into the sink. She blushed and scrapped the dinner into the bucket for the pigs. "What if..." she began. "If I had someone, to," Cassie suddenly found her boots incredibly interesting.
"Out with it girl," Mrs. Weston said, pulling Nat out of her crib.
"If I had someone to...call on me..."
Mrs. Weston barely heard her daughter, "what're you mutterin' about girl?"
"If I had someone to call on me Mama."
Mrs. Weston blinked, thinking she'd been duped.
"Stop lookin' at me like that," Cassie muttered, "it's embarrassin' enough as is."
A wide smile spread across Mrs. Weston's face, Mr. Weston burst into the kitchen and looked from his wife to his daughter.
"What'd I miss?"
"Cassandra got herself a suitor!"
Cassie's eyes widened, "Mama!" She yelped.
"It ain't nothing to be ashamed about girl," Mr. Weston replied, "so who is he? Who's the lucky fellow? Anyone I know?"
Cassie mumbled illegibly and grabbed the scrap bucket.
"What?" Mr. Weston replied.
"'Ol Unger," she said quickly.
"Who?"
"I said, COLE YOUNGER!" Cassie shouted, she narrowed her eyes at her Pa. "It ain't funny!"
"Settle down Cassie," Mr. Weston replied, "I'm just laughing' 'cause it took the two o' you so long. So when's that boy comin' 'round?"
"I dunno," Cassie replied.
"Then you go time for chores don't you?"
"Yes Pa," Cassie replied.
Cassie tucked a few carrots in the waist of her skirt and made her way over to the fence. She whistled sharply and the horses came running. She snapped the carrot in half and fed the pieces to Bonnet, who chomped them happily. Bullet nickered and Cassie fed him next, as Jack waited swooshing the irritating fly's away with his tail.
She had helped her sister muck out the barn again and she had helped her Pa fix a loose board in the wagon.
"Cassie," he Pa called, "you get inside now," he said and she sighed, thankful to get out of the sweltering sun.
She walked inside and pulled off her wide brimmed hat, her hair tumbled down her shoulders. Cassie sighed, all she wanted to do was a have a cool bath.
She made her way upstairs and Mrs. Weston stuck her head out of her daughter's bedroom. "Cassandra," she called.
"Yeah Mama?" Cassie wondered.
"I got you a dress."
"You shouldn't have done that Mama," Cassie said, "it's too much money, I got enough dresses."
"Not enough proper dresses, 'sides, how often does Cole Younger come callin'?" Mrs. Weston looked so pleased so Cassie decided to drop it until she actually saw it.
"What is that?"
"It's a dress." Mrs. Weston fingered the lacy bodice.
"It's pink." Cassie replied, she stared at the lacy, frilly pink offending garment and folded her arms. "'Sides, if Cole Younger ever saw me in that I'd never live it down."
Mrs. Weston shook her head, "I spent a good five dollars on this dress and I expect you to wear it."
Cassie opened her mouth, then clamped it shut. She really was not in the mood to argue. "Fine, but I ain't wearing no petticoat's or no combs in my hair."
"Git," Mrs. Weston swatted Cassie's arm, but Cassie saw that her Mama was smiling. "I filled the bath for ya."
"Thanks Mama," Cassie kissed her Ma's cheek and grabbed her housecoat.
"Too tight!" Cassie yelped, "how am I supposed to carry on a conversation with him if I can't breath."
Mrs. Weston loosed the laces and Cassie let out a breath.
"I hate this damn thing," she cursed. She looked into the mirror and set her hands on her hips.
"Turn 'round and lift your arms," Mrs. Weston said and Cassie obeyed. Her Mama slipped the dress over Cassie's arms and buttoned the clasps. She smoothed out the skirts and turned Cassie to the mirror. "You look so beautiful," Mrs. Weston said with tears in her eyes.
Cassie knew she would bake in her knew dress but she didn't dare say anything. Cassie sat and let her mother comb, tug and pin her hair without a complaint.
Finally Mrs. Weston secured the last pin and stepped back to revel in her masterpiece.
"Cassie!" Becca exclaimed, "that you?"
"Of course it's me," Cassie retorted.
"You look so grown up," Becca turned to her Mama, "when some boy comes to call on me can I have a dress like that?"
Cassie shook her head, and then she looked over at her Mama. "What do I do now? Sit 'round and wait?"
"I reckon, but there is some mending that needs to be done. It'll help pass the time."
Cassie took the basket of shirts and made her way downstairs and out onto the front porch. She settled down on the porch swing and pulled out her Mama's sewing' kit.
She sewed three pairs of her Pa's trousers and the hem of Becca's Sunday blouse before growing tired. She set down the basket and scanned the yard just as a linen snapped free of the clothespin and fluttered across the lawn onto the grass.
Cassie stood gathering her skirts into her hands and made her way to the fallen sheet. She picked it up and carried it back to the clothesline. She struggled with the corner of the sheet and the clothespin, trying to clip it back on and keep her skirts from dragging on the ground. Cassie was about ready to throw the sheet down in a temper tantrum when a low whistle cut across the field.
"Cassandra Weston," Cole laughed, "what you doin' out in your Sunday best?"
"What's it look like I'm doing?" Cassie demanded, "and this ain't my Sunday best."
"My mistake," Cole replied and Cassie flung the linen over shoulder and stomped over to where Cole was hitching his horse to the rail. He grinned when she walked up to him. "You sure do look nice."
"You ain't just sayin' that?"
Cole rose his eyebrow, "would I just say somethin' like that?"
Cassie pondered that for a moment, "I don't know."
"Well I ain't."
"Good," Cassie replied, sounding pleased. Cassie tried to remember all the things her Mama had told her. Be polite, ask him to sit down, and don't swear! Cassie cleared her throat; "you wanna sit down?"
"Sure do," Cole replied.
Cassie waited for him to sit then she sat beside him on the opposite side of the swing. She cleared her throat, and licked her lips.
"You okay?" Cole asked, he shifted over.
"I'm fine," she replied quickly, biting her lip as he moved closer.
"You sure?" He asked.
She turned and saw his face right in hers. Cassie yelped and tried to move over--forgetting of course that there was no more room to get over. She toppled off the swing onto her backside.
Cole snorted, and Cassie's face flushed before she burst out laughing. Pretty soon they were both laughing so hard Cassie found it hard to breathe. Cole helped her up and she leaned against him, giggled. The door opened and Cassie's Ma walked onto the front porch.
"What in tarnation is so funny?"
Cassie sat up and the both of them finally managed to quiet down. Mrs. Weston looked at her daughter and shook her head.
"Brought you somethin' to drink, in case you were thirsty." Cassie grabbed the glasses and handed one to Cole. She made her way back inside, closing the door behind her.
They sipped their drinks in silence; Cole swigged his down and waited for Cassie to finish.
"So," she said, "how about that weather we've been havin'."
Cole squinted into the sun, "seems the same as always."
A silence fell over them, and Cassie traced a circle in the condensation on the tall glass. Cole shifted over again and brushed her hair behind her ear, a shiver ran down her spine and she turned her face.
"Cassie?" He took his hand away, "I was wonderin', maybe, if I could-if it'd be all right-"
"Cole younger since when have you been known to get tongue tied?"
"..." His mouth hung open and he cleared his throat, "when... when I want to ask," he blushed looked down then back over at Cassie. Shifting so he was facing her. "If I can kiss you."
She licked her lips, "I think..." She grinned, "I think that would be all right."
Cole ran his fingers down the inside of her left elbow and Cassie bit her lip. He edged closer and this time Cassie didn't move away, she was trembling and he lifted her chin. He leaned and Cassie followed suit. His lips grazed hers and she closed her eyes.
"Cassie?"
Cassie sighed and opened her eyes, looking at Becca.
Her younger sister was blushing, "Ma wanted to know if Cole wants to stay for dinner."
Cole grinned, "sure I do!" He looked over at Cassie and winked. He leaned over, "we'll finish this later," he whispered jumping to his feet. "What's for dinner?"
"Chicken stew and corn," Becca replied.
Cole's grin widened, "corn..." he pondered, "my favourite."
Please review, but no flames!