Chapter 6 (This chapter focuses on Newly and Mike, before Les shows up.)
Newly and Mike were beginning to become more acquainted with one another. Mike made a muley roast dinner with an apple pie. She took the food out of the oven. Newly was outside working on the water pump. Mike looked out the window and then opened the door to see Sutler lying on the porch. She watched Newly for a minute before addressing Sutler.
"Go get him before he thinks himself to death." Sutler hesitated. "Well, go on."
Sutler walked out towards Newly and started barking. Newly stopped what he was doing and looked at the dog. He knew that Mike sent Sutler out to get him. "Alright, general calls, troops move, " said Newly, tossing the wrench in the tool box.
"Sutler come in?" Newly asked with the front door still open.
"No, he's a dog," Mike answered.
"He sure doesn't act like it. Smells good in here," said Newly
"Muley roast. I hope ya like it," said Mike.
"I'm not a picky eater," said Newly.
"I thought about making son of a gun st," MIke started to say.
"Son of gun stew?" Newly interrupted.
"Yeah, son of a gun stew," said Mike, putting the muley roast on a platter.
"Do you need some help carving?" asked Newly.
"I never want for nothing. I've been skinning, butchering, and carving for as long as I can remember," said Mike. "Go and get some plates."
"Sure thing," said Newly. He walked to a hutch and opened the door. Inside the hutch there was a beautiful wedding dress. He didn't know why, but the wedding dress stirred up some feelings. Feelings he couldn't explain.
Mike realized that Newly had opened the wrong hutch. She walked over to him and shut the door. "Wrong cabinet," she said. "Plates are over here." She showed Newly where the plates were.
Newly was curious about the wedding dress. "Did you ever wear that dress?"
"Once. I wore it for Johnny Yardner just over three years ago. We were still in the honeymoon stage of our marriage, when he went out mustanging. His horse hit a prairie dog hole and threw him. I got out to him and he apologized for taking the honey out of the honeymoon. He died. It will be three years this Friday."
"Have you been taking care of this ranch since then all by yourself?" Newly asked.
"Pretty much. I do get some help from a Mexican farmhand. Let's eat. Food's getting cold."
Newly and Mike went to sit down at the table. Newly pulled out Mike's chair for her. "Stop that sugar footin'" she told Newly.
Before they dished out their food, Mike said grace. "Dear Chief, I shot this muley that I had to end up quartering, so I could get it out of the ravine. I almost had to put the potatoes under the chickens so they wouldn't freeze. I was able to use some dry apples to make a pie. I thank you for providing us with this food."
Mike finished saying grace and Newly just looked at her with an amused look on his face. Mike dished up her food, but Newly still sat there. Mike noticed Newly wasn't getting any food.
"I thought you were hungry," she said.
"I am," said Newly.
"Well, get some food and eat," Mike said. She noticed the way Newly was looking at her, and a small grin tugged at her lips. She was starting to have feelings for him.
The next morning Mike was abruptly awakened to noise on the roof above her bed. She looked up to see a piece of roof being removed and Newly's face in the opening. "What are you doing up there?"
"Roof needed fixing," Newly responded.
"The roof needs fixin' in a dozen places. Why didja have to pick the place above my head?" she asked.
"Just lucky," Newly smiled.
"Well go patch someplace else," said Mike.
"Yes, ma'am," said Newly, putting the wooden shingle back in place.
Mike laid back down on her pillow. A smile spread across her face. She could no longer deny it. She was falling in love with Dan. The wooden shingle was suddenly being removed again.
"I forgot to say good morning," said Newly.
Mike grabbed her hair brush from the side table and threw it at Newly. "Get out of here!"
Mike got out of bed and walked over to the chair. She grabbed the pants of the chair, but then had another thought. She walked over to the small wardrobe and opened it. Mike looked at the dresses inside, pulling out a skirt. She contemplated on whether or not she should wear it, instead of the pants. As abruptly as the thought came, it left. She opted for the pants.
She may have opted for the pants that morning, but decided to put on the skirt that evening. Mike checked herself in the mirror before she left her bedroom. Pleased with what she saw, she walked out into the living room. Newly stopped working on the piece of leather and looked up at her when she did.
"What are you looking at. Haven't you ever seen a woman in a dress before?"
"Sure, but I just forgot how good it looked."
"Don't go thinking this is for you. A woman likes to have change every once in a while."
"Of course it isn't for me."
"Of course not."
Mike went to pour a cup of coffee for Newly. She brought it to him. She needed to talk to him. "I couldn't sleep last night."
"I heard you tossin' in there."
"Some people would've checked to see why."
"The thought crossed my mind."
"I would have shot ya the minute you opened that door."
"No you wouldn't have." There was confidence in Newly's voice.
"What makes you so sure?"
"The gun is out here."
"Well, if the gun is out here and the thought crossed your mind, why didn't you investigate?"
"I could be a married man with kids."
"I'm pretty sure you're not."
Newly looked at Mike. "How do ya know?"
"My first clue was the lack of a wedding ring. It's also how you look at a woman. Married men don't look at another woman the way you do."
"I guess that makes sense. What kept you tossin' and turnin'?"
"I was thinking about the future. You're well enough to leave. You have to decide if you want to stay or go."
"Are you saying I have a choice?" asked Newly.
"Yeah. I tried not liking you, but that didn't work. There's something about you that I like. You have this way about you. You do things with confidence."
"Is that a proposal?"
"You can go straight to Hell!" Mike got up and started to walk to her room, but Newly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him. He grasped her upper arms.
"Mike, wait. I'd like to stay."
They looked into each other's eyes and were about to have their first kiss. "Hello in the cabin!" yelled a voice outside.
Mike was frustrated. "If I wanted to live in a place where I had to worry about being interrupted, I'd live in a place like Dodge City."
Hearing the words Dodge City stuck Newly like a ton of bricks. He didn't know why he was having this reaction. Mike noticed it too. "What's the matter? Are you alright?"
Newly couldn't explain what the matter was. "I don't know what's wrong. I think I'll be alright." There was something about hearing Dodge City that Newly couldn't shake.
TBC
