Somewhere in French Louisiana
It didn't even dawn yet and it was already a hot day. Remy washed his face in the basin in his room and still half asleep went to make coffee. He went out on the porch, coffee in hand, to watch the sunrise over the horizon and saw his dog a black Great Dane, lying on its stomach, ready to hunt one of his chickens.
"Puce, non!" He commanded in an authoritative voice. The puppy lifted up its ears and ran towards him. Its huge paws, unbalanced with the rest of its body gave it a funny look as it ran.
"Good boy," he said patting its head, the puppy was barely three months old and on its two legs was almost as tall as he was.
Remy set to work, he had a lot of labor ahead of him and no one had responded to his offer of employment. The new world offered opportunities to almost everyone, but sometimes it seemed impossible to find people to work for him.
He had been working with the horses for four hours when he saw a wagon in the distance. It stopped at the entrance of his farm and someone got out of it. The figure crossed the entry to his farm, wearing a hat and leather clothes suitable for horseback riding. And walked towards where he was standing. The sun was shining brightly behind them, dazzling his vision.
The stranger took off her hat and a cascade of chestnut waves fell over her shoulders. Dazzling green eyes scrutinized him closely and he held his breath, fuck, she was gorgeous.
"I hear you need someone," the woman said at last.
"I didn't ask for an angel," he replied smiling as he scoured her with his gaze.
"Do you need a worker or not? I don't want to waste my time," she replied completely ignoring his comment. She placed her hand on her hip and gave him a challenging look.
"I didn't need someone to cook and clean my house, I need someone for the animals and the farm..."
"I didn't come here to clean, sugah," she interrupted him grumpily. "I'm good with cattle and horses."
"That's not fit for a lady," he said smiling, knowing that somehow that was going to upset her.
"Who says I am one?" She smiled too and seemed to relax. She had a pretty smile and he had a weakness for pretty women. For women in general whom, he wanted to fool.
"I'm Remy LeBeau, I guess your new boss," he said extending his hand toward her.
"Anna," she said. "So I'm hired?" She asked looking at his hand hesitantly.
"Let's give it a try and see if it works," Remy replied without pulling his hand away. She sighed and shook his hand.
He spent the rest of the morning showing her around the ranch, with his puppy following in his footsteps. Anna was skilled and much stronger than she looked at first glance. They worked hard all morning until they were exhausted. She didn't complain at any time, and all he wanted to do was to test her intentions. Remy had to surrender to the obvious. The woman wanted to work and didn't care what she had to do. They negotiated her salary and in the end, he ended up cooking for both of them. For the first time in many years he was cooking for someone and it was more pleasant than he would have imagined.
"Tell me something about yourself," he said serving a bowl of hot broth to the gal who looked at him distrustfully until she tasted the dish and looked at him in approval.
"Not much to tell, Sugah," Anna said. "Nothing interesting."
"I find it quite interesting that a woman gets to do hard labor on strangers' farms, chère," Remy replied, smiling as he filled two mugs with water.
"A girl's got to eat," she smiled and shrugged. " And what about you, why do you hire a woman to do heavy labor?" Anna asked.
"My grandfather was a Sans Culotte, he and my grandmother met during the French Revolution, I grew up in a family of revolutionaries," he joked. "So I've never believed in that stuff about jobs for men and jobs for women. "
Anna looked at him skeptically, as if she didn't want to believe his story. But it was true, a part of the truth.
"I don't know anything about French history, Sugah," she said at last almost in a whisper.
"I can teach you if you want," Remy said with a cheeky grin which she replied to with a similar one.
"How do you manage to sound flirty in every sentence you say?" she replied resting her hand on her chin.
"It's part of my charm, sweetheart," he replied mimicking her posture.
He had a small cabin at the back of the ranch, it had always been empty and he had fixed it up in case he found employees. It wasn't a big deal, but she settled in there without hesitation. Even though he had offered her a place inside the house, next to the fire.
Remy was making coffee still half asleep when he saw through the window that Anna was already on the move.
Puce was following her around the ranch as she fed the chickens. He watched her wordlessly as she worked. She wore her hair up and the white strands of her bangs covered her eyes.
She turned and saw him leaning against the window frame. He greeted her by raising his coffee cup and she returned the gesture.
"Bonjour, petit," he commented . "You're really an early riser - don't you want breakfast?"
" I had coffee while you were sleeping," she replied and turned away to continue feeding the chickens.
He should have heard her come into his house, he couldn't afford to be so careless, this time it had just been her. But it could be worse, he was losing his faculties. He sighed and hurried to finish breakfast to start the workday.
The first two weeks flew by so quickly that he was barely conscious. He had lived alone since his mother died. And he was just a kid who had been slapped in the face by reality that the dreams of égalite, fraternité, and liberté with which his grandparents came from France didn't apply on the margins. Neither here nor on the other side of the Atlantic.
It was so nice to have her around. Especially because he had someone to talk to and help him with the huge ranch workload.
"Hey LeBeau what are we stacking this much hay for?" asked Anna wiping the sweat from her brow. "You only have two horses and chickens don't eat hay."She brushed a wisp out of her hair and blew it into the air. There was a ton more left tangled in the strands of her hair.
"Are you questioning my orders, chére?" he asked with a chuckle as he tossed a bale for her to unravel and put in the pile. Anna snorted and kept at her work without a word."In a couple of days, we'll have horses, took a year after a wild herd running through the eastern lands. It's one of the main reasons I needed a worker. On my own, it's hard to guide them here." He explained. "I'll get a lot of money out of them, I'm pretty good at taming wild beasts." He said smiling cheekily.
"And very humble I see," she replied leaning back on the pitchfork. "You'll have to show me how good you are, Sugah. Otherwise, it's nothing but talk."
"I'm happy to show you," he replied winking at her and she burst out laughing. And he had to restrain the mad impulse to kiss her.
"What are you thinking LeBeau?" she asked curiously leaning closer to him.
"Nothing good," he replied with a tired smile. "Get ready we're going to ride off into the horizon."
He offered her his hand and she brushed past him, tapping him gently on the shoulder.
The horses whinnied as they came into the barn and Anna went over to pet one of them, whispering soothing words. Puce ran into the stable and he stroked the puppy, which was getting bigger and bigger.
"Do you know how to shoot?" Remy asked handing her one of the shotguns on the wall. "There are many bandits and it can be dangerous."
" Don't be afraid I will protect you," she remarked with a smile that completely disarmed him.
They rode a couple of hours to the destination point. With the cub following in their footsteps. He saw the herd of horses on the horizon. It was a wonderful sight. Anna stifled a surprised sigh.
Suddenly he spotted a bunch of riders in the distance. They were Atapakas, natives of these lands. Anna was startled, but she rode swiftly towards them, loading her shotgun.
He took off after her before she did something foolish that would be bad for everyone.
" Hold on cowgirl," Remy said grabbing the reins of her horse. "They're friends."
The horse stopped dead in its tracks and Anna looked at him in disbelief. The Atapaka rode up to them and circled around them.
"Greetings, friend," said one of them waving his hand. " Trying to hunt the horses again?"
" Giving up is never an option," Remy replied.
"Yesterday my oldest son tried to catch her, but she threw him six feet and now his butt is red and even redder with embarrassment." said the native laughing as he pointed to the youth who blushed again.
"Don't be hard on the boy, capturing her is an odds on impossibility, I'm sure I'll end up the same way,"
"You got married? I'm glad you listened to me at last. Loneliness is no good companion for anyone," he added without taking his eyes off Anna who had also blushed.
"No. She's my employee. It's just business,"
"You are a rare specimen LeBeau," the man said shaking his head. "Good luck with the horses, we took half the herd yesterday. Let's see if you manage to beat me."
With that said he said goodbye and they walked away from them.
Remy turned to look at Anna who was watching him with a genuine expression of curiosity.
"How did you end up being friends with them?" She asked. "They say they're cannibals and very dangerous."
" They say a lot of bullshit, chère," Remy replied with a shrug. "Mostly about what they don't know."
"That's true," she replied with a sad smile.
"I helped them a couple of years ago, almost by chance, and they're fond of me," Remy explained without making a big deal of it.
"As much as you like to brag now you're playing mysterious," Anna said pulling on his horse's reins. "Tell me about it." She gave him puppy dog eyes, pouting and he couldn't resist.
"I didn't do anything extraordinary, petit, really," he murmured smiling.
Anna frowned and folded her arms."Now I find that much more intriguing," she said.
"Okay, I rescued two of their girls from a very nasty guy who didn't have any good intentions towards them. But it wasn't even a heroic act, I just saw two girls crying with someone who certainly wasn't their relative. Let's just say I stole them and went over to the Atapaka because they live on this land." He smiled but it seemed more like a sigh. It wasn't something he liked to remember. That guy was dangerous. Not to mention he had stabbed him and if it hadn't been for the Atapaka he would be dead now. "Nothing special."
"I'm sure it was a blissful thing for those girls, Sugah," she said softly, resting her hand on his and caressing it. "I'm sure you made them feel safe."
The sadness with which he uttered those words stirred him inside. Anna wasn't looking at his face, she was concentrating on her hand.
"Are you okay?" he asked holding her hand.
"Yep, let's get the horses before it gets dark," she replied with a bitter smile as she slapped the horse's reins and rode toward the herd grazing quietly in the meadow.
He took off after her. The wild horses began to run in fright. His good dog made them turn, cutting them off to the right. He took up a position on the left, while Anna ran after them, leading them down the path. She moved confidently and screamed her lungs out to keep the horses from stopping.
Some horses skirmished on the right, but there were at least fifteen horses in the herd Anna was leading.
And best of all, his favorite mare was among them. He had been after her for a long time. She was a fabulous animal, with bright reddish hair and white legs. She was wild and dangerous. He had already broken a rib trying to catch her a year ago and the young Atapaca hadn't fared any better.
They rode to the farm, Remy going ahead to open the corral gate while Anna led them inside. They had lost a couple of horses along the way, but at least he had gotten ten animals. After taming them he would get a good pinch.
Anna got off her horse and leaned against a post, exhausted. Her hair was tousled and she was breathing heavily. He almost lunged to hug her. Almost.
"This isn't the first time you've done this, is it?" Remy asked passing her a flask full of water.
She shook her head, unable to utter a word. She raised her head, her cheeks were red but she was smiling.
"We've done it, Sugah," she said resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Yes, we have."
The sun hadn't risen when he woke up, Remy got out of bed and heated coffee for breakfast. Anna was soon through the door. They shared poutine coffee and a piece of stale bread in silence.
"I'm going over to town today," he said when Anna got up to clear the table. "I have some errands to run, do you want to come?"
"Oh, that would be wonderful, I want to buy some stuff too, I was thinking of asking you for some morning off," she said leaning her back against the counter. "But I'd have to take a bath and put on some more suitable clothes. We have to feed the cattle and...
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it. Put on some hot water and leave me something. We'll be out in a couple of hours." He added approaching the door.
When everything was ready and after bathing and washing off the grime of several days of hard work. He dressed up to look like a decent man. Dark pants, a shirt, which had almost lost its color. But it was still the best he had. Vest and jacket. He also took the trench coat in case the weather changed and his best hat.
Anna was standing by the horse corral. She was wearing a sky blue dress with buttons up to the neck. It was cinched at her waist with a leather corset. She had tied back her hair and draped a brown poncho over her shoulders.
He moved closer to her. She was so distracted watching the horses that she barely noticed his presence. The front of the dress was intricately embroidered with flowers. The same color as the dress. Which up close looked worn from the passage of time.
"Hi," Remy whispered as he reached her side. She looked like someone else dressed like that.
"She's beautiful," she said leaning against the fence with her eyes glued to the mare kicking furiously in the paddock. Yes, she was, he thought without taking his eyes off her.
"Do you want to name her? The Atakapa call her White Shadow," he said leaning against the fence beside her. "Though I'm sure her future owner will change it."
"It's better than whatever you come up with, who calls the poor dog Flea," she teased hitting him with her shoulder.
"I like the fine irony," Remy grinned cheekily and she roll her eyes. "The cart's ready, let's go."
" Mademoiselle, " Remy said holding out his hand to her, she wiggled her way up without his help, but ended up surrendering to the evidence with that dress she couldn't move the same way she could in her usual clothes. "Don't you know how to behave like a real lady, chère?"
" I am a real lady, Sugah," she replied fixing the folds of the dress. "I have been playing tricks on you all this time."
"Oui, I could believe that," he replied setting the carriage in motion.
He parted ways with Anna by the town's saloon. Remy walked to the sheriff's station. There the so-called was snoozing in a wooden chair. He crept up to him and gave him a sharp slap on his ear that startled him. Making him jump out of the chair gun in hand.
"Ha ha ha, gotcha, Mon Ami," Remy said unable to stop laughing.
"The French idiot thinks he's so funny," he grumbled in annoyance approaching his desk.
"Got anything for me?" asked Remy leaning on the table.
"Bounty hunting again? Cowboy life is boring huh? " the men asked back curiously.
"Long winter coming up and I've only hunted a dozen horses, I need some extra income." He replied smiling cheekily. "Plus I loved a little action."
" I know... Well I have good news for you, Mystique's gang is back in the area. Two days ago they killed a guy on the Sabine border. They stole 200 head of cattle from him and not happy with that they dragged the poor bastard through a rocky area."
"You have to be a real idiot to approach Sabine," replied Remy.
"You tell me, he was French," joked the Sheriff.
"Very funny. We still don't know anything about him? Not what he looks like, nor his real name Nothing?" he asked dragging a chair to sit in.
"As a matter of fact, we do. Only that he is a she. Mystique is a woman, a redhead to boot," he explained.
"Interesting, What about the others?" Remy asked again.
"No clues, sometimes there are three, sometimes four. On the last attack two," the sheriff shrugged. "They're good, bastards, but good."
"I'll see what I can do," Remy replied getting to his feet. "If you hear anything I want to be the first to know, d' cord?
"Done."
He went into the saloon for a drink while he waited for the horse buyer. He was a planter. A prick with money, which was just what he needed.
On leaving the saloon, he saw Anna talking to a man he knew well. His heart skipped a beat and he was tempted to go get her and take her away from the malicious figure. But he was sure it would be much worse if he connected her with him.
Anna turned away from the guy and continued walking through the town carrying a basket full of things. When she realized that he was looking at her, she gave him a charming smile. And she quickened her pace to get closer to him.
"What were you doing talking to Creed?" Remy asked grabbing her arm as she reached him.
"Who?" she said startled looking around.
"The man you were talking to. What did he want? What did he say to you?"
"Nothing. What's wrong, Remy?" she asked looking back, but Victor wasn't there anymore.
"It's the guy who attacked the Atapaka girls, that man is a monster," he said angrily.
"I didn't know," she mumbled, "he just wanted to sell me some horseshoes," Anna paled and stood very still.
His heart was pounding against his chest. He wasn't even able to understand why he was so angry. But he was sure she didn't want him near to her.
" He was lying to you," Remy growled angrily.
"I didn't know, I thought he was a blacksmith," she said annoyed letting go of his arm. She rubbed where he had grabbed her and made him feel awful.
"I'm sorry, Anna," he said embarrassed. "I shouldn't get like this, Victor Creed is dangerous."
"Okay," she muttered pulling away from him.
They ride silently back to the farm. He was still upset. Annoyed at behaving like an idiot when she had no idea what was going kept fixing the skirt of her dress in a nervous gesture.
"He almost killed me," he said at last unable to bear the silence. "And he gutted my horse, one my mother gave me before she died, her last memory. He always manages to escape all accusations, he's a bastard. When the Atapaca wanted revenge for what he had done to their girls, he killed three of them and they are formidable warriors. But you didn't know any of that."
Anna rested a hand on his leg and leaned back against him.
"There are a lot of bad people in this world, LeBeau. You can't worry so much," she whispered in a gasp.
"I can worry about you," he quietly murmured, unable to move.
Anna pulled away from him, as if she'd been whipped and gave him an odd look.
"Did you manage to sell the horses?" she asked with her eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Yeaah" Remy let out an exhausted sigh. Bad move LeBeau. Bad move.
They didn't speak again for the entire ride. But the silence wasn't awkward. Just odd.
When they arrived, Anna headed for her cabin and he headed for the house.
He sat on the bed, meeting Creed again had upset him. The closeness with Anna confused him. He liked to flirt with women. He liked sleeping with women. And he liked her evidently. But having a thing with your employee was the worst of Anna was sending him mixed signals.
He heard the door of the house open and her footsteps moving closer to the room. Anna stood under the door frame and after watching him silently, took a small step inside.
"Could you help me undo the buttons? I think one is broken and I'm not able to get it off," she said stepping through the door to his room. She put her hands behind her back and sighed in surrender. "It's impossible."
It caught him so off guard that all he was able to do was nod. He stood up and walked toward stood very still, without turning around and to his surprise Anna slipped a hand inside his shirt and ran her fingers down his back. Well, fuck it. He was weak.
He held her waist with one hand and pushed her hair away with the other. Anna gasped but held very still. He moved his hand from her waist to her back and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"How did you fasten the buttons before?" he asked in a whisper.
"I don't know," she replied in barely a breath.
Remy put his hand on the line of buttons and unbuttoned them one by one sliding a finger down her skin. When he finished he stood still with his finger at the bottom of her back. He didn't dare move. So he remained that way, enjoying her closeness and warmth. He heard her sigh deeply. Anna pulled away from him and took his face in both hands and kissed him. Barely a brush of her lips. But he felt a whiplash of electricity coursing down his back.
She pulled away just enough to breathe and rested her head on his forehead. Without opening his eyes, feeling the taste of her lips. Anna swallowed and he gently pulled her closer and kissed her again. She responded to the kiss with eagerness, digging her fingers into his hair.
He felt a salty taste on his lips and when he opened his eyes he saw that Anna was crying."I've always been told I was a great kisser, but not enough to make you cry" he joked running his fingers over her cheeks. "Something wrong, baby?
Without saying anything and without stopping crying, she kissed him again.
"Anna, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly holding her shoulders. "Are you okay?"
"I'm so sorry," she said pulling away from him. And without any kind of explanation, she left the house. He didn't understand anything. He didn't know what was going on. But what he did know was that going after her now seemed like a terrible idea.
The next morning one of the horses was missing and Anna had disappeared.