*Author's Note*

Thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows.

Eh, I was supposed to be working on my Sons of Anarchy story, but hit a snag in the form of a small writer's block and ended up whipping this up instead. LOL! Enjoy.

First Suitor To Come Knockin'

Novella POV:

It's been a few hours since I got smacked I the face by Tolbert. My cheek was still sore and no doubt had a welt on it from his large calloused hand. I was currently in my room, resting on my bed while readin' a book. My uncle wanted to talk 'bout what happened, but I refused and stormed off to my room as soon as we reached the house. Uncle Perry let me be since he was carin' for my brother, makin' sure that he was at the level of readin', writin', and arithmetic for a boy of 8.

I was lost in the pages of Alice's Adventure's In Wonderland whenever a light knock appeared at my door. I looked up in time to watch the door open revelin' my Uncle Perry with a sympathetic, but worried, look painted on his otherwise foxlike sly face. "We need to talk about what happened between you and Tolbert this evenin'." He told me, walkin' into my room and takin' a seat on the edge of my quilt covered bed.

"No, we don't, Uncle Perry." I simply told him, turnin' the page over in my book.

He snatched the book right out of my hands while sternly lookin' at me and firmly sayin', "Yes, we do." Placing the book on the bed he said, "I don't condone what Tolbert did, but I understand that boy's always had a bad temper." Silently I nodded my head, not meetin' my uncle's eyes. "Sometimes you have got to watch what you say around him, especially when he's drinking. Yelling at him will not calm him down, but instead will fire him up more."

"I didn't mean to yell at him. I just got frusterated's all." I defended my dumb move of losin' my temper and tellin' him to go calm his drunk ass down with a whore.

"I know, dear, I know." Uncle Perry patted my hand. "Now, whether you want to continue the courtship or not is up to you. I'll support your decision." He told me with a sympathetic look on his fox like face. MY uncle tilted his head a bit pointedly before sighin' "But realistically Tolbert's the only suitor you have wanting you. Turning your nose up at him most likely will result in you becoming an old maid, ending up all alone."

"I'll hear him out the next time I see him." Told told my uncle even tho I really didn't want to. I cared a lot for Tolbert, but after gettin' smacked I didn't know if I wanted to stick with him to develop the care into somethin' more.

"Yes, I think that's the best choice. I wouldn't want you to dry up and grow old alone without a helpmate."

Of course Uncle Perry was assumin' that I was goin' to continue things with Tolbert. I just nodded while starin' at my hands that were in my lap. "I know, Uncle Perry."

My uncle patted my hand, causin' me to look up at him, before tellin' me, "Now that everything's settled I'll leave you be." I just nodded as he got up and walked out of my room, leaving me alone to think.

Uncle Perry's slick, but truthful, words 'bout me bein' alone if not for Tolbert were flitterin' 'round inside my head a mile a minute. I knew my uncle was right, nobody, but Tolbert, wanted me. If I turned him 'way then I may never get married and I'll turn out like old dried up Aunt Betty. I didn't wanna end up like that, a bitter old maid, but I wasn't sure if I could trust Tolbert not to snap on me once more. I had a hard choice to make and despite my hesitancy I'd have to chose continuin' on with Tolbert, only so I would be able to have a family on my own someday. In now way what-so-ever was I in love with the ill-tempered jackass, but I did care for him despite what happened this afternoon.

I could feel the stares of people on me as I walked down the street to the general store. I reckon the large reddish-purplish bruise explandin' half my face I got yesterday was a big gossip topic with the old bitties. Hell, bet it was gossip with everyone. It made me feel self-conscious knowin' that people were gawkin' and talkin' 'bout my marred-up face behind my back. I didn't even want to leave the house, but my uncle was busy correctin' my brother's long hand, reteachin' him how to write so it would be legible, so I had to go pick up the groceries and packages from Adam's General Store.

Lucky me. Not.

When I reached the porch of the store I felt relieved. My mission was nearly complete, all I had t'do was pick up what Uncle Perry ordered, grab a few produce, pay and leave. Upon walkin' inside tho I knew things wouldn't be so easy since right at the front counter by the jars of penny, nickel, and dime candies was that one-eyed Hatfield. He had a small paper bag, fillin' it up with some of the penny horehound hardtack candy.

I took a deep breath and walked up to the counter, settin' my basket up on it. "I'm here to pick up some packages for my uncle."

"Why, yes, Miss Landon I got them in the back. I'll go fetch them." The shop keeper told me, not able to maintain eye contact, before rushin' off to the back-storage room to get the packages.

I heard the glass lid clunk onto the candy jar, indicatin' the shaggy blonde had finished pickin' out his candy. Out of the corner of my eye I saw him get closer to me. I just looked straight ahead, ignorin' him. "Shit, that crazy McCoy you with bash your face in?" The one-eyed Hatfield my age asked as he placed a hand on my chin, turnin' my head to face him.

"What'd you think?" I sarcastically told him, my jaw tremblin', as he dropped his hand from my chin. "Anyways why're you here, don't ya got a store over in Mate Creek?" I asked a bit flatly, my eyes lookin' right into into his ice blue and milky white paired eyes.

"Yea, but Shifflet's ain't as big as Adam's. Don't got much to pick from." He answered with the slightest smirk and a tiny shrug. "So, what's a sweet lookin' girl like you don't with the crazy McCoy?" The one-eyed Hatfield wearin' a black stetson on top his blonde shaggy hair inquired with his deep rollin' wave of a voice havin' a slight flirtatious tone to it.

"Stop callin' Tolbert crazy." I ordered in a snap. I held my head up slightly higher and squared my jaw before snippily tellin' the Hatfield, "And even tho it's none of your business I'm courtin' him. He's my intended."

"Oh, no, you're doomed." He chuckled, shakin' his head at me. Once he composed himself he looked at me with a dead serious face and said, "Miss Landon, sweetlin', ya get with him you'll be as miserable as sin."

"Why's that?" Tumbled off my tongue before I realized it.

"McCoy's are jealous, hot-head, folks that twist the truth to their own means." He told me, leanin' his elbow on the counter near his brown paper bag of candy. "Man like that ain't husband material."

And what does he know 'bout husband material? The one-eyed annoyin' Hatfield's my age and doesn't even have any whiskers yet. Clearly he's not fit to be anyone's husband, without facial hair he's still a boy and not a man.

I looked at him a bit firmly while my flowin' voice bite out the remark of, "I grew up with him and the McCoys. They're my cousins, Mr. Hatfield, so my view differs from yours."

"Really?" His brow arched in surprise. He shook his head as a slight chuckle merged from him. "Then I feel sorry for ya, you're stuck with those nuts as kin." His chucklin' died off as he smirked, "Only one that's any good's Selkirk, but he's married to a cousin of mine."

"Shut up, Hatfield." I ordered before lettin' an annoyed sigh fall from my lips.

"Most people now days call me Cap, but ya can call me William or Will. Hatfield's so formal." I just shook my head and rolled my eyes at him. Damnit, what's taking the shopkeeper so long to get the packages? "What's your name?"

"Novella." I deadpanned, not even lookin' at him anymore.

"Hmm, mind if I call ya Nova?"

I drummed my fingers against the countertop while shakin' my head at him. I reckon he was goin' to call me whatever he wanted no matter what. I didn't mind Nova, even though I felt it was absurd to be shortin' my name to one of a star.

Suddenly the shopkeeper appeared with three packages, placing them on the counter. "Your uncle paid for these when he ordered them, Miss Landon."

"I need to go get some a few produce, I'll leave the packages here for a minute." I smiled sweetly at tthe tall middle-aged clerk, pointin' towards the packages in front of me.

"That's fine." The clerk told me, pushin' the packages to the other side of the counter for me.

I gave Cap a tight and fake lined smile before walkin' off towards the part of the store that held large barrels of produce. I could feel his mixed-matched eyes on my

After placin' some corn, potatoes, onions, and a few other things in my basket I returned to the counter. Much to my relief Cap had already left. After paying for my items I tucked the packages under my arm while loopin' my basket in the crook of my other arm and walked out of the general store.

Of course, leanin' 'gainst the store's porch post, poppin' a piece of candy from the bag in his hands into his mouth, was none other than Cap. As I walked by him he stopped leanin' on the post and made his way over to my side. "Candy?" He asked, tiltin' the bag over to me.

"No." I declined before addin' in quickly, "Now leave me be."

"Well, ain't ya rude." He scoffed, pullin' his bag away from me. "Must've learnt that from Tolbert." Cap japed sarcastically at me, shootin' me a little smirk.

"Why're you botherin' me instead of ridin' back to West Virginia?" I asked, needin' to know why bein' 'round me seemed to be a priority for him this afternoon. I reckon he has better things to do then pester me, but then 'gain maybe not.

"Truthfully, ya spark my interest." I just quirked my brow at his admission. "Too bad you're sellin' yourself short with the crazy McCoy."

"My uncle approves, so your input's not needed."

"Who's your uncle? Can't be too bright if he's gonna marry ya off to a guy that whacked ya in the face."

"My uncle's the lawyer Perry Cline." I informed Will as we walked down the street together. "He's not marryin' me off, in the end it's my choice to be with Tolbert."

"Yea, reckon it's your choice, but it doesn't seem like that slime ball would give ya a chance to court anyone else. He's tossin' ya out on the first suitor to come knockin'."

"You don't know anythin' bout the situation. Now if you'd excuse me, Cap, I'm goin' home."

"That your uncle's place?" He pointed to the large house with the huge white washed front porch that I was drifting my movements towards. I just nodded my head at him while hurryin' my steps. Unfortunately, Cap was a pest, matching my speed to escort me home. "Looks like a nice house. Bein' a crooked lawyer must pay off." He remarked with a hint of sarcasm to his rough wave-like voice as I walked up to the front porch stairs, leavin' him by the railing. "Nice meetin' ya, Miss Nova."

"Too bad I can't say the same to you, Cap." I scoffed before openin' the front door and walkin' into the house.

Perry POV:

While in my study going over the page I had my nephew write for me in longhand, assessing how many more lessons in proper writing the boy needed before his curved letters wouldn't look like chicken scratch, I happened to glance out the window. To my dismay my niece was being walked home by that one-eyed son of that Hatfield devil. Oh no, this is not going to happen. I will not allow it.

As soon as I heard the door open and shut along with seeing Novella pass by the study on her way to the kitchen I quickly rose from my seat. I darted out of my study, down the hall, and out the front door. The Hatfield boy was halfway down the path, almost to the road. I rushed over to him while calling out, "Why were you walking my niece home for, young Hatfield?"

"Name's Cap and I was bein' gentlemanly. Reckon ya wouldn't know much 'bout that considerin' you approve of Nova gettin' saddled with the crazy McCoy."

"You go back to where you came from." I seethed at the insolent boy. I looked the boy over like he was some disgusting vermin before turning my nose up and brashly telling him, "Don't talk about Novella and Tolbert again. Also, don't come around here again either."

"Novella seems like a sweet girl." Of course my niece was sweet, I made sure to raise her with morals and in the church. I can only imagine how the devil raised his children. "I'd like to pursue her." Cap Hatfield had the nerve to tell me, with a smirk on his damn face too.

"No." I firmly told him before going on to explain, "She's goin' to marry Tolbert come winter." I shooed him with the wave of my hand. "Now get on your merry way."

"As you say, Sir." The vile young man tipped his black hat at me before walking off down the road.

It'll be a cold day in hell before I allow my niece to keep company with the likes of a Hatfield. Milky eye needs to go find himself one of the many filthy women that run after his kind, 'cause I refuse to lower my neice's standards. Novella will remain with Tolbert. In my eyes he's the only suitor that I can approve of without ruining my niece's honor.

Novella POV:

I was in the kitchen preparin' dinner whenever I heard a knock at the front door followed by my uncle's footsteps. I heard the door open and close, followed by the loud, heavily clunkin' sound of boots trailin' down the hall and into the kitchen. I continued to cut potatoes for fryin' whenever I heard shufflin' boots stop right beside me accompanied with a gruffly velvet, "Ella…I came by for dinner." I placed my knife and the half-cut potato down on the wooden cuttin' board 'fore turnin' 'round to look at Tolbert. Tolbert's stormy eyes went wide as he spotted my reddish-purplish welted cheek. "Jesus, I did that." He gently placed a hand on my bruised face while softly telling me, "Darlin', I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt ya like I did. I was drunk."

"I know, Tolbert, but ya did." I sighed, pushin' his hand away from my face. I nervously bite my lips before expressin', "If we're gonna work you gotta watch your temper and drinkin'."

"I know and I promise I won't get drunk too much 'gain." Qickly rolled off of Tolbert's tongue as he looked at me with vulnerable and sorrow filled storm-eyes.

My heart felt heavy, like a ton weight was tied to it, as I sighed, "I do wanna believe ya Tolbert, but part of me's leery to do so."

"Are you endin' our courtship?" Tolbert asked me in a tremblin' whisper, his velvet tone goin' a bit flat.

"No." I shook my head, earnin' me a relieved sigh from him. "I know you love me and I'll still marry you once the cabin's done, but I'm not sure if I can trust ya with my heart yet."

Tolbert gently took my hand in his, runnin' his thumb over my knuckles, while vowin', "I'll do anythin' it take to earn yer trust, Ella. I promise I won't ever lay hands on ya never 'gain."

I hope so cause I don't wanna be one of those housewives who's husband drinks and beats them then asks forgiveness routinely. I want to have a content marriage full of love, with children made of that love. I don't want to be miserable like my mama was with Fred 'fore she crossed over the Jordan to forever sing with the angels.

AN:

So, Cap made an appearance. No, he's not going to court Novella. Perry Cline ain't allowing that…Novella's gonna become Mrs. McCoy whether she wants to or not. Tolbert's got a lot of proving to do to win Novella's trust and love. She just cares for the big meanie-head right now.