*Author's Note*

Thank you for the reviews, faves, and follows.

Drinkin' More Then Sellin'

Novella POV:

It's been a little over a month since I've been married to Tolbert. Marriage wasn't what I expected, but yet 'gain I didn't know what to expect. I cooked and cleaned nonstop durin' the day. At night I preformed my wifely duties, but I didn't really mind that. What irked me tho was how Tolbert never wanted to bring me to town. If we needed somethin' he always went to get it. I felt like I was gonna go stir-crazy not bein' able to set foot into town.

My Uncle Perry would stop by with my brother Moses once in a while to visit since the cabin wasn't too far from the McCoys' farm. I was grateful for not bein' too far from the McCoys since it meant that I could visit with Roseanna often. My visits with Nancy tho were few in'tween since she lived closer to town an' Tolbert never took me there. Nancy would come up from time to time to check on me, mostly on her way to see our old decrypted Aunt Betty who lived clear 'cross the other side of the county.

Today, to my surprise, Tolbert had sent me to town to get some supplies since he had a few 'shine deliveries to make up and down the hills, over a few different counties too. I missed goin' to the general store, as silly as that sounds, so I felt overjoyed to be seein' the sign readin' Adam's General Store plastered on the buildin' I had pulled my cart to a stop in front of.

After climbin' down from the wagon I walked across the plank walkway and onto the storefront porch. With elation I opened the door to the buildin' and walked right on inside. The store wasn't really busy today, just the shopkeeper and one customer was inside. I recognized the tall and lean customer with the black Stetson as Cap Hatfield. He was baggin' up candy, like the first time I met him in this store.

I had a basket with me slung over my arm. I browsed the aisles of the store placin' a few jars, tins, and cans into the basket. I also grabbed a few produce from the different barrels, placin' them into my basket too. I heard Cap place the lid back onto the glass candy jar as I walked up to the cashier counter. I could feel his mismatched eyes on me as I placed my basket onto the counter. Lookin' straight ahead at the clerk I said, "I'm goin' to need a bag of coffee and a jar of molasses added onto this order."

"Of course." The man behind the counter nodded before turnin' 'round to grab my needed items from the shelf next to the backroom door.

"Miss Landon, it's good seein' ya again." Cap told me while tippin' his hat. With a smirk and a chuckle, he asked, "Now, where you've been hidin'?"

"I haven't been hidin' anywhere. I just moved's all." I told Cap, earnin' me a raised eyebrow from him. I held my left hand out for him to inspect while sayin', "It's Mrs. McCoy now, Cap."

Cap snatched my hand up in his and looked at the simple gold band on my left ring finger before roughly lettin' my hand go. "McCoy ain't nothin' but a name on a piece of paper." He spat bitterly. "To me you're Nova Landon." I just rolled my eyes at him before watchin' the clerk ring up my order. "When did ya tie the knot?"

While keepin' my eyes on the clerk I answered Cap's question with the simple remark of, "Last month, right 'fore Christmas."

Before Cap could say anythin' the shopkeeper held his hand out while announcin', "That'll be $4.25." Without a word I took 5 bucks out of my purse and handed it to the clerk. He hit some buttons before givin' me my change and tellin' me, "Have a nice day, ma'am."

"You too." I simply replied before grabbin' my basket and walkin' away from the counter.

I heard behind me Cap tell the clerk, "Keep the change.", before hearing his quick bootsteps right behind me, followin' me. I walked out onto the store's porch with him followin' right behind. "Holy hell. So, you're Sawyer's cousin?"

"Apparently. I just found out 'bout him from my step-pa on my weddin' day so…" I said, placing my basket onto the wagon's front seat.

"I know what he gave ya. That share claim of the Boone mill." Cap told me, his hot breath awfully close to my ear, as I was makin' to climb up onto the wagon. Without askin' my permission he placed his hands on my waist and helped hoist me up into the cart, all while remarkin', "Does Tolbert know? I'd say no since he hasn't barged into West Virginia demandin' money for your part."

As I settled myself into my seat I sighed, "He doesn't know and he won't ever know. That claim's in my maiden name, it'd just cause a fight."

"Yea, wouldn't want that." Cap nodded his head. "Listen, Nova, if ya ever want to make good on your claim just come by the lumberyard in Logan and see me. I'll make sure my pa gets ya your money."

I clutched onto the reigns tightly while tellin' the man with mismatched eyes, "Thank you, but I doubt I'll need it. My husband has means to support us."

"Tolbert's a useless, crazy, hot-headed drunk. He drinks more then he sells." Cap shook his head, a low snigger fallin' from his lips. "Shit, half the time he's givin' it out for free or's gettin' talked down in price."

"That ain't true." I quickly spat out, defendin' my husband from the Hatfield's slanderous remarks.

"It is but believe whatever ya want. Just keep that claim paper in a safe spot cause you'll need it one day." Cap instructed me, his tone hard and deep. "Nova, even tho I can't stand Tolbert I do wish ya the best of luck in your marriage with him." Cap told me, takin' me by surprise. Why would he wish me luck, Hatfields hate McCoys and vise verse. Upon my reaction of a curious look Cap softly sighed, "You seem like a nice girl."

I lightly smiled, the corners of my mouth barely turnin' upwards, while tellin' him, "Thank you, but too bad you're an overwhelmin' prick."

"I've been called worse, sweetlin'." He smirked at me, wigglin' a brow too. "Remember, if you ever need to make good on that share or wannna contact Sawyer just find me." Cap told me before walkin' off towards his horse, which was a few yards away.

Once I got back to the cabin I put up my purchases and did my simple chores. After the chores were done I started on dinner. I was nearly done with cookin' the night meal whenever I heard the door open and the scufflin' sounds of Tolbert's heavy boots hittin' the floor as he entered. The door slammed shut with a loud bang and I heard the loud swooping sound of Tolbert tossing his coat and hat on the rack by the door. I slightly turned away from the stove and looked at my husband. "Did the deliveries go okay?" I asked since his face was scrunched up in what I knew to be anger.

"Deliveries went fine, just didn't make's much money as I wanted." Tolbert answered as he made his way thru our livingroom into the kitchen.

"Did somethin' happen?" I asked, noticin' his mood was very agitated.

"No, just didn't get all the greenbacks I wanted. Shit, stop askin' stupid questions."

"They're not stupid-" I began to defend my questions til Tolbert plopped down at the kitchen table and barked, "Just get me my dinner. Hell, food should've been on the table by now."

"I had to go into town to get some things from the general store today. Remember?" I reminded him as I stired the pot one last time 'fore grabbin' some plates from the cabinet.

As I made our plates I heard him ask, "Oh, yea, that's right. So, how much ya spend?"

"Not much, just $4.25." I replied, grabbin' the plates and turnin' to walk over to the table.

"Jesus, that ain't much?!" Tolbert exclaimed as I set his plate in front of him. "Hell, there goes the damn money I made today. I was expecting a greenback an' a half or maybe two, but not no $4.25." He ranted on and on as I placed my plate at my spot before going over to the counter to pour some glasses of milk along with grabbin' some silverware. "What'd you buy for that much?"

I answered while walkin' over to the table with the milk glasses, forks, and knives in my hands. "The supplies that we needed."

"I sent ya in for coffee, molasses, and a few veg'bles." My ginger haired husband told me, as if I didn't know, as I placed his glass and silverware in front of him.

I placed my glass and silverware by my plate and sat down. "I got some other things too. Like canned fruit and jelly-" I began to explained 'til Tolbert gruffly and loudly cut me off with the bark off, "Shit we didn't need right now."

I began to cut a piece of my meat, knowin' Tolbert wasn't goin' to say a blessin' since he had already began to eat. "Yes, we did need it."

"I ain't rich like yer uncle so ya can't just buy ever'thin' ya see in the store. I'll take good care of ya, but frivolous shit I ain't gettin' ya." Tolbert snapped as he cut his pork with more force then necessary.

"Jelly's not frivolous, Tolbert. It's to eat with biscuits and bread for meals."

"It's expensive t'buy. Can't ya make it, then it'd be free." My husband said around a mouthful of food.

"It's winter, ain't any berries around to pick for jams." I reminded my husband, stabbin' my food with my fork.

"Then guess we don't need it on our biscuits and bread."

I looked at him, his jaw hardened and his storm filled eyes dark with rage and furrowed my brows. "Why're you actin' like this?"

"Cause ya spent too much of my money." Tolbert spat, his answer takin' me aback. His money? Wasn't it our money? We were married after all. Shakin' his head while stabbin' some fried potatoes with his fork he grumbled, "Hell, I expected more change back then what I got."

I looked at him incredulously while askin' the weighted question of, "We've just been married over a month an' we're really gonna sit down and fight over money while eatin' dinner?"

"I ain't fightin', I'm tellin' ya how things are. Now drop it." Tolbert told me, his velvety timbre low and rough, as he pointed his fork at me. His storm-blue eyes were filled with a reddenin' rage, like a bull ready to charge.

"Fine." I conceded, but only cause I didn't want to incite his temper anymore then it was flarin'. I didn't feel like bein' on the bad side of his ill-tempered wrath. I hadn't seem him in a bad mood for a while, and I wanted to keep it that way. If that meant givin' in to him then so be it.

The rest of dinner was silent. Tolbert stewed while I wondered why he was acting like this. He was over reacting about groceries. After dinner Tolbert went out to the barn. I assumed he was working on something or wanted time alone, but I figured out that he went out there to drink whenever later durin' the night he came to bed smellin' like an entire flask of his likker brew. He ended up passin' out in bed, still in his clothes.

Whenever I woke up in the morning my husband was still passed out, drunk asleep, face down in his pillow. I just dressed and went about my morning chores, reckonin' that he'd wake when the booze wore off. I was at the stove, finishing up breakfast, whenever I heard the sound of the bedroom door open accompanied by shufflin' boot steps. I kept my eyes trained on the meat I was fryin' up in the pan over the stove as I heard the heavy shuffle against the wooden floor get closer and closer to me.

"I'm sorry for last nite, Ella." Tolbert told me, wrapped an arm 'round my waist as he stood behind me. His chest flush 'gainst my back.

"Bet you are." Sarcastically slipped from my tongue as I flipped over the meat in the pan a bit forcefully.

"I am. I's just had a bad day, took it out on ya when I shouldn't 've." Tolbert explained, backin' away from me as I began to move to one of the cabinets.

"I understand havin' a bad day, Tolbert, but it don't excuse or make it right to treat me the way ya did. I was treated like a common criminal, not a wife yesterday."

"Said I'm sorry, darlin'. What more ya want from me. Huh?" Tolbert sighed, his gruffly smooth voice risin' a bit, as he sat down at the table and watched me fix the breakfast plates.

With a pair of plates in my hands I walked over to the table while saying, "I want ya to watch your temper wit' me." Placin' down the plates I added, "How it rises so quickly is unnervin'."

As I went over to the counter, grabbing the mugs and coffee pot, I heard Tolbert tell me, "I've been workin' on that, darlin'. Ya know I don't mean t'lose it 'round ya."

"I know, Tolbert." I simply told my husband, pouring some coffee into the mug that I had placed in front of him.

"I won't do nothin' harmful to ya, even wit' my temper flared. Ya know that." Tolbert told me between eatin' as I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down.

"I know, Tolbert, but y'know I also don't appreciate you drinkin' for hours on end only to stumble into our bed blackout drunk in the middle of the night."

"Don't worry bout my drinkin'. I don't do it like that too often."

"No, only when somethin' upsets you." I told him, my cornflower blue eyes narrowed at him as he eat. My flowin' voice was tinted with reason as I pointed out, "Last time ya got piss-drunk was when Parris and Squirel got let go on self-defense. Jim Vance said somethin' that upset you and ya drank it 'way."

Tolbert swiftly dropped his silverware onto the china plate while lookin' at me with flarin' nostrils. "Ella, your duty as my wife's t'love me, honor me, tend my house, an' give me chil'ren, not t'lecture me on drinkin' an' man's affairs."

"Fine, I'll just shut up and make sure your needs are met. Wouldn't want me to say somethin' wrong or stupid, would we?"

"Ella…darlin'…" Tolbert sighed, his velvety timbre rattlin' with weariness.

"Just eat so you can get up to the still." I suggested, subtly pointin' to my husband's plate.

Tolbert pinched the bridge of his nose 'fore sighin', "I love ya, darlin'. I don't like fightin' wit' ya, but yer too mouthy at times." Rubbin' his chin he vowed, "I'll cut back my drinkin' if that'll help us from fightin'."

I just nodded my head quietly, not trusting my words to keep me out of trouble. So accordin' to my husband I'm mouthy. Hmm, I never thought I was. Seems like Tolbert doesn't like hearin' my opinion on things. Looks like the rest of my life's gonna be like walkin' on eggshells with the man that I've fallen in love with in a way.

AN:

So, money's tight and Tolbert's not taking it too well. Eh, in the mini series he never seemed like a good businessman considering how Lias haggled and talked him down for that fiddle and a cup full of whiskey. Poor Novella, she's not used to being a tucked away housewife considering she used to work at Perry's law office.

Anyways next chapter will be another time jump.