"LARABEE'S LADY: THE ELLA FACTOR" – CHAPTER ONE

Title: "Larabee's Lady: The Ella Factor"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: An old flame causes trouble for Chris and Catherine.

Date Written: September 22, 2010

Disclaimer: Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner, J.D. Dunne, Buck Wilmington, Josiah Sanchez, Ezra Standish, Nathan Jackson, Casey Wells, Mary Travis, Nettie Wells, Inez, Ella Gaines, Jack Averell, and The Magnificent Seven are the property of TM CBS, The Mirisch Group, MGM and Triology Entertainment. Other characters, i.e., Catherine Stewart, Jonathan Stewart, Eloise Stewart, Henrietta Wilkes, Miles Kettering, etc. are the sole property of the author. The author makes no profit from this work of fan fiction and no copyright infringement is intended.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story follows my first story, "Larabee's Lady" in which Chris Larabee met and fell in love with Catherine Stewart, Mary Travis' best friend. I didn't like the whole Ella Gaines story line, so I wrote "Larabee's Lady" without bringing Ella into it, but I've decided that maybe she can provide some interesting dynamics.

(They find Ella and Buck in the dining room at the hotel. Catherine is dressed in doeskin pants, a pale yellow shirt and boots, and her silky blonde hair falls loosely down her back and around her shoulders. Ella Gaines, on the other hand, is wearing a stylish riding habit of pale lilac with a matching hat of pale pink feathers perched on her head. When the two women first lay eyes on one another they have nearly identical reactions for very different reasons:

Ella Gaines takes one look at Catherine Stewart and dismisses her as an unsophisticated, country bumpkin. Granted, Ella recognizes that Catherine is very beautiful, but she feels sure that her past relationship with Chris is her ace in the hole.

Catherine takes one look at Ella Gaines and sees a conniving woman with a hidden agenda. "Helpless" is not a word that comes to Catherine's mind in regards to Ella Gaines, but "viper" seems to fit the woman rather well.)

Ella: "Chris! I'm so glad you decided to join us. And this must be . . .

(Catherine doesn't allow her time to finish her sentence but makes sure the other woman has no doubt as to her identity.)

Catherine: "Catherine Stewart. Chris' fiancée'. It's nice to meet an old friend of his."

Ella: "Please call me Ella. After all, now that you and Chris are going to be married we'll be friends, as well.""

Catherine: (a look on her face that says, "not a snowball's chance in Hell.) "Yes, well, I'd like for you to come out to the ranch tonight for dinner, Ella. We're having a few friends over and I'm sure Chris would love to introduce you everyone."

Ella: "That's very kind of you, Catherine."

Catherine: "Good. Shall we say six o'clock?"

Ella: "I'll be there."

Catherine: "Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to the ranch."

(The entire conversation has taken less than five minutes and neither Chris nor Buck has said a word, but both men are very aware of the fact that the two women have "sized each other up". Doing his best to keep his expression neutral, Chris bids Ella and Buck goodbye, and accompanies Catherine outside. Once they're clear of the hotel, the grin he's been trying to keep off his face breaks through. Grabbing Catherine's arm, he pulls her into an alley next to the hotel, pushes her back against the exterior of the building, and proceeds to kiss her senseless. When he finally lets her up for air, she smiles impishly up at him.)

Chris: "Dinner party?"

Catherine: "You have a problem with that?"

Chris: "Nope. I'm curious to know what Mary, Mrs. Wilkes and Nettie think of Ella myself."

Catherine: "How'd you know I was going to invite Mary, Mrs. Wilkes and Nettie?"

Chris: "Because I know you."

Catherine: "You know, once I stop by the house and tell Mrs. Tyson we're having guests for dinner, I think I'll ride out to the northwest corner of the property and check on the fence line."

Chris: (a slow grin spreading across his handsome face) "Is that so?"

Catherine: "Um hmm. Funny thing about that fence line."

(Moments later, another very heated kiss is interrupted by the sound of Vin's voice.)

Vin: "You two are bound and determined to get caught by Henrietta Wilkes."

(Chris lifts his head and throws a thoroughly aggravated glare at Vin who is leaning against the wall at the entrance to the alley with his arms crossed over his chest. Catherine, blushing slightly, looks like she would dearly love to slap the smirk off of Vin's face.)

Chris: "Can't a man kiss his fiancée' if he wants to?"

Vin: "Just sayin."

Catherine: "Well, as long as you're here, Vin, you're invited out to the ranch for dinner tonight. As is Ezra, and Buck, and Nathan, and Josiah, and J.D., and Mary, and Casey, and Nettie, and Mrs. Wilkes. . . . And Ella Gaines. I've got to issue some invitations and warn Mrs. Tyson."

(Not caring that Vin is standing right there, Catherine grabs Chris' face and kisses him quite thoroughly before heading to the newspaper office. Chris walks out to join Vin and they walk toward the Saloon.)

Vin: "Catherine invited Ella Gaines to dinner?"

Chris: "Yep."

Vin: "Well this ought to be interesting."