CHAPTER THREE

Title: "Larabee's Lady"

Author: Michelle Heath

Rating: MA for adult language and situations

Summary: Mary's best friend causes Chris to re-think his future.

Date Written: September 12, 2010

Disclaimer: Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner, J.D. Dunne, Buck Wilmington, Josiah Sanchez, Ezra Standish, Nathan Jackson, Casey Wells, Mary Travis, Nettie Wells, Inez, 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, 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.

(Two hours later, things have pretty much returned to normal and Chris, Vin, Buck, and Ezra are, once again, sitting or standing on the wooden sidewalk outside the Sheriff's Office when Mary walks by on her way from the hotel back to the newspaper office.)

Vin: "Get the Stewarts all settled in, Mary?"

Mary: "Yes. Mrs. Stewart is going to take a nap while Catherine and the Senator ride out to the property and take a look around."

Chris: "Exactly where is the Senator's property, Mary."

Mary: "Actually, it's not far from your place, Chris. And the property belongs to Catherine; not the Senator. It was left to her by her paternal grandfather."

Chris: "Just how close to my property is it?"

Mary: "Well, I'm not positive, and a survey will have to be done, but I believe Catherine's property line runs right up to yours."

Chris: "And just what is Catherine planning on doing with her property?"

Mary: "She's going to build a house and raise horses. Catherine is moving to Four Corners permanently."

Ezra: "Why, pray tell, would a beautiful, obviously well-bred young lady such as Miss Stewart want to move to a God-forsaken town such as this one?"

Marty: "Perhaps because she's tired of having to be the 'perfect' lady, the dutiful daughter, repressed and unable to do the things she truly loves such as raising and training horses."

Ezra: "Yes, I would imagine the social expectations for a United States Senator's daughter in a town like Washington would be rather. . . inhibiting."

Chris: "Just how many acres of land does she own, Mary?"

Mary: "Two hundred and fifty."

Vin: "Make one Hell of a horse ranch."

Mary: "Catherine's always had a. . . a way with horses. I've never seen anyone handle them the way she can. Like a gift from God."

Buck: "Wait a minute. . . You don't mean she's actually going to be working with the horses herself?"

Mary: "That's exactly what I mean. And that attitude, Buck, is exactly why Catherine wants to move to Four Corners.

(Deciding to play Devil's advocate and attempt to get the information he knows Chris is dying to have but rather be horsewhipped than admit to it, Vin speaks up.)

Vin: "She runnin' from some man?"

Mary: "Actually, she's running from a lot of men. All of the pompous, stuffed shirts hoping to further their own political careers by marring a Senator's daughter.

Vin: "Their loss; our gain."

(Neither Vin or Mary misses the slight narrowing of Chris' eyes as he cuts his gaze toward Vin.)

Buck: "Well, this is going to be interesting."

Mary: "More interesting than you think."

(At Mary's cryptic comment, four pairs of male eyes follow the direction of Mary's gaze toward the entrance to the hotel. Sen. Stewart, dressed more suitably for looking over his daughter's land, walks out of the hotel and into the street to meet the boy from the Livery who is holding the reins to two saddled horses. It is the appearance of Catherine Stewart, however, that, for the second time in the day, causes a stunned silence.)