"LARABEE'S LADY" – CHAPTER SEVEN

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 14, 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.

(Catherine has been in Four Corners for three weeks and has made considerable progress toward establishing her horse ranch. She has hired a contractor and an architect, and together they are in the process of drawing up plans for the main house and barns. She has also put the hands she and her father hired to work preparing the land where the structures will be built, and she is getting ready to make a trip to San Francisco to attend a horse auction. All of this has kept her very busy, but she has still had time to contemplate everything Vin and Buck told her about Chris' past. One of the main reasons Catherine decided to leave Washington and move to Four Corners was the constant onslaught of shallow men parading through her parents' home on the pretext of wanting to "court" her. Catherine's no fool and knows the only reason any of those "gentlemen" from Washington paid her any attention was because they were hoping to curry her father's political favor. As her mother is often fond of reminding her, Catherine's preferred attire and non-conformist behavior seems to be off-putting to most of the men in polite Washington society.

Looking out the window of her room, Catherine's gaze settles on the man occupying her thoughts as he laughs at something J.D. is telling him. Closing her eyes, Catherine thinks back on the moment she first laid eyes on Chris Larabee. . . The day was perfect with lots of sunshine, white, fluffy clouds, and the sky a brilliant blue, though not nearly as beautiful a shade of blue as Chris' eyes. But it wasn't just the color of his eyes that captured her attention; it was what they were saying to her. For the first time in a long time, a man was telling her that he wanted to get to know her for who she was and not because of to whom she was related. When she stepped off that stage coach, looked up into Chris Larabee's eyes, and her hand touched his, Catherine felt a shiver run through her entire body. She has never before been this drawn to another human being, and she can't explain why. . . .

As Mary and Catherine walk from the newspaper office to the restaurant to have lunch, Chris watches them from his usual place in front of the Sheriff's Office. For a change, Catherine is wearing a russet brown riding habit instead of the usual pants she is so fond of, and Chris is curious as to why. Part of him wants to join them just so he can have the pleasure of talking with Catherine and ask her, but another part of him wants to run as far away from her as fast as he can. Chris is quietly going mad. Every time he closes his eyes, Catherine invades his dreams. Several times he has awakened before dawn and been unable to go back to sleep. His dreams are always the same way . . . Catherine is standing by the fence of a corral watching a high-spirited stallion prance about. One of her booted feet is propped on one of the lower rails and both arms are crossed on top of the fence as she watches the stallion; her carefree laughter floating on the air. In his dream, Catherine, perhaps alerted to his presence by the sound of his horses' hooves on the hard ground, turns toward him and offers him a brilliant smile. The sight of her beautiful, glowing face, full lips slightly parted as she gazes at him expectantly, honey gold hair cascading down her back and around her shoulders, the soft fabric of her pants snuggly clinging to her ripe curves, and the invitation in her eyes causes a tightening that starts low in Chris' body and quickly spreads until he awakens with a start. And waking brings immediate and intense guilt as the first thought that enters his mind is of Sarah. What disturbs him the most, however, is the knowledge that he can no longer see Sarah's face clearly; that her memory is slowly but surely fading from his mind. . . .

As it turns out, Chris has little choice in the matter as Buck grabs his arm as he walks by and pulls Chris along with him toward the ladies. Before Chris can protest, he and Buck are practically standing in front of Catherine and Mary, and Chris has no choice but to politely greet the two ladies.)

Chris: "Catherine, Mary."

Mary: "Good morning, Chris, Buck. Beautiful day, isn't it?"

Buck: "It certainly is, and you two ladies are looking mighty fetching today. Where are you off to?"

Mary: "The restaurant. Catherine's going to San Francisco for a few days, and we're going to have lunch before she leaves on the afternoon stage."

Buck: "Well, now, why ever would you want to go to San Francisco and leave us?"

(Catherine has not spoken nor looked directly at either Chris or Buck since they walked up, and she is not inclined to answer Buck's question. Hating the fact that she is being very rude, Catherine looks pleadingly at Mary and walks on into the restaurant leaving the three other people standing in the street.)

Mary: "She's going a horse auction, Buck."

Buck: "Guess you can't start a horse ranch without horses, but a woman going all the way to San Francisco to a horse auction by herself. Might dangerous, even for a woman like Catherine."

Mary: "She's meeting her new foreman there. He's coming out from the Stewart's ranch in Virginia. Besides, Catherine has a Derringer. She'll be fine. Excuse me."

(Mary leaves the two men standing in the street as she goes into the hotel to join her friend. Buck risks a glance at Chris and is gratified to see an angry expression on his face. At least Chris is feeling something.)

Chris: "Still think Catherine Stewart's what I need, Buck?"