"LARABEE'S LADY" – CHAPTER NINETEEN
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 18, 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.
(Vin and Ezra are drinking coffee on the porch in front of the Sheriff's Office early the next morning when Farley Moore rides into town looking anxious. As Buck and J.D. reach the other two, Farley stops in front of them.)
Vin: "Mornin', Farley. How's things out at the ranch?"
Farley: "Fine, 'cept Catherine didn't come home last night an ain't there yet."
Ezra: "Catherine hasn't been home since yesterday?"
Farley: "Ain't that what I just said?"
Vin: "Hold on a minute. Start at the beginnin'."
Farley: "Catherine left yesterday after lunch sayin' she was gonna ride out to the northwest corner of the ranch to check the fence line. She ain't come back and me and Mrs. Tyson are worried."
Vin: "Had a bad storm last night. She probably found someplace safe to spend the night."
Buck: "Reckon we ought to take a ride out there."
Vin: "Reckon . . .You all get Nathan and Josiah and head on out there. I'll get Chris and meet 'ya."
(Vin heads toward Chris' cabin looking for any sign of Catherine along the way . . .
The sun has just risen when Catherine awakens. For a moment, she is overwhelmed by everything that has passed during the night. Realizing that she is alone, she slips on Chris' hastily discarded shirt and heads toward the door. . .
Although the rain has washed away most of the tracks from the night before, Vin is still able to pick out not one but two horses headed toward Chris' cabin. A suspicion starts to take seed in Vin's mind and the farther he goes, the stronger it is. He decides to make a cautious approach to the cabin . . .
Chris is leaning against a post on his porch with his arms crossed looking out over his property. Over the past few hours, he has made some decisions and is feeling pretty good. He hears Catherine as she eases the door open and turns slightly toward her and holds out his hand. When she takes it, he pulls her into his arms and gently kisses her forehead.)
Chris: "Mornin'." (His smile is makes her heart simply melt.)
Catherine: "Mornin'. How long have you been up?"
Chris: "A little while. You okay?"
Catherine: "You have to ask?"
Chris: "Yeah, me, too. Better than I've been for a long time. . . Thank you,"
Catherine: "For what?"
Chris: "Being there for me when I didn't even know I needed you."
(Catherine shoots him a beautiful smile, pushes away from his embrace, and turns back toward the door. Chris grabs her arm as he straightens up and pulls her back to his bare chest.)
Chris: "Where do you think you're goin'?"
Catherine: "To get dressed."
Chris: "Think again."
(He sweeps her up into his arms and carries her back inside, slamming the door with his bare foot. . . .
In the woods outside the cabin, Vin is grinning from ear to ear. What he's just witnessed tells him all he needs to know about Catherine's safety. Quietly backing away from the cabin, Vin makes his way to his horse to find the others. He soon finds them and puts an end to their discussion of who's going to search where.)
Buck: "Where's Chris?"
Vin: "Ain't comin'. J.D., ride out to the ranch and tell Mrs. Tyson Catherine's just fine."
(He heads toward town with the others hot on his heels.)
Ezra: "And how do you know Catherine's all right?"
Vin: "Just do."
Ezra: "Just do?"
Vin: "Saw her. She's fine."
Buck: "Well, where was she?"
Nathan: "She tell you where she was last night?"
Vin: "Didn't say I talked to her."
Buck: "What'd Chris say?"
Vin: "Didn't talk to him, either."
Buck: "Did you see him?"
Vin: "Yep."
(And he spurs his horse into a gallop ahead of the others; a grin on his handsome face.. . .
J.D.: "He didn't talk to either of them, but he saw them?"
(And then it hits them.. . . Grins appear on all their faces except J.D.'s who still looks perplexed.)
J.D.: "What?"
Buck: "Catherine and Chris were together last night."
Ezra: "And apparently, still are."
J.D,.: "Oh . . .OH!"
Ezra: "'Oh', indeed, my young friend."