A/N: I plan on writing a sequel to this story. So be prepared for a long ride! Thank you again for the wonderful reviews and support. I love you all! grins
A few people have mentioned the Rachel/Charlie romance, so here are the first hints of it.
Chapter Eight
For the rest of the day, Rachel remained quiet, riding behind Charlie and then entering the nearest town. She knew the other men hated her; she could pretty much tell from their nasty glances and whispered conversation to one another behind dirty hands. A lump formed in her throat, threatening to cause tears to well in her eyes. She clung tighter to Charlie as if she may lose him. He was all she had now. In a world of violence, cheating and the animalistic ways of men only out to satisfy their own needs, Rachel was alone. As she held onto Charlie she at least felt some relief. He may not have been the most honest of men, but in the deepest depths of her heart, she knew she could trust him. Whenever he spoke to her, she'd look into his eyes and only saw sincerity. It seemed as if when with her, his heart became pure.
The outfit entered the town slowly, watching as residents looked on warily. Rachel rested her head against Charlie's back, feeling comfort. The smooth leather brushed against her cheek and she smiled to herself as her hands, which were wrapped around his midriff, felt his hard body beneath his layers of clothing.
Everyone left their horses that afternoon and immediately headed for the saloon, walking one behind the other through the swinging doors. As Rachel reached the steps, Charlie who walked beside her, put his hand out, gesturing for her to go first. "Thank you," she said softly, giving him a warm smile.
Charlie watched her go before him and felt that feeling pool in the pit of his stomach once more, trying hard to force it away and place more reasonable thoughts in his mind. Inside the saloon, Charlie reached up and took his hat away from his hair. When with the outfit and ready to drink, Charlie would normally stand beside the Boss. But today he remained by Rachel, watching on as the other men smirked teasingly at them both.
Kinter looked at Charlie, grinning perversely, his yellow and stained teeth showing under a bushy mound of facial hair. "Fucked her yet, Charlie?" he cackled.
Charlie's eyes flashed with deep anger. "You say one more word like that, Kinter, and you'll be pickin' ya teeth up off the floor." Rachel immediately shied away and sat down on the seat next to a quiet table in the corner.
Patrons who were already occupying a few of the tables watched the gang of outlaws with great interest, and then let their gaze rest on Rachel. What was an average looking girl doing out here with a group of men such as these?
Sitting on her own, Rachel began to notice the rounds of stares that were locked on her from other men who seemed to be regulars to the saloon. Her eyes rested on one man who was groping one of the waitresses. He had a disgusting, yellow grin on his dirty face. But the woman didn't seem to put up much resistance from the man. Rachel couldn't believe what she was seeing. She knew full well through the years that women had been down trodden and treated like mere property to men, but this was outrageous.
Charlie dropped himself down opposite Rachel, exhaling loudly and took off his hat. His head had grown increasingly warm. "Ya sure you're okay?" he asked, giving her a weak smile of reassurance. "Bin quiet."
"I'm fine, thank you," Rachel replied softly.
xxx
The outlaws remained down in the saloon for sometime whilst Rachel got herself comfortable upstairs. Charlie had practically demanded that she go and rest. Her face had been too pale for his liking, and he was concerned that seeing the two men being shot dead that morning had affected her.
Rachel lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what everyone back home was thinking. All she could think of was her parents' faces upon the news that she had disappeared. Sighing loudly, she knew that she was destined to remain here now for the rest of her life. That spell which had been said back home had well and truly trapped her in this God forsaken place. It was hot, the men were animals and there was nothing here for her. Her place was back home with her family, not in an old Midwest town with a gang of stealing outlaws.
Suddenly the old wooden door to the room creaked open and Charlie stepped inside. Much musing and questioning was present on his face. His bright green eyes flashed from under the brim of his old Stetson hat. "The Boss has gone South with some of the boys," Charlie announced. "So we're gonna stay in town for a while."
"Is he coming back?" Rachel asked, sitting up and placing her back against the headboard of the bed.
"Yeah, but it's best he stays away from here caus' of the raid this mornin'. He should be back in a few days."
Rachel watched Charlie shut the door behind him and approach her. She couldn't help but smile and feel some flash of a strange feeling well up inside her. Blushing, she looked away.
"How 'bout some readin' and then tonight ah take you out?" Charlie asked, winking playfully.
"Take me out where?" Rachel asked, smiling back at him.
"Some fancy dinin'."
Rachel merely laughed and moved across a little on the bed so Charlie could rest beside her. He pulled off his jacket, revealing his red shirt beneath. He watched in silent admiration as Rachel picked up a book from the bedside table which had been left in the drawer. How he held himself back from her, he didn't quite know. The way her small hands dusted the front of the book and the way she looked up at him, her pale green eyes sparkling so brightly. It made something churn violently inside him; something which tore at his heartstrings.
"Right, let's start," Rachel said, clearing her throat and opening the dusty book to the first page.
Charlie began to read, slowly at first, but gradually he picked up a steady rhythm. Rachel's finger followed the lines, guiding him along. She enjoyed listening to him and the way he accented certain words, it was almost amusing to her.
Nightfall came outside the window and the bright sun set peacefully. "How long have we been reading?" Rachel asked, yawning and stretching her tired legs.
"Good couple'a hours," Charlie replied, closing the book.
"You're much better though," Rachel told him, pulling her leg up onto the bed under herself. "I can hardly tell you had any reading problems at all now."
"Ya must be a good teacher."
Under the murky candlelight, Charlie looked at Rachel, his heart beating a mile a second. Slowly he reached up, curling the palm of his hand around her cheek. He watched as Rachel grew extremely embarrassed, but that wasn't at all his intention to make her feel that way. But she didn't pull away either. He took this as a damn good sign and moved towards her quickly.
Violently, their lips meshed. Charlie's eager tongue shot out in search for Rachel's and he was so pleased to hear a gentle groan of delight come from her. His hand crept around her neck, his fingers lacing through her locks. Suddenly, she pulled away, gasping for air. "Charlie….we shouldn't," she whispered. Her cheeks were flushed a bright crimson red.
"I'm sorry," Charlie muttered.
"Don't be sorry," she told him. "But this…it's just, I don't know. I don't belong here."
"Ah just can't stop mahself feelin' what ah do for you."
For once, the vulnerable side to Charlie Prince had been released. Around Rachel he could unleash the warmth which had been for so many years locked away, with a layer of ice keeping it hidden.
Rachel reached across and took his hand, holding it tightly in her own. So many emotions danced in his eyes, swarming among the emerald depths. "Lets get outta here for awhile," Charlie announced, getting up from the bed.
xxx
Charlie and his companion for the evening walked along the main high street of the town. Rachel had remained quiet much of the time and only replied to questions Charlie threw at her. In all honesty, she was going over in her mind how she felt about the situation with Charlie. Surely if she was destined to remain locked in this time, Charlie was her only protection. He obviously felt something for her, and she knew she felt something for him in return.
"How about something to eat?" Charlie asked suddenly, diverting their current topic of conversation which had been his excelling in reading.
"That sounds good to me," Rachel replied. "I feel like I'm wasting away."
Together they walked up the steps of a relatively small dining area. Rachel glanced around, noting that it was mainly men with lady friends who had come in here, so at least she and Charlie didn't stand out much.
Rachel took a seat at the back, feeling stares on her back as she did so. Charlie followed on behind and was quite surprised to see a pretty waitress come over as soon as they took their seats. "Give us two plates of whatever ya got," Charlie instructed, and instantly turned his attention back to Rachel. The waitress cussed under her breath and rushed off, a look of daggers present on her young face.
"You sure pissed her off," Rachel giggled, resting her arms on the old, beaten table.
"Ah don't care if ah piss 'em off," Charlie replied. "Ah'm not fussy with food."
Silence fell upon them once more while they waited for their food. Rachel knew she was being unreasonable with Charlie, and at least if they formed some kind of relationship he'd always be with her, to protect her and provide for her. She knew she was lucky in that way.
"Here's ya food," the waitress said flatly and placed two large steaks on the table in front of Charlie and Rachel.
Rachel couldn't help but study the woman's dress. It was long and frilly, but her breasts were pushed upwards, looking larger than normal. It disgusted her so much how women were oppressed and dressed up like whores. By the time she tore her gaze away from the waitress, Rachel saw that Charlie had already began tucking into his food, cutting away angrily at the leather-like steak.
"Mmm, it's not bad," Rachel commented, taking her first bite. She felt the tough meat be tossed around her mouth and then flushed down her throat. It made her swallow hard over the leathery texture. Cooking in this time certainly left a lot to be desired.
"I take it you're enjoying the food?" Rachel asked, giggling at the sight of Charlie so ravenously eating his dinner.
Rachel left half of her steak, not able to eat anymore. It had left her with a dislike for beef which would probably remain with her for the rest of her life. The meat tasted burned and it was like chewing on an old shoe. At least it was food.
xxx
Under the moonlight, Charlie and Rachel took a leisurely stroll back to their room at the old saloon just down the street. Rachel looked up, revelling in the spectacular sight of the bright stars overhead. She had always loved just star gazing, wondering if wishes could indeed come true. One wish that she'd constantly asked as for a man who she'd love for the rest of her life. True love was something she'd always so desperately wished for.
"Charlie? If you could have anything you wanted, what would you wish for?" Rachel asked, stopping suddenly.
Charlie stopped in his tracks to see Rachel staring up at the sky. A beaming smile was on her face. "Ah don't deserve to be given anythin'," Charlie said waspishly.
Rachel frowned, furrowing her dark eyebrows. "Surely there's something you've always wanted since you were a little boy." She tore her gaze from the sky and looked at Charlie.
"Ah'd wish to be happy," Charlie replied finally, swallowing hard.
"If you're not happy, Charlie, you can go out there on your own and make a new life for yourself surely," Rachel said, looking at him with much compassion swimming in her eyes. "I know you've had a rough past, but you'll heal in time. Focus on your life now."
"Ben Wade did a lot for me. I owe this to him," Charlie replied.
"But if you're unhappy doing this, walk away from it. It's not worth jeopardising your happiness for, is it?"
"This is mah way of life now, Rachel. Ah can't just walk out of it."
"Of course you can!" Rachel exclaimed, placing her hand on his arm. "I walked away from my life with my family and made a new life on my own. You've got the strength inside you to do it. I know you have."
"Ah can't walk away from him…." Cutting him off, Rachel placed a kiss against Charlie's lips and wound her arms around his neck. Their tongues battled for a minute or so as Charlie curled his arms around Rachel's waist, pulling her flush against him.
As their kiss ended, Rachel said quietly with a smile, "You can do anything you put your mind to."