A/N - Finally! Here's the next chapter, and, It's double digits! Woo~! To celebrate hitting chapter 10 I decided to give the story a theme song, and It would have to be Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. This song has been a constant when righting this story, and has always got me in a 'wild west' mood. The song its self has a western-y theme to it, and the lyrics (thought a bit modern for 1914) I feel apply very well to Jack and Eva. The lyrics will definately applu more as the story progresses. So, I suggest listening to it and if anyone wants me to, I'll be more than happy to creat a sort of 'soundtack' (a song list) of songs that I think will suit each character of part of the story, or just the whole thing together. I think that Home applies mostly to Jack and Eva, as well as the story on a whole.
Although 10 chapters have passed not much time in the story has and - hopefully - it will start to pick up a bit more, and Jack and Eva finally come closer to exploring the wild west.
Thank you to all my readers, and a biiiiig thankyou to my reviewers. You guys help motivate me so much. :D Please enjoy this chapter of Where the buffalo roam!
DISCLAIMER: I do not, nor will I ever own Red Dead Redemption or anything related to it. This fanfiction is purely fan made and I only own characters and places that are new. I apologise if any of this material offends any one. I assure you I don't mean to offend in any way, shape or form. This story will contain coarse language and graphic violence.
Chapter 10 – I fear I may be worked to death.
"So, you and Jack - along with the Marshal and his deputies - went and cleared out Gaptooth Breach?"
Jack, Bonnie, Mr MacFarlane and I were all currently seated around Bonnie's kitchen table enjoying a warm bowl of beef stew. The sun was just disappearing behind the western hills and the landscape was being bathed in the golden light. The sky had turned a palette of reds and oranges, mixed with purples and blues, signalling the approaching night. Back in the warm and familiar house of the McFarlane's I nodded at Bonnie confirming her summary. I had explained, in a lot of detail, what Jack and I had been through and Bonnie and her father had happily listened. Mr MacFarlane sat back in his chair and chuckled. "Well I never, a woman aiding the Marshal in taking down a bunch of outlaws..." he said, shaking his head in laughter. "And, of course, I expect nothing less of you, Jack Marston." Jack bowed his head appreciatively while I shrugged and spooned another mouthful of stew into my mouth. "Jack taught me some interesting tactics though!"
Bonnie raised a brow and gave Jack a sceptical look, "Oh, really?"
I nodded, "Yup. He showed me that if ya shoot the lamps they burst into flames and burn people nearby, and if ya shoot TNT then it explodes!" Bonnie's faced paled and her spoon fell into her stew with a clatter and a splash. "Good Lord! Eva have you been burning people alive!" she cried. I swallowed and shot Jack a nervous glance. "Y-yes," I answered meekly.
"Is that anyway for a lady to behave? That's a terrible thing to do! You're too young!" Bonnie cried.
Her father sighed and turned to his daughter, "Now, now Bonnie, I'm sure Eva didn't mean-"
"This is terrible! What would your father say if he knew about this?"
"Now, Bonnie, you and I both know that her father would be proud of her. He'd say that this was a show that Eva's capable of looking after herself," Mr MacFarlane reasoned, with a strong, calm tone. Jack and I looked at each other. I was sure that I looked horrified and he looked shocked and confused himself. This was not the reaction I was expecting. W-why is she so upset? It's not like I got hurt or anything... I was with Jack – the Marshal too!
Bonnie's blue eyes calmed down and she slowly regained her normally calm composure. Taking a dead breath she turned towards me, "I'm sorry, Eva. I was just so damned worried, and those things you've been doing... It aint lady-like." I looked down at my stew before looking back at Bonnie with a weak smile on my face.
"That's OK... And I know it aint lady-like, not at all. But, at home with Pa I got so used to doing stuff normal women wouldn't do. Growing up around men does that to ya. I'm sorry I made you worry, but you don't need to! I'm with Jack. He's been lookin' after me and I can stand on my own two feet," I explained softly, my smile growing. Bonnie softly smiled back and – for the first time in a decade – I felt a painful tug in my chest. "I know Jack is more than capable of looking after you, especially if he's anything like his Pa. I just worry. It's been a long time that I've had anyone else around like you, Eva." Bonnie and I smiled warmly at each other for a moment longer before her Pa cleared his throat. "Well, now that you two have made up, can we get back to dinner?" he asked with a smirk and raised eyebrow clear on his face. Bonnie scowled and began eating her stew again. "We didn't fall out," she muttered. I giggled at her and we both shared a laugh. Mr MacFarlane rolled his eyes and turned to Jack. "Women, eh?"
Jack chuckled and nodded his head in agreement, "Tell me about it, sir."
I snapped my head towards them and playfully whined, "Hey! What is that supposed to mean?"
The two men chuckled and Jack shrugged nonchalantly, "Nothin'."
Bonnie cut it, "It aint nothin' if it involves my Pa."
Mr MacFarlane laughed at Bonnie and turned to Jack, "Look at this! Accused by my own daughter!"
Jack laughed and shook his head, "I suppose Eva will turn on me soon."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Here we go." I scowled and pouted, folding my arms across my chest and glaring straight at Jack.
"Jack Marston, you have exactly 10 seconds to explain yourself before I take my gun and shoot you in the head," I threatened. Jack and Mr MacFarlane burst out laughing and I frowned even more. "What's so funny?" I asked, insulted. Jack shook his head but kept a merry smile on his face.
"I just find it funny how you threaten me so well," he said. I raised a brow, not fully understanding him. He waved his hand dismissively and I scowled at my stew and quickly finished the rest off.
We sat for a little longer making idle chit-chat between the four of us. It was then that I found that not much had happened at the ranch in the two days we'd been gone. Bonnie explained that one cow managed to get out of its pen and into the horses' corral but that was about as eventful as it got. It was then that I felt slightly sorry for Bonnie, and all her hesitation at allowing me to leave was justified. She was stuck on the ranch, doing the same thing day-in, day-out. Then there was me, who was supposed to stay on the ranch and work with her, off having nothing short of an adventure with Jack. I was probably the closest thing she'd had to a best friend in a long time. I doubted she talked to the other women on the ranch as much (she had never mentioned any of them to me) and men just aren't the same as women. I smiled and stood whilst excusing myself from the table. "Please excuse me, I'm just going to go put Dash in a stable for the night," I said politely. Bonnie smiled and waved me away. "Of course, there's some fresh hay and some horse feed you can give to him," she explained. I nodded and quickly left the kitchen and the house.
Once outside I took in a deep breath of crisp, night air and quickly descended the steps leading to Bonnie's porch and headed towards the corral. I had taken a few steps before all of a sudden the door to the house opened and Bonnie emerged from the house, the golden house lights casting a heavenly glow. "Wait up, Eva," she called over to me as she closed the door and jogged to me. I smiled at her and cocked my head slightly. "How come you're out here?" I asked.
She shrugged and replied, "I thought I'd come an' help you. I've missed you since you left."
I smiled and giggled, "I was only gone for two days." Bonnie shrugged and scuffed her boots in the dirt.
"I know... But I still missed you, believe it or not," she muttered. I giggled again and smiled warmly at the woman beside me.
"I believe ya, and, I missed you too," I replied, speaking softly. Bonnie smiled at me but remained silent as we arrived at the corral. My eyes scanned the area for Dash and I spotted him not too far away grazing quietly. I grinned and whistled sharply. His head snapped up, ears alert and coal black eyes searching the edges of the corral for me. He spotted me and whinnied delightedly before trotting over, his head and tail held high. "Hello boy," I greeted fondly and began to scratch behind his ear. Bonnie also joined in on fussing him. "He's still lookin' fine and healthy," she commented. I nodded in agreement.
"Jack and I had a race on the way down here and, while Dash did well, his horse is very fast. Good stamina too," I said, giggling at the memory of the race to Hanging Rock. "How are you and Jack?" Bonnie asked. I cocked my head at her.
"What do you mean? We're both fine, last time I checked." Bonnie giggled and shook her head. Clearly I hadn't understood the question.
"No, no, I mean, how're you two getting along?" I mouthed the word 'oh' and understood what she'd meant now.
"We're getting along fine. He's real nice," I said vaguely, smiling to myself.
Bonnie giggled and patted my leg, "Well, I'm glad you two are getting along well."
We both walked towards the stalls, with Dash following, where I led him into a stall and gave him plenty of fresh hay and feed. It was at that moment that I decided to ask Bonnie a pressing question. I waited until we emerged from the stables and into the silver moonlight. There were many stars scattered through the sky creating a beautiful scene. I took a deep breath and decided to ask her straight – it was now or never. "Bonnie, can I go with Jack and explore New Austin?" I spoke rapidly and avoided looking at her for fear of her reaction. There was a stagnant pause before she choked out a few words, "Y-you want to what?"
"Explore New Austin," I replied, giving her a sheepish look, "And possibly Mexico."
"Mexico?" she cried. I flinched at her raised voice and quickly took to giving her my best puppy eyes.
"Y-yes, Mexico... But, it'll be OK, since I'll be with Jack!" Bonnie gaped at me for a few moments and I could feel the seconds crawl by.
Finally she answered, "Eva! I don't know – you just got back and your Pa sent you here to work, not to go off and possibly get killed!"
"But Bonnie!" I countered, "Pa sent me here to be safe- and I will be safe with Jack! We're going there to explore and have a vacation of sorts, not fight outlaws! I promise!" I begged her with my eyes and I could see there was a mental war being raged in her conscience. Bonnie sighed and ran a hand through her tied up blonde hair before an eerie calm facade washed across her features. She spun on her heel and marched back towards the house, followed quickly by me, apprehensive of her answer. "I'll talk to Pa about it... But I can't make any promises! I trust Jack an' all but... I don't want anything to happen to you," she sighed. I smiled warmly at her and was glad she was considering it (it was better than nothing). "Thank you Bonnie, so much," I whispered. Bonnie gave me a tired smile as we walked back to the house in silence.
Last night did not go well. Here I was, slavin' away on the ranch for the next four days because Bonnie was too hesitant and worried to let me go. The sun was scorching and heat waves could be seen rippling off every surface. Sweat dripped down my brow as I shovelled another forkful of fresh hay into the once dirty horse stall. I was overheating, tired and my back was aching like an old mule's. My mind kept wandering to exotic lands names Mexico and I found it extra hard to concentrate in the sweltering heat. Last night, Bonnie and her father had debated whether or not to let me go with Jack to explore distant lands, namely New Austin, West Elizabeth and Mexico. The two had argued long into the night, Bonnie intent on keeping me at the ranch. I had been sure before, when we talked under the stars, that she would allow me to go with no fuss. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
"But Pa, what if something happens?" Bonnie argued back to her father, worry and concern growing. He father gave her a small smile and used his large, worn hands to motion to his daughter to calm down. "Now, now Bonnie, I'm sure if we make them promise then we can get them to be safe. Jack and Eva aint stupid; they aren't gonna go pick no trouble with some gang. They've been safe so far so I say we let them go for a bit, but just get them to send us a letter or something, once a week. How 'bout that?" Her father spoke with wisdom and reason and Bonnie had no choice but to listened and turned to Jack and I. "Well... I suppose so- but you have to send us a letter at least once a week!" she ordered. I nodded enthusiastically, trying my hardest not squeal with joy.
"Yes ma'am," Jack confirmed.
"And... You have to stay and work on the ranch for four days before you can go!" Bonnie stated, crossing her arms across her chest. I hesitated; Four days? That aint that long but... I can't wait! Jack and I glanced at each other and I nodded to him, silently telling him we had to accept Bonnie's conditions. I turned to the blonde woman and nodded with a determined smile on my face, "We shall stay on the ranch for four more days, startin' tomorrow." Bonnie stared at me before nodding firmly.
"Good. Well, now that that's sorted I think we should all call it a night," she sighed as she began walking out of the room and towards the stairs. "After all," she paused at the bottom and looked back at us with a confident smirk in place, "You've got a lot of work tomorrow."
Bonnie was not lying. She had separated Jack and me and was working us to near death. This was certainly the case for me, and I could only imagine how much Jack had to do. He was probably worse off since he was a man. I sighed again once the last stall was finished and threw down my fork. I then stretched out my limbs and tried to relieve the ache in my lower back. The devilish ache stayed where it was and added to my frustration. I growled and stalked out the stables and to my next job; cow milking.
I wasn't too fond of cow milking. Whether it was the fact that I was squeezing milk out of a cows udder, or the fact that I always seemed to get it over myself I don't know. Either way I was dreading it. I walked over to the cow pens and spotted two familiar faces; Tom and Ed. The two men were leaning casually against the cattle pen gate, which was next to the chicken huts. The two were talking and laughing and as I approached their attention was snapped towards me. "Oh, Eva! We aint seen you in a while," Tom greeted cheerfully. His eyes were still blue as ever and his hair looked a touch lighter, perhaps bleached from the sun.
"I know, I been a little busy," I admitted, smiling at the two men. Ed raised an eyebrow and plucked his black hat off his head and ran a hand through his short black hair. "You been busy? I aint seen you on the ranch much," he stated.
I shrugged, "Well, I been out exploring the wilderness and shootin' down outlaws!" I exclaimed proudly and a grin broke out across my face. The two men shot each other confused looks and cocked their heads at me. "Are ya'll pullin' my leg?" Tom asked. I shook my head in a definite and clear 'no'. "Well I'll be... A woman shootin' outlaws? Now I've seen everythin'!" Tom gasped with a smile on his face and disbelief in his tone.
Ed, beside him, rolled his dark eyes, "You say that 'bout everything. Now, Eva, I'd like to hear 'bout this outlaw shooting, but we've also got some cows that need milking. Can you work and talk?"
"'Course I can," I giggled. "I am a woman after all." Ed rolled his eyes and dropped his hat back onto his ebony hair and pushed off from the fence.
"Well I aint gonna argue with that. Let's get milkin'!"
In the pen were buckets ready for milking. The cows due to be milked had been separated from the herd and were milling around the smaller, adjacent pen. Their pink udders were swollen with milk and looked ready to burst. Ed and I positioned ourselves near the buckets and waited for Tom to bring us a cow to milk. The dirty blonde man walked around the pen and grabbed two cows and led them over to Ed and I. We grabbed a bucket each and began to milk the cow once it was brought over. "So, what's this about outlaws then?" Ed asked. I grinned and began to tell the story of how Jack and I went to Tumbleweed to clear the place of outlaws, only to find it empty; of how we then assisted the Marshal in clearing out Gaptooth Breach. The two men listened carefully, chuckling and laughing at some parts, and commenting when they thought to. By the end of it Tom was amazed and Ed was chuckling, "Eva, you're a one-of-a-kind woman, I must say. To want to go into these situations? Well, gosh darn!" I giggled as I finished milking my last cow and picked up the full bucket and took it away ready to be stored.
"I guess so. I think it's my upbringing. Pa always treated me like I was his son sometimes," I sighed. I shook my head at the memory and stretched again.
Around an hour had passed and the sun had moved across the sky. I guessed it had to be around two or three in the afternoon by the position and was secretly glad. I was looking forward to a relaxing bath tonight in order to soak my aching muscles. I was also intent on catching up with Jack to see what hell Bonnie had put him through. Ed, Tom and I left the pen and headed towards the horse's corral. "So, what job have ya'll got next?" Tom asked. I sighed and shrugged.
"Hopefully somethin' not too strenuous," I grumbled. Tom and Ed chuckled, earning a scowl from me.
"What happened to your happy work-ready attitude you had when you first came here?" Ed asked. I shrugged and kicked dust up as we walked.
"It's still there, It's jus'- I didn't want to be worked this hard." Ed and Tom laughed and Ed clapped a large calloused hand on my small shoulder. This caused me to flinch automatically, adding to the men's mirth. "I think our little Eva has finally realised what it means to work hard," Ed announced. I scowled again and pushed his hand off. "I know what it's like to work hard," I defended. "I'm just a little rusty... that's all."
"Yeah, and I'm a sane treasure hunter," Tom laughed, playfully grinning. I rolled my eyes but smiled.
When we got to the corral I noticed Bonnie holding a large chestnut stallion. "Afternoon miss," Ed and Tom greeted.
"Afternoon boys. Oh, Eva!" She turned her blue gaze to me, scanning me up and down, from my dishevelled hair to the wet patches on my shirt from misfired milk. She giggled and nodded towards my shirt, "I see you still can't remain dry when milking." I pouted and crossed my arms across my middle section.
"It's the cows fault," I answered childishly.
A deep, rich voice cut in, "A bad workman blames his tools." Our heads snapped towards an approaching figure. I immediately recognised it as Duke Bolden. I smiled at the man and greeted him cheerfully, "Afternoon Duke."
He nodded and smiled back, "Afternoon Eva." He then turned to Bonnie and motioned to the chestnut. "This the horse than needs shoeing?" he asked. Bonnie nodded and pointed to the stallions back left hoof. "The shoe came off this morning while we were taking the cattle out to pasture." Duke nodded then moved to the horse's side, patting it reassuringly before picking up the hoof and examining it. "I should be able to fix him with a new shoe – a new set if ya like," he explained, standing back up and addressing Bonnie. "That would be mighty fine Duke. This stallion is real good when it comes to herding," Bonnie sighed, then turned to me. "Eva, I've got another job for you." She said it with confidence and humour which she didn't bother to hide. I paled and gulped, my mind conjuring up wild ideas. "Follow me," she ordered; an unstoppable grin on her face. She handed the stallion over to Duke and began to walk towards her house. "See ya'll later," Tom said, laughing silently at me. I pouted and slumped after Bonnie. "Bye," I sighed, waving over my shoulder at the three chuckling men. I followed Bonnie obediently, like a dog will follow its master, over to the front of her house. Nearby a loaded wagon was waiting, with two bay horses ready to pull it to its destination. Bonnie stopped beside the wagon and turned towards me. I cocked my head in confusion; did she want me to drive it somewhere?
"This here wagon has some supplies that need to be taken Warthington Ranch, just up the road. They had some trouble with their harvest this year so we're helping them out," she explained. I nodded and moved towards the driver's seat.
"So, you want me to deliver these supplies to them?" I asked and Bonnie nodded in confirmation. "I'll be going then." I climbed up and in to the driver's seat. I took a hold of the reins and snapped them, letting out a "Hiiya" to spur the horses into movement. The horses whinnied and began to pull the wagon away from Bonnie's house. "See ya when ya get back," Bonnie called as the wagon slowly trundled its way along.
"See ya," I shouted back. I turned forwards and was greeted by a few men passing by on horses as I drove through the ranch.
"Afternoon miss," one man greeted.
I nodded my head politely and smiled, "You too, sir." Soon enough, we were out of the ranch and headed towards the Warthington ranch, in the same direction of Armadillo. I clicked my tongue and snapped the reins again, moving the horses into a steady canter.
In a matter of minutes I had arrived at the Warthington ranch and was now helping the owners unload the wagon. Warthington ranch was a small, family owned ranch, one that I had only glanced at before. "Thank you again for these supplies," Ray Warthington spoke. He was a middle aged man with greyish hair, a tan hat and remnants of a beard. I giggled and waved his thank-you off. "It's OK, but it was really all down to Bonnie," I replied. Helen Warthington sighed happily with a wide smile, "That woman truly is a godsend, helpin' us out like this."
I smiled as the last sack of corn was unloaded, "Bonnie is amazin', and I'll be sure to tell her of your kind words, Mr and Mrs Warthington." The two ranch owners nodded their heads in thanks and I swiftly boarded the wagon. I snapped the reins and drove the wagon out of the ranch, waving goodbye to the Warthingtons. I continued away from the ranch, heading back to the MacFarlane's. The drive back was fairly peaceful. I admired the surrounding wilderness as I purposely drove slow – only a trot. It really was relaxing livin' out in Hennigan's Stead. The sun, combined with the rich green trees and amazing view of the rest of New Austin created a breath taking combination. It was one I was glad to experience. However, my peaceful drive was interrupted by the distant sounds of gun shots. Immediately, my heart rate quickened and my hand snapped to my Schofield in my holster. It was a reflex I had become accustom too recently. I frowned and returned my hand to the reins, telling myself sternly that it was probably someone hunting. There were many coyotes around these parts, as well as deer, rabbit and boar. It's probably just someone huntin' some boar. The gunshots grew louder and clearer as the source drew nearer. I could hear multiple shots being fired. My hand twitched again towards my Schofield. Yeah, jus' a group of people huntin' some boar... I grew less confident of my boar hunting theory as the shots grew louder and closer still. I decided to halt the horses, stopping the trundling wagon dead. If there was trouble ahead then I didn't want to drive right in to it. Instead, I waited with baited breath as the shots grew louder.
It was then that a figure emerged from the trees ahead. The figure was a man (this was easy to tell from his bulky frame and the rag clothes he wore) and he was tearing through the grass like a bolting rabbit fleeing from a cunning fox. Puffs of white smoke rose in the distance from the gunshots and as the man sprinted in my direction two more figures emerged from the trees. These two were furiously firing their guns at the first man, the shots missing by mere inches. "Get back here you slimy no good son-of-a-bitch!" one man yelled out. As they drew closer I realised that they were, in fact, lawmen, hunting down an outlaw. The outlaw glanced back at the lawmen and sneered, "You aint gonna catch me, ya shit lawmen." Lawmen? And they're after him... Perhaps I should help them out. My mind began considering helping before my logical and reasonable side could tell me otherwise. "It's not you place! Let them be!" it ordered, but my already descending hand snatched my Schofield out of its holster and pointed it towards the man. Now, do I kill him or just injure him? I was unsure and my mental battle was over in a split second before I decided to just injure the man – just in case. I aimed as accurately as I could towards the man, aiming for his thigh. I pulled the trigger and the gun fired. The shot didn't make contact. There was no blood, no screaming in pain, no collapsed body, no swearing in anger - just the echo of my shot and a few wisps of smoke. "W-what... How did I miss?" I asked myself, confused. I even looked at my gun accusingly, as if it was to blame. I then looked up to see the scruffy outlaw staring straight at me. "U-uh oh..." I paled as the man drastically changed his course and began sprinting faster than ever towards me. I yelped in panic and thumbed with my gun, pointing it straight at the man, daring him any closer. "Stay there or I'll shoot!" I warned. However he ran closer and looked intently at my gun. As quick as I could, I aimed at his leg and fired twice. This time there was an echoing shout of pain and a fluent string of curse words. Slumped on the ground was the outlaw, hunched over and clutching his right leg in pain. Blood was seeping through his trousers and leaving a small pool on the floor. The two lawmen quickly caught up and one of them literally jumped onto the man and began to tie his arms and legs up.
"Thank you so much ma'am. Without you we might of been chasin' this bastard all day," the lawman (who wasn't busy roughly tying the outlaw up) said to me, smiling gratefully. I lowered my gun finally, taking note of my shaking hands, and smiled at the lawman, calming down. "It was nothin', I'm glad to help ya out." The lawman tipped his hat and motioned towards the roped up outlaw.
"That bastard here has been givin' us the slip all week. His name is Max Johns. This son-of-a-bitch runs with ol' Whitaker's gang. It's a new one, recently moved into the area. But boy, are some of the members scumbags. Aint that right, Max?" Said man grunted as he continued to struggle against his restraints. He turned his crazed eyes to me and spat out at me, "You filthy whore, I'll gut you alive, you cock-sucking, man-touchin' -"
"That's enough you rat-bastard!" the lawman who had restrained him interrupted, quickly punching the man in the gut. Max doubled over in pain and began coughing. I gasped and frowned at the man, insulted by his words. Who the hell does he think he is? Talkin' to me like that... The first officer turned to me and smiled apologetically. "Ignore him miss, he's just a foul bein' who aint got no niceness left in him," he said kindly, giving me a comforting smile. I smiled back and nodded confidently. "That's OK, I'm sure he's just grumpy because he got took down by a woman," I spoke with hidden anger behind my voice, knowing that this would get Max Johns riled up. Sure enough, my words hit a saddle sore and he lunged forward as if to attack me. I shrunk back just a touch, even though there were wagon steps, rope and two lawmen between him and I. "You wrench! When I get outta jail I'm comin' for you!" he screamed, spitting blood and saliva everywhere. I wrinkled my nose with disgust and shuffled away, just to make sure I wasn't splattered with any of the putrid substance. The lawman holding him just rolled his eyes and began to drag the man away, "Yeah, yeah, you aint gonna be getting out of jail. It'll be the rope for you." The other lawman bowed his head to me one last time before departing. "Take care, Miss err..." he froze, waiting for me to fill the gap.
"White. Eva White," I answered. He smiled and raised his hand.
"Take care Miss White, be safe." I waved back and watched as the three men began walking away into the trees. I presumed they had horses or some form of transport waiting for them to cart the foul man away. I stared after them a second more before holstering my gun and grabbing the reins. "Get goin'," I commanded, snapping the reins and moving the horses into a canter.
Once I got back to the ranch I stopped the wagon outside Bonnie's house and climbed down. A few moments later Bonnie emerged from her house and descended the steps and strode towards me. "Everything go okay?" she asked. I nodded my head 'yes'.
"The Warthington's were very happy and grateful for you helpin' them out," I spoke, leaving out the part about shootin' an outlaw in the leg.
Bonnie smiled and said, "Well, it wasn't much. We have plenty. No harm in helpin' out our neighbours." I nodded in agreement and grinned at her. Bonnie put a hand on my shoulder and gently moved me out of the way of the driver's seat and continued speaking, "Now, ya silly girl, I have to go put this away, then I just got the chickens to feed. After that I'm gonna be servin' dinner." I felt my mouth water and stomach begin to grumble at the thought of delicious food.
"I look forward to it!" I exclaimed earnestly. Bonnie giggled and rolled her eyes before climbing onto the wagon.
"You don't have any more jobs now till tomorrow, so you're free till dinner," she said from the driver's seat. I nodded and couldn't prevent the face-splitting grin that spread across my face at those words. Bonnie again rolled her eyes at my delight and snapped the reins. "See ya in a bit," she said as she began to turn the wagon around. I nodded and debated what to do now I finally had no more jobs to do. I began to casually sway on the spot as I thought. "Hmm... Perhaps I'll go see Jack!" I thought aloud. "Yes, that's a good idea." I confirmed it with myself then began walking towards the cattle pens hoping to find Jack there.
My strides turned into little skips as I moved down the main path in the MacFarlane ranch. I took the first left towards the barn and then to the smaller cow pen that I had been milking in earlier. I leant on the gate and looked around the pen and the one next to it for Jack. However, at the moment the pens were empty of cattle. I spotted a ranch hand nearby forking hay. "Excuse me, where is ev'rybody?" The man looked up from his work and smiled at me.
"They just gone out to get the cows in from the pasture. They should be back any time soon." I nodded and thanked him before walking over to the corral. Perhaps he was there instead?
Unfortunately, said man was not at the corral. It was then that I guessed he was most likely with the cattle and decided to absent mildly pet a random horse from the corral. "Hello, you're a beautiful horse, aren't ya?" I asked the paint, not expecting an answer. The horse gave none, unless you count the snort it made through its nostrils. I just smiled and continued to pet its velvety nose. After petting the horse for around 10 minutes I heard the distant moo of cattle. I turned my head and looked over my shoulder, my chocolate hair whipping round and a smile spreading over my face. "Looks like they're back," I said to the horse. The paint snorted again and I give it one last final pat on the neck before walking away from the corral and heading back over to the cattle pens. The herd of cattle came pouring over the nearby hills, guided by the ranch hands. They were controlled neatly and were herded into the large pen, each cow swiftly moving through the gates that were propped open. The ranch hands hollered out calls of "keep moving" and "hee-yah". I watched as the cattle were all chased in and one man hopped off his horse and closed the gates. I made my way over to the other end of the pen where all the ranch hands had conjugated. My hazel orbs scanning each man and horse to find Jack. I spotted him easily, his Kentucky Saddler stallion's golden coat standing out amongst the bays. Jack was sitting in the saddle chatting with another ranch hand. I hopped over the fence and cut across the cattle pen, weaving my way through cows, and waved in greeting to the men. "Afternoon, Miss White," one man called, raising a hand. I nodded back and thanked him as he opened the gate to allow me through. Greetings were exchanged between the men and I and I walked straight over to Jack. His horse whinnied in greeting and nuzzled me, asking for some attention. I complied and began to fuss the golden stallion. "Afternoon Mr Marston," I greeted, ginning up at Jack. Jack looked down and smiled at me. "Afternoon to you too, Miss White," he replied. The man next to Jack nodded towards me.
"Oh, so this is the Eva White you's been talkin' about?" he asked, grinning cheekily. I raised an eyebrow and cocked my head.
"Jack's been talkin' about me?" I asked. The man nodded and grinned wider.
"Stories of you helpin' him take down some outlaws." I smiled and giggled slightly.
"Err, yes, I did help him," I said.
Jack chuckled and spoke to me, "How's your day been?" I immediately paled and sighed, nuzzling Jack's horse.
"Exhausting. I enjoy work, but this much?" Jack and the unnamed man chuckled, before the latter clicked his tongue.
"Well, I best be goin'. See ya!" he called as he kicked his bay in the sides and trotted off.
"See ya," Jack called before turning to me again. "So she gave you alotta jobs?"
I nodded and said, "Bonnie gave me a hell lot of jobs! What about you? I suspect she's been drivin' you harder than a pit pony." Jack chuckled and dismounted his horse. "You got that right. You know, I think she's jus' doin' it on purpose," he sighed. I nodded in agreement.
"I think she's just tryin' to stop me from going," I sighed. Jack grabbed his horse's reins and began to lead him towards the large barn. I followed alongside Jack. "You know," I began. "I think Bonnie is lonely." Jack glanced sideways at me and cocked a brow, waiting for me to explain. "If you think about it, she must be awful lonely here by herself. I know she's got her pa, but that can only do so much. She doesn't seem to talk much to the few women that are on this ranch and she works all day long." Jack listened carefully and nodded in agreement. I continued, "I guess I'm the first person to really talk to her and spend nearly all day with her. I think she's jus' gonna miss me when we leave." After I finished speaking we lapsed into silence, each of us thinking over what I had just said. We walked around the side of the great barn and towards the small shed that Jack owned.
Once we arrived at the small shed Jack hitched his horse and turned to me. "I think you're right Eva," he said. I smiled at him and shrugged. "I never really looked at it that way. But then, I've never had someone travel around with me," he admitted. My smile weakened as his words struck me. Again, he's hinted that he's been lonely. He's the same age as me and I get lonely after spending just one day away from people! I can't imagine what it's been like for him... My smile soon faded completely from my lips and Jack noticed this. "What's that look for?" he asked.
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked straight at him, "What?"
Jack put his hands on hips and said, "Are you okay? You don't look it." I quickly shook my head and grinned at Jack.
"I'm fine; I was jus' thinking about Bonnie." Jack smiled softly at me and laid a hand on my shoulder.
"I'm sure she'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "Now, how about we go get some dinner?"