Disclaimer: Just taking our Friends out to play. Will put them back when I'm done !
"A" is for Apple, "O" is for Outlaws!
A/N, Thanks to My Dear friend Rhonda for another great idea and all your help.
also , This, I realized, is my 50th story. Wow! So a special thanks to all the faithful readers who have supported me!
It has been all of you that have kept me doing this. I appreciate you all very much. Love and Peace, D
PT.1
The rain was coming down harder than rocks and so fast the roads were flooding. The five riders were having difficulty keeping the horses on foot. They needed to make time and find cover.
Not only the weather presented a problem but they were being chased by the law. They were wanted in several states and territories for robberies and several involved shootings. Their leader was Luke Dandridge. Luke, a rather large built man, had dark hair, dark eyes, with a slight graying at the temples and a deep husky voice.
One of the men in his gang was his younger brother, Calvin. He was also a big man but not quite as big as Luke. The other two men were Luke's brother-in-laws, Tom and Dan Cole. And the fifth rider was Luke's wife, Sue Ellen Cole Dandridge.
As the rains became worse, Luke remembered an abandoned cabin from a previous time he'd been in the area and he led the group in that direction. He was in a hurry to get Sue Ellen out of the harsh weather.
Once inside the cabin, Calvin, Tom and Dan tied up the horses in a barn that was in somewhat fair condition and found a box with some wood for starting a fire to get warmed up.
Sue Ellen looked around. "Well, Luke, I guess we'll have to make do till the rain stops." She said, smiling at him.
"Sue Ellen, woman, you know I never wanted you along on this trip."
"Enough of that talk, Luke I told you I am tired of you going off and me never knowing when you're coming back. From now on, where you go, I go. No arguments!"
Shaking his head, staring at this petite woman with chestnut hair and chestnut eyes to match, he was wondering why this woman loved him so much. "Yes, Ma'am."
Over the next day or so the rain began to taper off but mud was everywhere. Luke and the men figured they were going to have to stay put for a while and since the cabin was out of the way, they'd be safe there for a while. It would also give Sue Ellen a chance to rest. He had taken notice to the fact she was looking a bit run down, tired and pale.
Later that night, Luke noticed Sue Ellen feeling extremely tired and weak. Her brother Tom had mentioned to Luke that he thought she was a bit fevered. Together, they made her up a bed and wrapped her up warm and tried feeding her some of the soup she had prepared for them. But she didn't care to eat. She just became worse. They now became worried.
Cornering Luke, Tom and Dan asked, "Luke? What are we gonna do? She's getting worse and we can't go to town for a doctor. Our faces are all over posters."
"We can take care of her. We just have to break the fever." Luke answered.
Tom burst out in anger. "I done told ya, Luke, this was no place for a woman. Not the place for my sister."
Luke responded in his own anger, throwing a punch, connecting with his jaw. "Don't you think I know that? Sue Ellen Insisted on being here. And don't you forget who makes the rules in this group. It's not you!" He glared at them as he turned and walked away.
Sue Ellen's fever worsened. It became harder for her to breath. As they all slept, Luke lie quietly beside her, watching her, when something told him to look to her. She opened her eyes slightly, smiled tenderly and mouthed the words, "I love you, Luke." And closed her eyes for the last time.
Saying nothing, he pulled her close and rocked her with tears trickling down his cheek.
As the sun came up, Luke gave the news to Calvin, Tom and Dan and together they buried Sue Ellen.
Luke sat quietly, looking puzzled. Calvin approached him gently. "Luke? I know this is difficult but…"
Waving his hand, "Cal, you know I was never an educated man. Right?"
"Well, yeah, Luke. Neither of us were."
"Well, I need a teacher."
"A teacher?" Cal repeated.
"Yeah. A teacher, to teach me to read and write."
Smiling at Luke. "Where you going with this, Luke?"
"We buried Sue Ellen, but she needs some right words and I should be the one to give them to her. But I need to learn me how. So I need to get me learned by a teacher."
"And just where do you plan on gittin' you a teacher?"
"HUMMMMMMM. Well, we're close to Dodge City. They got to have a teacher in that there town."
"Yeah and they got a Marshal too." Cal snorted.
"Well then, stupid, don't get caught!" Luke snapped. "Just bring me back the teacher. Look, Cal, take one of the boys and ride into Dodge in the morning and bring me back a teacher."
TBC