*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, faves, and reviews.
Within The Past Week
Jessa POV:
I was going around the table, pouring everyone coffee, whenever the front door squeaked open. Looking up to see who walked into the house, my eyes met Tolbert's. True to his word, he came over this morning for breakfast. He hung his hat onto the hook by the door before going over to the table and sitting down in the spot that was set for him, the spot that I doubted he was going to show up to. I gave him a tight smile as I walked over to his place setting, filling his cup with steaming hot coffee.
"Good Mornin', Tolbert. It's good t'have ya et wit' us." Sally told her redheaded son as she brought the breakfast platters over to the main table while Roseanna brought some over to the kiddies table as Alifar poured her siblings milk.
Tolbert just nodded at his mother as I finished pouring the coffee and took my seat next to him. Roseanna came over to the table and sat next to me while Sally took her seat next to Randall. Alifair stayed at the kiddies table in order to help the little ones with their plates. Randall clasped his hands, gesturing that it was time to say grace. Everyone bowed their heads and clasped their hands in response, causing Randall to say the grace of, "Heavenly father, bless this fine meal we're 'bout t'et. Guide my son in his new life endeavors of strikin' out on his own to take the path of manhood. Bless the rest o'us in our harvest." Lifting his head, he said, "Amen."
"Amen." Echoed out in the air as everyone helped end the blessing.
"So, Tolbert, why haven't ya been 'round for meals the last few days?" Randall asked his son, giving him a pointed look, as he grabbed the bacon platter and placed some strips onto his plate.
"Been busy settin' down my cabin's foundation's all, poppy." Tolbert told his father as the older man passed the bacon platter over to Jim, officially starting breakfast.
"I'd have thought you'd at least make some time t'see Jessa since ya'll are so close." Randall remarked, giving his son a pointed look.
"She understands I'm busy; that gettin' a cabin built 'fore winter's important." Looking at me Tolbert pulled me into his bullshit by saying, "Ain't that right, darlin'?"
"Mhm…" I nodded, sipping on my coffee as a way to avoid actually having to give a verbal answer.
"Tolbert, ya should make some time to spend with Jessa. Ya'll get on good, be a shame to lose that." Sally suggested in a motherly tone, a soft look on her face.
"I know, mama." Tolbert sighed, grabbing the bacon platter from Jim.
Silently, Tolbert passed the bacon platter over to me. I took it, put some food of my plate, and passed it on to Roseanna. I knew that Tolbert wasn't in a friendly mood this morning, so I wasn't going to push him to talk. He needed to work thru his own feelings of low self-worth and maybe working on his cabin would help him do that.
Within the past week, Tolbert's come around the house only for breakfast. He always used the excuse that he'd either grab lunch or dinner from the diner while in town buying house crafting supplies or he was perfectly capable of hunting and making stew with his catch. Randall and Sally didn't seem to like his answers, but they always accepted them. It didn't make a difference to me, Tolbert was hardheaded and was going to do whatever he wanted so I wasn't going to make my self upset worrying over what he did and didn't do.
The sun shined thru the windows, warming up the house and lighting it up naturally, as I sat at the kitchen table. I was helping Roseanna and Sally shell peas whenever the front door opened with Tolbert walking inside. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked to see him cause I was. He took off his hat, hung it on the wall hook, and walked over to the table. "Perry Cline stopped me when I was in town pickin' up supplies. Told me he talked t'Judge Wall Hatfield and got a court date for next Monday." He informed us as he sat down next to me and across from his mom and sister.
"Oh, well have ya told poppy yet?" Sally asked, looking at her son as she continued to snap peas.
"Yea, he told me to tell ya 'bout it." Tolbert told his mother with a nod, his stormy eyes slightly drifting to look at me as I effortlessly snapped peas.
Sally just nodded her head, showing her son that she accepted his answer.
"Ma, ya think Jessa could come with me for a bit?" Tolbert asked before going on to quickly explain his request with, "I need some help gettin' some shine bottles filled up for sale 'morrow. I can't do it cause I gotta unload my buildin' supplies."
Nodding, Sally said in her sweet motherly tone, "Of course she can go help ya."
Roseanna's blue eyes just darted between me and her brother while her hands swiftly worked at shelling peas. I could tell that her mind was turning, but what she was thinking I wasn't too sure. Maybe she was picking up on the slight sexual tension between us or something.
I stood up and wiped my hands off on my apron before taking it off and telling Tolbert, "I'm ready to go whenever you are."
"Let's go." He told me, getting up and making his way over to grab his hat off the hook it was hanging on near the door.
Tolbert shoved his hat on his head before walking out the door while I just quietly followed behind him. His wagon, which was filled with lumbar, was parked right in front of the porch. "Can you unload all of that yourself?" I asked Tolbert, who was already halfway to his wagon, as I started to walk 'cross the porch to the steps.
"Yea, it ain't that hard." He scoffed, gettin' into the driver's side of his wagon, as I walked down the porch steps. "Like I said, I just need ya t'fill my shine bottles." I heard his velvet timbre snap out into the air as I made my way over to the wagon.
Climbing up into it, I assured him, "I don't mind helpin' ya out, whether it's with the shine or unloading lumber." Sitting next to him, I straightened out my skirts and gave him a slight smile while telling him, "I helped make the set when my school's play was Othello."
Tolbert just nodded his head, his mouth in a thin, but firm line as he snapped the reigns and got the horses to pull his wagon away from his parents' front porch. Looking at me for a small moment he asked, "Othello's that Shakespeare play where the man snuffs his wife wit' a pillow, right?"
"Yea." I nodded before titling my head at Tolbert and asking, "You've heard of it?"
"More then heard of it. I read it 'fore I quit school." Oh, I wasn't expecting to hear that. Wow, talk about a shocker.
"You must've gone far if you read it before quitting." I told him, figuring out that he must've gone to the equivalent to at least middle school, as we rode thru the McCoys property.
"I got kicked out at 13-years-old, even tho I had some of the best marks in class, cause I got into a fight." Tolbert revealed over the sounds of wagon wheels and horse hooves crunching and splattering against the ground.
"Oh…" Fell off my tongue in a long in a long sigh, lingering a bit in the air that was slowly getting a crisp tinge of fall to it.
"It was 'bout time for me t'start workin' the farm full time anyways." Tolbert quickly told me as a way to brush off the negative stigma of being expelled all those years ago. "Hell, poppy never got any schoolin' an' he does just fine for our family as a farmer."
"My poppy was a professor." I blurted out since I felt comfortable enough to open up to him.
"That's why ya'll were goin' out west, huh? So, he could teach all 'em pioneer kids."
"Yea."
A few silent moments passed before Tolbert looked at me, a slight glint in his eye, and told me, "Um, if you like to read, I might have a couple old books somewhere I can lend ya."
"Thanks, I'd like that." I smiled, grateful that he was willing to give me the books he hadn't used in a good decade.
Tolbert just nodded his head, silently showing me that he was glad I wanted the few books he had. He remained silent as he drove me over to his still site. I didn't mind the silence, it wasn't heavy or awkward. He opened up about being partially educated, most likely having gone to 8th grade, and that was a big feat since Tolbert's been backing off from me lately. At least I know that we still have a friendship, even tho feelings of something more seem to me skirting on the surface like heatwaves dancing off of a furnace.
Allie POV:
"Hope Doc hurries up and gets his ass here so I can get off bed rest." Will grumbled as he rested propped up in his bed, while I sat indian style on mine, while we waited for the doctor to show up for the scheduled check-up on Will's injured eye.
"He'll get here whenever he gets here, Will. Just be patient." I told him, sounding more like a mother scolding her child instead of a fiancé advising her man.
"Yea, I hear ya."
"Do you want me to read while we wait for him to get here?" I asked, gesturing to the small stack of books resting on the bedside table.
"No, us talkin's just fine." Will told me before patting the empty spot next to him and saying, "Ya can sit by me while we talk."
"Okay." I nodded, getting up and going over to sit on the edge of Will's bed.
As soon as I sat down, he grabbed my hand and asked, "What kind'a house do ya want, darlin'?"
"Um, I dunno." I shrugged, feeling a bit overwhelmed that he was asking me about a house that he was still weeks away from breaking ground on.
"Do you want a big one or a small one?" Will asked before quickly adding in, "We can always add onto a small house."
"Whatever's easier for you to build." I told him as a way to get out of planning the model house that would be built once he was well. Don't get me wrong, I was glad he was building us a house, but I wasn't a contractor and had no interest in designing the house. At least when it came to the structure, the décor I'd be more then happy to put me touch on.
"Okay, but I wanna make sure you're gonna like it. I can't spend a lot of money and build a cabin ya end up hatin'."
"I'd never hate anything that you'll build for us." I assured my fiancé with a soft smile.
"Okay." He smiled back.
"As long as it's not one room shack small cause I'd hate that." I half teased him. I've seen some pictures of cabins in my history book that looked like a shack or a garden shed. Something like that I wouldn't live in.
"Don't worry, darlin', it won't be that small." Will chuckled, shaking his head at me.
"Good." I let out, sounding more relieved then I should.
"I reckon we can start with a small open kitchen and living room downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs." Will told me, enthusiasm dripping off of his deep rolling timbre.
"That sounds good." I said right before the sound of the door creaking open rung out into the air.
Me and Will looked at the door only to see Doc walk into the room. "How's that eye feelin', Will? Any pressure or headaches?"
"No, Doc, my eye feels fine." Will answered the doctor as he shut the door and made his way over to the bed.
"Good, very good." Doc nodded, setting his bag onto the bedside table. Looking at me he said, "Allie, I'm gonna need you to hold Will's eye open for me as I remove the stitches." I just nodded at the doctor before standing up. Since Will's bed was up against the wall, I had to climb into it to be by his left side. As I took a seat next to him, I watched Doc hand him a flask while ordering, "Take a shot, it'll help with any pain or discomfort you might feel."
Will just tipped the flask back against his lips, gulping down a large shot, before handing it back to Doc. "Just remove these stitches quick so I can get outta bed."
Doc just shook his head while taking a quick sip off the flask. Why he needed the whiskey, I didn't know. He popped the cork onto the small bottle and placed it back into his bag. Pulling out some small scissors and a pair of tweezers, Doc told me, "Hold his eye open now, Miss Allie."
I nodded and did what I was told. I felt a bit overwhelmed as I watched Doc pull out Will's stitches, especially whenever he gritted his teeth a few times, but I knew that I had to keep a firm hold on the eye and keep it open. I felt bad for Will since I knew that what he was going thru had to hurt or sting a bit. Too bad pain meds aren't fully developed yet, like they are in the time I'm from.
"Miss Allie, you can let go of his eye now." Doc told me once he was finished removing the stitches. "Can you go get a fresh bandage to wrap Will with while I give him some instructions?"
"Yes, of course, Doc." I simply told the man before climbing off the bed and going over to the dresser where the bandages were at.
"Now, Will, I want ya to wear a bandage on your eye to ensure no dirt gets into it while it finishes healin' up." Doc told Will as I grabbed the bandage and made my way over to his bedside.
"Okay, Doc." Will nodded as I stopped by the edge of his bed, causing Doc to move aside slightly so that I could have some standing room.
As I started to wrap the cloth bandage aroubd Will's eye/head, I heard Doc tell him, "You can move 'round the house freely, but I don't want ya liftin' anythin' heavy or goin' outside yet. The eyes knittin' t'gether, but ain't closed up 'nough not to split 'part again with heavy strain." As I finished with the bandage, tying it off, I heard Doc say, "Now, next week we'll check the eye and see if it's healed 'nough for you to resume your daily chores and work."
"Okay, Doc." Will simply said as I stood next to him with a polite and friendly look on my face for the doctor.
Doc just nodded at us and grabbed his bag before walking out of the room, leaving us alone.
"You can go downstairs and help mama with meal prep or somethin'. I'm gonna dress, then go downstairs myself." Will told me as he sat up and got out of bed.
"Okay, just holler if ya need me." I told while heading over to the door.
"I got one eye not a broken limb, darlin'. I can get changed just fine." Will rolled his good eyes at me before walking over to his dresser.
I just shook my head and left the room. As I walked down the hall over to the stairs, I couldn't, but be happy that I was able to roam the house freely again.
After weeks of being cooped up in a room with Will, taking care of him and keeping him company, it felt like a breath of fresh air being able to socialize with the entire Hatfield family and to be able to eat dinner with them too. I didn't realize how much I missed being around the large and loud family, not until now that is.
The entire household, along with Jim Vance, Sully, Cotton, and Ellison were gathered around the table. All of the dishes were piled up with side dishes and all of the glasses were filled with drinks as everyone picked at the meat platter, grabbing their fill and placing it on their plates whenever a knock sounded at the door.
"I'll get it. Everyone keep on ettin'." Levicy told her family in her syrupy motherly tone while standing to her feet. Everyone did as they were told, continued eating dinner as Levicy went over to the door. Upon opening it she greeted the guest with a simple, "Hello, Wall, come on in."
"I ain't here for supper, I'm here with some news 'bout Floyd." Judge Wall announced as he walked into the house.
"While you're here ya might as well et." Levicy patted her brother-in-law's shoulder before going over to the kitchen counter to make a plate full of sides for the Judge.
"What's goin' on with Floyd, Wall?" Anse asked his brother as the man made his way over to the table and took a seat near the head of the table.
"Perry Cline showed up at my office to file a sue case for Randall McCoy on Floyd on grounds of a stolen pig." Wall announced to the entire dinner table as Levicy finished preparing him a plate and walked over to the table with it.
"Goin' t'court over a pig? Hell, McCoy's gone an' lost it." Jim Vance chuckled as Levicy placed a plate of food in front of Wall, along with a cup of coffee, before taking her seat at the table.
Anse narrowed his cold blue eyes at his older brother while scoffing between a mouthful of ham, "And let me guess, Wall, you're gonna pacify that bamboozlin' skunk with a court hearin'."
The Judge shook his head while cutting himself off some ham from the platter near him. "It ain't like that, the peckerwood Cline filed a legal case so I got no choice, but to see it thru to trial."
Sully lifted his head up and paused in eating his ham supper. With a raised brow he asked his cousin, "Can't it get settled outside of court? Maybe help both parties strike up a deal, perhaps Floyd could give Randall one of his fattened hogs or even a piglet for compensation?"
"McCoy and Cline don't want that." Wall sighed before going on to say, "Hell, Landon's keepin' his nose outta this, ain't even assisting his brother-in-law at all with this pig case."
"Of course, he's stayin' out of it, Wall. His nephew over in Boone got engaged to your youngest daughter." Devil Anse spat out in a long groan before shoving a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.
Oh wow, I never knew how messy the intermarrying and relationships between the Hatfields and McCoys were until now. I mean the only relationships I read about were Selkirk and his wife, Louissa, and of course Johnse and Roseanna. Seems like there's more things that happened then the history books wrote about. Hell, and now I'm witnessing it firsthand.
"The trial's set for next week Anse. Cline requested a split jury of Hatfields and McCoys, so I'll be pickin' 'em soon." Wall explained in between eating a piece of ham.
Pointing at me and his son, Anse told us, "After the trial ya'll can go over to Docs, get Will's final eye check-up."
"Yes, sir." Will nodded while at the same time I let out the simple word of, "Okay."
After dinner I helped Levicy clean up the dishes and then played a game of checkers with Cotton. The boy wasn't very good at the game, but I didn't mind losing on purpose to make him smile. Whenever we started on our third game Sully came over and took a seat on the floor next to us, watching us play. As Cotton studied the checkerboard, contemplating his next move, Sully asked me, "So, Allie, how's everything goin' on with you and Will?"
"Everything's good." I simply told him as Cotton finally made his move.
"Ya'll plannin' the weddin' yet or?..." Sully asked, his voice trailing off a bit as his eyes darting between me and my fiancé, who was sitting on a nearby chair.
"Not yet, but we figured out what kind of house we want built."
"You have any family left, like maybe a brother?" Sully asked even tho he already knew the answer since I'm sure he must've had Abel as a student'
"Yes, I have an older brother." I told Sully as Cotton moved one of his pieces. "He joined the army about 4-years ago." The last time I ever saw Abel was when he took off for bootcamp, he never called or wrote. I only know he's still alive cause a motorcade never showed up at the house with a folded up flag for the fallen.
"You know where he is?" Sully pried as I moved one of my pieces on the checkerboard.
"I dunno." I shrugged. Last I heard he was at a base in the Northwest somewhere. Turning my head to the side and looking at the man with greying light brown hair, I asked, "Why?"
With a neutral look on his face the teacher told me, "No reason, just wonderin' if ya had any family is all."
"Well, right now the only family I have are the Hatfields." I sighed out honestly while watching my opponent make his move on the checkerboard.
"I'm your family now, right Miss Allie?" Cotton innocently asked me with a smile on his face.
"Of course, you are, Cotton." I softly told the boy before moving my black piece onto a spot on the board where his red one could jump it.
A slight lined smile appeared on Sully's face before he stood up and walked away. I think he was going back onto the porch to smoke and talk with Devil Anse, Judge Wall, Ellison, and Jim Vance. Will, who was sitting in a chair nearby, heard my conversation with Sully since he remarked, "I didn't know ya had an older brother, Allie."
Looking up at my fiancé, I told him, "I do, but I haven't seen him in a while. Once he was 18, he left for the army." Watching Cotton jump my checker piece, I told Will, "I mentioned it to Johnse once, I'm surprised he didn't tell ya."
"Johnse only blabs and talks nonstop when he's drunk and I try not to be 'round him too much when he is." Will informed me, relaxing in his chair.
"Why?" I simply asked, hoping to get more clarity on the situation of a drunk Johnse. I've never seen Johnse drunk yet so…
"He hangs all over this one whore, Mira, while drunk in the tavern. It's pathetic really since he ignores her when he's sober." Will told me with a slight sneer in his deep voice while Cotton studied the checkerboard before making his move.
Nodding, I moved my checker piece to jump over one of Cotton's. "Did you ever have a whore you liked to see?" I asked, my voice a bit shaky, as I kept my sapphire eyes glued to the checkerboard.
"Nope." Popped off of Will's tongue, echoing out into the room.
I didn't say a word, just nodded and watched Cotton make his move. Honestly, I was glad that Will never messed around with hookers at the bar, but I wasn't going to pry into his private life either to try and discover how experienced he was when it came to girls.
"Oh, am I winnin'?" Cotton asked, pointing to the board that had more of his pieces on it since I was purposely making bad moves, as I scooted a black piece across the board.
"Yea, Cottontop, looks that way." Will smiled at his cousin, who just clapped his hands excitedly.
Seeing Cotton so happy put a smile on my face. I loved that boy as if he was my own cousin, which he would be in a few months by marriage. I was happy to be a part of the Hatfield family, even tho I knew that things would be getting rocky after the upcoming pig trial.
AN:
I hope ya'll liked this chapter. So, do you guys think there's an ulterior motive/reason why Sully was asking about Allie's brother or was he just making genuine small talk? Well, things are moving full speed ahead for Cap and Allie while Jessa and Tolbert are still in slowburn land.
Next up is the pig trial, yay!