*Author's Note*
Thank you for all the follows, favs, and reviews.
This chapter has a small time jump of like a week or so. I think it's easy to pick up on, but I'm just telling you guys about it anyways.
Tolbert meets some new people in this. Their face claims are:
Zeke: Sam Elliot
Mindy: Paula Malcomson (She played Trixie on Deadwood)
Long Branch Saloon
Billy POV:
I felt guilty lyin' 'bout Tolbert's 'death' every time I saw my poppy drinkin' his grief 'way or just layin' 'bout drunk. Poppy wasn't doin' much 'round the house anymore, in fact the chores an' farm duties fell onto my brothers' shoulders. At least Jim was married and out of the house so he wasn't stuck pickin' up the slack. I got stuck doin'chores too, but I'd try to get out of it by goin' huntin', fishin', or just plain ol' sneakin' off.
Today was on of those days I was sneakin' off. I felt like I needed somebody to talk to, needed a friend, so I decided to ride ov'r into Mate Creek to see Mary. I felt like I could talk to her; get some things off my chest wit'out bein' judged. If I didn't talk to her 'bout my brother I was gonna crack up.
I hitched my horse, Koda, up to the back fence of the Eldridge land, jumped it, and walked up to the house that way. When I got close to the chicken coop I spotted Mary walkin' out of it wit' large basket of eggs slung in the crook of her elbow. She saw me too since her honey eyes widened. Rushing over to me, she hissed, "Billy, you can't be here. My bother's home today."
"I've got a lot I'm dealin' wit' an' need a friend to talk to." I told her, hopin' she'd let me stay an' talk rather than shooin' me away.
"Come on, let's go into the coop to talk." Mary told me, grabbin' my hand an' quickly leadin' me ov'r to the chicken coop. Once inside of the coop, she let go of my hand an' shut the door. Turnin' to me, she asked, "What's wrong?", as chickens clucked an' walked all 'round us.
"Tolbert's death's ettin' way at me." I honestly told her, earnin' me a sympathetic nod. "Goddamnit, if I tell ya somethin' ya gotta swear t'keep it a secret." I seriously told her as a cluckin' chicken waddled right by me.
"I won't tell anybody. We're friends, I'll keep your secret." Mary assured me with a small, friendly smile on her face.
"Tolbert's not actually dead, but ran off west somewhere. Mama can up wit' makin' everybody think he's dead so Shaw won't go after him an' actually kill him." I confessed to my friend. My only friend. I watched her face, waitin' for her reaction t'my words. It only took a few seconds for my words to sink into her head.
Her honey eyes bulged out of her head as she asked in a high-pitched squeak, "What? He's alive?"
"Yes, but only me, my mama, an' Aunt Betty know the truth." I answered her. I ran a hand thru my auburn curls 'fore addin' in, "Oh, and you now, but nobody else can know."
"But what about Jessa?" Mary asked me, causin' me to shake my head. Mary's face fell as she told me, "But she blames herself; if she knew he was okay then she wouldn't be so troubled anymore."
"No, you can't tell Jessa the truth. I don't care if she's in a bough of self-blame or not, she can't know the truth. It's too risky." I firmly told her ov'r the sound of cluckin' an' squakin' chickens.
Mary nodded and chewed on her bottom lip 'fore askin' me, "If she can't know then why tell me?"
Great, now I need to further explain myself. Hell, this friendship's off to a great start isn't it? I let out a long sigh 'fore givin' her the bluntly honest answer of, "Cause I needed to get the lie off of my chest. Hell, the lie I'm tellin's destroyin' my poppy; makin' him a worse drunk then he already is an' I just needed to tell the truth to get some of my own guilt off of my conscience."
"Oh…" Mary trailed off in a tone that portrayed she understood me; where I was comin' from.
"Please, Mary, don't tell. You swore ya wouldn't." I pleaded, my blue eyes wide wit' desperation an' worry. God, if she told I'd be in so much trouble.
"I won't tell. I promise." Mary assured me with a small lined smile. She gave my shoulder a friendly pat of support, further provin' her point that she'd keep my secret.
'Fore I could say a word, Shaw's boomin' voice echoed out into the air from the direction of the back-door wit', "Mary, where the hell are ya with those damn eggs!? Get your ass inside now!"
"I better go. He's been drinkin' a lot lately an' I don't know how mad he'll get if he thinks I'm shirkin' my chores." Of course, her brother's a drunk just like my poppy. No wonder we're friends, we're livin' similar lives by bein' raised by drunks.
"Go on, but ya come an' find me if he gets mean wit' ya in a drunken fit." I told her, causin' her to just nod 'fore rushin' out of the coop an' leavin' me there standin' alone.
Shaw POV:
"I sent her to do one simple thing and she can't even do that." I spat, slammin' the back door shut, as I stepped into the kitchen after steppin' outback to call out to my sister. My useless lazy sister, might I add.
"Shaw, she's probably just dragging it out cause she's tired of chores and is trying to put off having to do something else once she's done collecting eggs." Jessa suggested from her spot sitting at the table, burpin' Endor, as I made my way over to her.
"I swear, if I would've pulled the shit Mary's pullin' Peter would've beaten my ass so bad I wouldn't be sittin' or seein' for a week." I remarked, taking a seat at the table next to my wife. Grabbing my coffee (okay is was more whiskey then coffee, but whatever) and takin' a sip, I pointed out, "She better be glad that I'm raisin' her and not Peter. If Peter was here…goddamnit…he'd smack her 'round for bein' lazy."
Jessa gave me a soft look while telling me, "Shaw, honey, I know you're on edge cause Devil Anse gave you 3-days in a row off cause of some spat you had with Cap, but you don't need to take it out on Mary or compare her to you at that age."
"I know, babe. I know." I sighed, sipping on my spiked coffee.
Endor let out a loud burp while Jessa told me, "It's not healthy that when you're stressed or on edge you start bringing up bitter and painful memories of Peter." Jessa took him off of her shoulder and cradle him in her arms, rockin' him gently while suggesting, "Maybe if you talked to me more about him and your childhood, you'd be able to let it go and move on."
"I'm not holdin' onto my horrible childhood memories, honey. I don't need to talk to you 'bout my 'father'. All I said was that Mary's lucky she's got me and not him, that's all." I barked a bit defensively at my wife as I slammed my coffee mug onto the table, causin' a bit of the liquid to splash onto the table.
Lookin' between me and the baby she was rockin' to sleep, Jessa pleaded, "Shaw, please, just talk to me 'bout him. It might make you feel better."
"What 'bout you, Jessa? Hmm? Why don't you ever talk 'bout your parents? You know, the crazy bitch and the manwhore professor?" I countered, turning the tables onto Jessa so that I wouldn't have the heat on me and my childhood anymore.
Jessa cut her indigo eyes at me and spat, "Shaw, don't you dare turn this onto me. I don't have issues with my parents, you do."
"Oh, I beg to differ, babe. Til you start talkin' 'bout your parents and 'perfect' childhood I ain't talkin' 'bout mine." I bluntly told her, scoffin' sarcastically at the word perfect, as I leaned my elbows on the table.
Jessa opened her mouth to say something, but never got the chance since the sound of the door opening and cosing accompanied with my sister's announcement of, "I got the eggs, Shaw. So much that the basket's nearly overfilled.", rung out into the air.
"Put them up; then get started on the day's bread dough." I ordered Mary while pickin' up my coffee and takin' a sip of it. Standing up, I announced, "I gotta get to the barn. Muck the stalls and tend to the horses." I went over to my wife and kissed her cheek. "I won't be long." I assured her before smilin' at my son and boppin' him lightly on the nose, makin' him gurgle and crinkle his nose up in protest. "Be good boy for mommy." I told the baby even tho he didn't understand a word I was saying.
I took one last sip of my coffee, placed the mug on the table, and went over to the backdoor. Without a word, I walked out of the house and towards the barn.
Tolbert POV:
I was tired as I rode into the bustlin' town of Dodge City, Kansas. There were so many buildin's linin' up the main street that it made Pikeville an' many of the other towns I've stayed at look like backwater shanty towns. So many people were wanderin' 'bout. Either they were comin' an' goin' from shops or were just walkin' 'round the street. It took me aback how many people could be in such a small area.
As I trotted down the street, I caught a whore's eye. I knew she was a whore by how she was dressed in a tight corset over a thin white shift an' thin ruffled skirt. She smiled an' winked at me, most likely tryin' to attract my attention. I just tipped my hat at her an' directed my horse towards a hitch post by the large buildin' marked Long Branch Saloon in red letters.
As soon as I dismounted Eldorado an' started to tie up his reigns, the whore that noticed me sauntered ov'r to my side. "Haven't see ya in these parts before. Where ya from, stranger?"
"Kentucky." Was my crisp one-word answer.
"Yea, you sound like you're from Kentucky." She scoffed wit' a playful smirk on her lips.
"I'm just passin' thru on my way to Oklahoma." I told the whore, lettin' her know I wasn't stickin' 'round for long.
"Oklahoma." The blonde whore echoed like a parrot. Her sea blue eyes lit up as she leaned 'gainst the hitch-post and told me, "Well, if you're goin' there then you better talk to Zeke inside. He's a rancher that does cattle runs from Texas to here clear on up to Ogallala, Nebraska. Get on his outfit and you'll make 'nough money to strike up your own ranch; get experience too."
"An' how might I find this Zeke?" I asked, figurin' she'd know she since brought it up.
"Inside Long Branch." The whore told me 'fore quickly addin' in the offer of, "If ya want I can introduce ya'll."
"Sure, but what's it to ya?" I asked since this whore's eagerness to help me didn't sit well wit' me. Not at all considerin'…
"My brother used to work for Zeke 'fore he died of a snake bite on the trail. Since Zeke's short a man and you need work, along with a way to cattle country, I figured I'd help out."
"Ah…" I nodded. Okay, well that makes sense. "Well, reckon ya better introduce me t'Zeke." I told the whore, gesturin' towards the saloon wit' a jerk of my head.
"Come on, cowboy. Let's go see Zeke." The blonde whore told me 'fore walkin' by me an' towards the saloon. "You gotta check your guns in with Harry as soon as ya walk in." She told me as I followed her into the saloon. Great…this would be a no carryin' arms town. "I'll go find Zeke. Just find me when you're ready." She told me 'fore walkin' off into the crowd of tables to find Zeke.
Reckon I better check in my gun or else I ain't gettin' nowhere in this boom town. I looked 'round til I saw a booth labeled Arms Check on it with a large man leanin' 'gainst the countertop. Well, that must be Harry. Hope I don't gotta pay too much t'check in my gun.
"So, you must be the feller Mindy says needs work and a way to cattle country?" A man with white hair pokin' underneath his large tan hat, a bushy mustache, an' a weather worn face asked me as I came to a stop at the table he was at with the slender blonde whore, Mindy.
"Yea. I'm Tolbert McCoy." I nodded, takin' a seat 'tween Zeke an' Mindy.
Turnin' to the whore, Zeke told her, "Go get us a fresh bottle of whiskey, girl."
"Go easy on him Zeke. He's a country boy from Kentucky." Mindy told the cattleman, snickerin' at the word Kentucky, 'fore risin' from her seat an' takin' off to the bar.
"So, you're from Kentucky." The man chuckled, sizin' me up. "You're a farm boy, not a wrangler or cattle rustler, so why you want to get to cattle country?" He asked, most likely as a way to feel me out for hirin'.
"I was raised on a corn and t'backy farm in Eastern Kentucky, right in the middle of the Appalachia Mountains, but I assure ya I ain't no farmer. I'm actually a shiner." I told Zeke, earnin' me an uninterested nod. Ignorin' his attitude, I concluded my reasons for goin' west wit', "I'm headed to Oklahoma, least I wanna get there, so I can get my own ranch. Make a life for myself 'way from a blood feud that's back in Kentucky."
"Ah, so you're runnin' 'way to save your hide." Zeke stated, not asked, as he looked right thru me with a set of hard brown eyes.
"I ain't runnin'." I denied, even tho I was. I hated the fact that I was runnin' instead o'standin' my ground, but mama begged me t'run an' live so…
Narrowin' his eyes, he pointed to the side of my neck an' said, "That fresh scar on your neck tells otherwise, son." Ah, he would pick up on that. "Is trouble chasin' after you, Tolbert?"
"No, Zeke, it ain't. I left trouble back east." I honestly told the man that I was tryin' to get a job from.
"Well, I do need a wrangler since Martin got snake bit and died." He sighed, more to himself then to me. "Tell ya what, I'll take you on for the drive up to Ogallala and if you do good you've got yourself a job." A smug smirk appeared on his face as he confidently told me, "After a few years workin' for me I'm sure you'll have enough experience and money to strike up a ranch of your own in Oklahoma."
"Thank you, Zeke. I appreciate it." I told the man, glad that I'd be learnin' the cattle trade. It may take a few years, but I'd make it to Oklahoma to open a ranch. A ranch I'm sure Jessa would like to bring Endor to once it's operatin' properly.
"Appreciate what?" Mindy asked as she appeared out of thin air. Settin' the whiskey bottle an' a fresh glass down on the table, she asked me, "Did Zeke give ya the job?"
"Yea." I simply told her as she took a seat 'tween me an' Zeke.
Lookin' ov'r at Mindy while takin' the whiskey bottle from the table, Zeke told her, "Ain't you workin'? Can't make money sittin' here with us."
"I'm on a break, Zeke." The blonde whore rolled her eyes at Zeke as he poured us some glasses.
"Mindy! Customer!" A man, reckon he was the barkeep, called out from the back of the saloon.
"Looks like your break's over." Zeke chuckled as Mindy let out a heavy sigh an' stood up.
Mindy placed her hand on my shoulder an' leaned down t'whisper into my ear, "I'm upstairs in room 8, cowboy. Come on in tonight.", 'fore takin' off towards the bar in the back.
"She's a good girl despite being a whore." Zeke told me after downin' his whiskey. "Mindy and her brother, Martin, grew up in a Texas brothel. He worked for me when he got tired of bartendin' and she took up with some gambler."
"Reckon that's how she got into whorin' here? That gambler."
"You're right 'bout that, son. That gambler got himself killed and left her with some hefty debts to pay. She took up whorin' to get by. Been doin' it a few years or so now."
"Ah…" I nodded, pourin' myself 'nother drink.
"Anyhow, you better get yourself a bandana for your face. Drivin' cattle works up dust, hard to breathe without a bandana sometimes." Zeke told me as I knocked back my shot of whiskey.
"Reckon I'll go do that." I remarked, standin' up after slammin' my glass onto the table.
"We leave day after tomorrow at dawn. The outfit'll be at the stockyards." Zeke told me 'fore I could walk 'way from the table.
I just nodded an' left to go buy a bandana an' whatever else I'd need for a cattle drive.
AN:
Well, this was a little filler chapter, but I hope you guys liked it. It sets up some future plotlines, etc. The next chapter is going to have a time jump to spring.