stormr
Posts : 20
Join date : 2014-01-20
 | | Smalls Falls 2014 Reboot Chapter 2 | |
Heyes was still staring out the window when Kid rolled over. "Anythin’ new out there," Kid asked groggily.
"No."
"You okay?" Kid asked, sitting up.
"Yep."
Blue eyes studied his partner; Heyes was staring at a page in the book he had been reading. "You sure?" Kid asked again, "You don't seem yourself."
"You just woke up, how would you know?" Heyes said tersely.
"The book."
"What?" he looked down at the book and realized it was upside down, "Oh, just picked it up. Started thinking about the job, the Colonel's job and wondering when we're gonna get more details. Come on, let's have breakfast."
Kid perked up and they went downstairs. As they were sitting, Mr. Jansen came over to them and handed them an envelope. "This came on the night stage. It said personal and confidential so I wanted to hand it to you myself."
"What is it?" Kid asked Heyes.
Heyes shrugged and opened the envelope, "It's from the Colonel."
“Boys knew you would take the job so sent this on the stage to ensure that you would get it right away. (If you didn't take the job, please burn this letter.)” Heyes smiled and lightly chuckled.
“You will be picking up pieces of a document that could be very important to the Governor. It is important to get all of the pieces. Missing one piece could prove very crucial. Each pick-up has a time frame when it will be available. There may be people watching and we don't want to draw any attention. Once you get the information on the pick-up, you decide how it will be made. Each time you make a pick-up, there will be instructions for the next one. The first one is in Great Falls. The package will be addressed to both of you and is sitting in the hotel's safe. This portion needs to be picked up within 48 hours. Good luck. I have sent $100 to you for your expenses. Remember this is a secret project; no one can know. I know I can count on your discretion.”
"Well Kid," Heyes said, "Looks like we're riding to Great Falls after breakfast. Finish up; it's a good half-day's ride. Since we don't know who or what we'll find in town, we better get moving."
Heading out of town, Kid looked at Heyes and asked, "Do you want to tell Laurie we'll be gone all day?"
"No," he said quietly. "She lives in the opposite direction and we have to get going." Brown eyes stared straight ahead.
A few minutes later, his partner asked, "You okay?"
"Yeah," and continued in silence, and then said, "We better move a little faster or we'll never get there."
***
Laurie was back at the shack. She was attending to the garden and washing her clothes. She kept looking down the path to town hoping to see someone coming towards her. Her elation from the night before was disappearing and her heart was beginning to ache. Mid afternoon, she decided to go into town to see if she could run into either Joshua or Thaddeus. When she got there, they were gone. No one knew where they went or when they were coming back. The only good news was that they had not checked out of the hotel. As the sun started to set, Laurie started to head back home.
***
Heyes and Kid reached Great Falls without any problems. They walked into the hotel and asked for the package. The desk clerk checked the safe and came back with a large envelope. The partners looked at the envelope, at each other and shrugged.
“How ‘bout a drink?”Heyes asked.
Kid nodded and they headed out the door of the hotel and over to the saloon.
The boys ordered drinks at the bar and then walked to the table in the back and sat down. Heyes did a once over look at the envelope and seeing nothing to keep him from opening it, he did. There were two sealed envelopes inside, one said, Do Not Open and the other said Smith and Jones. Heyes opened the one that said Smith and Jones and read the note inside.
"Well Kid," he said, "This is part one of four. It appears that people know what is going on and may try to stop us. There's also a change in plans; we will be notified later as to what stage two is. The Colonel says that things have gotten riskier."
"Riskier? Ya think this is worth it?”
"I think if we want our amnesty, it's worth it. I think if we back out now, it will only be creating more trouble for us," Heyes stated matter-of-factly. "It's getting late and I'm not sure about the weather; maybe we should stay here for the night and head back in the morning."
"Sounds like a plan," Kid said, "Now, how ‘bout a drink and some poker?"
***
The dark haired ex-outlaw was thinking things had gone too easy with the first pick-up. The Colonel wouldn't have hired them for no reason, and now, there was a change in plans. He was feeling uneasy and was waiting for the ball to drop. It started to that night while they were playing poker.
"Joshua," Kid said quietly, "You got the feelin’ all the eyes in this place are on us?"
"Just what I was thinking," replied Heyes under his breath. "The two guys at the end of the bar have been watching us for a while. The guy at the next table hasn't taken his eyes off you and now the hotel clerk comes in, points in our direction and is talking to the guy at the corner table. Think we're done playing poker."
"You read my mind."
Heyes got up slowly and headed to the door with Kid following closely behind. They went directly to their horses and straight out of town. The dark haired leader wasn't positive those men were watching them, but he would bet they were. They rode fast for the first part of the journey then decided it was okay to slow it down some.
"Well that was interestin’, what’d ya think they wanted?" Kid finally asked.
"My guess is what's ever in this envelope," Heyes replied, patting his shirt.
"What do you think it is?"
"A piece of the puzzle to our amnesty. Don't care otherwise," Heyes stated, "If this is important to the Governor, then it's important to us.
***
Laurie woke up early the next morning. She hadn't heard or seen Joshua or Thaddeus at all yesterday. She was feeling down and worried. She knew they were in town waiting for work and she knew that they had received the telegram they were waiting for, but they hadn't said anything about leaving. She hoped they were safe. She decided to go to town to see if there were any signs or word from them. She also needed to buy a few supplies. Before going the garden needed tending. She got her bucket and headed for the stream. By the time Laurie was done walking back and forth from the stream to the garden, the sun was up and it was mid morning. She was dirty, hot and needed to get cleaned up before heading into town.
Laurie got cleaned up and started to look through her clothes to find something nice in case she ran into Joshua. She rolled her eyes at the thought of finding something nice; her clothes were all in essence hand me downs, discarded by others because they were too old, worn or ripped. None was really nice and none fit but she had hoped to find something that wasn’t too bad. She found a skirt and blouse that were old but more or less fit her and she got dressed then raced to town.
It was mid afternoon before Laurie reached town. She looked on the porch of the hotel hoping to see the partners but they weren't there. Once again she had a sinking feeling. Could they have left without saying good-bye? She knew it would happen sooner or later, but it was so nice to have a friendly face to talk to and she wanted to say good-bye and thank them for being so kind to her. She put her head down and headed to the General Store.
***
Heyes and Kid rode most of the night back to Small Falls. They went straight to their hotel room and passed out. By the time they woke up, the sun was high in the sky and Kid, having missed one meal and almost two, was starving. As they walked off the porch of the hotel Heyes said, "You go ahead; I'll send the telegram to the Colonel and then join you." He went towards the telegraph office and Kid went to the café. As Heyes left the office he turned towards the café and almost ran into Laurie.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see," Laurie stuttered before realizing whom she almost walked into. "Oh, Joshua, how are you?"
"Tired," he replied in a business like tone. "We rode most of yesterday and most of the night. We didn't get in ‘til early this morning."
"Thaddeus still sleeping?" Laurie asked trying to be pleasant but not too desperate. What she really wanted to do was to jump in his arms and kiss him, but from his tone and stance, Laurie didn't think that was such a good idea.
"He's over in the café; I had to send a telegram. I'm going to meet him," he stated matter-of-factly, never looking directly at her.
"Oh," Laurie said as she looked down, not wanting to show the disappointment in her face, "I didn't mean to keep you, you must be starving." She looked up and into Joshua's eyes, trying to smile, "You better hurry before Thaddeus eats everything!" She paused then added, "Have a good afternoon."
"You too," Heyes said, gave a stiff smile, and tipped his hat as he moved around her.
The blood drained from her face; her heart was beating a mile a minute as it shattered into little pieces. She placed her hand over her mouth as she feared she might be sick. She walked quickly to the side alley and out the back. She found a corner and sunk to the ground. She was utterly devastated; Joshua had been nicer to her the first day they met. She didn’t know what she did wrong, why there was such a change. She sat in the back of the stores, hidden from everyone; she didn’t cry, she was too numb. She knew she had no right falling in love and she did know it was going to end. She just thought it was going to end when he left town, that she would have a chance to say goodbye. That she could dream he cared for her. All that hope evaporated in an instant.
Finally, she figured she had collected herself enough to get what she needed from town and head back home. She took a deep breath, brushed herself off and headed back towards the General Store. Walking into the Store, she saw her biggest nightmare; Charlotte, Gwendolyn and Mr. Carlson. Laurie tried not to be noticed and quickly gathered the few things she needed; food for Sam, some dry beans for soup and some flour. Of course, Gwendolyn and Charlotte took notice of her as soon as she walked in. They thought they would have some fun because no one else was in the store and they knew Mr. Carlson wouldn't stop them. As Laurie was going to pay, Gwendolyn stepped in front of her.
"Well, well," Charlotte smirked, "Isn't it the street girl? Where's that fiancé of yours?"
"EX - fiancé," Gwendolyn announced, "He certainly doesn't want her now. NOBODY wants her."
Laurie didn't think she could handle this today. She tried to get by the two of them. As she stepped around them, Charlotte dropped her bag of flour. A big cloud puff covered Laurie. The girls laughed. Mr. Carlson came over and started to yell, "You'll have to pay for that!"
"But," was all Laurie could get out before Mr. Carlson, Charlotte and Gwendolyn all started yelling at her. Figuring there was no hope, feeling she was about to break down and she was not going to give them the satisfaction, she agreed to pay.
"Good," Mr. Carlson said, "That will be a dollar and seventy-five cents."
"A dollar and seventy-five cents!" Laurie exclaimed in horror. She only had two dollars. It wasn't her fault, she was so mad but kept her composure, "Fine, here's the dollar and seventy-five cents and I want twenty cents in dog food and five cents in beans." She took her supplies in her hand and left the store in haste.
***
Across the street, Heyes and Kid had finished eating. Leaving the café, they heard the ruckus coming from the General Store. The doors of the store were propped open so they could see right inside. They saw the argument between Laurie, Charlotte, Gwendolyn and Mr. Carlson and then Laurie running out of the store covered in flour.
"What was that about?" Kid asked angrily.
"Don't know," Heyes replied without emotion.
Kid looked at Heyes in amazement, "Aren't you gonna find out?"
"No," brown eyes stared straight ahead.
Blue eyes glared at his partner.
"She was fine before we got here, she'll be fine when we leave. Laurie can take care of herself. Its better this way," he finished as his voice faded away.
"Well I'm gonna go check," the blond partner stated as he stormed away.
***
Kid looked all over town for Laurie and finally found her in the back of the livery brushing his horse. "There you are," he said, "what are you doin’?"
"Brushing your horse, like I said I would the other day, Mr. Jones," she answered with sadness in her voice.
"When did I become Mr. Jones again? I'm Thaddeus, and I didn't ask for you to do this. You don't have to."
"I know, but he's been ridden hard and could use some care. It's okay. I don't mind. Mrs. Jansen gave Sam a bone and he's lying down somewhere chewing on it. I can't get him to go home. I needed to do something with my time, and your horse needed some brushing," she said as she continued to brush the horse, not once looking at him.
"Everythin’ okay? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Laurie said forcing a half smile.
"The General Store?" Kid started.
Laurie interrupted, "I'm fine. They're always like that. I can handle them. Guess I'm just having a bad day. I shouldn't have let them get to me, to make me yell. Please don't worry about it, it's nothing."
"What about Joshua?" he asked, watching for some reaction on her face.
She turned and looked at him, "He told me he was tired. Are you worried about him?"
"No," Kid said softly, "Well, a little," he paused, "Did somethin’ happen between the two of you?"
Laurie smiled a sad smile and turned back to the horse, "Not that I know of," she said softly and swallowed hard. After a moment, she said, "I'm almost done. You don't have to wait. I'll make sure he's fed and has water when I leave." Laurie paused for a moment then added, "Thaddeus, thank you for checking on me. I'm fine really. Have a good night."
Kid shook his head lightly, she was as stubborn as Heyes and the subject was closed. The conversation was over, and he was politely told to leave. Kid walked out of the livery and back towards the hotel. He found Heyes sitting on the porch smoking a cigar. “I really think you should talk to her." His partner sat there and looked forward. Kid knew he was hurting, but didn't know how to help him. He hoped the silence was Heyes thinking of a plan.
***
When Laurie finished with Thaddeus' horse, she groomed and fed Joshua's horse. She could tell it had been ridden just as hard and it didn't seem fair to only take care of one horse. She was also waiting for Sam to come to her. Whenever they were separated in town, Sam would come find her. It never took him as long as it was taking today. When she finished with Joshua's horse, she picked up the small bag of her supplies and walked out of the stable, stopping to look for her dog. She saw him lying on the front porch of the hotel next to Joshua. She took a deep breath and called for him, "Sam. Come on, it’s time to go home." She saw Sam lift his head but he didn't come. Sighing at another stinging rejection, Laurie turned and started walking home.
When Heyes saw her turn to go home, he patted the dog and told him it was time to go home. Sam got up and ran to catch up to Laurie. They walked together all the way home. By the time Laurie reached the shack, the sun had set. She fed Sam and went to bed, feeling lonelier than she had since she was eight and her mother shipped her away. She decided she wouldn't be going back to town until nightfall any time in the near future. She had made the mistake of falling in love and that probably cost her a friend. She knew Joshua must have realized how she felt and so he backed away; he was just trying to be nice. She fell asleep holding the locket her father had given her.
***
After dinner, Heyes went back to the room. He still hadn't said anything and his partner was getting a little worried. That night, Kid decided to leave Heyes alone and give him some space. If things didn't change, he would talk to him tomorrow. He went to the saloon for some poker. It was late when Kid returned to the room. When Heyes heard the key, he rolled over pretending to be asleep. Kid got into bed and as only he could do, fell asleep almost before his head hit the pillow.
Heyes couldn't sleep. He starred into the darkness of the room all night, thoughts of the past few days keeping him awake. The fact was, he couldn't get his mind off of her. He wanted to, no, he really didn't, but he had to. He was in the middle of a job. It could be risky and his mind had to be sharp or they could get caught or killed. If all he could think about was her, how could he concentrate on keeping them safe? Laurie was sweet and innocent, how could she understand that he used to be the leader of the Devil's Hole Gang? It’s not like they had any chance of a life together anyway, he IS wanted dead or alive. He couldn’t have a relationship, a real relationship, without his amnesty. If he continued to see her, he would end up hurting her so ending it now before anything really happened was the right thing to do. Leading her on was wrong and the fact was, he was there to do a job and that needed his full attention. His mind was reeling with everything going on inside it. As the sun started to rise, Heyes got up and moved to the window. He stared out, hoping for a glimpse of Laurie. She never came.
The bright light of the sun crept into the window and Kid woke up; he looked at Heyes, "You look horrible."
"Thanks," Heyes said with a sarcastic tone, "You don't look so hot yourself."
"I just mean," Kid started, and then with frustration in his voice, he yelled, "Forget it, Heyes. This has to stop. I don't think you slept last night and you look like hell. I know you're not gonna be at your best if this keeps up. What are we gonna do about it?"
"We?" his partner questioned, raising his eyebrows, "Nothing. WE aren't going to do anything. I'M fine and I'LL be my sharpest when I have to. Don't worry. Let's get breakfast," he huffed.
***
After an unusually quiet breakfast, the partners headed towards the telegraph office. It had been a day and there had been no new instructions from the Colonel. Mr. Carlson, Charlotte, and Gwendolyn were standing in front of the General Store laughing. As they got closer, Heyes overheard something about a street girl and then bursts of laughter from the group. Stopping, he turned and glared at them. As they continued, he walked over to them and said in a very calm and controlled voice but with the Leader of the Devil's Hole gang look, "I never want to hear talk like that about Laurie again." Intense brown eyes bore into the women as he sternly stated, "If you ever treat Laurie like you did yesterday, you will answer to me." Turning to Carlson, he pointed his finger right in his face, "If you ever talk to her or touch her again, anything that I think is out of line, I'll take care of you." The ex-outlaw leader turned, looked at his partner, who nodded his head, then got his horse and rode directly out to the shack. When Heyes got there, he looked around and didn't see her. As he began to get concerned, she emerged with a bucket from the direction of the stream. He walked over, took the bucket out of her hand, placing it on the ground and put his hands on her arms. The smile on his face had been replaced by a pained look. "I'm…" he started.
Laurie looked into his eyes and said, "It's okay, I know."
Heyes stood there gazing into her eyes and stroked her hair. He wiped a tear off her face then gently lifted her chin and cupped it with his hand. Leaning in, he gave her a small soft kiss on the lips. Pulling back, still looking in her eyes, he looked for acceptance and then kissed her again. This time he leaned in, kissing her softly and then with both arms pulled her up against his body. He kissed her very slowly and passionately as he held her tightly in his arms. Laurie kissed him back as passionately as he kissed her. They stood in their embrace for some time before Heyes finally pulled away. He looked in her eyes and pulled her close again, once again kissed her deeply and passionately. After a few more passionate embraces, Heyes leaned back and looked at Laurie.
"Was that alright?" he asked with a smile on his face.
"Yes," she said, biting her lip.
Heyes touched her lip and said, "You better stop that or we're not going to get anything done out here anytime soon."
Laurie blushed and released her lip, all the while not taking her eyes off of his. They continued to stare into each other's eyes until a big fluffy golden retriever came running and jumped on them.
"Sam!" she exclaimed.
Heyes laughed, "It's okay boy, you won't be neglected," he reached down to pet Sam.
"Well, since he has your attention now," Laurie giggled, "I'll go back to watering the garden." She bent over and picked up the bucket.
"Come on Sam," Heyes said, grabbing another bucket, "Let's help her."
***
The two of them worked side by side, watering the garden, with Sam jumping around and fetching sticks. They were laughing and playing when they heard a horse approaching; Thaddeus appeared from around the bend.
"Laurie," he tipped his hat. Turning to Heyes, "Train brought a package from the Colonel." He got off his horse and handed the package to his partner.
"Nice to see you Thaddeus," Laurie said with a smile, "I see you both have to talk, I have some things I need to finish up in the garden. If you would like, you can sit by the tree in the back. It's very comfortable. Or do you need to go back to town?"
"We can see what's in it here, and then make that decision," Heyes said, turning and walking towards the tree.
Kid followed.
Heyes opened the package; there were several envelopes in the package. The top one said, Read first. He opened it and read it out loud, "Circumstances have changed. Things are more dangerous. I believe you were spotted in Great Falls." Heyes stopped reading and said, "Just as we thought." He continued, "I've sent the rest of the pick-ups to you. The two of you will decide when and how to make them. They must all be made and delivered to us within two weeks. I think the pick-up by the lake is being watched. It's the most important and needs to be done without anyone knowing about it. Keep me posted, but do not give information by telegraph. Good luck and be safe. Colonel Marker. P.S. send a telegram immediately thanking me for the birthday present so I know this package made it into your hands. I will send a return telegram that says you're welcome. If the telegram doesn't get returned immediately, or any other telegram comes, get out of town and forget the job. I'll see you where I saw you last."
"Kid," the brown haired partner said glumly, "I don't even know if I want to open the other envelopes. Three envelopes mean three pick-ups. Three chances to get caught or killed."
"Heyes," the blond one replied, "we don't have a choice. You said it before, if we don't do this job, we may never get amnesty. We have to risk it…what's in the three envelopes?"
"I know," Heyes said, knowing Kid was right. "Just really not happy with the Colonel right now or the five hundred we'll get. He better have a really good word for the Governor. Let's see what the other three pick-ups are." He dumped the rest of the envelopes on the ground. Picking up an envelope, "This one doesn't look too bad. It's only ‘bout half day's ride east - an old mine shaft. Says he doesn't think they know about this one." Gesturing to Kid, "What’s that one say?”
"Ugh, things just got riskier," Kid groaned as he read the note. "This is in the safe at some big shot's house - name's Harvey. Doesn't think it will be a problem for you to get into, but he's not sure if there are any men guardin’ the safe. It looks like it's only a couple hours out of town. There should be papers with a lot of numbers and the Governor's name on them in the safe. The papers were stolen. He goes on to say that obviously, this is one part that we will have to use our special talents to get but since the papers were stolen from the Governor, it's okay. We can't go to jail because Harvey can't report them stolen since he shouldn't have them." Kid paused before adding, "Heyes, I have a sinkin’ feelin’ about this. The last one is the one that's supposed to be the hardest and he already has us breakin’ into a safe."
Heyes shook his head, "Now I really don't want to know what's in this third envelope." He picked up the last envelope and read it, "I don't get it. It doesn't seem all that bad, just that it's being watched. It's at the lake we passed on the first day into town, ‘bout three hours out. Guess the tough part is that you can see the lake from all sides, so it would be hard to get without being spotted. We'll have some time to think on it. I think we should start with this Harvey fellow. Maybe check his place out later tonight. Then we'll figure out when and how we attempt the lake. Figure the mine is the easiest and it's not known so that can be last. It's also on the way to meet the Colonel." Heyes paused and then added, "Guess we should ride into town and send the telegram."
"I think I'll stay," Kid stated, "Laurie is workin’ real hard in the garden and I could help. I see some wood that I might be able to use to fix some of the holes."
Heyes gave a small guttural laugh, the thought of his partner with a hammer. Trying to suppress the laugh he said, "Okay, I'll ride to town and you stay here. I'll wait for a response from the Colonel and come back." He got up and walked towards Laurie, who was now in her flower garden. "I have to ride into town and send a telegram," he said. "Thaddeus is going to stay with you and help you out." Heyes reached Laurie and put his hands on her arms and rubbed them slightly.
"Joshua," Laurie said, looking into his big brown eyes, "I don't need a babysitter. I am fine out here."
Tilting his head slightly down at her, he said with a smile, "I know sweetheart, but humor me. It was Thaddeus' idea. I think he wants to get to know you better. I can get some supplies when I'm done, and we can have dinner out here." The two of them walked to Heyes' horse.
Kid started to play with Sam so it didn't look like he was watching.
"Okay," Laurie agreed. "He can stay. I'm sorry I'm not ready to have dinner with you in town. I just don't think I could take it, but I am a really good cook."
Reaching the side of the horse, they stood facing each other. Heyes brushed the hair off Laurie's face. "I know," he said softly, "It's okay, I'll be back soon." He leaned in and gave her a kiss. Pulling back, he looked at Laurie who was biting her bottom lip and said, "I told you, you have to stop doing that or ..." He stopped in the middle of his sentence, pulled her close and kissed her much more deeply and passionately than the first time. Releasing her, Heyes made a guttural sound, took a deep breath and got on his horse. Laurie blushed and was thankful the horse blocked the view from Thaddeus.
She watched him ride away until she could no longer see him before she turned back to her work. "Joshua said when he got back we could all eat dinner. Thaddeus, maybe you could try catching some fish. There's a pole I made propped up against the side of the house. I'm almost finished here; I'll start a fire and come join you."
"Sounds good to me," he replied, grabbed the pole and walked over to the stream.
Laurie finished in the garden, started the fire and walked over to the stream. "Have any luck," she called out.
"No!" he replied through gritted teeth, "Sam keeps jumpin’ in the water."
"Sam!" she yelled at the dog, "How many times have I told you that when I am fishing you are to stay out of the water? Now, go lie down and dry off. I don't want to see you rolling in the dirt. I already gave you a bath and brushed you today. I'm not going to do it again!" Sam hung his head and tail, walked over to a nice big rock and laid down on it.
Kid smiled and laughed a little. Laurie gave him a curious look, "I'm sorry, it's funny to see you talkin’ to him like a mother would talk to her son."
"He is my son," she explained. "Sam's the only family I have, and he is very smart. He's also the only one I have to talk to. Most people in town try their best not to know I exist. Some are nice, but they aren't really friends. Hi, how are you today, talk about the weather, that's about all I can get from them. I am very grateful to both you and Joshua for being so kind. It has meant so much to me, thank you." As she finished talking, she looked over and saw a concerned look on his face. She stood up and stoically said, "Don't worry; I know he'll be leaving soon. I'm a big girl. When it's time, I won't make a fuss; there will be no crying, no screaming, and no stamping of feet. I will not beg for you to take me with you, I won't make a scene. I promise. If he allows me, I'll give him a kiss, say thank you and wish him, well, both of you, a safe journey." Laurie quickly turned and disappeared back towards the house.
Kid sat there, stunned by what she had said. What did she know and how did she know it? Hearing a horse coming up the path, he got up and headed over towards his partner. Heyes looked at him and said, "All done, reply came back." He dismounted and walked over to Kid who was still holding the fishing pole. "Catch anything?" he asked.
"No," he replied in disgust, "Sam was jumpin’ in the water tryin’ to catch them, splashin’, scared everythin’ away."
"Well, maybe with both of us, he'll stay out of the water," Heyes laughed. "Where's Laurie?"
"She went into the shack, I mean, house, a little while ago. She hasn't come out."
"Is everything ..." Heyes started only to stop when he saw Laurie open the door. She had changed her clothes; she was now wearing a light blue skirt and a white blouse with light blue flowers on it. The clothes were very worn but these were the first clothes that Heyes had seen Laurie wear that actually fit. They showed how petite she really was. Heyes thought if he grabbed her too tight he could break her in half, she was so thin. The partners stood staring at her, mesmerized by her.
"You're back," she said as she walked over to them, "That didn't take long. Thaddeus, did you catch any fish?"
"No," he said sounding exasperated, "As soon as you left, Sam was back in the water. He wouldn't listen to me at all."
Heyes looked at his partner and snickered.
"Well," Laurie said, "Why don't you both try again and I'll keep Sam over here."
"Sounds good to me," Heyes said. "Thaddeus, why don't you start and I'll be there as soon as I give Laurie the supplies." Seeing her about to object, he continued, "If we stay for dinner, we bring supplies. Maybe I'll be lucky and you'll make some biscuits to go with the fish." He smiled with a twinkle in his eyes as he looked at her.
With that look, Laurie couldn't possibly object, how could anyone say no to that face! "If you keep looking at me that way," she said blushing "maybe you will get biscuits," she smiled, biting her lip.
"What is it with you and that lip?" Heyes asked very quietly, moving very close to Laurie as he brushed her cheek with his hand and then touched her lips. "Don't you know what you do to me every time you look at me that way?" he whispered as he pulled her close and kissed her.
Although Laurie didn't want to stop, she said, "Joshua," as she pulled away, "Thaddeus is waiting for you and I have to make biscuits." Looking around she said, "Where's..."
"Sam!" Kid yelled, "get out of the water, you can't catch fish that way!"
"Sam," Laurie yelled and the two of the broke out laughing. "Go save your partner, I'll make biscuits," she said.
***
An hour later, the three of them sat by the tree eating dinner. Heyes and Kid managed to catch three fish despite Sam's help. Laurie made biscuits and fresh green beans.
"This is really good," Kid mumbled as he inhaled his food, "Why aren't you eating?"
"I ate," Laurie replied.
"Like a bird!" he exclaimed, "You had a bite of everythin’. Didn't your momma tell you to ..." he stopped in mid sentence and looked like he had just eaten something bad, "I'm sorry, I didn't..."
"It's okay," Laurie, said in a soft voice, "I know you didn't mean anything Thaddeus. The fact is I just don't get a chance to eat much, especially at one time. I really am full. Would you like to finish my plate?"
Heyes shook his head and smiled, "The bottomless pit," he said very quietly with a laugh.
Kid gave a look that said ‘what!' and bellowed, "She offered!"
They finished dinner and sat around the tree talking, laughing and playing with Sam. Heyes was happy to see Kid and Laurie get along so well. As it began to get dark he said, "Thaddeus and I have to go take care of some things tonight. I'm sorry we have to leave."
"I didn't expect you to stay," Laurie declared as she stood up giving him a look.
Kid looked at her and thought that's the kind of look Heyes gives me when I say something Heyes thinks is stupid. He laughed quietly. Heyes looked at him curiously. "Laurie gave you a He…" he stopped himself, "a look; the kind you give me. It's funny seein’ you get your own look." He turned to Laurie and said, "I've never seen anyone else give that look before, can you teach me?"
Heyes and Laurie both responded, "What look?"
"Never mind," Kid said, and turned to gather his stuff.
Laurie and Heyes looked at each other and smiled, suppressing laughs.
After gathering his things, Kid said, "I'll get the horses ready."
Heyes, still by the tree with Laurie, turned and pulled her close to him, "Can I take you into town for the night? I'll get you a room at the hotel."
"No," she replied softly looking into his eyes, "This is my home."
"I know, it's just that," Heyes started but was interrupted by Laurie reaching up and kissing him lightly on the lips. Heyes returned the kiss with a deeper kiss. When he pulled back, he smiled and gave her a little squeeze around the waist pulling her even closer, "You certainly know how to change the subject." Then he kissed her again. After a couple of minutes he leaned back and quietly said, "I could do this all night but Thaddeus is waiting and I do have to go."
Turning and walking towards the horses, Laurie touched his hand and said quietly, "Joshua," she paused as he turned to look at her, "Did you mean it? If Thaddeus hadn't come and you didn't have to leave, you would have stayed the night?"
Heyes stepped close to Laurie and put his left arm around her waist and pulled her close. He gazed deeply into her eyes, his right hand traced the outline of her face and he ran his fingers slowly over her lips. "Yes," he said in almost a whisper, "That is, if that's what you wanted."
"It is," she said and bit her bottom lip softly as Heyes ran his fingers over her lips again. "I know it's wrong, but...."
"Shhh," Heyes said calmly, "It's not wrong when two people feel the same way."
They gently kissed and heard Thaddeus yell, "Horses are ready."
"Be right there," Heyes answered back, not taking his eyes off of Laurie, he continued quietly, "We'll be gone most of the night, maybe longer, I'll see you when we get back."
"Okay," she said with a faint smile. She was worried about them; it couldn't be good if they had to leave at night. "Be safe, and take care of each other." They started to walk to where Thaddeus was waiting on his horse. Laurie quickly reached up to Heyes and gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "Joshua, I love you." Heyes stopped walking and turned his head, did he really hear what he thought he did? Laurie looked at the surprised look on his face and quietly said, "Its okay if you don't, I just didn't want you to leave not knowing how I felt."
A smile spread across took Heyes’ face as he said, "I do and I'm glad I know," he leaned over, gave her one last kiss and then mounted his horse and they rode off.
The partners rode for a while in silence; Kid looked at Heyes every now and then; he looked deep in thought. Finally Kid asked, "Did you tell her?"
"Huh? What?" Heyes responded.
"Did you tell Laurie anythin’, about us, I mean?"
"No, I would have let you know if I was going to."
"She knows, well, she knows somethin’," Kid said. Heyes was now looking intently at his partner as he continued, "She told me that she knew we would be leavin’ soon and that she wouldn't make a scene. She has to know somethin’. Even if she doesn't, you should tell her so she knows why she can't come with us."
"I know," Heyes said glumly.
"You fell for her, didn’t you?" Kid asked.
"Yeah," Heyes acknowledged with an ‘I can't believe it' half smile and forced laugh out of the side of his mouth. "Never in my life did I think it was possible, and not now, not without our amnesty." Heyes got quiet again and just looked forward. Kid knew to leave him alone in his thoughts. When he was ready, Heyes would start the conversation. A short time later as they were getting closer to the Harvey house, Heyes blurted out, "I got it."
"What?" Kid asked.
"The answer to our problem," Heyes stated, Kid looked at him with interest. "We're heading out to the Harvey house to check it out. Actually the night is perfect for getting in and out without being spotted; the moon's only a sliver so it’s not too bright. The directions the Colonel sent said the safe was in the study in the rear far left corner of the house. If everything is good, we'll go in tonight and get the papers from the safe. Then we have to work quickly so the other two pick-ups aren't blocked. Colonel sent dummy envelopes so we can make a switch; that is if the papers are still in their original envelope. Hopefully that will buy us some time. Anyway, we do this tonight and ride back to town. Tomorrow I'm going to ask Laurie if she wants to go on a picnic."
Heyes was talking fast and Kid was just trying to keep up with what he was saying. "She won't eat in town, but I think she'll go on a picnic. I'll take her to the lake, where even if we're being watched, all they'll see is the two of us on a picnic. I'll tell her everything there. At the same time, you'll go to the mine and get the last set of papers. No one is supposed to know about that pick-up so you should be alright alone."
"Sounds like a plan," Kid said with a smile and then added, "How are you gonna get the papers without being noticed? And what if Laurie doesn't take the news well?"
"I think you're right. I think she knows something. She said a couple of things to me that make me think she knows or suspects something. I don't think there will be a problem when I tell her, at least I hope not. As for getting the papers, I'll figure something out." He pointed up the road, "There's the Harvey house, let's go in from the back."
They checked out the house; lights were on and people were in the house. Slowly, as they watched, each room went dark. By luck, it didn't look like anyone was in the room above the study. Heyes and Kid quietly made their way over to the study window and, using the tools he always carried, the nimble hands of the brown haired partner opened the window. Going in first, he lit a candle; Kid followed, checked out the room and went to the door to check the hall. All seemed quiet as Heyes pulled back the picture that was hiding the safe. A huge smile spread across his face as he looked at his partner. It was going to be a piece of cake he thought, even his partner could open this safe! Within a few minutes, the safe was open, the dummy papers were exchanged for the papers they took and they were on their way. They made it back to town as the sun was just coming up.
Heyes thought about riding out to see Laurie but decided he was too exhausted. He would see her later. After taking care of the horses, they went to their room and passed out.
***
Laurie stayed up quite late the night before. She was worried about Joshua and Thaddeus, but also thinking about the exchange with Joshua right before he left. She had been worried about not seeing him again and really wanted to let him know how she felt. She hadn't expected a response; she just needed to tell him; tell him she loved him, tell him he had changed her life, and tell him that she would love him forever, would be there forever, she'd wait forever, protect him, but that's not exactly how it came out. She did tell him she loved him and she thought that maybe he had told her that he loved her too. She kept replaying it in her mind and thinking about the way he looked at her and the way he kissed her. A few minutes before, he said he would have stayed the night if he could, if she wanted, and she had said that she did. She was on cloud nine but then wondered did he now think of her as a hussy?
Everything was swirling in her brain. When she finally fell asleep it wasn't a peaceful sleep. She worried about the two of them coming back and she worried about chasing Joshua away because of what she said. As soon as the sun started to come up, Laurie got up, got dressed and ran to town. She ran all the way, Sam could barely keep up. When she got there, she went straight to the livery. Their horses were there; they were back. Laurie bent over, and sighed in relief. Checking the horses, she decided that while she was there, she could give them some extra care.
The sun was up and people were just starting to bustle around town when Laurie emerged from the Livery. She looked over and saw Charlie leaving the Sheriff's office. Walking over to him she asked if he'd seen when Joshua and Thaddeus had returned.
"Yep," Charlie replied, "I was just finishin' rounds when they came ridin' in; I'd say it was ‘bout six o'clock. Boy, they both looked beat."
"Beat!" Laurie exclaimed.
"Yeah," Charlie said surprised at her excitement, "Real tired, like they had been ridin’ all night!"
"Oh," Laurie said relieved, "Well, I'll see you later; I'm cleaning tonight. Bye."
***
The sun was shining in the window when Heyes woke up. He hadn't really gotten enough sleep but it was almost noon and he wanted to see Laurie. He was surprised Kid was still sleeping and not up, complaining he was hungry. He got dressed, put his boots and gun on, grabbed his hat and went to the door as quietly as possible. As soon as he walked out of the hotel door, he saw Laurie sitting on the steps by the telegraph office.
Just seeing her caused a smile that lit up his entire face as he quickly walked over to her. Laurie had her back to him, playing tug o’ war with Sam but, as he approached, she quickly turned to see him. When she saw the expression on his face she jumped up and ran to him. He picked her up and twirled her around as she let out a huge squeal of joy. Everyone on the street looked at the commotion. Heyes put her down, wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big kiss. The kiss and the embrace were only broken when Sam came running over to greet him. Heyes just laughed and, with one arm still around her, he leaned over to pet Sam. Most of the people watching, including the Jansens, were very happy for Laurie. The others, including Mr. Carlson, Charlotte and Gwendolyn, scowled at the two and turned in disgust at the display of emotions in public.
"I'm glad you're back," Laurie said.
"Me too," Joshua said as he started to lead Laurie and Sam over to the hotel's porch. "I missed you last night."
Laurie lightly bit her bottom lip as she looked at him.
"What did I tell you about that? Do you want the whole town seeing me crazy over you?"
Laurie blushed and stopped biting her lip. "I'm sorry, I won't do it again."
"Oh, you'll do it again, just not when people are watching," he said with a devilish smile, which made Laurie blush even more. As they got to the porch, he turned to her and said, "Will you go on a picnic with me tomorrow?"
Kid walked out of the hotel, "Hey," he said sounding annoyed, "why didn't you wake me up? I'm starved!" Looking at Laurie he added, "Good mornin’."
"Almost afternoon Thaddeus," she said with a smile.
"You were sleeping, now excuse me. I just asked Laurie to go on a picnic with me and I am waiting for an answer."
Laurie was about to bite her lip but stopped as she looked into his big brown eyes. She hesitated and finally said, "Yes, I would love to go on a picnic with you. What should I make?"
"Great," Heyes said, "Nothing, I will take care of everything. How ‘bout if we leave here around nine in the morning?"
"Okay, oh my," she exclaimed, "I have things to do. I'll see you tomorrow." She turned to walk away, then turned back to give him a quick kiss and ran off yelling over her shoulder, "Bye Thaddeus!"
"Can we get somethin’ to eat now?" Kid moaned.
Heyes laughed and said, "Sure, Kid, sure.
***
As they left the café after eating, they saw Laurie buzzing around town. Walking towards the hotel, Laurie ran across their path. "What's going on?" Heyes asked, "Something wrong?"
Laurie stopped, "No, oh, no, I usually clean tonight but if we're going on a picnic tomorrow, I don't want to be up all night so I'm trying to get it done now, and I need to buy a dress," she said and ran off.
The partners laughed. Kid looked at Heyes, "I think she's excited." Heyes smiled, shook his head and gave a small laugh. They went to the hotel porch, put their feet up on the rail and had a cigar. The two of them sat enjoying the afternoon, dozing and watching Laurie buzz around town. All was peaceful until Laurie went to the General Store. The peacefulness was broken with loud shouting. As they opened their eyes and looked in the direction of the noise, they saw Laurie storming out of the Store.
"Get back here, you," screamed Mr. Carlson, "I am not done with you!"
Laurie kept walking away. Carlson reached out and grabbed her arm. Heyes and Kid sat up in their chairs. Laurie whirled around, pushed his hand away from her and yelled loud enough for the entire town to hear. "Get your hand off of me! I told you I could clean your store now. You said no. Well I am not working tonight so clean it yourself! I will never clean it again and that is the LAST TIME YOU EVER PUT YOUR HAND ON ME!" She stormed away from him, and, seeing Joshua and Thaddeus on the porch headed their way. Mr. Carlson glared at Laurie as she walked away, then finally turned and stormed back into the General Store. By the time she had gotten to the porch, Heyes was on the bottom step. He reached out and pulled her into a tight hug as Laurie buried her face into his chest.
"I'm here," he said quietly, "Shhh, it's okay, I won't let him hurt you, I promise." Lifting her face so he could see into her eyes, he continued, "I'm very proud of you. He didn't deserve you. I'm proud you walked away. I promise you will never have to work for him again, I'll make sure of it." He kissed her on the forehead and pulled her tight again. When she had stopped shaking, Heyes loosened his hold. "Come sit with us."
"No," she said as she looked in his eyes, she loved looking in those eyes, "I'm almost done. I just have the Sheriff's office and jail left. I want to get paid because I want to buy a new dress for tomorrow."
"You don't have to do that," Heyes said.
"Yes, I do. It's not for you, well it is, but it's more for me. You have shown me that I can be more than just a street girl. I want a new dress so I can feel a little more. Nothing fancy, just something I bought, something that fits, something new."
"Let me," Heyes started.
"No, I want to do this, me, understand?" she said.
He pulled her close, "I understand." | |
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