By EosReia
Chapter III
"You?" they demanded in unison.
"What are ya doin' here?" Jimmy asked still shaken by the ease with which that woman had disarmed him.
"I couldn't find a town so I decided to stay here. There was no one and the door was open." she added as her defence for breaking and entering.
"Of course there was no one. This cabin is used by the Pony Express riders when there's a storm and we need shelter." Jimmy explained not sure if he should get up without asking the woman first. The secure and confident way with which she held the weapon testified the woman's familiarity with guns.
"Well, I was here first!" Cat sounded like a spoiled child who refused to share her toys. She couldn't believe she had just made that selfish remark, so she quickly added: "But you can stay here if you'd like."
"Thank you." Jimmy's flat tone didn't have a hint of gratitude; on the contrary, the mechanical answer made it perfectly clear that he would have remained in the cabin even without Cat's permission. Jimmy felt humiliated that someone had just disarmed him so easily and the fact that it was a woman only worsened the shame. "Can I stand up now?" he growled.
"Ah… Yeah!" she answered absentmindedly.
Cat backed away and Jimmy was able to stand up. An onslaught of even greater humiliation filled Jimmy's chest when Cat added:
"Here's your gun."
"Thanks." Jimmy muttered between tightly clenched teeth.
Picking up his bedroll, the rider spread it on the hard wooden floor, right in front of the warm fireplace.
"You can have the bed, if you want to."
"No, thanks." Jimmy grunted. He was tired from the long ride from Blue Creek and all he wanted to do was sleep and in the morning get back to Sweetwater. He just wanted to forget he had ever met this strange woman.
"No, I'm serious, take the bed. You look tired." she offered once more, taking the sheets she had slept in the night before and making a nest for herself on the floor.
"I'm not tired." Jimmy lied. "You take it."
"Please, take it, I insist." Cat continued, while laying on her improvised bed.
"I insist more."
"I insist even more."
"Take it." Jimmy finally raised his voice to a threatening level. He was really beginning to be annoyed by this stranger.
"No, you take it." Cat repeated, her eyes already closed in provocation.
As Jimmy laid on the blanket, he turned around to face Cat and the empty bed behind her. This woman could be very stubborn when she wanted to. Jimmy realised that if they continued this way they would still be arguing over who would take the bed at dawn. Even though the soft mattress seemed to appeal to both of their tired body's, they ended up sleeping on the cold and hard floor.
The young long brown hared man awoke before dawn. Outside it was still dark but the absence of howling coyotes told him it was time to get up. For a few moments he was unaware of his surroundings. He forced his shut eyes to open and looked around.
"What am I doing on the floor?" he asked himself "Did I fall from the bunk?".
As he turned to his side he saw a small figure wrapped around in a white sheet. From his point of view all he could see was a flaming mass of curl paper shaped hair lurking from inside the colourless sheet. It was the first time since he'd met this odd woman that he was able to see her hair. In their first encounter the auburn curls had been totally concealed under the rough hat she was wearing. And at last night, the lack of lighting, combined with his fatigue had succeeded in hiding the spectacle, which presented itself to him that morning. Jimmy didn't know if it was due to the fact that he had never seen hair with that colour, or if it was because of the early time of the day, but he felt compelled to at least touch one of those untamed locks of fire. As weak, fleeting rays of light invaded the calm and serenity of the wooden cabin and fell over the white sheet, he reached out to the small figure. Cat stirred as the sunlight warmed her cold body. Instinctively Hickok retracted his hand. The young woman moaned as she turned to face Jimmy. Her defiant little nose inches from the young man's hand. Jimmy held his breath for a few moments, as if the feeblest of noises could awake the peaceful creature in front of him. He stared at her for some time as he contemplated the soft features of her pale skinned face. The first things that caught his immediate attention were the long curled ebony eyelashes, which protected her dark chocolate eyes. As his focus drifted downwards, he noticed the red tone of her cheeks, which contrasted with the rest of her translucent skin. Between the strawberry cheeks stood the ever impotent turned up nose, which revealed her childish stubbornness. Finally his gaze fell upon her pale, smooth, almost skin-coloured lips. She was an attractive woman he couldn't deny that. Even through all of their sparing and fighting he had noticed that ever since they had first met by the creek. Her eyes lit up with anger and seemed to burn him.
Jimmy was astonished at how the same woman who was so extremely annoying, nerve-racking and insolent while awake, could look so helpless, angel-like, frail and tender, during slumber. Once more his hand dared to slowly drift towards a wild lock of hair, which fell over her face. He reached out and carefully, so as not to wake her, pushed back the auburn curl paper. But mere seconds afterwards it was once more over Cat's face. Jimmy proceeded with pushing it away, but once more, the obstinate lock returned. A smile spread over his lips. It was amazing how, even while asleep a part of this woman managed to be stubborn. Finally, he tried one last time to put aside the curl and this time it gave in. His slender fingers lingered on the soft tuft of hair and pretty soon they were caressing the remaining fire locks, which spread freely over Cat's shoulder, completely intertwined in the auburn mass of hair. Under his soft touch Cat stirred slowly. Jimmy was taken by surprised and stopped, certain that if Cat woke up she would start shouting all over again. As a response she moved in closer, rubbing against his hand, urging him to continue his gentle stroking. Jimmy obeyed, holding his breath. Maybe this woman was a bit crazy and strange, but maybe, who knows, she could be a good person, if she would just be a bit less head-strong.
Slowly Cat opened her eyes. When she looked at the man in front of her she immediately jumped back, sitting up straight with one swift move of her legs. Fumbling and struggling with the sheet, she wrapped it tighter around her fragile figure, as if trying to conceal every inch of her body from the prowling eyes of a predator. They remained that way for some time staring at each other. Cat was curled up into a little ball, the look of a hunted animal seizing her eyes. Jimmy sat on his bedroll, his face flushed because of the embarrassing situation. They remained quiet as the silence grew to a deafening volume, none of them having the courage to say anything. Finally, Cat decided to take the easy way out: insult the hell out of that man:
"What do you think you're doing?" she inquired, the tone of her voice building in a crescendo.
"I…I…" Jimmy's mind drew a blank for excuses.
"Well…?"
"You had somethin' caught in your hair." He lied praying that she would just except it and not force the embarrassing issue.
The silence once more filled the room. After what seemed like a lifetime, Cat stood up, but as she did this a frown settled over her eyebrows in a clear sign of pain. She tried to walk, but her legs refused to obey her command. Instead they became weaker and weaker, until she wasn't able to stand up straight. She reached out to the edge of the fireplace for support, as the whole room swirled around her.
"Ah…" Cat moaned.
Immediately, Jimmy stood up and held her outstretched arm.
"You OK? Ma'am…" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.
"I'm fine." She answered shakily. "But could you cut it out with the 'ma'am' thing?" she begged.
Jimmy smirked at her:
"You had me scared there for a while!"
She smiled back and for a moment they seemed to get along, but as she noticed his hand on her forearm she instantly retracted and backed away. Her mouth in a straight line and jaw set. The hard and cold mask was back on.
"I told you I'm fine. All I need is to find civilisation, get the hell out of this awful place and go home." She grumbled moving as far away as she could from Jimmy.
The rider sighed. The image of the peaceful little girl sleeping next to him was nothing but an illusion, the annoying, stubborn and proud woman was back.
Cat and Jimmy prepared to exit the hut and headed towards the latter's great light brown palomino.
"We're not going on that, are we?" she inquired pointing at the animal.
"Of course we are." Jimmy answered surprised at her question.
"Oh no we're not!" she insisted stopping dead in her tracks.
"And why not?" Jimmy wondered while mounting his horse. The palomino jerked back in protest of the rider's weight.
Cat immediately jumped back.
"You're not afraid of him, are you?" Jimmy asked, a smirk dancing over his pale lips.
"Of course not!" Cat promptly responded, her chin high with stubborn pride.
"You're afraid!" Jimmy realised, astonished that a woman apparently as independent and fearless as she was scared of something as sweet and harmless as a tamed horse.
"No I'm not!" Cat continued to insist, taking a few steps back to increase the distance between her and the enormous beast.
"I-I just…" she stuttered desperately feigning an excuse. "…think it is totally bestial to ride horses."
"Totally what?"
"Bestial!" Cat repeated.
When she realised that Jimmy simply didn't know the meaning of the word she sought out synonyms.
"Animal like, extremely cruel. I mean, you not only take its freedom, poor animal, but also force it to carry you! It's disgusting!" she protested.
Jimmy's jaw fell to the floor. He had never heard such rubbish in his life. He was lost for words.
"So, you can just point the way to this Sugarwater you talk about and I'll be on my way." Cat took a deep breath and waited for Jimmy's response.
"Sweetwater!" the rider corrected.
"What?"
"It's Sweetwater. It ain't called Sugarwater.
"Whatever."
"I can't just leave you here alone a second time." Jimmy explained. "No matter how tempting the thought might be." He added mentally.
"I'll be fine, I'm not made of glass, you know? I won't break." She insisted.
"No, ya'll just faint somewhere out here." Jimmy said sarcastically.
Cat frowned, her hands on her hips.
"Will you just tell me which way this Sugarwater is and let me worry about myself."
"Sweetwater. It's sweet not sugar."
"Whatever!!" Cat snapped at him, widening her eyes.
"It's that way!" Jimmy answered stretching out his right hand and pointing forward.
"Finally. Thank you!" Cat sighed and started the long walk.
To be continued...
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Copyright 1999: Not to be reproduced without written permission of the author!
The Way Station
Campfire Tales
