DISCLAIMER: This story was inspired by the film "The Quick and the Dead," solely and completely owned by someone else. No offense or infringement is intended.

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"Sanctuary"
by Thalassa

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Redemption was gone. Literally. After the last contest, when the explosions of gunpowder had destroyed half the town, the citizens had rebuilt the most important structures. They had renamed the town Sanctuary, and old John Herod’s house had burned to the ground one night shortly after he and his henchmen had been laid to rest in the old Redemption cemetery. Cort had gone out and said prayers over the graves, but you never saw him venture out there unless he had a funeral. He looked west now and then, but the Lady never came back.

Sarah walked along the wooden sidewalk outside the general store, and nodded politely to a cowboy who doffed his hat to her. Since she’d been widowed, she had moved back into town and sold the land her husband had died for. It had never been worth having anyhow. She was still half-angry he had made her leave St. Louis and move out here to this god-forsaken country to raise cattle. Cattle! They didn’t have enough grass to raise sheep! She sighed. Oh well, didn’t matter now. And she wasn’t going back to St. Louis, so she might as well get used to town.

Sarah noticed Cort coming out of the building they’d converted from a gun shop to a jail. He was quite handsome, she thought, if he’d ever smile. She’d heard the stories about him of course. The other ladies in town all liked to gossip, and if she happened to overhear, well, that wasn’t a sin. He lived alone, in a room rented behind the old saloon. He ate his meals there for the most part, didn’t drink, and was a tough but fair marshal. They said he was an angel to a lady in distress, but the devil himself to the man who troubled her. Sarah thought she might like to get to know this man. Couldn’t hurt to have a male protector in a country this untamed. Still watching him, she stepped off the sidewalk right into a fresh pile of horse dung. She cried out in dismay as her soft leather boot sunk into the wet mess and she could feel the moisture seeping right through. A woman laughed behind her, and she knew every eye in town had looked towards her when she shrieked.

She stepped back, surveying her ruined boot. Nothing for it but to go home and throw it away, but she certainly didn’t relish walking back to the other end of town with this nasty thing on her foot. When someone cleared his throat behind her, she jumped in surprise. Cort looked a little sheepish when she turned to look at him.

“Sorry, Ma’am. Didn’t realize you didn’t hear me walk up. Need some help?”

Sarah blushed, and tilted her head down.

“I’m sorry Marshal. I just did something rather stupid. I don’t expect it’s against the law, but I do appreciate your offer.”

Cort gave her a faintly amused look, and said, “It looks like you need some assistance getting that shoe off. I know you don’t want to touch it.”

Sarah laughed then, and said, “But how will I get home with one shoe? I can’t walk home barefoot.”

Cort had already knelt in front of her, and this time when he looked up at her, he was actually smiling. “I’m the marshal, remember. I’d bet someone here would trust me with a wagon long enough to take you home, Mrs. Wheeler.”

Sarah was already dumbstruck by how handsome he was when he smiled, but when she realized he’d called her by name, she looked even more bemused.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize we’d met.”

Cort looked down at her boot and started unlacing it for her as he answered.

“It’s my business to know who’s in town, Ma’am. I heard about your husband’s passing and your moving here. I’m awfully sorry about your husband.”

He put her hand on his shoulder so she could brace herself on one foot as he pulled the ruined boot off the other. She could feel the strength of his arm, and found herself a little flustered when he looked up at her with an amused grin and said, “You can put your foot back down now. It’s off.”

Sarah blushed more, and she could hear a little chuckle from him as he turned to a man going into the general store.

“Sam! Do you mind if I use your rig for a few minutes? Mrs. Wheeler here has a little predicament and I’d like to take her home.”

Sam smiled widely and said, “You go on Cort. I’ll be here awhile anyhow. The missus sent a big old list with me. She’s due any day now, so she wants to fill the cupboards!”

Cort waved at him and helped Sarah into the wagon, then climbed up next to her and clucked at the horses. As they moved down the street, she noticed he still had some horse dirt on his hands.

“Marshal, here, please, at least let me give you my handkerchief to clean your hands off!”

She produced a lace cloth and reached for his hands with it. He stopped her quickly.

“No Ma’am! You’re not going to ruin that on me! I’ll clean up after I drop you off. That’s too nice to ruin. And Ma’am, please call me Cort. I’m still not used to being the Marshal.”

Sarah looked at his profile and smiled. “All right Cort, but you must promise to call me Sarah. Mrs. Wheeler makes me sound so old, and I’m only - Well, I’m not old.”

He laughed a little at that, and then pulled the rig up in front of her house. He jumped down then came around to put his hands up to help her down. His big hands spanned her waist and set her gently on the ground. They were standing very close, and their eyes met for a moment before she looked down shyly and he stepped back quickly, clearing his throat.

“There you go Mrs. - Miss Sarah. You’ll be alright from here?”

She looked up at him and smiled.

“Yes Cort. I’ll be fine. Thank you so much. And thank Sam for me. Tell him if his wife needs any help with that new baby, I can come out and visit her.”

Cort nodded and climbed back into the wagon.

“And Cort?”

He looked down at her. “Yes Ma’am?”

“Do come over for lemonade sometime. It gets awfully hot here, and I always keep a pitcher around in the summer. We could sit on the porch if you’d like.”

Cort grinned. “I might just do that. This is an awfully dusty town, and it always has been hard to get a drink around here.”

He drove off and she stood on her walk looking after him. She couldn’t believe she had actually had the nerve to do that! Why, when she was a belle with several beaux courting her, back when she was still young and pretty she hadn’t had the nerve to do something like that! But, she reasoned as she made her way into the house, she hadn’t known what she was missing then, either. She laughed girlishly as she went in and shut the door behind her.

It was a week before she heard the sound of boots on her porch, and then heard the bell ring. She went to the door, and found Cort, standing looking embarrassed.

“Miss Sarah? I just thought I’d come out and tell you Sam’s wife had her baby. A boy. I think they named him Jake.”

Sarah smiled happily.

“That’s wonderful Cort! Does she need any help?”

“No, seems she has about five sisters around these parts, and I think every one of them are staying out at their place. Sam’s threatening to take over my room at the hotel if they don’t leave soon.” His eyes were twinkling with amusement.

Sarah laughed and said, “I’d bet you’d like some of that lemonade, wouldn’t you Cort? Do come in.”

She turned to head for the kitchen, then stopped when she realized he wasn’t following her.

“I’m not sure I should come in, Miss Sarah. You know how people talk.”

She turned back to face him. “You’re probably right. Those old hens would love something new to say about me. Well, stay there, and I’ll be right back.”

She went in and retrieved the lemonade she’d made that morning from the cool cellar and found a couple of glasses. She brought it all out on a tray she hadn’t used in three years.

Cort was standing at the porch rail, looking closely at the climbing rose growing up the post. He turned towards her and took the tray from her to place it on the table between two rocking chairs.

“I haven’t seen roses in a long time,” he said softly. “I guess I didn’t realize any grew around here.”

Sarah looked fondly at the rose. “I know it’s silly, but that’s a bush I grew from a cutting. My father’s house had such beautiful old roses, when I moved west I brought something with me. It grew on our ranch, and when I moved into town I had it dug up and brought here. The old man who helped me said moving a full-grown bush would kill it, but so far it seems to be thriving.”

Cort smiled. “Where are you from then?”

“St. Louis Missouri. It’s not the biggest city, but I miss it awfully sometimes. My father died shortly after I moved out here with Mr. Wheeler, and I don’t really have any reason to go back. But, still, it had theaters, riverboats, just… more things.”

Cort nodded. “I understand. I’m from Vicksburg Mississippi originally. My family moved out here when I was young, but my mother always wanted to go home. She never did.” He looked down at his drink pensively.

Sarah asked softly, “Do you have family nearby?”

He looked up and said, “Guess you don’t listen very well to the old hens talking. I don’t have anybody. My family died when I was just a kid, and I did some pretty bad things to stay alive for a while. Then I ended up here.”

Sarah looked a little confused.

“The old hens never mentioned anything like that. They said you were a preacher, and you saved this town. And that you had a sweetheart once, but she - well, you don’t have one anymore.”

Cort gave a bitter laugh. “Well, I guess that’s all true too. They just left out the part where I killed people. The part where I damned my soul to hell.”

He stood up. “Miss Sarah, I’d better be leaving. I don’t want to ruin your reputation by being here.”

Sarah jumped to her feet. “Cort, don’t you dare leave like that! You can’t come up here and tell me you’re everything I know you’re not then walk off. That’s like - like, you giving me a book and not letting me read all the chapters.”

He stopped in mid-stride, then looked back at her. “Like reading a book?” He gave a short laugh. “Miss Sarah, you really don’t want to hear all this. It’s not pretty, and you’re liable to be real sorry you asked me to sit with you.”

Sarah’s eyes softened as she said, “I’d be more sorry if you walked away.”

Cort stepped back up to her, then sat down and told her the story.

By the time he finished, she couldn’t see him for the shadows that had gathered in the dusk. His voice had mesmerized her, even as he had horrified her, then made her realize what sort of man he truly was. He wasn’t a bad man. He had done what he had to do to survive John Herod. Her hand reached over to find his.

“Cort,” she said softly. “You were a preacher. You know there’s forgiveness if you want it. Have you asked for it?”

He was silent so long she was afraid she’d offended him.

“I can’t bring myself to ask. I killed a priest. I made children die because I was with them when Herod’s men came for me. I don’t see how God can forgive that.”

Sarah eased off her chair and knelt on the porch in front of him. She took both his hands in hers and said, “Kneel with me, Cort. Pray with me. I think you’ll feel better.”

He came down to her, and they clasped hands and prayed aloud. When she asked a blessing for him, she felt his hands tighten on hers, then heard his rough voice asking for the forgiveness he hadn’t dared beg before. When she softly said amen, she felt him lean forward and press his forehead against hers.

“Thank you Miss Sarah,” he murmured. “No one’s ever asked me to pray with them. Just over them when they die.”

She brought a hand up to caress his face. He had been clean-shaven when he arrived this afternoon, but now she could feel a light stubble roughening his skin. Her breathing quickened a little, and she closed her eyes in anticipation as he brushed his lips against hers. He pulled away after the lightest touch, and she almost swayed in frustration.

He stood up then, helping her to her feet.

“I’m sorry. That wasn’t decent of me to do after- after you just prayed with me. Forgive me, Sarah. I won’t do it again.”

She didn’t let go of his hand as he started to pull it away.

“Cort, please don’t leave yet. I really like just hearing you talk. And it’s awfully lonely out here.”

He stepped to the edge of the porch and looked up at the night sky. The moon was half full tonight and the stars were out in force. “Sarah, everyone saw me come up here this afternoon. Your reputation’s already in danger with me just being here this long. I’ll bet Miss Hattie hasn’t moved from her window all day long, just so she can see me walk back home. It’s after dark already. I really need to go.”

Sarah sighed. “Cort, you don’t seem to understand. I really don’t care about my reputation in this town. And I’m not asking you to - well, you know. I’d just like for you to have dinner with me. I know you’ve already missed whatever meal you were going to eat in town, and leftover slop can’t be as good as fresh slop.

Cort laughed wryly at that. “You’ve eaten at the saloon before? You seem to know the menu.” He bowed his head for a minute, then turned towards her. “All right. I guess I could eat something before I go. But we’d better bring a light out here. We wouldn’t want Miss Hattie getting the wrong idea about us sitting in the dark.”

Sarah went back to the kitchen to heat up some food and she heard Cort in the parlor retrieving an oil lamp. When she came back to the front porch, the lamp was burning on the table, and Cort was dozing in the rocking chair. She smiled at him, and hated to wake him. He looked peaceful, and she knew from his story peace wasn’t something he had much when he was awake.

“Cort?” she asked softly, hoping he wouldn’t stir. His eyes flickered open, then he had the grace to blush.

“I’m sorry, Sarah. I was just resting a minute. I was up pretty early this morning to ride out and help old Mr. Jackson with a mare that was foaling.”

Sarah smiled at him. “It’s okay. You just need something to eat then you can head back home.” She handed him a plate. He looked at it, then up at her gratefully. “This looks mighty good.” By the time she was seated he was wolfing it down. He had cleaned his plate by the time she had eaten a quarter of hers. She looked over at him, then silently offered her plate to him.

“No, Sarah, I can’t eat that. You’ve barely touched it! Sure was good though.” He eyed it hungrily, and she pushed it towards him. He grinned boyishly, then took it. His hand brushed hers as he took it from her, and their eyes met again. After a moment, he looked back down to the plate and finished it.

Sarah stood and took the plates from him. He looked a little uncomfortable, and said, “I feel I ought to help you clean up, but…”

Sarah nodded. “You need to leave. Cort, feel free to come back out here anytime. I’ve always got dinner, and I usually have lemonade. And I know how to listen.”

He nodded silently, then quickly reached for her and kissed her. Then he turned and was down the steps before she could recover her wits enough to say anything. She watched him until he was lost in the shadows, then she blew out the lamp and went inside, humming to herself.

When she went up to town two days later for supplies, she saw him talking to the saloon owner on the sidewalk. He looked across and saw her, and a broad smile lit his face. The saloon owner looked surprised, but Cort didn’t even notice as he said goodbye and quickly crossed the street to her.

“Hello, Miss Sarah. Sure is a pretty day.”

He fell in step next to her, and she cut her eyes over to him mischievously.

“Why, Cort. I’m surprised you remember my name. I thought you’d already forgotten me since you haven’t come back by the house.”

Cort looked a little stunned. “You are joking, aren’t you?”

Sarah laughed merrily. “Yes, I’m joking. How are you Cort?” He certainly looked fine, she thought. He always wore a long sleeved shirt with a black vest and black pants, and his gold star on his chest, but today she noticed he looked a little more put-together somehow. As if his shirt had been more carefully hung up the night before or something. Even his unruly hair seemed a little more in place, and the green eyes that looked over at her seemed happier. Amused even. Then she realized he had been watching her take him in. She blushed and he laughed.

“I’m fine Miss Sarah. I was wondering. Would it be all right if I fixed dinner for you tonight?”

She stopped walking and looked at him.

“How on earth will you manage that?”

He smiled. “Well, I know how to build a fire, and Sam’s loaned me his rig again. Would you like to go have what the Mexicans call a barbecue?”

Sarah looked up at him happily. “I think I’d like that very much, Cort! Where shall we go?”

Cort pointed east of town. “A mile or so that way there’s a little creek. It’s not much to look at, but we could go out there and build a fire. Sam seems to have provided me with some fresh beef to go with that rig of his. I would like to ask you to fix up some lemonade if you don’t mind. I don’t think you’d want the water out of that creek. It looks a little muddy to me.”

Sarah giggled, and said, “I’ll head straight home and fix up that lemonade. You be there in an hour and I’ll be ready to go.”

Cort bowed gallantly to her, and she forgot all about her errands as she headed back to her house.

He watched her walk away with a smile, then scrambled into the saloon to find Sam and borrow the rig.

When he drove up to her house an hour later, he saw her standing on the porch with a large earthenware jug of lemonade and a basket. He hurried to help her with her burden, then gave her a hand up into the wagon. She had changed into a soft cotton dress that was well-worn but clean. She noticed him looking at it and she smiled shyly.

“ I used to wear this on the ranch. It’s not as pretty as the ones I usually wear now, but I figured we’d be sitting on the ground and I didn’t want to tear anything nice. I brought a spread, too, to put down, and some plates and glasses. Oh, Cort, this is going to be fun! I haven’t gone on a picnic since, well, since I left St. Louis.” Her voice had saddened a little at the end, and he glanced over at her.

“I guess Mr. Wheeler didn’t know you liked picnics?” he ventured.

“I don’t think he knew anything I liked,” she said rather bitterly.

Cort drove on in silence for a minute, then said, “I’d like to read that chapter, if you don’t mind.”

Sarah looked puzzled for a minute, then chuckled. “Well, my husband wasn’t exactly my first choice. My father felt Mr. Wheeler would be a good suit for me. I was a little headstrong, and my father wanted me to settle down and stop letting every beau in town come courting.”

Cort raised his eyebrows, and she laughed. “No, no, that’s not what I mean! I just, well, I was a very popular girl. I was the only daughter, my brothers were older, and my father was quite wealthy. And it didn’t hurt that I wasn’t bad looking.” Cort grinned at her. “But, my father wanted me to marry someone older, someone who had established his own household. So he married me off to Mr. Wheeler. What my father didn’t know was that Mr. Wheeler had gambled away everything, and was selling his house to move west. And I was going to have to go with him. My father was furious, but what choice did I have? I was already married. He’d already sold me off to the highest bidder.”

Cort looked back at her again, and saw a tear in her eye. “Sarah, I’m sure Mr. Wheeler must have loved you.”

“He loved the idea of inheriting my father’s money. When my father died a few months later, Mr. Wheeler was quite shocked to learn he had cut his only daughter and her husband out of his will. My father might have made a mistake in letting him marry me, but he wasn’t about to compound the mistake by giving the man money. My brothers sent me a letter and told me Father was dead, and I was not to contact them again. And that’s the last I heard from them. Little sister no longer exists.”

Cort pulled the horses up under a scrawny mesquite tree by a slow running stream. He got down, then lifted Sarah down. When she touched the ground, he pulled her close to him. “I’m sorry Sarah.” She kept her face looking down until he gently lifted her chin. “Mr. Wheeler was a fool if he didn’t realize he’d already gotten your father’s greatest treasure.”

Sarah blushed under his even gaze. He held her eyes for a moment, then moved away to get the things he needed out of the back of the wagon.

Sarah spread the blanket out in the shade and poured them each some lemonade as she watched him build the fire. He built it downwind to keep the smoke and heat away, then came to sit by her while it burned down enough to cook over. He took a long drink, and took her hand. They sat and watched the flames in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. When he deemed it ready, he spitted the beef and hung it over the fire. He came back wiping his brow of sweat.

Sarah reached for his sleeves. “Roll these up and you’ll be cooler.” His hand was closed over hers before she could see it move. “I don’t roll up my sleeves,” he said in a low voice.

She looked up at his eyes and saw a dangerous look there, one she hadn’t seen before. She wet her lips, then asked, “Why?”

Cort looked away, and said, “I just don’t.”

Sarah waited til she felt his hand on hers relax, then she slowly unbuttoned the sleeve she was still touching. Cort looked into the distance. She rolled back the cotton and gasped at the scars on his wrist.

“That’s why.” He started to roll it back down, but she held it firmly.

“Who did this to you? Herod?”

“Yeah. He kept me chained like a dog to a fountain that used to be in the middle of town. It didn’t work anyhow, so I had it torn down.”

Sarah lifted his hand, and pressed her cool lips to his wrist. He looked back at her with a sort of amazement. She raised her eyes to his, then lifted her head. “I’m glad he’s dead. He left way too many scars on you, Cort.”

Cort lifted his hand to her cheek and caressed it. Then he leaned over to kiss her warmly. His mouth covered hers gently, then more firmly as he felt her respond to him. When their tongues brushed each other, he heard her make a soft noise, and he pulled away. Her eyes opened slowly to find him looking lovingly at her.

“Cort,” she whispered. “I know this isn’t very ladylike, but I’d really like for you to make love to me right now.”

He didn’t answer, but he lowered her back onto the blanket and kissed her again passionately. Her hands fumbled with the buttons on his vest as he stroked her body. His hair fell forward, brushing her face as they kissed hungrily. When he kissed her neck, she rubbed her face like a cat against his soft brown waves, and ran her hand up through it. She clutched a handful of his thick hair as she arched against him, and his hand found the buttons on her dress and began undoing them.

She got the vest undone and pushed it back, so he could shrug out of it impatiently. One of his hands had slipped inside her dress now and was cupping her breast, thumb stroking back and forth over the rapidly hardening nipple. She yanked at his shirt, popping at least one button completely off in her hurry, then ran her hands inside to caress his bare back. One of his legs was over hers, and she could feel her skirt riding up, leaving her leg bare. She pushed him back from her to tug frantically at his belt and pants, while he stripped off the remains of his shirt. When her hands reached inside and closed over his stiff cock, he closed his eyes in pleasure, then hungrily began kissing her again. He dragged her skirt up farther, and began to move her undergarments out of the way.

When he moved on top of her, he looked down earnestly into her blue eyes. “You’re really sure?” he questioned with a raspy sound to his voice. She nodded briefly, then pulled his mouth back down to hers just as she felt the length of him sink into her. Their lovemaking was rushed, like a starving man at a banquet, and when she came, she cried out his name and dug red furrows into his back with her nails. His hands suddenly cupped her ass, lifting her to him a little more and he thrust faster, growling into her neck, saying something she couldn’t really hear, but she understood anyhow, then he gasped, and came hard, thrusting deep, throwing his head back and giving himself over to a hard shudder that racked his body. Then he slowly collapsed his weight on top of her for a moment before rolling over onto his side, still holding himself within her.

She clung to him, breathing hard, and kissing his sweaty skin. He panted like a horse that had been ridden hard, but she felt his mouth brushing her hair on her forehead. When he softened and slipped out of her, she rearranged herself to be a little more comfortable, then looked up at him.

“I didn’t know it could be like that,” she murmured with a shy smile.

Cort gave a low laugh. “No? Then Mr. Wheeler was missing out on even more than I thought.” He kissed her forehead, then her soft mouth. “God, Sarah. I still want you. I can’t get enough of you.”

She stroked his chest and sides, and then brought her hand up to his face. “I love you, Cort. I think this is a good start to a whole new life. For both of us.”

He nodded and turned his head to kiss her palm. When he did, he caught a glimpse of the fire, and he started to laugh. Sarah looked puzzled, then followed his gaze. She burst out laughing too when she saw the piece of meat he had been cooking was just a blackened lump now, and it seemed to have a flame of it’s own burning on the top.

“So much for my cooking skills,” he grinned.

Sarah smiled wickedly. “You were distracted. You can’t help that. Besides, this sounds like an awful good way to get you to come back to my house for a real dinner. And,” she added coyly, “I do have a real soft featherbed you might come to enjoy. It’s a little more comfortable than these rocks.”

A smile spread across Cort’s face. “Well, Ma’am, I guess Miss Hattie’s just going to have to talk.” Then he looked at the ground for a minute, then back up at her with anticipation. “Unless, we can talk that new mayor into marrying us on the way back in.”

Sarah started to giggle, then realized he was serious. “Cort, are you asking me? Yes! Yes I’ll marry you!”

He kissed her again, then quickly helped her up. They redressed as best they could, although his shirt wasn’t quite buttoned anymore, and her hair was a terrible mess, and her dress had some suspicious looking stains on it. But they headed back into town smiling.

The End

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