The Stranger

Author Note: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading! 150+ hits in two days! Hooray! I want to thank Saige, Ikkichi, CandyCaner, and Juliet for reviewing! You make me super duper happy when those emails just popup on my computer. I hope to keep up on a schedule like this, but don't expect much when the weekend comes, I have to work all day on those days, so Friday-Sunday, don't get your hopes up for a chapter.

And Away We Go.

-----

I had somehow fallen asleep and I awoke with the morning crow of the rooster. I wanted to throw a shoe at that animal sometimes.

I crawled off the mattress and stood up, stretching my back in an arch while yawning, letting my body work its kinks out from a terrible night’s sleep. I stepped into my dressing room and got dressed, pulling my hair back and up into a tie to keep it off my neck. Today was going to be another hot as hell day, I just knew it.

I went downstairs and grabbed the deposit money from last night’s business. From what I could tell with the money, it was a fairly average night, just a tad slower than usual. I took it up my safe and took any change that was necessary down to the drawer back in the bar downstairs.

I had some time so went back up the stairs and into my dressing room and just stared at the saddle bags. I scrunched my eyes and willed the damn thing to magically open and for all the contents to spill out all on their own so I could be nosy without actually being an asshole.

It didn’t work.

Fuck.

I sighed and left the room to get to work downstairs. Hopefully that stranger didn’t die so I could force some information out of her. I was too curious and I needed to get her out of my damn system.

-----

Fuck.

That.

Bell.

Fuck it and anyone that’s been going in and out the doors of my saloon for the past few hours. The one fucking day I don’t want anyone in my saloon, except that stranger, the whole town of Long Canyon decides, ‘Hey, I want a beer! Not just any old beer though, I want a beer from Sheafer’s.’

I had to open up early because a few of the nearby cattle workers wanted a cold one. Then came the low-life husbands who were wasting their meager paychecks at my bar rather than putting the money in at the bank or taking care of their families.

I ended up having to send Lawrence to go and fetch Shawnie to help me out. She was the best worker in the bar, but she made the least amount of tips unfortunately. She was a Negro that had been born just as the civil war erupted. Her parents had already fled north and were out of the Confederate States by the time she was born. I had no idea why she would want to come back to the south, but here she was. She wouldn’t tell me, even though she knew I was dying to know why. I was legendary for being nosy and wanting to know people’s secrets.

The Mayor wouldn’t let me pay her as much as all the other guys and gals who were white, so I would always give her any tips I would gather throughout the day. She was a shy, soft spoken girl who was as nice as the day was long, and she was polite. Nobody who traipsed through my bar cared one bit, though.

It was high noon by the time the business lulled. It had been an exhausting morning already and the day was going by slower than a snail. The bar was empty at the moment other than Lawrence, Shawnie, and I, so I felt comfortable enough to be a little silly. I had sprawled my upper body onto the counter of the bar, staring at the counter straight on, arms spread out to the sides, and taking up as much space as possible. I was willing my body to find rest somehow.

I heard Shawnie trying to stifle a laugh. I smiled. That girl just did not laugh enough.

Fucking bell rang again. I sighed but didn’t lift my head up. A pair of boots thunked their way right in front of me and I didn’t even bother to lift my face off the counter.

“Welcome to Sheafer’s, what can I get for ya?” I half heartedly muffled this to the bar.

Of course… no rest for the wicked.

“Well… I’d like my bags back for a start.” My whole body snapped up to attention and a rush of energy came over me. The stranger came back! I drank in her form, the dark hair flowing down her back in a tail, her clothes, while they were the same, they were dustier than they had been yesterday, and her hat was perched on her head. I saw a little teasing twinkle in her eye, but her face was stony and expressionless. I knew I had seen something in her eyes yesterday. A huge smile spread over my face in excitement.

“You didn’t die!” My eyes bulged out of my head and I clapped my hands over my mouth. Of course, the first thing out of my mouth was something stupid like that.

“No. I didn’t.” She coughed into her hand, almost like she was stifling a laugh. I squinted; was she making fun of me?

“What bags?” Lawrence had joined the group. He was suspiciously eyeing the woman. Shawnie was just cleaning tables, not minding what was going on. Trying to, anyway.

“She left her bags here when she had taken that Indian back to the settlement.” I turned to her, “I didn’t look through your bags by the way!” I was proud of myself for having some restraint and I smiled at her.

“I never said you couldn’t.” My mouth dropped and she shrugged, “There’s just clothes and other such stuff in there, nothing incriminating.” I scowled. Why wasn’t I informed of this before? I could’ve slept fine if I had known what was in those damn bags! (My mind was shouting, “Nu-uh, you still would’ve been as curious as a little cat, and you know it!!”) I shut that thought up right quick. She continued through my horror.

“Can I just pick them up? I’ll leave y’all be when I get them.” She stole a quick glance at Lawrence who was just outright glaring at her at this point.

“Knock it off Lawrence. Now you sit down stranger, I’ll go get your bags and you’ll get one of those free drinks I promised. I never go back on a promise.” She started to feebly protest.

“Shush! Sit down and shut your trap woman! We’re doing things my way right now, so sit!” She let out a great breath and sat. I smiled cheekily at her and then turned my gaze to Lawrence and glared.

“Don’t you have a break to take Lawrence?” I put my hands on my hips and tried to look imposing. I was quite short for a woman though, so I don’t know if it worked very well. Apparently it had; he gave me a petulant look and stomped out the door.

I walked up the stairs, grabbed the bags and tried not to drag them back down. I was huffing and puffing from the weight by the time I was down the stairs. The woman met me there and gently grabbed the bags from me. When our hands brushed I felt her skin was rough and calloused. She either worked quite a bit or had been outside a lot, though I had a feeling that both were contributing factors.

“Thank you for keeping them safe, and for respecting my privacy ma’am. I can see that it took a lot of effort on your part.” There was that twinkle of laughter in her eyes again. I flushed and smiled up at her.

“It was no problem. I’m sorry about Lawrence. He doesn’t take too kindly to his norm being shaken up.” She backed up out of my little person space bubble and sat back down at her chair. My bubble wanted her back immediately.

“No worries here. I’m used to it by now.” She took off her hat and gloves, putting them on the counter. I walked over to her and poured her some of my best whiskey.

“You still like whiskey right?”

“Yep.” She nodded slowly, “That brand you’re pourin’ there is actually my favorite.” I grinned.

Damn, this woman just turns me into a smiling idiot.

I slid the glass into her waiting hand and rested my forearms on the counter, leaning towards the woman. I felt like a predator waiting for my prey to show a sign of weakness.

“So, what’s your name? I can’t just keep calling you stranger.” She put the glass down and sighed.

“You just ain’t gonna let this go, are you, woman?”

“Nope! You asked the absolute worst person to keep your bags for you. I am the most inquisitive woman in this town, and everyone knows it. I will not let you get away until I know enough about you to keep my curiosity at bay, so you might as well just answer my questions to shut me up.” I was being a little to sassy for my own good and I was loving it.

“Lynn.” She had such a pretty name! Doesn’t really go with the rest of her attitude, but It was a nice name anyways.

“Got a last name to go with it?”

“No.”

“Aw! Come on! I won’t tell anyone.” I whispered like it was a big old secret.

“No. Ask another question if you must, but no last name.”

“Fine.” I mulled it over, if she was this defensive about her name, then I knew I should only ask easy questions for now, more personal queries later. “Where do you come from?”

“Southern Texas.” My eyebrows shot up.

“Wow! You came quite far. You must take pretty good care of that horse if it didn’t die on you from going that far.” She nodded slowly.

“It took a while.”

I asked her question after question and whenever a customer came in Shawnie took care of them right quick. Lynn only said no a few times when I was getting a little too personal, but all in all I got most of my more obvious questions answered. My curiosity hadn’t died down one bit though. This woman would have to be dealing with me quite a bit more in the future.

“So, are you gonna be staying long? Where you gonna be staying, Lynn?”

“There was a shack halfway between this town and the Dine tribe’s settlement. Is that open for anyone to buy, or is it already owned?”

“I don’t think so; I’d have to ask the sheriff.”

“Ask the sheriff what?” Deputy Ferguson walked into my bar at that moment. He eyed Lynn in her odd clothes and walked up to me, sitting only one chair away from Lynn.

“Is that shack about half a mile west from here free or taken?” Lynn was polite when asking, be she had taken notice of me gritting my teeth.

Remember when I said I didn’t like the deputy? We’ll it’s because he always stares unabashedly at my chest and, whenever the opportunity presents itself, he gropes me in whatever places possible. He has a wife and two beautiful children, but he doesn’t hide his disgusting attraction to me. I feared that one day, it may go too far.

Ferguson, while wary of Lynn was answering her politely while staring at me, trying to picture me naked. I went to go grab his favorite beer, he came in here enough for me to memorize it by know, opened it, and put it down by him.

“All you gotta do is go down to the sheriff and mayor’s office, sign some papers, pay up, and it’s yours.” He chugged half the beer down after he gave this advice to Lynn. I was surprised he was being so nice to her.

“Thank you very much sir.” She dipped her head in respect and grabbed her things, getting ready to leave. She put on her hat and slipped her gloves on her rough but long fingers.

“You’ll come back won’t you Lynn? I-I mean… you still need to claim all those free drinks from our bet.” I was scared I wouldn’t get to see her again. I bit my lip in anticipation of her answer. I had to tilt my head back to keep my gaze locked with her as she stood up.

“Of course, Miss Sheafer. I’ll be back tomorrow.” She tipped her hat at me and left. I stared at her as she left and didn’t look away until the bell sounded off. I sighed and looked down, quickly replaying the day in my mind.

I was so happy she had come, and I had gotten to memorize the details of her face as she sat there, reluctantly answering my questions. I chewed my lip in anticipation.

I couldn’t wait until she came in again tomorrow.