Great and Terrible Things

"Nothing," I answered, but then relented at her curious look. "It's just been a while since I've done something like this."

"I thought you were cavalry?"

"I was," I said, refusing to clarify. Instead, I changed the subject. "Why don't you show me these horses of yours?" I'd already decided to go into town and hope for a cavalry trained stallion, but I did want to see the horses she'd trained. Besides, I loved how her expression lit up when she started talking about them.

We spent the next fifteen minutes with her introducing me to each of the horses available. They were all good horses, some downright impressive, especially Domino now that I could see more than his lines in the morning sun. I was sorely tempted to buy him, but I was still holding out for a cavalry trained horse.

"He's got more stamina than you'll know what to do with and he's fast. Not racehorse fast, but close enough and he can keep up the pace for a lost longer." I guess I was grinning a little too widely as I listened to her talk about Domino.

"What's so funny?" She was frowning and I didn't like that.

"I like the way your face lights up when you talk about your horses," I said with a shrug. It was the honest truth. "The only time I've seen you happier is when Billy hugs you." Oddly, she didn't seem embarrassed by my words. I decided to pry a bit. "So, how long have you and Billy been living with your uncle?"

I was just trying to learned more about her, but Abigail's hesitation spoke volumes. I thought she wasn't going to answer until she finally started talking. There was far less exuberance than when she talked about her horses.

"Since just before Billy was born." She hesitated again, sighed and then shrugged, mostly to herself I thought. "I was with child and Uncle William was the only kin willing to take me in." There was obviously a lot more to her story, but I refused to press her further. She would tell me or not. I actually thought she might before Billy came running into the stable.

"Good morning, Mr. Mosey!" the boy grinned. "Clementine says that if you don't come in right now there won't be any breakfast for you. She also sent me out to help momma with her chores."

"I best be going," I said, regretting the interruption, but also thankful for it. I knew for a certainty that whatever Abigail was going to say next would have somehow draw us closer together, and I didn't want that, or at least I thought I didn't. I wasn't the settling down type, and this woman deserved a man who was.

I did notice a couple of older men around the ranch as I made my way to the main house. I was guessing that they were the few hands who probably remained behind to help out while the rest took the herd to market. I hadn't seen any of these men last night, but that could have been for many reasons. They seemed curious, but friendly enough.

Breakfast was a simpler fare then the night before, but just as good. Afterward, I went into William's den to check out my Winchester. I had it mostly apart when William and Billy came in. I don't know which one was more interested. I grinned and explained what I was doing as I worked.

"This is the carbine version," I was saying some time later. "The barrels a few inches shorter. It easier to use on horseback." It also held less cartridges than the other versions, but it was a tradeoff, like most things in life. Besides, it still held twice what my Peacemaker did and was much easier to reload.

"That was one of the reasons why I guessed you were formerly a cavalry man," William interjected, but mostly he stayed silent and let Billy and I talk. He was sitting at the spare chair in the room. I offered him his own when he first arrived, but he's waved me off. Young Billy was too excited to sit at first.

Somewhere in the middle the boy climbed into my lap to get a closer look. Truthfully, I'd been so focused on what I was doing and saying that I didn't really notice, at least not until I caught William looking at us with a speculative look. It made me uncomfortable, but it's not like I could push the poor kid away, and frankly, I found his inquisitiveness enjoyable. Thankfully, the old man didn't say anything and kept his attention on what I was doing with the Winchester after that.

"There, the Centennial is good as new!" I smiled at Billy once the rifle had checked out and I'd put it back together. He grinned back in return. That didn't stop him from having more question.

"Why do you call it a Centennial?"

"It's not just me," I laughed in reply. "It's because it was released during the country's centennial, when the United States celebrated one hundred years."

"Oh! I remember that! It was a long time ago."

"A couple of years," I corrected gently. I guess to an eight-year-old that was a long time ago. "You should have seen the first repeating rifle I bought after the southern rebellion was put down. It was called the 'Yellowboy' because of the shiny brass receiver."

"Really?" Billy asked, obviously not quite believing me.

"Really," I repeated. The boy glanced at William who was nodding in agreement. That's when I noticed Abigail standing by the door. Actually, she was leaning on the doorframe with an odd expression as she watched her son and me. It quickly disappeared when she realized I saw her.

"Come on Billy. We need to get you ready. We're leaving shortly."

"Let's go!" the boy cried excitedly as he jumped off my lap and all but ran to his mother.

"You'll have to excuse him," she said with a shake of her head, giving her son a loving smile as he ran past. "We go to Church Hollow every Sunday, but it's a small town and doesn't have much to interest a boy Billy's age." Abigail followed her son out of the room.

"The woman folk have decided to make a day of this trip so I'd better go make sure there's nothing the ranch hands need to ask me before we go," William said, standing slowly from the chair. I saw the thoughtful look in his eyes so wasn't completely surprised when he added, "You're good with the boy." I shrugged, not sure how to respond to that.

"I have to go get the rest of my gear from the stable." The old man nodded easily at my change in subject as he took my Peacemaker down from the wall and handed it to me. I nodded in thanks and left.

The wagon and horses were out already out front and ready to go. I found my saddle on Domino and grinned. Apparently, Abigail was going for the hard sell. I saw that my gear was also tied to my saddle. I checked it all after putting my Centennial in the saddle holster and buckling my Peacemaker back in place.

I also took the time to appreciate Domino. He really was a magnificent horse. I was scratching where his withers met his neck when William and his entire clan finally arrived. Clementine and Billy were excitedly chattering which made me smile. William was watching them both fondly as he climbed up onto the wagon. Abigail was watching me and Domino.

"Still trying to make a sale, I see." I was teasing her and she knew it. I couldn't stop myself from grinning at her noncommittal shrug.

"You should feel honored Abigail is willing to sell you Domino," Clementine interjected with more than a little attitude as she followed her grandfather up into the wagon. "She's very picky who she sells her horses to."

"I do," I said, not quite laughing as I reached down and lifted Billy to the wagon without thought. Clementine abrasive personality somehow made me want to laugh more often than not. Well, when she wasn't holding a rifle on me anyway.

"Thanks!" the boy cried and he settled in between the two adults.

"You're welcome, son." I had to give Abigail credit. She'd done a good job raising the boy so far.

"Don't talk Grandpappy and Clementine's ears off the whole ride." I was sure Abigail's warning would go unheeded.

"Leave the boy be and mount up." William was clearly ready to go. "We'd burning daylight." The old man snapped the reins and got the wagon started. I could already hear Billy asking his first question. I exchanged a look with Abigail and we both laughed as me reached for our horses.

"Thanks for the use of Domino," I said to her after we caught up to the wagon. "I much prefer the smooth gait of a horse to the bone-jarring ride of a wagon."

"Me too," she admitted. It didn't really surprise since she sat her horse as well as any cavalrymen I knew.

We spent the first half hour riding close to the wagon, but I couldn't take much of that and shifted ahead. I guess it was the scout in me that needed to be out front, scanning for trouble. Abigail kept pace. We were in a much-traveled part of the territory so there was probably not much to worry about, but I kept my eyes open just the same. Wyoming was far from being settled and safe.

The more I rode Domino the more impressed I became by the horse and his trainer. It was too bad he wasn't cavalry trained or I've have definitely bought him. I was seriously thinking about doing it anyway. The horse was everything Abigail promised.

We stayed in view of the wagon, shifting from about a hundred yards on one side of the trail to a hundred yards on the other. We also checked on the backtrail every once in a while. It wasn't much, but it was enough to allow me to feel reasonably certain I'd spot trouble if it was coming.

Oddly, despite riding together Abigail and I didn't speak about much. Maybe it was because we both realized we'd soon be parting ways or maybe it was because neither of us wanted to face the attraction we felt for each other. Of course, It could have been simply because we kept shifting around the wagon so much. I don't know, but oddly, it was okay. Just being next to Abigail was somehow comforting.

That's not to say we didn't speak at all. We just kept the conversation light and infrequent. We shared some memories of our childhood and discussed the different places we'd been without getting into too much detail about our lives while there.

For example, I described the differences between Ohio, Tennessee and the other places my regiment took me. They were all beautiful in their way. Abigail talked about being a little girl in Pennsylvania and moving to Virginia with her family as a child. I didn't bring up any of the pain and suffering that I'd seen as a soldier and she didn't talk about how she ended up a widowed, pregnant young woman with a scarred face and not much else other than an uncle and aunt who were willing to take her in.

Twisted River ended up being a four-hour ride which wasn't as bad as I feared, especially not with Abigail for company most of the way. She did go back to the wagon occasionally to talk with her family. She even allowed Billy to ride with her for a while at one point. We arrived in town a little before lunch time.

There were a lot of people about, many of whom waved and smiled at William and his family as we rode in. I received a few curious looks, but that was typical when a stranger came into a town this size. Most people seemed pleasant enough.

The settlement bordered the river that gave it its name. I could see the water flowing down from the north and shifting off to the east at a reasonably sharp angle. I noticed that the rock was different on the southern edge. I was guessing that's why it direction twisted the way it did.

We entered town where the river shifted direction. The main street with all the businesses lay along the west to east portion of the river. There was also a road going off to the north. I could see houses in that direction, as well as a church steeple off in the distance. William pulled the wagon off to the side and stopped.

"I'd like to treat you all to a meal in thanks for your kindness, if that okay?" I asked as Abigail and I did the same.

"No need," William replied, but I insisted and eventually he relented. He pointed off to the right a couple of building in and on the north side of the street. "The hotel yonder has a café that serves decent food, but I have couple of things to settle first." He turned to Abigail and added, "Why don't you take Mr. Mosey and help find him a horse?"

"Billy and I will go with them," Clementine interjected quickly. "The last time you said you had a couple of things to settle we were stuck in that land office for hours."

"I want to go to the general store to see what kind of candy they have in!" Billy's eyes were lit in only the way a child's can be when you talk about sweets.

"Of course you do," Abigail said with a sigh that I'm sure mothers have been perfecting since back in Adam and Eve's time. I did my best not to laugh.

"Why don't you take Billy to the general store for some candy and then meet us?" Clementine offered. "I may not know half as much as you do about horses, but I can show him whichever place you want Mr. Mosey to stop at first. Speaking of which, where do you suggest?"

"A cavalry trained mount of any worth is going to be hard to find." Abigail was frowning as she tried to come up with the most likely place. "You'll most likely need to go to Fort Laramie, like we said last night. Would a gelding do?"

"I prefer a stallion," I clarified.

"Of course you do." The fact that she said it in the exact same tone as she'd used with Billy when he asked for candy wasn't lost on me, or any of the other adults for that matter. Clementine grinned and William barked out a laugh. She ignored them both and added, "Your best bet is to stop at the blacksmith and ask him. He'd be the best person to know if anyone has what you're looking for."

"Thanks," I smiled, and then turned to Clementine who was getting off the wagon. "You don't need to come with me if you'd prefer to go to the store with them."

"No," she said a little too quickly. "The blacksmith is on the other side of town. Walking there will give me a chance to see what's changed since the last time I was here. Besides, I've been sitting for hours. I could use the exercise."

"But isn't the livery stable near the blacksmith? Won't we need to leave the wagon and horses there?" The stables were typically close to the blacksmith in most towns. Abigail and Clementine shared a look at my question that I didn't understand until I saw William's reaction.

"Not in this lifetime," the old man replied gruffly. "The owner of the livery stable is a thief! I'm not paying what he's asking to care for my horses and wagons for a few hours. It robbery! I've got a friend nearby who'll let the horses graze in her front yard. Hattie's son and daughter-in-law moved in after her husband passed a few years back. The grandchildren love taking care of the horses."

"They love the sweets you give them for doing it," Abigail said pointedly, but then smiled and added, "I'll pick up some extras when I take Billy."

"You all get going," William ordered. "But tie the horses to the wagon first."

Clementine climbed down from her perch easily enough, but Billy was quicker. He jumped off, making the old man's gruff demeanor soften into a smile. I was grinning a little myself as I dismounted and did as William requested. Abigail did the same.

I didn't realize I was watching the strawberry blond a little too intently as she did so until I noticed Clementine roll her eyes at me from the corner of my eye. Thankfully, that was the extend of the teenager's reaction, but I began talking to hide my embarrassment.

"Thanks for the use of Domino." I silently congratulated myself for coming up with a good excuse to be looking at Abigail. I was sure Clementine wasn't buying it, but I now had plausible deniability, which was something every good soldier knew about. "He sure is a good mount."

"I can give you a good price on him if you're interested, but you'd better decide soon. I'm sure someone will make an offer for him while we're in town."

Abigail was smiling as she took Billy's hand. She was serious, but she was also having a little fun teasing me. She knew I wouldn't commit until I'd had a chance to look for a cavalry trained mount and I was reasonably confident she would check with me one last time before selling Domino to someone else. According to Clementine, Abigail would probably turn down most offers anyway unless she knew and trusted the buyer. It made me feel good that she was willing to sell him to me.

"Oh, I'm interested." I didn't realize how that sounded until Clementine snorted. William was grinning that grin of his that annoyed me so and poor Abigail was blushing again. The only one who seemed oblivious was Billy. What was wrong with me? I sounded like a damned fool! "Domino is everything you said he would be."

"He's one of the best I've ever trained." There was confidence and a touch of pride in her voice that sounded just about right.

It's funny, but the more I got to know Abigail, the less I noticed her scar. Don't get me wrong. It was there and impossible to miss. I just stopped focusing on it the more I got to know her. It was easy. There were plenty of other interesting things to focus on.

For example, it was too bad that her hair was always tied in a long braid. I was betting it would look magnificent down. Of course, with me leaving later today I'd never see it like that, but that didn't mean I couldn't imagine it.

"Let's get going," Clementine grumbled. It made me smile because I realized she sounded just like her grandfather. I guess that made sense since he'd been the one to raise her.

"William. Mrs. Collier." I tipped my hat in their direction. "Billy." The boy was out and out bouncing in place impatiently by this point. I grinned at his antics and followed after the short, fiery blond already ten steps ahead, leading me east, down the main street. Clementine was clearly on a mission. I wondered what was on her mind.

William got the wagon moving again, up the north road to his friend's house. Abigail and Billy crossed the street and heading in our general direction. I understood why when I saw the general store a few doors down. There were plenty of barrels and supplies out front as well as a couple of wagons.

Twisted River was a nice, bustling little town. Not too big or too small. The streets were crowded and the stores busy. I was guessing it was due for a growth spurt soon. We were about halfway through it when the teenager stopped dead and turned toward me.

"I see a friend I need to say hello to. You can't miss the blacksmith if you just keep walking." I raised an eyebrow at the girl and glanced down the street. It didn't take me long to spot him. It could have been a coincidence, but I wasn't buying it. I wondered how the Phillips boy convinced his father to let him come to town today. I was sure Clementine must have told him we were making the trip today.

"I'm sorry Miss Walker, but I can't leave you alone unchaperoned. What would your grandfather say?" I fully expected an explosion which I was in no mood for so I decided to see if I could shock her into silence first. "Is that young Mr. Phillips over there? I think I saw him wandering around the ranch last night. I wonder how he knew you'd be here today?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Her tone left no room for argument, but she was fooling neither of us and blushed badly. I decided to take pity on her.

"Why not invite him along?" Besides, I wanted to get a better feel for the boy before deciding what to do about him.

I couldn't believe she thought she could convince me to leave her alone in a strange town, but I guess we were all young and stupid once. Clementine hesitated so I called out to the young man. "Come on over, son." That earned me a nasty look from her and a confused one from him. I ignored them both and waved the boy near.

"Why Miles Phillips! Imagine meeting you here." I didn't quite roll my eyes as she greeted the young man.

"Hello Clemen..I mean Miss Walker. It's good to see you," the boy said gamely.