| �Same for you honey.� �Oh, how rude of me. Doc, Kate, you remember the girls, Annie, Jane, Mary, and Christina?� They nodded in turn and I smiled. �Let me introduce the rest of the members at this table. Howie, Kevin, Brian, Nick, and Alex. Formal guests of ours. Gentleman, a wonderful friend of mine and quite the fastest gun slinger, Doc Holliday and his woman, Kate.� �Pleasure gentleman. I was goin� to ask if I can met you after the play. I have another old time friend I�m almost positive you would love to see again.� �Wyatt is here?� �I�m not sayin� madam. Ladies, gentleman, enjoy the show. Goodbye Rachel.� He placed another kiss on the back of my hand and I smiled at him. �How long have you known Doc?� I took a sip of the wine and thought for a moment. �Damn seems like forever Nick. A good couple years. Doc was a man who hardly had any friends yet he befriended two men of the law. Wyatt Earp and my husband.� �Your husband was a lawman?� I bite my lip but nodded my head. Too much had already slipped. �Look, it�s startin�.� I smiled at Annie and turned my attention back to the stage, forgetting the brown eyes that were burning a whole in my head at the front of the stage, those ever deadly eyes of Johnny Ringo. I placed my arm on the crook�s of Howie�s and walked out with the other partners. �Look there, five lovely women Morgan.� I stopped and smiled at him. �Wyatt Earp!� He bowed slightly and placed a kiss on my cheek. �Lovely darlin�. Ladies.� He bowed to them as well, placing a kiss on each cheek. �And Morgan. How are you doin� darlin�?� �Just fine ma�am.� I smiled and heard a soft voice clearing his throat. �Piss ant, I�m dearly sorry Howie. Wyatt, let me introduce our friends. This is Howie. That�s Kevin with Annie. Um, Brian with Jane. Nick and Mary and Alex and Christina.� �Pleasure.� He shook each hand in turned. �Mr. Earp, just what are you doin� here?� Annie asked, slowly fanning herself. �Oh, making myself some money. Morgan and Virgil are goin� be helpin� of course.� �Oh, the whole family is here,� Jane said, laughing a little. �Wyatt, we have to go.� �Of course. I�ll stop by later Rachel.� He placed another kiss on my cheek. �Of course Wyatt.� I placed my arm back on Howie�s and smiled at him. But as I saw his eyes trial Wyatt, the smile faded. �Howie, you okay darlin�?� He glanced down at me. �Just fine.� �Let�s head back to the hotel, unless you fine gentleman have anything planned?� Christina asked, snapping her fan against Alex�s arm. �None at all ma�am.� �Somethin� on your mind Howie?� Howie glanced up at the young lady and smiled. �Not at all Jane. How are you ma�am?� �Oh, I�m just fine. Thought I would come catch a breath of air. Bein� inside all the time gets to be so damn stuffy.� Jane smiled and sat down on the porch chair. �Jane, can I talk to you?� �By all means sir.� �How well do you know Rachel?� �Pretty well. Us girls are like sisters of course.� �Who was Rachel married to?� Jane tapped her nail against her chin and shook her head. �I�m not all to sure actually. I don�t recall her ever tellin� us.� �You mean to tell me she worked with you all these years and never once mentioned her husband?� �We often don�t talk about our pasts sir. It�s not like it�s private, we just choose to leave it there.� �How well does she know Wyatt?� �I do believe Mr. Howie that you are askin� the wrong person these questions. If you want to find out about dear Rachel, ask Rachel. Don�t ask any of us. We often don�t sell out our fellow sister.� �You�re not sellin� her out. I fell ya�ll are in danger. We�re just tryin� to protect to you.� �Bounty hunters?� �What?� �Is that what ya�ll are, bounty hunters? Sorta, do whatever and whenever. Let the wind guide you?� �Not�why yes, actually, that�s what we are.� Jane simply nodded her head and frowned. �Surprisin� I suppose, just why would you want to come to Tombstone? Very interestin� indeed. If you�ll excuse me sir, I do recall I had a few things to do this afternoon.� Howie tipped his hat and smiled as she walked back inside. �Annoyin� little creatures gettin� everywhere and under foot. I tell ya, if I could, I would shoot them. Piss ant rats.� �Annie child, I swear you�re mind runs away sugar. It does it�s own thinkin�,� Christina said, laughing at the older woman. �Jealous little thing aren�t ya? Upset cause Ma always favored me.� Christina shot the nearest pillow at her sister. �Now, I ain�t got no reason to be jealous. You might have been Ma�s favorite but Pa loved me and adored me.� �Oh no he didn�t sister. Pa loved his son above all of us,� Mary added in. The ladies quieted down for a moment. �Do ya�ll miss them?� �Sometimes.� Annie got up and walked over to the window, watching as the wind picked up some sand and let it ride it�s waves. �Being the oldest wasn�t always the nicest thing you know? I knew some truths that hurt.� �Like what Annie?� �Pa had a real bad drinkin� problem when him and Ma first got married. Ya know Davy left because Pa used to abuse Davy and I? When he would come home drunk he would take his anger out on us, Ma hated it, but there wasn�t much she could do. It went on for a few months, the younger kids never seein� it of course. And than the fire came. As horrible as it sounds, I wished for fire every night. Just to take Pa away, so I wouldn�t hurt. Ma had sold me though, sold me into this life. I had no choice but to take you little ones with me.� Annie bit her lip and shot a small smile toward the ladies. �I made a promise than and there, right on this porch step before I started it all. I promised I would never let anyone harm my family ever again. No man would ever hurt us, or they would live to pay for it.� Kevin backed away from the door frame and glanced at Alex. �What�s wrong?� �Howie had a really bad idea.� |
| Journey Of The Heart By: Resa Dorough (thanks to Terri for the title) |
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