"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I had several,it was so good, why?" she said handing him the whip.
"Because you are definitely not yourselftonight. Come on, we better get you to bed."
"I'm not going to bed with you, sir!" sheshrieked, then fell on the seat.
He laughed, "You sure aren't." He laughedall the way home.
When he got her to the house, Dickens cameout in his pajamas and stared, as Wes had to carry Kate back intothe house once more.
"What happened?"
"Too much spiked punch." Wes chuckled.
He put her to bed, took her shoes off andcovered her up, kissed her on the forehead and chuckled all the wayto the kitchen.
"I told her not to drink it if it wasspiked. I guess she couldn't tell. Said it was tasty and she hadseveral glasses." Wes chuckled. "I couldn't figure out the severechange in her attitude, then it hit me. The punch."
"For crying out loud. Did she have a goodtime?"
"Judging from her temper tonight, I don’tthink so. And tomorrow might not be any better." Wes chuckled.
"What happened?" Dickens asked.
"Well, where do I start. She was hot aboutMr. Campbell wanting to teach her how to be a lady. Then we raninto the Smith boys, they got fresh, and she took out the whip andgave Hubert a good whack on the cheek. I guess she set themstraight." Wes cackled. "I didn't know she had it in her."
"You're kidding."
"So help me God, I'm not."
"Well hell's bells. Guess she won't bewalking down the aisle with that Campbell."
"Doesn't look like it. And it's a damnedshame, he could really take care of her." Wes lowered his voice tomelancholy now.
"Well, that girl doesn't need to drink,that's for sure." Dickens shook his head. "She'll be sorry in themorning."
"I don't think sorry is the right word." Wessaid more seriously now. "At least not about what she said anddid."
"Why not?"
"He pretty near insulted her. Like her firsthusband he wants to change her and make her a lady, and that's notgoing to happen. The one thing I gotta admire in her, is her spiritto be herself. It would seem that when she lost Jim, it opened up awhole new can of worms. Despite everything, Kate's going to beherself, and I can't blame her for that."
"Well I'll be damned!" Dickens chuckled. "Inever thought she'd be a little spitfire."
"Yes, she's quite a lady unto herself." Wesnodded. "And only a spitfire when she drinks."
Chapter Twenty
The next day Kate woke up and started to getup when something hit her hard in the head. "Oh… " she cried.
She tried again and this time she grabbedher head and moaned loudly. She laid back down. Her stomach roiled.The room spun, and she moaned aloud.
Wes came into the room and smiled. "How youfeeling?"
"Oh… what happened?" she cried.
"I told you to watch out for the punch." Hechuckled.
"You mean… oh my God! But it tasted sogood."
"Some punch does taste better with liquor init. I forgot to tell you that too. It wasn't whiskey, it was eitherGin or Vodka. Not as easy to tell with them."
"It didn't smell… " she defended.
She shaded her eyes from the bright sunlightdrifting through the window.
"Probably too much fruit in it tosmell."
"Can you pull the shade down?"
"Sure," he smiled at her. "Here, it's a ragfor your head. And I wouldn’t be making any sudden moves right now.Your head is gonna feel like it's coming off your shoulders. Yourstomach won't feel much better. I can put a bucket next to your bedin case you get sick."
"Maybe you should." She said softly.
Then she asked him when he started to leave."Did I make a spectacle of myself?" she asked peaking through herfingers at him.
He chuckled, "Not at the dance, I don'tthink. But you let me have it, and then, you really gave it to theSmith boys."
She tried to get up, but that hammer on herhead made her slide back down into the covers.
"What did I do to them?"
"You cracked the whip and hit poor Hubert onthe cheek."
"Oh dear God. I didn't."
"You did, honey. Big as brass."
"What happened, were they mad?"
"I think I persuaded them to go home."
"Oh, oh dear. I made a complete fool ofmyself."
"Well not to the charming rancher I don'tthink." He smiled, "If that makes you feel any better."
"It doesn't. He's the one that caused all ofthis. The arrogant jackass."
"That's pretty strong language." Hechuckled.
"He came down on you and Dickens too, andthat's what really made me mad. He doesn't even know you and he wassaying ugly things. And even Jim, and he's dead."
"Really?" Wes' face sobered. "Well, I don'tknow the man very well."
"Oh, is there anything I can take for thispounding in my head?" she groaned.
"I'll get you something. But you stay inbed, or you will regret it."
"I'm not moving an inch." She promised.
So she'd taken up for him and Dickens. Thatwas surprising in some ways. It endeared her to him too. Every dayhe found more reasons to like Kate Marley, and just the way shewas, too!
He fixed her a concoction of tomato juice asquirt of lemon and tobacco sauce. He threw in a raw egg andstirred it good. Then he took it to her.
"You're not going to feel like doinganything today, so just relax and catch up on your sleep if youcan. I'll bring you some books, but I doubt you'll feel likereading even." He promised.
She caught his hand as he was leaving,"Wes," she called his name. He stopped and turned to look at her,"thanks."
He grinned. "Dickens will be here most ofthe day to see to anything you might need."
"I owe you both. Aren't you going to be heretoo?"
"I got something to do, but I'll be backdirectly." He told her.
She tried to nod, but it hurt too much.
Wes told Dickens he'd given her an oldremedy for a hangover. "Feeling pretty poorly, sounds like."
"Oh yeah!" Wes smiled. "Look, I'm gonna runover to the Smith's and talk to them."
"What for?"
"Well, when I leave, I don't want to worryabout them trying to get even with her. I'll make it as plain as Ican, so they understand."
"Are you leaving soon?"
"Yeah, I've done all
