"I love him Dickens." She admitted.
"I know that sugar. And I think he doestoo."
"Then why didn't he ask me to wait?" sheblurted then blushed.
"Because he's been a troubled young man fora long time. He lost a lot of people he loved in his young life andhe had to deal with that alone. But now, you've become his fairytale. This journey he is on now, will prove to him that he'sfinally a man, finally facing all the bad and is opening his lifeto the good. He's coming back in April, and he hopes you will behere."
"Did he say that?"
"Maybe not in those words, but that was whathe meant." Dickens smiled.
She turned away, "I wish he'd have told methat."
Her voice cracked and Dickens knew she wascrying.
Dickens stood up and turned her around, tosee the tears in her eyes, "He couldn't. Because if he fails, hewon't be back."
"But I don't care if he fails. I just wanthim to come back."
Dickens smiled, "Of course you do. But, whena man wastes time and finally realizes it, he has things to proveto himself."
"I understand what you are saying, butstill, I wish he wouldn't have left."
"No, he needs this time. A man doesn't comeinto manhood just by growing up, Kate. You made him see the need toface it all. He wants to hold his head up, be confident, and knowhe's a man. If he succeeds in doing this, he'll be the best manaround, I can tell you that. And believe me, he'll be worth waitingfor Kate!"
"I never doubted his manhood," Katecried.
"Of course you didn't, neither did I. But hedid. He wants to prove his own worth. He couldn't have lived hereon your ranch, with my money. He's too proud. He's got to know hecan make it in this world, without our help. And when he does,he'll be something to behold."
She sat down at the table. "I don't knowwhen I fell in love with him."
Dickens smiled. "He does."
"He does?"
"Yep, the day you jumped into his arms andkissed him like there was no tomorrow."
Kate blushed, "Oh, oh my God. I don't knowwhat possessed me. I've never done anything like that before. Hewas telling me I couldn't be a saloon girl. And I had to prove itto him."
"Well Kate, I got a feeling he wouldn't letyou be a saloon girl."
"I know, that's what he said. I asked ifhe'd come see me, and he said, he would, but then he would jerk meup and haul me over his shoulder and march me out of that saloon."She chuckled.
"And he would too! Why'd you want to be asaloon girl anyway?" Dickens chuckled.
"Well, like him I guess, I had no confidencethat things would work out here at all. I was weighing my prospectsof what I could do."
"A saloon girl, huh?" Dickens shook hishead.
"I wouldn't make a very good one, I can tellyou that now." She chuckled.
"Why do you say that?" Dickens frowned.
"Well, on my wedding night, Jim sort of gotrough with me. He tore my clothes and well, he wasn't gentle. AndI'm sure men coming into a saloon wouldn’t be either. I only hadrelations with Jim once, that was enough for me."
Dickens frowned. "I figured he was thattype."
"When Wes came along, it was different."
"How so?"
"Wes was gentle. I mean, we never didanything, don't get me wrong. But he did kiss me a time or two andthat was so different from Jim. He was tender, gentle and I wantedmore with him. Strange isn't it?" Kate shook her head.
"Not at all. Jim treated you like a whore,and he was your husband. Wes treated you like the lady you are, anda woman can't resist a man like that."
"That's true."
"You ever been in love, Dickens?" Kate askedstaring into his blue eyes.
"Once, a long while back. She was a bigrancher's daughter. Her daddy didn't like me because I was a dirtypig farmer he said. He caught us sparking one night and he ran meoff with a whip and made her promise to never see me again. And shedidn't. End of story."
"Did she like you?"
"Oh yeah, and every time I saw her, shecried. It broke my heart. But she didn't know how to fight herdaddy, and neither did I." Dickens shook his head. "If I'd havefought him and hurt him, she'd have been upset, and if he'd havefought and hurt me she would have been upset, so I did nothing,because I just didn't know what to do."
"I'm so sorry."
"It happens. I got married a few yearslater, but I didn't love her as much as I did Carolyn. She died inchildbirth a year later though, the baby died too."
"My God, Dickens, how very sad for you."
"Wasn't meant to be, Sugar. Just wasn'tmeant to be."
"Did you ever want to do anything besidesraise hogs?"
"Nope, never. I was good at it. I learnedfrom the best, my own father. You know, there's all kinds of workfor a man to do, but he should do what he knows and loves ratherthan what others thinks he should do. Just like Wes, I had no ideahe was thinking about breaking mustangs. It's a good life, for ayoung man, you can make money with it too."
Kate poured him some coffee, "I agree. Iwould have left with Wes if he'd have asked me to."
Dickens nodded. "He knew that too. Butthat's no life for a woman. And he knew it. You belong here. Andnow so do I. This is our home and we are family. And Wes is part ofthat family too, and he'll realize that soon enough."
"I hope you are right." She murmured.
ChapterTwenty-Four
Winter came early and the snow cameunannounced. It was hard to track the horses but somewhere alongChristmas time Wes caught up to the wild herd. Wes didn't realizeall his training of Lucky was going to pay off, but he was like agood sheep dog, he mustered those horses about, making it easier tokeep them in line.
For a while he just kept up with them, buthe cracked his whip and began to herd with them, directing them ina different direction. It was hard
