Running Straight Into His Arms [Youngguns fanfic]

1

I sat there on the front porch watching the sunset. I felt Doc's hand on my shoulder.

" Lorraine John wants you in for dinner." His voice gruff but soft beckons me inside.

The smell of pine wafted around the living room, making it seem like Christmas. One of the older boys Brewer is found losing a card game to Dirty Steve while Charlie sat by the fireplace staring into the orange flames.

Doc was setting the table for dinner while our newest regulator parked himself on the porch watching the sunset I had been watching earlier.
I didn't know his name, but to be completely honest, I don't even want to know it.

"Excuse me, Ms. Lori. I don't want you to get burned with this hot plate." Doc carefully set down the hot plate containing the biggest chicken I'd ever seen. "I'll go call the boys to supper Doc. Take a break. You earned it." He sits down, gives a sigh of relief, and smiles at me.
I've known Doc, Bowdre, Steve, and Brewer since I first moved from London with my father. Brewer makes his way to the table, the same as the other two boys, now to get the new boy in for supper.

I walk to the porch, and my father comes in, kissing my forehead and heading towards the table to eat. "Hey, new kid, you gonna come in for supper or starve?" He looks up at me and, without saying anything, gets up and waltzes right inside like a horse to its stable.
I follow behind, and lo and behold, my seat gets taken, making it obvious that I have to sit with the new kid.

After a word of grace, everyone digs into green beans, mashed potatoes, and chicken. We treat each other like siblings even though we ain't blood, you can smell the cigars at the table along with bad jokes.

"So I'm guessing your name is Lorraine, correct?" The new kid cuts a piece of his chicken and looks at me expecting a response. "It's Miss Tunstall, not Lorraine. You have to earn it to call me Lorraine."

My father perks up at my response, "Lori, I will have no rudeness at this table, especially at our newest recruit. Apologize immediately." I look at the kid, and with all the sanity I have left, I say, "Sorry kid, I'm not used to being called Lorraine, but as I said before the boys that you work with earned the right to say, Lorraine."

Charlie and Steve quivered in their seats, trying to control their laughter while I received dirty looks from both Brewer and Doc. I know what I said was rude and unthoughtful, but I must set boundaries as the only lady in this house. "I accept your apology Lori oh sorry Ms. Tunstall."

The new kid smiles as he grabs his cup, sipping the cool water. He smirks at me and then proceeds to leave the table to clean up after himself, wishing us happy dreams and going up the stairs to his room and closing the door.

"Ok, well, this was a fun dinner chat. I'm heading to bed." Father gets up, wishes us goodnight, and heads into his office for minor reasons, then, like a new boy goes upstairs and shuts the door.

The next morning:

I woke up before the boys put tea on the kettle and worked on breakfast. I'm interrupted by feeling two arms wrapped around my waist and someone's chin on my shoulder.

"Hm, eggs, bacon, and pancakes all for me. Oh Chavez, you lucky boy." His breath is soft and smooth, like water running down a stream. 

"Chavez, get your damn hands off of Lorraine!" Out of the corner of my eye, I see Doc pointing his shotgun at Chavez, and then my waist feels lighter, and so does my shoulder. He backs up his hands in the air while I just stood there frozen in place at the stovetop, praying I don't get shot at.

Josiah comes up to me with his shotgun in hand, inspecting my hair, clothes, and anything that was on my body but didn't dare ask about my modest areas. 

"De verdad tenías que hacer eso? ¡Uf, qué hermano tan sobreprotector eres!" Both men look at me in shock surprised that I knew a lick of Spanish.
"Que te crees que estoy embarazada o algo!" In a fit of rage, I pick up a piece of hot bacon and throw it at them seeing how angry they made me.

Doc gets up and runs while New kid Chavez whatever the hell I'll call him remains sitting in his seat at the breakfast table laughing away at the mischief he caused then gets up again and kisses me full on the lips then winks at me saying "Ms. Tunstall thanks for the entertainment I needed it also thanks for the kiss it was wonderful." 

After I had gone back to cooking breakfast I told the rest of the boys that once they arrived downstairs for breakfast they could pick what chores they wanted to do. I excuse myself from the dining room and head upstairs to my room which included a portrait of my mother and my dress.

I fastened my corset then added my hoop skirt and then fabric skirt. My gaze goes back to the portrait of my mother her face frozen in time now that we don't live in England anymore.

Right as I finish getting ready I tend to my hair putting it up in a bun and pinning necessary hair out of my face until I look deeply into my mirror seeing a face at my door once I turned around it went away.