𝘊𝘖𝘕 𝘖𝘍 𝘙𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘕𝘎𝘌 | ᴘʀᴇ ʀᴅʀ2

Chapter Eighteen

"Where the hell are you goin' now?!" Shouted John from outside Rosalie's tent.

Rosalie furrowed her brows and glanced at her tent flaps, having just pulled in her pants and shirt for the day. It was only mid-morning, so she couldn't imagine what kind of commotion was going on already.

She pushed open the flap and stepped outside, the air thick and warm from the summer heat of the deep south. She could already feel her curls frizzing from the humidity and ran a hand through them as her gaze drifted over the camp.

John chased Arthur across the clearing, but he waved John off like an annoying fly, not even stopping to give him the time of day. Rosalie felt a tick of irritation at the sight.

"It's none of your damn business, kid!" Arthur called as he unhitched Boadicea from the tree and saddled her.

"You've been gone for days, it ain't fair! At least Rosie told us where she's been, but you ain't sparin' any details! It's like you're abandoning us or somethin'!" Cried John, throwing his hands up in exasperation as Arthur stuck his foot into a stirrup and swung himself into the saddle.

Arthur grabbed hold of the reins and looked down at John. "Stop askin' me, alright? I'm off doin' grown man things, so go do somethin' else that's more worth your time than bothering me! I show up when it's important, and that's all that matters."

With that, Arthur tugged on Boadicea's reins and steered her out of camp, kicking her into a trot and taking off over the grassy hills.

John dropped his arms to his side, a pitiful look on his face as Arthur disappeared, leaving John in his dust.

Rosalie frowned from outside her tent, watching Arthur's retreating form in the distance turn to nothing more than a speck.

While she was mad at Arthur, mostly due to her own jealousy, it was still cruel of him to blow off John like that. Even if he was seeing a woman and acting that way because he was excited about the new relationship, it didn't excuse his treatment of John. He felt left out was all. John just wanted someone to do something with him.

With a deep sigh, Rosalie walked over to John, her boots scraping against the grass as she made her way over. Stopping beside him, she crossed her arms and gave him a sideways look.

"Hey, kid," Rosalie greeted, first gauging Johns's reaction.

"Hey," He responded grumpily.

"I was thinking..." Rosalie pursed her lips, looking off to the side in feigned thought. "I know I've been busy lately, and today isn't a great day... but tomorrow we could go rob one of those stagecoaches? From that wealthy businessman I met at the saloon?"

John turned to her with hopeful eyes, a grin pulling at his lips. "...Really?"

Rosalie smiled. "Sure."

John's grin practically split his face in half. "Yeah! Okay! I'd like that! I've been itchin' to do somethin' fun since Dutch said he's savin' his energy for that thing at Lake Catherine you mentioned, but I wanna get out!"

"Alright, then you have a deal," Rosalie said as she gave him a pat on the shoulder.

John was practically vibrating with glee, his grin widening. "Alright!" He cheered.

Rosalie's proposal seemed to placate him, as there was a pep to his step as he went about his usual chores, Susan ordering him around after Rosalie had done her fair share of washing some of the clothes and dishes too.

Susan had laid off most of her pestering, especially since Rosalie took on what was considered the 'men's work' of hunting and fishing. Fishing was one of Rosalie's favorite activities anyway, so if it got her out of scrubbing shirts, she would eagerly take her line to the nearby lakes any day.