Thief of My Heart (Watty Awards Finalist 2012)

Chapter 8

It was a cloudy morning on their fourth day together.  Heyes eyed the mule with dread as he saddled the horse.  He did not want to get back on that beast of burden.  His backside and his manly parts were taking a real beating from that animals back bone.  As though she could read his thoughts the mule raised her head and snorted in his direction.  She did move alot faster being lead by rein but he was not going to ride double with Evangeline.  That was just asking for trouble.  Especially after the reaction he had had to her closeness last night.  He scowled at the animal.  His restless night had him in a very foul mood.  Evangeline on the other hand had slept like the dead and was in a particularly sunny mood despite their current situation.

She was bright eyed and bushy tailed, as his grandpa used to say, when she came back from her morning trip to the creek, rifle in tow.  "I'm glad the sun is behind the clouds today.  Maybe it will give us a break from the heat.  I won't be needing your hat today so you can have  it back if you want."   She held it out to him.  He snatched it abruptly from her hand and looped the stampede strings around the saddle horn.  Then he angrily flipped it around to the other side of the saddle so he could finish tightening the saddle cinch.  

His sour disposition didn't go unnoticed.  Her eyebrows shot up in bewilderment.   Had she done or said something to make him mad?  She hoped not.  Maybe he was growing weary of her incessant crying and waking him in the night with her bad dreams.  Or maybe he was just plain weary of her.  Whatever the reason, she couldn't bear the thought of him in an unhappy mood.   "I'm sorry I woke you last night.  And I don't mean to cry like that all of the time.  I just can't help it.  I've never been one to have nightmares so many nights in a row.  I don't know what's wrong with me.  I know I'm probably keeping you from getting the rest you need and I guess I'd be a little cranky too, if I had to deal with a blubbering ninny like me."  She fidgeted with the buttons on her shirt as  she stared down at the ground, waiting nervously for his response.

He hadn't realized how his foul mood might affect her and he was immediately sorry for the way he'd acted.  Now she was blaming herself for his less than chipper mood.  It wasn't her  fault he'd lain awake last night having improper thoughts about her.  He hung his head shamefully for a moment and then produced a smile that made her stomach flip flop.  "No, I'm the one who's sorry.  I'm not mad at you. I didn't get much rest last night, but it wasn't because of your bad dream. I've never been a real sound sleeper.   And if you didn't cry I'd think there was something wrong with you.   I'm just not looking forward to riding her for one more mile."  He stabbed his finger into the air in the mule's direction after making the final adjustments to the saddle. 

She felt better now, seeing him smile and knowing she hadn't done anything to make him upset.  "She has a name you know.  Her name is Jenny.  And she's very sweet."  She walked over to the mule and lovingly scratched her nose.   " Do you want to switch?  I could ride her today."

"You're already sore from the saddle.  You spend the day straddling her bony spine and you'll be hurting in unmentionable places."

She frowned at him, not sure what he meant at first.  "Ooohhh,  I see. Well there is another alternative.   We could ride double again.  You did say Jenny made better time being led."

"Uuhh, no, I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Why didn't you rest well last night?  Was it because you are sore in unmentionable places due to riding her bony spine?"

"Something like that."  It had to do with his unmentionable places alright, but not in the way she thought. 

"Then it seems to me the only logical and practical thing to do is ride together. It will probably save us a day's ride."