Chapter 11

Bliss talked as fast as she could about everything she could think of. If there was anything she knew a man hated, it was senseless chatter. The only problem was that she annoyed the other men, too.

It was worth the price.

Besides, Colt knew that her plan was to make the man quit.

Last night had been the same as the night before, but without the awkward stare. It still confused her, the way she felt he was reading the thoughts of her soul. A man shouldn’t take liberties such as those for no apparent reason. They should be reaching Plateau soon, and she couldn’t wait to be out of the wagon. These trips always seemed to drag on and on until they got to town, mostly out of anticipation. There was one person she couldn’t wait to see. Her long-time friend, Minnie Graceland, would be expecting her and Bliss couldn’t wait to catch up with her.

She saw Clint glance back out of the corner of her eye, and then leaned a few inches closer to her.

“Why did your friend have to come along again?” he asked.

“You mean Damian?” Bliss shrugged.

“He seems awfully protective of that letter he’s got to send.”

Bliss rolled her eyes. “There is nothing wrong with Damian. He’s a good family friend and my father and I know him better than anyone. Your years of not trusting people make you skittish.”

“I’m not skittish,” Clint protested.

“Really? Then why do I feel like you think everyone I’m around is a suspect for you?” Bliss crossed her arms.

She needed to find out how to press his buttons and annoy him.

“Being skittish ain’t the same as being cautious. There’s a fine line between them.”

“And you’re straddling it.”

Clint shot her a glare out of the corner of his eye and clammed up. She should have known better than to push him. Regular conversations with the man didn’t come too often and she should have snatched the opportunity while she had the chance instead of arguing with him.

Just then, Plateau came into view.

It was a beautiful town, with a tall, wide butte of either side that rose up in the sky as their soft hues of orange or brown faded in and out of each other. Saguaro cacti stood here and there around the town, standing taller and more proud than a man. The buildings of the town scattered around in a small area with streets weaving between them, serving as the only map of the small town’s layout.

Bliss sighed contentedly and folded her hands in her lap as a smile crept over her face. She was finally near civilization.

*****

Clint hopped down out of the wagon and looked around the town of Plateau. He had hoped to not see the town for a while, but it appeared that his plan wasn’t working out for him. It was a cozy little town, and looked inviting enough, but those men he had met the other day didn’t give him a good impression about the rest of the people who lived here.

He heard Miss Cooper clear her throat, and Clint looked over to see her staring at him as if she was waiting for him to help her down. Clint looked back at Colt and Damian, but they were already gone into the store they were parked in front of. Sighing, he placed his hands on either side of Miss Cooper’s waist and helped her to the ground. He heard a quick intake of breath from her as her feet hit the ground and she quickly pulled away from his reach.

Women were always afraid of him for some reason. Only Miss Cooper hadn’t struck him as the kind who would fear him. She had more spunk than most of the mere flakes of true women he had met.

So if she wasn’t afraid, what was that sound all about?

Shaking his head quickly to get rid of the question and thoughts plaguing his mind, he looked down the street to see Damian heading straight for the post office. That man sure did love writing his articles.

Maybe he wasn’t so bad. Maybe Clint was being a little jumpy, what with all the unanswered questions surrounding the Coopers. Maybe the man was a good old man who loved to talk and have a good time.

He just might be a man Clint would need to have a talk with over a beer.

Clint shoved the last of the crates into the back of the wagon. It had been a long evening after the clerk at Sam’s Mercantile had filled Miss Cooper’s order. Colt had been taking care of the horses, then claimed to have a headache and went on a walk to try to remedy it. Damian had gone to find a suitable place to eat supper and hadn’t returned since. Miss Cooper simply watched him load each and every crate by himself.

She was good at what she was doing, that was for sure.

Wiping his hands on his pants, Clint looked at Miss Cooper before moving them to his hips.

“Need anything else?” he asked.

Miss Cooper shook her head. “I think I’ll walk around town for a little while."

Clint sighed. That meant that he would have to accompany her. Shrugging and shoving his hands into his pockets, he followed her down the street. The sound of people walking on the boardwalk and friends carrying on conversations was the only noise that could be heard besides a horse and wagon passing by occasionally.

The hadn’t walked too far down the street when Clint recognized the two old coots that had nearly sent him out to be stranded in the desert, sitting right where he had left him. Part of him wanted to hide from them, while the other part wouldn’t mind shooting the checkers right out of the half-deaf one’s hands.

“Clark! Sam!” Miss Cooper greeted. “It’s good to see you!”

Clint could have melted and sunk between the boards he was walking on at that moment.

“What’d she say?” Clark hollered at Sam.

“She said it was good to see us!” Sam answered.

“Oh-h,” Clark nodded.

Not again.

“It’s good to see you too, Miss Bliss,” Sam looked to Clint. “I believe I’ve seen this whippersnapper before.”

“This is Clint Slade, gentleman,” Miss Cooper stated.

“Who’s that?” Clark yelled.

“That’s Clint Slade. You remember that contrary man who asked for directions?” Sam responded.

“Oh-h,” Clark nodded.

Clint rubbed his face.

Shoot. Me. Now.

“Mr. Slade, why don’t you sit here and catch up with Clark and Sam while I go get a few things I need in the store across the street?” Miss Cooper asked with a sweet grin on her face.

Clint scowled at her. She was going way too far with this.

She turned on her heel and walked across the street. Clint stared after her and scowled. She glanced over her shoulder before entering the clothing store and grinned again.

“Well, sonny. Grab a seat here,” Sam invited.

Clint grumbled under his breath and sat down.

“How’d things turn out at the Dottie Belle?” Clark asked loudly.

Clint nodded. “Fair.”

“Wha-at?” Clark turned his hear toward Clint.

“He said it turned out fair!” Sam answered for Clint.

“Oh-h.”

Clint watched the doorway to that women’s apparel store like a hawk. Every time it opened, he looked for that pin-straight blonde hair and soft blue dress that belonged to Miss Cooper. He didn’t know how long he could stand the old men’s company. They did nothing but talk about what happened in the ‘30s and their adventures as trappers.

“We’d bring them furs into town and no sooner than we’d get to that mercantile we’d be sold out. The folks around here took kindly to the furs we brought ‘em. We traveled all over just to get them good quality furs,” Sam explained.

“Course’n we had to get quite a few of ‘em out from under our saddles. They’d make them horses go plumb loco!” Clark exclaimed.

Clint stared at the man.

What in the world was he talking about?

“I said ‘furs’, Clark, not ‘burs’, you old coot!” Sam corrected.

“Oh-h,” Clark nodded.

“You remember them two twins we picked up alongside the road on our way here from the Mississippi?” Sam asked of Clark.

“Wha-at?”

“I asked if you remembered them two twin sisters we picked up on the way here from the Mississippi!”

Clark nodded again. “Oh-h. Them two was just about the most annoyin’ two women I ever heard of.”

Sam grinned. “But just about the pertiest faces I ever done did see.”

Clark nodded and smiled, flashing the only two teeth he still had in his head.

“We was a sight better lookin’ back in the ‘30s. Had a little more hair and a little less wrinkles on us,” Sam sighed.

“Wha-at?” Clark yelled.

Clint rubbed his temples as Sam repeated his sentence. He didn’t see how Sam put up with Clark… or why he didn’t just talk louder around his friend.

Finally, his eyes connected with the image of Miss Cooper as she exited the store across the street.

He was tempted to break out in the widest grin he had ever afforded himself, but refrained. No one must know that he was ever glad to see anyone, but he was sure glad to see Miss Cooper at that moment.

She sashayed back across the street with a box in her hand.

“You three been getting along?” she asked with a smirk.

Clint only slightly nodded as he stood to his feet. He had not enjoyed himself, and she deserved to know that. Maybe she might think before she ran off and left him with the two men again.

“I’m sorry boys, but I’ve got to take your guest away from you. I’m sure he was stimulating company,” Miss Cooper said pointedly, adjusting the string of her purse on her wrist.

“What’d she say?” Clark asked.

Clint extended his elbow to Miss Cooper impulsively. He had no idea why he did it, but he knew that he was desperate to be rid of the two men’s company.

Miss Cooper stared at him strangely for a moment before linking her arm through his.

“He don’t talk much, ma’am. Seems like he ain’t got much to say,” Sam observed of Clint.

“Wha-at?” Clark asked in a pressing tone.

They ignored him.

Miss Cooper looked over at him. “No, he doesn’t. I don’t guess I mind that much.”

“Wha-at?” Clark asked yet again with more urgency.

“Guess we’ll be on our way,” Miss Cooper smiled at the men. “Good day.”

“Wha-a-at?” Clark bellowed out.

Clint and Miss Cooper walked away and let Sam recite the conversation.

“So? How did it go?” Miss Cooper asked with a knowing grin.

“You don’t want me to answer that,” Clint grumbled.

“Well, you’re not off the hook yet. We’ve still got to visit my friend Minnie on the edge of town. We have a lot of catching up to do,” She informed him.

Clint felt his stomach flop. The last thing he wanted after spending half an hour with two characters like Clark and Sam was to be privy to woman chitchat.

He was beginning to think that Miss Cooper just might get him to leave after all if she kept doing things like this.

Again, the most helpful commenter gets a dedication! Thanks for being patient with me! Love all you guys! Buh-bye!