TEXAS

Arriving in Texas, Scarlett stared out the stagecoach window. The story was they were just passing through town and had decided to stay for the week to give Scarlett a rest, claiming she would get weak from traveling too long. At least after a long argument they agreed to let her use her own name, claiming it would just confuse her on times she would need to focus. Her hair was up in a fancy hairdo, even a small hat to block out a small portion of the sun. Sam was well dressed as well since they would have to convince the Texans that he was indeed a businessman. Now the story with Charles and Jasper where they were cousins to Sam and Henry was Scarlett's cousin come to make sure that they got to where they needed to go.

There was dust everywhere, not much of a change there. The people barely paid attention to them as they came into town. The stagecoach stopped right before the hotel in town. There were two hotels, one that was for the hourly working class, such as ladies of the night, and the fancy hotel where they would be stay. They mean Sam and Scarlett. The others would stay at the first hotel so they would not draw attention.

The door opened and Sam stepped outside, he offered his hand to Scarlett who smiled as she took it and stepped out of the stagecoach and onto the main dirt road of the town. The place had people, they all stared for just a moment before turning to mind their own business. Sam tucked her arm into place right through his hooked arm. Jasper and Charles helped Henry unload the luggage that Sam and Scarlett would need at the fancy hotel.

Walking up to the main desk of the hotel, Sam smiled as he talked to the manager of the establishment and told him the story of them just passing through but would need a room for at least a week, to allow his new wife to rest before continuing the journey. The manager smiled and assured Sam that the hotel they would be staying in was one of the finest and ensured him that Scarlett would get a good night's rest there. Paying with the money Jasper had given him, Sam was then handed the key.

Once finally in the room, Scarlett and Sam both flopped onto the bed and groan.

"Well, step one seemed to work out just fine." Sam chuckled.

"Step one was the easiest, we had the money, so he had no reason to turn us away." Scarlett said as she sat up and Henry sat a random piece of luggage at her feet. "You guys sure you'll be ok at the other hotel?"

"Yes Scarlett, you need to remember that it's not as bad as you th-" Charles started as they heard a gunshot coming from outside.

Running to the window, they all saw three men and two women running out of the other hotel. One of the men had a gun and seemed to be threatening not only the women but the other man as well. Raising her eyebrow, Scarlett turned and looked to Charles.

"You were saying Charles?" she challenged him with one look.

"We'll keep an eye out for each other Scar, just trust us. We have to figure out a way to get you and Sam into the fancy dress party." Henry sighed before taking a seat in a nearby chair.

"Easy, fancy paper here. I'll write a letter claiming to be missing true society and the thrill of a party and have it mistakenly sent to that wretched man's woman of choice." Scarlett smiled as she went to the writing desk.

"Sometimes, it scares me how she comes up with things." Sam commented as he sat up on the bed.

"Imagine what she was like as a kid." Henry interrupted.

"I don't want to; I am married to her and yet I fear her." Sam retorted.

Scarlett smiled and handed the letter to Henry.

"I trust you with this task more than I would any of them, don't fail me Henry. I promise this will be the hardest task I give to you." Scarlett said placing the letter in his hand.

Henry nodded and took the letter and then quickly took his leave. Jasper chuckled as he watched the scene outside from the window. Charles rolled his eyes and his brothers' interest in other affairs. Sam began to take off his jacket as Scarlett went to Jasper.

"What dare I ask is so amusing to you?" she questioned him.

"The woman were together and yet the man with the gun was going to kill the other man who just so happens to be the manager of that hotel. Talk about getting the story mixed up." He chuckled.

"How do you know all that?"

"First of all, I cracked the window so I could try to hear, I heard everything that was said." Jasper said as he looked to Sam and Charles. "We'd better head to our room brother, got to get some sleep after that hellish trip."

Charles agreed and walked to the door as Sam walked into the washroom, closing the door behind him. Jasper looked Scarlett up and down either admiring her dress or he had other ideas she did not want to know about.

"Will it be white?" he asked he all the sudden.

"Will what be white?" she countered.

"Your wedding dress? When we get married at the end of this will you wear a white wedding dress?" he smiled as he caught her hand and placed it above his heart. "You would be a vision in white."

Scarlett blushed but did not have time to answer as Charles pulled his twin away from her. Jasper winked at Scarlett as his twin pulled him out of the room, shutting the door behind him. The door to the washroom opened and there stood same with his kerchief off, vest undone, shirt unbuttoned about halfway down looking right at her.

"Jasper trying to swoon you?" Sam asked timidly still unsure how Scarlett might react to the question.

"He tries to swoon anything with breasts." She answered as she walked to the mirror and took the ridiculous hat out of her hair.

She then began to take her hair down pin by pin. Sam sat on the bed and went over the plan with her for what felt to be the millionth time, but she did confirm everything she had said. Finally, once she completed her task, she turned to Sam and was looking at her in awe.

"Something wrong?" she asked seeing him looking at her in such a way.

"Scarlett, please do not kill me if at the end of this I fall for you. I haven't had much luck with women so please believe me when I say the feelings, I have for you or will have for you in the future are not intentional." He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "I already know there is no way a girl like you would every truly fall for a guy like me. I'm really a sheep herder after all, I don't have much to offer any woman."

"Stop groveling, Sam you have more to offer than you think. If you did not, then I would not have bothered saving you. Sit up, as of right now you've already won me." She told him pointing to the gold band on her ring finger which matched the one on his ring finger. "I am your wife, the woman of your dreams, the woman who shares your bed."

"It's fake Scarlett, but even fake, I can't help but admit I do like it." He shrugged as he laid his head back on the bed. "Should we eat of just go to sleep?"

Scarlett took off the outer portion of her dress, putting on a robe and laid down in the bed beside Sam. She could tell her was nervous with the situation, so she just slowly made her way over to him. She did not force him to talk or anything like that.

"I'm quite tired, why don't we just sleep and eat a big breakfast tomorrow?" she replied.

Sam turned his head expecting to see her on the other side of the bed, he was surprised to see her almost laying her head on his arm. Gulping he nodded in agreement with her.

"Sam you have to get use to being close to me." Scarlett said as she did rest her head on his arm.

"Like I said this is new, my own wife didn't even let me lay in bed with her let alone rest her head on my arm." Sam stuttered as he became more nervous.

Scarlett tried to keep her eyes open, she really did but after Sam continued to tell the story of how he met his wife, she fell asleep right there on his arm. Sam finished his story and turned to find Scarlett fast asleep. He adjusted himself to try and get comfortable and this cause Scarlett to move, now she placed her head and left arm on his chest.

A knock on the door made Sam look up at it in worry.

"Come in." he yelled in a whispered tone.

Somehow the person knew, the door opened, and Henry chuckled at the sight before him.

"Please don't kill me, she did this, not me." Sam pleaded with Henry who just shook his head.

"I have no need to kill you, Scarlett is good at putting people in awkward positions. Anyway, expect a letter from a woman named Rebecca tomorrow, apparently she is the woman who will get you into a society party." Henry told Sam who nodded.

"Right, well that's good. Can you help me move her?" Sam asked in a pleading tone.

Henry sighed; he knew what would happen if they woke her up. There was a reason you did not wake Scarlett up, if you did there would be hell to pay. Still he carefully moves Scarlett to her own side of the bed and Sam jumped up brushing himself off.

"Why did you want to move her? Most guys like Scarlett." Henry asked wondering what was going on.

"I am doing my best not to fall for her, I mean she is beautiful, smart, knows how to handle herself and a gun an-"Sam starts but then stops as he looks at henry. "Too late, I already like her, don't I?"

"We all like her, that's why we are here. Jasper has not idea what he is getting into when he marries her." Henry groans.

"You think she will really go through with it?" Sam asked Henry.

"She keeps to her word, though I wouldn't choose Jasper for her, but I have no say in this matter. Best to get some rest Sam." Henry shrugged and left the room.

"Jasper will do nothing but ruin her, not only in name, but in her heart too." Sam sighed as he went back into the washroom to change.

Jasper sat outside the window of the room that Sam and Scarlett shared, he had heard everything that Sam and Henry had said. He watched as Henry walked back to the other hotel head down, he did not give any of the women passing by even a glance. Sighing Jasper leaned his head back against the wall. People always thought the worst of him, he should have been used to it, but he did not want them to think once he married Scarlett that it would be the end of her life. He did not want to put out the flame that was lit deep inside of her. Was he willing to try and changed for her? Someone who from the start wanted nothing to do with him and now she was only going to marry him thanks to his financial contribution into her getting revenge. Wiping his hand down his face, he investigated the window at his sleeping fiancée and decided. Scarlett was his and his only, even if he had to become someone she needed and not be selfish any longer.