The Course of True Love - Book l

Clemons Point - Horse Flesh for Dinner

Arthur returned back to Clemons Point late in the evening, having all of the time he needed during the ride back from New Hanover to clear his mind and cool down from the heated argument between him and Minnie as well as the notorious shootout in Valentine. With a heavy sigh, he swung his leg over the saddle horn as he dismounted his trusted mare, loosening the cinch to reward her for a job well done as he completely removed the saddle and the bridle following suit, giving her the permission to go and graze next to the lake with the other horses, all but one.

His heart sank.

He immediately looked for Javier as he knew that he was second on Minnie's list of trusted colleagues. "Hey... You seen Minnie?" Arthur asked as he scratched the back of his neck.

Javier looked up at him from his guitar, his expression worry-less, "Yeah. She got back a couple of hours ago... Said she was goin' to Rhodes for the night."

"Did she say why?"

"No, just said that she was going to spend the night in Rhodes and that she needed to get away for a bit to clear her mind." Javier replied.

Arthur sighed, "Okay, then."

"It'll be fine, Arthur." Javier assured his friend as he watched Arthur walk away from him as he met up with Hosea at the nearby table to join him for their evening stew.

"Hey, Arthur," Hosea nodded as he blew the steam away from his new spoon-full of stew. "How are you?"

"Well, I guess." He sighed.

Hosea smirked, knowing his son all-too-well, "Don't worry yourself about her, Arthur."

"I ain't." Arthur scoffed.

"Yeah? And I'm just readin' penny dreadfuls for the hell of it!" Hosea snorted. "You walk around thinkin' I don't know what you're worryin' about."

"I'm not worried. I'm just-"

"Worried," Hosea chuckled. "She didn't run off for good. She's no different than everybody else. Sometimes, you gotta get away. You even do it!"

"I know," Arthur sighed. "It's just where we got into an argument before we went out on that robbery and now I come back and she's gone. I guess I'm just a damn fool."

"You are right now. Worrying about what you did wrong and how it will affect your relationship. What did you get into an argument about?" Hosea asked.

"Turns out, that Thomas Downes fella - well, he was good friends with her father and she watched me confront him the first time about the money..."

"And she paid it after the fact when she first joined us."

"I-I know, but apparently, he owed more or took more. Anyway, Strauss came up and told me he was dead before we left and she heard every bit of it. She thinks I'm the one who caused it... Well, I kinda was, but I just roughed him up a bit!" He explained.

Hosea held up his hand to stop Arthur's babbling, "I'm sure she was just upset. I know she doesn't think you're the reason why. Is that all you two fought about?"

Arthur nodded, "Yeah and she gave me the eat shit and die look the whole time we were in Valentine doin' that job."

Hosea chuckled, "You sound like you're in love, my friend."

"I doubt it. Just a puppy love phase." Arthur shrugged.

"Puppy love, huh?" Hosea raised a brow. "If I remember correctly, people who are in the 'puppy love' phase are not intimate with each other."

Arthur couldn't help but blush, "That was just one of them things..."

"Oh, is it now?" Hosea tilted his head. "Listen to yourself. That doesn't sound like anything you'd say. Are you ashamed to admit that you're in love or are falling in love?"