At Sunset

A Gift

Days had gone by, and once again Cap hadn't seen any trace of Clarice around. He'd taken to calling her Clara, just in his head to himself though. There wasn't anyone around to hear him call her that of course, because to everyone else she had already been forgotten. Johnse was mixed up in his own personal headache, as it seemed more and more each day their mother was getting fed up with having the McCoy girl around. Uncle Ellison and Cotton hadn't been around much, and Cap himself had been swept back up into the routine of whatever his father or Jim were doing.

It was early afternoon, and he stood outside Uncle Wall's courthouse with Jim and Skunkhair while his Pap and the rest of his kin in the area got busy doing their own business. He split his attentions from listening to Uncle Jim talking, and watching the people in town. Some of the McCoys were present, and immediately he had his guard up, and it wouldn't be dropped until he was back home later. With that lot running around, his family could never be too careful.

Cap was brought out of his reverie by Skunkhair letting out a low whistle as he perched himself over the railing on the boardwalk. "Now who's that you reckon?" He said pointing a finger.

Both Cap and his uncle followed Skunkhair's line of sight to the boardwalk across the road, where a girl dressed in black and white skirts was prancing out of Doc Rutherford's. She was easily recognized by Cap, with no bonnet on her head today, but still shaded by one of her fancy umbrellas. The look on her face was focused, as if she had somewhere pressing to be, yet she was still gaining the attention of many onlookers in town.

"That's Clarice Darling." said Cap offhandedly.

"The Yankee you n' yer brother brought back ta' yer daddy's house?" Jim questioned as he squinted his eyes.

"She ain't a Yankee Jim," He corrected before he could help it. "Jus' some girl who came from New York."

His uncle huffed and spit to the side before wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand. "Maybe you been lookin' too long at that one."

Cap felt a shred of annoyance at his uncle for that comment. He wasn't like Johnse, running after some skirt every other week. Wasn't like he had his pick of girls as it was, what with them flinching back in terror whenever he was near. Clara didn't look at him like that. It was something he found himself getting used to way too quickly, but he liked that she could look him head on without fear lingering because of his eye. Hell, as much as he admired him, Cap didn't want to end up like his Uncle Jim one day; alone with no wife or kids running around.

"I don't blame 'im for lookin'," Skunkhair piped up with a grin. "The view's nice. Looks like some folks agree too."

Cap's good eye perused the area and he spotted a troop of McCoys just outside of the Doc's office. Tolbert said something to the rest of them that caused them to erupt in loud laughter before he started to split away from his brothers and approach an unsuspecting Clarice.

"Oh Hell, don't think I wanna see this," said Skunkhair, pushing off of the railing as he started to walk towards Tolbert. Cap stuck out his hand at the last second, stopping him with a palm at the chest as he pushed his friend back.

"Hold up a sec. Let's see what happens, she ain't like the girls 'round here."

Skunkhair looked reluctant, but he surrendered back into his place beside Cap, watching with interest at what would take place. His friend had respect enough to stand up for Clara's honor, and for that Cap was glad, but he also trusted she could look after herself, at least in public from the unwanted advances of Tolbert McCoy. If any of those boys were to take after Ol' Randall McCoy's drinking habits, it would undoubtedly be him.

The eldest McCoy cut off Clarice's path on the boardwalk, holding his arms out slightly so she couldn't walk past like she first intended to do. Her face scrunched into annoyance as she looked up at Tolbert, her nose crinkling in a way that an angry dog's might. Tolbert tipped his hat back on his head and leaned up on the side of the building, speaking with a confident grin on his face to an impassive Clarice. She showed signs of listening, though not with much interest when she kept looking down and fussing with her striped skirt to keep herself occupied. Her head snapped up when Tolbert said something else, and she shook her head vigorously before curtly side stepping past him. His face twisted in displeasure before snatching on to Clarice's arm at the crook of her elbow. Cap would have been worried if it wasn't for her quick reflexes that he or Tolbert hadn't anticipated. She quickly jabbed the pointed end of her umbrella into his stomach, causing him to drop her arm and hunch over in red-faced agony.