Cowboys and Angels [1883]

three

Claire Dutton didn't continue her journey west with the rest of the Dutton family, she lay in the ground next to her daughter after taking her own life. Elizabeth had joined her sister and the other cowboys following the herd just like her father asked her to. There were only a few cowboys that rode with them, there was Ennis who had caught her sister's eye and vice versa, Wade who was the older of the cowboys, and Wesley. 

Elizabeth had only spoken to Wade a couple of times as he helped her better her technique to herd the cattle, Ennis was a chatter-bug but mostly kept to flirting with Elsa who shamelessly flirted right back, Wesley was the strong and silent type. Elizabeth knew he was strong when she watched him take down one of the longhorns bare-handed that tried to hurry off from the trail. Wesley had broad shoulders and a broad chest with arms to match, standin' at around 6'0 with striking blue eyes. The hair that hid under his hat was a dirty blonde color that wasn't long like Wade's or Ennis's, Elizabeth observed him from the other side of the herd. She hadn't gotten the courage to speak to him, Elsa told her that she only knew his name because Ennis told her. 

Unknown to her, Wesley observed her too. While he thought Elsa was pretty like Ennis told him non-stop, Elizabeth was intriguing to him. First of all, she shot a man and took his horse. Second, from the far side of the herd, he could still see her deep brown eyes that complemented her hair. He always noticed when she would tug at her skirt annoyed at the material gettin' in the way of her work. Wesley was glad when her father gave her a hat similar to his own, she wasted no time throwing the bonnet in the wind which made him chuckle. With a cowboy's hat, her face was easier to see and Wesley liked that. 

Elizabeth took great pity on the travelers, it seemed as if another emigrant passed each day. The bandits, sickness, carelessness, and accidents were no stranger on the trail. But the river, unspoken amongst the travelers,  was the one fear that Elizabeth was not prepared for. The train came upon the great rushing water, Elizabeth on her horse looked from her mother to her father and her sister. With the pull of the reigns and a soft kick to her horse's side, she trotted back to the herd. The three cowboys who had decided to continue the journey greeted her on their own horses, "What's the hold-up?" Wade asked. 

Ennis chuckled, "Another one of them emigrants wagons break down?" Elizabeth gave him a pointed look, in her personal opinion she didn't know what Elsa saw in him. True he wasn't bad to look at but he had absolutely no filter. Elizabeth supposed that's how all cowboys are but at least Wade knew what to say and when. Wesley simply didn't speak much. 

"River," Elizabeth's one word had the smile on Ennis's face drop. The river was daunting, getting the cattle across wouldn't be an issue, the animals had a natural instinct, but they all knew that nature was unpredictable. Wade rode off, leaving the three together, saying something about talking to her father about getting more help for the herd tonight since the other help left. 

Ennis went around to the other side of the herd to keep them from wanderin' too far for grass, leavin' Elizabeth and Wesley. Elizabeth wanted to talk to him, wanted to hear his voice but she didn't know what to say. But she didn't have to worry, 

"What's your horse's name?" Elizabeth's head turned to look at him, he had spoken. His voice was deep and smooth, not deep like Shea's but deep. 

"Bandit." She replied softly, she didn't want to sound intimidated but he was intimidating but in a good way she thought. 

"Why Bandit?" he still hadn't looked at her when he spoke so when Elizabeth replied she turned and looked onto the cattle,

"Cause I stole him from the Bandit who killed my cousin," that's when Wesley looked at her. He had heard the travelers talk of what she had done,