Spit Fire (Rdr2)

Blackwater 3

Lizzy's POV

Arthur helped me off the horse and carried me past John. "What the hell Morgan?" John asked.

"O'drisscal's shot her, but it's just a graze. Gonna need stitches," he told my brother.

"Watch the damn post!" John said walking over to take me from Arthur.

"Damn it stop your bitching!" I said. "Put me down and I damned walk!"

"I've got you Lizzy," Arthur said.

I said it again,"Put me down!"

Arthur sighed,"No! I'm taking you to Hosea then I'll stand guard. So John could be with you."

"Fine then could you hurry up!" I said.

Arthur carried me over to my tent and sat me on the bed and called Hosea. "She is gonna need stitches," Arthur told him.

"Get Miss Grimshaw," Hosea said.

Arthur walker out and went to Miss Grimshaw. "Lizzy needs stitches and Hosea wants your help," he told the woman.

"Alright Mr Morgan," she said and walked over to Lizzy's tent.

Hosea stepped out and she closed the flaps. She helped me take my pants off she laid my blanket over my lap and pulled the cover back to expose my wound. "Hosea she is ready for you," Miss Grimshaw said.

Hosea stepped inside and sat down beside me. He poured some alcohol on my leg causing me to wince in pain. John walked over,"Squeeze my hand," John said as Hosea started sewing my thigh up.

I squeezed John's hand and I saw Arthur watching with concern in his eyes. After the first couple of stitches I became numb. "Go tell him to stop," I said. "It's not his fault and he has nothing to be sorry for."

John sighed. "You sure you're alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine I have Hosea and Miss Grimshaw here," I said. 

John sighed and left my side to go talk to Arthur. Arthur had always tried to be my protector.  It hurt me that he felt like I was helpless, he taught me to shoot a gun, and how to fight. I laid down after Hosea finished stitching me up. "Get some rest and stay off that leg a day or two," he said.

"Alright," I said.

Days turned into weeks and weeks into months, we added more people to the group Michah Bell, Mac, Davey and Jenny Callender, and Charles Smith. He was a handsome man quiet and brooding. He was half Indian half black. So we were what people call half breeds. 

I liked him from the start. He taught me how to shoot a bow and arrow. He taught me how the track the right way. (Not that Arthur's way was bad just different) My feelings were changing, Arthur was always gonna be my first love whether he realized or not.

"Liz do you want to go hunting with me?" Charles asked.

"Sure," I said. "Where are we going?"

"Just outside Valentine, so we will probably camp for the night," he said.

"Alright," I said. "I'll grab an overnight bag and some food."

"Alright," he said.

I grabbed my overnight bag and a few cans of vegetables knowing we were going hunting I didn't bother to pack any meat. I knew we would catch a couple rabbits, maybe a deer and eat.

"Where you off to Belle?" Arthur asked.

"Hunting with Charles," I said.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I need to get out of here problem be back tomorrow," I said.

Arthur looked at me in surprise, that I was going hunting without him. "Lizzy?" He asked.

"I'll be fine Arthur, I'm sure Charles will look out for me," I said.

"That's what I'm afraid of," he said.

"What Arthur?" I asked.

"I just thought," he started.

"Thought what Arthur?" I asked.

Arthur closed the distance between us and brushed my hair out of my face. "I guess I'm jealous," he admitted.

"Of what Arthur?" I asked looking into his blue green eyes.

"Of losing you to someone else," he said.

"Arthur you've never shown that kind of interest in me," I said.

"I know and I'm a damned fool," he said and lowered his eyes to my lips before he wrapped an arm around me. He had on hand on my face and the other on the small of my back. He leaned down and kissed me.
M first real kiss, it was special until my brother had to say something.

"What the hell Morgan?" He asked Arthur.

"Doing something I should have done years ago," Arthur said.

"It ain't right Arthur, she is like your sister," John said.

"No she is everything," Arthur said his arms now around me. He hand his chin on my head and had me pulled against his chest.

I knew I was blushing but I made no attempt to move out of his embrace. John looked like he was upset. "John I'm not a child anymore," I said.

"Your to young!" He said.

"John most women my age are married with kids of their own. Besides that was my first kiss," I said.

"Really?" John asked.

"Yes John if you must know," I said.

"That's enough John," Hosea said.

"Hosea," John said.

"She is right John. You were her age when you met Abigail and had Jack," he said. "And Abigail  was younger than her."

John's mouth dropped in shock. He couldn't believe Hosea was alright with this. Elizabelle was like his daughter. He treated her better than anyone else in camp. She was with him when Bessie died.

"Fine," John said.

I turned back to Arthur. "Go hunting! Kill us something big, I feel like celebrating," Arthur said and kissed me softly.

I smiled and walked over to Charles who I assume saw what just occurred. "Are you alright?" Charles asked.

"Yeah, I guess, I don't know, I...," I said.

"So that was your first kiss?"he asked.

"Yeah, I was in love with him for years and when I start to be able to move on from those feelings he kisses me. So I don't know what it means, if he wants something out of it or it was just a spur of the moment kind of thing," I said as we rode out of camp.

"Do you need to get back tonight to talk to him?" He asked.

"No I just need some time to think without all of them and my brother getting into my head. I know they mean well but Sean would be teasing me, Karen, Tilly and Marybeth would be gossiping. Hosea I love him dearly but he would be giving me the birds and bees talk again. Mac, Davey and Jenny would be laughing at Sean teasing me. And John would be bugging me telling me I'm to young, and that I don't understand what a relationship means. Hosea and Bessie his wife practically raised me. So I know what a relationship looks like, even if I've never been in one. So no tonight I need to figure out where I stand," I said.

"Understood," he said.

"Thanks for listening Charles," I said.

"Anytime," he said.

We shot a couple rabbits a piece and cooked it when we camped out for the night. The following day we killed a couple deer and made it back to camp. When we rode in Arthur walked over and removed the deer from the back of my horse.