Crescent Smile ~ John Marston Story

✽.✫☽ 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟾 ☾✫.✽

(Unedited)
Word count: 5073
{Listen while you read?~I recommend If Not For You by Shakey Graves and Oo-De-Lally by Roger Miller}

☽✫.✽✦✽.»»——⍟——««.✽✦✽.✫☾

John and Dixie had both slept restless that night and woman couldn't bring herself to eat after her discovery from the day before and she hadn't spoke a word to the man mush to his dislike

John left her to on her own as she sat in the rundown shed he had purchased for them to rest reading one of her books reminding the man of his sons favorite past time and all books John has heard about from the boy and all the man could wish for was to listen to Jack tell him fantasy worlds that John couldn't understand once again

Dixie's quiet time to herself rereading the same page unable to focus on anything her mind still running when her name was called

"Hey I met with Dickens by the house says we need more money for the attack got a race line up for me to earn some you comin'?" Josh questioned as he stepped timidly closer like he was scared to hurt her

"Yeah sure sounds fun." She answered him with a fake smile she hoped he didn't see straight though as she stood and gathered her belongings knowing they most likely wouldn't return to the farm for a while, John doing the same and as they packed their saddle bags they made their way to the man waiting in the drivers seat of his wagon as John climbed up into the passenger

"Climb aboard my dear their plenty of room on the back" Dickens called to Dixie who rolled her eyes

"I'll just sit this one out, if you still want my help come and find me in Armadillo John" she said and went to mount up

"Nonsense come on" John spoke and leaned over the wagons arm rest and stretched his hand to the girl who looked at him confused only for him to beckon her over with a hand wave she listened and neared and took johns out stretched hand and let him help her climb the wagon and kept her steady before guiding her to sit down on his lap as her lungs forgot how to function for a second as she calmed her thoughts

She placed an arm behind the man holding on the back of the wagon seat was Dickens got the horses moving, their own following closely behind and John wrapped his arm behind her by her lower back keeping her tightly in place against his body as the wagon rocked down the road leaving one of their hands open for a gun if needing one

"Seth is an interesting fellow, is he not?" West Dickens questioned the two

"I wouldnot say interesting. More deeply disturbed" John answered before continuing "I can see why you two get along"

"I see the good in everybody, John. It's a flaw of mine. I have a soft spot for life's flotsam and jetsam." The tonic merchant told him

"A connection with them, more like. You and Seth have a lot in common. You both rob people for one. Mind you, at least he waits they're dead." John said with slight venom dripping off his tongue

Deciding to ignore the two's bickering, Dixie night of staring at the stars caught up to her as the wagon rocked below her and Johns voice made his chest vibrate against her side so she took her hat off and placed it on her bent knee keeping a hand on top of it as she let her head fall to her shoulder towards John the man looked at her wondering what she was doing and watched with a small grin as her eyes slowly fell and her long eyelashes coming to tickle her cheek and the stripe of white though her hair that John came to look forward to seeing walk towards him everyday had fallen across her face from the movements of the wagon, John let her sleep knowing she was up most of the night as he watched her with steady eyes for majority of the moonlight