When Hearts collide (An Arthur Morgan Rdr2 fanfiction)

Chapter 12: Sweet disaster

Strawberry, was no different from the last time we were here. Small and homey. At least, that's what I'd once thought. After breaking Micah out of jail, shooting up half the town in our wake, this town wasn't so homey, anymore. At least, not to me. The first memories made here, were bad ones. Ones I didn't want to remember. Yet, as we rode in, I saw the whole incident, playing over again, in my mind. Why had Dutch chosen me, to break Micah out? Why not someone else, like Bill or Javier?

Noticing the look on my face, Peyton brings her horse, alongside mine. She places her hand, on my forearm, caressing it lightly, as we near our destination. The electricity, that coursed through me at that small touch, was stronger than ever. Strong enough, it got my heart to pounding, my mind to racing.
"You okay? You seem distracted," she says, noticing.
"Yeah, uh, I'm fine. Just...rememberin' what happened, last time we was here. That's all," I say, partly telling the truth.
"I know what you mean. It's not the same, is it?" She asks.
"Not in the slightest. But, we're here, now. Let's hope, nobody recognizes us. That's the last thing we need," I say.

We approach the hitching posts, outside the Welcome Center. We hitch our horses, and dismount.
"So far, so good," I say, as we head inside.
"Oh my gosh. Get a load of this place," she says, once our eyes adjust to the light.
"Definitely nice, for sure," I say, taking it all in.
The place, had a coziness, to it. The room was clad in antlers, and taxidermy. To the left of us, stood a large grizzly, on its hind legs, a large salmon, in its mouth. Further back, a bit past the check in desk, stood a display, holding a cougar in desperate chase, of a large buck. Next to that, stood a red fox, ears alert, paw lifted as if it was listening for a rabbit. To our right, was a decent size fire place, taxidermy ducks and quail, atop the mantle. And next to it, were a couple of plush chairs, and a sofa. Both, rather inviting.

The clerk notices us, then. And gives out a warm greeting.
"I'm gonna check us in. You can look around, if you want," I say, as I turn my attention to the clerk, who was probably the most friendly feller, I'd ever met in my life. I asked if there was any rooms available, he immediately offered us the nicest one he had. I gave him the payment needed, for it, and signed us in, under pseudonym names. Better safe, than sorry.
"Would you like the room key, now? Or if you'd like, you can grab it later, if you should choose, to check out the town, till night fall," he says.
That gives me an idea. An idea, to distract me, from the butterflies that were swarming around inside my stomach.
"We'll grab it later," I say.
"Alright. It'll be here, when you return. Enjoy what our little town, has to offer you," he says.
"We will," I say, as I look for Peyton.

I find her, instantly. She's standing by the display that held the cougar and buck.
"We're all checked in," I say, making her jump.
"Shit, you scared me," she says.
"Sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't mean to,' I say.
"No, it's okay. I guess I was just super focused on this display," she says.
"Beautiful, ain't it?" I ask.
"Terrifying, actually. I can only imagine the fear, that buck must've felt, being hunted by that frightening looking cat," she says.

She seemed jittery. I don't know what it was, but she somehow seemed off. Maybe it was my own jitters, making me feel that way. I didn't know.
"You wanna go on a picnic, with me? I know a great spot, I can take you to," I say, suddenly remembering the idea I'd had only moments before.
"That sounds...perfect. Lets go," she says, suddenly more chipper than she was earlier.
"Hold on. We gotta get a few things from the Mercantile, first. Things like, food, a blanket to sit on, those things," I say.
"Sounds like a plan, to me," she says, her gaze flitting to two men, who were standing off to the side of the display, we'd just been admiring, briefly.
I reach for her hand, intertwining my fingers with hers, before we head outside and across the road, to the Mercantile.

Once we'd bought everything we needed, we returned to our horses, packing the items into our saddlebags, before mounting up, and riding out, with me in the lead.
"So, where's this place, you're taking me to?" She asks.
"Not too far, from here," I say.
"Am I going to like it, there?" She asks.
"One can hope," I say, as we push our horses into a slow gallop.
We ride in silence, after that. Silence that made my mind start racing, once more. Heart pounding, and sweat beading my brow, I shift in my saddle. Peyton takes notice and breaks the silence.
"You okay, up there?" She asks.
"Yeah, I'm good. Just hot," I say.
It wasn't too far, from the truth. I was indeed hot. Hot and bothered. Which was why I had shifted in my saddle, like I had.
"It is a bit warmer, today," she says, agreeing with me.
"Luckily, there's a creek, where we're goin,'" I say.
"That sounds perfect," she says, in a way, that makes me even more hot and bothered.

Luckily, I had it under control, by the time we reached the spot I had picked, for our picnic.
"Wow, this place...it's beautiful," Peyton says, as I lead us over, to a spot shaded by a few fir trees, right next to the creek.
"I'm glad you like it. I came across this place, before the jailbreak," I say.
"It's gorgeous. So, natural and scenic," she says.
"That it is," I say, as I grab the picnic stuff, from the saddlebags.
"Here, let me help you," Peyton says, taking a step in my direction.
"Naw, I got it. You go ahead, and meet me by them trees there," I say.
She heads over to the spot, I'd indicated. She patiently waits for me, as I set about setting up our picnic.

Once everything was set accordingly, I take a seat, in the center of the blanket we'd bought. She joins me, reaching for an apple, and taking a bite.
"Would you look at all the snow, on that mountain? I bet it's cold up there," she says.
"It is. We was up there, couple of months, before I met you," I say.
"I bet it was beautiful, though," she says.
"I won't deny, it was beautiful. It was just miserably cold," I say.
"I take it, you don't much care for snow, do you?" She asks.
"Not entirely," I say.
"Me neither," she says.
"You know, while we was up there, Hosea told me this old legend," I say.
"What old legend?" She asks.
"The legend, of the snow horse," I say.
"Snow horse?" She asks, intrigued.
"Yep. Legend has it, that livin' up on that there mountain, is a horse, white as snow. It's said that she has the ability, to blend in with the snow, able to evade any man, who tries to tame her," I say.
"I bet she's beautiful," Peyton says, imagining the horse of legend.
"Some believe, shes a mustang. Others, that she's a majestic Arabian," I say.
"What do you believe?" She asks.
"In my mind, I see the majestic Arabian," I say.

We lie on our backs, gazing up at the clouds, as we both talk about stories we'd heard, when we were kids. We laugh and we cry. But, it felt good, to actually sit and talk for once. To talk, without someone coming to interrupt us. Soon, the sun begins to lower on the horizon.
"Well, we best get back. Dusk is startin' to fall," I say.
She hesitates, unmoving for a moment, before she slowly rises to help me gather our things up. Once all was packed back in the saddlebags, we prepare to head back to town.
"I don't feel good, about this," she says, suddenly.
"You wanna head back to camp?" I ask.
"No. Not after what happened earlier. Forget I said anything. Lets go," she says, taking the lead, this time.
"You okay?" I ask.
"Yeah. Just...wish we could stay longer," she says.
"We can come back, and visit it tomorrow," I say.

She says nothing more, as we ride back to Strawberry. The silence irked me. She was acting strange. I didn't know why. Halfway back to town, she gestures for me to slow up with her.
"Why we stoppin?" I ask.
"Quiet. There's someone approaching," she says.
Suddenly, a man, a rather disgruntled man by the looks of it, rounds the corner ahead of us, coming down the path we were on. He was muttering something, shaking his head.
"Hey, Partner. Is this the correct way, to Strawberry?" Peyton asks.
"Yeah. But, town's closed down. Some investigation, goin' down," he says.
"An investigation? What about?" Peyton asks, this whole conversation confusing me.
"Somethin' bout a jailbreak. Two men shootin up half the damn town. Want my advice, turn back and find another town, to visit," the man says.

My body turns rigid, at his words. So, it hadn't been forgotten. And, to top it all off, the Pinkertons were here, doing an investigation.
"Well, shoot. Thanks, friend. We appreciate the information," Peyton says, turning her horse, back the say we had come.
I follow her movements, blindly, and follow her as she takes off, back to the valley. When we get there, she slows up, and turns to me.
"I should've told you, earlier," she says, as I bring my horse alongside hers.
"You knew?" I ask.
"Not entirely. Those men that were by the display I was looking at, they said something about an investigation happening later on in the day, before you came over to ask me about the whole picnic thing," she says.
"You're right. You should've told me. Why didn't you?" I ask.
"I didn't wanna worry you. I didn't wanna stress you out, anymore than you already were," she says, her voice cracking.

Hearing that small crack in her voice, I couldn't stay mad at her. She'd been looking out for my well being.
"Thank you, Peyton. You're right. It would've stressed me out," I say.
"This whole getaway, so far, has been a disaster," she says.
"No, not entirely," I say.
"You fancy going back to Valentine? A place where more Pinkertons might be?" She asks.
"Look, we've a bit of light left. Lets find a place, set up camp for a few days," I suggest.
"Okay, but where?" She asks.
"I've an idea. Follow me," I say, guiding us to the one place, that made sense. The one place, that was quiet, secluded. The place where our love had truly begun.