The History of Busted Gulch

Part 27 - Cont'd.

CrazyGoose was stunned. A muffin locket! What more could a girl want? They dawdled over the meal, drank their wine and even shared a dessert. When it was over Lean shooed them off and they walked slowly through the town on the way to CrazyGoose's house.

CG remarked on the time and how late it was, even the saloon was closed. 3Gun was tongue-tied, he did not have a plan or any real experience in relationships. Most of the women in his past were just. . . handy. CG was toying with the locket he had placed around her neck for her and he knew if anything was going to move this evening forward it was up to him to move. He drummed up his courage and pausing in their walk, he took her arm and started to speak.

His attention was taken by the glow of a fire behind her and when he stepped past her to look, he saw it was the town church. People were coming from their homes and shouting wildly, carrying buckets and rushing toward the fire. 3Gun turned back and with a sad, helpless smile, he called good night and dashed after the others, grabbing his own bucket on the way.

******

When the fire was under control, 3Gun dropped his bucket and went back to where he had left CrazyGoose. She was still there, waiting. Encouraged, he gave her a hug and continued walking her home. On the way she hummed a tune that he had sung earlier that day, one that seemed to fit the occasion very well. She leaned against him, yawning, and 3Gun knew that the evening would soon end at her door. He thought about what he should do, deciding on the right thing and leading her up to her door, gazed into her eyes, smiled and leaned forward for a good night kiss.

The whiskers were sharp against his face and he jerked back to find he had kissed CrazyMoose and CrazyGoose was laughing herself silly, blowing a parting kiss as she waltzed into her house. 3Gun stared at the closed door then at the horse, who was nuzzling him with ominous intentions.

He shoved CrazyMoose away, reflecting on the two opportunities he blew and with a huge sigh, headed back to the bake shop.

He heard the clop, clop of hoof beats following him.

******

Meanwhile, Ruechari was at the jail trying to figure out how to get Ruby to cancel the hex. As soon as she appeared a kitten came through the bars and before she could react it grew to a tremendous size and attacked her. Ruechari was stunned as she watched it morph into something between a cat and a monster. With one quick blow it knocked her out then, as Ruby had planned, began to pull on the cell bars.

To her dismay, the beast could not break or bend them and Ruby worried about how she might get away before Ruechari came awake. Having spent its powers, the beast returned to the little kitten and sat pouting inside the cell. Ruby thought and thought then plucked a couple of bobby pins from her hair and spent a long time trying to bend them into the shape of a key.

When she finally managed to get out, she went straight to the animal shelter where all the kittens were held. She gathered them all up, stuck them in a wagon she stole from behind the shelter, hitched it to the nearest animal, a cow, and fled town at top cow speed. . . cackling.

Busted Gulch was still under the spell of the Halloween muffin hex.