Blackwell Bounty

Chapter Eleven

The moonlight filtered down from the sky, bathing the town of Blackwell in silvery light anywhere it could reach. Hidden areas were cloaked in shadows that steadily grew ever darker as the night carried on. It was cool for the current time of year. In the midst of the festivities, the chilly air was a necessary relief from the heat of so many bodies dancing and standing so close together in clothing reserved for special occasions. However, here, where Edith stood alone in the alley - except for Cal - the brisk air made her wrap her arms around herself. The nippy breeze was just one of many reasons she was second guessing why she'd sought him out apart from the crowd in the first place.

It simply wasn't done. Venturing out into the middle of the night with a man - a stranger, no less - without the company of a chaperone. (Not to mention the permission of her father, who knew nothing of his youngest daughter's infatuation with the dark outlaw.) Yet, similar to the occasion of their first kiss, Edith did not feel even an ounce of shame. She trusted Cal despite the fact that he wished she did not. As she stared up at him, she attempted to search his expression for any of the shame or fear that she had yet to feel.

Cal looked startled, which was good, she supposed; at least he wasn't angry. "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

Edith squeezed his hand as if she expected him to make a break for it. His expression told her that he hadn't completely ruled that option out yet. "I told you I wanted to talk elsewhere."

"I didn't agree to this," Cal grumbled, furrowing his dark brows in frustration. It had been a long day and he was afraid of how long he would tarry here with Edith so willingly urging him to stay with her. Hadn't he just witnessed the effect she had on his trail of thoughts? His mind strayed too far when she was in the midst.

Edith shrugged, untroubled by his frustration. She had already decided to seize the moment if that's what was necessary and by the looks of things it was imperative. "No, but you didn't disagree either. 'It's not a good idea' - that's all you said. That doesn't sound like a 'no' to me."

"Edith," Cal grumbled, clearly displeased with her logic. He could see it was just a way to get around the rules.

Calvin knew better than anyone else that, in soiety's eyes, she belonged with a farmer, a banker, a ranch hand even. So long as the person she ended up with was not an outlaw, her friends, family, and neighbors would be satisfied. The list of reasons why a relationship between the two of them would never work was a mile long and then some.

Then again, that annoying little voice in his head whispered, you would make up any excuse to run from a substantial commitment, wouldn't you Cal?

Edith's voice drew Cal back to the present and out of his internal frustration with his own thoughts. "Come on, I know a place we can go." 

Unlike when the two of them had ventured out into the dancing townsfolk, this time Edith was the one leading Cal. Of course she couldn't very well drag him much like he had her. (In all honesty, he hadn't realized it; his mind had been elsewhere. She was nearly a foot shorter than him, a fact he had not taken into fair consideration.) But still, she grabbed his hand and started walking without a reply from him.

"So are you going to tell me why you're still here, since you were planning to leave?"

"I thought you wanted me to stay?" he asked, as if he was confused with her words. He'd known what she'd meant, but his question was an attempt to buy himself time. He couldn't very well answer her inquiry with the truth: "I was trying to keep my old criminal mentor from killing you or worse..." He didn't really expect that bit of knowledge to settle well and he wasn't so sure he was willing to share that bit of honesty with her.