Outlaws - An American Youth - [Charles Smith x OC]

Chapter 55 - An endless wait

My first days in this new life were nowhere near as exciting as I had imagined them to be. There was a lot less entertainment here than in Blackwater. The locals weren't used to see a doctor, most had never even done so in their lives. So I walked around in my empty cabinet, the equipment I had ordered not due to arrive for several weeks.

Sometimes I would go to the cafe, just to chat with Liz to pass the time. She told me to be patient. The bad season would soon arrive, and then I would regret not having took advantage of the calm of this end of summer. I listened to her dubiously. Even though she was nice, it was still too early for us to be true friends.

I barely saw Charles, who was exhausting himself on renovating our home despite my protests. I didn't need it to be perfect. And then I had nothing else to do, I could have helped him. But there was nothing to do, he was stubborn as a mule. To make sure I didn't come, he even refused to tell me where our property was. During this period, I saw him rarely, only seeing him enter to Joseph's shop to order new supplies or buy some food.

I had plenty of time to observe him on Sundays at mass. He didn't care about religion, he wasn't a believer. But he told himself that an hour a week of listening to the pastor preach was just a small price to pay to be included in the community. Each on his side of the aisle, we were giving each other discreet glances. Most people must have known that we were engaged, we sometimes felt them curious when we were in the same room. But no one ever says anything. We didn't give them a chance, exchanging only a few rare words at a few rare moments. Nothing could be faulted with us.

But this good behavior weighed on me. Trapped between the walls of my office, I felt sadness and loneliness. So I couldn't stop my mind from returning to the south, where our friends all happily lived together. How difficult it had been for me to leave them.

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We had spent my last day in Blackwater all together. The day before, I had officially returned my keys to my successor and bid farewell to the city and its inhabitants. Our last evening was filled with sadness, despite our best efforts to turn it into a party. Every song, every story, inevitably took the same melancholy turn.

Before I left, I gave Jack the books I couldn't carry. He was still a little young for some of them, but I had no doubt that with his intelligence he would soon be able to read them. After one last joke to Uncle about his lumbago, we left them both at the ranch to head to the nearest stagecoach stop.

There, I bid John farewell, telling him not to fool around and take care of everyone. I knew by now he would be a righteous man and would never fail in his duties again. Abigail hugged me for long minutes, crying silently but still smiling to see me finally join the one I loved. She knew only too well what I could feel.

Sadie still wanted to convince me to let her accompany me on part of the road, at least until the train I had to take the next day. But I refused. She was almost healed, but a stagecoach trip where she would have rocked all over the place was not recommended. I kissed her before getting on board, tears in my eyes. I knew that the likelihood of seeing these people who had meant so much to me was near to zero.

Throughout my trip, passengers I met wondered where I was going. They all opened wide eyes when they heard the endless list of transports to take or already taken to reach my fiancé. They all had the same words : "Well, you have to really love him to make this journey."

It was also my opinion when, exhausted, I collapsed on the beds of passing hotels where I stopped. Despite exhaustion, I could only sleep with one eye, my gun always close at hand. I was a single female traveler, the best prey for small local strikes. Thank goodness I never had to defend myself, and the trip went off without a hitch.