The Outlaw's Return

Distant Lightning

CHAPTER 18 -DISTANT LIGHTNING

It was getting dark, so we stopped to make camp. Cole was taking his time unsaddling his horse and I was about to feed Britt. Seth gave me a look that made me turn around. I giggled though. Cole threw his saddle on the ground next to me and put the saddle blanket next to it. He rolled out his sleeping bag and before long he was flat on his back with his head propped against the saddle.

When I finished feeding Britt I looked at the three men and they were all in the same position. Seth had pulled his hat down over his face and Jack was in the process of doing the same. Cole was lazily kicking off his boots.

"Do we need to get a fire goin'?" I asked as I situated myself on the ground next to Cole. I crossed my legs and lay Britt on top of them so I could wrap him in the sling cloth. That was just for his comfort, it wasn't very cold.

"I reckon. I'll get to it in a minute." Cole answered while yawning. It was contagious. I yawned and noticed Jack yawning as well. I thought Seth must already be asleep because he never moved. I almost felt guilty to look at him 'cause every time I did I thought about the day he kissed me. I wondered if he'd told Cole.

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John's POV

I was walking around the town of West Wood, trying to see if anything would jog my memory. Nothing looked all that familiar, except for the hotel. I could have sworn I'd seen it before, so I thought I'd step inside and see if that helped. While I was walking towards the corner where the hotel was, I kept hearing a woman's voice yell, "John!" I finally turned around to look and the blonde haired woman came running towards me.

"John! Oh, I haven't seen you in so long!" She yelled as she hugged me. It was then that I noticed she was pregnant, very pregnant.

"I'm sorry, do I know you, Ma'am?" I asked as politely as possible. I felt a little bad when she made a face.

"John, I know things ended badly. But Cole isn't here. You don't have to be so rude."

' Cole? Who is Cole?' I thought to myself. When she raised her eyebrows I knew I had to speak, so I just asked the first question that came to my mind. "I'm real sorry, Ma'am, but I don't know you. If I did and don't remember then I'm sorry. I don't even know my name, but I'm guessin' I'm John?"

The blonde haired woman squinted her green eyes and gave me a serious look. "Are you serious?"

"About what?"

"You don't know who I am? You don't know who you are?"

"No, and no. What is my last name?" I did want to know that. I figured if she knew my first name then she'd know my last, I had to ask.

"Your name is John Britt. We used to be... friends." I couldn't remember her, but something about the way she said my name was familiar. I needed to sit down and talk to this woman, I needed to find out some more about myself so maybe my memory would come back.

"Miss, would you mind sittin' in the saloon with me? I mean, if you don't mind tellin' me some more about myself."

"Of course." She quickly nodded and led the way. We sat at an empty table in the corner, far away from the piano. Once we were seated she told me her name. "My name is Catherine."

"How do we know eachother, Miss Catherine?"

"John, you really don't remember?" She looked a little hurt.

"No, ma'am. I really don't." I was honest, I didn't want to hurt her feelings. But I really had no idea who she was.

"We used to run in a gang together. You and I were together." That was a tidal wave of shock.