The Outlaw's Return

Love

CHAPTER 25 - LOVE

I was so happy when Cole came back from hunting. I ran outside and waited once I could see them coming up through the dirty window. Zach had several deer laying across the back of his saddle. Cole had just as many and so did John. They all looked proud of themselves. Cole stopped his horse just inches in front of me and gave me his adorable crooked grin that made my heart flutter. I ran to him just as soon as his feet hit the ground and I jumped on him. I wrapped my legs around his waist and squeezed his neck.

"Are you alright?" He asked through his laughter.

"I missed you." I whispered into his neck. He squeezed me and then put me down. He was still smiling, but he had a puzzled look on his face.

"And that's a reason to attack me?" I nodded and hugged him again. He kept his arm around me while he hitched his horse.

"John and I will take care of the deer. Ya'll go on inside." Zach said with a wink. Cole looked at me and I smiled big for him.

We went inside and I practically drug him to our room. He looked surprised, but he never let his smile leave his face. "Cassidy, what is wrong with you?"

"Nothin'. I just missed you, Cole." I gave him my puppy eyes and he laughed at me.

"Cassie, darlin', there is somethin' I wanna talk to you about." He said as he sat on the bed. He grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him. I looked into his eyes and waited. "Has Seth said anythin' to you to upset you?"

I froze. I didn't know if I should tell him what happened or only tell him some of it. He would kill Seth if he knew. He raised his brow at me and I knew I had to give him some kind of answer. "Um.. no. Well... he just kinda said somethin' the other day and I don't... I didn't really... It just came out wrong.."

"What did he say?"

"Nothin'.. It wasn't nothin'. I promise." I gave him a smile and the worried expression faded from his face, but it didn't leave his eyes. I kept my smile, no matter how bad it made me feel to lie to him. I was doing it for the best. He didn't have to know, I didn't cheat on him, it was Seth that had betrayed him. I just couldn't tell him, it would tear the family apart and I would be caught in the middle.

"Is anythin' else wrong, sweetheart?" Cole asked, still worried. I shook my head for no and kissed him lightly.

"You wanna help us skin the deer?" Cole asked with a grin. I made a disgusted face and he laughed. "You can just watch."

I sat on an empty barrel out back while I watched the three men skin the deer they had killed. I was getting nauseated so I looked away. i watched several geese fly over and looked at the clouds. Big, puffy white clouds. It was then that I noticed some darker ones over the trees. I didn't want it to rain. Cole and I were supposed to get married in a week. I didn't want it to be soggy and wet outside. I had heard Elizabeth say it would rain for days out here. I didn't realize I was pouting until John pointed it out.

"What's wrong, Cassidy?"

"Oh, nothin'. I was just thinkin' about it rainin'." It was the truth. John looked at me for a few more seconds, but went back to skinning his deer. Zach had finished two deer in the time it took Cole and John to finish one. He was an old pro at it though, so I decided not to give them a hard time about it. I just giggled to myself and Zach winked at me like he knew what I was thinking.

They finished skinning all eight deer an hour later. When I went inside and finished feeding Britt, I decided it was time to write Maria. Elizabeth found some paper for me and a pen, so I sat in the kitchen and started writing.