An Outlaw's Redemption

Chapter Fourteen

"May I join you?" Her request surprised him, and she added, "Please? I need to get my mind off — things." When she looked at him again there was a flush in her cheeks and her eyes brimmed with moisture. Her admission allowed him a glimpse of her vulnerability in that moment. His fierce desire to protect her was stronger now than it had been just moments ago in the face of that rascally man — though now, he had no idea what he would protect her from. Just that there was something threatening the strength he'd come to admire in her.

He held out his elbow and she placed her small hand in the crook of his arm, "It would be a pleasure, Rachel."

There was something unsettling about her request, something that he couldn't penpoint. Perhaps he was just being overly paranoid. Still, he couldn't help but glance back over his shoulder as they entered the café. Someone was watching them from across the street, though with the light growing deem and the man standing in the shadows, Weston couldn't see who it was; just the silver toes on the black boots as they crept back into the darkness.

If Rachel hadn't been with him, he would have considered investigating who this nosy person was...if he was right, this was the same man that had been watching him from the ranch just two days earlier.

Forcing himself not to think about it further, he pulled out a chair for the lovely lady on his arm. When they sat, Weston positioned himself to see the door.

An old habit hard to brake.

A lovely young girl wandered to the table and laid two menus in front of them, "Good evening, Doctor York. Mr. uh?"

"Clark," Weston said with a smile, "Jesse Clark."

The young girl blushed; much like the doctor, she too was smitten over the smile of the handsome man, despite him being far too old for her, "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Clark...what can I get for you this evening? Can I start you both off with something to drink?"

Rachel grinned as she glanced at the girl still gushing over the outlaw studying his menu, "I'll have some lemonade; thank you, Betty."

When the girl didn't respond, Rachel crossed her arms and smirked, "Ah, Betty?"

No response.

"Betty?"

Nothing.

She just stood there, staring at Weston.

Rachel cleared her throat and Weston glanced up with a grin. He knew the girl hadn't taken her eyes off him yet. With another smile, he returned her glare, "I believe the Doctor will have lemonade, and I'll have a Sarsaparilla if you have it. Thank you, Betty."

She gushed as he spoke her name and nodded eagerly, "Yes, sir."

As she left, Rachel chuckled, "Well, I see who the favorite customer is around here."

Weston grinned, "She's just a kid."

With a wink, he added, "Don't be jealous, Doc."

The wink set off a flutter within her and she blushed as heat rose from the back of her neck and flushed her cheeks with a shade of pink.

He smiled, satisfied that he had flustered her. He enjoyed flirting with her, the only problem was he was not certain whether she enjoyed it or not.

She shook her head, "I'm not jealous of a fourteen-year-old."

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and they hitched up into a one-sided grin, "What would you like for dinner? Seeing as she'll be taking the order from me."