The Outlaw's Return

There's No Place Like Home

CHAPTER 2 - There's No Place Like Home

John grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the diner. I giggled as I tried to keep up with him. He stopped us right in front of the bank. "Miss Cassidy, you do have money for this?" I nodded in response and he continued, "Alright, give it to me and I will pretend to be your husband! Don't laugh, now. It won't work if they figure us out!" I got all my giggles out, and we went in.

"Oh, hello, miss. I wasn't expectin' to see you back so soon." Mr. Walden said, putting his paper down on his desk. He walked to the counter, and John started his act as my husband.

"I understand my wife was rejected this mornin' when she was tryin' to purchase some land?" John stated, a little louder than necessary. It was so hard to keep the smile off my face. "I sent her up here for it, so I don't see the problem you had sellin' it to her. I don't want no one trashin' my name, mister. We better be gettin' some land, today."

John was very good. Mr. Walden pulled out a piece of paper from under his desk and handed it to John. He filled out all the information and Mr. Walden put it in the filing cabinet. "Mr. Britt, we have some nice land just east of town. The price is lowered, we haven't sold it yet because it needs some work done on the house. I've seen it myself, it's not that bad. It's quite a lovely place to start a family." He said as he cut his eyes over to the baby inside my belly. I placed my hand on top of my stomach and smiled sweetly.

"Do you want to see it first?" John asked, I shook my head and felt my smile growing wider. "We'll take it."

"The house and land, all of it together is $500." John cut his eyes back at me and I nodded. He paid for it and signed the deed. I was so excited. We left the bank, and John handed it to me. I looked at it and rolled it up before taking off in a sprint towards the hotel. I could hear John's rolling laughter from behind me as he followed.

I ran upstairs and into my room. John came in right behind me and helped me get my things together. "Oh, I'm so excited! I can't wait to see it!" I squealed. John laughed and picked up the half empty trunk next to my bed.

"I'll go get us a wagon to use. Wait for me outside." He called as he slowly made his way downstairs. When he was out of sight, I started jumping up and down and dancing. I had to stop after it felt like I was going to be sick. I don't think the baby liked it.

I waited until John pulled up in the wagon we were going to use. He jumped down and took the bag from my hand and threw it over in the back. He helped me on to the seat and then climbed up to take the seat next to me. I could barely contain myself. This was the first time I would ever have anything that was really mine.

It was about a half hour trip to the property line. From the dirt road, I could see the path to the house was grown up. There were wild flowers everywhere. There was a wooden fence, or parts of what used to be one, around one half of the property. The other half was where the house and barn stood. It was about 30 acres altogether. It was plenty for me.

We pulled up in front of the house and it looked good from the outside. John jumped down and reached up for me. When we were both on the ground and had unloaded the wagon, we opened the door to my very own homestead.

"Ugh, what is that smell?" I shrieked, turning away from the door. John pulled his shirt over his nose and went inside. He came out carrying a large rat and carried it off. 'That is disgustin'.'

John came back and went inside first. He opened all the windows and the back door. The house only had two rooms that were seperated with a door. Everything else was open. The kitchen was the part you first walk into, then to the left was a door, which went into a bed room. Straight ahead through the opening, was a sitting area. To the left, was a small room that was basically empty. It was called a two room house because all rooms that are not seperated by a door, are considered one room.