The Outlaw and the Lady (4th in the Crane Gang Series)(womanxwoman)

Chapter One

The Outlaw and the Lady

Chapter One

"Damnation!"

Curses filled the air as the stallion sent Willamena soaring out of the saddle and through the air. Her teeth chattered together roughly as her backside slammed onto the muddy ground. Pain radiated from her battered backside, spreading up her spine and momentarily blinding her vision.

As Willamena shook her head to recover a bit of her wits, she took notice of the cause of her pain galloping away across the muddy plains and disappearing over a rise in the distance.

"Flea-bitten, cow-sucking, worthless sack of sour soap!" Willamena, or Willa as she preferred to be called, sincerely hoped the runaway horse would hear her hurled insult, take it to heart, and hold its head down in shame for the rest of its days.

Now, not only was she horribly lost, she had an aching backside, throbbing back, and not a supply to her name. Willa should have known better than to steal Harvey Dougal's horse. The best had proven to be just as backwards and ornery as its previous owner.

Shoving herself to her feet with a groan, Willa swiped desperately and fruitlessly at her favorite, (and only), pair of brown-spotted, cow-hide gaucho pants. She could forget about getting clean. Willa would be cleaning mud out of all her crevices for days.

Despite her desire to never see that damned horse again, Willamena knew she had no real choice but to follow along behind it. Everything she owned was in the saddlebags on its flea-bitten back. Beginning her muddy trek to who knew where, Willa was grateful that the spring day was a cool one and the sun was hidden by gray clouds that were choosing to hold in their raindrops for the time being.

Realizing her ankle must have also been twisted in her fall, Willa began to limp. She was most definitely going to kill that damn horse. Limping her way along, Willa thought about the decade long journey she had been on.

Ten long years she had spent searching for any blood relative she may have left in the world. Willa's parents had died about the time she'd been born and she had gone to live with a grandmother for six years until that woman too had passed away. With no one else around to claim her, six-year old Willa had been sent to an orphanage.

That cold, awful place had been home for six years until the day that Willa had decided she'd had enough and had taken off on her own—a twelve-year old girl completely alone in the world.

Life had been hard to say the least. Willa had been a small girl in a man's world. But Willa was tough and she was smart and she had survived—hell she had thrived. She was good with a gun and made decent money doing trick-shooting competitions. Also, despite her recent failings on Harvey Dougal's stolen horse, Willa was one hell of a trick rider and had ridden with several caravans and shows, showcasing her talents.

Even with all her luck thriving on her own, Willa stilled longed for one thing—family. And so, she had spent much of her life searching for exactly that. Surely there was someone, at least one other person in the world, who shared her blood. So far her search had been fruitless. All paths she'd taken had either proved to be false leads or had led to nothing but dead ends because, well, people died.

Willamena was now in search of her best and final lead. A brother. An actual brother! Well, half-brother since they had different mama's but Willa didn't care. She'd never imagined she might have a sibling out there in the world. While she was terrified of being let down yet again, Willa couldn't help but to be excited.

She had learned that Willie rode with a man named Craig Crane and some of his people. More digging had also let her know that Craig Crane was living in New Mexico someone near where she currently was. The town was close but she had also gotten lost and for all she knew she could have passed it right up.

A string of curses left Willa's mouth in a rush as the clouds above suddenly opened. Fat, steady raindrops began to fall, soaking her quite thoroughly in nearly an instant. Pulling her hat lower and continuing to limp along, Willamena realized that today simply wasn't her day.

***

Darkness was falling when Willa saw the flickering lights of a town in the distance. "Well, I'll be damned...." That flea-bitten horse had led her straight to a town. Maybe she wouldn't kill the beast after all.

Despite the radiating pain in her ankle and the throbbing in her back, Willa picked up her pace. She was muddy, wet, cold, tired, and hungry. All of those things could be mended in that town. Main street was small but bustling as Willa stepped onto it. Music sounded from two nearby saloons. Giggling women showcasing their wares in tight corsets and petticoats walked along the porch of a brothel—Despite her sour mood and poor condition, Willa took a moment to admire them before trudging on.

The scent of food wafting from a cantina and a diner, made Willa's stomach rumble but she couldn't see to it just yet. Her money pouch was wherever that damn horse had gone.

Pointing her feet toward the livery she could see at the other end of town, Willa took note of the bathhouse, clothing store, and a doctor's office. They were all closed at this hour but Willa would certainly be visiting them come morning.

"Can I help you, miss? I was just about to close up for the night." A middle-aged man with buckteeth greeted Willa as she stepped into the livery. Willa didn't miss the way his eyes widened a bit as he took in the sight of her. No doubt she probably looked much like a drowned rat.

"Yes sir. I hope ya can." Willa pulled off her hat and sighed. "My horse threw me earlier today while I was traveling and I followed his tracks to town. You wouldn't happen to have seen him, have ya? He's a dapple gray stallion and all my gear would have been on him. Black saddle and bags with silver studs and tassels..."

The man held up his hand. "Yeah, I reckon I've seen him. Awful flashy gear you've got."

Willa was used to being judged on her flashiness. She simply cocked her brow. "Jealous?"

The man's face reddened as he sputtered several times. He rubbed his neck and turned away from her. "Horse and gear are back here," he announced, leading Willa toward a back stall. "You'll owe me for his care, of course. He's been fed, rubbed down, given hay and water."

Willa glared at the four-legged cause of her muddy clothes, bruised ass, and throbbing ankle. "Don't worry, you'll get your money. I'm gonna leave him here for tonight and I'll pay you when I get him in the morning."

Willa hefted up her saddlebags and tossed them over her shoulder. All she wanted just now was some damn food and about twenty hours of sleep.

"I don't mean no offense, ma'am, but I'd like my money now. I don't know you and I don't know that you won't come back in the night and take that horse, leaving me without."

Willa's temper rose to attention. "So first, you say you don't mean offense but then you turn around and call me a thief?" Her hip cocked as she put her hat back on her wet, dark curls. "I'm taking offense."

Those beady blue eyes dropped to the twin pearl handled thirty-eight revolvers on her hips and the man swallowed hard. "I didn't say you were a thief. I simply stated that I don't know you aren't one."

Willa rolled her eyes. "I'm no thief," she assured him, fully aware that a stolen horse was the cause of their altercation. "And you'll get your damn money in the morning."

Readjusting her saddlebags, Willa headed out the door, satisfied when the man chose to hold his tongue and simply let her leave.

Willa had seen two hotels in town but before she checked into one, she needed to tend to her roaring stomach. After eating her supper on the boardwalk because the uppity woman in charge of the diner had deemed her too filthy to eat at a table, Willa quickly rented herself a room at the hotel.

She slid from her filthy clothes the moment the door was locked behind her. Then, quite delicately, Willa flopped upon the bed. Tonight, she would rest and then tomorrow.... Tomorrow, Willa would finally meet her brother. 

A/N: Its been a long time coming but finally the fourth story in the Crane Gang series has begun! This will be my first ever wxw story so I hope y'all enjoy it!