I finished tying my boots and headed off my little wooden porch into the dust and dirt of Labelle with the other ladies as I walked I heard a cocky tone
"Mornin' ladies." I glanced over seeing whitey Winn the deputy boy sat in his small wooden chair on the office porch clearly having been woken from a recent nap in the chair. His boots close to the end of the porch covered in a years worth of dust and dirt, his pants tight to his thin frame, his gun Belts sat crossed over his hips, his shirts so dirty I'm almost convinced you spilled a glass of water on them and left them in the sun a day or so they'd start growing shoots from within the fabric, his skin caked with dirt in various layers his hat sat on his head keeping the sun from his eyes he saw me looking and his lip curled up he moved a hand to the rim of his hat tipping it to me as he spoke "Hiya little darlin"
I rolled my eyes and continued walking, whitey knew I didn't perticularly like him Be honestly I don't think he perticularly liked me either being a dirty, sharp shooting cowboy and myself a pacifist and gardener with a cleaning compulstion. Natural the two of us wouldn't exactly see eye to eye over things didn't help we were the only two of a similar age, everyone else in town, old enough to be our parents or young enough to be our children.
I continued in until I reached the frame of the church hitching up my skirt and starting to work on the roof.
I did my work hammer in hand making sure the church was as good as it could be humming my little song as I worked, I set my hammer down a moment getting another nail from my box but as I went to grab the hammer it slipped and fell to the earth breaking the wooden handle and taking off the metal hammer as it hit the ground "ohh fiddlesticks" I sighed I turned trying to get back to the ladder to climb back down and get a new hammer but somehow my dress even though I had pinned it up considerably got caught on something not sure what, so as I tried to carefully walk away down the small wooden beam my dress tugged me back causing me to slip my dress to rip as I tumbled down from the top beam of the church following after my hammer. I screamed trying to grab for the beam but it was too late I knew I'd impact the ground soon and very likely crack my head open but i landed and immediately felt like nothing hurt
"Whoa whoa there. You alright little darlin?"
I opened my eyes and saw I wasn't actually on the ground, whitey Winn had caught me in his arms holding me close to him as a husband hold a new bride his arm under my knees holding my legs and the other around my waist keeping me in his arms my hands gripped onto his shirt tightly in my panic it was strange as much as whitey did annoy me and frustrate me it was a different feeling utterly to be held in his arms so sweetly my heart a flutter at the dirty cow boy as I saw him in a way I never had before sweet, careing, protective. He made eye contact with his face, reading genuine concern for me. And suddenly it all came together with what girls like about law men. The way he held me, looked at me, spoke to me the way his hat protected the sun from my eyes and his facial hair made him seem so much more manly and strong I felt butterflies in my stomach for the first time ever since knowing whitey Winn.
"Uhhhh yes. Yes I'm fine" I nodded trying hard not to blush "thank you whitey"
"No trouble little darlin, couldn't let you fall now could I?" He says "you ready to go down?" He chuckled
"Yes please" I smiled
So he gently lower my legs letting me stand being gentle and careful the whole time barely letting me hold my full weight making sure I was alright "there we go. You sure you're alright?"
"I'm sure." I nodded
"Okay then, you be careful up there I can't always be around to save ya" he joked "I'll leave ya to your work" he says tipping the brim of his hat to me before he wandered off into town, I straightened myself up and grabbed a new hammer heading back up the ladder.
I felt so nervous, so embarrassed about doing this but I don't know I couldn't help myself I knocked on the office door a few times holding my basket in my hand
"It's open!" Whitey called from inside so i pushed ooe rhe door snd headed inside seeing him sat at his desk reading the paper he glanced up at me and smiled as he usually did "AHH Hiya little darlin. Something I can help you with?" He asks setting the paper down on his desk and leaning in his elbows his chin in his hands
"I uhh I just wanted to pop by, I have something for you"
"For me?" He asks
I nodded pulling back the gingham cover to reveal the silver pan and small jars and I'd never seen him smile so widely his face utterly lot up
"Pie!"
"Blackberry and spiced apple pie" I smiled
Immediately he took it eagerly from the basket grabbing a fork from within his desk draw and immediately having some looking utterly smitten
"Ummm your pies are the stuff of legend little darlin" he says "ohh and some little preserves" he smiled spotting the jars getting them out to read the little labels "all this is for me?"
"Of course, as a little thank you for catching me the other day. When I fell from the church" I smiled
"Oohh. Aww that's sweet of ya" he smiled "Well thank you very much little darlin, I shall have to keep my eye out I'll catch ya again if these are my rewards" he smiled
"I'm sure you'd get lots more rewards if you did" I smiled "have a nice day whitey"
"You too y/n"
I quickly hurried out shutting the door behind me immediately being revolted by myself as I stood on the porch hand sweaty, stomach full of butterflies and heat in my cheeks uhhhhh god! It's whitey Winn! For goodness sake get a grip.
I smiled as I worked humming my little song as I collected eggs up from my many hens adding each fresh eggs to my basket with wipe on my apron in-between.
"Hello little darlin" I heard from the door making me immediately jump and blush as I turned seeing whitey in the doorway
"Ohhh hello whitey" I blushed
"You had a little escapist" he says holding one of my chickens "she's lucky I brought her back I was gonna make soup," he says
"Ohh thank you whitey" I smiled taking my chicken "silly Harriet go on now" I told her setting her back with the others "thank you for bringing her back"
"It's alright least I could do. I know you not found of me hurting them"
"Not perticularly no. I like my chickens." I smiled continuing my work as to distract myself and he even came around to help me reaching in the back of the box and under straw where I couldn't see
"I also like your chickens for very different reasons however" he says "oww!" He complained as hetti pecked his leg
"Understandable, they are delicious"
"I thought you wouldn't kill them?"
"I won't but sometimes one must when they get too old or too sick or if someone gets them" I glared
"I didn't mean to shoot the chicken, I was aiming for the wall" he says
"Still, she made good roast though"
"I can imagine so. In that note if you do have any eggs?"
"Course" I smiled sorting through the eggs into those I'd put back for future baby chickens and those I could sell to people in town as they had no baby chickens. I made him up a little box of those and handed them over
"AHH thank you, that'll keep me going a while" he says "here you go" he says grabbing the coins from his pocket which he handed over I counted up the coins and found he neede change and I didn't have any
"Ohh fiddle sticks. I don't have any change"
"Oh? Don't worry about it take it off next time"
"No no I'll forget" I sighed and suddenly I hatched a small plan "I can get you your change if you close your eyes" I smiled nervously
"Uuuuuuuhhh...okay?" He says clearly confused but doing as I asked anyway once his eyes where shut I blushed hard a moment for a second too nervous to even try but I stood in my tip toes and pressed a little kiss to his cheek I quickly moved away and focused on the chickens but I couldn't help looking out the corner of my eye as his eyes opened and he gave me a strange look the sort of look you'd give to a child you completely don't believe when there telling a lie "right" he nods with a smile "I'll see ya in town little darlin" he says taking his eggs and heading out shutting the coops door behind him
Immediately I turned bring red and giggly.
I stood humming my little tune brushing my horse Rosie as she stood in the labelle stables I wanted a stable of my own but given the chickens I didn't have the space so she had to stay in the stable with the fee other horses in town.
"Hiya little darlin" whitey smiled as he arrived to take care of his own horse ted who was up the other end of the stables from me
"Hi whitey" I blushed
"How's she doing?"
"Good, how's he?"
"Fine. You just keep that little lady of yours away from my stallion" he told me as he worked "I can't hold him"
"I will, then again it would give you opportunity to save me again"
"It would. If I was to save ya would I get one of your delicious pies?"
"Of course"
"Cut it out" he chuckled
"What?"
"Cut it out"
"Cut what out?"
"Quit being so damn nice to me"
"....uuhhh"
"You're not going to admit you've been a hell of alot nicer to me lately"
"No I've been as nice to you as I always have"
"You little liar. You hate me. And I don't know what kinda cruel game your playing but cut it out" he says
"I don't hate you whitey" I said coming over to peek into Ted's stable "I've never hated you"
"Really? You called me a gun toating moron"
"... you did shoot my chicken"
"You said I smelt like a prisoners unemptied chamber pot"
"... It was a very hot day and you hadn't had a bath in a week"
"I know why your being nice to me"
"You do?"
"Yes. And cut it out. It's a crush you'll get over it"
"Excuse me"
"You'll get over it. Your only being nice to me because you got a wave of adrenaline and fear when you fell off the church roof. It's a crush you don't actually like me you probably still hate me. It's a crush you'll get over it" he says
"Screw you whitey!"
"There's the harsh insulting I'm used to"
"How dare you tell me what's going on in my mind! Like you know! My opinions and emotions are my own and if I decide to fall madly in love with the gun toating rarely bathing deputy then god damn it that's my business!"
He was stunned for a moment utterly unable to speak. "M-madly in love?"
"Yes, you idiot!"
"You - you actually like me?"
"Yes!" I yelled grabbing his face and pulling his lips to my own initially he was in an utter panic for a moment but soon relaxed and wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me back softly till we pulled back
"You actually really like me? I really liked you, but I thought you hated me. and you being nice was some kinda horrible rug pull" He explained
"Of course not, I admit I never much liked you but after the church I saw you in a different light. I always thought you where a cocky asshole but you've been so sweet ever since. I really do like you whitey" I smiled nuzzling with his chest
"I like you too, did you maybe wanna pack up the horses and go on a little picnic by the river?"
"I'd like that whitey"
"Okay, come on little darlin' we get down there now we'll be able to watch the sunset" He smiled before giving me a little kiss