"A One Horse Town"

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

She was surprised when he turned around suddenly and even more surprised at his question. Letting out a sigh, she brushed the hair out of her face, thinking it was too damn hot today.

“Jonathan McGuire is one of the most ruthless men you’ll ever meet. He gets what he wants through any means necessary and makes sure that his hands are always clean. He thinks of himself as a pillar of this community while all I see is a blight on an otherwise pristine existence.” Taking a step towards him, she lowered her voice, letting him in on some advice. ”If you’re as good with that weapon as I think that you are, you would be best to stay far away from him. Who knows what he can accomplish with some good firepower.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

John Lobo

He nodded,

"Exactly what I had in mind ma'am, thank you. I guess I have taken up enough of your time, I will get my things settled in and I am sure that you have many things that you would wish to do."

After she had left, he unpacked his saddle bags, first washed himself and then got into a new set of clothes. He had to admit that even though it was cold water, he still felt better after being clean. He settled down on the bed and started to clean and service his fire arms. After that was done, he headed downstairs to take care of his horse.

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

Penny left her new boarder to his own devices, a funny feeling settling in the pit of her stomach about him. She’d known many shady characters in her life, but he didn’t strike her as such. He was just a man that had seen too much. She could sympathize with that.

Pulling on a straw hat and grabbing a basket, she exited the boarding house, stopping briefly to examine Mr. Lobo’s horse. She’d always loved horses and this one was no exception. They were beautiful beasts and made her smile with their personality. She could remember a time when she was young that she dreamed of a farm of her own with horses and livestock. That was when she had hopes and dreams. She’d had a horse in Ireland that had to be sold when there was no food on the table, and with him had gone her hopes. Her dreams later went up in smoke with the tenant fire that claimed her family.

Her thoughts were now dampened and she sighed, pulling the hat lower over her face, shielding herself from the sun and unwanted glances. She made her way to the saloon first, pushing open the door and stepping into the cool interior. Pulling back the brim of her hat, she scanned the crowd for a moment, satisfied that it was nothing but a group of strangers and her none of her boys were anywhere to be seen.

“Mr. Tabbot, I need to have a word with you.” She called over the quiet conversation the filled the room and made her way to the bar.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Albert Tabbot

He watched as the newcomer left, the man was dangerous and beyond deadly. He just hoped that this man would not cause any trouble, this town had seen enough gunfights as it was. But he knew that it was a wish that would not happen, the town was expanding and with more people always came more trouble. He sighed as he cleaned his used glasses, then as he was busy cleaning a beer mug when he noticed miss Danville entering.the Saloon. He waved her over as she called to him and moved to the end of the bar.

"Miss Danville, good day to you. How can I be of service?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

She gave a smile to Mr. Tabbot and leaned against the bar to speak to him, resting her basket against the surface.

"Mr. Tabbot, I know you're a business man but my boys are down here drinking away their earnings everyday. I had to turn out one yesterday because he couldn't pay the rent. Could you find it in you to cut them off before they're completely penniless? It's taking money out of my pocket!"

Times were hard, that much was true, and Penny wondered how much time she would have left before she resorted to drastic actions yet again.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Alber Tabbot

He nodded his understanding of her predicament, he knew that times and the townspeople were being hard on her and from what Albert knew about her, she was much different than the gossip he had overheard.

"Well miss, I can cut them off at three drinks. Other than that I can't really do much more, I also need money to pay the rent. I am sure you will understand that."

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

She gave him a rare smile and nodded.

“I understand completely, Mr. Tabbot, and you are truly a saint. If any of my boys ever give you any troubles you let me know and I’ll take care of them. And this is for your troubles.”

Before she turned to leave she left a few coins on the counter. Not that she could really spare them, but he was a nice man who was helping her out and it was the least that she could do. She gave him one last smile and then turned to exit the saloon, ignoring the glances of the people that were in there.

As she stepped outside, she noticed a dark haired woman there and thought absently that there were more and more strangers coming into town each day. That could be both a blessing and a curse depending on who drifted through. Suddenly the prospect of being out among so many people didn’t see so appealing and she made her way quickly back home, her trip to the general store forgotten.

Inside the boarding house, she slammed the front door, letting her basket fall to the ground unnoticed as she struggled with the panic that was rising within her. Leaning against the door, she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing herself calm again. As tough as she seemed, her exterior was a fragile thing, carefully constructed to deal with the shadows of her past and every day it seemed that was getting harder and harder to shake.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Albert Tabbot

"It would be a pleasure miss and don't worry, your boys are usually the ones who tends to not mess where they drink,"

He smiled and was astonished when she placed some coins on the counter, before he could protest she was walking out of the saloon. He picked up the coins and placed them in a little jar where he kept cash that customers didn't collect. He and his wife usually kept this money aside just in case something came up.

John Lobo

He was busy preparing a meal in the small area when the front door slammed shut, then he heard the dull thud of an object hitting the ground, thinking that something was wrong. He saw Penelope leaning against the door, her eyes cclosed and he could dould detect a faint tremor. She looked like a terrified person and he wondered what happened to cause it

"Ma'am? Are you alright?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

She heard Mr. Lobo’s voice from afar and a familiar buzzing in her head. She opened her eyes and looked at him, taking in a deep breath to try and steady herself.

Perfect, Penelope, your new lodger is going to think you’re insane too, she scolded herself as the buzzing in her head grew in intensity. This happened when the panic she felt grew too great to ignore. When she first arrived in town and she’d made a scene in a very public way. A boy named Evan had helped her then and she found herself wondering absently where Evan had been lately. She’d grown fond of him because of his kindness and she thought of him like the brother she never had.

Watching Mr. Lobo for a moment more, she licked her dry lips to try and speak. It was a futile effort as a wave of darkness surrounded her and she slumped to the ground in a faint.

 

[DeathsKnight]

John Lobo

He rushed closer and reached her before she could bump her head, it was not very often that he helped strangers, but then again miss Danville had been kind to him in her own way. He first checked if she was breathing, that was there, deep and even. He lifted her up and carried her up the stairs, he pushed open her door with a boot after turning the knob. He laid her down on the bed, made sure that she was comfortable. He hurried down to take his food off of the fireplace, a quick taste proved it to be edible. He got a cloth, dipped it in water and went back up to miss Danville's room, using the cloth he gently wiped her face and neck,

"Miss Danville? Ma'am? Can you hear me?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

She came around slowly like she normally did and her head was pounding. She could hear someone speaking to her, but she groaned and turned her head away from the soft cloth that was trailing over her face. Opening her eyes slightly, she saw the pattern of the quilt from her bed and frowned in confusion for a moment. How did she get here? Usually when this happened, she would wake on the floor, staring at the ceiling wondering how she got there.

Turning her gaze towards the ceiling she was surprised to see green eyes staring down at her. She started for a moment and then blushed furiously when she remembered what had happened. Mr. Lobo had seen it all and he must have brought her up here. She should have released on him the most vile tirade she could muster to get him to keep his distance, but the concern in his eyes made her bite her tongue.

“Thank you, John…” She said in a shaky voice. John? In a few short hours he was John now? She bit the inside of her cheek and told her inner thoughts to be quiet. “I’m alright, Mr. Lobo.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

John Lobo

He was slightly worried, but she reasured him that she was fine and he would not press the issue unless given the right to.

"You gave me quite a start there ma'am, I'm going to finish my supper now, holler if you need anything."

He suddenly realized that he was in a woman's room, if anybody walked past... he got to his feet and placed the cloth next to her on the dresser. He walked out and pulled her door half closed behind him, with a frown he walked down the stairs and pulled out a pan, in it he threw the last venison he had left and fried it. When he was done, he heated water and washed his dishes after he had dished up his food in a plate. With the left over water he made coffee, that was also running dangerously low, he sighed at his predicament. Work was something that he would have to find and fast, he had noticed that there was a table and decided to dine there, he sat down, silently said grace, shifted his revolvers into more comfortable positions and started to eat with a manner that did not quite fit with a farm hand or trialsman, but more with the educated.

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

The smell of food coming from the kitchen made her stomach rumble, but she ignored the emptiness and rolled onto her side. She was embarrassed that Mr. Lobo had seen her like that, but there was nothing to be done about it now. He seemed to not think anything of it and she could only hope that he wasn’t like the other people in town that would judge her.

Soon the other men that lived in the boarding house would be coming home and lively conversation would fill the downstairs, but for now, Penelope found herself so very tired. Closing her eyes, she sighed and allowed herself to rest. Everything always seemed so much better with enough rest.

 

[heartofcourage]

Adam Turner

The door of the boarding house opened and closed, the sound of men laughing loudly following as they tramped through the entrance. Two men stopped in the doorway of the kitchen, unkempt and dirty after a long day of work, appraising this newcomer that was silently eating at the table.

“Well, look here, we got ourselves a city boy by the look of things.” He nudged his friend in the side, grinning as he eyed his target. Adam has always had a problem keeping his mouth shut and trouble seemed to follow him like a thick dark cloud. “With his fancy airs and manners he’ll be getting on Miss Penny’s good side…like we all haven’t been there.” He said with a laugh as the man beside him laughed as well.

 

[DeathsKnight]

John Lobo

Normally he avoided others and this was a fine example why, he kept on eating and ignored the two men.

"Hey Adam, seems like the city boy thinks he is too good to talk to us."

"Yeah Johnny, thinks he is better than us because of some sort of education, think we should educate him to our ways."

John sighed as the two men stepped further into the room and stood up in a fluid motion, his left hand moved to hook his thumb behind his belt buckle and with his right he popped the last of his food into his mouth. The move in itself looked innocent, but the warning in his eyes stopped the two men cold. He swallowed and his right hand joined his left, when he spoke his voice was low and colder than the praire wind.

"I am not looking for trouble, you can talk all you want, but either one of you..."gentlemen" try to lay a hand on me...you will be sorry."

He picked up his hat from the table with his right hand and placed it on his head,

"Now we can live in this here house in peace and quiet, you go your ways and I go mine. But if you want to cause trouble you will find it."

He picked up his plate with his right hand and turned away, just to stop and face them again.

"And I will apreciate it if you do not disrespect miss Danville again, she is better than any one of us deserve."

He turned and walked away, his coffee still on the table.

 

[heartofcourage]

Adam Turner

“Oh, Miss Danville, is it? I hate to tell you, friend, but whatever she did for you ain’t nothing special. That little shrew does it for everyone in town. Around these parts they call it the ‘boarding house hello.’”

Adam laughed heartily at his own joke, slapping Johnny on the arm as the stranger got up and walked out of the room.

“Johnny, I’d say that our friend there fancies himself a gunslinger. Might be some good money out there if we can turn him into the right people.”

 

[DeathsKnight]

John Lobo

He had heard the words, but decided to ignore it, this man was trouble and if he started anything he would have the law on his back and so far he had steered clear of that little problem for a long time. He cleaned his plate, packed it with all his other stuff and walked back into the room picking up his coffee and taking a sip. It was about then that Johnny decided to speak up,

"Could be Adam, but wouldn't he have to be any good to be actually worth any money to us?"

John looked from one man to the other,

"I can see a Hickory stump has more wits than the two of you combined."

He placed his cup down,

"If I was a gunslinger and any good at it, you two would be so full of lead that it would take the whole town to carry you out. I wear the guns, it doesn't mean I'm any good with it. I never said I'll shoot you."

He cracked his knuckles and a deadly grin touched his lips,

"I might just tickle you with a pig-sticker."

 

[jack80]

Evan Williams (Deputy!!!)

Evan groans as he leaves the Jail. Gwinn had been a handful. Old age had not dulled the swede's crankiness. As soon as the hermit had sight on him, he had shot at him, missing him by inches. Evan had never been shot at before. And he sure as hell didn't look forward to it again.

Though Sheriff Taylor had gotten around and had gave the old man an ultimatum, and now he was sleeping off a nasty bump in one of the two Jail cells. And Evans was told to go get something for the man to eat. Which meant asking the sweet Miss Danville, the owner of the Boarding House in town. Apparently she would cook food for the prisoners.

He smiled. She was only a few years older then him, but she was a very interesting... and pretty lady.

He wondered as he walked up to the boarding house what she would think of his new shiny piece of tin.

He opened the door and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Ms. Danville are you here?"

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

The loud voices from downstairs woke her from a brief slumber and she sat up with a sigh. Rubbing her palms over her eyes she swung her legs over the side of her bed and stood, the last of a lingering headache pounding behind her eyes. Making her way out if her room, she went downstairs and let out a surprised gasp when she bumped into Evan.

"Why, Evan Williams, you're libal to turn my hair white!" She cried out, her hand steadying on his arm as she looked him up and down. Her eyes fell on the piece of metal that was shining on his chest and she tried to keep herself from frowning. "Well, it seems like I might have to start treating you with more respect now that you have this."

Gently reaching out she touched a point of the shiny star with her fingers and then looked at Evan's face once more. It was hard to believe that he was only a few years younger than her. It made her feel so old.

 

[DeathsKnight]

John Lobo

He breathed a soft sigh of relief at the interuption, with his cup in hand he picked up his saddle bag containing his utensils, he pushed past the two men and nodded at Miss Danville and the Deputy,

"Ma'am...Deputy."

He climbed the stairs and entered his room, that was a close call, why did it alwasy seem that trouble found him no matter how hard he tries to stay away from it? He closed the door, kicked off his boots and made himself comfortable on the bed, sitting with his back to the wall, his rifle across his legs, just in case. He drank his coffee and feeling slightly better he leaned against the wall and placed his hat on the chair next to the bed as well as his cup.

 

[jack80]

Evan Williams (Deputy!!!)

Evans smiled as Penny Danville reached out to touch his badge. It made him feel like he was standing ten feet tall. Like he could do anything. He really hoped she was impressed by it.

Only then did he see the other men there as well. Two of Ms. Danville's regulars... and someone he had never seen before. While the first two he knew were something of trouble makers, this last one... looked like trouble. Evan didn't know what to think as his eyes meant the others.

He watched in silence as he walked up the steps, then he quickly looked at the other two men.

"Is there a problem here?" He asked as he pulled back and allowed the two other men a chance to see his badge and the pistol on his side.

 

[heartofcourage]

Adam Turner

Adam spied the piece of tin on the lawman and no matter how young he looked the law was still the law.

“Nah, we ain’t got no problems here. In fact, Johnny and I was just leaving. You might be finding yourself with some trouble from our friend upstairs though. Threatened to run me through and I wasn’t even doing nothing.”

He grinned and laughed, brushing past the deputy and Miss Penny on his way out of the boarding house.

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

“And don’t be going down to the saloon all night. I already had a talk with Mr. Tabbot about the two of you.” She called after her two boarders, her hands on her hips as she frowned. “Those two are nothing but trouble.”

She looked at Evan and smiled, noticing how confident he appeared now that he had his badge and his gun. It was all he ever talked about and now it seemed the sheriff had finally given him what he wanted.

“Evan, be a dear and start the fire in the stove for me. I suspect you’re here because the sheriff has a new inmate and he’ll be wanting a meal for him. Unless you just came by to show off that new badge of yours, in which case I might be thinking that you‘re sweet on me.”

She grinned and touched his cheek as she stepped past him into the kitchen. He was a good kid…well, not really a kid anymore, she thought as she pulled out what she needed to make the meal for the sheriff. She hated that stove and hated making the fire in it even more but it was good to do favors for the law in a small town. It kept them at arm’s length.

 

[jack80]

Evan Williams (Deputy!!!)

Evan nodded and eagerly went about to start the fire in the iron cast stove. Once it had starting going he backed up, and looked over to Penny. He never called her by that name. He wanted too, but...

"So, new resident. Seemed like an interesting chap." He said. Where did he learn the word chap. Oh, one of those novels he read. About a detective from England that shoved crimes. Heh. It was a good read, though he didn't understand half of what was being said in that book. Didn't they speak english in England?

"Sorry to get you out of bed, Ms. Danville. But I have to say this very kind of you. Gwinn would appreciate a good meal once he wakes up. The Sheriff really did give him a good knock upside the head."

Evan continued his smile and tried to look anywhere but at Ms. Danville. He had to be respectable after all. He had to set an example. Yeah. Respectable man of the Law Evan Williams, Deputy. That had a certain ring to it.

 

[heartofcourage]

Penny Danville

She set to work making beans and cornbread, smiling as Evan tried to make small talk.

“Oh, Mr. Lobo is a very nice man. He’s agreed to help with some repairs around here and he was also there when I had one of my episodes…” She trailed off as she said that, stirring the pot on the stove. Evan knew about her episodes. He’d seen one first hand and it hadn’t been pretty.

Tapping her spoon on the side of the boiling pot, she turned and looked at him as he spoke about the sheriff and Gwinn. She chuckled as he called her Ms. Danville again.

“Evan, please, it’s Penny. Ms. Danville makes me feel so old.” She suddenly remembered something as she moved towards him, pushing him towards a seat at the table “Speaking of old, I seem to remember that you’ve had a birthday. Wait here just a moment.”

She hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her room, making a racket as she searched for the package that she’d hidden away. Finding the plain wrapped brown package at the bottom of a drawer, she hurried back downstairs and presented Evan with her find.

“I got this for you. I saw you looking at it in the general store and I thought that since we’re friends and all you might like it for your birthday.” She was suddenly nervous as she held out the paper package, what if she’d been wrong in buying him a gift? Then he’d dislike her as much as the other people in town. She didn’t think she could bare that.