Chapter Fifteen

The next week was honestly the best of Eleanor's life. Her every day was filled with Willa. Willa holding her hand. Willa putting a proud arm around her waist when they stood near one another. Willa kissing her cheek tenderly.

Eleanor wanted more of Willa and she was sure Willa wanted more of her but the fear was still there. Eleanor wondered if she would ever be able to give Willa more..... Would Willa get tired of waiting?

At least the family hadn't given them any trouble at all. If anything, they had all welcomed Willa with open arms and hadn't questioned the budding relationship between the two at all. They encouraged Eleanor to go out riding with Willa, to take walks with her, to give up many of her self-placed duties around the house to spend more time with the other woman.

When she had felt guilty over her lack of cooking and cleaning, Jeb had ensured her that he and Gill had managed just fine before she'd come along, and while they loved having her there, they would continue to manage as she went about having a life of her own.

"What are you thinking about so hard?" Willa's voice asked just as the woman's arms slid around her from behind and pulled her close. Willa's chin rested on Eleanor's shoulder and Eleanor trembled as she sank deeper into Willa's embrace.

"Life. The future."

"And does that future include me?"

Eleanor turned her face slightly so she could look in Willa's eyes. "You know it does."

Willa smiled brightly. Her lips brushed against Eleanor's cheek. "Good." She gave Eleanor a gentle squeeze. "I actually wanted to talk to you about something that concerns our future."

Eleanor looked over the corral they were beside and frowned. "What?"

"Don't look so worried. It's good news, I think. You know I'm healing. I'm not ready to be doing backflips just yet but I'm too healthy to be sitting around here all day—even though I rather enjoy sitting around with you." Her lips danced over Eleanor's neck causing her knees to go weak and her to sway a bit. "I went to town with Craig the other day to pick up some things and while I was there, I stopped at the saloon. I start a new job tomorrow night. I'll be the blackjack dealer at the Lucky Eight Saloon."

Eleanor's stomach twisted a bit. "You got a job in town?"

"Of course. I gotta make some money somehow. I used to make enough money to get by performing in shows and such but I don't want to be traveling with those anymore. I kinda like being right here."

She swallowed hard. "Okay."

Now it was Willa's turn to sound a bit less than sure. "There's one more thing...." Eleanor didn't say a word, simply waited for her to continue. "The job pays good. I'll get to keep thirty percent of the winnings each night plus a ten dollar a month salary. And it even comes with room and board at the hotel."

Her heart fell. "You're leaving the ranch?"

"Well yeah, but...."

Eleanor pulled out of her arms. She had known this would happen. Willa was healing and she was leaving. Eleanor should have known better than to give so much of her heart to the roaming woman.

She'd been completely content in her life alone before Willa had come! Why had she let the woman disrupt that?

Eleanor rushed for the house with Willa calling out behind her. Eleanor ignored it. She dashed past Gill and Jeb in the kitchen, raced up the ladder to the loft and curled up upon her bed, with her knees in her chest trying hard to hold off the tears that wanted to fall. Eleanor had lived her whole life alone... she wouldn't cry over losing Willa.

***

"What the hell did you say to her?" Jane asked as she and Pete came out of one of the barns.

Pete grinned. "Clearly it's a lover's quarrel, Jane dear. You wouldn't recognize one since I'm such an agreeable man to live with."

Willa stood there completely dumbfounded. "The woman didn't even give me time to finish speaking."

Pete leaned in close. "They usually don't. If there's one thing women are good at, it's jumping to conclusions."

"I'm fixin' to jump to something," Jane warned.

"What the hell am I supposed to do now?" Willa demanded, throwing her hands in the air. She had no idea how to deal with arguments with the woman she was pretty damn sure she loved.

"Let me help." Pete winked and then grabbed a surprised Jane around her waist and pulled her close to him before plopping a loud kiss to her lips and dipping her low. Jane was flushed and holding onto her sombrero as Pete pulled away. "That's what you do, Willa. They forget all about being mad."

Jane rolled her eyes but her lips were smiling. "My husband suffers from idiocy."

Willa sighed and headed for the house. Hell, she thought that Willa knew how she felt. They'd spent every spare moment together for the last week! They'd talked, laughed, walked hand in hand for hours. What could have made the woman take off running like that?

She stepped into the cabin to find Jeb and Gill sitting at the table. They quickly stood when she entered. "We figured you'd be coming." Gill stated.

"We'll go outside and give y'all some privacy," Jeb added.

Willa pointed toward the door. "Could you make sure that red-haired idiot doesn't come in here spoutin' more nonsense advice?"

Gill sighed. "He is an idiot, but his advice is usually good."

With that Jeb and Gill left the cabin. Willa glanced at the ladder and put her hand over her healing ribs. This was gonna hurt. But it had to be done. Seeing Eleanor so damn upset just wasn't right and Willa wouldn't stand for it.

Rung by rung, Willa climbed that ladder, biting back curses of pain as she did so. When she topped over she saw Eleanor sitting in a small bed in the corner of the loft and Preston in the other corner glancing at Eleanor over the top of his book.

"Hey kid?" Willa said, stepping into the loft. "Skedaddle."

Preston nodded and laid his book down. "Better fix it, Willa. I ain't never seen Eleanor cry. Zachariah won't like that at all."

With those parting words of wisdom, the fourteen-year old disappeared down the ladder.

Hell, Willa wanted to fix it because those tears on Eleanor's cheeks were tearing her heart to pieces—not because she had any fear of that oversized, scarred up, Indian.

Crossing the room, Willa crouched down in front of Eleanor and studied the woman carefully. Eleanor was determined not to look at her and was instead, staring at the wall with reddened eyes and damp cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Willa asked quietly.

Eleanor's quiet voice was hard to hear. "Nothing."

Willa sighed. "I don't believe that. You're upset and I want to hear you tell me why."

Silence reigned for several long minutes. Willa was losing hope that this talk would go anywhere when, finally, Eleanor spoke. "You're leaving... and that's okay. I knew from the beginning you wouldn't want to stay... I just.. I'm gonna... I'm gonna miss you..."

Willa frowned. She scooted closer to the bed and put her hand on Eleanor's arm, silencing her. "Elllie, I ain't going anywhere but to town, sweetheart."

Eleanor remained silent. Willa lowered her hand to Eleanor's hand and took it, entwining their fingers together. Eleanor's gaze went to their joined hands. "Ellie, I.. I think I might just be falling in love with you and I'm not leaving you. That room and board at the hotel, well, I wasn't wanting to go stay there alone. I was hoping that you'd come with me."

Finally, Eleanor's wide brown eyes met hers. "Love me?"

Willa swallowed hard, her shirt seeming to tighten around her neck. "Yeah, yeah I reckon."

"Why?"

"Why?" Willa's brow wrinkled up. "Uh... I just do." She shifted at Eleanor's silence. Hell, should she have admitted that? What would she do if Eleanor didn't feel the same? What could she do?

"Willa?"

Her attention was drawn back to Eleanor's face. The woman seemed awestruck. "Yeah?"

"I think I love you too."

Willa's heart thundered in her chest. She couldn't control herself, as a happy smile curved her lips and she jumped up, pulling Eleanor with her and wrapping the woman in a tight hug.

"Aww hell, Ellie. I'll be good to you, I swear it. We can live at the hotel and come to the ranch whenever you want to and I'll do my best to make you real happy...."

Eleanor pulled away a bit and adjusted her shawl. "Town? I don't know.. I don't know if I can be alone there..."

Willa shook her head. "I only deal on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. I'll be with you the rest of the time. And like I said, we can come out to the ranch whenever you want. Please, Ellie, I don't want to go stay there without you but I don't want to stay here. Jeb offered me to work here but I don't know a thing about ranching. Saloons, cards, that kind of life, I know something about."

"What if it's not safe?"

Willa laughed. "I can keep you safe, Ellie. And I can keep myself safe. Hell, I don't think the crime rate around here is real high. And if you don't want to be alone on the nights I'm working, you can always go stay with Gill's mama."

Willa watched the war of emotions battle in Eleanor's big brown eyes. Finally, the woman's lips curved in a small but happy smile. "Okay."