Chapter Twenty-Nine

"Did you two lovebirds finally decide to come up for air?" Calvin questioned with amusement as Finnegan and Cassandra stepped into the doc's house two days later.

"Even a man as amazin' with lovin' skills as me has to eat sometimes," Finnegan replied.

Cassandra rolled her eyes and pulled out of her husband's arms. Her husband. She loved how those words sounded together whenever she thought them. "We wanted to come check on you, Calvin. You look a lot better than the last time I saw you."

"I'm feeling quite a bit better too. I was up and about a bit this morning. Of course when Seamus found out I'd gone out without him there to help me he got a bit upset."

"Get used to that if ya have any plans o'bein' with him forever. Seamus 'a bit upset' Callahan is what my mama should have named him."

Seamus was shaking his head as he stepped into the room and leaned against the door frame. "Yeah, and she named you Finnegan 'doesn't have a lick of sense' Callahan."

"I must have some sense, Dear Seamus," Finnegan winked used his hands to motion up and down Cassandra's body. "Look at the wife I got for myself."

Cassandra ignored the bickering brothers as she sat down on the edge of Calvin's bed and laid her hand over his shoulder. "It doesn't feel hot. That's a good thing."

"Yeah," Calvin shifted and sat up a bit straighter. "The doc said I was real lucky that no infection ever set in."

"Yeah, damn lucky," Seamus agreed. He pulled off his hat and ran his hand through his dark hair. "Are you feeling up to going and getting some lunch?" .

Cassandra smiled brightly when she saw the way Calvin's face lit up when he gazed up at Seamus. Young love was such a beautiful thing. "Sure. It was my shoulder that was shot, not my legs."

"Yeah but you lost a lot of blood and we have to make sure you don't do too much too quick," Seamus reminded him. "You might feel good right now but you overdo yourself and it'll set you back for days." Calvin grumbled a bit at this but didn't bother to argue. Even he seemed to have learned that arguing with Seamus was much like beating your head against a wall.

"Finnegan and I will wait outside a moment while Seamus helps you get up and ready for lunch," Cassandra said as she stood up from the bed.

"If Seamus enjoys the taste of Calvin's neck as much as I enjoy the taste of yours it may take longer than a moment, Little Cass," Finnegan winked. Cassandra felt her face glow red. Calvin laughed while Seamus simply shifted his feet. Cassandra took Finnegan's hand and dragged him out the door before he could say anything further about what happened behind closed doors.

***

"Hello."

Cassandra looked up from her soup when Thomas Ore's voice came from beside their table. His voice was easy enough to recognize with that missing front tooth. She cast a quick glance at Seamus and saw his hand tighten around his spoon.

"Well hello there, ol' Tom," Finnegan greeted brightly. "Ya don't have a gun with ya do ya then?"

Tom's cheeks reddened. "No.. uh... I don't have a gun with me."

"That's good. I've only seen ya use one once but that's plenty enough times to know I don't want to be 'round when ya got one in your hand." Cassandra rolled her eyes and stomped on Finnegan's foot under the table.

Tom's lip trembled and he quickly turned his gaze toward Calvin. "Nice to see you up and around."

"It's nice to be up and around," Calvin agreed. "I'll be back to one hundred percent in no time."

"Can I sit down and talk to you all a moment?" Tom questioned.

"No," Seamus grumbled.

"Of course you can," Cassandra amended, sending Seamus a sharp glance. Poor Tom Ore had apologized a hundred times for the accident that had nearly taken Calvin's life. It was time for Seamus to ease up on the man a bit. She didn't expect for them to be the best of friends but a bit less hostility would satisfy her just fine.

Tom gave her a grateful smile and took a set beside Finnegan. "I'll just get straight to it so I don't take up too much of your mealtime," Tom began.

"Ya look like ya could use a bit to eat yourself," Finnegan stated, patting Tom's impressive stomach.

"I'm fine," Tom assured him quickly. He turned his attention to Cassandra. "I know you all are headed to Montana."

"How do you know that?" Seamus demanded, tossing his spoon down.

"I told him, Dear Seamus. No harm in the man knowin' where we're movin' to settle down," Finnegan replied with a grin.

Cassandra rolled her eyes. "Continue please, Tom."

"Right. Well my family owns a freight company. About ten miles west of here we have a train that's going to be heading out tomorrow and it'll be making several stops before it makes it's last stop up in Montana. It won't be all that comfortable because you'll have to ride in a freight car but it'll sure cut that journey down and Calvin won't have to wait weeks. He can finish healing up a bit while you travel."

Seamus shook his head. "Thanks for the offer but...."

"Don't be so quick to turn him down," Calvin interrupted.

"Yeah, this is something we should consider a bit before we simply turn it down," Cassandra agreed.

"We have horses and supplies, Tom. I'll not be leavin' Theo behind. That'd be like leavin' behind half my heart," Finnegan informed the other man while putting his arm around his shoulders.

Tom seemed a bit nervous about the contact, clearly he still remembered Finnegan's flying fist of fury. "That won't be a problem. We'll make room in one of the cars for the horses and in another car for all of you."

"Why would you want to do that?" Seamus questioned skeptically.

"Because I feel I owe it to you all. I nearly killed Calvin and I could have easily killed Cassandra--" Cassandra saw Finnegan's face pale considerably. "--all because I was being careless. Allow me to offer you this bit of help if for no other reason than to clear my conscience."

The four of them looked at one another for a moment. "Just how long will it take to reach Montana if we choose to ride on your train?" Cassandra asked.

"With the stops the train has to make, probably about two weeks, maybe a few days less or a couple days more." Tom shrugged "It all depends on unloading and loading times."

"I think we should do this," Calvin offered. He quickly continued when Seamus turned a disbelieving gaze his way, "It'll cut our time by more than half getting to Montana, we won't be wearing out the horses and it'll give me time to heal up enough so you'll quit mother henning me death."

"I don't mother hen you," Seamus muttered.

"Cluck cluck," Finnegan flapped his arms and laughed heartily.

"Fine I won't give a damn anymore about how you feel," Seamus growled.

"Uh-oh, Calvin, ya have some major arse kissin' to do when the two of ya get alone. I do believe y'ave hurt Dear Seamus's overly sensitive feelin's," Finnegan teased before taking a bite of a biscuit.

Tom frowned as he glanced at Calvin and Seamus in turn. Cassandra could practically see the light come on in the big man's brain as he took in the sight of Calvin eyeing Seamus guiltily. Honestly it had taken the oaf long enough to realize that Seamus and Calvin were more than friends. A person would have thought he'd have figured it out immediately based solely off of Seamus' reaction to Calvin being shot.

"I tend to agree with young Calvin on this one," Finnegan added. "While I know it's not quite the adventure Little Cass was hopin' for, I do believe it'll be the quickest and safest way to get us up to Montana."

"I think so too," Cassandra agreed. It was true she liked the idea of adventure but this would save them so much time and given Calvin's need to let his wound heal, this was their best option.

"Does it matter what I think?" Seamus grumbled.

"Do you have a good reason why we shouldn't take the train?" Cassandra questioned. "Other than the fact that you simply don't like the man offering the ride to us?" she added when he opened his mouth.

Seamus glared at her a moment and than slammed his jaw closed. Cassandra turned to Tom. "It's settled then. We'll take you up on your offer."

***

"Oh this is real nice and homey," Finnegan said. He whistled as he climbed up into the freight car. He turned to help Cassandra up and she took his hand.

She glanced around the dirty, dusty metal box that they were going to be living in for the next couple of weeks and frowned. "Home sweet train,' she mumbled.

"Don't forget that you're one of the ones that wanted to do this," Seamus reminded her as he hoisted Calvin up into the train. The wagon ride to the train this morning had clearly been painful for the man. Every bump the wagon wheels had struck had jarred him and had him moaning with pain.

"I know it's not much," Tom admitted from the ground. "But we've put some extra blankets and pillows in there and there's plenty of food and water."

Cassandra frowned, "What about...personal issues?" she whispered.

Tom's brow furrowed in confusion. "Sorry?"

"I think the lass is referrin' to relievin' herself," Finnegan was clearly amused as he put his arm around Cassandra's shoulders and pointed to two buckets in the far left corner at the back of the car. "That would be your new water closet, love."

Cassandra swallowed hard as her cheeks flamed red, "Buckets?"

"At least ya will no longer have to fear a twig or bug crawlin' up your backside when ya squat beside a bush,' Finnegan countered.

Cassandra gasped and smacked his arm roughly. "Finnegan Callahan! I cannot believe I married you!"

Finnegan pulled her into his arms and tipped her down, laying his brow against hers. "I cannot believe ya did, either, but I'm glad just the same."

"You said you wanted adventure, Cassandra," Calvin laughed. "You gotta be careful what you ask for.'

Cassandra sighed and cast another glance at those horrible buckets. "I'll keep that in mind," she muttered.

"The train will be stopping quite a few times as well, ma'am, if you can... well.." Tom's face reddened. "If you can hold it."

Cassandra glared at the three idiots she was traveling with as they all laughed quite heartily. At least they found all of this amusing. She pulled herself from Finnegan's arms and adjusted her blouse. "Might as well start getting this place organized and make it home since that's what it's going to be a while."

Tom bid them all goodbye and walked away. "I hate trains," Seamus grumbled.

"Why?" Calvin asked.

"Probably because the last time Seamus was on one he spent his time bound and gagged," Finnegan replied with a wink.

"Bound and gagged?" Calvin questioned skeptically.

Finnegan nodded sadly. "Aye, he tends to run his mouth a bit and it gets him in trouble at times."

"Finnegan, you better learn how to shut your damn mouth or you'll be the one bound and gagged on this train," Seamus warned.

Finnegan waggled his eyebrows. "Promises, promises."