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Misunderstanding
Ace
Crossover with Lonesome Dove
"Well, well look who it is?" Ezra states, as he and JD ride up to a newly built fence.Casey and Samantha look up in surprise as the two peacekeepers ride up.
"Something wrong?" Samantha asks, wiping sweat from her brow.
"No, nothing’s wrong, we just came looking to see where you two had run off too," JD responds.
"Well, I was putting up this fence here, and Sam had offered to help, so...," Casey tries to explain.
"Samantha? Offer? Those two words don’t sound as if they go together," Ezra states with a grin.
"Funny Ez. She couldn’t very well ask either of you to help," Samantha responds with a smirk.
"And why is that?" Ezra questions, resting both hands on his saddle horn.
"Well, she wouldn’t get any work from you, since you don't like to get your hands dirty but I, on the other hand, work and the only advantage of getting the two of you out in this heat is the possibility of seeing either of you shirtless," Samantha says with a teasing grin.
Ezra and JD both shoot her a look.
"She does have a point," Nettie states, walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder.
Samantha lets a big grin cross her face and gives JD and Ezra an ‘I told you so’ look.
"So, if you boys will excuse us, Casey and I have a fence to finish," Samantha states.
"Now, Sam, you’ve worked hard all morning, why don’t you head back to town? I’m sure JD will stay and help Casey," Nettie says, looking to JD.
"Miss Nettie I don’t need a break. I assure you I’m fine," Samantha tries to interrupt.
"No, I’ll not have you passing out from the heat. Now you get on that horse and you go back to town and rest up some," Nettie orders.
Samantha nods her head silently and goes for her horse.
"Ezra, you make sure she goes back to town, if not, I’ll have both your hides," she states.
"Yes, ma’am," Ezra remarks, tipping his hat.
+ + + + + + +
"Who’s that new guy?" Buck questions Vin as the two stand at the bar.
Vin glances over in the direction Buck is looking.
" Colonel Mosby. He’s just passin’ through from what I hear," the tracker replies, picking up his glass of whiskey.
"Looks as if Ez will have a bit of a challenge," Buck states as Mosby wins another hand of poker.
"Yeah, a challenge of who can cheat at cards better," the long haired peacekeeper responds.
+ + + + + + +
"Now I need an escort back to town," Samantha mumbles as she and Ezra make their way to the front of the saloon.
"Well, I don’t know about you but I am not seeking to have Mrs. Well’s wrath upon me," the southern replies, swinging off Chaucer.
Both look up as Buck walks out of the building, glass of beer in hand.
"Hey Ez, you better get a look at this," he states.
"What is it Mr. Wilmington? And if you say my mother, I’m likely to shoot you where you stand," the gambler responds.
"Nope. New gambler in town is all. Thought you might like to make some extra cash," the ladies man replies.
"Well then, show me to his table," Ezra states, walking up onto the boardwalk.
Samantha rolls her eyes and follows the two peacekeepers in the saloon.
She watches as Ezra makes his way over to a table with a few men seated at it, and then she shakes her head and makes her way to the bar.
"You look plumb worn out," Vin observes as Samantha makes her way beside him and Buck.
"Yes, well, building fences isn’t as easy as it looks," she responds, motioning for a drink.
+ + + + + + +
An hour later the three still stand at the bar, watching on as the Mosby fellow collects his winnings and leaves Ezra sitting at the table.
Samantha grabs a shot of whiskey and takes it over to the table, sitting on the opposite side of the table.
"What happened?" she asks, noticing the shocked expression on Ezra’s face, and pushing the glass in front of him.
Ezra downs the drink then turns the glass around in his hand a few times.
"He cheated," he says somberly, "he cheated."
"What do you expect Ezra? A fancy-dressed, fancy-talking, southern man such as him is bound to cheat at cards," she responds.
Ezra shoots her a look of pure surprise.
"That didn't come out right. What I meant was… well,you know what I mean," she remarks.
"I’m loosing my touch," Ezra states.
"No your not, you just met your match. All you have to do is out cheat a cheater," Samantha advises with a twinkle in her eye.
Ezra flashes a smile, the idea turning over in his brain.
+ + + + + + +
Later that night as Mosby stands at the bar, Samantha makes her way in and over to the bar to speak with Inez.
She speaks with Inez for a few moments, Mosby watching her every move.
Samantha turns to leave and comes face to face with Ezra’s opponent from the earlier card game.
"Excuse me," she states.
"No, excuse me," he replies, taking her hand and kissing it, "I’m Colonel Mosby."
"Samantha Dunnison," she replies, pulling her hand away quickly. "Now, I do need to be on my way."
She brushes past him and out of the saloon, and Mosby turns and leans back against the bar.
"Quite a beauty," he whispers aloud.
"Yes, and that beauty," Chris, who has witnessed everything, says from a few feet away, "could probably out draw you any day."
Mosby turns to look at Chris.
"Oh, a wild one. Things could get interesting," he states with a smile.
Chris turns back to his drink, shaking his head.
+ + + + + + +
"You are planning on a rematch with that Mosby fellow?" JD asks, as he and Ezra sit in front of the jail.
"I see Mr. Wilmington has filled you in. Yes I am," the gambler responds.
"Good, good," the kid remarks, then looks down the street near the Clarion. "Look at that."
Ezra turns his attention down the street to see Mosby running up to Samantha who is on her way to the Clarion.
+ + + + + + +
"Miss Dunnison," Mosby calls, rushing over to her. "It is Miss isn’t it?"
Samantha turns around to face the southern gambler, who isn’t bad looking, but obviously not her type.
"That all depends," she tells him.
"Well, a beauty such as yourself, it would be a shame for you not to be taken," he drawls.
"Well, Mr. Mosby, I thank you for the compliment, but I don’t fall for sweet talk and I don’t fall for gamblers," she remarks, thinking about the last thing she had said. ‘Why did I say that?’
Mosby’s mouth opens a little, watching as Samantha turns and heads into the Clarion.
+ + + + + + +
"Oooh," Samantha hisses in anger, "Mary, I’m telling you it’s rather, uh, oh... spine chilling."
Mary nods her head at what Samantha is telling her.
"And I’m not even remotely interested in him at all," she continues.
"I understand that, but what about Ezra? I thought you liked him," Mary questions the girl.
"Ezra, yeah, but I don’t like him at all," Samantha responds, "and that southern accent makes my skin crawl."
Ezra who happens to walk by hears the last line and looks down. ‘Did she really think that way of him?’ He blinks his eyes a few times then heads for some place quiet.
+ + + + + + +
Josiah looks up as someone makes their way into the church.
"Ezra," he says a little surprised.
"Josiah, can we talk?" Ezra questions, walking over to the preacher.
"Of course Ezra," Josiah states, noting the concern in Ezra’s voice.
+ + + + + + +
"So you heard Sam say this?" Josiah questions.
Ezra nods his head, "She was talking with Mrs. Travis and I overheard her."
"Well Ezra, I’m not sure what to say. I thought she liked you," Josiah states.
"It’s not just that Josiah. I could look at her and not see the question in her eyes," the gambler responds.
"What question?" Josiah asks.
"The question of whether or not she can trust me. I’ve seen that look in so many people’s eyes, but never hers," he replies looking down.
Josiah nods his head then stands up.
"You have feelings for her, that’s clear, but you can’t make her give those same feelings back," the ex-preacher states.
+ + + + + + +
The next morning, Samantha walks down the stairs to see Ezra and Mosby sitting at a table wrapped up in a game of poker. She walks over to the bar and begins to talk with Inez.
"Well, Mr. Standish, looks as if you’ve won," she hears Mosby say in that drawl of his.
" You were a worthy opponent," the gambler replies as Mosby stands up.
"I must be on my way now," Mosby remarks, looking around to see where Samantha is.
Oddly enough she had seemed to vanish, so Mosby gathers his hat and exits the saloon.
Knowing for sure he’s gone, Samantha stands up from behind the bar, Inez smiling at her.
"Close one," Samantha breathes.
"Hey, Sam," Billy calls running into the saloon.
Samantha starts to respond, but notices a brawl is beginning a few feet away.
"Billy!" Samantha yells when one of the men draws his gun.
She hears a gunshot, and then Vin, Nathan, and Chris run in.
"Billy," Samantha states, jumping over the bar.
She sees that Ezra had covered Billy with his own body and thinks the worst when Ezra doesn’t move.
"I’m fine," Billy states, as Ezra rolls from on top of him.
Samantha sees the blood leaking through Ezra’s vest in the lower left side of his abdomen.
"Nathan!" she yells, kneeling beside Ezra whom is unconscious.
Nathan rushes over and checks for a pulse.
"He’s alive. Vin help me get him to my office," the healer orders.
Vin rushes over and he and Nathan lift Ezra off the floor and carry him out.
Chris has his gun pointed at the brawlers but glances at Samantha.
"Get Billy out of here," the leader orders.
Samantha lifts Billy up and carries him out of the saloon, worrying about whether Ezra is alright.
+ + + + + + +
Samantha now sits outside Nathan’s office with Josiah and JD.
"He didn’t hear all of what I was saying. He only heard the last part. I was talking about Mosby. I don’t like him and it’s his southern accent I don't like, not Ezra’s," she states tilting her head a little.
"I thought something wasn’t right. I couldn’t imagine you saying that, not about Ezra anyway," Josiah responds as Nathan walks out of the clinic.
"The bullet went deep," he states, as all eyes turn to him. " I got it out, but he lost a lot of blood."
Samantha looks to the ground and Josiah places a hand on her back.
"Is he gonna make it Doc?" JD questions.
When Nathan doesn’t respond, Samantha fights back tears.
+ + + + + + +
Samantha looks over to Ezra on the bed, bandages covering his lower abdomen. She wipes away the perspiration on his forehead once more and leans down on the bed.
"Why didn’t you come and talk with me about it?" she says quietly, shaking her head, "It was Mosby. That’s who I was talking about. I like you and your accent."
She breathes heavy sigh and lays her head against the upper part of his chest, closing her eyes.
+ + + + + + +
Ezra slowly awakes and sees Samantha’s head lying on his chest. He smiles a little, the answer to his question presenting itself. Whatever he had heard the night before was obviously not about him.
He moves his hand and pushes some hair from her face.
Samantha awakens at the touch and smiles when she sees Ezra’s eyes open. She then lifts her head.
"Welcome back," she tells him, standing up.
"You caught me shirtless," he says weakly.
Samantha smiles and laughs a little.
"You’re going to be okay," she says happily. "I’ll go and get Nathan."
She turns to leave, but stops when Ezra lightly grabs her arm. She turns to look at him.
"What is it?" she asks.
"Will you…stay with me?" he asks her.
Samantha sits back down, picking up the rag she had been wiping his fevered brow with.
"Oh course I will," she replies, wiping away some of the sweat from his face.
Ezra slowly moves his hand and takes the one she’s wiping him down with and takes it to his lips, kissing it gently. Samantha swallows as Ezra then tightens his grasp on her hand and she does the same.
"I’m not going anywhere," she tells him softly, still holding his hand. She lays her head back down on his chest and waits for him to close his eyes, then she does the same.
The End
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