The Blue Roan

"I hardly know him. We didn't start off on the best foot. I almost fell into some mud and he caught me and stood me back up, but his hand was on my breast, so I slapped him. This evening was the first time I've spoken to him since the day I arrived. He thinks I'm a prissy cold woman with no sense of humor," admitted Christine.

"You could have fooled me," chuckled Will. "Guys don't usually drool like that around women they find repulsive."

"Do you think he likes me?" asked Christine too quickly. "I mean do you think he seemed interested?"

"You like him? You finally found a guy that meets your high standards?" quizzed Will. "Of course he's interested in you! My little sister is beautiful, smart and single. How could he not be interested?"

"What happens when he finds out that I own the Bar M? The two ranches are at odds over some pretty good grazing land. I don't know if I want to give up the opportunity to improve my profit margin and add some prime land to the ranch. He has enough money to let it go, but he's real stubborn, especially when he thinks he's right."

"Do you hear yourself? You just described your perfect man. He's successful, but scrupulous, good looking, but not soft, and he's fallen for you in a big way. All you have to do is be honest with him... ah, that's the problem.

"You've always complained about men being self-centered and selfish. Now you're looking at the situation from the other side. If you don't tell him that you own the Bar M, but take advantage of his feelings for you, he'll not likely ever forgive you. If you tell him that you own it, you believe that you'll be giving up any advantage you may have.

"Any relationship concerns come second to making sure that the ranch is successful. Are you going to stay around and help me sort this out?" asked Christine.

"I'll spend some time here to be sure things are going well for you. I may even look around and see if there's any need for a lawyer. June's dad is the local judge? He seemed like an upstanding sort of man."

"He's very well respected in these parts, as they say here in the West. June is very popular and if you hurt her you're going to really pay for it. Blue thinks of her as a sister, one that he loves dearly."

"That's interesting. They aren't related and she's absolutely beautiful, so why would he love her like a sister? You really don't think they're romantically involved?" asked Will.

"I'm sure of it. June's admitted that she loves Blue, but he doesn't feel the same way about her."

"A beautiful girl like June loves him and he hasn't taken advantage of the situation in any way? Sis, this cowboy's either the best liar you've ever seen or he's one of the best men you've ever met. Not many guys would turn down a chance with a girl like June," declared Will. "She's a beauty!"

Word quickly spread through Bonnet that Christine's brother was in town. He was pleasantly surprised at how friendly people were to him. When he escorted Christine and June around the small town, the residents were extremely warm to the two beautiful girls. Two days before the big July Fourth celebration, Christine found Blue waiting for her as she left the mercantile.

"Would you mind if I walk with you for a ways? I have something I'd like to ask you," explained Blue.

At Christine's nod, Blue walked down the boardwalk next to her. He was unusually nervous and kept running his hands over his jeans. As they approached the hotel Blue stopped walking and Christine swung around to face him.

"I'm kind of nervous about this, but here it goes. Would you go to the dance with me Saturday night?" blurted Blue before inhaling deeply, as though he were holding his breath.

"Thank you for asking, Blue. It's quite a compliment and I truly appreciate it. Luke Winters asked me yesterday. I think that ..."

"I understand," interrupted Blue as he quickly turned away from Christine and walked across the street.

June had watched Christine walk down the boardwalk with Blue and was more than a little curious about their conversation. When Blue abruptly turned and walked away, June hustled over to the hotel to find out what was going on with Christine and Blue.

Christine seemed confused as June drew close. "I saw Blue walking with you before he rushed off. Care to tell me what it was about, or is it too personal?"

"He asked me to go to the dance with him Saturday night. I started to tell him that Luke Winters had asked me yesterday but he practically ran away. I think he's upset with me," confided Christine.

"No big surprise there!" announced June. "You know how he dislikes Luke Winters. The one girl he's ever been sweet on told just him that she's going to the social event of the season with his least favorite person in the world. Of course he's upset."

"I hardly know him! We've never been out together and we certainly don't have an understanding of any kind. He's only spoken to me a couple of times. How can he assume that I'd wait for him to work up the nerve to ask me to the dance?" demanded Christine. "He really needs to grow up. He's like a spoiled kid."

"He's not used to competing for a girl's affections. You certainly couldn't have known that he was going to ask you, but enough about your romances. Will finally asked me to go to the dance with him! I flat out told him that I had put three other men on hold while I was waiting for him to ask me. I made sure that he knew how much I was in demand, and he jumped at the opportunity to take me," boasted June.

"That actually worked?" marveled Christine. "Why didn't you tell me this brilliant idea sooner?"

"Would you have used it?" asked June.

"No, probably not," admitted Christine. "It's way too straightforward for me."

Christine never saw Blue again until the race on July Fourth. Most spectators gathered at the end of town where they could watch the finish. Christine was standing with Will and June waiting for the race to begin when Luke Winters suddenly appeared next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. Christine felt annoyed immediately. She had only talked to him a couple of times and he was already acting possessive!

Christine casually lifted his hand from her shoulder as she asked, "Aren't you going to be in the race? They're going to be starting it pretty soon."

"There's no prize money, so why bother?" answered Luke. "Everything goes to the school and I don't have any kids. There's no sense tiring out a good horse for a meaningless race."

As Luke finished speaking, Christine heard a shot signaling the start of the race. It was exciting to watch as three young men jumped in front of the pack and pushed for the finish line. Judge Lane declared Billy Thomas the winner so he circled his horse back to receive a bright blue ribbon which he immediately pinned to his saddle blanket.

Meanwhile locals were pouring insults and sarcastic remarks in Blue's direction. Christine watched as he sat proudly on a beautiful blue roan and pretended to make excuses for his poor performance.

"I know you expected me to win this year, but I think Deuce might have thrown a shoe. He's been off his feed lately and he was too busy watching that little mare of Mrs. Williams' to concentrate. We'll win it next year!" promised Blue to the dozen or so people that had gathered around him.

"You've been promising that for the last ten years," groused an older man not far from Christine. "Every damn year I lose ten dollars on you and that nag. You'd better win next year, because I'm going to be betting on you again!"

"The barn's on fire!" suddenly yelled a loud male voice. People stopped laughing as the man's words sank in.

There was a rambling old barn behind the livery stable. The owner of the stable had used it for storage for a number of years. A young man had recently started working in the livery. He had cleaned out a section of the barn and created a small living area. He was married to a pretty young girl that appeared to be at least part Indian, and they had a small child.

As one, the large crowd moved around the livery to see that the old barn was already fully engulfed in flames. Then a gut wrenching scream ripped through Christine's heart as the young woman realized that her child was in the burning structure. It was obvious to all that the building could not be saved. The heat from the flames shooting up the outside of the building made it impossible to approach closer than twenty feet.

Christine clearly heard Luke Winters tell those around him, "The kid's a half breed. There's no sense risking our lives for it. The father had no business sleeping with a squaw. It's not our problem."

"You miserable bastard!" was Christine's immediate reply as she screamed at the man who planned to accompany her to the dance. "That's a young child! We have to help it."

"Look! Blue's got that roan headed for the barn!" shouted another man near Christine. She turned in time to glimpse Blue Rhone racing his horse directly into the large front entrance of the burning structure. Horse and rider disappeared into the flames!

Suddenly the only sound heard was made by the flames licking at the dry wooden boards of the building. Everyone watched and waited in stunned silence for what seemed like an eternity. The roof of the barn began sagging as the fire raced up the walls and across the peak.

"It's going to collapse!" yelled a man to Christine's left. "Everybody needs to back up!"

At that moment, the blue roan suddenly broke through the thick smoke billowing from the doorway. Both horse and rider appeared to have smoke curling up from their bodies! Blue used one hand to guide the stallion while he clutched a saddle blanket to his chest with his other hand. He stopped the stallion near a water trough and quickly dismounted. Men were already using their hats to scoop water and pour it on the roan's mane and tail, which was burned down to less than half its original length.

Once Blue stepped down, several men tossed water on his back where his shirt was smoldering. Blue immediately searched the crowd before settling his eyes on the grieving mother. He strode over to her and gently unwrapped the blanket. The mother's continued cries of anguish brought tears to the eyes of even the most hardened men watching.

Then the baby began to cry! The mother took the baby from the blanket, clutched it to her bosom, and dropped to her knees as tears of relief ran down her face. Her husband had been at her side. He was a powerfully built young man and in his joy, he wrapped his arms around Blue, lifted him off his feet, and swung him around. Tears turned to laughter as Blue struggled to get the grateful man to loosen his grip.

"Jesus!" muttered another man close to Christine. "Do you believe this? That's some horse and rider. Getting an animal to run into a burning building is no small feat. Look at the barn now. It's completely collapsed. They came within seconds of being burned to death!"

"The horse's tail was burned off. Even his mane was on fire. Look at Blue's back. His shirt looks like it burned. I've never seen its like!" added another man.

By this time, the jubilant father had released Blue. Rachel Roan, overcome with emotion, was now sobbing into her son's chest. The strain of seeing her son disappear into the burning building, and the waiting for him to re-emerge had shaken her badly. That was when Christine noticed that front of her own blouse was wet from the tears that she had shed.

June moved in next to Rachel and hugged Blue as best she could while he held his mother. She kissed his cheek even as she wiped tears from her eyes.

Christine's thoughts quickly returned to Luke Winters. He had once again placed a hand on her shoulder and attempted to pull her closer.

"Don't you ever touch me, you coward!" shouted Christine as the gathered crowd turned its attention to her situation. "You were too lazy to participate in a fund raising event for the school. Then you just stood by while a child was stranded alone inside a burning building. To top that off, you insinuated that baby's heritage meant its life wasn't even important enough to worry about!

"You just saw how a man conducts himself, but I doubt that you learned anything from it," raged Christine. "That adorable baby is alive and well, no thanks to you."

Luke Winters turned a bright red as Christine berated him in a very public manner. As she finished her rant, he gave a curt nod and stalked off. Only then did Christine realize that everyone had heard what she said and they were still watching her.

"I'm sorry, everyone. My emotions got the better of me. I shouldn't have said all of those things," mumbled Christine in the way of an apology.

"My dear girl, you were spot on and had every right to tell young Winters off," responded the gray haired lady that owned the town's mercantile. "That boy's got no sand. He never has, and he never will."

"Wow!" was all June could think to say as she came over and hugged her friend. "You really got your red up with Luke, but no one blames you. He's an ass."

Christine was depressed over the recent events. She had foolishly agreed to allow Luke Winters to accompany her to dance. Once he revealed his character in such damning fashion, she felt embarrassment and shame for ever agreeing to go anywhere with him.

If she had held to her standards, she'd be enjoying the afternoon and evening with Blue at her side. She considered her past romances as June dragged her to the hotel for the lunch basket auction. Men always failed to measure up to her standards once she got to know them. Maybe she was drawn to that type of man. When she met someone with some integrity, such as Blue, she did everything possible to prevent any type of friendship.

It seemed like she sought out men that would fail her. Was she doomed to never have a relationship with a man that she could trust, a man that would willingly share his life, a man that that loved her and considered her an equal?

"You've got to stop brooding! This is a holiday. We're young and attractive women. All of the men will want what's in our baskets, if you get my drift. I think your brother's going to be nibbling on some of my goodies before the day's over. There's lot of guys around that are way nicer than Luke Winters," insisted June.

"Do... do you think Blue will be at the auction?" asked Christine softly.

"So that's it? Now you're the one in love with him? Maybe I was wrong about you breaking his heart. He might break yours!"

"I hardly know him. I'm certainly not in love with him," denied Christine. "It's just that he was trying to ask me to the dance, but I'd already agreed to go with that idiot, Luke Winters. I screwed that up badly."

"Now you're wondering if he'll mind being your back-up option?" asked June. "That's not very flattering and he has a lot of pride. On the other hand, he's pretty sweet on you, so who knows?"

Rachel was inside the hotel with June's father when the two lovely young women entered the dining room. Christine admired the way Rachel Rhone seemed to hold court as she chatted with the locals. It was effortless and her interest in others was obviously sincere. She would be a woman to emulate.

"Rachel offered the use of her hotel room if we wanted to freshen up. It's room 204, upstairs and on the left. Why don't you get spruced up before the bidding begins?" suggested June. "I'm going to find Will before I go up."

Realizing that she did indeed need to brush her hair and regain her composure, Christine nodded and moved toward the stairway. She easily found room 204 and quietly let herself in.

The room was large by local standards and featured an alcove that extended under a dormer window. Hearing a soft groan, Christine stepped further into the room to enable her to see the area where the moan had originated. To her surprise, Blue stood shirtless with his back to her. His arm was twisted awkwardly as he struggled to reach several small red blisters in the middle of his back. He held some sort of ointment on his fingers, but try as he would, he simply couldn't reach the painful looking skin.

"Can I help you with that?" asked Christine as she moved closer to the surprised man. "Give me the ointment and I'll put some on these blisters and then bandage them. They must hurt."

Blue's face and neck colored briefly as he gazed into Christine's eyes. He swallowed hard before giving her his little boy grin, which she had come to greatly enjoy.

"I'd sure appreciate it," admitted Blue as he handed Christine a jar with a white substance in it. If you could just rub a little on the red spots, I'll be able to do the rest."

Christine had Blue straddle a straight backed chair near the window. It kept him steady and provided the light she needed to clearly see the burns. As she carefully smoothed the ointment over the area, she couldn't help but notice how broad his back was. The muscles seemed to ripple across his shoulders. Neither of them spoke as Christine treated Blue's back.

"I brought some bandages up," came a voice from behind them. "June told me that you had come up to freshen up, Christine, so I thought I'd give you two a few minutes to work on any lingering issues you might have. I was quite surprised to come into a silent room."

Christine had been startled when she heard Rachel speak behind her. She had been concentrating on Blue's back and never heard her enter the room. For some reason she felt guilty, and she blushed as she turned to face Blue's mother.

"I was just helping out. The burns are in the middle of his back and he couldn't reach them."

"I can see that," replied Rachel with a knowing smile. "I was going to wrap this around his chest and over the bandages on the burns. I'm wondering if you'd be willing to do that for me. Ben's waiting for me. Governor Nye's going to stop in Bonnet today, and Ben wants to introduce me. Ben thinks that Nevada will become the next state in the Union."

"I'll be glad to take care of Blue," responded Christine as she immediately thought to herself, "I probably sounded too eager!"

"I thought you would," laughed Rachel as she stepped into the hallway and closed the door.

Christine had just returned to her ministrations when Blue broke the silence. "Christine, I was rude to walk away from you the other day. I was upset, but it was my fault and not yours. I seem to play the fool whenever I'm around you."

"You were quite abrupt, but I understand why you were upset. I must have seemed like the shallowest woman in the world when I told you that I was going to the dance with Luke Winters," replied Christine as she completed the bandaging of Blue's burned skin.

"In my defense, I didn't know him very well and I certainly didn't know what a lazy, inconsiderate, selfish person he is. I've been meaning to tell you that I was wrong to slap you that day you saved me from falling into the mud," added Christine. "You were a gentleman and I reacted like a prissy stuck-up old maid. I'm sorry that I accused you of holding my breast too long. I'm sure you let go of me as soon as you were certain that I was back on my feet."

Blue had walked over to the bed to pull a clean shirt out of his bag. He turned to face Christine as he pulled the shirt over his broad shoulders. The muscles of his chest flexed smoothly as he slid his arms into the sleeves. Christine touched her tongue to her lips as she admired the raw masculinity of the man.

"As long as we're being truthful, I could have let go a little sooner than I did. I deserved that slap and I knew it. I took advantage of the situation," revealed Blue as he watched Christine closely for her reaction.

"Do you mean that you actually held my breast in your hand for no reason other than because you're a typical male? You enjoyed embarrassing and humiliating me?" demanded an obviously disappointed Christine.