Independence, Missouri 1865
Cole let the memories of her sweep him away. He could taste her, smell her, and hear her again. He blocked out all outside sounds and only let himself remember her.
He was swept back 42 years. Back to that magical time. A time of youth. It was Independence, Missouri in the year 1865. The bloody War Between The States had just ended. It was wintertime. He could still feel the brisk wind and the wetness of the snow as it touched his cheeks.
His mind flew black in time. Back to her. It was his memories of her and their life together that had gotten him through 25 years at the Stillwater Penitentiary and it was those memories that still sustained him today in his old age.
If he sat back and closed his eyes he could still see the first time he had ever laid eyes on her. She had been bundled in what looked like rags against the freezing cold. She had nothing but an old grey dress that fit too snugly and an old shawl wrapped around her shoulders to shield her from the wind. She had her hair wrapped in a black scarf but from the edges her beautiful blonde hair peaked out in wild long strands that the wind caught and whipped behind her. She had been looking down. Watching her step on the frozen plank sidewalk. She was making her way towards the general store. She hadn't even seen the big hulking figure of Cole in his black duster and his black hat pulled low over his eyes. She ran into him and fell backwards. Cole caught her in his arms to steady her and he had looked down into the darkest blue eyes he had ever seen. In those eyes he saw startled surprise, then embarrassment, and finally fear. Intense fear as she pulled back with a gasp. He would never forget how those emotions had flirted across her face. He had wanted to wipe the fear from her eyes. He had wanted to comfort her. But he knew instinctively that the only comfort he could offer was to step back away from her and release her small body from his grasp. That was the only thing that would make that caged animal look leave her face. He swiftly steadied her and backed away. But suddenly he felt like he had lost something when he released her. He didn't understand it but every part of him wanted to reach out and pull her next to him again. He wanted to comfort her. He didn't know why he was having such a strong reaction. Yes, she was beautiful and young but Cole had been with beautiful women and none had such an effect on him.
He caught his breath and managed to mumble an apology. She briskly nodded her head in acceptance and without one word she walked around him and went on towards the mercantile. He found himself longing to hear her voice.
As he watched her walk away he was taken by how small she seemed. Small and alone. Fragile but yet strong. He found himself feeling an overwhelming need to find out who she was. To hear her voice. To look into her eyes again.
All of that had been the start. He had started to fall in love with her in that second. That moment. He couldn't explain it. He just knew. He just felt a pull that he couldn't explain. In her he recognized a kindred spirit. A soul like his that had been wounded perhaps beyond repair by the War. He knew that her wounds were not from battle memories like his but he would wager that she had survived her own version of hell that might have been worse then his.
Cole was a seasoned solder. An officer in the Confederate Army. And finally a leader in Quantrills raiders. He has killed his first man as a teenager and the War had just continued after that for him. He had fought with bravery and with abandon. He had fought for revenge. For what had been done to his beloved mother and sister. He carried many scars. Both physical and mental. But when he had looked at the small wisp of a girl he had felt something he had not thought he could ever feel. He had felt gentleness.
He had convinced himself that finding out her name and perhaps talking to her wouldn't hurt anything. He had two days to kill in Independence before he met up with his friend Frank so why not see who she was. All of this he told himself until he was convinced that he had nothing else to do with the next 48 hours but pursue her.
That had been the start. The start of a love that would never end. The start of life with Brandy Lee Oaks. A life that he would never have changed. Oh how he had loved that woman. She was easy to love. He knew that his best friend Frank had fallen in love with her also when he first met her. He knew that Frank still loved her to this day. He knew that when evening came Frank also gazed out at the sunset and thought of Brandy. Even his brothers Bob and Jim had loved her in their way. Bob had held her hand when he breathed his last breath. He had looked up at her and told her he loved her as his eyes had sank shut for the last time. Cole knew that she was truly the only woman Bob had ever loved. Each one of them loved her in different ways but she had stolen all their hearts nonetheless. But only to Cole had she belonged. They were soul mates. They were two halves of a whole. And without her he was only half a man. Without her he felt dead inside.
He took another sip of the bourbon in his hand and sank back into his leather chair as the sun finally sank and all that was left was darkness. The magic of twilight had passed. The golden light was gone. He closed his eyes again and let the fog of time lift. He wanted only to be with her. Even if it was only a memory. She still possessed his heart and his soul was joined with hers. With every breath he took he felt her. As his mind drifted he found himself inside the mercantile where he had followed her that day. He had stood watching her as she picked out a bag of flour. Watching her back. Watching how straight she stood. Watching how proud she looked despite the threadbare clothes she wore. He found himself straining, listening just to hear her voice for the first time.
"I'll take this flour Mr Martin." Her voice held the pride he knew that existed inside her. Whatever trauma and hardship she had suffered had not broken her.
"Well, Miss Oaks, I'm sorry but I ain't extending credit anymore. If you want that flour your gonna have to pay upfront." the store owner drawled as he rocked back on his heels and looked smuggly at the young girl.
Her breath caught and she seemed to think deeply for the right words. "Mr Martin, my pa and I have paid you off every month upfront throughout the entire War. I can assure you that we will continue to pay our bill in full as we have always done."
"Sorry Miss Oaks but I can't extend credit no longer. Plain and simple."
Cole saw her turn her back to the store clerk and reach into her pockets. She pulled out the few pieces of change that she possessed. Quickly she counted it and then turned back around. "Very well, I will take the five pounds of flour instead of the ten. And I will also take a pinch of sugar. And that will do it. Also, since you will no longer be extending credit in your store then I will inform my Pa that we can now go to the store at the other end of town which is closer to our farm then your place. I'm sure their prices are comparable to yours and I can pay cash there just as easily."
Cole hid a smile as he turned to look at Mr Martin who seemed to not know what exactly to say to the young girl now.
Oh, she had so much pride. Her life had been hell for the last few years but nothing had broken her. He loved her spirit.