Michael.....

The muscles in his back flexed as he put on his boots, Just the sight of it made her weak in the knees.
This farmer had some kind of grip on her and it made her uneasy, but at the same time, it made her want him even more.
"When are you coming back?" She asked
"Don't know"
"You say that now and then your back in my bed in a week, " she said
He turned his head and looked at her
"She wished she could take the last words back, " she thought
"I mean, well you know what I mean"
"Yea I do and I think it's time we took a break"
"What the Hell! you come in here and bed me and then tell me you want to take a break, You bastard" She blasted him
"Watch your language,  Hedi, you know I don't like it"
"Fuck you, you bastard" she snarled
The man stood, he looked like chiselled granite she thought, sweat glistened on his body in the light from the kerosene lamp as the flames flickered shadows across the room.
She caught her breath and started to sob
"I'm sorry Michael, I just never met anyone like you and I was hoping..."
He cut her off  "Hedi waiting for what? I told you I cannot commit to anything"
"But"
"No butt's Hedi, It's just not in me"
Michael's eyes looked right through her as if she wasn't even there and for a moment he wasn't
"Michael what is it, why can't you? Is it because I'm a Saloon girl"
"Hedi I told you that didn't matter to me and if it did, I wouldn't be here now"
He pulled her into his muscled chest
"Then why Michael" she sobbed against his chest
"Hedi you're a good woman and that is all that matters, not your past life or present...It's what is in your heart that matters"
"Please Michael tell me why"
"Hedi I can't explain it, but I can tell you this, I wasn't always a Farmer and I have a past, if it catches up with me, it wouldn't be a good place for a woman to be"
"I can handle it Michael, You know I'm strong and I can shoot"
Michael didn't know how to break from this talk, so he just comforted her for a few more minutes and said.."Hedi let me think on it"
"You promise?"
He nodded "I'll think on it Hedi but noguaranteess"
"Ok, when will I see you again?"
"I'm not sure, the crop is about ready and it's getting busy, maybe in a couple of weeks"
"Please Michael"
"Hedi I told you I would think on this"
He leaned down and gave her a kiss.
Once outside He lifted his head and smelt the night air, He didn't feel good about lying but how could he explain this to her?
Swinging over the saddle, Michael sat there for a moment thinking, something is wrong.
Touching his Winchester for comfort, he kicked his horse , riding into the night.
Michael's horse knew the way, but of course it did..it always knew.
Smoke touched his nose a secound before Michaels and the horse threw it's head back and forth, agitated by the smell.
Michael touched his mane, speaking in a language only they both knew, calming him, easing him into the course they both knew too well.
Breaking the ridge, his horses ears perked up, "What is it Boy"
Michael heard voices coming up the trail.
Easing his horse into the shadows, they waited
The two men were arguing about something or some one it was hard to make it out.
"God dammit Big John, it wasn't my fault he wasn't dead, Smitty checked him"
"Frank you should of checked him too, Now we are stuck in this shit hole for another few days"
"Ah you know your liking that slut at the Saloon"
Big John laughed "Yea your right"
Michael was feeling something he had never felt before and he didn't understand it.. nor like it..
He wanted to grab the two men and kill them for the way they talked,  and Hedi
Hedi, maybe it wasn't her who they talked about, God help them if it was cause he would kill them.
Nudging his Horse Michael moved down the trail after the two men were out of sight
"Lets go see whose down there" Michael said to his horse
Following the smoke, Michael's thoughts wandered about what they were talking about...Kill who, why now?
Coming into view of the camp site, it was all too close to his home for it to be a coincidence
Michael shouted "Hey camp"
The two men had been deep in discussion over something and had not even noticed the lone rider at the edge of the light from the camp fire until he hailed the camp.
Jumping up they both had their hands on their colts
"What do you want?" smitty yelled back..
"Lone rider here, you got any coffee to spare"
Jake and Smitty looked at each other "What the hell Jake said"
"Come on in and keep your hands were we can see them friend" Jake yelled
Smitty elbowed Jake "Dam look at that horse, ain't that palest color you ever see"
"Sure is a good looking horse, maybe we could buy him or ?" Frank said through clinched teeth
Smitty shoosed him
Michael rode into camp as the two cowboys stared at them
"Thanks for inviting me in" Michael said.
"That's the palest horse I've every saw" Smitty said.
"Shit Smitty, look at it's eye's, the deepest green I've every saw"
To break the enquiries Michael stuck his hand out "I'm Michael"
Both cowboys shook his hand and Michael said "And the Coffee"
"Yea..yea over at the fire there" Frank pointed towards the coffee pot..
Frank and Smitty walked around the horse
"Jesus Smitty look at that patch of Red on his chest"
"Holy Cow Smitty...see that?"
They both felt, the hand of death pass through them like a gust of cold wind
Frank shivered, "You feel that Smitty"
Smitty stood there for a moment before coming to his senses
"Mister that horse is an odd one...Pale..green eyes that red patch with black.." Smitty said
Michael cut him off "Best stay away from the horse he doesn't like anyone but me"
Frank and Smitty looked at each other.. "I'm cold Let's have some coffee" Smithy offered
Sitting around the fire holding their coffee cups tight to warm their hands, the talk died down about the horse.
"Where you boys from?" Michael asked
"Doesn't matter, we are just passing through"
Michael shot them a glance
Shrugging, Michael said "Guess it doesn't matter"
"Where you suppose that cold wind came from it's the middle of August"
"Shit you how it is up north here, one day rain and the next sunny" Jake offered
"Yea I suppose," Smitty said as he stared at his hands... He had a bad feeling Michael looked from man to man as if he was judging them already
"Mister you don't talk much,it's" Frank said"Nothing to talk about, I asked for coffee, not conversation," Michael said
"Well, you assh..." Frank said in a tight lipped voiceMichael's horse whinnied, shak its head
"Whats up with him?" Smitty asked
"He doesn't like cussing," Michael said
"Like Hell He did," Smitty saidThe Pale horse stomped his hoofs into the dirt
"What the hell is he saying now" Jake said with a laugh
"His telling me it's time to go," Michael said without a smile
Frank and Smitty looked at each other
"You always listen to your..."
Cutting them off again..."Yea I do"
Tossing his coffee into the fire Michael thanked them and settled into his saddle.
Looking back, he said "Word to the wise, You boys should move out at the first light and not come back"
"Well I'll be dammed", Smitty snarled as he got up, but Michael was gone
"Where in the hell did he go?" Smitty asked
Jake was white as a ghost...."They vanished"
"Oh bullshit Jake"
"I mean it, one minute they were there and I blinked and then they were gone"
"Well you must have blinked out" Smitty laughed
"To Hell with you,were" Jake said as he stalked off where his bedding was