The retired Warlord closed and locked the door, dimmed the lights and went to the kitchen and came back with two more wine coolers. He sat next to Des. "That was nice of them to come over."
The cowgirl took one of the bottles and smiled to him with her head tilted to one side. "I was surprised. I didn't really think they would come over after the dueling finished. Did you?"
"No, I didn't. I thought they were going to look at some property. But they're good friends." He put his cooler in one hand and the other went around Des once again. His heart was breaking for her. As much as he loved her, he still wished Jean would walk in the door and do his 'Bonsoir' thing with Des.
Des nestled against his side with a nod to his answer and looked at the leather satchel sitting on the table in front of the couch. "Ya know I'm gonna have to read those." She wanted to in the worst way but equally, maybe even more, she didn't want to know what was in there. She had her memories and they were wonderful.
What if something awful was in there like details of what happened before or during or while? But on the other hand, what if all that was in there were beautiful letters from her beloved French Pirate; and there she had sat for hours and not read them yet. She really didn't know what to do, so she hadn't done anything but sit and cry and drink and drink and cry some more.
"Des, if you would like, I would be willing to read those letters to you." He knew he could edit anything that might be hard for her to hear at this time.
Her breath caught in the back of her throat on a gasp of surprise and her gaze shifted to capture his. "You would do that for me!?"
"Of course, darling. Would you want me to?"
"I'm to scared to read them, Gav." Her voice was very tiny and small and scarcely above a whisper as she admitted what had kept her from reading them all this time.
"I don't want to know that he is really dead."
"Can't this just be a dream and we will wake up really soon now maybe? Please can't you fix this Gav? And make it not real for me now?"
"I know, hon. I feel the same way. I wish this entire day was just a bad dream that we could wake up and laugh about together. I want to fix it Des, and in time, I will. I promise you that."
She had started crying again somewhere in there and tears were streaming down her cheeks but she didn't care all she could do was look at him imploringly as she begged him to make everything right again for her.
He knew she was still in denial and this was not going to be easy. Her tears broke his heart and he set his drink down and reached out and took her into his arms and held her tightly, caressing her hair. "It'll be okay, my love...it's just going to take some time. I think that for tonight, we just try to sleep. Tomorrow we can think better."
"You don't understand. It ain't supposed to be this way now. This ain't real."
He continued to hold her, but now his voice took on an elfin tone that was both musical and soothing as he sang, "All will be well, my darling....all will be well, my love. ...right now it is cloudy, but the sun's up above...all will be well, my love."
She clung to him as she cried quietly taking comfort from his presence and the soft sound of his voice as well as his words of reassurance. "I gotta know, Luv. Will you please read me them letters?"
"Of course, if it's okay with you." He reached for the leather satchel and opened it. Inside were four letters. He took them out and looked at them and organized them in order. "I'll read you the first one."
Takes a goodly swallow from the wine cooler as she works at composing herself by taking a deep breath then nods to him. "I can do this."
The cowgirl took one of the bottles and smiled to him with her head tilted to one side. "I was surprised. I didn't really think they would come over after the dueling finished. Did you?"
"No, I didn't. I thought they were going to look at some property. But they're good friends." He put his cooler in one hand and the other went around Des once again. His heart was breaking for her. As much as he loved her, he still wished Jean would walk in the door and do his 'Bonsoir' thing with Des.
Des nestled against his side with a nod to his answer and looked at the leather satchel sitting on the table in front of the couch. "Ya know I'm gonna have to read those." She wanted to in the worst way but equally, maybe even more, she didn't want to know what was in there. She had her memories and they were wonderful.
What if something awful was in there like details of what happened before or during or while? But on the other hand, what if all that was in there were beautiful letters from her beloved French Pirate; and there she had sat for hours and not read them yet. She really didn't know what to do, so she hadn't done anything but sit and cry and drink and drink and cry some more.
"Des, if you would like, I would be willing to read those letters to you." He knew he could edit anything that might be hard for her to hear at this time.
Her breath caught in the back of her throat on a gasp of surprise and her gaze shifted to capture his. "You would do that for me!?"
"Of course, darling. Would you want me to?"
"I'm to scared to read them, Gav." Her voice was very tiny and small and scarcely above a whisper as she admitted what had kept her from reading them all this time.
"I don't want to know that he is really dead."
"Can't this just be a dream and we will wake up really soon now maybe? Please can't you fix this Gav? And make it not real for me now?"
"I know, hon. I feel the same way. I wish this entire day was just a bad dream that we could wake up and laugh about together. I want to fix it Des, and in time, I will. I promise you that."
She had started crying again somewhere in there and tears were streaming down her cheeks but she didn't care all she could do was look at him imploringly as she begged him to make everything right again for her.
He knew she was still in denial and this was not going to be easy. Her tears broke his heart and he set his drink down and reached out and took her into his arms and held her tightly, caressing her hair. "It'll be okay, my love...it's just going to take some time. I think that for tonight, we just try to sleep. Tomorrow we can think better."
"You don't understand. It ain't supposed to be this way now. This ain't real."
He continued to hold her, but now his voice took on an elfin tone that was both musical and soothing as he sang, "All will be well, my darling....all will be well, my love. ...right now it is cloudy, but the sun's up above...all will be well, my love."
She clung to him as she cried quietly taking comfort from his presence and the soft sound of his voice as well as his words of reassurance. "I gotta know, Luv. Will you please read me them letters?"
"Of course, if it's okay with you." He reached for the leather satchel and opened it. Inside were four letters. He took them out and looked at them and organized them in order. "I'll read you the first one."
Takes a goodly swallow from the wine cooler as she works at composing herself by taking a deep breath then nods to him. "I can do this."