Chapter Text
Rays from the rising sun trickled in through the cracks of Waverly's curtains, just bright enough to coax her out of the deep sleep she had been enjoying. Remnants of a dream drifted through her head as she slowly awakened in the dawn's light. Warm breath tickled the back of her neck and though her eyes remained closed, a hint of a sleepy smile tugged at the corners of Waverly's lips. Then she realized how warm she was, wrapped in her girlfriend's arms under a mountain of blankets, and she wondered how she hadn't managed to die of a heatstroke in the middle of the night.
As carefully as she could, she began to free herself from Nicole's grasp so she could escape the suffocating heat and get the coffee started downstairs, but a soft whine stopped her. That, and the grip that tightened around her middle when she tried to leave. She smiled and placed her hand over Nicole's hands clasped over her stomach.
“Just 'cause the sun's up doesn't mean you have to be, too, Wave,” Nicole said in a raspy voice, her southern accent thickened by drowsiness. “Stay here?”
Waverly rolled over so she could face Nicole, whose eyes were still closed. She pressed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose. When she pulled away, her eyes shined with affection, even as she teasingly said, “Don't even try being cute and mushy this early in the morning. I'm still gonna get up.”
“But it's cold.”
“You have like, four blankets on top of you.”
Nicole buried her face against Waverly's neck and mumbled, “But you keep me the warmest.”
“What did I say about being mushy this early?” Her voice was soft, though, and her cheeks warmed at the compliment. Still, a busy day awaited the two of them, and Waverly wanted to get a start on it before Wynonna barged into her room in search of coffee. She took a moment to revel in the lack of space between their bodies before she disentangled herself from Nicole's arms and swung her legs over the edge of the bed.
Nicole scooted into the space Waverly had just left, presumably absorbing the heat left behind, and curled in on herself. Waverly smiled at the sight. Unable to help herself, she leaned down and kissed Nicole again before she left the bedroom and headed for the kitchen.
Wynonna was still passed out on the couch when Waverly passed through the living room. Several empty beer bottles sat on the floor beside the couch, just beneath Wynonna's dangling fingertips. Waverly shook her head and collected the bottles, then pulled Wynonna's blanket up. Her sister muttered in her sleep, then rolled over so her face was buried in the back of the couch.
At least the nightmares hadn't come during the night.
In the kitchen, Waverly absently placed the bottles on the counter beside the sink and hummed to herself as she readied the coffee pot. It was one of the fancy ones with a delayed timer, but it didn't help much since neither she nor her sister ever remembered to set it up the night before. Once the coffee was brewing, filling the house with its earthy aroma, she pulled down three mugs, plopped a tea bag in one of them, and put a kettle on the stove. Feeling eyes on her, she turned to find Nicole in the doorway, watching her every move. Her brown eyes were soft and warm—the way they always looked whenever Waverly caught her watching her—and her hair hung loose above her shoulders, still mussed by sleep.
“You don't have to stand there all morning,” Waverly said. “You can join me. I mean, if you want to. You don't have to if you don't want to.” Waverly took a deep breath and calmed herself. Despite how often Nicole stayed over, Waverly still wasn't used to sharing her mornings with her. Hell, after being alone for so long, she was still acclimating to sharing her mornings with Wynonna. She did enjoy them, though. And she so desperately wanted to get used to Nicole being around, too. “What I mean is, I'd like it if you joined me.”
Nicole ducked her head and stepped into the kitchen. It wasn't long before she stood in front of her, a shy, questioning expression on her face as she tilted her head to the side. Waverly nodded, and Nicole wrapped her in another hug before pressing a kiss against Waverly's forehead.
Waverly had a lot of words she could use to describe Nicole Haught, but at the moment, 'gentle' was all that came to mind.
She was so different from Champ, always asking and never taking. Never assuming that whatever Waverly had was also hers. As affectionate as Nicole was, Waverly didn't find it suffocating the way she had whenever Champ pressed hot kisses against her skin. She didn't feel like a staked claim or some kind of trophy to go along with a truck.
The floorboards creaked and when she peeked over Nicole's shoulder, Waverly saw Wynonna in the doorway.
“Ugh. You two are being grossly cute already and the sun's barely up,” she said before she stalked over to the coffee pot and grabbed the cup Waverly had left for her on the counter.
“Guess that means you won't need any sugar for your coffee then, Wynonna,” Nicole said.
“Yeah, I'm getting a cavity just watching the two of you,” she said with a sneer as she poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her expression softened. “Thanks for the coffee, Baby Girl.” The kettle chose that moment to release a sharp whistle and Wynonna startled at the sound, sloshing coffee over the rim of her cup and onto her hand. “Shit!”
“Sorry,” Waverly said as she left Nicole's arms and rushed to turn down the fire on the stove. “Forgot about the kettle.”
“You alright, Wynonna?”
“I think I'll survive, Haught Stuff,” Wynonna winked. “Now if you'll excuse me, the couch and my ass have a date we've been planning all week that Dolls keeps getting in the middle of.” She took a step toward the doorway, paused, then looked over her shoulder and said, “I know how that sounded and for the record, I don't regret it.”
Nicole's laugh bounced around the kitchen and Waverly's heart fluttered as she poured the steaming water into a mug. She placed the kettle back on the stove and turned around, the cup of tea in her hand. She offered it to Nicole, who took it with a smile.
“You didn't have to do that. I could have made my own.”
“I know I didn't have to. When have I ever done anything that I didn't want to do?”
Nicole hummed, as if agreeing with her, and huddled over the hot cup of tea in her hands for warmth. “I don't know what I did to deserve someone as sweet as you, Waverly Earp.”
“You're just saying that because I'm like your personal space heater.”
Nicole grinned, but her expression softened as she looked back down at the cup in her hands. “Yeah, but I mean it.”
And just like that, Waverly's heart melted all over again at the sincerity in Nicole's words.
“Drink your tea before it gets cold, you sap,” she said before she turned around to fiddle with the coffee pot. Before she could pour herself a cup of coffee, warm breath tickled her neck, then a pair of soft lips peppered kisses along her skin.
“I'm your sap though,” Nicole said against Waverly's ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
Wynonna coughed from the doorway and broke the spell that had fallen over them.
“Dolls wants us at the station pronto, Baby Girl, so you better get dressed quick and make that coffee to-go.” Wynonna's gaze shifted to Nicole and she said, “Sorry to steal her away from you Haught Stuff, but you know how it is. Evil never sleeps.”
Nicole nodded, but her attention was focused on Waverly. “Let me know if we can still do movie night tonight?”
“Definitely,” Waverly said.
She placed a quick kiss on Nicole's cheek and left the kitchen so she could go get changed. When she came back downstairs, her tank-top and shorts exchanged for jeans and a loose, white sweater, she found her travel mug waiting on the small table at the end of the stairs. She took a sip and smiled at the slightly bitter sweetness hitting her tongue. When she went in search of her girlfriend, however, she was nowhere to be found, but she did find Wynonna in the living room.
“Nicole's in the shower,” Wynonna explained, and Waverly wondered if she was really that transparent. “It's like she knows you'd spend twenty minutes kissing goodbye if she were here to send you off,” Wynonna teased.
Waverly swatted her across the stomach and led the way out the front door into the cool spring air, a little disappointed Nicole hadn't wanted to kiss her goodbye.
She frowned.
Maybe Wynonna had a point.
Wynonna eyed her sister in the passenger seat of Gus's truck. She had been quiet the whole ride into town, choosing to gaze longingly out the window at the passing scenery, which was really just a whole bunch of field stretching towards the horizon, occasionally broken by a tree. Riveting. Wynonna took a sip of her coffee, settled it in the cup holder between them, then cleared her throat to break Waverly out of the trance she was in.
“Something on your mind, Waves?” she asked. “If it's anything dirty about you and Nicole, just say no.”
“It's nothing like that,” Waverly said with a laugh. A moment later, she grinned and added, “Not right now anyway.”
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. You can't get enough of her.”
“Right.” Waverly nodded. Out of the corner of her eye, Wynonna could see her chewing her lower lip in thought. “Speaking of that. What if, I dunno, maybe sometime in the future, I happened to ask her to move in with us?”
The truck screeched to a halt on the side of the road and Waverly yelped beside her as she jerked against the seat belt. Wynonna slammed the truck into park and cut the engine, then leveled a stern gaze at her sister.
“Let me get this straight,” she said. “You want to ask Nicole to move in with us? At the homestead? Where we live?”
“Wynonna, please, I know you're all about being this lone wolf, badass demon hunter and that you like your space so I promise we won't bug you. Not even a little bit,” Waverly said. “But it's your home, too, and I don't want you to think we're invading or something. If you're not okay with it, just say the word.”
Wynonna let Waverly squirm a few seconds longer, holding her in her gaze. “Waverly,” she said, “Nicole has been spending the night at the homestead for the last two months. I thought you had already asked her to move in.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah. Oh.” Wynonna chuckled and started the truck again. She shook her head, but a smile was on her face. “'Can I ask her to move in with us?' I swear, you're such a nerd sometimes.”
“I was trying to be considerate.”
“And I appreciate that, really,” Wynonna said as she maneuvered the truck back onto the road into town.
“So you don't mind?”
“Of course not,” she said. “She makes you happy.”
Waverly smiled and looked back out the window and Wynonna just barely heard her mumble a soft, “She really does.”
Oh, her baby sister had it bad, but Wynonna decided she wouldn't tease her about it until later, after they figured out just what Dolls could have for them at the ass-crack of dawn.
It turned out Dolls could have quite a bit for them at the ass-crack of dawn. Wynonna groaned as soon as she opened the door and saw the photos spread over the desk. Dolls was already hunched over the table examining them, a pair of glasses perched on the tip of his nose, and Waverly pushed by her to join him.
“Dude, it's seven in the morning,” Wynonna said as she pulled the door shut behind here. “Do you live here?”
“Not important,” Dolls said. He pushed off the table and brought a photograph with him. He handed it off to her and, for once, she didn't gag at the sight. Rather than some gruesome murder that Dolls was so fond of showing her, it was a picture of a very alive, very large broad-shouldered man with brown curls that peeked out from the edges of a grey woolen cap pulled down over his ears. The bottom half of his face was obscured by a rough, dark beard. Wynonna could make out the jagged line of a scar slicing through his eyebrow. “Anyone you know, Earp?”
“Hagrid?” Waverly snorted beside her. “What? I don't remember everybody in Purgatory! Just the ones who are dicks.” She shoved the picture into Waverly's hand and let her examine the profile of the stranger. She turned to Dolls, who had a stack of photographs in his hand. “What's so important about Fur-face here that you had to interrupt my day off yet again?”
“You may not know him, but he seems to know some old friends of ours,” Dolls said. He showed her the next picture in his collection, and she saw a group of four men surrounding the hulking man from the first picture. He dwarfed all of them, a mountain amongst men. Or, more accurately, Revenants. “Looks like some trailer park residents needed a change of scenery.”
“Or they just needed to see a man about a horse.” Wynonna and Dolls turned to Waverly, who was still studying the photograph. When she looked up and caught them staring at her, she shrugged. “Isaiah Lincoln. He owns a horse ranch north of here. He's not a people person so he doesn't come to town often, but he's the best riding teacher you could ask for.”
“At least someone here knows everyone in Purgatory.”
“Three years! I was gone for three years, Dolls!”
“Alright, Earp. You can tell me more of your excuses in the car,” Dolls said. He passed the photograph in his hand to Waverly and gave her the smallest of smiles. “See what you can find on these guys and what they might want with Isaiah, but grab yourself a doughnut from the bakery before you get started, and put it on my tab. You earned it.”
Wynonna scoffed, but she followed Dolls towards the door. She stopped with her hand on the doorknob and looked back at her sister.
“I don't know when you plan to ask her, but good luck with Haught.”
Her sister's cheeks flared a deep shade of red. It was always a nice sight to see before heading off with Dolls to a possible confrontation with demons.
She better get at least two doughnuts out of this.
Waverly had gathered all the photographs on the table and sorted them into a pile after Wynonna and Dolls left. Now she clutched them to her chest as she walked through town to the small library. Calling it a library was generous—the selection was limited and mostly depended on donations from the townsfolk—but it did hold the town's records. She had never come across Isaiah's name during her research on Wyatt, but maybe she could find something on the men who had visited his ranch.
But not before she stopped by the bakery for the doughnut Dolls had promised.
The bell jingled as she opened the glass door and Susie, the small, timid woman who ran the bakery, smiled at her from behind the counter while her husband Jarrod spoke with a customer at the register—a tall, lanky woman with wild blonde curls tied back in a ponytail.
A woman Waverly had never seen before.
While the stranger leaned against the counter and talked with Jarrod about what he suggested she get, Waverly approached the glass case of pastries. She frowned when she saw her usual raspberry-filled, sugar-coated doughnut was sold out, but Susie smiled and handed a paper bag over the display case and Waverly's eyes lit up as she took it.
“Marshall Dolls already has you covered,” Susie said.
“Thanks, Susie.”
Waverly's mouth already watered at the thought of the sugary treat waiting in the bag. She turned around and started towards the door, only to run into someone a few steps later. An apology was already on her lips before she looked up from the bag in her hands. The words died in her throat when she realized she had run into the stranger who had been at the counter. She felt trapped in the piercing gaze that held hers.
“Hey,” the woman said, her voice low, but there was no trace of annoyance in her tone. Her intense blue eyes were dark as they studied her, and Waverly shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “Looks like you've got your hands full there.” She gestured towards the bag and the photographs in Waverly's hands. She flashed a crooked smile, and Waverly's tight muscles relaxed slightly. “Would you like some help?”
Before Waverly could answer, the woman had the bag in her hand.
“Uh... Thanks,” she said, grateful the woman hadn't gone for the photographs instead. “You really don't have to carry that, though. It's not like it's heavy.”
“It's my pleasure,” the woman said as she opened the door and held it for Waverly. When the door closed behind them, she said, “I also may have wanted an excuse to spend some time with such a pretty girl.”
Waverly stumbled.
She managed to right herself before she could fall, but she was sure the surprise was still written on her face. She hadn't had anyone flirt with her since she and Nicole went public with their relationship two months ago. Nicole had also been the only woman to ever flirt with her. Her cheeks burned red and she cleared her throat.
“That's nice of you to say, but my girlfriend's a cop who can take down big, burly bikers twice her size, so you might want to cut that out,” she said, unable to keep the pride out of her voice as she talked about Nicole.
The woman chuckled, then said, “I'll be sure to keep that in mind.”
The walk to the library was filled with small talk between the two of them. Waverly listed off Purgatory's very limited attractions and the stranger talked about her bus ride into town. A sigh of relief escaped Waverly's lips when no strange occurrences were mentioned.
When they reached the doors to the small library, the woman handed over the bag of doughnuts and smiled at Waverly, her blue eyes sparkling in the sunlight. “Your girlfriend is lucky to have you,” she said. She stepped closer to Waverly and gazed down at her, eyes darkening. “If I'm being honest though, she sounds a little brutish, taking down burly bikers and whatnot. If you're ever looking for a softer touch...”
Waverly bristled at the remark. She held the photographs closer to her chest as she said, “Thanks, but my girlfriend's touch is exactly how I like it.” She shoved her way through the door to the library and groaned when the stranger followed her. She came to a halt and turned on her heel to pin the the taller woman with a glare. “If you don't stop following me, you won't have to wait around for my girlfriend to kick your ass 'cause I'll do it myself.”
The woman raised her hands in surrender. “Sorry,” she said, but the amused smile on her face said otherwise. When Waverly's expression didn't soften, the woman's smile fell. “Really, I am. That was rude of me and I was out of line.” She rubbed the back of her head, then said, “Look, can we start over? I swear I'm not this much of a jackass. I just tend to overcompensate around pretty girls like you.” She held out her hand and Waverly eyed it for a moment. She'd forgiven Doc for worse things, she knew that, but this felt different. This was about Nicole. She sighed and took the woman's hand in hers. The crooked smile that was quickly becoming familiar spread across the stranger's face. After they shook hands, the woman said, “Name's Joanna.”
“Waverly.”
“Waverly.” Joanna repeated the name like she was testing it. It sounded strange coming off her tongue. “That's a new one. I like it.”
“Yeah, well, I'm pretty fond of it myself,” Waverly said. “Look, Joanna, I appreciate your help, but I'm kinda gonna be really busy here in a few minutes, so I'm not sure I'll be the best company.”
“Oh! Right, yeah. Of course,” Joanna said. “I should probably be on my way anyway. Still need to get familiar with the town.”
“Well, whatever you see on the main road is pretty much all you get. Not a lot to get familiar with.”
“Still,” Joanna said, “maybe when you aren't busy, you could give me a tour sometime?”
Waverly chewed her lower lip. “Maybe,” she said as she backed up, “but right now, I really do have to go.”
“Right,” Joanna said. “I'll be seeing you around then, Waverly.”
Waverly's smile was tight as she waved goodbye. Once Joanna was out of sight, she breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back against the wall. Those electric blue eyes had been intense, and when they had darkened, Waverly had felt as if she were about to face a storm she wasn't prepared for. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, drawing her attention to the task at hand: research.
With her mind back on track, she made her way to the section of the library that held the town's records and archived newspapers. Joe the librarian waved at her as she passed him by and she gave him the best wave she could with her hands full.
When she opened the door to the records' office, the pungent, musty smell of old paper filled her senses. She breathed it in and a smile spread across her face, and the heavy thoughts of the strange woman she had met fled as she entered her element. She had spent so much time with her nose buried in books while Wynonna was gone, she might as well have been greeting an old friend.
After she set the bag of doughnuts on the corner of the table, she spread the photographs across the space that remained. She pulled one of the doughnuts out of the bag and studied the images with one arm crossed over her stomach, searching for some kind of clue as she bit into the jelly-filled treat.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she quickly stuffed the rest of the doughnut into her mouth and wiped her hands on her jeans before she pulled the phone out of her pocket. She unlocked the screen to find a picture of Nicole with her hair tied back and a blue bandana covering the top of her head. Dust smudged her cheek and a few strands of red had escaped the bandana. Waverly mirrored the smile on her girlfriend's face and she was glad no one was around to see her jelly-covered teeth. Behind Nicole, Waverly noticed the sofa from her living room, sans the empty chip bags, wrappers, and cups that were usually scattered around it. The caption beneath the picture read, “Operation Living Room: Success!”
Not long after, she received another text from Nicole that simply said, “I hope your research goes well. Let me know if you need a distraction.”
Waverly shook her head and, after she painfully swallowed the nearly-whole doughnut in her mouth, she typed out a response.
“Awesome! A clean couch we can make dirty again later.”
Waverly didn't have time to put her phone away before it buzzed in her hand again with a text from Nicole that said, “It's not nice to tease.”
And maybe it wasn't nice, but it was oh so fun to tease Nicole.
The time for fun was over though, so Waverly slid the phone back into her pocket then cracked her knuckles, ready to get to work.
Despite Dolls's teasing earlier that morning, Wynonna did get doughnuts. The powdered sugar ones that Dolls knew she loved so much. He was a man of few words, but he knew the best way to show he cared.
“If you get sugar on those seats, you're walking the rest of the way,” he said, his gaze never leaving the road. Wynonna rolled her eyes, but she made a show of pulling out a napkin and spreading it over her lap to catch any stray powdered sugar. “Thank you.”
“Wouldn't want you to have a heart attack over some crumbs in your car.”
“Preventative measures, Earp. You get sugar all over the car, then the ants come,” he said. “I'm doing us both a favor.”
“'You drop sugar, you get ants,'” Wynonna mocked.
“Just eat your doughnut before we get to the ranch so you have time to wipe that powder off your nose.”
“Like I'm falling for that one,” she said. She turned to look out the window and, once she was sure Dolls wasn't watching, she swiped at the tip of her nose.
Just in case.
By the time the SUV crunched over the gravel road that led up to Isaiah's ranch, the doughnuts and all evidence of them had been stashed on the floor at Wynonna's feet. She checked her face one more time for remnants of the doughnuts as the SUV rolled to a stop near the closed gate. A large sign had been hung over the wood and Keep Out had been written in large, red letters, though the paint had faded over the years. Beneath the large sign was a smaller, newer one that read Unless you have an appointment in black permanent marker.
“I'm getting some mixed signals here,” Wynonna said as she slid out of the car. She shut the door behind her and heard the echo of Dolls's door shutting as well. She patted Peacemaker on her hip for reassurance and met Dolls at the front of the car. “Think he'll be angry we're crashing his place?”
Dolls examined his service weapon for a moment then slid it back into its holster. “He certainly doesn't look happy,” he said, nodding towards the hulking mass of a man that had just stepped out of the ranch house. Dolls shifted his features into his sternest expression and he pulled his badge from his jacket. When the large man approached, Dolls held up the badge and said, “We don't want any trouble, Mr. Lincoln. We just came to ask a few questions.”
“Wouldn't be the first time I heard that,” Isaiah said as he looked between the two of them. He sighed and said, “I suppose the faster I answer your questions, the faster you get the hell off of my land.”
He started back towards the house, and Wynonna and Dolls shared a look.
“Pleasant guy. Real heartwarming kinda fella,” Wynonna said while Dolls slipped his badge back into his jacket. She swatted Dolls on the arm. “Oh my god, you two could be soulmates.”
Dolls shrugged and followed after the man lumbering up the driveway.
Wynonna expected the ranch house to be as cold as the man who had met them in the driveway, but the first thing she noticed was how homey it felt. A fire blazed in the hearth, fighting off the chill of the early spring air. The living room wall had been painted a cool light blue, but the worn furniture was differing shades of red. A pair of antlers adorned the wall behind the couch. Very rustic chic.
“Can we make this quick?” Isaiah pulled his hat off, revealing long, dark locks that curled down to his shoulders. He took a seat on the couch in front of a wooden coffee table. “Jesse'll be back soon and they don't need to see you questioning me.”
“That all depends on you,” Dolls said as he sat across from him in one of the broad-backed chairs. “If you're honest with us, it should be quick and painless.”
Wynonna scoffed and Dolls glared at her over his shoulder.
“Look, just tell us what the trailer park boys wanted and we'll be out of your hair.”
“Saddlebags,” Isaiah replied, “for their bikes.”
“Okay, and let's pretend we believe you,” Wynonna said. “What makes your saddlebags so special? They could get that stuff from any bike store in the city for half the price, so why come to you?”
“Earp—”
“You think I invited them here? That I wanted those bikers on my property? I just want to be left alone.” Isaiah's large hands balled into fists. “They came here, trespassed on my land, and I'm the one being interrogated.”
“You're not being interrogated,” Dolls said. “We just want to know what a couple of bikers might want with a rancher.”
“And I told you. Saddlebags. Jesse and I work with leather in our free time. They wanted to look at some of our pieces.” He gave Wynonna a pointed look. “And mine aren't likely to fall apart as easily as those bags from the city.”
Isaiah's gaze shifted from Wynonna to the front door and seconds later, a slighter, darker figure stepped into the house, paper bags of groceries in their arms. Dreaded locks of hair poked out from behind the bags.
“Isaiah, if you and your guests aren't busy, could you help with the groceries? The rest are still in the back of the truck,” came a soft voice.
“One second, Jesse.” He returned his gaze to Wynonna and Dolls. “You two just gonna sit there, or are you going to help with the bags?”
Wynonna shared a look with Dolls before he stood from the couch and joined her at the doorway. The two of them followed Isaiah outside to the truck. When they returned to the house and trudged into the kitchen, their arms were filled with grocery bags stuffed with food and the household necessities Wynonna usually forgot to grab whenever she went to the store, like toilet paper. Wynonna set her bags on the table and Dolls placed his on the counter. Before they could get back to questioning Isaiah, Jesse was in front of them, a bright smile on their face and a plate of chocolate chip cookies in their hands.
“There are fresh jars of milk in the fridge, if you like,” they said. Wynonna helped herself—she wasn't one to turn down free cookies—but Dolls only took one and nibbled thoughtfully. “I'm sorry I don't have more to give you. Isaiah didn't mention we were having guests.”
“Didn't know,” came the gruff response from the man shoving groceries into the refrigerator. “Seems people have a habit of surprising me lately.”
The smile on Jesse's face flickered, but they handed the plate of cookies to Wynonna, whose eyes widened in delight, before they dug through one of the bags on the counter. The smile returned in full force when Jesse found what they were looking for and hid it behind their back as they approached Isaiah. They tapped him on the shoulder and when he looked over his shoulder, Jesse had a bushel of deep red rhubarb stalks in their hand.
“First of the season,” Jesse said in a sing-song voice. They waved the sturdy stalks in front of Isaiah. “Perfect for that rhubarb cake you like so much.” Dolls cleared his throat, and Jesse looked over their shoulder. “Oh, you're welcome to have some, too, if you don't mind sticking around to help make it.”
“Jesse, I don't think that's such a good idea.”
“And I agree,” Dolls said. “We just came to ask Isaiah a few questions. Cake wasn't really in the equation.”
“Yeah, and you asked your questions, so maybe it's time you two left so Jesse and I can enjoy the rest of our day.”
Jesse's nose crinkled. “What kind of questions? Isaiah's not in trouble, is he?”
“Not sure yet,” Wynonna said. She locked eyes with the large man near the fridge. “He hasn't exactly been forthcoming with information, so it's hard to make heads or tails of the situation.”
Jesse studied Wynonna with narrowed eyes and the easy demeanor that they had carried earlier was gone. “I think Isaiah's right. It's time you left.”
“Jesse—”
“Don't 'Jesse' me. I don't like what she's insinuating. You haven't done anything wrong.” They crossed their arms over their chest. “You're not a criminal and you don't deserve to be treated like one.”
Wynonna scoffed. “Okay, I'm not treating him like a criminal. I know how criminals get treated.”
“Yeah, from personal experience,” Jesse said. They set the stalks of rhubarb on the counter by the sink, then said, “Give me back my cookies and get out.”
Before Wynonna could respond, the plate was ripped out of her hand, and she was left staring at the last of the half-eaten cookie in the other hand. She sighed and rubbed the back of her head.
“Look, I wasn't trying to imply he did anything wrong.”
“Earp,” Dolls said from beside her, “I think we've done enough here. We'll ask around somewhere else.”
“Yeah well, maybe teach this one how to ask some better questions,” Isaiah said. “Might waste less time that way.”
“Hey!”
“Come on, Earp,” Dolls said, and Wynonna glared at Isaiah but followed Dolls outside.
When they were back in the SUV, she sighed and buckled herself in.
“I really messed that one up, huh?”
“I've seen worse interrogations,” Dolls said with a shrug. He dug through his pockets and produced the keys to the SUV. After the engine hummed to life, he turned to look at her. “Isaiah was right, though. We really need to work on your technique, or we're never going to get any answers.”
“Well excuse the hell out of me. Not all of us went to fancy interrogation school. Some of us had to learn from Law and Order reruns.”
“Actually, I learned from Sheriff Nedley.” He shifted the car into reverse and started down the driveway while Wynonna's mouth hung open.
“Oh my god, I hate that I can't tell if you're joking or not.” Dolls only laughed in response. “You're an ass, you know that?”
She sighed and looked out the window, watching the ranch roll by as they drove down the road. It had been a wasted trip, but at least the company had been nice.
Still, she hoped Waverly had had better luck than her.
“You haven't seen my girlfriend, have you, miss? I thought I might find her here.”
Waverly startled in her chair at the sound of Nicole's voice. She looked over her shoulder, wincing at the stiff muscles, and her eyes lit up at the sight of Nicole leaning against the doorjamb. Her soft eyes and warm smile were welcome amongst the newspaper clippings and photographs spread over the table.
“Can't say I've seen anyone else around,” Waverly said as she pushed her chair back. She rose from her seat and sauntered over to Nicole, holding her gaze as she walked, and when she reached her, she took hold of the edges of Nicole's denim jacket and looked up at her with a wide smile on her face.“You know, if you give me a good description, I could help you find her.”
Nicole placed her palm against Waverly's cheek. “Well,” she said, “she's about your height. Same build, too.” She slid her hand down to Waverly's jaw and ran her thumb along the soft skin there. “Same very kissable lips,” she said before leaning down to capture Waverly's lips in her own. Her hand slid from Waverly's cheek to her hair, and she tangled her fingers in the long tresses.
Waverly fought the urge to slip her hands beneath Nicole's shirt to feel the soft skin hidden beneath it. Instead, she tugged her closer so their bodies were pressed together. When they broke apart, they were close enough that Nicole's breath was still warm on her lips. Her nose scrunched a moment later.
“You smell like vinegar.”
“Just a new cologne I'm trying out. It's called 'I used too much vinegar on the floors today'.”
“Oh, very sexy,” Waverly teased.
“I know, but I think I'll save it for special occasions from now on,” Nicole said. Her gaze wandered over Waverly's shoulder to the table covered in clippings and photographs. “Find anything interesting?”
Waverly's eyes lit up and she took Nicole's hands. She dragged her to the table and waved her arm over the documents. She pointed to a clean-shaven gentleman wearing a bandanna over his long, brown hair. A pair of sunglasses hid his eyes. He was nose to nose with Isaiah, matching him in height.
“Meet Mr. Jimmy Jackson and his merry band of horse thieves,” Waverly said, a wide smile on her face. “The five of them were tracked and trapped by Wyatt Earp in 1886. Now they're back by unpopular demand.” Nicole laughed and wrapped her arms around Waverly's waist. She rested her chin on Waverly's shoulder and followed along as Waverly talked about the people in the photographs. “I've found a couple mentions of them in later papers, too. Seems they can't seem to stay out of trouble whenever they resurrect.”
Nicole reached out with one hand and pointed to the picture of Isaiah and Jimmy. “Looks like these two may have had a falling out after a couple resurrections.”
“Oh! That's the weird thing,” Waverly said. “I combed through all of these documents with a frickin' fine-toothed comb and couldn't find anything on Isaiah from Wyatt's time. There's nothing in today's records either. Nothing relevant, anyway.” Her brow furrowed. “I swear, Isaiah's been around all my life, but aside from advertisements for riding lessons, there's nothing in the papers about him or in the town's records.”
“You'll figure it out, Wave,” Nicole said, and Waverly felt the soft brush of lips against her cheek. “Does he have any family in town you could talk to? Maybe learn a little more about him?”
Waverly shook her head. “No. His parents passed years ago,” she said. She pursed her lips and filed through a stack of newspaper articles until she came across the one she was looking for. The front page was taken up by a picture of a young girl, a pink cowgirl hat on her head and a large trophy in her hands. Her lips were drawn in a wide smile, but there was something off about it. “I found this article about his sister Isabelle. She won like, a crapload of riding competitions when she was younger. She must have moved out of Purgatory, though. Maybe I can find a phone number for her or something. Get in touch.”
“Can't hurt to try,” Nicole said. “Do you want to look for it tonight?”
Waverly shook her head. “It's late. Even if I found her number, I wouldn't want to disturb her,” she said. She turned in Nicole's arms and smiled up at her. “No, I think it's time to pack it up for the night and try again tomorrow.” She draped her arms over Nicole's shoulders. “Besides, if I remember correctly, we have a movie night planned.”
Nicole's smile mirrored her own. “I believe we do, Ms. Earp.”
With Nicole's help, it didn't take long to pack up the photographs and the copies of the newspaper clippings she had made. Joseph had brought her a box hours ago, knowing how she liked to take her research home with her. Once everything had been gathered in the box, she hefted it into her arms and Nicole held the door open for her. She nodded at Joseph on their way out.
The sweet kiss of fresh air greeted her when she stepped outside and she happily took a deep breath. She made her way to the Jeep parked near the sidewalk and deposited the box of papers in the backseat. Nicole had already opened the passenger door, but Waverly shook her head.
“Can we swing by the store first? We're low on snacks.”
“I think we can manage that,” Nicole said. She went around the front of the car and joined Waverly on the driver's side. “Wynonna said she'd be another hour anyway.”
Waverly's brow furrowed. “She's not back at the homestead already?”
“No.” Nicole shook her head. “I guess they somehow managed to get a flat and the spare was no better. A tow truck is finally on its way out there.”
“Well it was nice of her to let me know,” Waverly said. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and found a text from Wynonna on the screen with the exact message Nicole had just given her. She slid the phone back in her pocket and started down the road towards Purgatory's small supermarket. “Never mind. Apparently the service sucks up there.”
“It's Purgatory,” Nicole remarked. “I think the service sucks everywhere.”
Waverly shrugged. Nicole had a point.
They walked side by side at the edge of the deserted street. It wasn't long before both women reached out for the other so they could intertwine their fingers and let their hands swing between them as they walked. Waverly glanced at the woman beside her and thoughts of the conversation with Wynonna earlier that day filled her head.
Logically, she knew she shouldn't be afraid of Nicole's answer. She already practically lived at the homestead. Asking her was just a formality.
“You alright, Wave?”
“Yeah, I'm great,” Waverly said as they stepped through the door to the convenience store. Nicole hummed in response. “Seriously. I'm totally fine. Just, you know, thinking.”
“Alright.”
“Really!”
“Waverly, I believe you,” Nicole said, an amused smile on her face. “If you say you're fine, then you're fine.”
“Fine,” Waverly said with a huff.
Silence settled over them as they walked hand in hand down the chip aisle. They browsed the limited options and finally settled on plain old potato chips for the night. When they started towards the section lined with boxes of popcorn, however, Nicole spoke up again.
“You just seemed kinda nervous, is all.”
“Well, I'm not.”
“Okay.”
Waverly sighed and pulled her aside in the freezer aisle. “I just... There's been a question on my mind the last few days, and it's silly.”
“Not possible, but go on.”
Waverly wasn't sure if it was the way Nicole's eyes softened as she spoke or the reassuring warmth of Nicole's palm in hers, but she threw caution to the wind and said, “I want you to move in with Wynonna and me. Well, mostly I want you to move in with me, but it's obviously Wynonna's home, too, so of course she's going to be there, but you're used to that, right? Plus, I'm sure Cat would love wandering the barn, though she'd have to get used to sharing it with Doc.” Waverly's rambling tapered off as she caught sight of the way Nicole's eyes had widened. “And usually you've said something by now before I can freak myself out. Feel free to keep up the pattern and help me out here, Nicole.” A nervous laugh escaped. When Nicole still hadn't responded, Waverly released her hand and folded her arms over her stomach. “Or maybe I just misread things.”
“Waverly, no,” Nicole said, but she couldn't seem to meet her gaze. “You just, you took me by surprise is all.”
“Because you practically live there already?”
Nicole's lips moved to speak, but her gaze drifted to something behind Waverly and whatever she had to say died on the tip of her tongue. Waverly looked over her shoulder and found the striking woman with the long, tousled blonde hair from earlier standing in the aisle, her cool blue eyes pinned on the two of them.
Nicole's voice was barely above a whisper when she said, “Jo?”
“Hey, Nicole,” Joanna said, and the corners of her lips curled upwards into a smile. “Funny running into you here.” The icy eyes shifted from Nicole down to Waverly. “Nice to see you again, Waverly. I wasn't aware you and Nicole were friends.”
“Actually—”
“What are you doing here?” Nicole's voice was hard and her posture stiff, so different from what Waverly was accustomed to. The distance she had put between them was new as well, and Waverly found that she didn't like when Nicole's hand was too far from hers to hold.
Joanna shrugged. “I needed a vacation.”
“So you came to Purgatory?”
“Yeah. I needed to get out of the city. You know how it is. There's just too much noise there. You have to admit, it's peaceful here. And the scenery isn't bad either.” Her icy gaze shifted to Waverly and her lips twitched into a smile. Waverly shivered under the attention. Joanna's eyes darkened when she turned her attention back to Nicole and her lips formed a slight pout. “Really, though, after all this time I thought you'd be happy to see me, Nicky.”
“Don't,” Nicole said. Her hands balled into fists and she looked away from Joanna.
Waverly wasn't an idiot, especially not when it came to Nicole. She knew when she needed an exit. She made a show of patting her pockets, then turned to her girlfriend.
“Shit, Nicole, I think my wallet fell out when we were loading up the car earlier,” she said. “Can you come help me look for it?”
Without waiting for Nicole's answer, she shoved the bags of chips into the nearest cooler and started down the aisle, away from Joanna. It took longer than she would have liked, but Nicole caught up to her. When Waverly tried to take her by the hand though, she pulled away and avoided her gaze.
The walk back to the Jeep felt long and lonely, the tension between them unfamiliar. Questions had already begun to pile in Waverly's head, though she was sure she knew the answer to the biggest one. She sighed as they approached the Jeep and pulled the keys out of her pocket to unlock it. While she pulled herself into the driver's seat, Nicole slid into the passenger seat and shut the door. Without a word, Waverly started the engine and pulled away from the sidewalk.
It wasn't until they were on the road out of town that she finally allowed herself to glance at Nicole.
Her shoulders were hunched, as if she was trying to make herself smaller, and she kept her gaze fixated on the plains passing by the window. Slowly, Waverly reached for Nicole's hand, heart thudding in her chest at the thought of her pulling away again. She didn't, and Waverly breathed a sigh of relief.
“I'm sorry.” The soft apology filled the Jeep. Nicole's gaze had shifted from the window up to the vinyl roof. Nicole took a deep breath to steady herself, and Waverly gently squeezed her hand in support. “Jo just... she took me by surprise, is all.”
“Jo, huh?”
“Yeah. Jo.” Nicole ran her fingers through her hair with her free hand. “We haven't seen each other in months. For her to suddenly just show up in Purgatory of all places is a little, well, bizarre.”
Such a simple sentence spoke volumes to Waverly. According to Doc, Nicole had barely blinked when he told her about the demons in Purgatory, yet Joanna's appearance had Nicole on edge and Waverly could tell she was holding something back. She gave Nicole's hand another gentle squeeze, but she let the silence fill the Jeep once more. She had been hoping for a little more information on the mysterious stranger, but it seemed Nicole wouldn't be forthcoming with it any time soon. Which was fine—Nicole was entitled to her secrets after all—but that didn't stop Waverly's mind from wandering as they drove down the road towards the darkening horizon.
After they pulled up to the homestead, Waverly sent Wynonna a text, asking her to pick up snacks since she had been the one to eat the last of them anyway. She got one back, asking why they hadn't picked any up while they were in town.
Waverly glanced at Nicole as they made their way to the front porch, then sent back, “We ran into someone at the store. I think she was Nicole's ex. It was awkward. We left.”
“Got it,” was all Wynonna sent back.
The house was dark when they stepped through the door. Doc must have decided the barn was more to his tastes for the night. Waverly flicked on the lights and Nicole slipped into the kitchen while she searched through a stack of DVDs near the television. After she found the one she was looking for, she slipped it into the player and turned towards the couch, only to find that Nicole hadn't returned yet. Her brow furrowed and she headed towards the kitchen, but stopped at the doorway.
Nicole stood at the kitchen sink with a tight grip on the edge of the counter as she stared out the window into the dark night. Her shoulders were tense and even from where Waverly was standing, she could see Nicole's clenched jaw.
“Hey,” she said, and Nicole looked over her shoulder. The tension visibly left her body and she crossed the kitchen to Waverly. “You alright?”
“I'm okay, baby,” Nicole assured her. “The movie ready?”
“Just waiting on you.”
“Then I guess we shouldn't keep it waiting any longer.”
Nicole winked and Waverly rolled her eyes, but stood on her toes to place a quick kiss on Nicole's lips. The smile she got in return was almost enough to make her forget Nicole's strange behavior.
Waverly led the way back to the living room and Nicole pulled the quilt off the back of the couch before they settled on the couch for the movie. Once both of them were covered with the quilt, Waverly curled against Nicole's side and slipped her arm behind her back. She was about to hit 'play' when Nicole's soft voice gave her pause.
“Waverly?”
“Hm?”
Nicole fidgeted with the hem of the blanket as she stared at the television, and Waverly wondered if she had been mistaken. Maybe she hadn't said her name. But then she stopped fidgeting and the words finally came. “You've never... I mean, I know I came on strong that first night at Shorty's, but you've never done something with me because you thought you had to, have you?”
“Nicole,” Waverly said, “like I told you this morning, I don't do things that I don't want to.” Despite Waverly's words, Nicole still looked unsure. Waverly placed her free hand against Nicole's cheek. “Hey,” she said, “look at me?” It took a moment, but Nicole pulled her gaze away from the television and let it meet Waverly's for the first time since the grocery store. Warm, brown eyes seemed to be searching hers for some kind of answer to a question Nicole couldn't bring herself to ask. “You, Nicole Haught, have been wonderful and patient with me since the first night we met. I've never felt pressured by you in the least.”
The hint of a smile appeared on Nicole's face. The smile grew when Waverly pressed a kiss to the corner of her lips and she soon felt Nicole's hand gently wrap around her wrist, as if grounding her in the moment. When she pulled back, the dark fear she had seen lurking in Nicole's eyes had fled.
They settled back into position—Waverly curled against Nicole's side with Nicole's arm draped over her shoulder, holding her close—and let the movie play. A multitude of questions still lurked at the back of Waverly's mind, but then the movie ended and Wynonna, Doc, and Dolls stepped through the front door, their arms full of the snacks Waverly had requested. Laughter filled the living room as the night went on and Nicole's smile was back in full force.
It wasn't until they climbed the stairs and slipped into their bedroom—long after the clock had chimed midnight—that Waverly realized how shaken Nicole still was. Despite the wide grin that had been on her face in the living room, she now sat at the edge of the bed while Waverly climbed under the blankets. She thought Nicole would join her, but whatever she was thinking about kept her firmly planted on the edge of the bed.
“Hey,” Waverly said from her side of the mattress, and Nicole looked over her shoulder with a forced smile on her face. She patted the space beside her and said, “Come here.” Nicole slipped under the blankets and reached out to gather Waverly in her arms the way she normally would, but Waverly shook her head. “How about I hold you tonight, huh?”
Nicole was quiet for a moment, before she nodded and said, “I think I would really like that, Wave.”
Nicole scooted a few inches down the mattress so her forehead rested just beneath Waverly's chin, and Waverly slipped her arms around her to keep her close. She stayed awake, running her fingertips along Nicole's back, until she felt Nicole relax in her arms and her breathing change. Once she was sure Nicole was asleep, she let herself drift off as well, all the while wondering what about Joanna had her girlfriend so on edge.