Chapter Text
Nicole breathed in deeply. A new town. New people. A big, open sky and all kinds of new sights and smells. I mean, the horse shit littered throughout the roadway wasn't so pleasant—but it wasn't really all that bad, either. Not compared to the dirty air and piss stained streets back home. No, this she could get used to.
The west. Oh, how she'd dreamt of this and it was almost exactly how she'd pictured it. Just as her father had described when he'd come home from fighting in the territories. How the sun looked bigger. The land that went on and on without a building in sight.
She was living her dream.
Finally.
She'd come here not only because she'd dreamt of it since she was a little girl but, because, out here in the 'wild west' as they called it, the same rules didn't always apply as they did back east. Back where she was expected to act a certain way or dress a certain way. Hold only certain jobs and love only certain people. Well, she'd had enough of that. She was sick of it, to tell the truth. So when she'd received correspondence from an inquiry she'd made about a law enforcement job out west, she'd been positively elated.
They were interested in her, a woman, moving out to their little town and working as a deputy! She could hardly believe her luck. She'd hopped onto the next train headed west and, when the tracks ended, rode the rest of the way with a band of fellow travelers. Sleeping under the stars and living off the land, just like her daddy had taught her before he passed. Before everything changed and there were dresses and suitors and rules.
Sitting astride her horse, now, her hat clamped tight on her head with a leather string under her chin, she marveled at the bright, hot world around her. She was watching people hustle and bustle, here and there, busy in their everyday lives, when she saw her again.
Nicole wasn't sure she'd ever seen anyone so beautiful. She was like an angel. Currently, she was haggling with a merchant over the price of his wares and was up on her tip-toes, one finger in the man's face while the other held her skirt up off the dusty road. She continued to watch from a safe distance, amused at the small woman's spunky demeanor.
"Don't ya think you oughta...intervene, there, deputy?"
She was startled from her reverie by the voice of her new boss, Sheriff Nedley. She turned in her saddle to give him a sheepish smile.
"Sorry, sir."
"Well, don't tell me, Haught, you best get on over there and save poor Mr. Fleischmann from the wrath of Waverly Earp."
"Right. Of course." She urged her horse forward with a tug of the reigns and headed toward the scuffle, wondering vaguely why such a large man as Mr. Fleischmann needed saving from tiny a tiny little thing like Miss Earp. As she drew closer, their voices became more clear.
"You're intent on fleecing me, you old coot!" Waverly was shouting.
"Miss Earp, I must protest, the prices simply aren't the same as they were before-"
"Poppycock! Pastor Hiddleston was just telling me the other day about what a wonderful price on corn you'd given him!"
"Miss Earp, it's—he's—it's the church! And yours is a-"
"Reputable establishment in this pokey town, I'll have you know!"
"Miss-"
"Save it, Fleischmann. I'll just take my unwanted business elsewhere."
"Oh, and where exactly will you go, hmm?"
Waverly, who had turned and started to walk away, froze in her place. Nicole sensed trouble and dismounted just as the brunette wheeled and launched herself at the stunned shopkeeper. Throwing her arms around the younger woman's waist, Nicole held her tight, which was no small feat as the woman's arms and legs were flailing wilding toward the startled man.
"Ma'am, please!" She begged. "Just calm down," she turned, holding the woman off of the ground and turning away from the growing crowd of spectators.
"Let. Me. Go!" She punctuated each word with a jerking movement to free herself.
"I'll let you go when you've calmed down, ma'am."
"Ma'am? Listen here, you," she turned her head as far as she could, craning around to look at Nicole. "That's...that's, uh—Miss, to you, deputy." She had stilled her movements and stared into Nicole's eyes, looking properly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I'm fine. Will you please let me go?"
Nicole had already carried her halfway across the road and toward the saloon when she finally relented, settling the flustered little woman down onto the road.
"I don't think we've met," Waverly began, brushing imaginary dust from her skirts. "I'm Waverly Earp. Owner and operator of the saloon there behind me."
"I'm aware," Nicole smiled, tipping her hat in greeting. "Nicole Haught."
"Deputy Haught, you're new."
"Indeed, ma'am. Been here only about three weeks. I've, uh, been meanin' to introduce myself, actually."
"Well, now you have," the shorter woman smiled warmly, looking into Nicole's eyes with a directness that sent butterflies racing through her stomach. "I'm sorry about the circumstances of our introduction," Waverly finally spoke, "but that old bastard's been jacking his prices up on me and my sister for years." She shrugged, fanning her face with her hand. "Guess I'd just finally had enough."
"Well, that's, uh—understandable, Miss Earp, but assault is probably not the most legal way to resolve your dispute," Nicole said in what she hoped was an authoritative tone.
Waverly snorted, waving Nicole's words away with her hand, "Oh, please. Legal? Since when does anybody out here in the west give a damn about legal?"
Nicole gawked at her, unsure and uncomfortable about how to respond. Instead, she hooked her thumbs in her gun belt and smiled, "Well, Miss Earp, since now. Since me, I suppose."
Waverly looked at her, tilting her head to the side as if trying to solve a complicated puzzle. "Alright, then, Deputy Haught, follow me. I suppose you deserve a drink on the house for preventing my inevitable arrest."
"Oh, I couldn't-"
"Nonsense. Come on, deputy."
With that, the little woman turned on her heel and headed through the swinging doors of the saloon.