16As the sun started to fade in the evening sky, breathtaking colors outlined the jagged mountains. A coyote whaled in the distance and the horses were growing weary. The sun had almost laid its head to rest when the outline of a beaver head showed in the breathtaking colors in the near distance.
An overwhelming flush of happiness overcame Gitty. At that moment, she felt so close to her family, she couldn't bare the feeling anymore. She felt relived that within hours, she could be reunited with her family.
"Look!" she shrieked. "The beaver head! The mountain!"
Jacob squinted for a few moments then his face morphed into a dumbfounded surprise.
Their destination had finally been reached. They kicked their horses and they cantered off. The sun was disappearing fast and it was getting harder to see the mountain. There was no source of light except for the town in the distance.
Jacob dug around in his saddle bag for a candle to light. He dug for quite some time before he asked if Gitty had a candle.
Gitty opened her saddle bag and was surprised how empty it felt.
"I don't have one," she said.
Jacob threw the flap closed in disgust.
"I think we were robbed back in the town," he said.
"But by who?" asked Gitty. "The town was deserted."
"Where else would we have been raided?" Jacob cursed. "We have no idea where we are," he said. "I can't see anything."
Gitty could tell that there was o was to get to the mountain in the dark and she could tell that Jacob wanted to spend yet another night resting.
"I suppose we could stay the night an' get goin' at dawn," suggested Gitty. She prayed her family was ok.
They turned their horses' away form the mountain and turned towards the town.
When they arrived, it was loud and filled with a mob of people and burning torches. People walked passed them in humble moods but didn't pay much attention to the two strangers.
Gitty recognized their action as a crowd for a hanging. Jacob was familiar with it too because he looked in the direction the people were going with curiosity.
They looked at each other and with a stare; they decided to follow the crowd. As they reached the end of the main road, they saw torches burning around a platform with a stake coming through the middle. A solemn rope tied with a loop at the bottom swayed slightly in the gentile night's breeze.
People cheered and hollered as the sheriff brought a man, whose hands were tied behind his back, up to the platform.
"My favorite part," said Jacob randomly. "Is when the eyes' pop out."
Gitty laughed at Jacobs comment. "Ah, hangin' is borin'. We should stared beheadin' people again."
Jacob laughed back even harder. The sheriff read aloud the man's crime but with the roar of the crowd it was hard to hear him.
The loop of the rope was delicately placed around the man's neck. Another man pulled the rope on the other side of the pulley and croaking sounds and bulging eyes came from the criminal.
The crowned cheered again, seeing the dead criminal swing in mid-air.
The two turned their horse around to search for a hotel. The town they were currently in seemed much more welcoming. Men tipped their hats and a few people said hello.
Once they reached the hotel, they tied their horses and took what was left of their belongings with them inside a wooden masterpiece. The walls were filled with memorabilia and pictures. A tiny white number was on each door, except for the one that said saloon. A giant chandelier hovered over them lit with many candles illuminating the room.
A man with a short black beard, becoming gray, stood at the front desk. He wore a straw cowboy hat and a blue shirt with a belt and jeans. His eyes were sift and caring as he said:
"Hello there, here for the night?"
He grabbed one key, the only key left and led them back to door six. He inserted the key and twisted the knob that opened to their room.
Inside was a single room with a double bed in the middle. The walls were copies of the main hall covered with framed photos and newspaper articles. A table stood up against the back wall with a bowl and towels and a lantern sat on a night stand beside the bed.
The man held the door for the two and they walked in. The room was dimly lit and shadows moved on every wall. "See you in the morning," said the man. And he closed the door behind them before Gitty could ask if there were any more rooms left.
She didn't say anything; she set her belongings down on the floor and proceeded to the bowl of water. The cool water splashed against her face and the stress was lifted from her face. It dripped down her neck and down her shirt. Nothing had felt this cleansing up until that point.
She turned back around. Jacob was standing uncomfortably on the opposite side of the bed.
"You can have it," she said.
Jacob dropped his hat on the ground. "Naw, it's big enough for the both of us." He unbuttoned his shirt exposing his body beneath it. His body had a glow to it and a certain mold that kept Gitty's gaze steady for a few moments before he caught her gazing.
Jacob looked away too but then looked back.
Gitty had turned back around to the bowl of water. She stared at it blankly because she didn't have anything else to do.
The both of them felt something should be said, but saying something itself would sound out of place.
Jacob slowly walked towards Gitty.
Behind her, she could feel his presence moving closer to her. She stood perfectly still, but inside her heart was pounding, blood sped through her veins and sweat started to seep from her forehead.
She could feel him right behind her; his breath was soft and warm. Two hands slid from the side of her waist to the front of her hips. They both stood there; he held her hips to his and his lips rested against her neck.
The tingly feel was a sensation she never felt before; not even dreamed of. The amount of shock made her push him off. She turned and went towards the bed.
Jacob, taking a different signal, followed her.
Gitty had reached the edge of the bed but stopped when she felt Jacobs hands return to her hips. She froze again realizing that she was never going to get away. A man had never acted this way towards her. She turned towards him, only to see the seductive look in his eyes.
A few moments of complete silence went by until Jacob made his next move.
Gitty had never been kissed before, not like that. His lips moved rapidly and his tongue snaked in and out of her mouth.
Together they fell onto the bed. Still kissing, Jacob shifted his hand under Gitty's shirt. His hands and a sturdy feel, making Gitty feel at his mercy.
A hand reached up the front of her torso and started to unbutton her shirt. Hot breath came to her bare chest.
Jacob stopped kissing her lips as her worked his way down her neck.
Her shirt fell down her shoulder and he rested his forehead between her breasts and they rested there.
Jacob's head remained there late into the night. He fell asleep, but Gitty laid awake many hours into the night,
The thoughts of the moments that just occurred replayed in her mind over and over until her eyelids fell weary and she drifted off to sleep.