"Sally, no one eats some fish...or anything for that matter and suddenly becomes brainy. Not sure where you got that from. Maybe someone jokin' around?" he smiled.
Sally shrugged. "It's common knowledge!" she assured him.
"And besides if I ask you a real hard question, what if I don't even know the answer?" he tried for a little humor, this whole fish equals brains bit was a little comical.
"Well then we'll ask Caroline - she's got an answer for everything." Sally assured him.
"But alright, you asked for it so I'll give you one. Don't just blurt the first thing that comes inta your head either. Think on it before ya answer," he pointed out.
"You n' me, Sally..."
She tipped her head with a frown "Yeah, what about you and me?"
"... what is this that is going on now? How do you feel about it? You got any feelin's for me or am I just reading this all wrong? Remember, I never claimed to be some genius," he decided to go for it.
"Uh? But that... that's the easiest question in the world to answer!" she smiled at him almost sympathetically, he really wasn't a genius, was he? "What's goin' on is that I fell for you the moment you thumped Mr Miller an' now I'm just seein' if we rub along together all right and if we do, and you like me too, well, we can go get married, can't we?"
Why,it was obvious wasn't it?
Turk laughed, "You ain't wrong there, Sally. Caroline does have an answer for everything but I know her and I assure you she ain't always right with her answers."
She wanted a hard question so the man decided to give her one that would hopefully make her think some and also even more hopefully give some clarity to this 'relationship'. She had no hesitation in answering though.
"Uh? But that... that's the easiest question in the world to answer!" she smiled at him almost sympathetically.
"Oh it is?" he raised one eyebrow, glued to her next every word on the subject.
"What's goin' on is that I fell for you the moment you thumped Mr Miller an' now I'm just seein' if we rub along together all right and if we do, and you like me too, well, we can go get married, can't we?"
Alright then, a lot more blunt than he had expected. He paused to take it all in.
"Well, umm, I'm of two minds here. Lemme explained, "I've fell for you too, hadn't initially planned to but you just won me right over. Wasn't sure if you felt the same way but glad ya do," he smiled.
"The marrying part though, seems a mite fast? We haven't even known each other all that long for you to have to make that kinda decision - yet. I don't wanna rush you and then later you end up regretting it all," he added.
He locked on to her doe like eyes, "I mean we haven't even kissed."
"Well, umm, I'm of two minds here. Lemme explain, I've fell for you too, hadn't initially planned to but you just won me right over. Wasn't sure if you felt the same way but glad ya do," he smiled.
She just nodded - he was, after all, stating the obvious.
"The marrying part though, seems a mite fast? We haven't even known each other all that long for you to have to make that kinda decision - yet. I don't wanna rush you and then later you end up regretting it all," he added.
"it's not too fast for me, Cabot. See... I know. When a girl knows, she knows. It's more a matter if'n it's too fast for you." little Sally Cutts said, quite boldly and simply.
He locked on to her doe like eyes, "I mean we haven't even kissed."
She smiled again. Simple Sally Cutts - so dumb, and yet as wise as old Mother Eve right now. "Well... I'm right here, ain't I?" she said. And, to be fair to the girl, that she was!
"it's not too fast for me, Cabot. See... I know. When a girl knows, she knows. It's more a matter if'n it's too fast for you." little Sally Cutts said, quite boldly and simply.
Well, that couldn't be any more clear, Cabot didn't quite know what to say but did so anyhow.
He locked on to her doe like eyes, "I mean we haven't even kissed."
She smiled again. "Well... I'm right here, ain't I?" she said.
"That you are. I just did not want to try something you would not want me to," he practically mumbled then there was no more pondering, hesitation.
He stepped right up into her space, looking down upon the shorter young woman and then most carefully as if she was made of delicate china, placed a soft kiss on her lips.
It all just seemed too good to be true! But here they were.
Sally had to stand on her tiptoes and crane her neck in order to kiss Cabot gently back, pursing her lips so that she matched the softness of his initial foray. She rested back onto the balls of her feet and lifted a hand to touch his slightly gingery whiskers.
"He he, you tickled me with your bristles" she smiled "And I think I might have to get a box to stand on if we're going to do that a lot... and I hope we are going to do that a lot!" she declared. Then, suddenly, she threw her arms around him and just stayed like that with her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat, so that all he could see of her was the top of her head.
There would probably have been more kissing, but then the back door of the house creaked open and Sally nearly jumped out of her skin, and certainly did jump out of Mister Flagg's embrace.
The caller was soon identified as Florence Patterson-Forde as she called out in a very loud, clearly warning voice, that she was there. Cabot and Sally might not have known that they were destined for their first kiss that day, but the cloned blonde girl with the spectacles was somehow expecting it!
"It's me! Flo! Ma sent me to get the pot and..." she came into sight, having taken a suspiciously long time to get from the back door to the part of the kitchen they were both in "... see if you wanted to come round for something sweet... if you haven't already had something."
The truth was, hearing all about her daughter's young and inexperienced friend going to a deserted house with a fully grown man, Mrs Patterson-Forde had dispatched her daughter as a sort of flying chaperone, to make sure little Sally wasn't in any kind of trouble. The house they were in had some sinister antecedents in that direction and, well, with three daughters of her own, the woman had a maternal protective instinct toward the orphaned Cutts waif.
Sally was bright red and flustered, but felt a natural instinct and she let it guide her. She reached out her hand to Cabot's.
"I'd be right proud if you would take me there... on your arm" she said, holding his hand. She wanted more kisses, she wanted more hugs, but she did not trust herself to stop things going too far, least until they were wed.
"He he, you tickled me with your bristles" she smiled "And I think I might have to get a box to stand on if we're going to do that a lot... and I hope we are going to do that a lot!" she declared. Then, suddenly, she threw her arms around him and just stayed like that with her head against his chest, listening to his heart beat, so that all he could see of her was the top of her head.
"We will, darlin', we will," Cabot wrapped his own arms about her too, just as happy and content as she no doubt was.
There were going to be issues coming up no doubt, complications but they'd deal with them as needed. The important thing was they really did want to spend their lives together.
Then they were interrupted, a door opened, Sally jumped back like they'd just got caught robbing the local bank.
"It's me! Flo! Ma sent me to get the pot and..." she came into sight, having taken a suspiciously long time to get from the back door to the part of the kitchen they were both in "... see if you wanted to come round for something sweet... if you haven't already had something."
Cabot frowned, not happy about this annoying interruption, "We said we'd bring it back."
Sally was bright red and flustered, but felt a natural instinct and she let it guide her. She reached out her hand to Cabot's.
"I'd be right proud if you would take me there... on your arm" she said, holding his hand.
Honestly he did not want to be gallivanting over to this strangers home, even if Sally knew them. This was their private time crashed by this pesky gal. But Sally was fine with it and wanting to go.
"Well, can't say as I got any appetite left but if you'd like to go, I would certainly accompany you," he only wanted to make her happy.
Cabot frowned, not happy about this annoying interruption, "We said we'd bring it back."
The girl called Flo gave Flagg a piercing, disapproving glance through her spectacles which seemed to say 'just as I thought!' Mother was right to send her over to make sure Sally wasn't taken advantage of.
"I'd be right proud if you would take me there... on your arm" Sally said, holding Cabot's hand.
"Well, can't say as I got any appetite left but if you'd like to go, I would certainly accompany you," he only wanted to make her happy.
"Oh thank you Cabot, you're such a peach!" Sally gushed and, getting over her shyness with her friend watching, and throwing her arms around him again.
"Splendid. Ma will be pleased!" Flo commented and picked up the pot; after all, she liked Sally and wanted the girl's arms to be free so they could intertwine with Flagg's, as was her wish.
Thus they proceeded. The walk to the Gentlemen's Outfitter's store was short and unremarkable, and when they entered through the back door it was to a more or less empty dining room, for such was the size of the Patterson Forde family that they ate in shifts. Mrs Patterson Forde, the matriarch, was sat at the table, forty, frumpy and formidable, the other person there was not one of the blond, bespectacled clones that made up the family, but another outsider. It was the man Flagg had met at the Saloon, Baur.
"Hullo, Flagg. You know, we were just talking about you. Bet you didn't expect to see me here!" he said, rising to his lanky height and thrusting out a hand with a warm and friendly smile. "Miss Cutts" to Sally. The Mother figure just looked Flagg up and down appraisingly.
"Oh thank you Cabot, you're such a peach!" Sally gushed and, getting over her shyness with her friend watching, and throwing her arms around him again.
"That's me then," he smiled welcoming the renewed hug. He had her happy and that made him happy too.
The walk over to this Forde place was a short one if a sort of strange feeling one. He'd never had a gal on his arm before. New territory. He could learn to get used to fast though.
They entered through the back door it was to a more or less empty dining room, for such was the size of the Patterson Forde family that they ate in shifts. Mrs Patterson Forde, the matriarch, was sat at the table, forty, frumpy and formidable, the other person there was not one of the blond, bespectacled clones that made up the family, but another outsider. It was the man Flagg had met at the Saloon, Baur.
"Hullo, Flagg. You know, we were just talking about you. Bet you didn't expect to see me here!" he said, rising to his lanky height and thrusting out a hand with a warm and friendly smile. "Miss Cutts" to Sally. The Mother figure just looked Flagg up and down appraisingly.
He certainly had expected to see that man present but then he really knew neither Baur or the Fordes other than passing.
"Hullo, Baur. Good to see you again. Talking about me were ya?" Cabot wondered what that had been all about.
Oh dear, we're all of a flutter!
"Hullo, Baur. Good to see you again. Talking about me were ya?" Cabot wondered what that had been all about.
Sally ran over and gave Mrs Patterson Forde a kiss on the cheek, and that good woman directed her to go help Flo get together a mug of coffee and a slice of apple pie for Mr Flagg. She didn't actually say while we grown-ups talk, but that was the tenor of the thing. Then the woman answered Flagg's question.
"We were talking about you Mister Flagg, and I think I owe you an apology. I sent my daughter over to the refuge to disturb you on purpose and make sure little Sally wasn't being taken advantage of by an older man, but from what Frank here has told me, you're pretty much on the square. He says you defended Sally from that piece of shit, Miller."
It was a bit of a shock, perhaps, to hear such a staid looking, matronly woman, use such language.
"Frank tells me you used to be a bounty hunter." she said, a slightly suspicious gleam in her basilisk eyes.
"We were talking about you Mister Flagg, and I think I owe you an apology. I sent my daughter over to the refuge to disturb you on purpose and make sure little Sally wasn't being taken advantage of by an older man, but from what Frank here has told me, you're pretty much on the square. He says you defended Sally from that piece of shit, Miller."
It annoyed Turk that this woman was hardly minding her own business but her intentions did make a certain sense. He said nothing and kept listening until she finished.
"My mother raised me to be a gentleman even if I don't look it," Cabot replied with a bit of a smile, "Got no use for the likes of Miller."
"Frank tells me you used to be a bounty hunter." she said, a slightly suspicious gleam in her basilisk eyes.
"Well, after the war ended, yes, ma'am. I don't do it no more. Lookin' to settle down here in Kalispell now," Turk nodded.