Once Bitten: Twice Mad

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two: Poker, Coffee and Warm Muffins

Katherine lay awake late that night still confused by her conversation with Evangeline. The other woman was concerned that Katherine would hurt Ox but that would have to mean that Ox was interested in her! A handsome, well-bred southern gentleman interested in a 'woman of the night' born and raised in a brothel? And now thanks to Frankie's outburst early this morning, Ox would know of her past.

Surely whatever attraction he had felt for her would have been quickly doused by Frankie's words... But then again he had seemed awfully concerned about her when she and Evangeline had been attacked by those rabid.

Was Katherine interested in Ox? He was charmingly sweet. He was handsome. He made her smile and laugh. Maybe what she needed was to talk to Ox. Get to know him better. She stepped out of her tiny room looked up and down the empty hall of the train car.

She wasn't sure what room he'd taken for his own but it was just becoming dark out and she hoped perhaps Ox would still be awake and either in the dining car or engine room.

It had turned out to be a good thing that Colt knew how to operate a train because no one else had. Colt had quickly taught everyone how to stop the train and how to feed it just enough coal to keep it at a steady pace. He also insisted that there be at least one person in the engine room driving at all times because the tracks could very well be blocked somewhere along the way.

He had also insisted that they run all night tonight to put as much distance between them and the rest of those rabid left on the train cars in that town as possible. Katherine figured he would take first watch while he let everyone else rest. Colt wasn't the type to put a responsibility off on anyone else if he thought he could handle it himself.

"Hi, Miss Kate." Ox's voice came from behind her and she turned to see him just stepping into the bedroom car. Clearly he'd been back in a storage car until now.

"Hello, Ox." Katherine replied, wondering why she suddenly felt nervous. She had never in her life felt nervous around a man.

"What are you doing up, Miss Kate? I figured everybody would done be in bed by now. All except Colt of course. He's up there a drivin'. I told him I'd do it since I ain't a bit tired but he said no. I don't reckon he trusts me up there by myself... " Ox blushed and rubbed at his neck. "Sorry, Miss Kate, I guess I'm rambling a bit. I tend to ramble when I get nervous."

"Why are you nervous?" Katherine asked and Ox let out a shaky laugh.

"Well.. You.. That is.. Uh..."

"Do you want to come in my room and talk, Ox?" Katherine asked suddenly and Ox seemed surprised.

"You wanna talk to me?"

"Sure. And there's a place to sit in there. It would probably be much more comfortable than standing in the hall."

"Uh.. well.. maybe we could go to the dining cart instead...." Ox mumbled as he pulled off his hat and clenched it tightly in his hands. "We could play some poker... that is.. I mean if you know how."

Katherine wondered why Ox wouldn't want to go to her room. He liked her, Evangeline had told her as much. Didn't most men want to sleep with women they were interested in?

"Sure, Ox... We can play poker."

Ox nodded and without another word he led her down the hall. They hopped across the gap to the next car and Katherine enjoyed the breeze on her face for a moment before she quickly followed after Ox, pulling the door closed behind her.