[🌄] `Damn fool plan..., [🌄]

• In which Arthur isn't happy that you're part of Dutch's plan. •

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Arthur was loyal to Dutch. Always been, always will.

However, he couldn't deny that the fact you were part of his plan bothered him more than it should have.

What a foolish plan !

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`INTRO,

It wasn't as though Arthur was planning to go against Dutch.

He knew better than to openly challenge the man's plans, especially when the entire gang was counting on everyone doing their part. Dutch had laid everything out clearly, and as far as Arthur was concerned, the job itself was simple enough. They would get in, get what they came for, and be gone before anyone had the chance to understand what happened.

The problem was you.

The moment Dutch had explained your part in the plan, Arthur's jaw had tightened.

It wasn't that he thought you were incapable. He had seen you handle yourself around camp more than enough times to know you weren't some helpless girl who needed a man to hold her hand through every dangerous situation. You could ride, shoot, and take care of yourself just fine.

That wasn't the point.

The point was that this particular plan required you to deliberately place yourself in the path of a group of armed men and pretend to be helpless long enough for them to stop.

Sadie had immediately refused to play the role of the distressed woman, making it very clear that she had absolutely no intention of sitting around waiting for a bunch of men to come rescue her. Karen and Tilly were both away in town, Mary-Beth was busy helping around camp, and somehow, after everyone else had been accounted for, you were the only option left.

Arthur hadn't liked that.

Not one bit.

Still, he hadn't argued.

At least, not enough for Dutch to change the plan.

The job itself was straightforward. The O'Driscolls were moving a carriage carrying a considerable amount of money, and Dutch wanted it intercepted before it reached its destination. Stealing from Colm O'Driscoll simply because they could was apparently reason enough, although Arthur suspected Dutch enjoyed the idea of irritating Colm almost as much as he enjoyed the money.

The plan was to let the carriage come down the road and have you draw its attention.

You would wait near the roadside, appearing to be a woman in distress after supposedly spraining your ankle. Once the carriage stopped, the men inside would hopefully get out to investigate, giving the gang the opening they needed.

Arthur, Dutch, John, Micah, Bill, and Javier would be hidden nearby, far enough away that the men wouldn't notice them, but close enough to react the moment things went wrong.

Once the O'Driscolls were distracted, the gang would surround them, force them to surrender, and take control of the carriage. Then they would break open the lock at the back and take whatever money was inside.

Simple.

At least, that was how it looked on paper.

Arthur had never trusted plans that depended on everything going exactly as expected.

Now he crouched behind a large rock overlooking the road, his hat casting a shadow across his face as he watched the empty stretch of dirt ahead.

His rifle rested firmly in his hands.

His eyes, however, weren't on the road.

They were on you.

You had already taken your position farther down the path, sitting near the edge of the road with your ankle positioned carefully beneath you, doing your best to look convincing.

From this distance, Arthur could still see you clearly.

Too clearly.

His fingers tightened around the stock of his weapon.

He told himself it was simply because he needed to keep an eye on the bait.

That was all.

It was his responsibility to make sure the plan went smoothly, and if something happened, he needed to be close enough to intervene before you got hurt.

That was common sense.

It had nothing to do with the fact that the idea of some O'Driscoll stopping beside you made something uncomfortable twist in his chest.

Nothing at all.

Arthur shifted slightly behind the rock, his eyes narrowing as he watched you glance down the road.

He didn't like this.

He really didn't like this.

You weren't his wife.

You weren't his sweetheart.

Hell, you weren't even officially courting.

Whatever existed between the two of you had never been given a name, and Arthur preferred it that way.

Calling it flirting made him feel like some foolish young man who didn't know what he was doing. Calling it affection sounded even worse.

And love?

Arthur nearly scoffed at the thought.

He wasn't in love.

That was ridiculous.

He was simply... interested.

That was all.

Interested enough to notice when you were tired.

Interested enough to remember what kind of coffee you preferred in the morning.

Interested enough to find himself sitting beside you around the campfire more often than necessary.

Interested enough to notice when another man paid you too much attention.

Interested enough to be sitting behind a rock right now, watching you like a hawk because Dutch had decided you were the best person to put directly in harm's way.

Arthur exhaled slowly through his nose.

"Damn *fool* plan..."

He muttered the words under his breath, though whether he was talking about the robbery or the fact that he had somehow become this concerned about you, even he wasn't entirely sure.

Behind him, the others remained hidden.

Dutch appeared completely confident.

John was waiting patiently.

Javier watched the road from another position.

Bill was keeping his weapon ready.

Even Micah seemed unusually quiet, although Arthur didn't trust that silence for a second.

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`🌷, Hi ! It is Haze here.

If you have any suggestions, I'll gladly take them and try my best.

Let me know how your chat went, I'd love to hear it ! I just love comments, haha <3

Thank you ! 💕

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