When I imagine romance in the Old West I envision a handsome cowboy seeing a beautiful woman across the pasture and sweeping in to claim her. If only...
For men and women back then, finding a partner was less about love and more about surviving the harsh and uncertain world around them. There were many obstacles they had to navigate to even consider "couring" someone...
1. Distance.
Neighbors didn't live close. They were often separated by days of travel. He couldn't simply text her and ask her on a date. Visiting required planning, which makes sense why, upon their first visit, they married.
2. Community Gatherings.
Socials, barn dances, fairs, and gatherings were the "dating sites" of the Old West. These events were as much for finding a potential partner as they were a social hour for folks. Of course, under the watchful eye of a family member.
3. Reputation.
The frontier was rough, but a woman's reputation still meant everything. Men were expected to be hard-working and a good provider. A woman's reputation was monitored. If it was tarnished, her chances of marrying a good man diminished greatly.
4. Calling.
Once a man expressed interest, courtship began. No dinner. No live concert. No walks on the beach. The young couple would sit on the porch, take supervised walks in the pasture, or attend church together.
5. Letters.
You know...pen and paper. Letters were as important as texting is today. What did they write about? Hopes. Dreams. Life. Etc.
Love existed, I'm sure, but they were a lot more practical. Life was difficult. Life required partnership. Although we might look back and be shocked at that way of life, and think how terrible that must have been. Yet, imagine...
A cowboy riding for hours, or days, to visit his potential partner.
Love letters written under dim lighting or firelight.
A dance in a dusty barn to the picks on a banjo.
A promise that held more than just that of love, but of endurance, longevity, and partnership.
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“What the fuck does she see in that wuss,” Aaron “Sin”
Sails said over the rim of his bottled IPA. He shook his head in disgust. “I’ll
never know what beautiful women find attractive in men like Fletcher. A worm
has more personality.”
“Money maybe. Some women like bad boys. Others like
men with guns.” Arrow Stonebriar flexed his muscles.
“What would you know about guns?” Echo showed off his
toned arms.
“Hey, these are regulation.” Arrow joked.
Echo snorted. “Regulation? Those look like they come
standard with desk duty.”
“Desk duty? I bet I can outrun, outsmart, and outdo
you any day, buddy,” Arrow shot back confidently.
“Last time you ran it was to grab dinner,” Sin chimed in. “And you
pulled a hamstring. True hero.”
The group of men laughed.
“Did anyone ask your opinion?” Arrow smirked.
Sin shrugged. “Just spreading the wealth of my knowledge.”
There wasn’t much the men loved more than agitating one another.
Bear remained quiet. He kept his attention glued to
the couple sitting at the bar. Aasia and Fletcher were leaning in close, and
both seemed agitated. Were they arguing? Was Fletcher breaking up with her as
his mother had demanded? Bear had to ease up on the grip that he had on his
bottle, or he might shatter the glass. A big part of him wanted to storm over
and punch the dirty bastard in his perfectly squared jaw.
Aasia shifted slightly on the barstool and her chin
came up. She noticed Bear staring, and he didn’t shy away. She offered him a semi-smile. He responded with a dip of his Stetson. His unwavering gaze stayed on
her across the dusty planked floor of Oscar’s long after she went back to her
conversation with Fletcher. The neon light above her painted the curves of her
face with a blue glow. She was beautiful enough to make Sin's heart skip a few
beats.
A lone tendril of hair had escaped from the mass of
mahogany waves that draped her shoulders. The lone strand looked stark against
her cheek. The close-fitting top showed off her firm breasts and the sparkling
navel ring above the low waist of the cutoff jean shorts. Although she was
dressed pretty much like every other woman in the place, there was something
different about her. Maybe in the way she carried herself with subtle dignity.
Bear admired very few things in life. A well-trained
horse, a sunset and Aasia. She could only be described as captivating. She had
no idea how much he wanted her. Or did she?
Seeing her with Fletcher sickened Bear.
Her tongue came out to roll across her top lip and his
breathing stopped for a second. Her big eyes were sponges to the neon light
around her, making them two blue beams. Bear hated that Fletcher was on the
receiving end of that look. He didn’t deserve to be in her presence.
Bear sat there in a room full of music and chatter,
absolutely intoxicated, not on alcohol but on the woman sitting fifty feet
away.
“Are you listening?”
Echo’s question dragged
Bear back to the team. “What did I miss?”
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