She mashed the tobacco into the wound and wrapped it.
"What's that for?" Jesse asked as he moved about.
"It helps draw the poison out."
Jesse nodded. Then suddenly Jesse spotted him. The snake had frozen and was not moving, but it wasn't dead. He held it up on a long branch he found close by. He showed it to Shannon. "It's a Copperhead."
Shannon shivered.
"Better than being bitten by a rattler." Jesse told her. "It probably won't kill him…"
"Let's hope not, but it could cause a lot of tissue damage and infection. I'll have to disinfect it, and put more tobacco on him, then bandage it. We need to get him somewhere he can rest."
"Now?" Jesse asked his face screwing up.
"As soon as possible. He was bitten on the leg, so the poison has a long way to go to get to the heart, but we should get him stationary so I can take care of him."
"We aren't that far away. We travel now, we should be in Waco by early evening."
"Good, I want to splint his leg, so he doesn't move it and send the poison through his body. Can you make me some strong sticks to use?"
"Sure."
In an hour, Shannon had doctored him and wrapped him and Jesse had helped her with the splints.
They mounted him on his horse and Jesse tied him on, so he wouldn't fall.
Shannon stared at the snake. "The snake is rather pretty isn't it?" She asked not familiar with the kind of snake.
"As far as snakes go, yeah…"
"He never said a word."
"He's pretty tough."
They rode all day, and Shannon stopped off and on to check him. He was sweating and coming to every now and then. She gave him something to relax him, Jesse tied him in the saddle once more and they kept riding.
It was dusk when they rode into town.
The Ranger's office was closed.
"Let's find the local doctor. He might be able to treat him better." Shannon insisted.
"Alright, you stay here with him. I'll go find him."
She nodded.
An hour later, they had him in the local doctor's office and Dr. Martin was treating him. "You did an outstanding job of immobilizing him under the circumstances. I couldn't have done it better." The doctor told her.
"Thank you. It's important he lives." Shannon assured him.
"He'll be feeling much better by morning. You can leave him here and come back tomorrow."
Jesse nodded and they walked out on the street.
"Let's find us a room and tomorrow will go to the Ranger office. Maybe they can come over to the docs and get a statement from him."
"Let's hope." Shannon smiled.
"You tired?" He asked her as he took her arm.
"A little. Glad to be here though."
He looked at her strangely. "Maybe they can provide us with a bathtub."
"Oh that would be nice." Shannon sighed.
Just outside the hotel was a barber shop that was still open and the sign read, "hot baths".
"We're in luck." He told her.
"I can't believe it." She shrieked.
Jesse paid for her to go inside and take a bath. She was in so long he worried if she went to sleep, but she finally came out, and she looked so pretty and fresh smelling.
"I think I'll indulge in one. Why don't you go see if they have a room?"
"You mean two rooms…don't you?"
"Yeah…two rooms," he nodded.
"Alright…"
She went next door and the desk clerk was nearly asleep when she tapped the little bell.
"Excuse me; I need to rent two rooms." She said.
"Two? Ain't got two, ma'am. Got one."
Shannon shook her head. "I need two…"
"Don't got two."
"I'll be back."
She went back to the barbershop. She waited in the front room until Jesse was through. When he came through, she took a second look at him. He was gorgeous. He had his hair combed, his clothes dusted and he smelled so good.
"That's an improvement." She said.
"Thanks, did you get us a room."
"A room…yes! That's all they have."
Jesse shrugged and looked her in the eye. "Doesn't make any difference. We've been sleeping in the woods close by each other for some time. I think we can handle a room."
"Of course…" Shannon reddened.
"Are you hungry?" He asked her.
"Yes, I'm starved." She glanced around the town looking for a café. There was one still open. "Does this town stay open all night?"
"Practically, yes." He chuckled. "Come on; let's get us a big juicy steak."
"Sounds wonderful." She agreed.
The café was deserted and the waitress looked anxious to close up the café. "Are we too late?"
She glanced over her shoulder at the cook. "No, but if you don't mind I'm locking up. Otherwise I'll have half the town showing up at this hour."
"Sure, we understand. We just came in off the trail and we are starved." Jesse gave the girl a once over.
Shannon felt a jolt of something close to jealousy. She tried to squash it, but it wouldn't go away.
The waitress seemed to enjoy his glances and smiled at him every time she came to their table.
Shannon picked at her supper.
"What's wrong, don't like the food?" He asked innocently.
"No, it's fine…I guess I waited too long, I've lost my appetite." She tried to smile.
"You're just more tired than anything."
"I guess I am."
"Well, let's go settle in for the night."
However, Shannon hadn't paid for the room and it was sold out. There were no more rooms.
"I thought you reserved it for us." Shannon said.
"Nope, don't reserve unless I see money for it." The desk clerk answered.
"Well, what are we going to do?" Shannon felt suddenly exhausted.
"I don't know. But we won't find anything here, that's for sure." He drug her by the arm outside and spotted the livery open. "Come on…"
As they approached the livery, the old man running it scratched his chin and looked at them. "I got a wagon you and the missus can sleep in, if you like. Cost you a dollar."
"We'll take it."
"But…"
"It's better than the ground any day…" He told her.
The old man took his money and showed them where the wagon was. However, Jesse stopped her as she was about to climb in and lay down.
He pulled her to the side and he filled the bottom of the wagon with straw to make it softer for them. "Now you can lie down."
She looked at it and smiled. "Why didn't I think of that?"
She climbed up inside and lay down. He climbed in beside her and lay down.
Suddenly she rolled over to look at him. "Kind of close quarters isn't it?"
"Relax your legally married to me, so it's no shame."
"I guess you're right. Goodnight." She cried.
He rose up and leaned over her, turning her over so she faced him. "This may be the last time I get to do this, but I'm taking my chances."
And with that, he bent the distance and kissed her.
Not just a peck, not hard and unyielding, but soft and tender. The kind of kiss a woman remembers forever.
This time she responded with an abandon she never knew she had. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hung on.
When he raised his head…and looked into her eyes. "I'm gonna miss you…" He whispered.
She didn't know what to say, she was still reeling from the kiss.
"Goodnight Mrs. Cutler."
She was silent, as she stared at the roof of the barn. When he rolled over, she released her breath, "Goodnight Mr. Cutler."
Chapter Twenty-One
She woke up first that morning when she heard the horse neigh.
Her eyes flew open as she was curled into Jesse's arms. For a moment, just a moment, she enjoyed the sensation of being there. It felt rig
ht, and it was wonderful. She let her imagination fly off into another world. A world where she and Jesse lived together, in love and happiness. A world where love filled the air. She sighed heavily.
A hand fell on her breast and she quit breathing, wondering how she could get out of this gracefully. Nevertheless, the hand moved, gently at first, slowly gliding over the fullness. However, his movements were causing her body to react and she was lost for the moment in the sensations he aroused. Then he cupped her breast, and she sighed with the pure pleasure of it.
He rose up suddenly then and looked at her. "I'm sorry…some things are just beyond control…"
Her eyes flew open and she sat up.
Jesse was staring at her, obviously waiting for some reaction.
"Guess we should go to the Ranger's office." She said, ignoring his remark, and trying to get her rioting body under control. It was the first time he'd touched her intimately and she couldn't ignore it, but she had to. She knew it was a natural reflex on his part, and that her body was merely responding to that reflex.
He reached for her hair, and pulled the straw from it. His finger curled around a curl at the end and he seemed more than a little fascinated with it, as he stared at it.
"You've got beautiful hair…" He whispered.
Her breath hitched. Her heart drummed against her breast. His head bent to kiss her, but just as his lips feather touched hers, someone walked into the stable and they drew apart quickly.
Jessie was still staring at her, not paying any attention to the men who were tending their horses. "Yeah…I guess we should." His voice held no enthusiasm for the company.
"I would think you would be happy to get this over with." Shannon encouraged a better mood. Although she missed that kiss that never happened.
"My job, or you and me?" He asked.
"Your…job." She swallowed hard.
"You just can't bring yourself to say it, can you?" He whispered, as he moved away from her, and then stared back over his shoulder at her. The people that came in had picked up a horse and left, and they were alone again. "I know, I know how bad you want to say it. I've been waiting for the last hundred miles for you to say it. I guess it was just wishful thinking, that's all. Let's get this day over with." He said reaching to help her down from the wagon.
"I don't know what you are talking about."
She knew exactly what he was talking about. And the words were on the tip of her tongue, but they wouldn't come out. She was afraid of being the fool.
And Jess was obviously fed up with her.
They walked silently to the office.
As he opened the door for her, he walked briskly in and came to stand at the Captain's desk.
"Well as I live and breathe. We were all beginning to think you didn't make it. By God, it's good to see you, but…where are your prisoners? I don't see any?" The Captain spotted Shannon and smiled tipping his hat at her.
"There aren't any left." Jesse explained, and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. Jesse took a deep breath and tried to relax, but he had too many things on his mind at once.
"What happened?" His Captain frowned, pushing his hat back on his head and staring at Jesse, waiting for his full story.
"I caught up to them in Oregon. Had the whole gang together. Wes, Elmer, Thornton, Darrel, Billy, and Jimmy John. I took them prisoner. But we ran into trouble on the way home. This white captive girl, well, she was wandering out in the desert. So we picked her up. Come to find out she had a baby, and it was the chief's grandson. So naturally, he wanted it back and they attacked us several times. I lost Wes and Elmer quick. Then Thornton and Billy. Lastly Darrel and Jimmy John. But before Jimmy John died, he told me where he hid the money."
"Great, did you recover that?"
"Part of it, from the bank they held up."
"And the other?"
"Well, there's a story behind that robbery that you have to hear from Mr. Doan's nephew himself. Then you'll understand. But you should be able to close this case once and for all."
"Where is this Mr. Doan?"
"Over at the docs." Jesse explained. "He was bitten by a Copperhead yesterday. We rode like the dickens to get him to the doc."
"We?"
"Yes, oh…I forgot to mention…that's my wife, Shannon." Jesse cleared his throat.
"Your wife?" The Captain glanced from one to the other.
"Yeah, I got married in Oregon." Jesse told him.
"I see. She's lovely." The Captain looked Shannon over, and then glanced at Jesse once more. "Well, let's walk over there then."
Jesse nodded. However, the Captain stopped as he passed Shannon and stared at her.
"So are you going to properly introduce me to this lovely creature?" His Captain was looking straight at Shannon now.
"Shannon, this is Captain Mims." He explained.
"Congratulations, he told me the good news." His Captain sounded incredulous.
"Thank you…Captain." Shannon smiled at the well-groomed Captain.
"Well, Mrs. Cutler, I hope you will be very happy."
Shannon extended her hand. "I'm sure I will."
"Why don't you stay here until I get back?" Jesse instructed.
"All right." She said sweetly.
Jesse rolled his eyes.
"I can't believe you got married." His Captain was saying as they walked out the door. "Is she the captive you spoke of?"
"Oh, no. We dropped her off at one of the nearby forts. So they could locate her family, if she had any. No, Shannon is a doctor…well, it's a long story."
"Can't wait to hear it."
"It was kind of unexpected." Jesse countered.
Shannon sat in the office until they got back. It took all of two hours to straighten it out to the Captain's satisfaction.
"So you think we can close this case, Captain?" Jesse sighed as they came out of the doc's office and walked toward the Ranger's office once more.
"Yes, I suppose it is closed now, with all of them dead and accounted for and the money reported. I must say I am surprised at the Doan's that they would pull something like that. What in heavens name did Jimmy John do when he found out?" The Captain was saying as they walked through the door once more.
"He never knew."
"What?" The Captain stopped cold and stared at Jesse. "What do you mean, he never knew?"
"Well, Jimmy John told me they were on the run so much, they buried the money pretty quick and took off, so you see, he never knew the swindle. Maybe that's a good thing."
"How do you figure that?"
"Well, if he had known he might have been mad enough to go settle the score. After all, he and his men risk their necks for that money. And he wasn't one to be made a fool of."
The Captain nodded. "It's ironic justice, I suppose."
"I'm just glad that it's over." Jesse didn't hide his relief.
"It's been too long on the books. That's for sure, but you know how it pleases me to finally close a case. And you've earned it. You've been on their trail too long as it is."
"There's something else I wanted to talk to you about?"
The Captain eyed Shannon who had waited patiently for Jesse to return. "Maybe we should take that up, later."
"Yes sir, I'm sorry that I took so long." Jesse turned to apologize to Shannon.
She smiled contritely.
"Now, since you are newly married. I feel I should give you a leave for a week so you can have a proper honeymoon and all."
Jesse started to object, but Shannon heard him and stepped forward.
"That's very nice of you Captain. Thank you." She said sweetly.
"You're very welcome. I'm only sorry your honeymoon has been delayed. Now, Jesse you report back here next Monday…"
"But…"
"Come along, dear." Shannon took his arm.
Jesse walked out with Shannon on his arm. "Now what was that all about?"
"Well, I thought it a grand idea. You said your self that it could ta
ke time for a judge to declare us unmarried, so now you have that time. And it will give you time to consider whether you want to quit the Rangers."
"Oh…"Jesse glanced at her. "Well, I've made up my mind on that."
"Maybe you should reconsider it." Shannon suggested.
He looked at her strangely. "Do you want to go to the courthouse and see if we can find a judge?" He asked her.
Her glance fell to the ground. No…she didn't. But how could she explain that to him here in the middle of the street.
"I guess we should." She nodded slowly.
He took her arm and they walked over to the courthouse.
There were a lot of people inside, some kind of an election was being held today and people were voting.
"What's all the ruckus about?" Jesse asked a gentleman coming out of one office.
"About to elect a new mayor." The gentleman said and gave Shannon a glance.
"Is there a judge in," Jesse asked as they came to a secretary.
"Not right now. Judge Masterson is over in Clovis for the day, and Judge Mathews is attending his daughter's wedding today. So you are out of luck. Why don't you try back tomorrow?"
"Sure, we can do that." Jesse nodded. "Thank you."
As they walked out of the courthouse, he looked at Shannon. "I tried to warn you about judges. It seems they are never in one place long."
"Yes, you did. I’m sorry I didn't pay any attention."
"You might be in for a long wait." He said, the aggravation in his voice caught her attention. "So…what do you want to do?"
"Do you live around here?" She asked.
"Live?"
"Have a house…I mean."
"No…no house. Never had much of a home since I've been grown. Never needed one." Jesse said, as though thinking about that. "I guess I don't have much to offer a woman."
Shannon saw the strain on his face, and realized she had caused it.
"The last thing I want to do is hurt you Jesse. You've been so kind to me, all along. When they forced us into this marriage, I felt bad for you. I knew you weren't the kind of man that had roots. I didn't want to change your life, Jesse. A shotgun marriage isn't the way to start a marriage. We weren't in love with each other…"
Shotgun Bride (Book Six of the Brides of the West) Page 19
