“He’s barely been here long enough to meet everyone, so I doubt you know much about him.”
“You’re sweet on him, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know, but it’s of no concern to you.”
“You’re right, it’s not. I guess now I can stop thinking about how wonderful it would be to kiss your lips.” Jessie grabbed the sack-full of items and stormed out of the store, leaving Ellie standing behind the counter, slack-jawed.
FIFTEEN
The sky was still dark when Jessie arose and began getting dressed. She’d tried to sleep, but had spent most of the night tossing and turning on edge. She wasn’t nervous about the ride to Red Rock with the lawbreaker. In fact, she was more at ease in the open range than anywhere else. No…it was thoughts of Ellie that had kept her awake, more like Ellie and Nicolas. She wondered if she’d be receiving a wedding invite when she returned from the trial. Who knew how long she’d be gone, and he’d more than likely waste no time scheming and conniving until the beautiful store owner was his.
A yawn turned into a long sigh as she finished buttoning her vest and strapping on her gun belt. She spun the cylinder of her Colt Peacemaker pistol, making sure it was fully loaded, before sliding it into the holster. Then, she slipped into her coat and grabbed her hat.
She briefly thought about knocking as she walked past Lita’s room, but she didn’t want to disturb her if she had company. Instead, she made her way down the stairs and out the front door.
The lights were on at the Rustler’s Den, which didn’t officially open until ten a.m. She stepped inside, using the back door. “Elmer?” she called, checking to make sure everything was okay.
“Back here!” he yelled, coming out of the storage room.
“It’s a little early to be open.”
“Oh, I’m not open. I thought you might need this,” he replied, handing her a steaming hot pot of coffee.
“Thank you,” she said, holding out her hand.
“You be safe out there. Good luck in getting that bastard to hang. I wish I was there to see it myself,” he muttered, shaking her hand.
“I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”
“I’ll save my good bottle, then.” He smiled, referring to his best whiskey.
***
The stable was quiet when Jessie walked up, carrying her coffee pot. An open top, four-wheeled wagon was parked on the side with two black horses hitched to it. There was a single seat across the front, and the back had benches on both sides that opened for storage.
“Here you go, Marshal,” the stable-hand said, walking out to greet her. “I put the food and water for the horses in the storage under the seat. The rest of the compartments are empty so you can stow your provisions and luggage. There are two candle lanterns under the seat as well. They hang on these hooks right here,” he said, pointing to the hook on each end of the seat. “I’ll put your coffee pot on the footboard and tie a string around it. That way, you’ll be able to get to it without stopping and going into the back.”
“Thanks,” she replied, climbing up into the seat. “Get a move on,” she yelled, seeing Bert walking down the street from his house. He picked up the pace and tossed a picnic basket into the back, before climbing up beside her. “What the hell is that?”
“Molly insisted on sending food.”
Jessie grinned. “Is this your first time away from home?”
“First time without her, yes. She’s a bit worried.”
Jessie nodded and grabbed the reins. She tipped her hat to the stable-hand and slapped the reins on the horses’ rear-ends softly to get them moving. The horses lurched forward at an easy trot as she directed them over to the mayor’s office up the street. “You stay here,” she said, pulling the reins to stop the horses. She set the brake on the wagon and hopped down.
Mayor Montgomery pulled the door open when she knocked. “Here’s the stage gun,” he said, handing her a sawed-off, double barrel shot gun. “And these are two extra pistols, plus the ammo for everything. Hopefully, you won’t need it. When you get into Red Rock, you’ll need to check these with the Sheriff. Since you’re law enforcement, you’ll be permitted to wear your gun belts with one pistol each.”
“Okay,” she said, taking the shotgun and the canvas sack from him. “I’ll wire you when we arrive.”
The mayor nodded and shook her hand, before closing the door.
“What’s that?” Bert asked.
“It’s a shot gun. You do know how to shoot a shot gun, right?” She thought back to when she’d taught him how to actually shoot his pistol. He’d practiced several times on his own and had gotten even better. He was nowhere near the shot that she was, but he could hit a target.
“Yes, of course.”
“This will be right here, under your feet,” she said, sliding the shotgun into the built in holder. “Here’s an extra pistol,” she added, pulling both of them from the sack, handing one to him after sticking the other in her gun belt.
Bert took the gun and stuck it through his belt, just as she had done. The bag made a thud sound when she dropped it in the wooden floorboard box next to the coffee pot. Jessie grabbed the reins, released the brake, and directed the horses down the street towards the Marshal’s Office, which was around the curve. When they arrived, she set the brake and looped the reins around the footboard.
“Marshal,” Ellie called.
Jessie turned to see the General Trade door was open, with Ellie standing nearby.
“Get the paperwork. I’ll be back to help you with Shamus in a second.”
“Flowers,” Bert said loudly as she walked away.
Jessie shook her head and kept going. She stepped inside the store as Ellie held the door open.
“I couldn’t let you head out without…well, without giving you these,” she said nervously, pointing to a basket of biscuits with a jar of her homemade honey and jam mixture.
“You didn’t have to do this,” Jessie replied.
“I know,” Ellie murmured, looking her in the eyes.
Jessie sighed, breaking the stare as she looked down at the basket.
Ellie closed the distance between them, pressing her lips to Jessie’s. The simple kiss ended as quickly as it had begun, but it took Ellie’s body an extra second to realize it was over. Every hair on her body stood up as if she were electrically charged. Her chest heaved liked she’d just outrun a horse. The sensation of kissing another woman had been like nothing she’d ever felt before.
“What was that for?” Jessie whispered.
“Now, you don’t have to think about it anymore,” Ellie replied.
“Think about what?”
“What it’s like to kiss me.” She smiled.
Jessie grinned and shook her head.
“You should get going. Bert’s probably pacing next to the wagon.”
“He keeps telling me to bring you flowers.”
Ellie folded her arms and laughed. “He’s a smart man.”
“How would that look? Me bringing you flowers?”
“Well, I just kissed you, so…I guess about the same.” Ellie shrugged. “I’ve never kissed anyone I didn’t intend to marry,” she uttered, thinking out loud. “Certainly, never another woman.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I…I don’t know…” She rubbed her temple. “You should go, Marshal. You have work to do.”
Feeling like Ellie might be regretting what she’d done, Jessie grabbed the basket and left the store so she didn’t have to hear her say it. When she walked outside, Bert was leaning against the wagon with his feet crossed at the ankles, and his hands on his gun belt. The sun was just starting to change the color of the sky in the distance behind Boone Mountain.
Jessie climbed up and set the basket on the wagon seat, then she hopped back down. “Come on, let’s get moving,” she mumbled, walking inside the office.
***
&n
bsp; The wagon moved at a good pace, leaving the Boone Creek town limit quickly and heading across the prairie. The sun was moving higher and higher, nearly clearing the mountains as it colored the sky in hues of orange and red. Jessie held the reins, giving gentle tugs left and right to keep them on the path as the wagon bounced along. The trail was a little more than wide enough for two wagons to pass, and full of rocks and divots. Bert sat beside her as the lookout, scanning his eyes in all directions, while their prisoner, Shamus Maguire, was handcuffed to the bench he was sitting on in the back.
“Open that basket,” Jessie said.
“What is it?” Bert asked.
“Biscuits.”
“Ms. Ellie made you biscuits?”
“No. She made us biscuits.”
“She likes you, you know,” he said, opening the lid. “Oh, these smell good.”
Jessie took a biscuit and dipped it in the jar of honey jam, while holding the reins in one hand. “They taste even better,” she said, taking a big bite. “What makes you think she likes me?” she asked, chewing her food.
“This is the second time she’s made you biscuits, plus she’s made you tea. I assume you’ll be getting married soon.”
Jessie began coughing as she choked on the food she’d swallowed. Bert handed her his cup of coffee, which she gulped down. At the same time, Shamus laughed hysterically in the back of the wagon.
“Shut up before I shoot you,” Jessie growled, looking back at him. Her eyes grew large when she saw something in the distance. “Son of a bitch!” she yelled. “Get that shotgun, Bert!” She slapped the reins on the horses’ backsides, making them run faster.
Four masked men on horseback were coming up fast behind them, two on each side.
“Come on, boys!” Shamus cheered.
The men began shooting at them as they got closer.
“Shoot, Bert! Damn it!” she shouted, slapping the reins over and over. “Come on, you old mules!”
Bert fired a shot, but they were too far away for the shotgun pellets to reach them. He reloaded as the wagon bounced all around, nearly throwing him off the side. Jessie drew her pistol and turned sideways in the seat. She held the reins in one hand and fired her gun with the other as one of them tried to come up alongside the wagon. Her bullet hit him in the chest, causing the man to fall back off the horse.
Gunfire rang back and forth as Jessie and Bert fought off the other three men. The wagon hit a rock, lurching it to the side. Bert tumbled out and his coat hung up on the seat. Being dragged alongside the wagon, he held on for dear life.
“Hold on!” Jessie yelled. She tied the reins to the seat, then slid over. “Give me your hand!”
Bert reached back as far as he could. Jessie grabbed his hand, then reached around his body with the other hand to try and pull him up. Two bullets ricocheted and busted through the side of the wooden wagon rail, narrowly missing Shamus.
“Shoot them, not me. You fool!” he shouted. The splintered side was near where he was shackled. He began smashing his arm into the splintered wood, trying to bust the eyelet free.
Jessie planted her feet and tugged as hard as she could, finally pulling Bert back up into the seat as the wagon raced out of control. Bert reached for the shotgun slapping up and down on the floor. Jessie saw another one of the men trying to come alongside. She shot him in the chest. Then, she reloaded her pistol, and grabbed the other gun from her belt. With a gun in each hand, she fired over and over.
Bert got the shotgun loaded and fired at the closest horseman, blowing a hole right threw him, just as Shamus finally broke free. He leapt forward, trying to get the gun from Bert. The last masked man came up on the other side, where Jessie had her back to him. She tucked the extra gun into her belt and held onto her pistol while she helped Bert fight off Shamus.
Suddenly, the wagon hit a large rock and leapt high in the air on one side. The jolt knocked Bert sideways and he let go of the gun. Shamus fell back with it in his hands. Before he could turn it around and get a shot off, Jessie squeezed the trigger of her Peacemaker. The bullet passed through his forehead above his right eye. Another shot rang out next to her ear, causing her hearing to buzz. She saw the fourth guy’s body bounce on the ground where he’d fallen from the side of the wagon. Turning her head, she saw Bert staring wide-eyed with his pistol in his hand.
“Whoa!!” Jessie yelled, trying to stop the horses after she untied the reins.
They dug their hooves in and she pulled the brake. They bounced around before coming to a halt. Jessie and Bert stared at each other in disbelief. Shamus was dead in the back of the wagon, and the other four members of his gang were lying dead along about a two mile path.
“What the hell just happened?” Bert muttered, trying to catch his breath and slow his racing heart.
“We got ambushed. How in the hell did they know when we’d be transporting him?” Jessie snapped, shaking her head.
“I don’t know,” he said.
“Fuck!” she yelled.
“What are we going to do?”
“We have to round up the bodies and head back to Boone Creek. We’ll send a telegram to the justice, explaining what happened,” she sighed. “I knew I should’ve shot you in the theatre,” she mumbled, looking at Shamus’s dead body.
SIXTEEN
It took Jessie and Bert over an hour to round up the other four bodies as they headed back up the path towards Boone Creek. The horses were moving much slower after racing at full speed for such a long distance, and the wagon wheels had become wobbly from the wild ride. By the time they’d found the last guy, the sun was high in the cloudless sky, and beating down on them. They were sweaty and exhausted. Bert was covered in dirt from being drug alongside the wagon, and Jessie had trail dust on her from it being kicked up by the horses. Somehow, they’d lost both Ellie’s basket and the stage gun, which they’d found not too far from the fourth guy. The basket, however, was nowhere in sight.
***
When the wagon rolled into town full of bullet holes, splatters of blood, and five dead bodies, several town folk gasped in horror. Jessie guided the horses over to Doc Vernon’s office and yelled, “Whoa!” They came to a stop and she pulled the brake. After tying the reins to the footboard, she climbed down. “Go get the mayor,” she said to the nearest guy. He quickly took off running.
“What in the world?” Doc Vernon mumbled, walking outside. “Are you two all right?”
“We are,” Bert said, “but they’re not.” He nodded over his shoulder towards the back of the wagon.
Doc Vernon peered over the side at the five dead men. “Oh, my word!”
Mayor Montgomery’s horse raced down the center of Main Street, skidding to a stop nearby. He jumped down, handing the reins to a bystander to tie up. “Jessie?” he questioned, looking at the two disheveled law officers. “What happened?”
“We got ambushed about an hour outside of town,” she answered. “We managed to stop three of them. Then, Shamus got loose. He and the fourth guy put up a huge fight. Bert fell out of the wagon and was drug a few hundred yards.”
“You two are lucky to be alive,” he said, shaking his head. “Neither of you got shot?” he asked, looking at all of the holes in the wagon.
“No,” they said simultaneously.
Most of the town folk had made their way down to the end of town. Some came to see the bodies of the Dirty Boys Gang, others came to see if Bert and Jessie were okay. Molly raced through the crowd, searching for Bert.
“I’m okay, Molly,” he said. “I just went for a wild ride, is all.”
“My God, you look like you got dragged by a horse.”
“Well…” He looked at Jessie and shook his head. “Things got a bit hairy for a minute, but we pulled through.”
“Are you all right?” Lita asked, putting her hand on Jessie’s back. “I came as soon as I heard.”
“I’m fine,” Jessie said, turning around.
Lita wrapped her arms around Jessie, causing everyone around them to gasp in shock. At the same time, Jessie’s eyes caught sight of Ellie in the crowd. Their eyes met and Ellie shook her head, before spinning around and walking away.
“Ellie!” Jessie called. “Ellie, wait!” She politely pushed Lita off of her and to the side. “Excuse me. Pardon me,” she said over and over as she made her way to the edge of the gathering. “Ellie, please wait,” she pleaded.
“It looks like you have plenty of comfort,” Ellie said. She’d stopped and spun around. “It’s fine. I just…I only wanted to make sure you were okay…is all. I’m glad you weren’t hurt,” Ellie stammered, taking a deep breath. “The last thing this town needs is to lose another marshal,” she added. “I’m glad Bert’s okay, too.”
“You know I don’t want her,” Jessie replied, stepping closer.
***
Pastor Noah had made his way down to see what all of the commotion was about. The crowd’s focus had shifted from the wagon full of dead men, to the two women having an intimate conversation. He had the same raised eyebrow look as everyone else as they all listened closely.
***
“Your personal life is none of my business,” Ellie said.
“Damn it, Ellie. What if I want it to be?”
“Huh?” Ellie mumbled, unsure what to say.
“I could’ve died out there today, and all I could think about was you. I’ve never been like this with anyone in my life.” Jessie shook her head. “I don’t know how to be proper, and I know I’m not a man, but I’ve seen it your eyes. I know you feel it, too.”
Ellie stared at her, unable to speak.
“Marry me, Ellie Fray.”
“What?” she squeaked, inhaling sharply. “Why on earth would I do that?”
“So I can kiss you properly and tell you how much I love you,” Jessie said, dropping to one knee and grabbing Ellie’s hand. “Tell me you don’t feel the same, and I’ll walk away. I’ll even leave town, if you want me to.”
Boone Creek Page 9
