Ellie furrowed her brow.
“It is, isn’t it? That’s why you’re mad that I shot at him and ran him out of town.
“No. Of course not. He was nice and had a lot of great ideas for the theatre and this town.”
“He was a hustler who had been swindling people’s money for weeks by cheating them at dice!” Jessie shook her head. “Were you sweet on him, Ellie?”
“I’m appalled that you would even ask me that. I’m your wife!” she huffed, crossing her arms.
“Well, why are you so mad at me for doing my job?”
“Because I don’t want you to get killed,” Ellie yelled. “You always seem to be right in the middle of danger…with the outlaws, and now with Mr. Munroe.”
“I’m fine. I can handle the outlaws and whatever else comes my way. That’s why I’m the marshal.”
“Well…I’m not sure I can handle it,” Ellie stated.
Jessie clenched her jaw. She had no idea where the conversation was headed, but the last thing she wanted to hear was regret in Ellie’s voice. “I have work to do,” she said, walking away before anymore words were spoken. Leaving the Marshal’s Office behind her, she headed down the street towards the Rustler’s Den.
Elmer was behind the bar, drying freshly washed glasses with a hand towel, when she walked in.
“Afternoon, Marshal.”
“Pour me a whiskey,” she said, sitting on a stool.
“In the middle of the day?”
“Pour it, Elmer.”
He obliged, turning over one of the fresh glasses and filling it halfway with rusty-looking, brown liquid. “Anything you want to talk about?” he asked, sliding it over to her.
She knocked the double shot back and set the glass down.
“Does this have anything to do with last night?”
Jessie nodded.
“The mayor can be a real stick in the mud sometimes. You might have gone a little over the top, but you got your point across. If he wants law and order in this town, he needs to let you do your job.”
“It’s not him, although we hashed things out this morning,” she said.
“Then, who is it?”
“Ellie.”
Elmer pursed his lips and nodded.
“She’s upset with me for the way I handled things with Nicolas Munroe. I was only doing my job. I’m beginning to wonder if he was right.”
“I first met that young woman when she came to town on the arm of her new husband, Cornelius Fray. Now, don’t get me wrong, she was happy, but there was no light in her eyes like I saw the day she married you, Marshal. She loves you, there’s no denying that. I also saw her bury her husband, which certainly wasn’t easy. She worries about you and is concerned for your safety. Can you blame her, after what she’s been through? It doesn’t mean she fancies someone else,” he said. “Go to your wife and talk this out with her. Sitting here drinking in the middle of the day isn’t going to fix it.”
Jessie knew he was right. She placed a coin on the bar to cover her drink, and left.
***
Ellie was standing in the store when Jessie walked in, removing her hat.
“Can we talk?” she said.
“I don’t like that you walked away.”
“I know.”
Ellie moved closer. “I’m happy that you’re cleaning up the town, Jessie. No one here hates the outlaws more than me, but I don’t want you to lose your life in the process,” she said. “The outlaws have taken everything from me. I couldn’t bear them taking you, too,” she sobbed.
Jessie pulled Ellie into her arms. “Hey…it’s okay. I’m right here. No one is taking me away from you, not now, not ever.”
“There’s so much you don’t know.”
“So, tell me,” Jessie said.
“My husband, Corny, was shot and killed right here on this very street. In front of the theatre, to be exact,” she mumbled against Jessie’s neck. “A couple of outlaws were fighting with a local rancher. Being the nice guy that he was, Corny went outside to see what was going on and help break it up. The outlaw shot him square in the chest,” she sniffed as a few more tears fell. “I hate them,” she bawled, pounding on Ellie’s chest as all of the resentment she’d buried, rose to the surface. “As far as I’m concerned, they should all be dead. Every last person who calls them self an outlaw should be shot or hung, or both. They’re ruthless, vicious, people who will take anything and everything from you,” she continued, letting it all out.
Jessie held her as she cried, wondering if marrying Ellie was the right thing to do. The last thing she’d ever want to do was break her heart.
“I’m sorry,” Ellie said, pulling herself somewhat together.
“It’s okay.”
“I didn’t mean to put all of that on you. I know you have a job to do…I just…hearing about the shooting brought it all back to the surface. I hadn’t thought about Corny or that day in a long time. I guess it’s because I’m married to you now, and you deal with that dangerous nonsense almost daily,” she said, drying her face.
“I do. You’re right, but you have to trust that I know what I’m doing, especially when it comes to lawbreakers.”
“You’re the best marshal this town has ever had,” Ellie said with a smile. “I can’t fault you for that.”
“No, you can’t.” Jessie grinned.
“You smell like whiskey. Let me guess, you went to talk to Elmer.”
“I did. Why? Where would you go if you needed to talk something out?”
“To Pastor Noah, of course.”
Jessie smiled and shook her head.
“You should come inside with me one day. I think you’d like his sermons better if you could hear them.”
“I heard the one this past week just fine from outside.”
Ellie laughed and kissed her cheek. “I should get supper started.”
“Let’s go to the Kettle Kitchen tonight.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“Only if we can share a piece of pie.”
“Deal,” Jessie said, kissing her lips.
TWENTY-THREE
The sweltering summer sun beat down on her back as Jessie walked around the prairie, picking wild flowers. It was barely ten a.m. and sweat was already beading on her forehead and neck. She looked down at the western wallflowers, blue flax flowers, and yellow dandelion flowers, creating a colorful bouquet as she pulled the stems together, tying a ribbon tightly around the cluster.
She made a clicking noise with her mouth and waited a couple of seconds for her brown mare to come over from the nearby grass it had been grazing on. Stowing the flowers in the satchel on the saddle, she climbed up and trotted off, guiding the large animal back to town.
Ellie was standing in the doorway of her store, fanning herself, when Jessie rode up.
“What are you up to?” she asked, raising a brow.
“I was out riding around the outskirts of town,” Jessie replied getting down. “I thought I’d bring you something.”
“Oh, really?” Ellie closed the fan and stepped closer, trying to peer into the saddle bag as Jessie opened it.
“Hey! No peeking!” Jessie blurted, shooing her away. “Close your eyes.”
“What for?”
“Just do it.”
“Fine. It better not be a dead animal for me to cook,” she huffed with her hands on her hips.
Jessie pulled the flowers out and held them in front of her. “Okay.”
Ellie opened her eyes. “Oh, my. These are beautiful.” She held them to her nose, inhaling the sweet scent. “And they smell divine.” She smiled and leaned in, quickly kissing Jessie’s lips, before putting some space between them.
“It’s been two months since we were married. I figured flowers as beautiful as you, were as good a gift as anything,” Jessie said.
“I’m not sure I deserve you,” Ellie si
ghed. “I was beginning to think being in love wasn’t meant for me.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I don’t know…being a widow puts doubt in your mind, I guess.”
“Well, if there’s anyone who isn’t deserving, it’s me. I thought my luck had run out a long time ago, even then…it wasn’t really luck,” Jessie mumbled. “Anyway, I wanted to give you these and tell you I was thinking about you.”
“You made my day a whole lot better.” Ellie smiled, smelling the flowers again.
Jessie grinned and mounted the horse. She reached down, petting the mare gently. “I better get her back to the stable. Bert’s probably looking for me, anyway. I’ll see you later for supper.”
“Be safe,” Ellie called.
“Always,” she replied as she slapped the reins to get the horse moving.
***
Jessie was surprised to see that Bert wasn’t at the office when she walked inside. It looked as if he hadn’t yet been there, and it was nearly noon. Figuring he may be out looking for her, and there was no sense in both of them wandering around in different directions, she pulled a cigar from her pocket and struck a match along the wall behind her desk. After lighting her smoke, she sat down at her desk with the newspaper.
She’d barely made it through page two when she heard boot steps on the wooden sidewalk. The door was already open, in the hopes that a rare breeze might blow in. Jessie folded the paper to the side when Bert walked in and plopped down in a nearby chair with his shoulders sagging.
“Are you just now coming on duty?” she asked.
“I had a long night,” he sighed.
“Everything okay?”
“Yes…no. Hell, I don’t know.” Bert looked like he was functioning, but his mind was somewhere else.
Jessie raised a brow.
“Molly’s been getting sick off and on for a couple of weeks, and it came on pretty strong last night. She’s throwing up everything she eats, and running a little fever.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Did Doc Vernon see her?”
“Yeah, he just left the house a bit ago.”
“And?” Jessie waited. She was pretty sure she knew the answer. She’d had a feeling for a couple of weeks ever since Bert began querying her about kids, because Molly was questioning him.
Bert opened his mouth and closed it. Then, he looked up at her and said, “She’s with child.”
“Well, congratulations!” she said with a smile.
He simply nodded.
“You’re going to be a father, Bert. Why do you look like your dog died?”
“Back home, Molly had a best friend named Beatrice. She died during child birth. It nearly broke Molly. That’s part of the reason we left with my cousin Grim. She was heartbroken and everything reminded her of Bea. She says she’ll be fine, and Doc Vernon thinks she’s in great health, but I can’t help but worry.”
Jessie wasn’t quite sure what to say to him. She figured Pastor Noah would be a lot better at offering assurance. “If Doc Vernon says she will be okay, then you have to put your trust in him. I know you go to church every week, so you must have faith in God and everything. Now is the time to lean on that, when you need it the most,” she finally said.
“Yeah.”
“Does Molly know how you feel? Is she worried, too?”
“No. She’s over the moon with happiness. If it’s a girl, we’re going to name her Beatrice,” he said as a tear rolled down his cheek. “I can’t let her see how scared I am. She needs to be strong and stay healthy.” He put his chin to his chest, staring at the floor. “I can’t lose her, Marshal. I just can’t.”
“And you won’t. You have to believe that. How far along is she?”
“Doc says she’s about three months in.”
“Okay, so you have about what, six more to go?”
“Six or six and a half.”
“Good. You have at least six months to get over this fear of what may never happen, and live your life, Bert. Her friend may have had a medical condition she didn’t know about, or a complication that the doctor couldn’t handle. That doesn’t mean Molly will go down the same path,” she said, wishing Ellie or the pastor, or someone would pop in at any moment to say hi. She could deal with drunkards and outlaws all day long, but when it came to sentiment, she was lost.
“Thanks,” he mumbled, wiping his face. “You’re right. I’ve gotten myself all worked up over something that may never happen,” he added, regaining his composure.
“Exactly. Now, you’re going to be a father. I believe that calls for celebration.”
“No whiskey!” Bert exclaimed.
Jessie shook her head. “After what I went through with you the last time, definitely not,” she laughed.
***
By the end of the day, the entire town knew that Bert and Molly were expecting a child. Jessie and Ellie attended supper at their house, where Ellie was asked to be Molly’s midwife. Although she knew nothing about birthing babies, she planned to be there to help wherever she could.
On their walk home, Ellie looped her arms through Jessie’s and looked up at the sky full of stars, surrounding the full moon. “It’s a beautiful night,” she murmured.
“It is,” Jessie replied, looking at her instead of the sky. “I wish it was cold…maybe even snowing, right now.”
“Why is that?”
“So we could lie naked together on a blanket in front of the stove.” She smiled.
“I was thinking more along the lines of trying to squeeze into the bathing tub together to cool off in this heat,” Ellie said.
“Now, that…is a good idea, Mrs. Henry,” Jessie uttered, as they walked into the General Trade.
“Aren’t you working tonight?” Ellie asked as Jessie followed her up the stairs to their living quarters. The brightness from the moon shined through the window, casting the space they called home, in a soft glow.
“I told Elmer to send for me if something goes awry,” she said, removing her hat. “I figured Bert and Molly needed a night to let everything sink in…. besides, I wanted to spend some time with my wife. Is that okay?” she added, loosening her gun belt. “If you want me to go work—”
“I want you right here,” Ellie whispered, reaching for the buttons on her vest.
Jessie leaned forward, meeting her lips in a sensual kiss, before helping her remove the layers of clothing between them, one piece at a time. By the time they were naked, they were already on the bed, trading touches.
“What happened to the bath?” Jessie asked between kisses.
Ellie rolled on top of her. “Do you really want to stop now?”
Jessie shifted her leg between Ellie’s legs and grinned at the wetness that coated her thigh. She pulled Ellie down into another searing kiss that left them both breathless.
***
Dark clouds hung low in the sky in the distance, potentially threatening Boone Creek with a thunderstorm. They’d had a few storms already, but nothing like a major summer storm, full of lightning and heavy rain. The rancher and farmers on the outskirts of town welcomed the heavy rains which helped grow their crops, but in town, the storms just caused a nasty mess.
“That doesn’t look good,” Jessie said, leaning against the post outside of the doorway to Marshal’s Office. She had her eyes on the looming clouds.
“Maybe it’ll stay away,” Bert mumbled.
Jessie saw Ellie standing outside of her store, doing the same thing. She briefly thought about the night before as they lie together, panting and sweating with the moonlight illuminating the room. She smiled and tilted her head, listening further when she thought she’d heard thunder. Then, she saw a handful of men on horses race past, ripping through town.
“What’s going on?” Bert asked.
“I don’t know.” Jessie watched as they turned down Center street.
***
“Claire! I know you’re here!�
� one of the men yelled, riding his horse down the middle of the Six Gun Alley.
“There’s no Claire here,” said one of the town folk who was walking by.
The man on the horse, leading the charge, pulled his gun and shot the friendly bystander in the arm. He fell to the ground, bleeding. The man did nothing as he dismounted his horse and tore through the Rustler’s Den, then Miss Mable’s, shouting, “Claire! Claire!”
“Maybe she ain’t here,” one of the other men uttered.
“Oh, she’s here,” he growled, getting back on his horse. “Claire! You ought to come on out before anyone else gets hurt!” he shouted.
***
“Marshal!” a young teenager yelled, running up the sidewalk. “Come quick! An outlaw just shot a man over in Six Gun.”
“Who the hell is that?” she mumbled.
“Someone said the McNally Gang.”
“McNally?” She looked at Bert. “Jasper McNally? What in the world would he be doing all the way out here?” she said, thinking out loud.
“Do you know him?” Bert asked.
“No. I know of him, though. They’re nothing but thieves and murderers,” she replied, wondering what he would be doing in their town as she stepped outside and looked down the street. “Who the fuck is Claire?” she questioned, hearing his ranting.
“I have no idea,” Bert answered with a shrug.
“Stay here,” she said, running across the way, just before the gang moved back to Main Street, with the lead guy staying on his horse, while the others went in and out of each building. “Stay inside and lock the door,” she said to Ellie as she went inside the store.
“You’re not going after them.” Ellie shook her head. “Jessie, no.”
“I have to, Ellie. They’ve already shot one person.”
“You can’t stop him,” she said. “He’s here for me.”
“What? What do you mean?”
“That man out there yelling is Jasper McNally, and he’s very dangerous,” Ellie muttered.
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