A BOUNTY HUNTER’S DREAM
MARY BOLTON
James Butler Hickok, known throughout the West as Wild Bill Hickok,
quickly holstered his gun, ignoring the sting in his left arm. He
could feel the blood trickling down inside of his shirt, but he didn’t
want any of the townspeople that were watching to know what pain he was
in. He was a rider for the Pony Express, and had just delivered
the mail to the offices of Russell, Majors & Waddell in St. Joe,
when he had been called out. All of these young guns had read all
the lies about him, and they wanted to make a name for themselves by
being the one to kill Wild Bill. And like always, he’d quickly
dispatched the young upstart, feeling once again the hopelessness for
taking a life so unnecessarily. Unfortunately, the younger man
had been able to get a shot off before Jimmy had killed him. Now
he just wanted to get out of St. Joe, and find a place far enough away
to camp for the night and take care of his arm.
So instead of spending the night here like he usually did, he made
himself get on his tired horse, and headed him towards Rock Creek, a
long day’s ride from here. Each movement of the horse spent a
spasm of pain through his arm, and once free from prying eyes, he let
loose with every swear word that he knew and made up some new ones.
He made his way to a secluded lake that he knew about so he’d have
plenty of water. It took him a little while to set up camp and
get a fire started. Jimmy knew that he’d have to dig the bullet
out.
Sarah Brooks let her horse make its way gingerly through the
woods. Night would be coming on soon, and she wanted to make the
lake by then. The delicate smell of wood smoke came to her
nostrils, and she stopped her horse, running her hand down his
neck. Who else would possibly know about this spot? She
dismounted, dropped her horse’s reins, and crept through the underbrush
to see what she could find out. Sarah crept within ten feet of
the man sitting by a fire. He was holding his left arm with his
hand as he looked down at a knife that was heating in the fire.
She could see blood on his shirt. Had he been shot? Should
she offer to help him? She knew that she could hold her own with
him if the need arose. Sarah gnawed on her lip debating the issue
with herself. She went back to her horse, took the reins, and
retraced her steps, coming out this time into the clearing.
She watched the man steadily, and he eyed her warily. His good
hand had gone to one of his twin ivory handled Colts, and rested there
lightly as she walked towards him. She quickly decided that he
was quite pleasing to look at...had long, rich brown-colored hair that
fell straight, past his shoulders. His eyes were lighter than his
hair...perhaps hazel? He’d taken his black hat off, and his black
gloves. She stood silent for a moment, letting him take her
in..hoping he realized that she wasn’t a threat to him.
Jimmy was startled when, what could only be called a vision, walked
through the woods toward him. She was very pretty, wild blond
hair framing her face...eyes so blue that he could see their color when
she was still a ways away from him. She wore a light brown hat,
pushed back from her face. Her slender hands had brown leather
gloves on them. She was leading an all black horse, and she
stopped a few feet from him. He quickly took in the single gun
hanging low at her right hip. There was a rifle holstered at her
saddle. The saddle also carried a canteen, bedroll, and saddle
bags. She was traveling. A warmth seemed to come from her,
but there was something else there...something intangible, and that he
knew he should be wary of. His hand had gone instinctively to his
gun, but he slowly lowered it, realizing he didn’t have anything to
worry about from her...not right now anyway.
“It looks like you need some help, mister. I’m pretty good at
doctoring if you’d like the help,” she offered with her soft
voice, still making no move to go closer to him.
She was getting confusing messages from this man. Part of her
believed that he could be a dangerous man. His eyes looked cold
and very old. But the other part could sense his spirit, and that
part was letting her know that she could trust this man with her life.
Jimmy’s first instinct was to tell her he didn’t need no help, but his
other part was telling him not to be stupid. From the looks of
her rig, she could take care of herself, but he didn’t think that he
needed to fear anything from her at this point. She looked
relaxed standing there.
“I’d like the help, thanks. I got hot water, and my knife is
ready.”
Sarah took her hat and gloves off and laid them on her saddle.
She pulled a thin strip of leather out of her pocket and tied her hair
back as she walked towards him. Taking a quick look, she saw it
was a messy wound.
“Let me wash my hands off, and I’ll get right to it,” she said as she
went and got some soap out of her pack and did just that.
Back at his side, she ripped his shirt away from his arm, picked up his
knife and allowed it to cool.
“You already know this is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch. Do
you want anything to bite down on?”
“No...jest do it,” he told her as he went inside himself, willing
himself not to cry out as she started to dig around in his arm.
Surprisingly it didn’t take her long to pull the bullet out. She
cleaned the wound out, poured some whiskey over it, and that was all
his body could take. He passed out.
“Well, Mr. Whoever you are...I’m surprised you lasted that long.
I guess I can’t leave you here very well,” Sarah sighed. She
hadn’t really wanted any company this night. She had a feeling
that he hadn’t wanted any either, or else he would have found some help.
She threw her bedroll down on the ground and spread it out. He’d
need something nourishing when he woke up, she decided. Then she
stopped herself. When was the last time she had taken care of
anyone? She remembered her baby sister, and immediately felt the
cold anger come over her. No! She pushed that thought
away. Suffice it to say that it’s been awhile, but she thought
that she could do it. She went through what food she had, and
decided that some hardtack, beans and biscuits would have to do for
tonight.
Sarah heard a moan come from the prone man so she went over to him,
feeling his forehead, glad when she found that it was cool. His
arm would be sore, but he’d be all right by morning. His eyes
fluttered, and he looked a little startled to see her leaning over
him. She backed off quickly.
“Supper’s almost ready. Sit up slow. You might be a little
dizzy.”
“You’re still here,” he mumbled, as he struggled to sit up.
“I didn’t think it would be right to just leave you after you’d passed
out,” she replied. “How ya feelin’?”
“Mah head is poundin’,” he admitted.
“Coffee should clear it up,” she told him as she passed him a mug, then
laid a plate of food next to him.
“Who are you?” he asked her, point blank.
“Sarah Brooks,” she smiled tentatively at him as she held out her
hand. “And you’re...?”
“Jimmy Hickok,” he told her slowly as he took her hand. Her grip
was surprisingly strong.
“And that’s why you had a bullet in your arm?” she asked him,
immediately knowing who he was. So this was Wild Bill! One
would have thought he was at least ten feet tall..carried a dozen
pistols, smelled bad, and was just generally nasty.
“Yeah, I guess,” he shrugged, not sure that he liked the fact she knew
of his reputation.
“Did you do the callin’, or did the other one?”
“The other.”
“And he’s dead now?”
“Yeah...that’s what happens.”
Sarah noticed that he wasn’t bragging, just speaking fact. She
nodded her head. She also wasn’t surprised that he had gone off
by himself. She would expect Wild Bill to be a loner.
“Hear tell that you work for the Pony Express. How’d all this
happen to you?”
“Ever heard of a writer named Marcus?”
“Was he the one that wrote that book about you?”
He just nodded. “He got mad at me, so he just wrote a bunch of
lies. It all took off from there.”
“That’s too bad. It’s lucky you have the skill to back the lies
up,” she observed with a smile “Or else I wouldn’t be caring for you
now.”
The smile hit him in the region of his stomach, and it gave a funny
turn. He shook his head to clear it.
“It seems you know lots ‘bout me. And I don’t know nuthin’ ‘bout
you.”
“That’s true...you don’t.”
“You talk all proper like..but you look like you’re used ta spendin’
nights on the trail. Ya wear your gun like you know how to use
it.”
“I do, and I have. I spend most of my time on the trail, and when
I was younger, an aunt from Boston came to spend time with my
family and instructed my sister and I in the proper way to speak and
act. Now eat up. You’ll need all your strength to travel
tomorrow. Where’s your home station?”
“Rock Creek. How come you know so much ‘bout me?” he
blurted. It was unnerving. He knew that he had a
reputation, but
this lady seemed to know him.
“I make it my business to know. You should be alright by morning,
Hickok. Don’t worry about being on guard tonight. I’ll do
that so you can get a good night’s sleep.”
Jimmy knew enough about people to know that this lady did not want to
talk anymore about herself. He’d respect that..mainly because he
was the same way. And there was no doubt in his mind that this
lady could handle guard duty by herself. In a way, her toughness
reminded him of one of his best friends...Lou. Lou could take
care of herself in about any situation. This lady probably could,
too. He picked up his plate, and ate what she had prepared.
It wasn’t bad.
He snuck a look at her. She had stopped eating and was staring
off into the distance. What was she thinking? The breeze
was
gently blowing her hair from her face. Sarah was slender, but
she looked strong. Her skin was tanned, and he could picture her
in a parlor pouring tea for a bunch of church ladies. He smiled
to himself. This lady probably had never done that. What
was her life like? She seemed of gentle spirit, but he could
sense a hardness about her. She was giving, but didn’t want to
get close. She would care for him only as long as he needed
her. Then he had a feeling that she would disappear. What
did she do in her life? What difference did it make? After
tomorrow morning, he’s never see her again.
“Why are you staring at me, Mr. Hickok?” she asked without even
looking at him.
“Jest tryin’ to figure you out, Miss Brooks.”
“Good luck,” she told him with a small laugh. “No one’s been able
to do it yet.”
“Got a husband?”
“Nope.”
“A gentleman friend?”
“Nope.”
“Any family?”
“Nope. What about you, Mr. Hickok...you got any family?”
“Three sisters in Missouri is all. I don’t see ‘em much.”
“That’s too bad,” she sighed. “You finished with your
supper? Can I get you anything else?”
“I’m fine. It was good. Thanks.”
She took the plate from him and cleaned it off, along with her own.
“Now why don’t you get some rest? You probably rode hard all day,
and what with that wound and all...you’re probably tired.”
Now where had that come from? she asked herself. It felt strange
to be concerned about someone. She hadn’t been in quite some
time. She wasn’t sure that she liked remembering how it felt.
“Yeah..I am,” he said as he slid down on his bedroll. “Night,
Sarah. If you need me, wake me up.”
“If I need you, you’ll probably wake up on your own. Night.”
Sarah knew that it didn’t take him long to fall asleep. Why did
he trust her? But then she knew how exhausted you felt after you
had a bullet dug out of you. She banked the fire for the night
and also laid down. From past experience, she knew she would
sleep lightly.
Jimmy’s dreams were filled with blonde angels flying around him,
ministering to him. But he didn’t wake up until the smell of
coffee tickled his nostrils. He slowly opened his eyes, and
immediately saw Sarah sitting there, looking as if she’d been awake for
hours. Lord almighty she was beautiful!
“Mornin’,” she smiled. “How ya feelin?”
“Alright, I think!” he said as he sat up. He moved his arm
slowly, and it felt sore, but he’d known it would.
“Coffee and biscuits?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
They ate in silence, then he watched as she quickly packed up her
things.
“I think that you’ll be alright now, and I need to be on my way.”
He stood up and went over to her.
“I’m mighty be holdin’ to ya, Sarah. Maybe someday I’ll be able
to repay your kindness.”
“Maybe you will, Jimmy Hickok. Watch your back!” she told
him as she swung up onto her horse, wheeled her around, and in a few
moments, was gone from his sight.
Jimmy just shook his head. He needed to be heading to Rock
Creek. He got his things together, and was soon on the
trail. His arm was still throbbing, and he felt like hell, but he
knew he’d be a lot worse off if it hadn’t been for her doctoring.
He was fairly certain that he wouldn’t be seeing her again, but he knew
that deep down, there was this small part of him that was hoping he
would.
Sarah’s mind wanted to stay on Jimmy Hickok. She hadn’t had a man
in her life for years, but she knew with her occupation that was for
the best. And the last man she needed was Wild Bill! She
pulled the Wanted posted from her pants pocket and looked at the outlaw
pictured on it. If she wanted to eat for the next few months,
she’d best find Jack Cassidy. She repocketed the poster,
pushed Hickok from her mind, and headed for Sulfur Springs.
“Son! What happened?” Teaspoon asked Jimmy as he came
riding into the station.
Teaspoon was the marshal of Rock Creek, and the overseer of the Pony
Express Station. He was also like a father to the riders that
were based at the station.
“Got called out in St. Joe. I musta got distracted and got
winged.”
“Looks like the doc did a right good job of it. How do it feel?”
Jimmy quickly decided to let Teaspoon think that a doctor had attended
to him.
“Sore,” he admitted.
Teaspoon took the reins of his horse.
“I’ll take care of Cisco for you. Go find Rachel and have her
tend to your wound. Then get sumthin’ to eat and get some
rest.
And those are orders!” Teaspoon stated as he saw that
Jimmy was about to protest.
So Jimmy just nodded his head and headed to find Rachel. She
cooked and cleaned for the riders, and they treated her like they would
treat their mas...if any of them’d had mas.
Once in his bunk, Jimmy realized how exhausted he was. The day’s
ride had taken a lot out of him, and his arm felt better now that
Rachel had ministered to him. He closed his eyes, and immediately
a blonde angel was there...Sarah...with her brilliant blue eyes.
“No!” he whispered to himself as he tried to push her away.
He had already decided that he didn’t need a woman in his life.
He figured that since he was always looking over his shoulder to see
who might be sneaking up on him, he didn’t need to worry about that and
a woman, too. Most women couldn’t be trusted to look after
themselves, and besides, he wasn’t home very much anyway. The
Pony Express kept him on the trail, and he wondered how Lou and Kid
made their marriage
work....probably because Lou had once been a rider
and she knew what that life was like. But marriage wasn’t for
him, so he firmly pushed Sarah out of his mind. Thinking about a
woman was sure to get him killed.
Quite a few weeks had gone by, and every now and then, Sarah would hear
a new tale about Jimmy Hickok...how he’d ambushed some outlaws..or
called someone out while he was riding through their town..or tracked
someone down and killed them in cold blood. She didn’t think that
sounded like the Jimmy she had met, but then they hadn’t talked that
much. Maybe he was like that! Sarah rode slowly into Willow
Creek, all of her senses on alert as she slowly looked around the
town. She tied her horse by the saloon, and started showing the
poster of her latest bounty around. Without exception, she was
pointed in the direction of the saloon. Bart Samuels was wanted
dead or alive..and dead was always easiest for her. Sarah looked
into the saloon...yeah...he was leaning against the bar.
Jimmy had stopped for a bite to eat and a sarsaparilla in Willow Creek
before he continued on to Fort Laramie with some mail for the
army. Teaspoon had assured him that he didn’t need to be in an
all-fired hurry with this bunch of mail, so he’d figured that stopping
to eat a decent meal on the trail would be nice for once. The
talk around him stopped, and he looked up from his steak to see what
was going on. He was quite surprised to see Sarah Brooks walk
confidently into the saloon, go over to the bar and say in a voice that
booked no argument, “Bart Samuels? I’m here to take you to the
jail in Cactus Flats.”
A large man reached for his gun and turned around to face her.
Jimmy was reaching for his gun when Sarah went for hers and shot the
man dead before his gun had even cleared leather. He knew his
mouth must be on the ground as the man slowly fell to the floor.
He watched as Sarah quickly looked around her to make sure there were
no other threats, then reholstered her gun. Jimmy saw that her
eyes were now the coldest he’d ever seen. Was that what he looked
like after he shot someone?
“Could one of you gents help me carry him to his horse outside?”
Jimmy quickly stood up. He’d almost finished with his meal anyway.
“I will.”
She whirled around, seeing Jimmy for the first time. What the
hell was he doing here?
“Appreciate it,” she said.
A patron at the bar helped him heave the man over his shoulder, and he
followed Sarah out to her horse.
“Which one?” he asked, still not sure how he felt about all of
this.
“His is that bay right there.”
Jimmy heaved him, belly down, over the saddle, making sure he would
stay in that position.
“Much obliged, Jimmy,” she gave him a small smile as she began to mount
her horse. At that moment, a shot rang out, and
Sarah jerked back
and fell from her horse. Instinctively, Jimmy grabbed his gun,
aimed, and fired at a man on the top of the hotel roof. His
second shot got him. Then he turned his attention to Sarah,
clutching her shoulder.
“Is the bullet still in there?” he asked.
She grimaced as she nodded.
“Let’s get you to the doc then,” he said as he easily helped her to her
feet.
“I’d rather just go on to Cactus Flats, get rid of this guy, and have
the doc look at it there. It’s not that far away.”
“You’re goin’ to the doc here!” he told her as they continued to
walk to the doc’s office.
“You’re a good one to talk. Seems to me the last time you got
shot, you didn’t take time to go to the docs.”
Jimmy chose not to say anything as he pushed her through the door at
the doc’s office. Luckily the doc was in. He made Sarah lie
down on the table.
“Why don’t you wait outside, son?” the kindly man directed him.
“No!” Sarah stated, not really wanting to blurt out her fear of
doctors. “Um....I mean, this won’t take long and all. Do
you really mind?” she looked up at Jimmy.
Jimmy shrugged his shoulders, immediately sensing that there was
something else going on.
“This is gonna hurt some,” the doc warned her.
“I know,” she said in a soft voice as the doc ripped her shirt away
from the wound and began to prob for the bullet.
Jimmy saw her clench her teeth, and her face turned deathly white..but
she didn’t cry out. He took her left
hand,
“Squeeze as hard as you like,” he told her, and she
did. He had
to admire her toughness. She didn’t shed a tear as the doc
pulled
the bullet out, poured some sulfa powder on it, and stitched her
up. He dressed the wound.
“You lay there for a bit until you feel better. Get her to drink
some water, son. I’ll be back in a half hour to see if you’re up
to leavin’.”
“Thanks,” she stated wearily.
Jimmy poured her some water, and held her head up so she could take a
few swallows.
“Now, why don’t you close them blue eyes of yours and get some
rest? I’ll go check on your bounty, then I’ll come back and check
on you.”
“Jimmy..I want to thank you for helping me out, but I know that you
probably have someplace that you need to be. Why don’t you go
on? I’ll be alright now.”
“Jest get some rest,” was all he said as he left her. He went out
to her horse and checked to make sure the black was all right.
The bounty wasn’t going anywhere. The other body had been
removed, so he just stared down at the street.
He knew she wanted him to leave...but he couldn’t. That wouldn’t
be right. He didn’t know why he felt responsible for her, but he
did..especially now that she wasn’t 100% and wouldn’t be able to defend
herself if she needed to. His mind replayed the scene in the
bar. All evidence showed that she was a bounty hunter...a FEMALE
bounty hunter who was mighty good with a gun. He’d heard
tell of a couple women bounty hunters, but he’d never heard
names. How did he feel about this? How had she come to this
way of life? What difference did it make? After he helped
her to Cactus Flats, he would leave her. And he would sincerely
hope that he would never run into her again. He knew Teaspoon
wouldn’t mind the mail taking a little longer.
She was in between sleep and wakefulness, when she heard the doc asking
her,
“How are you feelin’, Miss?”
“Much better,” she lied as she forced herself to sit up. “How
much do I owe you?”
“A dollar.”
She fished the money out of her pocket and handed it to him.
“I’m much obliged,” she told him as she grabbed her hat and, cradling
her arm, she went outside. And she was very surprised
to see
Jimmy standing there, waiting for her.
“I thought you’d left.”
“Nope, I’m gonna ride with you to Cactus Flats. I figure we can
travel for a couple hours if you’re up to it..camp for the night, and
pull into Cactus Flats late tomorrow mornin’.”
“Or I can travel until I get there this evening. I do appreciate
your help, Jimmy. You probably saved my life...”
“Probably?” he questioned with a smile.
“Alright..you saved my life, but from the looks of it you’ve got mail
to deliver. I don’t want to hold that up. I’ll be fine
now...really,” she said as she went to her horse to mount him.
Jimmy cupped his hands so he could give her a leg up. With that
shoulder, there was no way she would be able to mount the horse.
He could tell she didn’t want to accept the help, but she wisely took
the boost. He handed her the reins to the dead man’s horse, than
mounted Cisco.
“I’m goin’. Let’s go,” he told her in a voice that booked no
argument.
In truth, Sarah was glad to have him along. She knew from past
experience that she wouldn’t be worth crap for the rest of the
day. For once, it would be nice to have a protector along to
watch over her. This was another thing she wasn’t used to.
She was used to being alone, depending only on herself. But she
knew she could trust this man...and she didn’t know why she felt that
way. So she followed Jimmy, willing herself to sit straight in
the saddle. She gritted her teeth as each bounce of her horse,
Sadie, sent pain shooting through her shoulder.
Jimmy wondered if she would ever talk to him. Could she be that
angry at him for insisting he come along with her?
“It’s gonna be dark soon. We’ll set up camp over there!” he
pointed to a stand of trees close by a creek.
“Fine,” she gritted out between her clenched teeth. All she
wanted to do was slide off this horse and sleep for the next ten hours.
She reined up and got off Sadie. She tied the outlaw’s horse a
distance away from them, unrolled her bedroll, and laid down on it.
Jimmy watched her through all this.
“Want me to look at that shoulder?” he asked.
“No, it’s fine,” came the muffled reply.
“You know, you ain’t very good company,” he told her, irritated by her
attitude.
“If you remember, Mr. Hickok, I didn’t want you to come along.
Now I need some rest. If you want to stay, fine. If you
want to go on your way, that’s even better.”
Jimmy stood above her, studying her. He could tell by her pale
looks that she wasn’t doing fine.
“Sometimes bein’ prideful ain’t a good thing. Go to sleep.”
Sarah wanted to lash out at him, but she didn’t have the
strength. She yawned, somehow knowing that he would still be
there when she woke up.
In her sleep, she looked so young. He could tell that she was in
a deep sleep, too. Jimmy just shook his head and started a
fire. He didn’t want to go through her things, and he didn’t have
much food with him, so he decided to go looking for some.
Sarah could feel her stomach rumbling as a good smell came to her
nose. She opened her eyes slowly to see Jimmy busily working over
the fire. How long had she been sleeping?
“Good! You’re awake. The food’s ‘bout ready.”
She sat up. “It looks good,” she ventured, realizing that he
really hadn’t had to stay with her, and he definitely didn’t have to
hunt and cook for her. Maybe it was time for her to try to be a
little friendlier. She’d only have to be with him until tomorrow
afternoon. “What would I have done without you, Jimmy?” she
smiled.
The smile zeroed in on his stomach, and he couldn’t have eaten a thing
at that moment.
“You been tryin’ to get rid of me since we was in Willow Creek!”
he stated, flabbergasted. “And now you’re actin’ like you’re
happy I’m here?”
“Jimmy..both you and I are loners. We’re used to doing things on
our own and taking care of ourselves and watching our own backs.
We’re not used to taking care of people or letting people take care of
us. I’m sorry for being so nasty to you. I wouldn’t have
been worth hell today, and you knew that. I do appreciate the
care you’re giving me.”
Jimmy just sat there with a little smile and gave a small nod of his
head.
“If it makes you feel better, jest tell yourself I’m payin’ ya back for
takin’ care of me.”
“Okay.”
“And yer right...we are used ta doin’ for ourselves. Sarah?”
“Yeah, Jimmy?” she asked as she watched him cut the meat into two
separate pieces. He handed one to her.
“You shoot real good. You mite even be faster ‘n me.”
“I doubt that..maybe close to you, but not faster. Stories have
it you’re as fast as lightening!” she laughed.
Jimmy caught her infectious laughter and chuckled himself.
“How’d ya get into huntin’ bounties?”
He watched as a dark cloud went across her face.
“If I asked you to tell me your life story, would you?” she
answered his question with a question.
“No, probably not,” he admitted.
“I don’t want to tell you my life story neither. We don’t know
each other all that well. It’s best we keep it that way, don’t
you think?”
But her mind was screaming at her, denying what she said. She did
want to know all about this man. She wanted to know what his
childhood had been like..what his life was like now.
“Yeah,” he stated, disappointed. He didn’t agree with her, but he
did agree with her wisdom and the strength she was showing now.
“With any luck, you ‘n I won’t run into each other again after
tomorrow.”
“With any luck,” she mumbled. “But you can tell me about the Pony
Express...how you like working for it..is it exciting? Do
you
meet a lot of people?”
“I like it just fine...mainly because when I work, I work by
myself. Mosta the time, it’s not too excitin’. Sometimes it
is.
Sometimes outlaws try to get the mail from you, not really
knowin’ what your carryin’. Sometimes the Injuns attack us cause
they think since we’re carryin’ the white man’s words, we’re
helpin’ the spread of ‘em. I go on a run about once every three
or four days. Sometimes we get sent out on special runs. I
don’t meet lots of people..jest mainly the folks at the express
offices. It’s a good job. The people I’m friendliest with
are the other riders at my station.”
“Too bad they don’t let women do the job.”
“We had one who did...Lou. She disguised herself so no one knew
she was. It even took us a bit afore we found out ‘bout
her. But after Teaspoon knew, he let her stay on cause she could
do the job as good as we men could.
“I’d probably like her a lot. Who’s Teaspoon?”
“The marshal in Rock Creek. He used to be a Texas Ranger.
He also looks after the station.”
“He wouldn’t like me much then would he?”
“Why not?”
“Most marshal’s don’t have much use for bounty hunters.”
“Oh..that..I have a feelin’ he’d like you anyway. You’re not like
most bounty hunters. You’re a lot purtier!”
Her delighted laugh rang out as she felt her cheeks turn warm. He
thought she was pretty.
“If I ever get to Rock Creek, I’ll have to introduce myself to him.”
Jimmy hated to admit it, but he was enjoying himself with her. He
couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a pleasant conversation with a
female other than Lou or Rachel. He pointed a finger at her.
“If you ever come to Rock Creek, you’d best come over to the station to
say hello and let Rachel cook you a meal.”
“I will..if I ever get to Rock Creek.” Sarah didn’t want to make
any promises she might not be able to keep.
“The other riders are real good friends of mine. We’re like
brothers. You got any friends like that?” he wanted to know.
“You’re asking if there is anyone out there that’s like a sister to me?”
He nodded his head.
“Nope...when I get lonesome, I talk to Sadie.”
“Sadie?” he asked and smiled as she pointed to her horse.
“I know how that goes. Sometimes I think Cisco knows me better ‘n
anyone else. Don’t you ever get lonely?”
“Yeah...so? No one ever died from loneliness.”
She looked at him as if daring him to feel sorry for her or to pity
her. But he knew how much it hurt to be lonely. He’d felt
it many times..not that he would admit that to another living soul.
“That’s true enough,” was all he said. “Did you have enough to
eat?”
“Yes, thanks. I feel like I could go back to sleep.”
“Then do it. I’ll take watch tonight.”
“Alright.”
She resumed her former position on her bedroll, closing her eyes.
Jimmy just watched her. He’d never met anyone like her in his
entire life. The woman was like a world unto herself. She
was close to no one..had no family..was a bounty hunter. Why
hadn’t he ever heard of her since she was so good with a gun?
Probably because she wasn’t calling him out, and she wasn’t an
outlaw. He looked over at Sadie. She usually took such good
care of her, but she hadn’t had the energy tonight. Well, he
guessed he could do it. Then he’d lay down for the night.
The morning came, and she felt stiff and more than a little sore.
She nodded to Jimmy as she walked off to take care of necessary
chores. She washed in the creek, then made her way back to
camp. She smiled at Jimmy, seeing the beginnings of a beard on
his face. It made him look more rugged...even more
handsome. She briefly wondered how many women fancied his
attentions? Probably quite a few. Did any of them have his
attention? If she remembered correctly, he’d denied that, but he
could have just been saying that, not wanting to admit it.
“How ya feelin’?” he asked in his quiet voice.
“Okay. I’ll be fine and ready to be on my own after we drop our
friend off in Cactus Flats.”
He just nodded his head as he handed her a cup of coffee. She
took in the aroma with pleasure, noticing just what a pretty day it
was..how blue the sky was, and how bright the sun was getting to
be. She shook her head. What was comin’ over her? She
knew that she couldn’t get away from this man quickly enough!
“How many times you been shot?” he blurted out. He’d been
wondering about it since she’d been shot yesterday.
“A few.”
“How many is a few?”
“Five...maybe six times.”
“And how long you been doin’ this kinda work?”
“A couple years. Where’s this leading to, Jimmy?”
Jimmy handed her a biscuit and a piece of beef jerky.
Yeah..where was it headed? He wanted to tell her this life was
too dangerous for her...that she was lucky she hadn’t been killed
yet. Bounty hunters weren’t known for living long lives.
But he knew she didn’t want to hear that, and he had no right to say
anything to her.
“No where, I guess,” he bit off.
They ate in silence before he got their horses ready for the
trail. He helped her up into the saddle and without exchanging
any
words, they left. Once again, he led the way, his mind on
Sarah. She had a wall up this morning, and obviously didn’t want
to talk to him. Her face was expressionless, and he could tell
that she was coming back into herself...her body very aware of
everything around her. She would be a formidable foe.
That’s when the insight hit him. Was this the way everyone saw
him? Was this the way he acted around people he didn’t know that
well? He smiled to himself. Sarah was a lot like him.
They could have been made out of the same mold. Only with their
jobs were they different. And since he never had really let
anyone close to him...not even the other riders..he assumed that she
would be that way also. Maybe it would be best if they never saw
each other again. After all, most bounty hunters just barely
lived on the right side of the law, and Jimmy was committed to always
doing what was right.
They arrived in Cactus Flats, and Jimmy waited while Sarah turned her
bounty in and collected her reward. She came out of the sheriff’s
office and walked over to where he was leaning against a railing.
“Thanks, again, for all your help. I hate to admit it, bit I
don’t think I could have done it without you, Jimmy.”
“It warn’t nuthin’.” was all he said.
“I’d like you to take part of the bounty. Without you, I wouldn’t
have gotten any of it,” she said, holding some money out to him.
He was shaking his head as he backed off.
“No..that’s your money. You earned it. “Sides, I don’t need
it, and you probably do.”
He swung up onto Cisco and looked down at her.
“Well, thanks again for your help. Watch your back, Hickok.”
“I think I should tell you that, Brooks!” he smiled down at her.
The smile was genuine and it made her short of breath. She
returned it, wanting to reach out and touch him, but she knew that she
couldn’t. So instead, she backed away from him.
“How about we both do it?”
“Okay...where you headed now?”
“Don’t rightly know, Jimmy. I was thinking about going north for
a time..see what’s up there.”
“Be careful. I might not be round next time to help you out.”
Something was drawing her back to him. Her hand reached out and
rested on his leg.
“Don’t worry none about me, Jimmy. I’m going to be okay.
I’m not about to get shot...just like you’re not going to, right?”
Jimmy felt as if fire was going through his leg where her hand rested
on it.
“Alright. Goodbye, Sarah. Come by Rock Creek sometime.”
“Maybe...bye.”
She forced herself to once again step away. He gave her a look
that told her he didn’t believe her, turned Cisco to the south, and
left her.
Sarah slowly let out her breath and watched him until she couldn’t see
him anymore. So what was she really going to do now? She
could head north as she’d told Hickok. She could afford not to
work until next spring. That would be nice..just traveling around
since she really didn’t have any place to hang her hat. But if
she did get a couple more bounties, she could start saving some money
to buy a house and some land...maybe start to raise some cattle and
make money in a proper way. She headed to the general store to
buy some supplies.
Jimmy delivered the mail, and decided to just ride back to Rock Creek,
not stopping along the way. Suddenly he wanted to be around
people who knew him and loved him anyway. He wanted some real
home cooked food..and maybe if Kid was out on a run, he could talk to
Lou for a time.
Jimmy had a couple of days off, and Sarah was never far from his
mind. He couldn’t figure out why she was there. It’s not
like he knew a lot about her, and she was okay when he left her.
“Is all the wanted posters hung?” Teaspoon asked Jimmy as he came out
of the marshal’s office. Jimmy had been staring down the street,
and the older man looked that way, wondering what had Jimmy’s attention.
“Yeah. Anything else I can do fer ya?”
“That corral fence back at the station could use some help.”
“I’ll do it,” Jimmy told him as he started to leave, then turned back
to Teaspoon.
“You ever heard tell of any lady bounty hunters in the territory?”
Teaspoon scratched his chin.
“Well..I did hear tell a one. The stories I heard bout her say
she’s pretty quick with a gun and a dead shot..that she’s choosy ‘bout
who she goes after, but no one seems to know much ‘bout her..where she
come from and all. Course I don’t know how much a lady she mite
be since she’s a bounty hunter ‘n all. I imagine she’s pruty
hardened by now.”
“Ever hear a name?”
“Onct..let’s see..Sally?...no...Susan...nope...Sarah! That’s
it...Sarah sumthin’ or nuther.”
Jimmy just nodded his head.
“So ya never met her?”
“Nope,” Teaspoon told him. He wondered why Jimmy was suddenly
interested in this. Hickok never one for long-winded
conversations, always had a reason for anything he asked or said.
“Why? You met up with her or seen her?”
Jimmy didn’t want to admit much.
“Seen her outdraw a bounty. She’s fast. Just wondered what
you knew ‘bout her.”
Was it possible that Hickok might be interested in a woman?
Bounty hunters were close to being outlaws themselves. Many of
their methods were questionable...and Jimmy lived his life doing the
lawful thing. Naw..he was probably just impressed by her draw.
“She faster ‘n you?”
“Don’t know. It’d be close.”
“Don’t never break the law then, son!” Teaspoon chuckled.
“I think I’d best get to that fence!” Jimmy told him with a smile
as he left him.
Sarah headed north, taking her time, nursing her shoulder until it
began to feel better. She enjoyed the countryside and just
meandered until she started to get restless. Every now and then
her thoughts would turn to Jimmy, but she would quickly push him
out. When the restless feeling hit, she knew that it was time for
her to return to work so, stopping in the nearest town, she checked out
the wanted posters at the sheriff’s office. One caught her eye,
so she ripped it down, bought her supplies, and headed out of town.
During his travels, Jimmy found himself looking for Sarah or checking
out all the horses, hoping that one of them would be Sadie. He
wasn’t sure why he wanted to see her again, but he did.
But if she’d really gone north as she’d said she would, he might never
see her again. He knew that would be for the
best...logically. But there was still that part of him that
wanted to be around her again.
Sarah frowned to herself. The trail she was following was leading
her directly to Rock Creek. Damnation! She stopped Sadie
and pulled out the wanted poster with the likeness of Sam Calhoun on
it. It was a $200 bounty. She knawed on her bottom
lip. Would it be possible to go into the town and avoid Jimmy
Hickok? She’d been doing a good job of not thinking about him,
but this wasn’t helping. She didn’t want to see him, mainly
because she did want to see him. Sarah looked down at the poster,
then refolded it. She looked down the road toward Rock Creek,
then back in the direction she’d been. But the $200 won out, and
she nudged Sadie forward. Maybe she would just stop in the
marshal’s office...Teaspoon? Was that what Jimmy had called him?
Teaspoon was busy reading the mail that had just come in when he heard
someone walk into his office. Looking up, he saw one of the
prettiest ladies that had ever crossed his office threshold. She
was slender, had long blond hair hanging down from under her hat.
She was dressed as if she had just come off the trail, but she didn’t
look dirty. Her deep blue eyes jumped out at him, and her face
wore a friendly smile.
“Marshal Teaspoon?” she asked as she held her hand out to him.
He stood quickly. “That’s me, miss. I don’t believe I’ve
had the pleasure.”
“I’m Sarah Brooks. I’ve heard some good things about you,
Marshal, and I was wondering if a Sam Calhoun had been through Rock
Creek recently?”
“Sam Calhoun? He’s a rough one. Why yous lookin’ for him?”
“I’m a bounty hunter, Marshal. He’s got $200 on his head. I
aim to find him.”
Things were starting to click in his head. One thing Jimmy Hickok
had neglected to mention to him was how pretty this lady was. And
here he had told Jimmy that she probably wasn’t much of a lady.
He’d have to eat those words now. If Sarah wasn’t dressed as she
was...put a dress on her...she could have been one of the finer ladies
about town. Did Jimmy personally know her?
Sarah had seen recognition come into the marshal’s eyes.
“I see that you’ve heard of me?”
“Yup..but the part I didn’t hear was how purty you are,” he smiled at
her.
“Thank you, Marshal. So, is Sam Calhoun anywhere around?
Have you heard anything?”
Jimmy would be coming back from his run tonight. He had to find a
way to keep her here until at least tomorrow.
“Word has it that his gang is headed this way...could be here in a
couple days.” Well, that much was true. What he wasn’t
telling her was that Sam had already been picked up.
Teaspoon always went with his instincts. And it was telling him
that this lady and Jimmy would be awfully good together. Yes, she
was a bounty hunter...but she didn’t look it, and he had a feeling that
she didn’t act it. But she must be successful if she made her
living this way.
“Oh.”
“We have a real good hotel in town where you could stay till he comes.”
Sarah shifted from foot to foot.
“I don’t know as I want to stay here for a couple days, Marshal.
It looks like a real nice town and all, but if you know where they’re
coming from, I could just head out that way...”
Why didn’t she want to hang around?
“Nope...didn’t hear tell of that. The livery stable is at the end
of the street, and they’d take good care of your horse. You can
get a good meal at the hotel.”
Sarah looked out the window. She couldn’t exactly ask if Jimmy
would be anywhere around. With luck, he’d be on a long
Pony
Express run. And it would be nice to have a real bath and a good
cooked meal. It had been so long.
“You’ve persuaded me, Marshal Teaspoon. If you hear anything,
you’ll let me know?”
“Sure will..um, I won’t have to worry about no trouble from you whilst
yer here, will I?” he asked as he switched back to his marshal role.
“No, Marshal. You won’t even know I’m around.”
“Good. Good day, miss.”
She smiled her best smile his way and left him.
“If she smiled that smile at Hickok, he’s in big trouble!”
Teaspoon mumbled under his breath.
Sarah reluctantly admitted to herself that she was enjoying being under
a roof for once. The bath was heavenly. She luxuriated in
it until the water started to cool off. After she dressed in
clean clothes, she had an expertly cooked dinner. She followed
that with a walk through town, checking it out..getting the lay of the
land. She found the Pony Express Station and after watching it
from a safe distance for a time, she saw no sign of Jimmy or his
horse. She wondered how she could feel relief and disappointment
all at one time? She retraced her steps to the hotel and decided
on an early night.
Jimmy rode in late, washed the trail dust off himself, and went to find
Rachel to see if she had anything left over from dinner.
“How was your run, son?” Teaspoon asked him as he came in.
He’d been sitting over a cup of coffee.
Jimmy was a little surprised to see him.
“It was fine..no problems. Is there any supper left over?”
“Rachel left you some on the stove.”
Jimmy found the plate, poured a cup of coffee, and carried it all over
to the table.
“Anything new round here?” he asked as he shoveled some food into
his mouth. He was very hungry since he hadn’t stopped to eat.
“I had an interestin’ visitor in my office today.”
“Oh? Who?”
“Remember ‘bout two months ago when we was talkin’ about lady bounty
hunters, and you was sayin’ you’d seen one a them?”
“Yeah?” Jimmy asked, still eating.
“Well, the one we was talkin’ ‘bout is in town.”
Suddenly there were spasms in Jimmy’s stomach, and he knew he wouldn’t
be eating another bite. He tried to casually put his fork down.
Teaspoon noted that.
“She is? Why, and for how long?”
“Couple days..I guess she thinks one a her bountys’ll come to
town. I think she said she was gonna stay at the hotel.”
“Is she like you thought she’d be?”
“Nope. she ain’t like a bounty hunter atall! I liked her,
plus she’s real purty, but then you already knowd that. Well, I
guess it’s time for me ta make my rounds. Wanna come along?”
It was possible he might see her walking through town.
“Shore.”
“You don’t wanna finish your meal?”
“I’m finished. I ate most of it.”
Teaspoon had to quickly hide his smile. Jimmy, who could clean a
plate with the best of them, had barely touched the meal. He knew
why Jimmy was coming along.
“Let’s go then.”
Jimmy’s senses were on alert as they walked through the town, checking
to make sure that all was well for the night. There was no sign
of Sarah. They walked through the livery stable, and he spotted
Sadie right off. Well, he’d just have to get up early and stake
out the hotel until she came out. She’d have to at some point.
Sarah stepped out into the sunshine. She’d just had a good
breakfast, and now she wanted to go for a ride. She headed
for the livery stable.
Jimmy watched her walk towards the stable. As soon as he’d seen
her, his heart had started a furious tattoo in his chest. He’d
been tempted to call out to her, but decided against it. He had a
feeling that she would not come by the station to see him, so he needed
to initiate the contact, but it wouldn’t be in town. He hurried
to the station and saddled Cisco, then waited for her and Sadie to come
out of the stable. He didn’t have a long wait. He followed
at a safe distance until they were well out of town, then circled
around so he could come up to her face to face. He didn’t
question what he was doing or why he was doing it. Soon he caught
sight of her riding toward him. He stopped his horse, blocking
her path.
As soon as the rider appeared, she knew who he was. Sarah sighed,
resigned to the fact that she wouldn’t be able to get away from
him. How had he found out she was in town? He’d have had to
follow her out of town. And right now, he was effectively
blocking her way. She reined in a short distance from him, doing
her best to keep her face expressionless.
“Hello, Jimmy.”
“Sarah!” he nodded. “You wasn’t gonna come by and say
hello, was you?”
“No,” she told him steadily as she tried to get control of her
breathing. Her legs also felt very weak.
“Why not?” he demanded.
“Jimmy...I really think it’s best if you and I don’t get to know each
other better, don’t you?”
He shifted in his saddle.
“I’ve been tryin’ to believe that, Sarah, but I think you ‘n I is a lot
alike. If nuthin’ else, we could be friends, and there ain’t
nuthin’ wrong with that. It’s not like we’re seein’ much of each
other. Why can’t we be friendly when we do?” he said
persuasively.
“I didn’t think of it that way,” she admitted.
“Well?”
She looked off into the distance. What could it possibly hurt to
just be a friend? She didn’t have any. Wouldn’t it be nice
to have one?
“Okay...I guess that would be alright, but I have to admit one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t know much about this friend stuff. I might mess it all
up.”
“I’ll let you know if you do. Now, I have the day off.
Would you like me to show you around?” he asked with a smile.
“Yeah, I’d like that Jimmy.”
It wasn’t much, but at least it was a beginning, but a beginning of
what, he wondered.
“Then let’s head off to the east. There’s some real pretty
meadows out that way.”
“Alright.”
They rode in a comfortable silence. When Jimmy stopped, she did
the same with her horse next to his and looked around her.
“Oh, Jimmy, it’s beautiful.” she breathed as she looked around
her. Before her was a carpet of green grass with some wild
flowers poking their heads out. In the distance, she could see
the mountains. This place was filled with peace. “I could
live my life out here.”
Jimmy nodded. “I’ve often thought that, too. Maybe one day
I’ll have a house out here..about ten years from now!”
“Why so long?” she asked him, not really even being able to imagine
being alive ten years from now.
“People come lookin’ for me. I’m always looking over my
shoulder. Till that stops, I don’t see me settlin’ down any,” he
stated matter-of-factly.
“Do you think that will ever happen?” she asked him. “I mean,
people coming after you?”
“No...leastways not till I’m dead.”
She nodded her head in understanding. “That’s what I was just
thinking...that I can’t even imagine being alive ten years from
now. I’ll be surprised if I’m alive five years from now..unless I
stop doing what I’m doing.”
“Any possibility of that?” he asked her.
“No,” was all she said. “There ain’t a lot of ways a woman alone
can support herself. I’ve looked at all the options. What
I’m doing had the most appeal to me.”
“I can’t understand that,” he told her.
“You’ll have to, because that’s the way it is. Now, what will you
show me next?” she asked him, trying to change the subject.
“Sumthin’ awful bad musta happened to you in yer life to make you want
to be a bounty hunter,” was all he said as he turned his horse’s
head. “Come on...there’s a waterfall that’s awfully purty not too
far from here.”
Sarah followed him, shaken by what he had said to her. He didn’t
know how close to the truth he had been with his last statement.
She was lost in thought and was surprised when Jimmy stopped. He
pointed down with his gloved hand, and it was then she realized that
they were on a rise. She looked the way he had pointed and saw
the most exquisite waterfall.
“You like beautiful things, don’t you?” she asked him.
“I see so much ugliness...it’s nice to find some beauty to make up for
the bad stuff.”
“Can we go down to it?” she asked him. “I’d like to just
sit and stare at it for a time.”
Jimmy nodded with understanding. He led the way down, and she
dropped Sadie’s reins as she walked to the edge of the pool and sat
down.
“Do you come here often?” she asked him as he sat next to her.
“Often enough. It helps me clear my head, plus no one knows about
it, so I don’t think they could find me here.”
“You’ve never brought anyone else here?” she asked, feeling pleased.
“No..you’re the first.”
“That makes me feel special somehow.”
“You are, Sarah.”
She was glowing inside with that remark, and she wasn’t sure
why..especially when she hadn’t wanted to be around him in the first
place. She turned to look at him and the look on his face made
her stomach drop. His face was very serious, and she forgot what
she was about to say to him.
“Jimmy?” she whispered.
Jimmy only knew that he wanted to be closer to her. He reached
his hand out and caressed her cheek. Her skin was so soft on his
fingertips. He traced her jaw line, then the shape of her
lips. She didn’t move..he wasn’t sure if she was breathing.
He moved closer to her, lowered his mouth to hers, and barely brushed
her lips with his. When he pulled away from her, her eyes were
wide with surprise.
“Was it that bad?” he asked with a small smile.
Sarah had never felt such incredible feelings in her life. And
those feelings felt very good!
“No..I think I’d like to do that again,” she invited.
Jimmy moved closer to her, and did the same thing to her again, only
this time, he pressed his lips more firmly on hers, and his heart
soared when she kissed him back. He wrapped his arms around her
and kissed her again and then again. By this time, her arms had
gone around him and she was returning each kiss. Her mouth opened
willingly under his when his tongue asked entrance. He wanted to
push her down on the ground and love her..but there was a part of him
that was letting him know that would be a big mistake. Had she
ever been with a man? She was kissing him expertly, and his
body was beginning to betray him.
Sarah couldn’t have explained her reaction to Jimmy’s kisses if anyone
had chosen to ask her. She just knew that when she was in his
arms, she felt safer than she’d ever felt in her entire life. She
felt as if she’d come home...an entirely new feeling for her since
she’d never known what it was like to feel at home with anyone or in
any place. But she knew that feelings could be dangerous, so
reluctantly, she pulled away from him. He kept his arms around
her though, and she leaned her head against his shoulder. She
didn’t want to break the contact with him as much as he didn’t want to
turn her loose.
He struggled to regain his breath and his runaway thoughts. How
was it possible to go from one day wanting to not share his life with
anyone, to the next day wanting to offer this lady anything she might
want? How was it possible to feel that way about someone he
didn’t know that much about? He didn’t want to think about it, so
instead he asked,
“Would you like to come to supper at the station tonight? We
missed lunch, and Rachel cooks real good.”
“It wouldn’t be an imposition?”
“No..and after we was done, I could walk you back to your hotel.”
“Alright. I think I might like that.”
Sarah was enjoying the conversation going on around her as she
ate. She had felt a little shy about this, wondering what Jimmy’s
friends would think of her. They had accepted her
immediately. At first they looked surprised to see Jimmy bringing
a lady to supper, but they treated her like family, and she thought
they tried to ask her questions that weren’t too nosy. Marshal
Teaspoon was there, as was a couple of other riders. Cody had
long blond hair and sky blue eyes and was very friendly. He liked
to laugh and joke, and was the total opposite of Jimmy. Then
there was Noah, a free Negro who was tall and quite handsome. He
seemed to be very intelligent, and she suspected that he’d had a fairly
decent education. The last rider in attendance was Buck, a
half-breed she suspected, but a good looking one, too. He seemed
sort of shy, but she figured that was just because he didn’t know
her. And lastly there was Rachel, the lady who tended to all of
them. She was quite beautiful and a great cook.
She enjoyed watching Jimmy out of the corner of her eye. She was
sitting next to him. He seemed very comfortable in this situation
and gave as good as he got. It was nice to hear him laugh and
joke. She could also tell how respected he was.
At the end of the meal, she offered her assistance to Rachel, but
Rachel just smiled and told her, “You’re our guest tonight. Why
don’t you and Jimmy take a nice walk?”
“I like that idea...Sarah?” Jimmy offered as he stood up and held
his hand down to her.
She took it. He stopped by the door to get his hat and guns, then
they went outside.
“She don’t look like no bounty hunter, Teaspoon, she’s too
purty!” Cody stated as he drank some coffee.
“And she’s nice,” Buck threw in.
“I think Jimmy really likes her,” Rachel added.
“But does she like him?” Noah questioned.
Teaspoon just laughed and shook his head.
“Listen to yous! Leave em be! She is a bounty hunter
whether she’s purty or not. But she is kinda nice. And she’ll
leave in a couple days. I don’t know as they’ll have much of a
chance to get anything started.”
“Oh...it can get started, Teaspoon..and they can continue it later
on,” Rachel laughed. “I do so want Jimmy to find
someone..and she seems perfect. She could keep up with him.”
“But she’s a bounty hunter!” Cody exclaimed, “And you know Jimmy
and the law.”
“True, but if there ever was an honest bounty hunter, I’d bet on it
bein’ her,” Teaspoon told him. “She’s different from
anyones I’d ever knowd!”
Unaware that they were being so throughly discussed, Sarah and Jimmy
walked side by side to the hotel.
He wanted to touch her, so he finally took her hand, and she squeezed
it when he did. That made him smile.
“How long you plannin’ to stay in town?” Jimmy asked her.
“According to Marshal Teaspoon, the man I’m lookin’ for is headed this
way. He said that he’d be here in a couple days. I guess
I’ll leave after that.”
“So we have a couple more days together?”
“I guess.”
“How you likin’ this friends stuff so far?” he asked in a gentle
teasing voice.
“I think I like it just fine so far. It feels like all of this is
just a break from my normal life though...that when I return to it,
this will all have been a dream,” she confessed as they arrived at the
hotel.
“Do you mind if I escort you to your room?”
She shook her head, so he followed her up the stairs. At her
door, he took the key from her and opened it. The light from the
hallway shone into the room, so he laid the key on the dresser
and turned to her.
“This ain’t a dream, Sarah,” he told her as he pulled her into his arms
and gave her a hard kiss. “It ain’t gonna go away. Forget
about the bounty and stay here for a time,” he whispered into her ear
before he kissed it. He left a fire trail of kisses down her
cheek and neck, before he returned to her mouth.
Sarah couldn’t believe that Jimmy had just said what he said.
Neither could Jimmy, as far as that went. He wasn’t sure where
the request had come from, but if he’d thought about it, it wouldn’t
have come from his mouth. But now that it was out, it seemed like
a good idea to him. Especially since she was returning kiss for
kiss.
He didn’t want anyone to walk down the hall and catch them at this, so
he pushed her further into the room, and kicked the door shut with his
foot. Sarah felt like she was drowning and she didn’t think that
she wanted anyone to rescue her. She wasn’t sure who started it,
but soon they were moving towards the bed. When they got there,
Jimmy lightly pushed her down on it, and since she didn’t let go of
him, he came down on top of her, but that felt good..felt right.
He threw his hat on the floor, and decided that it would be for the
best if he didn’t think about what was happening. If he thought
about it, he might make himself stop, and he didn’t think he wanted to
do that. Sarah had already shut her mind off. All she would
let herself know now was what was in the moment. And that moment
was Jimmy and Jimmy’s loving of her.
Clothes came unbuttoned, gun belts were taken off and laid on the
floor. Boots followed that, with clothes on top.
Subconsciously, Jimmy knew that he was with the lady he was supposed to
spend his life with. She was his home, and his search for her
could stop. If he had anything that needed healing, it would
happen in her arms.
Sarah’s hands roamed over his exposed skin, and he could feel tingles
wherever she had touched him. And her touch was sure..like she
knew what she was doing..like she knew what he wanted even before he
knew that he wanted it. Realizing that she knew what she was
doing didn’t bother him. Whoever she’d been with before him
didn’t matter none...only that she never be with anyone else from now
on. He wasn’t coming to her in any pure state, so he didn’t
expect that from her. With his hands, he traced her, then kissed
the parts he had traced. Her softness enveloped him, held him,
caressed him.
It didn’t take Sarah long to figure out that Jimmy was very
knowledgeable, but she was pleased with that. Right now she
didn’t want fumbling..she wanted educated assurance. And he gave
her that. His gentleness with her moved her heart. His
caring was evident. She liked how his body felt to her..all hard,
muscled, and lean where it was meant to be lean. In these
moments, she knew that she was meant to be with this man for the rest
of her life, and right now that didn’t bother her. She didn’t
want him to be too far away from her. She almost felt that this
man was her twin self, and only with him would she be able to get rid
of the demons she had carried with her all these years.
Joining together with her, was the sort of ecstasy that he didn’t know
existed. And if he had known, he never would have thought that he
would be deserving of such. What she was giving him was a
gift...a very precious gift. He moved in and out of her.
She held him tightly, and she clung to him, one with him for the
ride. He felt her gasp and tense, and he finally let go of
himself. He knew he would never be able to top this perfection
with anyone else. But soon, all rational thought left him.
She held him close to her as they struggled to catch their breaths.
“I don’t want to leave you,” he barely got out.
“Don’t go..please...stay with me tonight.”
He reached down and pulled the cover over them, then once again wrapped
himself around her. He didn’t care what anyone would say to him
about this. Whatever it was, being here with her would be worth
any grief that came his way. He wouldn’t leave her ever again.
Whenever they woke, they made love, but they didn’t talk a lot.
Jimmy knew that would come later, but for now, each bonding brought
them closer together. That was important.
The morning sun caressed her face, bringing her gently to
consciousness. Jimmy was curled up against her, soundly
asleep. The sun was shining on his hair, making little chestnut
highlights dance around in it. He was so beautiful, and in the
light of day she knew that she had to leave him. Last night had
been wonderful, but it had also been foolishness. If she was
still here when he woke up, she knew that she wouldn’t want to leave
him...knew that he would be able to convince her to stay. That
couldn’t happen! She had things she needed to accomplish, and she
couldn’t do that in Rock Creek. To hell with the $200
bounty. Her freedom was more important right now.
Holding her breath and dying inside, she moved away. With each
inch she got further away from him, and she felt like she died a little
more inside. Damn! That was ridiculous to feel that
way. He was just a man..she’d only been kidding herself that he
was important to her.
Feelings from last night jumped into her head, but she angrily pushed
them away as she pulled on her clothes. She strapped on her gun
belt, picked up her boots and her saddlebags..her food pack, and with a
hand on the door knob, turned back to look at Jimmy..still blissfully
ignorant that she was going to leave him.
She feasted on him with her eyes. She didn’t want to forget this
part of him. Then she turned the knob and went into the
hall. Leaning against the wall, she pulled on her boots and
quickly headed for the livery stable. She didn’t want to be
anywhere around when he woke up.
Jimmy stretched, smiled, and reached for Sarah, but he was met with
empty space.
“Sarah,” he called as he forced his eyes open. But he didn’t
sense her here. Looking quickly around, he didn’t see any of her
things.
He sighed as he flung his arm over his eyes to block out the sun’s
brightness. How long had she been gone? Damnation!
Why had she run? But he already knew. In the past, she’d
made it clear that she didn’t want to be around him. And now that
he’d pushed it, she was angry and running as far away from him as she
could. He’d done the same thing in the past, but with Sarah, it’d
been different. He didn’t want to run from her. He wanted
to run to her. He wanted her in his life. If this was the
way she was gonna be, why had she encouraged his kisses, done those
married things to him as many times as she had? If she hadn’t
cared, she couldn’t have done that with so much feeling. No...she
was scared..maybe she was afraid that he would make her stop being a
bounty hunter..well, he chuckled, wasn’t that true? He still
didn’t know that much about her...why she did that...course, she didn’t
know everything about him either.
Jimmy’s first instinct was to go after her. He knew that he could
find her if he tried hard enough. But maybe he should give her
some time. What if something happened to her before he found her,
though? What if she got shot again, and he wasn’t around to help
her out? That thought filled him with fear..a fear he’d never
felt before.
He got up and dressed. He splashed water on his face, ran his
fingers through his hair and put his hat on his head. It didn’t
seem as if anyone noticed him leaving the hotel, and he started to walk
back to the station.
“Mornin’, son,” he heard Teaspoon say from behind him. “I think
you need a cup of coffee whilst we talk.”
“I don’t know as I wanna talk,” Jimmy told him as Teaspoon steered him
towards the marshal’s office.
“I don’t figure you do, but Rachel was right worried ‘bout you last
night.”
Teaspoon saw the look that Jimmy gave him, and he held up his
hands. “Hold on afore you say anything. I know you’re all
growed up. You know right from wrong. We’s just worried
some ‘bout you.”
Well...who better than Teaspoon to talk it over with? He followed
the older man into his office. Teaspoon poured them both a cup of
coffee and motioned for Jimmy to take a seat.
“Is Miss Sarah still at the hotel?” Teaspoon started.
“Nope. She left awhile ago.”
Teaspoon nodded his head.
“I thought she was gonna stay a couple days.”
“I thought so, too.”
“How you feel about this woman?”
“I know this sounds silly, but I love her.”
The marshal nodded his head again. He tried not to look too
surprised at his revelation. But again, he wasn’t
surprised. Jimmy observed a lot of life. He may not have
gone out with a lot of women, but because of all his looking around, he
knew what he wanted and needed. And if he, himself, had to pick a
woman out for Jimmy, Miss Sarah would have filled the bill.
“I didn’t think I’d ever find anyone I could have feelings for.
Hell,” he laughed deprecatingly, “I didn’t even know’d I was lookin’,
but bein’ with her...she answered it all for me.”
“I know’d how that is, alright. How she feel about you?”
“Last night was darn near perfect, and I think it scared her.
She’s runnin’ from somethin’, and I don’t know what it is. She
won’t talk none about it.”
“Kinda like you, huh?”
This time the laugh was genuine. “Yeah...she’s a lot like me.”
“So how is the two of you ever gonna talk and git to know one another?”
“Well,” Jimmy said as he finished his coffee and stood up, “That’s what
I’m aimin’ to do right now. I need some time, Teaspoon. I
want to go find her, get things straight, and bring ‘er back here.”
“What if she don’t want that?”
“
I’ll have to persuade her otherwise.”
“You really love her?”
Jimmy just nodded his head.
“You gonna askt her to marry you?”
Again the nod.
“Alright..take what you need. Sarah is a special lady. I
think yer makin’ the right choice.”
“Thanks, Teaspoon.”
Sarah rode hard once she got away from Rock Creek. She made a
couple efforts to hide her trail, but she honestly didn’t think that
Jimmy would follow her. She knew he was attracted to her, but
maybe even that was over since they had done all those married things
last night. Thinking about them made her whole body tingle.
Her feelings for Jimmy were strong, but she didn’t want to think about
it. As far as she was concerned..she was not going to see Jimmy
Hickok again. A man like him had to be a little wild...would
never settle down. There had to be some truth behind those
stories...even if she hadn’t seen it. She didn’t know him all
that well. He could have hidden it from her. None of that
mattered, though. Sarah turned Sadie to the north and urged her
on.
“Well, Sarah Brooks, you don’t want me to find you!” Jimmy stated
as he threw a handful of dirt down in disgust. He was having a
hell of a time following her trail and wished that he had Buck with
him. Buck could follow anyone, anywhere. He had two
choices...let the trail get colder and go back to Rock Creek for Buck
or keep going. And since he really didn’t want to explain this to
anyone, he kept going. Maybe at some point she would start to get
careless.
She only slept a couple hours, mainly because Sadie needed some
rest. When she woke up, it was still dark, but Sadie looked
fresher from the rest. Sarah resaddled her, and they continued
their trek to the north.
At first light, Jimmy was back on the trail. He’d finally found
faint traces of Sarah’s trail, and as best as he could tell, he was
about three quarters of a day behind her. She was traveling
fast. Did she have a destination in mind?
There had been no sign of anyone, but Sarah couldn’t shake the feeling
that someone was trailing her. And who else could it be besides
Jimmy? But what if it wasn’t him? What if it was one of her
bounties, fresh out of jail, coming after her for revenge? She
knew her instincts were usually right. She decided to make a wide
circle and see if she could find who was following her, get rid of
them, then press on. She had a life to live and bounties to find.
By the time night fell, Jimmy was bone weary from being in the saddle
all day. He was getting confused too, because if seemed like the
trail he was following had started to go back in the direction he had
come. Did Sarah know he was following her? Was she trying
to sneak up on him? He knew that he needed some sleep, so he made
a camp without a fire. Jimmy knew that Cisco would warn him if
anyone tried to sneak up on him. He ate some hardtack, drank some
water, wrapped his blanket around himself, and drifted off.
Sarah saw the light horse through the trees...Cisco!
Damnation! Why was he following her? She had a few options
here. She guessed she could just shoot him, and that would be
that. That caused her to smile. Or she could keep running
from him, but she had a feeling that Hickok didn’t give up on something
he had started. Or she could stay and talk to him and try to
persuade him to leave her alone. Her heart fluttered at that and
sadness washed over her. If she admitted it to herself, all she
wanted to do was go to him and lay in his arms and let him love the
hurt away. She’d never met a man like him, and she had a feeling
that she never would again. She withdrew her gun and crept slowly
to the huddled body.
Jimmy was instantly awake and on alert. He’d heard Cisco shuffle
uneasily. He eased his gun out of its holster and held it ready,
waiting to get the drop on the person who was sneaking up on him.
When he could sense the person was directly behind him, he threw off
his blanket, grabbed the person around the ankles and pulled. As
the person hit the ground, he was immediately on top with his gun
pointed in the stranger’s face. Unfortunately, there was also a
gun in his face. He wasn’t about to back down though.
“Why you sneakin’ up on me?” He gritted out.
“Why you followin’ me?” He heard a very familiar voice say.
“Sarah?!” He exclaimed as he rolled off her and reholstered his
gun. She didn’t reholster hers, but kept it leveled at him as she
sat up.
Why are you followin’ me?” she repeated in a hard voice.
Why did you leave me in that hotel room all by myself?” he asked
her. “And put that damn gun away.”
“I haven’t decided if I’m gonna shoot you yet or not,” she replied.
“You ain’t gonna shoot me! Put the gun away, Sarah.”
He watched her as she wrestled with the decision. Slowly, she
lowered the gun and reholstered it.
“How about a fire?” She suggested.
“You ain’t had a lot of sleep lately. Why don’t we jest get some
sleep, and we’ll get this all straightened out in the mornin’?”
“There ain’t nothing to get straightened out, Jimmy.”
“I think there is, and I think you know me well enough to know I’m
gonna keep doggin’ ya till you talk to me. And if that
bothers
you, you may as well just shoot me now and git it over with!”
“I don’t suppose it would help to tell you that I never want to see you
again...that I don’t want to talk to you...that I wish you would just
go away?”
“Nope.”
He heard her sigh.
“Where’s Sadie?”
“Standing about ten yards from here.”
“Bring her into camp, get your bedroll, and let’s get some sleep.”
“Alright,” she stated, sounding defeated. He hated that. He
didn’t want to defeat her. He just wanted to love her.
It didn’t take her long to bring her horse to camp, untie her bedroll,
and lay it on the ground. Jimmy felt confident he would be able
to get through to her, and he felt very content to be near her
again. She busied herself spreading out her blankets, laid down
on the blanket, and pulled another over herself. She hadn’t said
a word to him. He crawled in next to her. Her back was to
him, and he pulled her against him, kissed the back of her head, and
just savored the feel of her next to him. At first she held
herself as stiff as a board, but he could feel her gradually relax
against him. He made no other move towards her. There would
be time enough for that.
“Now go to sleep,” he ordered as he tightened his hold on her so she
couldn’t sneak away again. He knew that he was going to fall
asleep with a smile on his face.
Sarah felt very well rested when she woke the next morning.
Jimmy, in his sleep, was still holding her tightly against him.
And she knew that there wasn’t anywhere else she’d rather be.
Everything seemed brighter when he was near.
“How’d ya sleep?” she heard his soft, raspy voice ask into her ear.
“Very well..you?”
“I ain’t got no complaints. I think there’s a stream near
here. Why don’t you go wash up, and I’ll start the fire and get
the coffee goin’.”
“Alright.”
She got up without looking at him, a fact that he noticed.
No! He was not going to get discouraged. He watched her
walk away from him, but knew she had to come back since Sadie was still
here. He busied himself, and soon he had a nice fire going with
the coffee pot sitting on top of it.
“I don’t have much food with me,” she said as she came back into
camp. “Do you have any I can fix?”
“I think I have some beans and biscuits.”
“I’ll get it ready while you get washed up,” she told him.
“I can trust you not to run off?” he asked her.
“What would be the point? You’d find me anyway.”
“True enough,” was all he said as he walked off.
Sarah found the food, and put it over the fire to heat. She
stared into the fire, hoping it would provide her with some answers,
but none were coming.
“Am I that bad, Sarah?” Jimmy asked her as he came back and sat
next to her.
“No,” she barely whispered, not looking at him.
“What I can’t figure out is why I’m not feelin’ more like you.”
Jimmy mused. “In the past, if a lady got my attention, she didn’t
keep it long ‘cause I was so bound and determined that I don’t need no
woman in my life.”
“So why you chasin’ after me?” She asked him, tossing her long
blond hair over her back.
“I guess it’s time for me to start considerin’ that my life might not
be headed in the direction I thought it onct was. How’s that
food?”
“It’s about done.”
She dished it onto two plates, placed a biscuit on his and handed it to
him. He poured out two cups of coffee and sat one down next to
her. The silence lengthened as they ate. Sarah kept
sneaking glances at him, still finding it hard to believe that he had
followed her and was now sitting next to her.
“Are you gonna tell me ‘bout you now?” he asked her as he set his plate
down.
“If I tell you, will you go away and leave me alone?”
“I cain’t promise that. I guess it all depends on what you have
to say.”
“What do you want to know?” She asked, pulling away from him.
“Why you became a bounty hunter. What happened in your life to
make you want to do this? How’d you get to be so good at it?”
He watched her play with a blade of grass as she gathered her thoughts.
“My momma died when I was ten and my little sister was five. My
daddy was a mean man. Before mamma died, he used to beat her a
lot, and after she died, he turned on me. He told me that since
momma was gone, I had to take her place, so he made me do those married
things with him. When I turned twelve, I told him that if he ever
touched me again, I’d blow his head off. Ya see, I’d secretly
been practicin’ with a gun he kept in the house, and I hid it so as he
didn’t know where it was. I told him that he had to leave my baby
sister alone, too, or I’d shoot him for that too. Well...he
didn’t leave my baby sister alone. I found out too late that he
started doing those married things with her, and she didn’t tell me
because he had her so afraid.”
Her voice got quieter, and he saw tears start to run down her
face. He didn’t think she was even aware of them. He knew
that she had gone inside of herself and was reliving the horrors that
she was telling him about.
“One day I came home, and I heard him screaming at her. As I got
closer, I heard him tell her that she had to keep sharing his
bed. She told him she wasn’t going to do it. I went tearing
inside just in time to see him start hitting her. I ran to get
the gun, but by the time I got back, she was already dead. He
looked at me with this smile on his face and told me that since she
wasn’t around anymore, I’d have to start doing married things with him
again. He walked towards me...I pulled the pistol and shot
him..one bullet through his heart.”
She got quiet.
“What happened then?” He urged her, trying to keep his voice
controlled. Rage coursed through him, and if was lucky her
father
was already dead.
“I went to town and got the sheriff, and he said it was self
defense. I let the minister bury my baby sister, but I burned
down the house with my father still in it. Then it occurred to me
that there wasn’t much a girl of 13 could do to support herself.
I pretty much hated everyone and everything, and I was very good with a
gun, so I started going after people. It turned out that I had a
talent for the job, and it paid good money. It kept me on the
move, and I found that if I stayed in any place for any length of time,
I got restless. Then I ran into you, Hickok, and you pretty much
know the rest.”
“You’re only 16?”
“You got a problem with that?” she asked defiantly.
“How could I? You’ve taken good care of yourself and ain’t got
yerself kilt.”
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-one. Are you gonna ever give up this bounty hunter thing?”
“No, I ain’t got a reason to. I don’t really want to live a long
life. I don’t want anyone close to me, ‘cause as soon as someone
gets close to you, they think they can tell you what to do.”
“That’s usually true enough. That night we was together..was that
the first time you done married things since your pa made ya?”
“Yes,” she told him, still not really looking at him.
Jimmy ran his hands through his hair. “I need to know..was it
right? Were you okay with it? I mean I
know you wasn’t ‘cause you ran
away. Should we a not done it?”
“Jimmy...I wanted to do that with you. I’ve wanted to erase that
memory with my father for years, but the right person never came along
to do it. Don’t worry about it.”
Suddenly he was in front of her, making her look at him. He’d put
his hand under her chin, and raised her face so he could stare into it.
“Did those married things mean anythin’ to you, or did you just do them
with me so as to erase what your pa did to you?”
Sarah wanted so bad to tell him that she’d only used him to erase bad
memories, but she knew that if she did that, it would hurt him
terribly. She couldn’t do that deliberately to this man who had
never done anything to hurt her. He’d only made her feel
cherished and loved...loved...why hadn’t that thought occurred to her
before?
“They meant something to me, Jimmy. I vowed to myself that I
would never do those things ever again with someone I didn’t care
about.”
“Really?” he swallowed quickly. “You care about me?”
“Yeah..how could I not? You’ve taken care of me so well..you
saved my life..you’ve been nothing but a gentleman that’s treated me
with nothing but respect. Most men don’t do that once they find
out what I do. You’re the only friend that I’ve ever had.
It don’t matter how bad I treat you, you still come back and let me
know that you want to be around me.”
“Oh Sarah...if you only knew!” He told her as he reached for her
and hugged her tightly. “I would protect you with my life if
that’s what it took to take care of you.”
“Don’t ever do that Jimmy. I don’t want you to die ‘cause of
me. And as much as I care about you, I don’t think it’s a very
good idea for us to spend a lot of time together.”
“How can you say that?” He asked her gently. “You don’t
know me. How can you know that you don’t wanna spend time with
me.”
“Then tell me about you, Jimmy. Let me know what you’re really
like.”
“My pa used to beat my ma, too...so I know what that was
like. He used to like to beat me up, too, so that I was always
mad at everyone. I only stayed at our farm till my ma died.
Then I left and went to live with a judge who started to teach me how
to be a gunfighter. One day he tried to get me to shoot a friend,
and I decided then ‘n there that I didn’t want that life, so I
left. I wandered around, and my temper got me into lots of
trouble. My pa was an abolitionist, and he got stabbed at a
meeting and died about a year later. Can’t say that I was sorry
to see him go. I ran into Teaspoon, and he hired me for the Pony
Express. That was the best thing that happened to me. He
helped me get all growed up. I learned I cain’t jest fly off at
everyone when I get mad. Unfortunately I was still letting my
temper rule me when a writer came through town. We had some
words, and I shot his hat full of holes. ‘Cause a that, he wrote
a story about Wild Bill Hickok, which was filled with all these lies
about me. That started gunfighters callin’ me out.”
“So he saw you were fast when you shot his hat full of holes?”
“I’m not proud of the fact that I was showing off a bit then.”
“So what’s the truth behind the lies?”
“I’ve killed most a those who called me out. And I’ve killed some
in my Pony Express duties when they tried to rob me of my mail.
I’ve helped Teaspoon out with his marshalin’, and I’ve killed some
others, but I ain’t never hunted no one down just to kill him in cold
blood like the stories say I have. I don’t take pleasure in
taking a life, and I hate that guns come lookin’ for me to call me
out. I ain’t always gonna be the fastest one. People in my
life have to understand that.”
“But maybe before that happens, something new will come along and take
their minds off you.”
“Which won’t happen lessen they shot me first. I’m the big
name. I’m the one that’s fastest. If they don’t take care
of me, they won’t get the reputation!” He told her heatedly, but
none of it was said with pride or ego. And she knew what he said
was the truth.
“What if you became a sheriff or marshal? I’ve heard of other
gunfighters who have done that and gotten away from that life.”
“Knowin’ my luck, they’d still come after me.”
“Perhaps.”
“So that’s me, Sarah. Anythin’ else ya need to know?”
“How do you feel after you pull the trigger, and you know you’ve killed
someone else?”
“Kinda empty..a little cold. It always takes me awhile to think
it through and go on. It never makes any sense to me...how ‘bout
you? How do you feel?”
Sarah shrugged her shoulders.
“I ain’t never thought it out. It felt good to kill my pa.
And all the others I’ve killed have been very bad men. Those are
the only ones that I go after...the really bad ones. So I guess I
just tell myself that they deserve to die for what they did to other
people. Of course, if they come peacefully, I don’t kill
them. It’s their choice.”
“But you know that most are going to try to kill you.”
“Oh, yeah. I’ve always said it’s a lot easier to bring ‘em back
dead instead of alive. At least that way I don’t have to feed
them or guard them while I’m on the trail.”
Jimmy wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but he understood it.
He knew why she did it. Did it make a difference in how he felt
about her? Not really. He turned his full attention to her
and caught her eye.
“Sarah...I want you to come back to Rock Creek with me. I want
you to stop your bounty huntin’ ‘cause we both know you’ll get kilt if
you keep a doin’ it. I don’t want that to happen to you.
You can do ‘bout anythin’ else. I don’t really care. You
can ask my friend Lou. I was always on her side with the other
riders. They didn’t want her to do stuff they thought was
dangerous, but I knew she could carry her own weight. I’d be the
same way with you. I ain’t gonna tell you what to do with your
life, Sarah. All I know is that I don’t want you to get kilt by
some old bounty a yours. I don’t wanna wait months afore I see
you again. I don’t want you spendin’ nights alone on the trail
when you could be spendin’ them with me...”
She would have sworn her heart stopped.
“Jimmy..what are you saying to me?”
“I don’t know how you feel ‘bout all this, but you have admitted you
care for me. Well,” Jimmy said as he took her hand, “I love you,
Sarah. I want to make you my wife. Now if you don’t feel
that way ‘bout me yet, you can move into Rachel’s and we can get to
know each other better. I know it’d be a life you ain’t used ta,
and I know that you might get restless ‘cause you’re used to bein’ out
on your own. But we could find somethin’ for you to do. I
jest know’d that I need to have you near me. I want to care for
you and protect ya and jest spend the time I got left lovin’ ya.”
Sarah knew she was staring, with surprise, at him. She couldn’t
believe what he was asking her.
“But Jimmy...I’ve told you that I thought it would be best if you and I
just didn’t see each other anymore.”
“You’re sayin’ that cause your scared. And after what your pa did
to ya, I don’t blame ya. But I would never hurt you like that..I
swear I wouldn’t. All I’m askin’ is that you think about
it. I don’t make lots a money with the Pony Express, but it’s
enough to keep us fed. And if we’re real careful, maybe in a
couple years we’ll have enough money to build us a house in those
meadows we liked so much.”
Getting married was something she had never even considered. But
this man sitting before her was very special. She knew he would
never hurt her. The only hurt he could possibly cause her would
be if he let someone kill him. And she believed that he would
pretty much let her go her own way..whichever way that was. At
the moment she couldn’t think of what she would want to do, but
whenever she decided what it would be, she knew he would be behind her
all the way. And how wonderful to have this man love her for the
rest of her life. Much more wonderful than her telling him
goodbye and never seeing him again. That would be the worst thing
that could happen to her..and that thought hit her like a ton of rocks.
Sarah got up and went over to her saddlebags and pulled a large pouch
out of it. Then she went back to where she’d been sitting.
“I’ll agree to your proposal if you agree to mine.”
A wide smile covered his face. “You’ll marry me?”
“Yeah. I think it would be real interesting to live my life with
you, but only if you say yes to what I’m going to propose.”
“Let’s hear it,” he told her as he squeezed her hand.
She handed the pouch to him, and it was quite heavy.
“I have $600 in there. You have to agree to let us use it to
build a house in the meadows and use it for any other incidentals that
we might need...maybe to raise some horses or cattle. I want to
lead a fairly simple life. I always have, and since my line of
work paid pretty well at times, I was able to save this up. I
didn’t break the law doing it, and if you’re my husband you’re entitled
to share it with me. What do you say?”
Jimmy sat the pouch down and stared at it. Never in his wildest
dreams did he think he’d ever have this much money offered to
him. It guaranteed that their life would start out well, but
there was this little part of him that didn’t like the idea of
accepting her money. He knew she meant business, though. He
knew if he rejected her money, she would leave him. But you
didn’t reject gifts, did you?”
“So if I say yes, you’ll go back to Rock Creek with me and get married
right away?”
“Yes, with pleasure.”
“And if I say no, you’ll leave?”
“Yes.”
He sighed as he ran his hands through his hair.
“What I didn’t hear you tell me is how you feel about me.”
“Fair enough. I didn’t think I would ever say this to a man, but
James Butler Hickok...I do love you, you know. You’re the only
man that’s ever been my equal, who’s also a gentleman and a caring
person.”
Jimmy loved her all the more for stating it so simply. He
couldn’t let her go..now or ever.
“Okay, Sarah. We’ll build us a house in the meadows..we’ll stock
it with whatever you want to stock it with..we’ll have us some
babies..any maybe..just maybe...we can live a life filled with peace
and no one lookin’ for us.”
“I’d like that, Jimmy,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him and
began to kiss him.
“So would I, Sarah. So would I!”
February 20, 1996
COPYRIGHT - M. BOLTON - 2003
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