APPEARANCES ARE EVERYTHING...
By
Gail Gardner
He looked critically at his reflection in the full length mirror. A small shaving mirror was his usual mode of reflection - but today - today he needed to make sure that he looked good. The shirt stretched across his shoulders snugly, not a wrinkle to mar it, no unsightly sags or missing buttons. He shot the cuffs carefully and slipped the long black duster on.
Yep. Right length so as to flow easily behind him, but not snag on his spurs. They chimed nicely as he walked. His black jeans hung low on his hips held up by the fancy belt Buck gave him last year for Christmas. His hands went to the gunbelt easing the tooled leather to sit just right. The gun a comfortable weight. He took it out and checked the ammo spinning the chamber. A wolfish grin passed over his face. Bad Jerry Snyder didn't stand a chance, not tonight. He was dressed to kill. The gun was slid back into the holster with a fancy flip.
Bad Jerry had been making threats all week, saying he'd be waiting for him. Out there on the street. Backing down was no option, not if he wanted to stay in town. Not if he wanted the respect of others. Bad Jerry was not going to get his way, tonight would be payback.
He picked up the low-crowned black hat. He ran a hand through the sandy locks. Maybe a haircut would be a good idea next week. A judicious hand on his smooth jaw meant that a shave wouldn't be necessary for a long while. The hat was placed on his head at just the right angle shading his face and the stern bright eyes that stared at him from the mirror.
"Billy! Are you ready? Chris is here."
Billy Travis picked up the capacious sturdy bag that would soon be bulging with Halloween treats and hurried out from his mother's room with the full length mirror to the living room.
"Oh dear, you look so cute." Mary bent down to kiss him, in front of Chris darn it, pushing his hat on the back of his head.
"Moooommm." Billy complained wiping the mommy slobber off of his cheek. He wrestled the hat back onto his head.
"You sure you don't mind taking Billy trick or treating?" Luckily his mother was turning her soft yucky looks at Chris. Billy wasn't sure how he put up with it, must come from being a tough ATF agent.
"Not at all." Chris grinned at the miniature cowboy. "C'mon pard let's go. We gotta a lot of territory to cover. He set the cowboy hat onto to Billy's head at just the right angle.
Billy Travis put his hand confidently in Chris'. Just let Bad Jerry try to steal his candy this year! He had Chris Larabee with him. "Yeah. Let's go - cowboy!"
Mary smiled as the two men in her life walked out in the night. Their voices drifted back to her.
"Did ya just call me cowboy?"
"Yeah Chris..."
"That's gonna cost you a chocolate bar."