The horse trotted slowly down the road, his hooves kicking up a trail of dust behind him. His head was up, alert, and his ears pricked forward.
His rider pulled him to a stop, and he looked around. The man and his mount stood at the center of a small boomtown, only four buildings long on either side. There was another small mining village up higher in the mountains to the southwest. Every Sunday, the mining village would empty out as the women came to buy goods, and to visit the milliner's workshop to mend rips and torn seams that were far to extensive for them to repair themselves, while the men wasted, what little their wives allowed them, on drinks in the saloon.
To the southeast was a livestock ranch. Most ranches dealt in cattle, but this one focused on hogs. It was run by a man named Prosciutto. He was of Italian descent on his Great grandfather's side. He was a shrewd businessman who seemed to know more about the outside world than the outside world did. He employed thirty farmhands and an additional twenty herders for the occasional herds of cattle.
The man led his horse over to the hitching post outside the saloon and, after dismounting, tied him up. He patted the horse on the cheek, and pulled a carrot out of his pocket. "You're a good horse, Slink." The horse whickered around his carrot in reply.
He tipped his hat forward, and adjusted his badge, then he pushed open the doors to the bustling saloon.
He was met by a roar of noise that almost knocked him out of his boots. Above all of the din, there came one, penetrating, female voice.
"Afternoon, Sheriff!" The barmaid shouted from behind the bar. "The usual?"
"Howdy, Dolly." He replied. He worked his way over to the one empty barstool. As he sat down, Dolly placed a snifter of whiskey.
"How's business?" The Sheriff asked her as he took his first sip.
Dolly leaned her elbow on the bar and put her other hand on her hip. She leaned in close, almost conspiratorially, "The miners and the farmhands were paid earlier today, so it's not so bad." She shrugged and moved down the bar briefly to refill a tankard, then she returned. "You-know-who is waiting for you just across the way." Dolly pointed across the road towards the Milliner's shop. "She just put up the CLOSED sign."
The sheriff smiled, took the final sip of his snifter, and stood up from the barstool.
"I'll put that on your tab." She smiled as she picked the glass up from the counter. He smiled back, tipped his hat, and then he was gone.
Dolly sighed as she turned towards the dishwashing basin. The Sheriff didn't really have a tab. Dolly refused to charge him. Not that he came in very often.
He was halfway to the Milliner's shop when his deputy came running to his side. "Did you lock the fence?" He asked her, looking over her shoulder.
"Huh?" He pointed over her shoulder and she turned to see her horse following her. "Bullseye?"
"Jessie, I told you to always lock the fence when you leave the corral. It's a good thing that only Bullseye escaped." He smiled a Jessie nodded. "Oh, did you have something to tell me?"
"Yes, but it can wait until after I put Bullseye away." She detached the lasso from her waist and threw it around Bullseye's neck.
"Alright. If you need me i'll... um..." he glanced at the Milliner's shop, "well... try not to need me."
Jessie laughed. "Sure thing, Sheriff." She began to pull Bullseye towards to corral.
The Sheriff turned back towards the the Milliner's Shop. In a few long strides, he was at the door. He took a deep breath and turned the handle.
"Bo?" He called as he went in. There was no answer. He took a few steps inside, and the door swung shut behind him. "Miss Bo?" Again, no answer. He started towards the workroom in the back of the store.
It was a small store, with a long counter made of wood that he had polished himself until Bo's beautiful face reflected in it. To the right of the counter was a set of stairs that led up to a second floor balcony, and Bo's room. Behind the counter was a workroom where Bo did all of her sewing with her three assistants.
"Bless my soul, Woody Pride." Came a soft voice from above.
Woody looked up, and there, on the balcony, stood Bo. "Miss Bo Peep." He smiled.
She started down the stairs. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?" She stopped beside him.
Woody leaned against the countertop and tipped his hat back to see her better. "Well, I know how much you love to watch the sun set," he paused briefly and looked at her out of the corner of his eye before continuing, "and, it's almost that time of day. I was wondering if you would like to watch it with me." He tried not to look at her, but he lost that battle, and glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He was surprised to find her staring at him with a slight blush in her cheeks.
"It's not fair, Mr. Pride." She smiled. "You know my weakness, but I have failed to discover yours."
"Well," he kissed her hand, then put her arm through his. "I thought it should have been obvious."