"You stay up on the walk now," Jake warned Lucy as he unlocked the barbershop and twisted the closed sign to read open.
She only nodded as she continued to roll the leather ball Mr. Bray had given her up and down the worn wooden slats of the walk. Although there weren't many people out Lucy's eyes began to wander from stranger to stranger completely enthralled in their habits. Holding the ball between the toes of her boots, she leaned back against the ledge of the shop's window. She observed the men all bundled in their heavy woolen coats and leather fur lined gloves as they passed. Ladies held tight to their bonnets against the strong drifts of wind. They snuggled tightly into the thick knit shawls wrapped about their shoulders. Though the sun was shining bright, the air still frosted the town with its icy chill.
The red clay mud of the main street was shiny and slick with moisture. Scattered like Swiss cheese, large potholes filled with rainwater made it impossible for the wagons to pull down the street. Instead, they sat abandoned, parked along the sides of the street, before the entrance of the town. The horses hitched to their posts stood ankle deep in the muck, as their owners loitered about the walk in front of the Mercantile.
Lucy stepped forward and leaned over the round rail of the walk. Pivoting on her stomach, she craned her head as she strained to see down the street. Mr. Sully stood under the gray wooden awning of the clinic gratefully embracing Dr. Quinn and Katie. Lucy watched them curiously for a while, until they walked back into the warmth of the clinic.
Jake spied Lucy through the barbershop window, with his usual air of caution, as he removed his tan tweed coat and hung it next to his black Stetson. His eyebrows rose as he watched her climb the rail and lay on her stomach with her legs hanging. Perching on the stool in front of the mirror, he selected a thick polished strap of leather and buckled one end to the steady shelf, which contained his razors, various creams, and aftershave tonics. Then opening a long rectangular varnished box, he lifted his straight blade from within its purple velvet bed.
Holding the leather taught, Jake slid the edge of the blade at an angle back and forth, along the length of the strap. He continued this motion ever vigilant of Lucy, who had now taken to rolling her ball in and out of the shops threshold, with the arches of her boots. With Lucy, finally somewhat in the shop Jake focused on honing the edge of his straight blade. As the leather stretched under the sliding blade, it crackled with a straining groan.
Slowly his mind began to drift, as he pictured dropping Teresa off in front of the schoolhouse. He watched her kiss Lucy lightly on the tip of her nose.
"Mind your Papa," she smiled as she waved at them before disappearing into the schoolhouse.
Lucy stood in the back of the wagon watching the small white building grow smaller and smaller, as she steadied herself against Sully's shoulder. As Jake approached the bridge, he had cringed at the memory of that night. Then he heard Lucy and Sully laughing to themselves behind him and he pushed the bridge to the back of his mind.
"This your ball?" the man's voice was jagged and dripped with malevolence.
Jake snapped out of his reverie as he turned to see the decrepit looking man standing over his daughter. His clothes were drenched in stale water, and his dark skin was splotched with dirt and reddened pocks. Tuffs of greasy black hair stuck out on one side of his head as the other side lay plastered and matted to his dingy skull. His toothy smile was caked with yellowish tartar so thick his teeth looked like thick misshapen piano keys. Lucy slowly backed away, reluctant to take her ball from his gnarled grimy hand. Instead, she held her hand clamped on her nose, with a mild look of disgust and fear.
"Can I help you," Jake rose fast putting himself between the swamp of a man and his daughter.
Jake ripped the ball from his grasp and handed it to Lucy, never taking his eyes off the man. From this new vantage point, Jake noticed the man's equally dirty friend lurking around the corner of the open double doors.
"You the barber and the mayor?" the man said mockingly pointing at the shingle Robert E. had made for Jake.
"Depends who your lookin for," Jake caressed the straight blade in an insinuatingly menacing manner. His eyes shifted from the rat faced man before him and the shifty looking partner by the door. The town's people strolling by began staring suspiciously at the encounter.
"How much for two hot baths, Mayor Barber?" he asked bringing his face up close to Jake's. Jake could smell the mildew and rot on the man. His nostrils flared in offense.
"Dollar each," Jake took a step forward causing the man to stumble back a touch.
The man teetered to the side steadying himself on the doorframe. His eyes rested on Lucy who was peering out from behind Jake's leg.
"What's your name pretty girl?" he leant towards her forcing Jake to shove the man back into the frame again.
"Honey," Jake's voice was soft and reassuring. "Why don't you head on down to Mr. Bray's, and get some candy?"
Her small hand reached up and grabbed the thick gray linen fabric at the side of Jake's thigh.
"It's ok, honey. I'll be there after a while."
Slowly Lucy released Jake and silently walked down the wooden path to the Mercantile. Jake squared his shoulders tensely as he held the straight blade at his side. He stepped back from the threshold cautiously aware of the other man's movements. Knowing they would rush him before he reached the drawer which held his revolver, he decided to play it safe. Jake allowed both men to enter the room as he remained close to the wide open doors.
"Tubs are in the back, behind that curtain," Jake held out his hand.
"Two dollars," the man held up to mildew stained bills.
Taking the bills in hand, he folded them neatly and placed them in the front pocket of his blue silk vest. The miscreant watched this with marked disappointment as he turned and surveyed the contents of the shop. He seemed to grow vastly interested in the varnished long box which sat closed on the shelf of the wall opposite the bathing curtains. As the pair entered the bathing recess, Jake spun around to face the direction of the saloon, only to find the walkway devoid of Hank and any assistance. Jake sighed with the realization that he was about to be robbed. Yet, he took comfort in the fact that he had gotten Lucy out.
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As the second man wafted passed her father's tense body, Lucy pressed herself flat against the outside wall of the barbershop. She knew she should have gone to Mr. Bray's like her father had said. However, she sensed the harm these men meant to cause, and she couldn't allow anything to happen to her Pa.