Jess sniffed in appreciation as he rode past a restaurant. It was just after high noon, and he smelled chicken. He dismounted and loosened Trav's cinch before hopping up on the boardwalk.
The little café was cool and dimly lit, thanks to the shades that were pulled against the heat of the day. He seated himself at a corner table and laid his hat on the table. The kitchen door opened to his right and hands laid out a fork and knife and a cup of water. He looked up to thank the waitress and his mouth fell open. He received similar reaction from the server.
"I'll be dadgummed," he croaked.
The huge woman, Meg, glared down at him. "I really ought to throw you out. You've caused nothin' but trouble for everybody in this town."
"The thanks I get for helpin' a lady out," Jess groused as he went to put his hat on and leave. A heavy hand slammed him back into the chair, and pain spiked up his tailbone. "What're you doin'?"
"Thankin' you, you sorry critter." She leaned in close, one hand on the table for support. It tipped alarmingly and Jess threw up his hands to support it, letting out a grunt when the task proved arduous. "I reckon you deserve somethin' on account of you helpin' my dear Lucy, though I also reckon that she deserves a lot more from you…like a name for that baby and herself."
Jess gulped at her suggestion, feeling blood leave his face. Other customers were watching the interaction with interest.
Meg stood back unexpectedly and Jess nearly tossed the table in the opposite direction as the balance shifted. The cup sloshed water onto the tablecloth. Meg ignored it and pulled out a piece of paper tacked to an old shingle. "Here's the menu. What'll you have?"
"Oh, I think he'll have the special."
Jess looked up at the newcomer and groaned. It was Wayne Grant, the deputy. It really wasn't Jess' day.
"Same for you, Wayne?"
"Sure thing, Meg."
The huge woman smirked at Jess before striding off to the kitchen. "Strangest waitress I've ever seen," he murmured under his breath.
Wayne seated himself across from Jess like an old friend. "She runs this whole place, boy. Cooks and everything. Lucy usually waits on tables, but then, you know why she's not here."
Jess nearly lost his temper but kept it in check when he noticed more people listening in. He shot them a heated glare, which caused them all to turn back to their meals. He directed his anger at the deputy. "I ain't a boy. Probably the same age as you."
"Temper, temper," the deputy scolded in a mocking tone.
"Don't you have anythin' better to do than harass innocent citizens?"
Wayne smirked. "You aren't a citizen of this town, and we both know you're hardly innocent."
Jess clenched a fork so hard in his hand he bent the metal. "Listen, you. The only thing keepin' me from beatin' the tar outta you is that tin star on your chest. So lay off, would you?"
The lawman held up his hands. "Alright, alright, cool off. Have some water."
Jess stared down at the table, trying to stay calm. "All I wanted to do was pay a quick visit to this town, then go home. I did not ask to be hounded every step by every man, woman, and dog."
Wayne spoke again, but this time his words held seriousness. "To be honest, I really don't think you're the kid's father anymore."
Jess' head came up in surprise. "You don't?"
Wayne waved his hand dismissively. "What kind of idiot would come back to the town where his scorned lover lived? No, you don't seem that stupid."
"Thanks…I think…"
"Mmhm," the man said thoughtfully. "I think I've seen you before. You came up here once for some rancher, right? For stock of some sort?"
"Yeah!" Jess exclaimed.
"Yep, sure seems to me that a man who had abandoned a woman in her greatest hour of need wouldn't come back now and again where people might recognize him and point out his shame."
"Why didn't you pick up on this when I first showed up? Now the whole town thinks that I'm scum."
"Yes, but old Mr. Crowley identified you as such by pointing out your identity. However, I cleared up the situation with him. Turns out he's a bored old man who likes to cause trouble for the fun of it. Life can get kinda dull around here."
"Glad I could liven things up." Jess' face took on an even more angry set. "Why are you here? Why aren't you out lookin' for…" He snapped his mouth shut. Dang it, I almost let it out again!
The deputy smiled at Jess' slip. "Out looking for Lucy's attacker? I would if she would positively identify who did it. Of course, I have my suspicions, but until she points the finger, I can do nothing." Regret filled his face. "Lucy'll be sticking with that story that she fell into a ravine picking flowers. The day she picks flowers is the day I wear a hat with an ostrich feather on it. She made you promise not to tell, didn't she?"
Jess nodded. This conversation was out of his control. The deputy was dynamic, confident, and intelligent, and had figured out that Jess and Lucy were covering up for what had really happened. "This fella you mentioned over at the doctor's, who is he?"
"He works for her father some, off and on. He's a no-good, and I know that he bothers her some. Until today, she's held her own. She's rather capable, actually."
"I noticed."
"And unless she accuses someone, I can do nothing. She's had to deal with so much in her life. This was just another blow to her fragile grip on things. She has no one to turn to. But if she'd just let people in…" He shook his head. "While I don't entirely believe her story that Jeremy is not hers…and yours…, I don't disbelieve it entirely either. But then she tells a story like the one she told today, and it makes one question it all."
Meg appeared from the kitchen with two plates full of chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and green beans. "Here you go, Wayne, Harper."
"Thanks, Meg," Wayne pleasantly responded, ignoring Meg's hostility toward his dinner companion. He sunk his teeth into a drumstick. Jess did the same, too overwhelmed by the day's events to try and respond to what Wayne was saying.
Finally, both men were down to their last cup of coffee, sipping slowly. Jess was mulling over the events of the day, wondering what he should do next. Maybe he should just head back home. He'd finished what he came to do. But then there was Lucy, obviously in need of a friend. But what could he do? It's not like he could take her away from the terrible life she led currently. She definitely didn't need to move in with a ranch of bachelors. That would only make her life worse, for then scandal would build up around Laramie as well.
A husband would sure help her out some, he thought broodingly. He didn't know where she was going to find one of those, since men didn't often just go around marrying up women who appeared to have lived in adultery. If not for her father, Jess had no questions about what Lucy's job may have been to support herself and Jeremy.
He fished in his pocket for some coins to pay for the meal.
"Hold it," Wayne said, and placed a greenback on the table.
"Oh, no you don't," Jess protested, finally locating a 2-bit piece.
"It's my meager thank you for what you did for Lucy today…and my apology for getting rough with you over at doc's. You didn't deserve what I was accusing you of."
Jess slowly replaced his money. "Alright, fine. We'll call it square."
They exited the establishment together, Meg watching with suspicious eyes.
Wayne pulled out a toothpick. "Where to now, Harper? Don't take this the wrong way, but if I were you, I'd head back to Laramie just as quick as I could."
Jess squared his shoulders. "You askin' me to leave, or tellin' me?"
"Neither. I figure you haven't done anything wrong in the law's eyes. But in the eyes of the moral citizens…that's a different story."
"You have a point," Jess conceded. "Don't like to turn my back on anythin', but this is a little outta my experience." He jerked loose Traveler's rein from where it was loosely tied. "Reckon I'll get some feed for my horse and let him rest up for a little while before I head out."
"Sounds like a plan," Wayne affirmed. Jess hated to admit it, but he found that he kind of liked the deputy. It was a rare thing for him, liking a man of the law. Wayne appeared to be cut from the same cloth as himself. He had that same smooth grace and confidence, and wore a gun like he could use it. But the real mark of a man of violence was the haunted eyes and uneasy glances at every unidentified sound; these were all things Jess had noticed in Wayne's demeanor.
The two men parted, Jess to the livery and the deputy to the sheriff's office. Jess saw to Trav, and then decided to go back to the doctor's to check on Lucy and her boy.
He crossed the street and headed down a boardwalk, but stopped when he heard a whispered voice call his name down an alley. He turned to see the flushed face of Malinda Sanders. "Malinda, what…"
She pulled his arm until he stepped into the shadows with her. "Jess, you've got to get out of here."
"I'm plannin' on it, soon as my horse gets some feed."
"No, you've got to go now." She looked panicked.
He took both of her shoulders gently. "What's the matter? You look scared."
"It's my uncle. He's looking for you, and he has the sheriff."
"So what? I ain't done nothin'."
"He'll find something to blame on you, if you don't get out of here. He saw us together up at the house and thinks that I'm still seeing you. He won't listen to reason."
"Easy, easy," Jess said soothingly. "I was plannin' on leavin' in an hour or so, but I'll pull out now if it'll put your mind at ease."
She sighed hugely. "Thank you, Jess. I would hate for anything bad to happen to you. Please hurry."
He steered her toward her house. "Head on home, Malinda. I'll go get my horse and be gone."
Malinda hesitantly stepped away from him. "You promise?"
"Sure do," he answered, and waved a little. She returned the farewell and hurried away.
Jess shook his head. Now he had two reasons for getting out of town pronto. Poor Trav wasn't even through his whole poke of oats. Jess bagged up what was left in a sack and got the bay ready to go. He made to lead the horse out into the street, intending to leave just as soon as he said goodbye to Lucy.
An older, heavy set man with a grey mustache stepped out from behind the door and in his way. A big shotgun was what drew Jess' main focus, for its two barrels were pointed directly at his belly. Jess stopped short of burying the muzzle in his stomach.
"Hold it, son," the man growled.
"You bet I will," Jess yelped, too shocked to care about the high pitch of his voice.
"Where you headin'?"
"Who wants to know?"
The man slowly lifted a hand to his vest where he pulled it aside to reveal a silver star. "Sheriff Burns, and I'm askin' the questions here."
Jess angrily snarled, "You sure could ask 'em without jabbin' that cannon where it oughtn't to be."
"Just a precaution. You've gathered up quite the reputation around this town. First I hear that you're that no-account gunslick Jess Harper. Then I hear that you're a womanizin' fella who's got a woman bearin' a child for him and then came back to beat her up, and then chased after the judge's niece all in the same day."
"The only part of your story that's true is the name. I am Jess Harper, but I ain't no skirt-chaser or a gunslick. I'm just a cowboy visitin' for the day. I'd sure like to make tracks, if that's alright with the law."
The sheriff glared but lifted the barrel of the shotgun so it pointed off in a harmless direction. "Just wanted to see you on your way, and to tell you that I'd better not be seein' you again."
"No promises, mister," Jess groused under his breath as he mounted up. He hadn't had such a poor reception in a town since the first time he rode through Laramie and was shot at just for looking like a gun for Bud Carlin.
He trotted Traveler away from the stable and out of the town. Judge Sanders stepped away from the wall of the stable. "He'll be back," he commented.
The sheriff nodded. "I've seen their like before, hundreds of times. He'll be in a grave before he's 30. Can't turn away from a challenge, even when it kills him."
"If there was some way to keep him away from my niece within the law, I would very much like to hear it."
The sheriff shrugged. "We talked it over and over. Until he steps over that line, there's nothin' we can do except watch and wait to dig him a grave."