"This boy" was seated in a chair in a fairly vacant courtroom. The entire affair had been kept under wraps, so no spectators were present.
Jess' hands were cuffed behind him, but the restraints were unnecessary in keeping him still. The ever-present shotgun digging into his shoulder took care of that. He carefully kept his eyes glued to the floor, for he knew he would blow up if he had to look at that smug face of Fred Ames as he told his outlandish tale to the judge about Jess had attempted to defile Lucy. And of course this was a good story, seeing as how he was the baby's father…the cowboy went on and on.
Finally the judge had heard enough. "Harper," he barked, "have you got anything to say in defense against these very serious accusations?"
Jess slowly got to his feet, the steel pressed against his back his entire movement. "Sure I do, Judge. It's a pile of horse —"
The simultaneous slamming of the gavel on the judge's desk and shotgun barrel into Jess' kidney cut off what the cowboy had been about to say. He folded around his midsection and collapsed into his chair from the blow, nearly falling out of it the minute he hit the seat. The sheriff grabbed a fistful of Jess' shirt and yanked him upright. Jess gasped for air, but he wasn't surprised by the violence. It wasn't the first court in the world to treat their accused like condemned men.
"Easy there, Sheriff," the judge entreated, though there was a smugness to his tone. "Harper is innocent until proven guilty."
"Right, Judge. Just didn't want him to be disrespecting the court's all."
The judge nodded. "Sheriff Burns is right, Harper. You will use a respectful tone in this court, or I will throw you out and pronounce sentence without you."
"Don't know why you even need 'im, Judge," the annoying voice of Fred Ames intoned. "He's guilty as sin, everybody knows."
"Right you may be, Fred, but everyone deserves a fair trial."
"Then why don't you give him one!" The female voice cut through the stale air of the courtroom. Jess managed to turn to look toward the door, despite the sheriff's firm grip on his shirt collar.
"Lucy," he managed to wheeze out, his body tensing. The sheriff responded by further bunching his fist into Jess' clothing until his neckerchief grew almost too tight around his throat to breathe.
Mr. Turner guided his daughter into the room, a firm grip on her arm. "We've come to speak to you, Cal. Didn't know you'd be getting to a trial so fast." He looked down into Jess' face with something close to resignation and fatigue.
"Well, I thought it would be best to push this whole thing behind us, as quickly as possible."
"I see," Mr. Turner replied. "I know it's not exactly proper, but would you mind if I had a quick word?"
"I suppose not," the judge stated, and signaled the two up to the bench. The father and daughter brushed past Jess' shoulder, and as they passed, he felt a feminine hand press into his flesh for a moment. He stared at the back of her head, wondering what could be happening. Was she going to make an official accusation against Fred?
Jess strained to hear their conversation, but their backs were to him and they were speaking in low tones. The sheriff's tight hold kept him fast in his chair, struggling for breath for more than one reason.
Lucy glanced back at him at one point, her eyes full of tears and grief…and guilt. Jess didn't know how to respond to that look. Fear spiked through his core.
Judge Sanders looked very pleased at what Mr. Turner was saying. Vic gestured toward his daughter, then toward Jess, then back to his daughter again. The judge couldn't hold back a small smile at that point. He gestured toward the side door, which led to the judge's office and the hallway that connected the jail with the courtroom. Vic guided his daughter over to it, looking concerned as she pulled out a white handkerchief and buried the lower part of her lower face in it. They disappeared through the door, both bodies stiff with tension.
"Ten minute recess," the judge abruptly announced before tapping his desk with the gavel.
Jess gulped as the judge looked at him smugly for a moment before he rose quickly from his chair and followed the small family.
Judge Sanders shuffled papers around his desk, searching for the proper document. How wonderfully this had worked out! He tried to contain his glee for the sake of the sniffling young woman seated across from him. He finally found a paper with the proper letterhead and pulled out an ink pen. He dipped it in the ink jar and looked at Lucy Turner. "Young lady, you understand what you are agreeing to?"
She blotted the corners of her eyes before nodding glumly. The judge's eyes greedily scanned the page, easily recognizing the not the writing of a young lady's hand, but that of a man.
"My father…wrote up my statement…for me," she managed to force out between sniffles. Her father pressed his hand into her shoulder with a comforting squeeze.
"Quite right, my dear," the snake-like justice of the peace confirmed. "I can review your statement to the court after you sign it here." He held the pen forward, and her hand shook as she went to take it. "Thank you, Miss Turner. You made the right choice. Everything will be alright now."
The sheriff had finally released his grip on Jess' shirt, something for which Jess was very relieved. However, his relief was short lived as he started to consider what the Turners could be discussing in the next room.
Mr. Turner had been a nice enough boss, though nothing like Slim. He had been very protective of his daughter, and Jess had been around long enough to know to steer clear of trouble if he could help it. "Yeah, sure, Harper. You know plenty about staying out of trouble. Ain't it dadgum obvious?" he mentally mocked himself as he twisted his wrists ineffectively in the cuffs.
The door opened again, showing a very grim Mr. Turner, an agitated Lucy, and a gleeful judge. Jess hated the sight of that.
Lucy and her father sat in the jury's box, as directed by the judge. Jess cringed at the gavel's crack against the wooden desk. "Court is resumed. A witness has come forward with a testimony she'd like relayed to the court, as she believed herself incapable of describing the event herself. I am merely delivering the story; I had no influence over the witness' testimony whatsoever."
"Ha!" Jess couldn't help himself.
The judge glared sternly at him over the top of the papers he held in his hands. "Sheriff, be advised that if the defendant makes another outburst, you are to silence him by any means necessary."
The sheriff nudged Jess none too gently, who sighed resignedly and readjusted in his seat.
"Ahem," the judge cleared his throat dramatically. "This is the story of Lucy Turner, as given by the Honorable Judge Sanders."
Jess could hardly contain a snort at the "honorable" part, but managed to hold it together.
"On an undisclosed date some time previous, Jess Harper stopped at her father's ranch to work during the branding season. His horse had gone lame, and he needed to make some quick money while his horse recovered.
"It was during this time that Mr. Harper and Ms. Turner became acquaintances. At least, that's what others believed."
Jess' breath caught. He looked wildly over at Lucy, but she kept her eyes downcast. His gaze was drawn back to the judge, who was looking at him with a sort of malicious joy.
"In actuality, Mr. Harper and Ms. Turner had become involved. He left after a short while, stating that he would return. After he did not come back, Ms. Turner wrote to him using an address he left her," the judge paused dramatically, "to inform him that he was going to be a father."
Jess lunged to his feet. "Lucy," he shouted, "what in Tarnation are you saying? That ain't true!"
The sheriff was true to the judge's word and tried to subdue the Texan. Jess wasn't having any of it. He shook off the grasping hands, lurched across the room, and fell against the jury box's short wall, his face inches from Lucy's. "Lucy…why?"
She didn't respond, but buried her face into her father's shoulder, silent sobs shaking her frame.
The sheriff dragged Jess away and slammed him back into his chair, resuming his previous hold on Jess' bandana. Jess didn't fancy getting choked, so he stayed as he was. Behind him, he could hear Fred Ames requesting to "help with the prisoner, Sheriff" and getting a brusque "get outta here." The brief interaction would have humored Jess, if not for the shocking scene unfolding in front of him.
The judge snapped his papers in annoyance. "Thank you, Sheriff Burns, for securing the prisoner. I shall continue… ah, yes. Mr. Harper never responded to the letter, until he returned to the area yesterday. He had not received the letter, as it was not an actual address. He had lied about where he was going. He became very angry when he learned of the child, and that Ms. Turner wished him to take responsibility for the child. It was during this argument that Mr. Ames happened upon the scene. He stopped the assault, but was attacked by Mr. Harper, who fired a gun at Mr. Ames, although he was unarmed."
"Yep, that's what happened, Judge," Fred enthusiastically exclaimed.
Jess could say nothing as the fabric cut deeper into his throat. His mind was swimming in confusion as it was, so he doubted he could have said anything intelligible anyway. His eyes darted toward Lucy, who had regained control to some extent and was mouthing "I'm so sorry" repeatedly. He felt hot anger overtake some of the confusion at her apology. What the heck had come over her?
"Would the prisoner please rise…oh, never mind. I like you as you are, Mr. Harper." Judge Sanders perused the papers in front of him, as if he needed to collect his thoughts. "Initially, you were being tried for physical and sexual assault to the young lady, and assault and attempted murder to Mr. Ames here. I would have found you guilty, and sent you away for up to 25 years, possibly life. However, I have decided to have mercy on you, given the condition in which you would be leaving a certain mother and child." The judge steepled his fingers, gesturing with them toward the Turners. "Mr. Turner came up with the conditions all on his own. All you have to do is agree to them, and you won't have to go to prison."
Jess croaked against the chokehold, trying to speak. He drew in a huge breath after the judge indicated to the sheriff to ease up his hold. "Just what are the conditions?" His voice was more raspy than usual.
"Your custody will be signed over to Mr. Turner, to be served working on his farm for the rest of your life…provided that you marry his daughter and right the wrong you bestowed upon her." The judge leaned back in his chair. "Who knows, maybe he'll even make you partner someday? A son-in-law should get first chance at something like that."
Jess' jaw dropped. "I gotta marry her…and work for her Pa…for the rest of my life? Just how you gonna make me do this?"
Judge Sanders leaned forward, his face dark. "If you try to run away, I will track you down myself and send you straight to prison." He smiled toward Lucy. "Now really, boy, you liked the looks of her at one point. She's still very beautiful. Why would you turn down a chance like this?"
Suddenly Jess felt very cheap, for he was beginning to lean toward taking the judge's deal. What else could he do? Go to prison for something he didn't do…or be the father of a child who wasn't his? Somehow it seemed the less of two evils to marry poor Lucy.
He got to his feet once again, and was not hampered by the sheriff. Jess found he could not lift his face. "I'll do it," he muttered, his cheeks turning red.
"What's that?" the judge said irritably. "Speak louder!"
Jess threw back his head and practically roared. "You win, alright? You think we don't all know what this is all for? Well, I'll give in to your scheme, just as you wanted. It'll keep me away from your precious niece, is that it? At least it'll keep her from wanting me, huh? You're so blind, you can't even see how you're ruining poor Lucy's life!"
"Ah, no, Mr. Harper. You've already done that, all on your own. I'm just putting you in your place, and I've got the law behind me."
Once again, Jess found his gaze drawn toward the Turners like a magnet. Mr. Turner looked grim but satisfied, but Lucy…oh, poor sweet Lucy. Silent tears coursed down her face, and her handkerchief was crumpled beyond recognition in nervous hands. That did it.
Shoulders slumped, hands helplessly locked behind him, Jess asked in the most gentle voice he could muster, "Lucy, would you…I mean…would you care to…marry me?" He almost choked on the last words.
She looked up at her father's face briefly, before resuming her study of her hands. Her small nod was all the judge needed.
"Well, congratulations," he beamed with a sinister glow. He slammed his gavel one last time. "Sentence is given, to be carried out at the bride's convenience." He smirked at his own joke. "Sheriff, please return Mr. Harper to his cell. Perhaps he has clean clothes in his saddlebags for the ceremony. Wouldn't want him to look like riff-raff on his wedding day. Court dismissed."
