Chapter Five

Mr. Frazer is drinking his coffee, and I'm relieved to see he's using the cup to hide his chuckles. Jess does that to people. The guy's a charmer, and even hearing about his antics entertains people. Unless they're out for no good, most folks can't help but end up liking and respecting him.

The old stage line manager might bark at Jess, but I know he holds him in the highest esteem. Sure, occasionally a temporary scowl might have painted Mr. Frazer's face when he's heard about an incident now and then, certain conflicts that occurred between Jess and a passenger, or Jess and a driver, or Jess and… me. But our superintendent mainly gets a big kick out of hearing what my pard has been up to. At least when it has a good outcome that doesn't cost Overland too much. And that's usually the case.

And he's told me he loves to hear the way I describe Jess's… uh… adventures. So, even though he has to make sure he understands everything that happens because it's his job as part of running the line in this territory, I think he secretly just loves a good yarn. And I may not spin one as well as Jess can, but I can do all right, especially when the subject is Jess himself. He provides plenty of interesting material to spin with.

Mr. Frazer sets his cup down, and as he looks me in the eye, I can see his own are twinkling. "Well, I suppose after those criminals were tied up, Jess settled himself right down to swigging some more coffee."

I grin. "Turned his attention to just what you'd expect him to, Mr. Frazer. The coffee and the kid."

I had watched Jess sit casually at the table, deftly repairing the doll cradle Holly had brought to him to fix, as the little girl stood at his side and watched, leaning against his shoulder. It looked like a serene scene from an average lazy day. Jess has nerves of steel in a gunfight or any other type of crisis. He's been through so much in his life that handling action that would drain another man is just another part of the day for Jess. When the volatile action ends, he just settles back into a normal routine.

I know I must 'a had a combination of pride and bewilderment on my face. "Jess, how'd you know what was going on?"

"Saw the toe of Red's boot at the edge o' that doorway once." He motioned toward the small room where we had the outlaws secured. "And caught a glimpse of his hair."

He casually continued to work on the toy. "And ol' Buck, also known as Sage, is wanted in three states and a couple o' territories. Recognized him from a poster back in Texas a few years ago. And saw one down in Colorado just last month."

Jess has remarkable recall when it comes to criminals. Wish he could remember our supply list that well when he goes to town.

I sure was grateful Sage or Buck or whoever he is didn't recognize Jess, or things would have gone south for us as soon as we got there.

Jess continued, "And when Sage told us Belle was his wife, her eyes said somethin' mighty different." He glanced across the table to the woman sitting there and gave her a sympathetic nod.

She was still shaken from the ordeal, her hands were even still trembling a bit, but she responded with a warm, brief smile for him. "When you came riding up to the house, he told me to act like nothing was wrong and go along with whatever he said, or he'd harm us." She lowered her eyes. "I know he would have done that anyway after you left."

"Well, no need to worry now." Jess smiled at Belle and then Holly, and handed the newly mended toy to the little girl. She gave him a hug and scurried to show her mother.

Belle's expression was one of heartfelt gratitude, not just about the toy. "You kept Holly so calm. I couldn't have done that. I was too flustered myself." Admiration shined clearly in the brown eyes she focused on Jess. "We'll never be able to thank you enough for rescuing us."

Then she turned her view to me. "Our thanks to both of you."

"This guy's the one who deserves the thanks." I cocked my thumb toward my pard. "But I don't get it, Jess. If you knew Buck wasn't her husband, then that means you weren't trying to make him jealous to provoke him. So what was with all the flirting?"

Both Jess and Belle gawked at me like a cactus had just sprung from the top of my head.

"Flirtin'?" Jess seemed truly baffled and sincerely innocent. In fact, he appeared almost insulted that I'd say such a thing. "Slim, she's married."

"Well, we'd never heard anything about who took over here. For all we knew, she could have been a widow working here for her brother while he ran the station. Red had taken her wedding ring. So at first, before Buck—I mean, Sage—said he was her husband, you wouldn't have known she was married."

"I knew. She's got a white mark on her finger where the sun don't git to it."

I should have known; of course Jess would have noticed that. He notices everything. About everybody.

"But if it wasn't flirting, then what about the smiles? The hand touch? And that wink!"

Belle smiled. "Mr. Sherman—"

"Slim," I corrected good-naturedly.

"Okay. Slim. You see, I was very frightened. Every time Jess could see I was about to lose my composure, he'd smile at me. And that time he brushed against my hand… I was shaking so bad… I was really about to fall apart. And Jess could see that. His touch was the comfort I needed, telling me to stay calm and be reassured that he was going to help us."

"How'd you know he'd do that? How'd you know Jess even figured you needed help?"

"I knew it when he glanced toward the doorway to that room where the red-haired man was hiding and then looked at me and mouthed, 'it's all right.' And then he winked at me. I knew Jess was telling me he realized what was going on, and he intended to help."

"Too bad there hadn't been a way for him to let me in on it too," I half groused, half joshed. But I knew that would have taken talk, which he didn't have the opportunity for with the sidewinders always within earshot.

"Well, I tried, pard. Guess ya just don't read lips as good as Belle."

"You did? What did ya say to me?"

"Be ready." Jess cocked an eyebrow at me. "Guess ya couldn't tell."

"Oh, is that what that was? Sorry. I didn't understand."

"Don't matter." Jess shrugged. "Seemed like ya did. Looked like ya were. Ready, I mean."

Belle looked curiously at me, "Besides the smiles and touches and such, didn't you notice the way Jess kept close to me and stayed in between that outlaw and me as much as possible?"

"Well, yeah, I noticed." I looked sheepishly toward Jess. "But I'm afraid I took it all wrong, pard."

"Aw, Hardrock, when ya gonna learn?" Jess's mildly lopsided and decidedly ornery grin appeared, as he gave me a dose of my own medicine.

I had the decency to be somewhat ashamed. After all, I had completely misjudged the situation. And him. He has learned his lessons about who to become involved with, and who not to. Like he said, when am I gonna learn? That he can be entirely trusted. And that there might be meanings to actions beyond what's obvious.

Jess must have read my mind, because his smile widened. "Ya know, pard," he drawled, "things ain't always what they seem."

That time I laughed. "Especially with you, Hotshot."

Just then, the front door opened, and Fred Carson stepped inside.

His wife and daughter ran into his arms. The four-year-old, oblivious to the reasons for all the commotion that had just occurred, was simply glad to see her pa. But the relief of seeing her husband after the danger she'd just come through brought a fresh trickle of tears from Belle.

The man took stock of the state of his house, immediately worried at his wife's demeanor and the sight of four strange men in his home, two of them hogtied. Belle explained everything, and Fred gave Jess and me big appreciative handshakes that I feared were gonna snap our hands plumb off our wrists. I repeated the clarification that the happy outcome was all thanks to my friend. In typical Harper modesty, though, Jess nodded toward me and insisted, "Couldn't a' done nothin' without this big hayburner." But I knew the truth of it all. And so did the Carsons. That Panhandle ex-gunfighter was the reason things ended up in the good way they did.

Jess has a pure talent for reading tracks and trails, but also situations and people. He's a humble fella and claims it's just plain old experience paying off when he happens to wind up in the right place at the right time.

"Once in a while I git lucky outside the poker table," he drawled in that easygoing manner he has when he's trying to deflect attention.

Yeah, I know he's picked up plenty of experience, ever since he was fifteen and had to set out on his own. But what Jess has, which often saves the day, is more than those survival skills he's learned along the way. It's a special ability to sense environments and emotions and intentions. Some of that comes from continual commitment to being alert, but most of it's pure inborn talent. He recognized the danger and figured out exactly how to antagonize Sage, when to bait him and how much to push to turn the conditions to our advantage.

That day at the Carson Relay Station could have turned real ugly for Belle, her daughter and her husband. And it didn't, for only one reason. Goes by the name Harper.