Author's Note: I went back and removed the lyrics from the midst of the song. I did, however, leave them at the beginning in order to show what concept I was working with at the time.
Disclaimer: I don't own the song 'Last Kiss' (it belongs to Wayne Cochran, © 1962) nor the character Jack Kelly (he belongs to Disney, © 1992). I do, however, stake claim to Stress and the rogue mare, Millie.
--
Oh where, oh where, can my baby be?
The lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven so I got to be good,
So I can see my baby when I leave this world...
We were out on a date in my daddy's car,
We hadn't driven very far,
There in the road, straight ahead,
A car was stalled, the engine was dead,
I couldn't stop, so I swerved to the right,
I'll never forget the sounds that night,
The screaming tires, the busting glass,
The painful scream that I heard last…
Oh where, oh where, can my baby be?
The lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven so I got to be good,
So I can see my baby when I leave this world...
When I woke up the rain was falling down,
There were people standing all around,
Something warm flowing through my eyes,
But somehow I found my baby that night,
I lifted her head, she looked at me and said:
"Hold me darling, just a little while"
I held her close, I kissed her- our last kiss,
I found the love I knew I had missed,
Well, now she's gone, even though I hold her tight,
I lost my love, my life, that night...
Oh where, oh where, can my baby be?
The lord took her away from me
She's gone to heaven so I got to be good,
So I can see my baby when I leave this world...
- Last Kiss, by Wayne Cochran
--
"Come on, Stress. We're heading back to New York in two days. Please?" Jack wiped his brow with his sleeve as he stood under the sweltering New Mexico sun.
Stress sighed. She knew how hard and how long Jack had scrimped and saved to be able to visit his dream city – Santa Fe. "But Jack, like I've said the entire time we've been here, I'm not going to ride a horse. That's your thing, Cowboy, not mine. Stress," she said pointing to her chest, "and a ton of wild beast under her rear just do not mix."
Jack pouted his lips and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't you care about my feelings? I finally make it to Santa Fe and the one thing I want to do is ride with my girl on a horse into the sunset, and you won't get near any horse."
Stress began to feel guilty. "Jack, I—," she paused and realized that she'd never forgive herself if she denied Jack his one request. After all, he was returning back to the city with her instead of moving out west. Who knows if he'd ever get the chance again? "If it'll make you happy I'll go on a quick ride with you. Once around the ranch and that's it. Horses scare me for some reason."
Jack grinned and gave Stress a quick kiss on the cheek before grabbing her hand and going off in search of the nearest stables.
---
Jack reached in his pocket and pulled out a dollar. "Hey, sir. If I give you this here dollar, can me and my lady friend here have a whirl on your horse?"
The elderly wrangler took a sip from the tequila bottle he was clutching and nodded. "Sure, city slicker. I'll let you two ride Millie for that dollar."
Jack nodded eagerly and handed him the dollar. "Are you ready, Stress?" he asked as he followed the man towards a whinnying mare that was tethered to a nearby post.
"Thrilled," she murmured under her breath. She was not looking forward to riding Millie.
---
"Have fun kids," the man said before slapping Millie on her rear, sending her off into a quick trot.
They rode around at that pace for a while, Jack enjoying the wind whipping around him, while Stress just held onto Jack with dear life. After they went around the man's ranch a few times, and Millie had settled into a pleasant pace, Jack grinned when he felt Stress' grip on his waist loosen. "Are you enjoying yourself yet, Stress?"
"You know what, Jack. I think I just might be."
"I'm so glad. I told you this would be fun."
"Whatever you say, Jacky," she stopped yelling out to Jack when she heard the faint buzzing of a bumblebee near her ear, "Shoo, bee," she said absentmindedly as she swatted at it.
Angered by her action, the bee regrouped and flew back at her. "Damn," she jumped in her seat on Millie and accidentally kicked her flanks when she felt the bee sting her arm.
Millie, taken aback at the sudden kick to her sides, took off at a full-fledged run. Jack, with his hands on the reigns, was able to stay on. But Stress, on the other hand, wasn't.
Stress, who had lifted her hands to reposition Jack's borrowed bandana that she was using the keep her long golden brown curls in place while she was riding when the bee stung her, did not have a grip on Jack nor Millie. Hence, once Millie began to storm through the grass and tried to leap over the fence at the edge of the man's ranch, Stress wasn't holding onto anything and had no way to stay on the horse.
Her scream echoed through the mid-day as she was launched sideways into the air and her body landed on the other side of the fence with a sickening thud.
---
Jack pulled on the reigns immediately, but he was too late. "Slow down, you damn horse," he yelled as Millie's pace slowed to a trot, then a slow walk, then to a stop.
Once Millie stopped and began to nibble on a few blades of grass, Jack jumped off of her backside and ran over to Stress. "Stress? Stressie? Are you O.K.?"
Stress opened one of her eyes as she stayed crumpled on the ground. "Jack? I told you I didn't...mix...with...hor—" she whispered as her green eyes began to roll into the back of her head.
"No! Stress, I'm sorry! I knew you didn't want to ride the horse and I convinced you to do it. I'm sorry. Please just be all right, please?"
Stress shuddered as her eyes came back into focus again. "Jack, hold me, just a little while."
Jack looked down at her crumpled body and tried not to move her. He wasn't a doctor, but he knew that he shouldn't upset any injuries she might have received. "Shouldn't I get a doctor for you or something?" he choked out, trying not to show her how scared he was.
"Don't leave me Jack. It hurts so much, and I don't want to be alone. I think it's my back; it might be broken. And it just hurts...so...much..." she whispered once more, not moving a muscle at all.
Tears began to come to Jack's eyes as he looked at the life dwindling from his love. "I'm sorry..." Jack leaned over and pushed her hair off of her face. Once he was able to see her pale flesh, he gave her a kiss. Their last kiss.
"I love you Jack," she sighed as she closed her eyes and her breathing came to a stop.
"I love you too," Jack whimpered as he held her limp body close to him, no longer afraid of hurting her, "I love you too."