Baker sat up quietly and listened as Jesse mumbled in his sleep. They'd
been married a week already and still she felt strange sleeping next to
him. He was talking about someone- someone he loved.
"No, I love you. Don't go! Please don't go!" he moaned softly. Baker smiled and started to say 'I'm right here' but was cut off at Jesse's next words.
"Zee, I don't love her! I love you! Not Baker! You!" he cried with ferocity. Baker covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head back and forth.
The next morning, Baker acted as if nothing had happened. Maybe he was having a bad dream or something, she thought. That could've happened. Right?
"Baker, I'm going down to the creek. I'll be back at lunch." Said Jesse, trudging down the wooden steps of their home. He kissed Baker on the cheek and was out the door before she could say anything.
Baker stayed put for about an hour. Then she got antsy and decided to go and see what Jesse was up to.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Baker walked slowly to the clearing near the creek. Again, she wanted to speak, but Jesse's words stopped her.
"Zee, please come back to me." He said, staring at the creek. Baker felt tears come to her eyes.
Still she listened close.
"I love you." Started Jesse. Baker couldn't take it anymore. She disregarded all secrecy and ran from the forest and straight up to the house. She wasn't fast enough, cause Jesse turned around to catch a glimpse of her.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Cole, Bob, Frank, and Comanche Tom were all at the house as Baker flew onto the porch like a bullet. Tom counted to three and pointed to the woods. Sure enough, Jesse James himself came running up.
He stopped at the porch when he saw them all.
"What'd you do now Jesse?" asked Bob, laughing. But Jesse returned the playful jab with a glare. Bob dropped the smile and looked down at the ground.
"What happened?" asked Frank, putting an arm of Jesse's shoulder. Jesse shrugged angrily and shook off Frank.
"None 'a your damn business." He snapped. He pulled the screen door open and went inside the house.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jesse climbed the wooden stairs two at a time, leaping up to the landing. He knew exactly where Baker would be- in her room, in the corner, with a blanket up over her head.
Sure enough, there she was, tears pouring down her ivory smooth cheeks.
"Baker, what's wrong?" Jesse asked casually. Baker shook her head and her chin trembled. Jesse felt his heart twinge. He knew this feeling well.
-@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_
"BAKER ANN! GET UP HERE!" howled the voice from upstairs. A mud covered Baker trudged up the stairs. Jesse and Frank, also dripping, waited and listened.
There was yelling-a lot of it. Baker's daddy wasn't one to calm down. Then they heard snapping and cracking like wild. Both Frank and Jesse, being near or a bit after ten years old, knew the sound of a whoopin' was easy to tell.
Mr. Marmot stomped down the stairs, disregarding Jesse and Frank, and went outside.
Jesse was the braver of the two, and went upstairs to Baker's room. She was in the corner, wrapped in a blanket and crying. Jesse knelt in front of her.
"Baker, I'm sorry." He offered. Baker shook her head and trembled her small chin. She was only eight.
Jesse felt fire inside of him. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew that she was in this situation because of him and Frank. Jesse promised himself from that day on that he would never again be the reason Baker Ann Marmot was in pain.
_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_
As Jesse remembered, he felt even more awful. He had broken his promise.
"Baker, please tell me-" he started. Baker leapt off the ground, letting her blanket fall to the ground.
"I heard you! Jesse! I heard you down at the creek and in bed! You still love her! You're still in love with Zee!" she screamed angrily.
Jesse was caught off guard. Usually, he would pistol whip anyone who made him feel like this, but he had no gun and would never do that to Baker.
"I---I---Baker, I love her."
"Jesse! You loved her!" she screamed, running from the room. Jesse followed. They stopped at the downstairs landing. Baker turned around sharply and faced him, tears and anger staining her face.
"She's DEAD Jesse! Zee's dead! I'm your wife! I love you Jesse but I can't love you if this is what happens!" cried Baker, running from the landing to the porch. Jesse reluctantly followed.
The boys were sitting out on the porch, waiting. Baker ran to Frank's horse and mounted. Frank leapt up, not knowing what was going on.
"Jesse, until you can accept that I am your wife, then I can't be. I can't be here with you." Said Baker. She kicked the horse and road off.
Cole stared at Baker's retreating figure and then at Jesse.
"What the HELL did you do?!"
"No, I love you. Don't go! Please don't go!" he moaned softly. Baker smiled and started to say 'I'm right here' but was cut off at Jesse's next words.
"Zee, I don't love her! I love you! Not Baker! You!" he cried with ferocity. Baker covered her mouth with both hands and shook her head back and forth.
The next morning, Baker acted as if nothing had happened. Maybe he was having a bad dream or something, she thought. That could've happened. Right?
"Baker, I'm going down to the creek. I'll be back at lunch." Said Jesse, trudging down the wooden steps of their home. He kissed Baker on the cheek and was out the door before she could say anything.
Baker stayed put for about an hour. Then she got antsy and decided to go and see what Jesse was up to.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Baker walked slowly to the clearing near the creek. Again, she wanted to speak, but Jesse's words stopped her.
"Zee, please come back to me." He said, staring at the creek. Baker felt tears come to her eyes.
Still she listened close.
"I love you." Started Jesse. Baker couldn't take it anymore. She disregarded all secrecy and ran from the forest and straight up to the house. She wasn't fast enough, cause Jesse turned around to catch a glimpse of her.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Cole, Bob, Frank, and Comanche Tom were all at the house as Baker flew onto the porch like a bullet. Tom counted to three and pointed to the woods. Sure enough, Jesse James himself came running up.
He stopped at the porch when he saw them all.
"What'd you do now Jesse?" asked Bob, laughing. But Jesse returned the playful jab with a glare. Bob dropped the smile and looked down at the ground.
"What happened?" asked Frank, putting an arm of Jesse's shoulder. Jesse shrugged angrily and shook off Frank.
"None 'a your damn business." He snapped. He pulled the screen door open and went inside the house.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Jesse climbed the wooden stairs two at a time, leaping up to the landing. He knew exactly where Baker would be- in her room, in the corner, with a blanket up over her head.
Sure enough, there she was, tears pouring down her ivory smooth cheeks.
"Baker, what's wrong?" Jesse asked casually. Baker shook her head and her chin trembled. Jesse felt his heart twinge. He knew this feeling well.
-@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_
"BAKER ANN! GET UP HERE!" howled the voice from upstairs. A mud covered Baker trudged up the stairs. Jesse and Frank, also dripping, waited and listened.
There was yelling-a lot of it. Baker's daddy wasn't one to calm down. Then they heard snapping and cracking like wild. Both Frank and Jesse, being near or a bit after ten years old, knew the sound of a whoopin' was easy to tell.
Mr. Marmot stomped down the stairs, disregarding Jesse and Frank, and went outside.
Jesse was the braver of the two, and went upstairs to Baker's room. She was in the corner, wrapped in a blanket and crying. Jesse knelt in front of her.
"Baker, I'm sorry." He offered. Baker shook her head and trembled her small chin. She was only eight.
Jesse felt fire inside of him. He wanted to comfort her, but he knew that she was in this situation because of him and Frank. Jesse promised himself from that day on that he would never again be the reason Baker Ann Marmot was in pain.
_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_@_
As Jesse remembered, he felt even more awful. He had broken his promise.
"Baker, please tell me-" he started. Baker leapt off the ground, letting her blanket fall to the ground.
"I heard you! Jesse! I heard you down at the creek and in bed! You still love her! You're still in love with Zee!" she screamed angrily.
Jesse was caught off guard. Usually, he would pistol whip anyone who made him feel like this, but he had no gun and would never do that to Baker.
"I---I---Baker, I love her."
"Jesse! You loved her!" she screamed, running from the room. Jesse followed. They stopped at the downstairs landing. Baker turned around sharply and faced him, tears and anger staining her face.
"She's DEAD Jesse! Zee's dead! I'm your wife! I love you Jesse but I can't love you if this is what happens!" cried Baker, running from the landing to the porch. Jesse reluctantly followed.
The boys were sitting out on the porch, waiting. Baker ran to Frank's horse and mounted. Frank leapt up, not knowing what was going on.
"Jesse, until you can accept that I am your wife, then I can't be. I can't be here with you." Said Baker. She kicked the horse and road off.
Cole stared at Baker's retreating figure and then at Jesse.
"What the HELL did you do?!"