Jesse James rolled over one spring morning and draped his arm over his
wife. Smiling with his eyes closed because he could hear the peaceful quiet
of his Tennessee farm and it was wonderful.
"MMM Zee?" Jesse moaned into her shoulder. "Are you awake?"
The figure beside him stirred and a muffled, "Now I am, thanks to you." could be heard.
"DADDY! DADDY! Come on! The corn is nearly as tall as I am!" a little dark haired bundle of dress jumped onto the bed laughing.
"Is that so Darling?" He said sitting up.
"Yes Daddy! I saws it with my own eyes! I even measured myself using a piece of hay twine!" she said excitedly.
"Then, come on Liberty, let's go see this corn of yours." Jesse laughed as he rolled out of bed and hugged his 12-year-old daughter. The girl ran down the stairs so quickly that Jesse was sure she was going to fall. Her dark haired head disappeared for a moment before a loud voice could be heard shouting from the cornfields.
"DA-AD! Hurry your caboose out here! I swear its growin' by the minute! Maybe even the second!"
"Alright, Alright Liberty! I'm-a comin'. Just let me get decent!" he hollered back.
"You had better be getting up too Miss Zeerelda James. I ain't the only one goin' to be up this early." He laughed turning to his wife, the mass of sheets on the left hand side.
"Fine, Fine! Just go, you're decent enough to go outside now. Hurry up or she'll be back in here trying to drag you out by the hand! I swear Jesse James that corn has almost taken over her life. I knew I shouldn't have let Cole Younger give her those seeds! She adores Cole, Bob and Frank! Gods knows she adores the Younger gang."
"The JAMES Younger Gang. Frank is still a part of that ride. but I agree with you. Look on the bright side. at least she ain't down in front of the grocery store like Heather Smalls' daughters. That's a plus!" he replied as he began to jog downstairs.
He found her standing on the edge of the cornfield. The first row in the whole entire field belonged to Liberty. Cole, her second cousin, had given them to her. They were Comanche Indian corn seeds and he said that they were magic.
She smiled when she saw her father open the front porch.
"DADDY!" she cried.
"Now, let's see this corn Libby." Jesse smiled putting an arm around her.
"Look Daddy, it's almost as tall as I am. Cole was right! They are magic." She whispered.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that." Jesse said kneeling to face his daughter.
"About what?" Liberty said confusedly.
"Your ma and I are getting worried that you're too caught up in your corn and Cole to be our little girl." He said quietly with both hands on her shoulders.
"But Daddy, you're being silly. You know how much this corn means to me. Cole said that if I didn't take care of it, that it wouldn't be special anymore. He told me that the Indians always have good corn because they treat it like their children." Liberty said pushing her fathers hand off her shoulder.
"BREAKFAST!" Zee hollered out the kitchen window. Jesse and Liberty smiled wide.
"What do you think it is this morning Libby?" Jesse whispered. Liberty sniffed the air three times.
"I say that its bacon and peameal pork! Maybe even some hash browns!"
"Is that so? Are you willing to put money on it Miss James?"
"I am!" she said stomping her foot.
"How's five cents sound?"
"A WHOLE five cents? REALLY?" Liberty said her eyes going wide. Jesse smiled.
"You bet!"
"Make it ten, I'm not 9 nine years old any more Daddy." She laughed punching him in the shoulder.
"I'll make it ten you little rascal!" he whooped chasing after her before scooping her up into his arms, throwing her over his shoulder and running into the house.
The two collapsed in the kitchen at the table with a sigh of relief and a big gasp for breath.
"Morning Ma. What's for breakfast?" Liberty asked, sticking her tongue out across the table at her father.
"Liberty Zee James! I will not have any pink flesh that isn't already on the outside of your body flashing at my kitchen table." Zee scolded.
"Sorry Ma. but what is for breakfast?" Liberty apologized.
"Hash browns, bacon and some peameal. now eat up." Zee said putting a plate down in front her of her daughter. When Zee turned to get the other two plates, Liberty stuck her tongue out and pointed at Jesse in silent laughter.
"You always win. I think you cheat sometimes.." He whispered before making a face and causing Liberty to break down into a giggle fit.
"Win what Jesse James? Are you teaching my daughter to gamble?" Zee said standing overtop of her husband.
Jesse looked up in fear. His wife was mighty fine woman, and damn scary at times. Liberty giggled quietly.
"Now you see Zee, Libby and I always guess about what's going to be for breakfast. I was just saying that she always wins and I thought she cheats sometimes."
"Well Jesse, you had better learn to be a better liar if that's the case. Give the child her money and she can go into town with you today and help with the shopping. I told you Jesse James that there was no lying to me."
"Yes Ma'am." Jesse said staring at his plate and pushing his food around with his fork.
"And you, Liberty James. I shall hear no more about gambling and you betting with your father you hear me?" Zee shook her finger at her daughter before sitting down to enjoy her meal.
"Yes Ma'am." She said solemnly as she began to eat.
"I mean, God knows your father is a lousy better. Never knows how to pick his fights." She muttered with a smile. Jesse jerked his head up looked at Zee, smiled and continued eating.
It was quiet for a while when Liberty looked up and caught the eye of her father. He smiled a bit and winked.
When Breakfast was over, Jesse and Liberty put their dishes in the wash bucket and went outside to prepare the buggy. Jesse went to the shed to get the harness and reins and Liberty went into the barn to get the horse.
She cooed as she approached the chestnut horse.
"Come on Thunder. We're going to town today." She said tossing the lasso around his neck. The horse neighed shrilly and pulled back.
"Shhh. it's okay. It's okay Thunder." She said tugging lightly on the lasso to bring him closer. She tied a half hitch knot around his muzzle so she could lead him easier and soon they were joining Jesse by the cart.
"You get him okay?" Jesse asked.
"Yep, he was good as gold." Liberty smiled.
"I never understand that damn horse." Jesse cussed. "Hell, every time I tried to get him, he always bit me."
"Daddy, if ma heard you."
"I know Libby, that's why for another 5 cents you're not gonna tell her right?" Jesse flipped a nickel her way.
"Daddy, you speak my language." Liberty grinned pocketing the extra cash.
"MMM Zee?" Jesse moaned into her shoulder. "Are you awake?"
The figure beside him stirred and a muffled, "Now I am, thanks to you." could be heard.
"DADDY! DADDY! Come on! The corn is nearly as tall as I am!" a little dark haired bundle of dress jumped onto the bed laughing.
"Is that so Darling?" He said sitting up.
"Yes Daddy! I saws it with my own eyes! I even measured myself using a piece of hay twine!" she said excitedly.
"Then, come on Liberty, let's go see this corn of yours." Jesse laughed as he rolled out of bed and hugged his 12-year-old daughter. The girl ran down the stairs so quickly that Jesse was sure she was going to fall. Her dark haired head disappeared for a moment before a loud voice could be heard shouting from the cornfields.
"DA-AD! Hurry your caboose out here! I swear its growin' by the minute! Maybe even the second!"
"Alright, Alright Liberty! I'm-a comin'. Just let me get decent!" he hollered back.
"You had better be getting up too Miss Zeerelda James. I ain't the only one goin' to be up this early." He laughed turning to his wife, the mass of sheets on the left hand side.
"Fine, Fine! Just go, you're decent enough to go outside now. Hurry up or she'll be back in here trying to drag you out by the hand! I swear Jesse James that corn has almost taken over her life. I knew I shouldn't have let Cole Younger give her those seeds! She adores Cole, Bob and Frank! Gods knows she adores the Younger gang."
"The JAMES Younger Gang. Frank is still a part of that ride. but I agree with you. Look on the bright side. at least she ain't down in front of the grocery store like Heather Smalls' daughters. That's a plus!" he replied as he began to jog downstairs.
He found her standing on the edge of the cornfield. The first row in the whole entire field belonged to Liberty. Cole, her second cousin, had given them to her. They were Comanche Indian corn seeds and he said that they were magic.
She smiled when she saw her father open the front porch.
"DADDY!" she cried.
"Now, let's see this corn Libby." Jesse smiled putting an arm around her.
"Look Daddy, it's almost as tall as I am. Cole was right! They are magic." She whispered.
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that." Jesse said kneeling to face his daughter.
"About what?" Liberty said confusedly.
"Your ma and I are getting worried that you're too caught up in your corn and Cole to be our little girl." He said quietly with both hands on her shoulders.
"But Daddy, you're being silly. You know how much this corn means to me. Cole said that if I didn't take care of it, that it wouldn't be special anymore. He told me that the Indians always have good corn because they treat it like their children." Liberty said pushing her fathers hand off her shoulder.
"BREAKFAST!" Zee hollered out the kitchen window. Jesse and Liberty smiled wide.
"What do you think it is this morning Libby?" Jesse whispered. Liberty sniffed the air three times.
"I say that its bacon and peameal pork! Maybe even some hash browns!"
"Is that so? Are you willing to put money on it Miss James?"
"I am!" she said stomping her foot.
"How's five cents sound?"
"A WHOLE five cents? REALLY?" Liberty said her eyes going wide. Jesse smiled.
"You bet!"
"Make it ten, I'm not 9 nine years old any more Daddy." She laughed punching him in the shoulder.
"I'll make it ten you little rascal!" he whooped chasing after her before scooping her up into his arms, throwing her over his shoulder and running into the house.
The two collapsed in the kitchen at the table with a sigh of relief and a big gasp for breath.
"Morning Ma. What's for breakfast?" Liberty asked, sticking her tongue out across the table at her father.
"Liberty Zee James! I will not have any pink flesh that isn't already on the outside of your body flashing at my kitchen table." Zee scolded.
"Sorry Ma. but what is for breakfast?" Liberty apologized.
"Hash browns, bacon and some peameal. now eat up." Zee said putting a plate down in front her of her daughter. When Zee turned to get the other two plates, Liberty stuck her tongue out and pointed at Jesse in silent laughter.
"You always win. I think you cheat sometimes.." He whispered before making a face and causing Liberty to break down into a giggle fit.
"Win what Jesse James? Are you teaching my daughter to gamble?" Zee said standing overtop of her husband.
Jesse looked up in fear. His wife was mighty fine woman, and damn scary at times. Liberty giggled quietly.
"Now you see Zee, Libby and I always guess about what's going to be for breakfast. I was just saying that she always wins and I thought she cheats sometimes."
"Well Jesse, you had better learn to be a better liar if that's the case. Give the child her money and she can go into town with you today and help with the shopping. I told you Jesse James that there was no lying to me."
"Yes Ma'am." Jesse said staring at his plate and pushing his food around with his fork.
"And you, Liberty James. I shall hear no more about gambling and you betting with your father you hear me?" Zee shook her finger at her daughter before sitting down to enjoy her meal.
"Yes Ma'am." She said solemnly as she began to eat.
"I mean, God knows your father is a lousy better. Never knows how to pick his fights." She muttered with a smile. Jesse jerked his head up looked at Zee, smiled and continued eating.
It was quiet for a while when Liberty looked up and caught the eye of her father. He smiled a bit and winked.
When Breakfast was over, Jesse and Liberty put their dishes in the wash bucket and went outside to prepare the buggy. Jesse went to the shed to get the harness and reins and Liberty went into the barn to get the horse.
She cooed as she approached the chestnut horse.
"Come on Thunder. We're going to town today." She said tossing the lasso around his neck. The horse neighed shrilly and pulled back.
"Shhh. it's okay. It's okay Thunder." She said tugging lightly on the lasso to bring him closer. She tied a half hitch knot around his muzzle so she could lead him easier and soon they were joining Jesse by the cart.
"You get him okay?" Jesse asked.
"Yep, he was good as gold." Liberty smiled.
"I never understand that damn horse." Jesse cussed. "Hell, every time I tried to get him, he always bit me."
"Daddy, if ma heard you."
"I know Libby, that's why for another 5 cents you're not gonna tell her right?" Jesse flipped a nickel her way.
"Daddy, you speak my language." Liberty grinned pocketing the extra cash.