Colin was bunking with Bob Younger and was preparing himself for a mighty
comfortable rest in a semi comfortable bed when the door creaked open. Bob
was already asleep and didn't stir for a moment. Colin's head snapped up
and his hand went for his gun only to find his holster missing.
"Easy boy. it's just me, Jesse." Jesse assured stepping into the small room and smiling at Colin's startledness.
"Mr. James, you surprised me." Colin stammered. Jesse nodded.
"I can see that. I wanted to talk to you."
"Really Mr. James?" Colin asked. "IS something wrong?"
"Please, call me Jesse. Mr. James makes me feel so, old-like. And no, nothings wrong, just some things I've been noticing."
"Things? What things Mr. I mean Jesse."
"Just some little things, like the way you've been looking at my daughter." Jesse said casually with a smile as he sat down at the foot of the bed. Colin felt his face burn.
"And the way she's looking at you."
"Look Jesse, I really like your daughter sir, please don't shoot me." Colin began spitting everything out. Jesse laughed.
"Colin! Don't worry; I'm not going to shoot you. I kinda figured you two might have started something otherwise why would you have followed her this far. I just wanted to let you know that I know and you don't have to worry about being on the sly side."
Colin was blushing madly now.
"Don't you worry sir. I treat Liberty with all the respect she deserves and then some. Why, she'd shoot me upside the head if I didn't."
"Good for her. She's a good girl. I expect nothing less from you Mr. Daniels."
"Yes Mr. James."
"Call me Jesse."
***
Jesse went downstairs to the bar of the Inn. Ordering a pint he sat by a window and traced invisible pictures on the table. Liberty was playing a round of poker, and reeling in all the money. Looking at her, he felt his chest tighten with so much love and devotion. These last three years made him feel like such a bad father. He upped and left without even giving her a second thought. "But she grew up fine" the voice in his head whispered. That same little voice was one that started the war on the railroad. The one that got Jimmy Younger killed. He couldn't let that happen to Liberty. Not again.
"Fine enough for a James," he thought to himself sullenly. "I'd always promised myself that I'd never let her become what I was, a miserable farmer who always wanted to run. But in leaving, that's just what she turned into. God Jesse, when are you gonna stop being so damn selfish." He beat himself up over it. He'd never let it go. That pain of failing would stay with him until the say he died.
"ROYAL FLUSH!" Liberty exclaimed to the groans of Bob, Cole and Frank.
"Anybody seen John Redcorn? He needs to teach Libby here a lesson in poker, no cheating!" Frank asked amid the cried of injustice to Jesse.
"Not me, but he's probably skulking around somewhere Frank. Don't you worry your educated head over it." Jesse had to laugh. No matter what was going on in his life, Liberty could always make him smile.
***
Out on the outskirts of town, three small figures huddled by candlelight and whispered.
"They are staying at the inn down the road. They plan to pack up and leave in the morning. Tomorrow at high noon would be ideal to ambush. They will be packing and vulnerable." One hushed voice whispered. Another more gravelly voice replied.
"You have done well Son of the Redcorn. The spirits of the wind shall bless you greatly. Now, go before too much suspicion is afoot."
The figure who spoke first nodded and turned to run back to town.
The candle was blown out and the day was left to come.
***
Jesse woke to the sun shining right through the inn window and into his eyes. Cole was still sleeping across the room with a half empty bottle of whiskey by his mouth and Frank was still splayed out on the floor with his rifle in one hand.
Jesse sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a long day. It was already close to noon and barely anyone was awake. His sleep had been rough, but just the same as the last three years, he'd spent the night dreaming of her again. Zee, his wife, his only love save his beautiful daughter. All he could see when he closed his eyes was her smile, he could almost feel her touch as he lay still, barely breathing. He squeezed his eyes tight and inhaled deep, he could still remember how she smelled. It only made the hurt worse and reminded him why he wasn't home already.
He quickly dressed and found Colin and Liberty eating a meager breakfast of a biscuit and chatting quietly. He passed them behind Colin and made an "Aw, how cute!" face and Liberty glared at him as if to say,
"Don't you dare embarrass me!" Jesse snickered and followed the sunlight into the outdoors. Bob was already awake and was making small talk with other members of the gang and John Redcorn was already packed to leave.
"Ready to go early are we John?" Jesse asked the Indian.
"Yes, I feel it necessary to ride ahead and make sure that we will not be interrupted." John replied.
"That's a good plan, you go ahead and we'll catch up in an hours time or so." Jesse agreed. "One thing John, where were you last night? The boys were looking for you to teach my poker playing daughter a lesson in cheating."
John smiled.
"I was scouting the perimeter, making sure we were not to be killed in our sleep."
"Good job, well, if you're going to be riding ahead, you best be off now."
"I should. See you soon Jesse." John said mounting and riding on. Jesse waved to the Indian as he rode out of town.
As Jesse turned around, Cole came stumbling out with another beer in his hand. Jesse couldn't understand it. In the last days they'd been riding, Cole had been more withdrawn by the hour, he looked sick. The booze probably wasn't helping.
"How many is that this morning Cole?" Asked Jesse. Cole tripped over and leaned on the hitching post.
"My third." he burped.
"Don't you think you've had enough cousin? It's too early to drink." Jesse added sternly. He was having enough trouble trying to figure out these damned Indians, he didn't need the added stress of Cole. Cole sighed and stumbled back into the inn.
"That boy is a magnet for trouble." he murmured. "And he's headed straight into it.
"Easy boy. it's just me, Jesse." Jesse assured stepping into the small room and smiling at Colin's startledness.
"Mr. James, you surprised me." Colin stammered. Jesse nodded.
"I can see that. I wanted to talk to you."
"Really Mr. James?" Colin asked. "IS something wrong?"
"Please, call me Jesse. Mr. James makes me feel so, old-like. And no, nothings wrong, just some things I've been noticing."
"Things? What things Mr. I mean Jesse."
"Just some little things, like the way you've been looking at my daughter." Jesse said casually with a smile as he sat down at the foot of the bed. Colin felt his face burn.
"And the way she's looking at you."
"Look Jesse, I really like your daughter sir, please don't shoot me." Colin began spitting everything out. Jesse laughed.
"Colin! Don't worry; I'm not going to shoot you. I kinda figured you two might have started something otherwise why would you have followed her this far. I just wanted to let you know that I know and you don't have to worry about being on the sly side."
Colin was blushing madly now.
"Don't you worry sir. I treat Liberty with all the respect she deserves and then some. Why, she'd shoot me upside the head if I didn't."
"Good for her. She's a good girl. I expect nothing less from you Mr. Daniels."
"Yes Mr. James."
"Call me Jesse."
***
Jesse went downstairs to the bar of the Inn. Ordering a pint he sat by a window and traced invisible pictures on the table. Liberty was playing a round of poker, and reeling in all the money. Looking at her, he felt his chest tighten with so much love and devotion. These last three years made him feel like such a bad father. He upped and left without even giving her a second thought. "But she grew up fine" the voice in his head whispered. That same little voice was one that started the war on the railroad. The one that got Jimmy Younger killed. He couldn't let that happen to Liberty. Not again.
"Fine enough for a James," he thought to himself sullenly. "I'd always promised myself that I'd never let her become what I was, a miserable farmer who always wanted to run. But in leaving, that's just what she turned into. God Jesse, when are you gonna stop being so damn selfish." He beat himself up over it. He'd never let it go. That pain of failing would stay with him until the say he died.
"ROYAL FLUSH!" Liberty exclaimed to the groans of Bob, Cole and Frank.
"Anybody seen John Redcorn? He needs to teach Libby here a lesson in poker, no cheating!" Frank asked amid the cried of injustice to Jesse.
"Not me, but he's probably skulking around somewhere Frank. Don't you worry your educated head over it." Jesse had to laugh. No matter what was going on in his life, Liberty could always make him smile.
***
Out on the outskirts of town, three small figures huddled by candlelight and whispered.
"They are staying at the inn down the road. They plan to pack up and leave in the morning. Tomorrow at high noon would be ideal to ambush. They will be packing and vulnerable." One hushed voice whispered. Another more gravelly voice replied.
"You have done well Son of the Redcorn. The spirits of the wind shall bless you greatly. Now, go before too much suspicion is afoot."
The figure who spoke first nodded and turned to run back to town.
The candle was blown out and the day was left to come.
***
Jesse woke to the sun shining right through the inn window and into his eyes. Cole was still sleeping across the room with a half empty bottle of whiskey by his mouth and Frank was still splayed out on the floor with his rifle in one hand.
Jesse sat up and rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a long day. It was already close to noon and barely anyone was awake. His sleep had been rough, but just the same as the last three years, he'd spent the night dreaming of her again. Zee, his wife, his only love save his beautiful daughter. All he could see when he closed his eyes was her smile, he could almost feel her touch as he lay still, barely breathing. He squeezed his eyes tight and inhaled deep, he could still remember how she smelled. It only made the hurt worse and reminded him why he wasn't home already.
He quickly dressed and found Colin and Liberty eating a meager breakfast of a biscuit and chatting quietly. He passed them behind Colin and made an "Aw, how cute!" face and Liberty glared at him as if to say,
"Don't you dare embarrass me!" Jesse snickered and followed the sunlight into the outdoors. Bob was already awake and was making small talk with other members of the gang and John Redcorn was already packed to leave.
"Ready to go early are we John?" Jesse asked the Indian.
"Yes, I feel it necessary to ride ahead and make sure that we will not be interrupted." John replied.
"That's a good plan, you go ahead and we'll catch up in an hours time or so." Jesse agreed. "One thing John, where were you last night? The boys were looking for you to teach my poker playing daughter a lesson in cheating."
John smiled.
"I was scouting the perimeter, making sure we were not to be killed in our sleep."
"Good job, well, if you're going to be riding ahead, you best be off now."
"I should. See you soon Jesse." John said mounting and riding on. Jesse waved to the Indian as he rode out of town.
As Jesse turned around, Cole came stumbling out with another beer in his hand. Jesse couldn't understand it. In the last days they'd been riding, Cole had been more withdrawn by the hour, he looked sick. The booze probably wasn't helping.
"How many is that this morning Cole?" Asked Jesse. Cole tripped over and leaned on the hitching post.
"My third." he burped.
"Don't you think you've had enough cousin? It's too early to drink." Jesse added sternly. He was having enough trouble trying to figure out these damned Indians, he didn't need the added stress of Cole. Cole sighed and stumbled back into the inn.
"That boy is a magnet for trouble." he murmured. "And he's headed straight into it.