The next morning Mari awoke with Jimmy asleep next to her. She slipped out from under his arm and pulled on her dress. She dropped her shoe and Jimmy woke up.
"Ummm. Mari" He moaned as he stretched his arms.
"Good morning." She smiled as she sat beside him on the bed.
"It sure is." Jimmy half smiling, half yawning. "Are you coming with us then?"
"I have to; I can hardly go back now."
"That's true. So what do we tell the others?"
"We don't tell them. I can't after what I said last night about marriage."
"Oh yeh," He paused. "Oh well, never mind it'll be our little secret." He smiled.
"You should be getting up the Bob and Cole will be wondering where you are." There was a knock at the door and Jim and Mari both jumped.
"Mari have you seen Jim? Bob said he left their room last night and didn't come back." Jesse called.
"Right on queue." Mari whispered.
"What do we do?" Jimmy asked.
"You stay here; I'll get rid of him." Mari whispered and hurried to the door, she opened it slightly.
"What's wrong?"
"Jim's missing."
"Oh I saw him this morning he went to the check the horses."
"Check the horses, since when do we check the horses?"
"Well it was really early and he said he couldn't sleep."
"How do you know?"
"I… I … I saw him, when I went to get a… a… a glass of water and I bumped into him and… and he told me." Mari stuttered.
"He's with you isn't he?" Jesse grinned. "You're blushing he is." And she opened the door a bit more to let Jesse in.
"Hey there Jim" Jesse smiled as I closed the door.
"Hey Jesse" Jimmy said pulling on his boots and jacket.
"So what happened here I wonder?"
"Jesse please don't tell the others." Mari said as she slipped on her shoes.
"I won't." Jesse grinned and stared at her.
"What?"
"You're not planning to ride in that dress are you?"
"Well I didn't really have time to grab something more suitable."
"Stay here I'll get ya some pants and a shirt from across the street."
"Thanks Jesse." She smiled, and he left the room. Jim dressed and returned to his room, and soon after he'd left Jesse returned to Mari's room with a shirt, braces, pants, and a jacket and hat.
"Jesse, you didn't have to get me all this." Mari gasped as Jesse threw the clothes onto the bed.
"Yeh well, you gotta blend in." Jesse smiled. "I'll leave ya to get dressed. We're leaving in fifteen minutes. I'll see ya downstairs."
"Thanks Jesse."
"No worries."
Fifteen minutes later the James-Younger gang were sitting in the salon.
"Jesse what the hell are we waiting for?" Cole asked finishing off his whiskey.
"Mari's coming with us." Jesse muttered. Cole spat out his drink.
"What?" He gasped.
"Mari's coming with us."
"When did you decide this?" Frank said.
"Only this morning. She can't go back to liberty they'll throw her in jail or hang her."
"But she's a woman." Gasped Tom.
"Yeh and one of the best fighters we ever had." Jesse said angrily.
"But she's been straightened out Jesse, she can't fight any more?" Bob sighed.
"Who can't fight?" A voice said from behind them. The boys turned to see a stranger standing at the bottom of the stairs. His hat was down over his face and his pants were slightly too long.
"No one you know boy." Bob said politely.
"Boy" Smiled the stranger. "Now it's been a long time since I was mistaken for a boy."
"Who are you?" Cole shouted.
"Only the best damn damsel in distress you ever had." Jesse and Jim smiled.
"Mari." Frank gasped.
"The one and only." She smiled and whiped of her hat. Jesse stood up.
"How's the fit?" he smiled.
"A bit long in the leg but they'll do. Thanks Jesse."
"No worries Mari. Now come on boys we'd best get going."