Chapter Fourteen

Jess and the sheriff arrived at the livery, and Jess laid eyes on a beauty of a bay in the large paddock behind the building. It took only one turn of watching the horse trot around the pasture to know this was the one for him. And the horse obviously felt the same. The bay immediately came to a stop when he spied the young man and stood still watching as he walked up to the fence. Jess quietly leaned his arms on the top rail and made eye contact with the horse. They both sized each other up. Then the bay loped to the gate, stuck his head over it, and snorted at Jess, almost as if telling him, "Let's go, pard."

"Take him for a short ride around inside the fence there, if you want to. I saddle-broke him, real slow and gentle." Grady Forrest, the livery owner, grinned with pride. "But other than that, nobody's been on him. So just be aware. He's high-spirited. You want I should saddle him? Or you just want the bridle?" He held the leather out toward Jess.

Jess glanced at the bridle and then shook his head. He opened the gate and walked slowly inside the paddock.

"Howdy, boy. Gentle, son. Easy now. I just wanna git to know ya."

Jess talked softly to the bay for a while, patting his withers and his neck, and eventually, as he put the horse more at ease, scratching the white star at the top of his face. Then he took hold of the mane and swung up onto the bare back. The horse welcomed him with surprising trust, and Jess walked and trotted him around the large fenced-in area for a good while, enjoying every minute. It was as though he had ridden this horse his whole life. And the horse was excited to have such kind, yet firm and knowing guidance from the man's voice, hands, knees, feet. The bay was wanting to run, eager to prove to his obviously experienced rider what he could do, and Jess had to hold him back from showing off too much. Finally, Jess dismounted at the far side of the paddock and walked back to the gate. The horse followed on his heels the whole way, occasionally giving him an affectionate rub on the shoulder.

Standing with Sheriff Parker, Grady Forrest opened the gate as Jess approached. "Raised him from a colt myself. Wanted to give him till his full growth b'fore I sold him. He's ready now."

Jess looked the horse over completely, taking stock of the conformation, the muscling, balance, chest, legs… He considered the instincts, the sense, the demeanor… Everything. He's strong. Can tell he'll be fast and have good cow sense. He's smart. He's mannerly. Bet he'll train good for me and be mighty loyal.

"I'll trade ya my palomino there and pay ya the difference in his worth. How much you want for him?"

Grady Forrest eyed the cowboy. He was obviously an expert horseman and had a respect and love for animals. He would take good care of the bay, which was important to Forrest. He would be happy for his horse to go to this man. And no matter that the boy had tried to hide it so he could bargain better, he really wanted this horse, no other. The livery owner could see that. And word had already spread about what happened at the saloon with Sharp McElroy falling to a confident, muscled, good-looking, dark-haired, blue-eyed Texas kid who had cleaned him out in a poker game. Forrest knew that was the man standing in front of him. This guy had mighty full pockets.

"That nag of yours ain't worth nothing to me, mister. Can tell she don't even have much personality. I'll be doing you a favor taking her off your hands. As for the bay… two hundred and fifty."

Jess scowled. The sheriff, hearing the price, rolled his eyes.

"Most horses 'round here sell for fifty or sixty, mister. He's a good 'un, I'll give ya that, but I ain't lettin' no man rob me blind."

The bay nuzzled his cheek, and inwardly Jess sighed. Dadgum, he wanted this horse! But it would wipe out almost everything he had just won in the five hands he played with McElroy if he paid even two hundred. He'd probably give in and do it, if he had to. But he couldn't let the livery owner know he was willing to do that. He'd bargain as much he could.

"All right. Since the nag comes with the deal and I can maybe get ten or twelve selling her to a family I know that could use a gentle horse for teaching their kids to ride, I'll take two twenty-five for the bay.

"I'll go ninety. That's near double what he's worth."

"Blazes, boy! Nope. I ain't lettin' him go for twice that."

The livery owner went over and stood beside the horse, patting him. The horse calmly, willingly accepted the touch. That told Jess what he needed to know. The horse was comfortable with his owner, he wasn't being mistreated. He'd been raised right. The livery owner was a good man. So if Jess walked away, if the man didn't bite, wouldn't bargain, he'd at least know the horse would be okay. And if he was lucky enough to talk the man down and make a deal, the mare he'd be leaving behind would be treated kindly.

Jess eyed the bay again. All right, who was he kiddin'? He wouldn't walk. He would try his best to pull off a good deal, but he wasn't gonna let this horse git away. If it came to it, he would have to be the one to blink. He would even pay two hundred if he had to. He could bluff great at poker. Now… to see if he could do the same in horse tradin'…

"Well, mister, the next town and the next livery ain't too far away. Reckon ol' Goldie here can make it that far."

Jess took his palomino's lead and looked at the lawman. "You want to see me to the edge of town, Sheriff, or do ya trust me to live long enough on my own?"

"I'll walk ya there, to be on the safe side."

Without so much as a glance at the bay or a goodbye to the owner, Jess started down the street leading his mare. The lawman fell into stride along with him. They had gone about fifty feet, when the livery owner was the one who blinked.

"Harper, wait!"

So the guy did know who he was. Which meant he had heard all about what happened in the saloon and also knew Jess had plenty of money. He was trying to bilk Jess out of as much as he could. But twice what anyone else would pay for the horse would be a tough amount for Forrest to turn down, even if he couldn't get the full two hundred twenty-five.

Jess stopped, and without turning around, simply looked back over his shoulder.

"Look, Harper, I guess I can go a hundred and eighty."

Jess smirked, waved a goodbye salute at the man, and started walking again.

"Okay! A hundred fifty."

Jess wanted that horse. Time to close the deal. He'd allow the man to think he made a fantastic bargain. And Forrest was making a darn good one. But Jess felt he himself was the one getting the better end of this deal.

"Make it a hunnerd twenty and you got yourself a deal."

Grady Forrest smiled broadly and nodded. "Deal."

Jess glanced at the sheriff. Under his breath he said, "He's worth every penny."

Parker couldn't help but grin at the smart young upstart. Together they headed back to the livery.

Within fifteen minutes, Jess had transferred his tack and gear to the bay and even talked Grady Forrest into throwing in a curry comb, a body brush, and a big sack of oats. The sheriff stood back, admiring the way Harper worked the deal and marveling at how he could turn on the charm.

And even though Harper had gotten a bargain that certainly suited himself, he had also made sure the seller got an honest and generous deal. The lawman was getting the idea that Harper was telling the truth when he said gunslinging wasn't what he wanted when he came to town. He was even beginning to like and respect the man.

Jess gave Goldie a parting pat. And with a signed bill of sale in his pocket, he was on his way, once again walking down the street with the sheriff, this time with a new horse, a great horse, following his lead.