Jimmy was soaked through to the bone and all he wanted was to get out of his wet clothing and get warm again. He didn't even care about food at this point. Just a warm fire, his bunk and being dry. He thought this, as he finished brushing down his palomino. He laid his hand on the horse's back. "Feeling better?" The horse turned his head back at his words and snorted then went back to happily munching his oats. Jimmy laughed "You're great company buddy, but I'm going out in this horrible weather one last time and then I'm getting dry too." The horse whinnied in response.
Jimmy walked to the door of the barn and pulled his collar up as tight to his neck as he could and setting his eyes on the porch just feet away, he started a quick run and got under the porches covering. He began walking towards the door and removed his hat and gun belt before he reached the door. He stopped just before going in and removed his boots and jacket so he wouldn't wake the others. He stepped inside, placed his boots by the door and hung up his things.
The heaviness of all the boys sleeping suddenly made Jimmy realize just how exhausted he was. He walked over to the stove and stoked the fire a little and warmed himself as he listened to everyone breathing, and Buck snoring. He undressed in front of the stove, everything except his long john bottoms. And hung them on a chair which he placed in front of the stove and made his way to his bunk. He noticed the blanket was messed up and figured someone had sat on his bed at some point and shook his head. He hated that, it always felt odd, an intrusion, he shook his head and breathed out his frustrations.
Looking around to make sure everyone was asleep and not looking in his direction, Jimmy pulled off his long john bottoms and laid them on his storage box. He thought briefly of going into it to pull out his other set of long johns and then remembered that those were also wet and sitting in his pouch hanging over the wall of Sundancer's stall. 'Well' he thought, 'Guess I'm sleeping without clothes tonight, better remember that in the morning.'
Jimmy laid down on his side and pulled the blanket over him and quickly felt sleep pulling him under and rolled onto his back.
"Ahhhhh," A woman's voice screamed in his ear
Jimmy didn't even have time to try to understand what was happening, when someone flew past him and jumped off the far end of the bunk. "WHAT THE HELL!" he yelled
Ike immediately awakened, had his gun cocked and drawn, pointed at Jimmy and was pulling the person behind him and pinning her between him and the wall. She felt safe and trapped at the same time. She was also both scared and irate and trying to figure out how to put together the right words.
A lamp was lit somewhere in the room.
"Ike?" Jimmy said confused, "what are you doing?" as he looked down the gun barrel
"You okay?" Buck asked looking at Joes
"Ummm, Jimmy." Kid said, interrupting and throwing his blanket across the room.
Seeing the changing situation, Ike lowered his gun and turned to look at Joes. *You're safe? You're ok?*
She shook her head. "I don't understand. You all said it was okay for me to sleep here. Why did one of you climb into the bed with me?"
"How did you both fit?" Cody asked
"Shut up, Cody." Lou said, anger in her voice.
"What? I just meant if Jimmy laid down and she was already laying down he'd have been …" Cody stopped before he painted too detailed a picture.
"Cody, you really want to be quiet now." Buck said, watching Ike's face get steadily redder.
"I was on my side." Josephine said quietly. "Facing the wall. I didn't see anyone come near the bed. Who was it?"
"That would be me." Jimmy said Kid's blanket wrapped tightly around him.
Josephine slid her head out from behind Ike and looked out to see who was talking. Realizing this was someone she hadn't met she stepped out from behind Ike. "You weren't here for dinner or when we went to bed?" Quickly adding things together she concluded, "You're Jimmy. You weren't expected back until tomorrow and I was in your bed."
"I take it you were told you could sleep there." Jimmy said
"Didn't think you'd mind if Lou's cousin spent the night." Cody offered helpfully.
"Lou's cousin?" He asked.
"Long story." Lou said dismissively
"Right." Jimmy said with a piercing look at the female rider.
*She needs a bed for the night.* Ike said
"You don't want to go across the yard to Emma's right now. It was hailing stones the size of piglets when I came across a minute ago." Jimmy said, "Not to mention the wind and rain."
"I'll sleep in a chair." Joes said. "It'll be more comfortable than a lot of the places I've slept recently."
*That's ridiculous.* Ike said, turning to face Joes. *I have my bedroll under the bed. I bet the others have theirs in here too, except maybe Jimmy whose would have been soaked. We'll* Ike paused realizing what he'd said and corrected himself, *I'll make a bed on the floor. *
"Smart thinking, Ike." Kid said and reached under his bunk and pulled out to bedroll's "Here's mine and Lou's."
"Coulda' asked" she said with a smile as she elbowed him.
"Like you mind." Kid teased before tossing the rolls over to Ike, who took the three rolls plus Buck's and Cody's and stacked them together next to his own bunk.
He took Joes hand and led her to sit on his bunk. *You sleep here.*
*Ike, I couldn't, that wouldn't be right.*
*I insist. Please.* He said and then squeezed her fingers in his and smiled at her as he sat at her feet on his bedroll created bunk.
Looking down at him, she could only nod and smile.
"Can we please get some sleep now?" Cody asked
"I'll get the lamp." Buck said looking around, smiling at the sight of Ike clearly so happy.
