A Laramie Story
By Barbara Taylor
Ch
It had taken Jess less than an hour to load the wagon with the stores and, given the mood he was in, he headed straight back to the ranch, his emotions in turmoil. It was only when he reached the top of the rise overlooking the ranch that Jess realized how hard he had driven the team. He hauled back on the reins and slowed the horses to a walk, allowing them to cool down as they covered the final stretch of road to the ranch. Pulling up in the yard, Jess climbed down, feeling guilty over allowing his own distress to overflow onto the animals. “I’m sorry, fellas. Guess I owe you both extra oats for that ride,” he said as he rubbed the nose of the gelding nearest to him. “Come on.” He led the two horses into the barn and then gave them both a good rub down. It was a further half hour before he left the two horses settled and happily munching on the extra oats, and
started
unloading the supplies.
Dropping
the last sack of flour on the storeroom floor, Jess returned to the porch as he
heard the sound of horse’s hooves entering the yard. Slim Sherman swung down
of his horse and tied it to the hitching post as Jess headed straight past him
towards the barn.
“You’re
back early. How come?” Slim quizzed, asking the question Jess had hoped to
avoid, at least until he had calmed down enough to give a reasonably plausible
answer.
“I
should be askin’ you somethin’ similar. What happened to those accounts you
had to finish?” Jess answered Slims question with one of his own.
“Got
finished earlier than I thought so I went over to check on the south fence.”
Slim snapped back. “So?”
“What?”
Jess glared at Slim, he had hoped to get away without this confrontation.
“What
happened and where’s Rebecca?” Slim led his horse to the barn, following
Jess who hd started to saddle up his own mount.
“I got
finished early and thought I may as well head back and check on that same south
fence. Seems you beat me to it, but I reckon it’d do no harm to double check
and see if any strays wandered across.” Jess kept his back to Slim, not
trusting his expression not to give away his deeper thoughts.
Slim
placed a firm hand on Jess’ shoulder and turned him insistently towards him.
“Jess, you know sometimes you can be so exasperating. I ain’t figured out if
you’re being real clever at just avoiding the question or ya really are that
dumb.”
Jess’
temper rose, but immediately calmed again as he stared at Slim’s smiling face
and realized his best friend was just joshing him. ‘Best get it together ,
Jess’ he thought to himself, ‘You’re really gonna blow this if you
don’t stay calm’.
“Nothin’
more to say, Slim. Rebecca found it was gonna take a lot longer than she thought
to finish up her business in town. She decided to get the late afternoon stage
back rather than keep me hanging around all day. I had me one drink and headed
back here.”
“This
can’t be the old, wild Jess Harper I know talking. You sure have tamed down
some. Seems to me you would have jumped at the chance to hang around the saloon
and escape some of the work not that very long ago.”
Jess
forced a smile to his face, and hoped Slim wouldn’t notice it was absent from
his eyes. “Yeah, well, seems to me you and this ranch have almost got me
saddle broke. So if you don’t mind, I’m heading out for a day, just to feel
a touch of the wild before I’m completely reformed.”
Slim
slapped him firmly on his back. “All right, Pard, but before you go, you mind
telling me how it went with you and Rebecca.”
Jess
tensed immediately, “So you did set it up,” he stated, struggling to stay
calm.
“Well,
I suppose I did, but you hadn’t really spent much time with her and I thought
the two of you needed to spend a little time getting to know each other. After
all, she’s going to be part of our family soon.” Slim stood between Jess and
his horse, making it obvious he expected some sort of reply.
Swallowing
his pride, and trying to keep the deception to a minimum, Jess gave the expected
reply. “We talked a little, nothin’ in particular. If marrying her is gonna
make you happy and keep you off my back, then that’s just fine. Besides, her
cooking’s gotta be an improvement on yours and Jonsey’s.” Jess attempted
to make light of the situation.
Realizing
this was all he was going to get from Jess at the moment, Slim stepped out of
the way. “All right. Be sure your back for supper, Jonesy’s making apple
pie.”
Mounted
now, Jess leaned forward and playfully knocked Slims hat back on his head.
“Now that is one bit of his cooking that I don’t like missing. I doubt if
even your Rebecca could do a better job at apple pie baking than old Jonesy.”
Then he was off at a gallop before Slim could respond or notice the frown
of worry that had replaced the false smile.
Jess
stayed away as long as he could without making it too obvious that he was
avoiding Rebecca. Finally defeated in his efforts to try and see a way out of
his predicament, and driven by his growling stomach, he returned to the ranch
after dark. He sat down to supper with the others, giving the now conservatively
dressed Rebecca a curt nod in greeting. He barely spoke throughout the meal, and
after having his offer to help Jonesy with the dishes turned down, he bid them
all a goodnight and retired early. Jess knew that sooner or later he would have
to act like all was well between him and Slim’s fiancé but tonight was too
soon and he was too hurt and confused to even try.
As the
door shut behind Jess, Slim silenced Andy’s and Jonsey’s questions with a
shrug. “Don’t ask me, he even came home from town early, turning down a
perfect excuse for spending time in the saloon. Maybe he’s sickening for
something? You know Jess, he keeps things held in tight. I guess we’ll know
what’s wrong when he’s good and ready to tell us and not before.”
Rebecca
knew exactly what was wrong with the man in question, but she kept her eyes
averted and chose instead to change the subject. “Jonesy, that pie was simply
delicious. You must give me the recipe.”
Standing
up to clear the dishes, Jonesy remained staring at the door to Jess’ bedroom,
deeply concerned for the man he had come to think of as part of the family.
“Yeah, sure,” he answered distractedly, and then headed to the kitchen his
arms full of dishes. “Come on, Andy, its your turn to dry.”
Andy
started to object. What he really wanted to do was follow Jess and try to find
out what was making him act so strange, but Jess had made it obvious he wanted
no company but his own tonight.
Left
alone with Rebecca, Slim tried to ask her how the trip to town had gone. She
regaled him with the details of her planned rental of a small house in town, the
material she had ordered for a wedding dress and other frivolities. The only
mention of Jess she made was a few brief words that echoed Jess’ explanation
earlier in the day. Slim could sense there was more to it than either was
saying, but he couldn’t insist on Rebecca saying more, if indeed there was
more to say. He would just have to be content with what had been said and hope
that time would sort the problem out.
Over the
next few days the same scene was repeated whenever Jess or Rebecca met. Jess
constantly found reasons not to be around the ranch house if Rebecca was there,
and if he was unable to avoid meeting her, the two barely exchanged more than a
civil greeting.
Slim and
the others noticed it but Jess refused to admit there was anything wrong hiding
behind the excuse that there was a lot to do on the range at this time of year.
Rebecca just simply denied even being aware of the problem, steadfastly assuring
Slim that as far as she was concerned, she and Jess were getting on well
together.
In
reality, Rebecca was finding her lack of contact with Jess very inconvenient.
Her time was running out and she had not succeeded in turning Jess and Slim
against each other. When it was obvious Jess was not going to let her get close
enough to try to entrap him again, her furtive mind hatched another plot, one
that she felt would give the desired effect and revenge herself on Jess as a
bonus. No man refused her overtures without suffering for it.
Slim had
tried speaking to Jess again, and as expected, he got the same short, dismissive
explanation about lots of work and no time. The obvious edge in Jess’ voice
and the hard set to his jaw had warned Slim not to push further.
Jonesy
knew Jess well enough to know Jess would keep things close to his chest and
would only tell him what was wrong when he was good and ready. As for Andy,
despite his closeness to Jess, he had failed repeatedly to get his friend to
open up to him and had finally backed off when Jess’ had let his frustration
explode and he had uncharacteristically shouted at Andy. That incident was
something Jess deeply regretted and it had added to his already heavy burden of
woes.
Finally,
Slim reluctantly took Rebecca to one side and asked her pointedly if there was
some bad feeling between her and Jess. Rebecca had denied any trouble, but
employed her not inconsiderable acting skills to great effect. With skill she
placed just enough hesitancy in her voice to ensure Slim would pursue the
appropriate line of questioning with her.
She
postured and pouted, never quite saying outright what she was portraying with
her tone of voice and facial expressions.
“Slim,
Jess and I have never had a cross word, I do my best to be friendly with him.
Oh!” her hand flew to her mouth and she widened her eyes in mock horror.
“It’s my fault, Slim.”
“What’s
your fault?” the blonde asked, wrapping his arms around her and drawing her in
close.
“I--I
didn’t want to tell you this, Slim. I hoped it was just my imagination.” A
little sob was nicely placed as she looked up into the concerned man’s face,
her eyes moist with contrived tears.
Slim
shifted his hold so he could look at her face fully, “Rebecca, I’m sure
whatever it is you think you’ve done, it can’t be that bad. Tell me, I
promise I’ll hear you out and do whatever it takes to help sort this out
between you and Jess.”
“It’s
just, well, I’m sure he doesn’t mean it, but I think he wants me for
himself. Sometimes I turn and find him staring at me. I can feel his eyes
burning into me.”
“Rebecca,
any man would be a fool not to find you attractive, but Jess ain’t like that.
He plays it straight. He wouldn’t make a move on you, knowing you’re my
girl. And that doesn’t explain why you think it’s your fault.” Slim kept
himself calm despite the raging emotions Rebecca’s revelations were causing in
him. He knew Jess better than he knew himself and loved him like a brother.
Rebecca was just over anxious and reading too much into the situation. All the
time Slim was telling himself this, he was trying to recall if he had seen Jess
looking too long in Rebecca’s direction. He didn’t think so.
“But
don’t you see, Slim, I did come on to him when we first met. You remember, you
asked me to help you play that little trick on him. Maybe I did it too well and
he still thinks it was for real. And since then I have been trying extra hard to
be nice to him, just like you asked me to. Maybe he thought ---,” again she
skillfully hesitated, building the suspense, then she plunged on. “It is my
fault, that’s why in town he----.”
She
rushed into Slims arms again, letting the crocodile tears flow in full force.
Startled, Slim held her close, uttering soothing sounds and rocking her slightly
in his arms. When her sobbing slowed, he finally asked the question he had
wanted to avoid. “Has Jess ever said anything to you or hurt you, Rebecca?”
he asked. Although deep down he knew it couldn’t be true, he also knew
something must have happened to upset the woman he loved. When she didn’t
reply, he placed a hand under her chin and raised her head towards him,
searching her tear stained face for the truth. “What happened in town,
Rebecca?”
She had
him now. He was putty in her hands. She had planted the seeds of doubt and would
now water them just enough that they would take root. “He tried to kiss me. I
thought he was just giving me a friendly kiss on the cheek after we had talked
and I thought we had sorted out our difficulties just like you asked me to.
B--but he, well, he pulled me in close and kissed me fully. I--I tried to pull
away, but he was too strong. It was only when the storekeeper started to open
the back door that he let me go. I--I don’t know what would have happened if
not for that.”
Anger
was radiating from Slim and he pulled away from her. Inside there was a part of
him that knew Jess wouldn’t, couldn’t have done this, but the woman he loved
was standing in front of him telling him that he had, and Slim was too
emotionally entranced by this woman to doubt her.
He
turned away, fully intending to find his partner and have it out with him.
Rebecca grabbed his arm and pulled him back. She knew that if Slim talked it out
with Jess, the truth may well come out. She was well aware of how close the two
young men were. No, she had to stop Slim for now, and allow the wound to fester
until it reached a point where Slim would be driven beyond reason and the damage
would be done irreparably.
“No,
Slim,” she appealed. “Let it be. We’ve hardly spoken since and I made it
clear to Jess I wasn’t interested. He’s left me alone and kept well away
since then. You’ve seen that for yourself. Give him time and I’m sure he and
I will become friends.” She saw the resolve fade in Slims blue eyes, and the
light of reason replace the anger. “For me, Slim, please? I’d hate to think
that I’ve been the cause of your losing your best friend.”
“But,
I still think---” Slim persisted.
“Please,
Slim? I’ve been so happy since we met. I don’t want anything to disrupt our
happiness and Andy and Jonesy think the world of Jess. I don’t want them
hurt.” She radiated innocence and love as she stared appealingly up at a
bemused Slim.
“All
right. I’ll let it drop for now. You’re probably right and Jess will settle
down.” Slim was lost in her eyes and ignoring the warning voice deep inside
him that was telling him that Jess just wouldn’t behave that way. Jess would
never do anything to hurt him. All Slim could see was Rebecca’s attractive
face and her soft alluring voice as she demurely asked him to back down from
confronting Jess.
That had
been yesterday afternoon. Slim had seen very little of Jess, and had very little
to say to him when they did meet, further increasing the tension in Jess who was
becoming more and more aware of a change in Slim’s behavior towards him.
Everyone
at the small ranch was on edge and it wasn’t helped by the muggy weather. The
day had been hot and heavy, and despite the brief thunderstorm that had turned
everywhere into a mud puddle, the temperature remained uncomfortably warm.
Tension was a palpable thing that intensified whenever Rebecca and Jess were
forced by circumstances to be in the same room together, and this suppertime was
no exception. Jess had tried to find an excuse to eat a cold supper later, but,
exasperated, Slim had insisted Jess join them at the table.
Forced
to at least be polite to the woman he had come to hate, Jess ate in relative
silence, joining in the conversation with single word responses when he could
not avoid doing so without appearing sullen.
Putting
on a show of lighthearted friendliness to further convince Slim she was the
innocent victim in all this, Rebecca spoke frequently to Jess, teasing him about
who he would take to the barn dance the town was holding the following week.
“Doubt
I’ll go,” was the grunted reply.
“Oh,
Jess. You simply must. I’m sure I could find someone there that would take
your eye. He must go, mustn’t he, Slim,” she appealed to her fiancé.
“Go
on, Jess,” Andy encouraged. Jonesy said I could go and he’s even gonna play
a tune on the piano there.”
“Easy
now, Andy. I said I might. That old set of ivories is due a tuning before anyone
can coax a decent tune from it.” Jonesy glanced across at Jess, and seemed to
be the only one at the table currently aware of how miserable the young man was.
“Anyways,
Jess may have other plans for that night.”
When the
man in question failed to respond, Jonesy fell silent, and gave a warning look
to Andy to follow suite.
“Jess,
you’re due a break. You’re working yourself so hard it’s getting
impossible to even talk to you.” Slim attempted to strike up a conversation
with his troubled friend.
“I’m
fine,” was the only response he got as Jess kept his eyes fixed to the
tablecloth.
Slim had
just about had enough. He didn’t want to believe that Jess was capable of
forcing himself on any woman, let alone Rebecca, but he had to admit Jess’
behavior was far from normal these past few days.
“Jess,
you’re going even if I have to drag you there myself. You’re wound up
tighter than a rattlesnake waiting to strike and pretty soon something’s going
to give.” Slim forced the situation, annoyance clear in his voice and in the
angry glare he threw at Jess.
Jess’
frayed nerves got the better of him. He stood, pushing the chair over backwards
with his legs as he propelled himself away from the table. “I aint’ gotta do
anything I don’t want to, and I’ll thank you to mind your own business and
leave me to my own.” Then he was gone, the back door slamming shut behind him
as he made good his escape.
Slim was
furious, and, his face flushed in temper, he stood to follow Jess out. He
intended to have it out with his sulking partner once and for all.
Jonesy
stood and placed himself between Slim and the door. He shook his head as he
spoke quietly. “Leave it be, Slim. You know what Jess is like. Whatever is
sticking in his craw he’ll tell you when he’s good and ready and not
before.” Out of the corner of his eye, the older man saw Andy also start to
move. “And that goes for you to, Andy. Let Jess alone for now. That boy needs
some time to himself to clear his head.”
“That’s
just it, Jonesy. He’s had too much time to himself and he’s just brooding
and sulking more,” Slim objected and looked like he was going to ignore
Jonesy’s advice.
Rebecca
watched everything, her eyes cold and calculating. Things were going just as she
intended when she had first told Slim her version of the trip she had taken to
town with Jess. But it could still all go wrong if Slim had it out with Jess
right now. She knew it was time for the next step in the plan that would deliver
the killing blow to Jess and Slim’s close knit friendship.
“Wait,
Slim. Jonesy is right. Now is not the time to go and have it out with Jess,”
She turned her most appealing look on him. “I feel that somehow it is all my
fault. After all, I was the one trying to pressure him to go to the dance. I
only meant to help him relax. Maybe if I went and spoke to him--?” she left
the rest unsaid.
Mindful
of what Rebecca had told him, Slim hesitated. “I---I don’t know. He
doesn’t seem in a reasoning mood.”
The
scheming woman quickly snatched back the initiative. “That’s exactly what I
mean, Slim. He’s as likely to hit you as to listen to you. But he won’t turn
on a woman. The worse that can happen is he’ll walk away from me.”
“All
right. It’s got to be worth a try I suppose, because if he doesn’t ease up
soon, we are going to come to blows.” Slim backed down. Maybe if Rebecca did
talk to Jess, it would go a ways towards mending the rift in the family. Slim
didn’t want to lose Rebecca or Jess, but if things didn’t start to improve
soon, something or some one was going to have to give.
Smiling
warmly, Rebecca leaned forward and kissed Slim’s cheek. “Thank you. You
won’t regret it and I’m certain I’ll be able to get Jess to come to his
senses. Just stay here, and I’ll go find Jess. He’s probably out at the
barn.”
Handing
her the lantern, Slim opened the door. “It’s starting to get dark out.
You’ll need this.”
As she
headed across the yard, she heard the door shut behind her.
A small self-satisfied smile settled on her lips. Everything was falling
nicely into place. Soon the final irreversible steps would be taken and the long
quest for revenge would be fulfilled.
Approaching
the barn she could see the shadowy outline of her target against the soft yellow
glow from the lamp Jess had placed on a hay bale by the door. Rebecca stood in
the doorway for a few minutes watching as Jess brushed down each horse with a
tenderness that surprised her.
Jess
always enjoyed spending time with the horses. He tried to act like they where
there for the purpose of work only, but the others at the ranch had all observed
the gentleness with which he soothed and talked to an agitated animal. They all
knew about, but never mentioned, the tidbits of apple and carrot he carried in
his vest pocket to give to the horse’s when he thought no one was looking.
When he was troubled, as he was now, he would always retreat to the relative
solitude of the barn and the warm affection of the horses as they responded to
his gentle hands. As he brushed down his own horse, Traveler, he talked softly
to the animal, his low tones enticing the horse to stay unmoving as he worked.
Finally
he made up his mind. He needed to get away from the ranch for an hour or two and
gather his thoughts. A few stiff drinks in the saloon in Laramie may not change
his problems any but it would put a little distance between him and his troubles
for a little while. Perhaps tomorrow he’d see things a mite clearer. He
brought his saddle over and prepared Traveler for an evening ride into town.
Realizing
Jess was about to leave and this would put a very inconvenient end to her plans,
Rebecca moved forward. A soft whinny and a restless stamping of hooves alerted
him to another human presence close by. Jess turned towards the barn door,
expecting to see Slim or Andy standing there, wanting to push him to tell them
what was eating at him. Instead he saw the cause of all his current troubles.
“What
in the hell are you doing here?” He knew he was cussing but didn’t care. She
had proved herself far from being a lady and didn’t deserve the courtesies
Jess would normally give to the gentler sex. He had retreated to his sanctuary
to avoid further confrontation and here she was bringing all the trouble and
pain right to his door.
Stepping
forward, Rebecca placed her lantern next to Jess’, and moved closer to him.
Entering the soft circle of light that the lamp cast against the encroaching
dark. “I--I’m sorry Jess.” She saw Jess shake his head and read the anger
that burned in his eyes. Needing to keep control of the situation, and prevent
him thwarting her plan by leaving, she forced a repentant smile to her lips.
With her eyes downcast, she spoke quickly, pleading with him. “Please, hear me
out. If you don’t like what I have to say, then you can go tell Slim
everything and I won’t argue. I’ll pack my bags and leave.”
Not
believing his ears, but wishing desperately for all his problems to be solved as
simply as this, Jess stood his ground, putting down the brush he had been using,
he turned to face her. “All right, go ahead. I’m listening.”
“I’ve
taken a good hard look at myself, Jess, and I’ve been thinking hard about how
much Slim means to me.” Rebecca stepped closer, still keeping her eyes fixed
to the ground, presenting the picture of true repentance. “I have been very
stupid, Jess. I won’t make the same mistakes again.”
Relieved
by what she was saying, but still unconvinced, Jess stepped closer to her,
moving into the darker shadows. Just as she had planned, from this angle they
could not be seen clearly from the house. She allowed herself to tremble a
little; her shoulders slumped as if she was crying.
“Jess,
I intend for Slim to see just what sort of a wife I can be, and if you can just
forgive me, and stay around, you’ll see it for yourself.”
After
all that had happened between them, Jess really did wish it could be that easy,
but he had seen her true nature, and his inner voice was telling him to be
careful. “I wish I could believe
you Rebecca, but---”.
“Hear
me out, please, Jess. Surely Slim’s happiness is worth that much to you.”
Rebecca threw in her trump card. She lifted her eyes at last to meet his, and he
saw the moisture shinning in them.
He
couldn’t help himself; his ingrained instinct to protect the supposedly weaker
sex took over. Without consciously realizing he was moving, he stepped closer
and placed his hands on her shoulders. “I wish I could believe you. I want
Slim to be happy,” he stated, his voice strained, reflecting his turbulent
emotional state.
“Oh,
you can, Jess, you can. I am going to do my very best to make sure everything
works out between Slim and me,” she stared straight at him.
“I
just wish I could believe you mean it,” he said softly, trying to read the
truth in her eyes.
Using
her acting skills fully, she stumbled forward to rest against his chest. At a
loss as to how he should take this sudden change of heart, Jess found himself
gently placing his hands on her back, rubbing slow, comforting circles as he
waited for her sobs to subside.
They did
so remarkably quickly. “Oh, I do. I’m going to make sure Slim is just where
I want him, and you won’t be around to interfere.”
Before
the import of her words had sunk in, she raised her hand and dug her nails into
his cheek, deep enough to draw blood. Startled, Jess raised his hand to his
stinging face. “What the--?”
She
pushed him hard away from herself. Then reaching up she tore her own dress away
at the shoulder and flung herself back into the hay, rolling in the dirt. Before
Jess could react, she hurled herself at the wooden upright of the stall, grazing
her cheek. She screamed loudly both by design and because the pain had been
real.
Not
understanding just what was happening; Jess leaped towards her and made a grab
at her, trying to stop the seemingly demented woman from further harming
herself. She twisted within his restraining grip, screaming all the more.
“No,
Let me go!” Another shrill scream punctuated her cries. “Slim, Help! Oh,
god, please, don’t do this!”
Totally
unable to fathom what was happening, fearing Rebecca had slipped into hysteria
after the strain of the past days, Jess gripped her shoulders and shook her,
somewhat rougher than he intended. “Stop it, Rebecca. It’s all right,
you’re safe.”
She
raised her hand and raked his neck, leaving deep red welts in their wake.
Another piercing scream erupted as she tore again at her own clothing and
scratched her own face.
Jess
grabbed at her hands, seeking to stop her inflicting further damage on either of
them. Suddenly her eyes went wide and she stared wildly at the space behind
Jess. Jess tensed, and started to turn, fully expecting to come face to face
with whatever it was that had seemingly terrified the hysterical woman.
Before
he could complete the move, he was grabbed from behind and spun around. He found
himself just inches away from the scowling face of his best friend. Jess opened
his mouth to start to say what had happened, but instead he felt his head rocked
back on his shoulders and he staggered backwards to fall heavily against the
upright support of one of the stalls. His head connected with the wood with a
sickening thud and Jess saw stars.
Slim
stood over him, hesitating briefly as he rubbed the knuckles of his right hand
that was stinging from the hay-maker he had just landed on his best friend’s
jaw. At that point there may have been a slight chance to prevent the situation
from deteriorating further, but Slim had headed out of the house at the first
piercing scream, and Jonesy and Andy had been ordered to stay inside. They had
only lost a few seconds, before the sound of Jess’ voice raised in confusion
had caused them to hurry after Slim. Those few seconds were to forever change
the relationships of the three in the barn.
A soft
sob from Rebecca drew Slim’s eyes and as he took in her disheveled state and
torn clothing, he lost all reason. Jess was still trying to focus when he felt
himself hauled to his feet. For a second, in his muddled mind, he thought his
pard had come to the rescue, and then the breath was knocked out of him as
Slim’s heavy fist rammed into his stomach.
Totally
out of control, Slim rained blow after blow onto Jess’ defenseless body. Dazed
from the blow to his head, Jess couldn’t take in what was happening. He
didn’t want to hit Slim, he couldn’t raise his hand against his friend, and
yet he couldn’t understand why his best friend seemed bent on destroying him.
Words kept filtering through the haze of the pain and uncertainty. Slim was
shouting at him but Jess could make no sense of the words.
“She
wouldn’t have you--” Thump, another hard punch connected with his jaw,
splitting his lip and causing him to bite his tongue.
“--Jealous---”
Whack “ Bastard, ----couldn’t leave her alone,” Thud. “---Force yourself
on her-----”
Jess,
now unable to fend off the blows at all, his vision blurred and threatening to
fail him altogether, reeled on the edge of consciousness. Slim lunged at him
again, not seeing the confused, battered man before him. He was only able to see
Rebecca’s frightened face. His heavier muscled body drove the considerably
weakened Jess backwards. As he staggered back he twisted awkwardly and fell onto
the protruding edge of the old upturned anvil. He heard a sickening crack of
breaking bone before the fiery pain lanced through his chest, the breath driven
out of his lungs.
Oblivious
to this, Slim grasped at Jess’ shirtfront, hauling him upwards before
literally throwing him across the barn where he landed heavily against the stall
wall. As the red haze of pain claimed him, Jess legs gave way totally and he
slid down the wall to fall in a crumpled heap on the floor.That was where he
stayed, curled up on his side in a fetal position. His hands wrapped
protectively around his ribs.
“Get
up, you Bastard, get up and fight back. I ain’t finished with you yet.”
Beside himself with rage, Slim moved towards the almost unconscious man again.
He was so far gone he no longer saw Jess at his feet, only a monster of a
man that had tried to rape his fiancée.
Jonesy
and Andy had entered the barn just as Slim had thrown Jess across the barn that
last time. They had stood frozen, horrified, as an irrational Slim had advanced
on his erstwhile best friend. The site of Jess galvanized the two shocked
onlookers into action. They lunged forward and grabbed at Slims arms, trying to
drag him backward away from the beaten man.
“Stop
it, Slim. He’s down!” Jonesy’s insistent voice forced itself through the
red haze of anger that clouded Slim’s mind.
“Please,
Slim. Please, you’ll kill him.” Andy added his own plea, his eyes never
leaving the still, bloodied body of his hero lying at his brother’s feet.
Slim
looked at Jonesy and his brother and saw the fear and concern written all over
their faces. He stepped back from Jess and shook off their hold on his arms.
“You can let go. It’s all right. I’m not going to waste any more energy on
that worthless scum.”
Hesitantly,
Andy stepped forward toward Jess. He dropped to his knees besides his friend and
reached out to him, intending to roll the semi conscious man over and check his
injuries.
“No,”
came sharply from Slim. “Leave him be, he doesn’t deserve any help from
decent folk.” The red haze of anger still held Slim in its grip and his
rational mind was struggling to regain control.
Andy
turned to look up sharply at his older brother. “But, Slim, he’s---”
His
anger rising again, Slim dragged Andy back and spun him to face Rebecca, as she
stood huddled in the corner, giving the perfect imitation of a terrified young
woman.
“He’s
dirt, Andy. No man that can attack a woman like he did is worth any
consideration from us. Look at her and tell me you still think you should help
Jess.”
Andy
glanced at Rebecca and then back toward Jess, who was starting to move slightly.
Deep inside him, Andy knew Jess wasn’t capable of attacking a woman like Slim
seemed to be saying, and yet it was difficult to dispute the evidence before
him. He glanced at Jonesy for help.
Jonesy
was equally confused by this recent turn of events. He could see that Jess had
taken a bad beating, and he wanted to help, but one look at the fire of anger
that still burned close to the surface in Slim, made him hesitate. He didn’t
want to push Slim over the edge and have him turn on Jess again. The immediate
need was to get Slim into the house and away from Jess. Hopefully Slim would
cool off away from the scene of the crime. Then there might be a chance to get
Slim to see reason. Fighting every instinct he had that was screaming at him to
help Jess, Jonesy shook his head slightly at Andy.
“Slim,
I think Rebecca needs your help right now. Why don’t you and Andy take her
inside? I’ll finish up here,” Jonesy offered.
Slim
turned to Rebecca and then back to look at Jess who was now groaning and
struggling to sit up, his left arm wrapped protectively around his ribs. “You
take Andy inside, Jonsey. I won’t be long.”
“No!”
Andy snapped, more sharply than he intended. He feared for Jess’ safety, even
though this was his older brother he was wary of.
Jess’
head was ringing. As he had struggled through his pain and confusion towards
some clarity of thought, he had heard the harsh words and accusations of the man
he had come to think of as a brother. He shook his head to try and clear his
thoughts. Somehow he had to tell Slim it was all some horrible mistake, that he
wasn’t guilty of the things Slim was accusing him off.
As he
heard the three of them argue above him, he lifted his eyes to see their faces.
He found himself focusing on the figure several feet behind them, and what he
saw there turned him cold. The look on Rebecca’s face was as far removed from
that of a terrified woman as was possible. Unseen by the others, a gloating
smirk marred her pretty features. She had played her cards well and the game was
hers. She had won Slim over and ensured Jess would be out of her hair forever.
Jess
lifted his eyes to meet Slim’s and saw only hatred there. Gone was the warmth
of friendship, growing trust and brotherly love that had healed and held Jess
these past months. The only things he saw, as his erstwhile friend looked at him
now, was revulsion and rejection, emotions he had prayed he would never see
there. A cold emptiness engulfed Jess’ heart and soul.
The
words of denial he had intended to say stuck in his throat and threatened to
choke him. Jess broke eye contact with Slim and dropped his gaze to the ground.
This man, who had always held to his own strict sense of morals and fought
against the odds to be able to hold his head up, finally gave up. The loss of
his home and family, this rejection by his ‘brother’, succeeded were the
rest of the world had failed. Jess could fight no longer. His body hurt more
severely than anyone suspected, Jess’ spirit was torn apart. At that moment he
no longer cared if he lived or died.
“Jonesy,
take Andy into the house.” Slim saw the fear flicker briefly in Andy’s eyes
as he glanced quickly sideways at his downed friend. “Go on, Andy. I’m not
going to hit him again. He isn’t worth it.”
Knowing
the situation was still volatile, Jonesy took Andy firmly by the shoulders and
turned him away from Jess, ushering him out of the barn towards the house. Once
out of earshot, Jonesy bent low to speak softly to the young boy. “Don’t
fret, Andy. Slim’s in control of himself now. He won’t touch Jess again.
Soon as Slim’s settled in the house, I’ll find a way to head back out here
and help Jess.”
Andy
looked up at Jonesy gratefully. “Jess wouldn’t do what Slim’s accusing him
of. He just wouldn’t,” he appealed.
“I
know, Andy, but it didn’t look good out there. You saw with your own eyes.”
Jonesy tried to explain how Slim could believe Jess had attacked Rebecca, but
Andy interrupted.
“You
don’t think Jess could do that?” he said, his sense of betrayal sounding in
his voice.
Hesitating,
Jonsey tried to find the words that would re-assure the young boy who’s world
had just been torn apart. “No, Andy, I don’t. But you got to admit it looks
bad and we realy don’t know that much about Jess and his dark past. Just as
soon as Slim is settled in the house I’ll get out to Jess and find out what
really happened. Then I’m going to make that stubborn, love sick brother of
yours listen to reason, even if I have to hog tie him.”
“What
if Jess leaves, Jonesy? I wouldn’t blame him after what Slim’s done.” Andy
was fighting hard not to turn tail and run straight back to Jess.
Jonesy
thought to himself ‘From the look of Jess, he won’t be going anywhere for
awhile. He’ll probably hole up in the bunk house and lick his wounds.’ Aloud,
he said, “ Jess’ll stay put until Slim calms down and then he’ll
try and talk it through with him, when he knows Slim’s ready to reason things
through. Don’t worry, Jess ain’t no fool. He’ll wait around and try and
sort it out. His friendship with Slim is mighty important to him, he won’t
give up on it easily.”
While
Slim had ordered Jonesy to take Andy back to the house, Jess had managed to
struggle to his feet. His breath was coming in painful gasps, and it seemed that
every part of his body was protesting his actions. But the physical pain he was
experiencing was nothing to the agony that assailed his soul.
He
had seen the hatred and revulsion in his Pard’s eyes, and through a haze of
pain he had seen Jonesy and Andy walk away from him. It didn’t take seeing the
look in their eyes to know that they too had believed Rebecca’s lies and
rejected him also. The friendship, trust and security that had finally come to
be accepted by him after having lived alone for so long, were gone. In its place
was a dark, deep hole that threatened to engulf his soul.
Looking
at the woman he loved, huddled near the door to the barn, Slim felt the rage
rise again. He strode across towards Jess and gabbed the front of his shirt,
hauling him away from the support of the wall he had been leaning against.
Jess’
knees felt like they would buckle under him as he looked for and failed to find,
any sign of doubt in Slim’s eyes. He started to try and say something;
anything that would break through to his friends hate filled mind, but the right
words wouldn’t come. “S--Slim, I--I didn’t---.”
For
a brief second, it looked like Slim would listen, then behind the two men,
Rebecca allowed herself to sob out a few carefully chosen words. “Slim,
please. I--I can’t stand this. P--please take me back to the house. H--he
isn’t worth it.”
The
hatred flared afresh in Slim’s soul, fuelled by her voice, overriding the
deeper knowledge that was telling him this man in front of him was incapable of
attacking a woman.
With
almost superhuman strength, Slim pushed him away from him, sending him
staggering backwards on unsteady legs to crash into the stalls dividing wall.
Jess’ head snapped back, hitting the wooden upright forcefully.
The
breath knocked out of him, the pain driven blackness threatening to engulf him,
the last words Jess heard were spat out by Slim as he led Rebecca from the barn.
“I blame myself for letting a no good killer like you sucker me in. Get off my
ranch, and don’t ever come back. Next time I see you, I’ll kill you. Scum
like you are not fit to walk this earth!”
When
Slim entered the house, he was half carrying Rebecca as she leaned heavily
against him, allowing him to give her support. Though his touch repulsed her,
she knew it wouldn’t be for very much longer. Soon, so very soon, the
elaborate charade would be over and she could finally get away from this man she
detested. All of the painstakingly constructed false reality she had built could
end, and she would see the downfall of Slim Sherman. It had been pure pleasure
to see Jess Harper destroyed, especially after he had rejected her, but her real
target was Sherman and she shivered with anticipation at that thought.
Feeling
the woman he loved trembling in his embrace caused Slim’s temper to flare
anew. Holding it in check he gently guided her to a seat and sat her down.
“Jonesy, get that medicinal whiskey you keep and bring it here,” he shouted,
more loudly than was needed.
The
older man had been gathering his medical supplies together, fully intending to
go out the back door to the barn to help Jess. From what he had been able to see
of the downed man, he looked like he would need a little patching up. As Slims
commanding voice split the air, he hastened to the front room, supplies in hand.
Slims
eyes raked over the bandages Jonesy was clutching. “Those won’t be needed
Jonesy, Rebecca’s been scared pretty badly but I don’t think she has been
hurt,” he offered. Then it suddenly dawned on Slim that doctoring his fiancé
hadn’t been Jonesy’s intention. “I won’t have you going out there to
that--that, him” Slim finished lamely, unable to voice the hated name.
“He’s had far worse before and survived. You’re to stay here and leave him
be.” Slim turned toward his younger brother who had been edging slowly toward
the kitchen door. “That goes for you to, Andy. I forbid you to go near him. He
isn’t fit to be associating with decent folk and I don’t want you near
him.”
Andy
stood frozen by the door, hesitating as he weighed the depth of his older
brothers anger. He loved and respected his older brother, but Jess, almost from
the moment they had met, had become more than just a friend. To Andy, Jess had
become another brother, the older friend who would join him in the escapades
that his staid real older brother frowned upon. Of all the people on the ranch,
Andy had perhaps gotten to be the closest to Jess up till now. Jess, in turn,
had let down his barriers against the world, opening up to Andy and letting him
see some of the things about his family he had kept locked away until now. Andy
knew with a certainty that his best friend wouldn’t, couldn’t be guilty of
the things Rebecca had accused him of. Why couldn’t Slim see that?
Seeing
the doubt in his younger brothers expressive eyes, Slim moved towards him. Now
he stood towering over the boy. Perhaps he didn’t mean to appear intimidating,
but to Andy it appeared so. He cowered back, flinching as Slim raised his hand
to bring it gently down on his brother’s shoulder.
“Andy,
please. I don’t want you going near him, he’s dangerous,” Slim instructed,
keeping his fragile temper tightly in check.
“No,
Slim, no. Jess needs help, he wouldn’t---” Andy tried to voice his pain and
fear.
To
Slim, so close to the edge of violence, and fighting hard not to go back out
again and beat Jess Harper to a bloody pulp, it seemed like his own brother was
turning against him. He dropped his arms to his sides, his hands clenching and
unclenching repeatedly “I’ve never laid a hand against you, Andy, but you
make one move towards that door, or mention THAT name again, I’ll take my belt
to you. Go to your room and go to bed. I don’t want to hear another word from
you till morning.”
Standing
silently, Jonesy had witnessed brother turn against brother and it hurt. As Andy
turned questioningly towards him he gave a slight nod of his head, indicating to
the distraught boy that he should obey. The older man had known Slim since he
was a baby, and had only ever seen Slim this angry once before, when he had come
home after the war to find his father dead and rumors ripe that the older
Sherman had committed treason. He recognized how close to violence Slim was
right now, and knew that if they pushed him too far it would boil over, the most
likely recipient being the injured man back in the barn.
“Go
to bed, Andy. I’ll finish up here then I’ll follow you,” Jonesy
instructed, hoping Andy would read between the lines and know Jonesy intended to
head out to the barn and Jess as soon as Slim and Rebecca had retired.
Andy
decided that right now it would serve Jess better if he obeyed his brother and
went to his room. He scooted around Slim, avoiding eye contact with him. He gave
Jonesy a brief goodnight, and pointedly ignored Rebecca as he retreated to his
bedroom and shut the door none too gently.
This
last rebuke from his younger brother hit Slim hard. He turned to Jonsey and
spoke sharply. “Give Rebecca that whiskey, Jonsey. Rebecca’s going to stay
here tonight.” He turned to his fiancée, the hard look on his face softening
as his eyes settled on her. “Rebecca, its far too late to take you back to
town, especially after the shock you have had. You can sleep in my room tonight,
I’ll use the couch.”
That
suited the scheming woman just fine. She had warned her accomplice to watch out
for an argument between the two ranchers, and had ascertained that once Jess
Harper had been driven from the ranch, the rest of the plan could be followed
up. She practically glowed with success, but Slim saw only what he was supposed
to see, a defenseless woman in need of love and support.
“T--thank
you Slim, b--but J--Jess slee---”, she knew exactly the affect her words would
have, but she needed to drive the last nail into the coffin and ensure there was
no way Harper would get the chance to speak to Slim when, or if he calmed down.
As
the meaning of her words hit Slim he reacted violently, storming into the
bedroom he had shared with Jess. He tore the bedding off Jess’ bed, pulled the
few belongings Jess had out of the one draw he used, and finally he even took
the gun, Jess’ finely tuned weapon from his gun fighting days, from out of its
hiding place in the chimney breast.
These
few pitiful articles were all Jess had, the few things he had collected around
him during his years on the drift, and now Slim, taking his anger out on the
inanimate representations of his enemy, opened the front door and flung them
unceremoniously out into the dirt and mud.
To
an anxious Jonesy, unable to go out to help Jess as Slim intended to sleep in
the front room, it was as if Slim Sherman had just thrown away into the dirt the
best gift of friendship a benevolent god had seen fit to bestow on a man. He
shook his head sadly and retreated to his room, fervently hoping the advent of
dawn would bring some sanity back into their shattered world.
Outside,
a deeper blackness settled over the ranch as the coldness of the early hours of
the morning pervaded the barn. The horses shifted restlessly, disturbed by the
soft moans that were heard from over in the far stall. It had taken the nervous
animals quite a while to settle after the earlier ruckus, but eventually they
had done. Now they sensed another presence as Jess was dragged back to harsh
reality by the cold that seemed to be seeping into his very bones.
At
first Jess couldn’t understand why he wasn’t in his warm bed, and he lay
still, unsure as to how he had ended up on the hard floor. Cautiously he opened
his eyes and tried to look around. It was pitch black and for one panic filled
moment the badly beaten man thought he was blind. He raised his hands to rub
frantically at his eyes, and another loud groan escaped him as the movement sent
hot agony through his chest and set him to gasping for his breath.
Forcing
himself to lie still until his ragged breathing was once more under control,
Jess again looked around. This time, as a watery moon appeared briefly from
behind the gathering storm clouds, he was able to make out the lighter areas of
the barn and the shapes of the horses as they returned to munching at their hay.
Moving
slowly, so as not to aggravate the hurts his body was already demanding he give
attention to, Jess levered himself up into a sitting position. He leant heavily
back against the broken upright of the stalls dividing wall and waited for the
nausea and dizziness to pass. ‘How had he come to be here’ he
wondered, aware that Slim or any of the others hadn’t appeared to come to his
aide. The devastation in the barn attested to the fact there must have been one
heck of a ruckus and yet no one from the ranch house had appeared.
Eyes
drawn tight in a worried frown, the young ranch hand squinted through the open
barn door to where he could make out the dark outline of the ranch house. No
welcoming light showed in any window, and Jess’ heart clenched in fear for his
‘family’.
Though
every movement threatened to plunge the injured man back into oblivion, Jess
wrapped his left arm around his chest to support ribs he now suspected were
broken. His right arm reached shakily up to the broken upright and slowly, inch
by inch, Jess pulled himself to his feet. The waves of fire this movement caused
in his ribs forced him to rest, leaning against the wall. He didn’t tolerate
this weakness for long however. Driven by fear for his best friend and adopted
‘family’, Jess pushed himself off from the wall and staggered to the door.
That
last effort cost him dearly, as he staggered those last few steps, his world
seemed to tilt and shift and he dropped foreword onto his knees as he found
himself retching violently. He stared in horror as the pale moon light allowed
him to see the bright red streaks in the dirt that colored his just lost stomach
contents. He hoped it was merely the strain of the violent heaving he had just
endured rather than a sign of any more serious injury inside.
‘That
must have been one hell of a fight you found yourself in’ the hurting
young man admonished himself, ‘but why is there no sign of the others and
who’s done this.’ Jess was
a seasoned fighter. He had needed to be to survive alone on the drift. He
reasoned that he must have gotten in a few good blows of his own, yet he could
see no evidence of the other combatant.
Shaking
his head to clear his clouded mind, Jess forced himself to focus on the
preceding events. He remembered the meal clearly. ‘How long ago had that
been?’ He remembered retreating out to the relative safety of the barn and
the comfort of his horse Traveler, and then things became more than a little
muddy. Trying to focus on the face or faces of his attackers just increased his
confusion as the hate filled face of his Pard kept swimming into view.
His
anxiety increased as he reasoned Slim must have been attacked as well, and yet
there was no sign of him in the immediate vicinity, and why did he recall
hearing Rebecca scream. He had no time for the woman, but even so, the thought
that she had been attacked turned him cold with fear of what that would do to
Slim.
“SLIM!”
The name was torn from his abused throat, and with little air in his lungs to
power the cry, the barely audible sound sent him into another retching coughing
fit. This time there was no denying the blood he wiped from his lips as the
coughing finally subsided leaving him wretched and shaken.
Refusing
to accept the demands of his weakening body to rest, confused by his muddled
memories, and driven by fear for his newfound family, Jess drew on his
unreasoning stubbornness to propel him out into the night towards the house.
Darker
shapes lying on the muddy ground drew his staggering steps away from their
intended course and Jess found himself looking down at the bedraggled remains of
cloths and a gun, lying pitifully in the dirt. Dropping to his knees he lifted
the bedraggled garments, recognizing, through the mud, his own clothes. His
hands shook as he reached forward and he picked up the gun. His gunfighters
weapon, put up and hidden away at his best friends request, a symbol of the new
life he intended to build for himself here.
‘SCUM!.
Nothing but scum!’ The words hammered into his brain, each syllable a
deathblow to Jess’ spirit. With a soft, heart wrenching sob, the devastated
man dropped his meager possessions, and sat back on his heels, unconsciously
rocking slowly forward and backward in a comfort seeking action, his face buried
in his hands. There was none to be gained however, as the memories of the past
evening rushed unmercifully at him, forcing him to relive the devastating pain
and loss anew.
Since
his real family had been torn from him when he was a vulnerable young boy, Jess
had fiercely protected himself from any emotional attachments. He had done what
he needed to in order to survive a treacherous world that repeatedly betrayed
him. Eventually he had convinced himself he needed nobody, and had seemingly
accepted that his was to be a lonely, friendless existence, as he pursued his
ultimate goal of revenge against his family’s killers.
Somehow,
though Jess had fought hard against it, Andy and then Slim, had broken through
those thick walls of protection and became the family he had denied himself. He
hadn’t planned for it to happen, had repeatedly pushed the two brothers away,
and yet, at some point, Slim, Andy and Jonesy had moved from casual friends and
employers to family, the ranch house from temporary lodgings to home.
Now,
as the harsh memories ripped through him, he felt as he had all those years ago,
as he had knelt on another night, finally cried out and empty of emotion, in
front of the smoldering remains of his childhood home.
Just
as he had done, so many years ago, he gathered up his few pitiful belongings,
buried his feelings deep inside and began to build the walls back up again,
stronger and higher than ever before. For the second time in his young life,
Jess Harper had lost all he held dear, torn from him violently and unjustly. The
severe pain that assailed his body physically was nothing compared to the
emotional pain that seared his mind and soul.
Turning
his back on the ranch house, Jess staggered back to the barn. Emotionally
drained, working automatically, Jess slowly and painfully tightened the cynch on
the still saddled Traveler and packed his muddied clothes in the saddlebag.
Reaching
up with both hands, Jess hauled himself up into the saddle. He fought against
the pain that flared in his chest but was unable to stop the coughing fit that
assailed him. It took longer to settle this time and Jess looked disdainfully at
he copious fresh blood that stained his bandanna that he had used to wipe his
mouth clear of the metallic tasting phlegm. He couldn’t deny to himself that
he must be bleeding inside, but it didn’t matter. None of it mattered any
more.
Weakly
urging Traveler forward, he left the barn, casting his eyes briefly in the
direction of the darkened ranch house. Strangely, Jess could forgive Slim, could
understand how a woman could blind a man to everything but her, especially a
woman like Rebecca, but he couldn’t understand how Andy could believe he was
capable of such a thing.
Andy
was always so trusting of him and so wise beyond his years. Andy knew Jess as
well as if they were real brothers, and Andy had claimed a special place in
Jess’ heart. Filling the emptiness that had been left when Jess’ younger
brother had perished in the flames of the fire that destroyed Jess’ childhood
home, Andy’s seeming betrayal bit deeper than any of the others. Sick in body,
heart and soul, a truly shattered man, Jess rode away from the Sherman ranch,
leaving behind all he had come to hold close.
Chapter
Eight