by Jolene Faye
Chapter Five
The chill of the air set deep into his bones as Jed shivered pulling his jacket and a thick blanket around his shoulders. It had only been two days and he was only half way to Gonzales, but the tingling pain in his knees and hips made his decision to stop a necessary one. He mentally fussed at his pains and age as he stepped down from the wagon. "Any time before I could just sleep in the wagon or pitch a tent," he grumbled as he made his way into the warmth of the small hotel. After paying for a room for the night, Jed walked into the dining room of the small hotel and smiled. It was warm and the delicious smell of the food made his stomach rumble. Settling behind the table closest to the fireplace, Jed's bones cracked and groaned as he removed his jacket and hung it on the back of the chair. Though the loud piano and noise from the nearby dancehall filtered into the small dining room when anyone would enter or leave, Jed looked around the cozy, well decorated hotel dining room and sighed. Not bad, he thought as he leaned back watching the woman place the bowl of dumplings in front of him. Deciding instantly that if he ventured off on more panning trips, he'd make it a point to stay in a small hotel like this instead of on the cold ground. "Can I get you anything else Mister," the soft low voice drifted over his shoulder as he spooned into the dumplings. Looking back over his shoulder into the soft blue eyes of the waitress, Jed smiled. As she stepped around his side and put down the steaming cup of coffee, a low chuckle escaped his lips as he gazed over the soft rounded curves of her body. "Maybe a little company," he winked as he watched the pinkness of blush take over the roundness of her cheeks. Her smile brightened as she explained she had another two hours of work. Extending his hand, the delight played in the sparkling blue of his eyes as he spoke softly, "I'm Jed and I'm in no hurry."
"You sly old dog," a soft deep voice carried as Jed winked once again at the waitress as she passed by his table. Turning in the chair toward the voice, Jed choked on his mouthful of coffee, "Cole!" The heartiness of his laugh rumbled in the small room as he clapped his hand over Jed's shoulder and took the seat next to him. "What are you doing here old timer," he asked as the waitress set a cup of coffee in front of him. Taking a long sip before waving the waitress away, Cole's eyes narrowed as worries flashed through his mind. "Jed, is it Sybil? Is it Rose? Is something wrong," he rushed through the questions like a whirlwind before Jed could even begin to tell his tale. "Calm yourself son," Jed's voice was low and quiet as he patted Cole's shoulder and sat back in his chair. "I need to ask you some questions and 'pendin on your answers, have some things to tell you," Jed sighed over his cup of coffee as he took another long sip.