by Barbara Goss
Of course, it had been almost a year since he’d been with a woman. In his type of work, he rarely ran into single women. He’d met Ellen while tracking a man wanted dead or alive, and it had turned out to be her brother. The man resisted him when he tried to take him in, and he’d had to shoot him. Ellen spat at him and told him to go to the devil. Jesse felt bad. He paid for the outlaw’s funeral and gave the bounty to Ellen and her mother. After that, they’d become lovers. He had almost proposed, but the sheriff in town had informed him of a huge bounty, and he'd left. Jesse hadn’t promised to return, and Ellen knew he wouldn’t. The last he’d heard, she’d married a prosperous rancher in El Paso.
After Jesse and Delia had finished eating, Jesse packed up the remnants of the picnic while Delia stretched her legs out and leaned against the tree.
“It feels heavenly to be outdoors in the fresh air.”
Jesse leaned back against the tree beside her. “So, tell me, where you are from and what brought you to Sunset Creek.”
Delia hesitated so long, Jesse thought she hadn’t heard his question. Finally, she answered,
“I’m from Missouri, and I came here because my sister lives in the vicinity. She’s married, so I needed to start a life of my own, and since I have no skills to speak of, I applied at the Rusty Spur and got the job.”
“Was last night your first night?”
“Yes. It petrified me—could you tell?”
“Not at all. You looked calm and collected.”
Jesse wanted to ask her if she'd planned on taking men upstairs as some saloon women did, but he knew he couldn’t ask something that personal.
“What exactly are your required job duties?” When her head spun toward him, he quickly added, I’ve never known a saloon woman before.”
To his relief, Delia smiled.
“You haven’t? My, you really haven’t been social, have you?”
Jesse shrugged. “They have served me, but I’ve never spoken to one on a personal level.”
Delia folded her hands in her lap. “Horace pays us to serve drinks, keep the men company, and encourage them to drink more, as well as buy us drinks. That way, ol’ Horace makes a lot of money. And when a man buys a saloon woman a drink, the barman puts tea in the woman’s drink, thus the pink-tinted shot glasses. They want to be sure that the woman gets the right glass.”
“That’s all?” Jesse asked.
“That’s all. If you’re asking if the saloon women take men upstairs, it’s the woman’s choice. They aren’t paid to do so, so not all of them do. As far as I know, the women who do take men to their rooms are well-acquainted with them. They aren’t strangers, nor do they pay for... um... services provided.”
Jesse felt relieved.
He didn’t want Delia to take anyone up to her room. Jesse already knew he wanted her for himself. While he hadn’t been looking for a wife, since Judd had married, the idea had been in the back of his mind. Could it be Cordelia? If so, he had to play it right. He didn’t want to scare her away.
“I should go,” Delia said. “I want to take a nap before going to work tonight.”
Jesse and Delia both made a move for the picnic basket, and their noses touched, causing them to freeze. Jesse quickly but briefly kissed her soft lips. To his surprise, Delia didn’t pull away too quickly. She gave him a brief smile, stood, and brushed off her skirt.
He drove her back to town, and since Delia was so quiet, he wondered if his impulsive kiss had offended her, but she had smiled after it. Should he apologize? He hadn’t planned it, but he thought about kissing her each time he looked at her unpainted lips; he preferred them natural. Jesse hated that she worked at the saloon. For some reason, he wanted her all to himself.
When he reined-in near the general store, he turned to her. “I’m sorry if I offended you by kissing you. I didn’t plan it. It just happened.”
It surprised him when Delia patted his hand. “I rather enjoyed it myself, although it was quite unexpected.”
Her answer bolstered his courage. “May I see you again?”
“I hope so. Will you be coming to the saloon tonight?”
Jesse thought about his answer. He wanted to see her again and soon, but he didn’t want to sit and watch her flirt with men all evening. “No, I can’t make it tonight—how about lunch again tomorrow?”
“Yes, I’d love that. I enjoyed our picnic today—let me bring lunch tomorrow.”
Jesse jumped down from his perch and went around to assist Delia from the wagon. “That would be great. Tomorrow, same place and same time?”
Delia nodded and waved. “Bye, Jesse.”
Chapter Three
On Jesse’s way to meet Delia, a horse galloped from behind him to ride alongside him. “How’s it going, Sean?” Jesse said.
Sean smiled. “She’s here! My mail-order bride, Sophia, and Charlie, her chaperone.”
“And?” Jesse could tell Sean had more news by the grin on his face.
“I wondered if you’d be my best man tomorrow.”
His words took Jesse’s breath away for several seconds. “I’m honored. I thought you’d ask Roy or Mac since you’ve known them longer.”
“No. I don’t want to hear negative marriage stories on my wedding day. I also wondered if you could show Charlie around town after the small reception.”
Jesse laughed. “Our town? That won’t take long. Sure, I will. I know you and your bride will want some time alone.”
“Thank you, my friend. I’ll see you at the church at two o’clock, then?”
“I’ll be there.”
Jesse picked up Delia at the general store. On the way to his home, he told her about Sean’s news. “He surprised me when he asked me to be his best man. He also wants me to show her chaperone, Charlie, around the town, so I won’t be able to have lunch with you tomorrow.”
As he lifted Delia from the wagon, she said, “If this Charlie is a nice chap, bring him into the saloon later in the evening, and I’ll buy you both a drink.”
Jesse paused, still holding onto her waist, while thinking of a good excuse. He couldn’t go into the saloon to watch Delia flirting with all the men.
“I can’t. Sean expects Charlie back by dark.”
Jesse carried the picnic package she’d brought.
“Sarah, the saloon’s cook, didn’t have a basket. She said this was the first time anyone had asked her to pack a picnic lunch.”
“It’s not the container that counts; it’s what’s inside,” Jesse said as he spread the cloth under the tree.
Having been pressured by her brother-in-law, Delia knew she had to make the first move since Jesse was such a gentleman. Though he’d kissed her once, he admitted it had been almost an accident.
She had to get him to propose.
“Jesse,” she asked sweetly while he unpacked the food, “do you fancy me?”
He nearly dropped the plate he was holding. “Excuse me?”
“Do you fancy me?” Feeling frustrated, she added, “Are we more than friends?” Delia held her breath, waiting for his answer, which seemed to take forever.
“I consider you more than a friend. You’re a special friend,” he added.
Delia nibbled on her sandwich. “Then I think we should take our relationship to the next level.”
Jesse had taken drink from his jar of water, and her words nearly choked him. He coughed repeatedly. When he recovered he asked, “What’s the next level?”
“More of the delicious kissing and some hugs, perhaps?”
Jesse smiled. “I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
They continued eating quietly. Delia felt happy about his response, so much so that she was emboldened. “Why do you never come back to the saloon?”
Jesse picked up the remnants of the lunch and didn’t answer right away. Finally, he said, “Because I can’t stand to watch you flirting with all the men.”
“It’s my job.”
“Fine. I understand that, but I
needn’t sit and watch it.”
“It means nothing. Do you think I enjoy flirting with those old coots?”
Jesse laughed sarcastically. “Not all the men are old.”
“True, but Marcie always gets to the young ones first. She has seniority.”
“So none of the younger men approach you, hoping you’ll flirt with them?”
“A few do, but they are just part of the job to me. None of them give me the same feeling as you do.”
“What kind of feeling?”
“Oh, you know, that warm glow inside. When you touch me I get goosebumps.” Delia wasn’t lying about that. Her feelings for him were real, which made what she had to do the most difficult thing she ever had to do in her life.
She reached over to take Jesse’s hand. “You are the only man that can set my heart to racing.”
Jesse put his arms out, and Delia flew into them. He hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear, “I feel the same.”
Delia felt Jesse pull away slightly and disappointment flowed through her. Then he pecked her lips briefly, and she felt herself sway with dizziness. How could she go through with her brother-in-law’s plan? She didn’t want to trick him or see him dead.
Jesse arrived at the little church at exactly two o’clock, wearing a suit he hadn’t wore since his cousin Bert had married eight years ago. That was the last time he'd been in a church, too.
He walked up to Sean who was waiting in the small lobby. “Are you nervous? You look pale.”
“I’m a wreck. I’m marrying a stranger, Jesse. She’s pretty, though, and personable. Just the same, she could turn into a nag after we say the vows.”
Jesse clapped Sean’s back. “I rather doubt it. If she starts nagging, you set her straight right off the bat by walking out and going to the saloon.”
Sean laughed. “I like that idea.”
The piano music started, and Sean paled again. “Here we go.”
The two men walked down the aisle, and Jesse saw two women at the altar. One had hair the color of sand and wore a lovely ecru dress with a flower pinned to her chest. She smiled at Sean, so Jesse figured that was Sophia. He only glanced at the other woman, but Sean led him to stand beside her. She was on the petite side, with hair the color of buttercups. He remembered that his mother had had hair that same color. The girl was attractive—not beautiful like Cordelia but cute, with wide eyes and a button nose. She didn’t smile at him, but she did nod.
After the couple had repeated their vows, Sean gave his bride a quick kiss. Jesse and the woman stood next to each other to sign the pastor’s book. Then, Sean finally introduced him. “Jesse, I’d like you to meet my sister-in-law, Charlie.”
Jesse felt speechless. All he could do was nod in her direction and mumble, “Nice to meet you.”
“This is my bride,” Sean said proudly, “Sophia McMullen.”
Sophia took both of Jesse’s hands in hers. “It’s nice to make your acquaintance, finally. Sean has told me so much about you.” Her eyes drifted to her sister, Charlie.
Jesse finally figured it out—they were matchmaking, setting up him with this Charlie. What kind of name was Charlie for a woman?
As if she’d read his mind, Charlie said, “My birth name is Charlotte, but please don’t call me that. I hate the name.”
“I promise,” Jesse said. “I guess I’m to show you around town. Should I rent a buggy from the livery?”
“Goodness, no. Sean gave me a horse to ride while visiting.”
“Perfect,” Jesse said. He turned to Sean. “Congratulations.” He handed Sean an envelope.
“Thank you. We are having a small reception at my place, and we’ll meet you there. I’ll take the ladies in my buggy.”
After a dinner cooked by Charlie, Sean gave Jesse the nod, which he recognized as a signal that it was time to get moving. “Are you ready for the grand tour of Sunset Creek, Charlie?”
“I’ll be ready as soon as I change into my riding habit.” Charlie practically flew up the stairs.
Sean winked at Jesse. “She’s a spitfire. Good luck.”
Jesse scratched his head. “I know you two want some alone time, but a tour of the town will only take about ten minutes, fifteen if I stretch it out.”
“Take her to the creek and the old mine, and show her your place,” Sean said. “Just give us an hour.”
Jesse pulled out his watch. “I can easily do an hour. I'll have to ride home and change, so she can see my place first.”
Chapter Four
Jesse noted that Charlie was a skilled rider. She suggested a race as soon as he pointed out his home while on the dirt road.
She took off as soon as he agreed to the race, leaving him in a cloud of dust. He'd almost caught up to her when she reined-in at his home.
“Nice house,” she said as she jumped from her horse. “Are you going to paint it?”
Jesse noted how good she looked in her dark green riding outfit. “I haven’t yet decided on a color for it. What do you suggest?”
She tapped her finger on her chin as she studied the house from the front and the side. “White, but you need a contrasting color, so I suggest you get your builder to make you some shutters.”
“But I have glass windows—why do I need shutters?”
“For the color contrast and looks.”
Jesse wasn’t sure how to answer since he didn’t like her idea. He wanted a manly-looking home. “I suppose I need flowers around it, too?”
“Not unless you marry someday. Women love flowers.”
“And you? You’re a woman.”
“I might like a rosebush, but I’m not fond of too many flowers because they attract bees.”
“Ah, I see.” He tied the horses to a hitching post near his front porch. “I have to change my clothes. Would you like to look around outdoors while I do that?”
“Oh, no. I’d love to come in to see inside.”
Jesse shrugged, and she followed him inside. He showed her each room before planning to settle her in the sitting room while he changed.
“If you’ll have a seat, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“All right, but where’s all your furniture?”
“I brought some from Sterling’s Mill, a town about six miles from here. I’ve also ordered some from a catalog at the general store. It takes time to furnish a house out here.” Jesse steered her to the only sitting room chair, a rather hard sofa chair, and he disappeared into his bedroom to change his clothes. He thought that Charlie was slightly forward, but she was still a delightful young woman. She certainly was not his type, but he had to spend only an hour with her, and he could easily do that.
When Jesse returned to the sitting room, Charlie wasn’t there.
“Charlie?” he called
“In here,” she answered from his office.
Jesse found her staring at and touching his guns. He hadn’t worn his gun belt to the wedding, and it was hanging over a chair. Jesse had his whole gun collection on a nearby table. She’d been admiring his collection, but now she turned to touch the gun in its holster.
“Don’t touch that one; it’s loaded,” Jesse yelled.
She jumped and pulled her hand back.
“Goodness, you needn’t holler—just say it nicely,” she answered. “You scared the wits out of me.”
“Why the interest in my guns?”
“I love guns. I have a Colt Peacemaker in my suitcase. My older brother, Leo, taught me to shoot bottles from a tree stump.”
“Really?” Jesse asked; the woman never ceased to amaze him.
Jesse put on his gun belt, took his gun carefully from its holster, and pointed it at the floor. “This is my go-to gun. It’s a Colt single-action army revolver. It’s very accurate.”
He pointed to another pistol on the table. “This one’s my second favorite. It’s a Smith and Wesson .44 caliber, single-action six-shooter.” He fondled the white handle.
“And this one?” Charlie point
ed to a gun.
“That was my father’s gun. It’s a Winchester Repeater.”
“I like this one.” Charlie pointed to the Smith and Wesson. “Instead of showing me your small town, could we do some shooting?”
Jesse smiled. He began to enjoy Charlie’s company—she appreciated doing fun things. “Sure. I have a place behind the shed where I practice shooting. I’ve been saving tin cans. C’mon.” He picked up the Smith and Wesson, took a box of bullets from the wardrobe, and led her outside.
He held out the Smith and Wesson. “Are you sure you can handle this one? It’s heavy and has a slight recoil.”
She took it from him, held out her hand for the bullets, and loaded the gun while Jesse set up cans on an old water barrel turned upside down.
“Ladies first,” he said.
Charlie aimed and shot all but one can.
“Wow! Good shooting.” He set the cans up again, and they spent the next two hours shooting.
When Jesse finally took Charlie back to Sean’s, Sean pulled Jesse aside. “Thank you for helping out.”
Jesse winked. “I wanted to make sure you two had enough time to... um... ”
“Nah, nothing like that yet. We need to get better acquainted before that happens. I wanted Charlie out of the way so we could discuss what to do with her. She has her bonnet set on staying here, in Sunset Creek. Sophia wants her to stay, but I can’t see us getting to know each other with a third person always around.”
“I see,” Jesse said. “You two need to get better acquainted. Have you decided?”
“Yes. I finally got Sophia to agree that Charlie needs to go back home.”
“Where is home?” Jesse asked.
“Niagara Falls, New York. They bought one-way stagecoach tickets to get here. I agreed to pay train fare, but the nearest rail line is Cheyenne. How will I get her there? I can’t leave Sophia alone so soon. She doesn’t know anyone here.”
“I’ll take Charlie to Cheyenne. Maybe I can pick up a few new pieces of furniture while I’m there.”