Clifton County Fireworks

by Joannie Kay

  “I’m wearing a badge these days, Ed, and I like my work, but thanks for the offer. It means a lot to me that you’d offer. How’ve you been?” He asked, and Ed talked and talked, going on as if he’d seen Johnny yesterday instead of two years ago.

  “We’ve all missed you, son. It sure would be nice if you stick around for a while.” Ed was perfectly serious. He genuinely cared about Johnny.

  “For a couple weeks, I hope.” Johnny answered with a grin. “I never know if my time off will be canceled for some reason. If I get a wire, I’ll have to go.”

  “It’s a real shame what those outlaws did to Jennie Rose.” The man’s face turned scarlet. “Reckon she’ll be ashamed to show her face now.”

  “Why should she be ashamed, Ed? She didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Don’t matter; she’s damaged goods now, and no one here will look beyond that. Why, she could even be carrying a bastard!” He whispered sadly.

  “Ed, Jennie Rose wasn’t raped. She fought off three of them until I got there and shot them. She’s a brave young woman, and folks better treat her right or they’ll be answering to me!” He could feel his temper flaring, and decided it best to leave before he said something nasty to Ed.

  “Well, that ain’t what I heard, but I know you wouldn’t lie to me. Folks are always quick to assume the worst, ain’t they?” He reflected. “I’m glad it ain’t true.”

  “Even if she was raped, they wouldn’t have any call to judge her. She didn’t do anything wrong.” Johnny insisted. He’d never understand why folks wanted to blame the poor woman when something like that happened to her.

  “Folks would say it was because she went riding alone and wearing those darn tight pants. Silly is what it is, but you know how these darn women can be with all their talk.”

  Yes, he knew, and Johnny decided that if he heard anyone giving Jennie Rose a hard time he was going to have plenty to say to them on the matter. No one was going to make his Jennie Rose feel as though she did something wrong by going riding.

  ********************

  Jennie Rose was happy to be home and safe. Her Father was still shaken by what happened, and when they walked inside, he pulled her close and hugged her tightly. “Honey, do I need to send for Doc?” He asked, looking her in the eye. “If those men attacked you, then we need to call Doc and have him check you over to make sure there isn’t any permanent damage to you.”

  “I wasn’t raped, Daddy.” Jennie Rose was relieved she could tell him the truth. “They were going to, and ripped my shirtwaist off, but Johnny came in time. I was so angry; I tried to fight them off, and did pretty good for a while, but there were three of them, and if Johnny hadn’t come, they would have killed me. I’m certain of that. Johnny thinks they were in town and learned I was home and that’s why they followed me, thinking you’d pay to get me back.”

  “I would have given them anything and everything I own, Jennie Rose.” Robert said emotionally. “Ever since I got that note this morning I’ve been kicking myself for being such a jerk last night and upsetting you the moment you got home. I didn’t even tell you how much I’ve missed you the last two years, or that I love you. I prayed I’d get a chance to hug you again and tell you those things. I owe Johnny Tanner everything I have. He protected you for me. I’ll never forget that.”

  “I won’t forget either, Daddy, and I know you love me. I missed you, too, and I’m happy to be home.” She hugged her parent and then smiled. “I’m going upstairs and take a bath. How about I come and meet you at the bank around noon and we’ll go to the restaurant and eat?” She offered, anxious to spend some time with him.

  “I think you should take a bath and then crawl into bed and rest, honey. I’d really feel better if Doc came and looked at that bruise on your face. Doesn’t it hurt?” He asked in concern, gently touching her face with one finger.

  “Does it look terrible, Daddy?” Jennie Rose asked, and then walked to a mirror hanging in the entry way. “Oh, noooooo! I look terrible!” She exclaimed in shock. Her hair was a ratty mess, half up and half down. There was blood all over her face, and Johnny’s shirt made her look like a waif! “I don’t feel as bad as I look, Daddy, honest. I just need a nice soak in a bathtub. I don’t need to see the doctor.” She saw the look on his face, and then smiled, “But, if it will reassure you, I will see him.”

  “Please and thank you!” He said. “I’ll send for Doc right away.”

  “Okay, Daddy. I’m going to get a bath.” Jennie Rose started up the steps, only to halt when there was a knock at the front door. Her father answered the door and Doc Greene was standing there.

  “I thought I might be needed here, Robert. How is Jennie Rose doing?” The man asked in genuine concern. He’d known Jennie Rose since the moment she was born.

  “I’m really and truly fine, Doctor Greene.” Jennie Rose spoke up.

  “You don’t look fine to me, young lady. Let’s have a look at you.” The Doc said firmly, starting up the steps. “Robert, you just have a seat and I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  Jennie Rose shook her head. “All I want to do is take a bath. The blood on me isn’t mine!” She whispered to the elderly man. “It’s that Mace Adam’s. When Johnny shot him, he fell on top of me.” She explained.

  “I’ll see for myself.” He replied tersely. “Now stop giving me sass, young lady. I smacked your bottom when you came into this world, and I figure I can smack it again if need be!”

  Jennie Rose giggled, but obeyed the man and let him take her into her bedroom, sit her down on her bed, and clean the blood off of her face. She smiled when he nodded and said, “You’re right, honey. It’s not your blood. I’m relieved. I see some redness, but nothing serious.”

  “Mace Adams slapped me once.” She confirmed. “I’m not hurt.”

  “Were you assaulted, Jennie Rose?” He asked gruffly.

  “No, I wasn’t. Johnny got there in time to prevent that from happening.” She explained. “Mace touched me, and I’ll bruise from that, but I was very lucky.” She stated thankfully.

  “I can give you some cream for the bruising, unless it’s too bad. If you need treatment, you need to forget about being embarrassed and tell me, honey. I’ve taken care of abused women before, and I will be gentle with you.” He insisted.

  “I’m truly fine, Doctor Greene, but it is nice to know you are so concerned about me. A bath will make me all better, I promise.”

  “Well, I reckon you are all right. I’m glad young Tanner got there when he did, honey. No woman should ever be abused in that manner.” He picked up his bag and left her room.

  Jennie Rose didn’t waste any time going to the new facility in the house and filling the bathtub. She undressed, lowered herself into the heavenly water, and did her best to soothe her aching breasts and wash away Mace Adam’s touch. She permitted herself to indulge in tears once more, and then told herself it was over and done and she needed to put it behind her and get on with her life.

  She spent several minutes thinking about how handsome Johnny Tanner was, and how much he’d matured in the last two years. And, she wondered if he was still interested in her…

  ********************

  “You can calm down, Robert. Jennie Rose isn’t hurt. The blood on her wasn’t hers.” Doc stated. “She’s fine.”

  “She wasn’t attacked?” The man had to know.

  “Nope. She’s just fine, and I’m happy as can be about that. I wouldn’t want anything to change that girl’s sassy nature. She’s still full of spunk. Do you reckon she and that Johnny Tanner will take up with each other again?”

  “She could do a lot worse than him.” Robert grinned. “I think he’s probably one of the few men in this world who could handle her. I’m going to have him to dinner soon.”

  “Best to have someone else do the cooking besides Jennie Rose.” Doc chuckled, and then left to see other patients, his heart lighter than it was when he arrived.

  ********************
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br />   “Oh, dear! I didn’t realize the time!” Abigail looked up from her sewing as Johnny walked into the shop. “I need to get lunch started.”

  “There’s no rush, Ma.” Johnny told her, grinning.

  “I try to keep regular hours, dear. That way customers know when to find me in the store. Would you mind running over to the Mercantile and getting me a spool of black thread and a spool of white? Tell Mr. McCauley to put it on my account, and I’ll be in to pay him later this week. I’ll have lunch ready when you get back, dear.”

  “Sure, Ma.” Johnny replied. He felt like a kid again, being sent to the store for thread, but it felt good to be bossed around a bit by his little mother. She was a remarkable woman.

  He headed across the street and had to remind himself that he was a Deputy Marshal now, and not a kid. He wouldn’t let the man intimidate him. When he stepped inside, his attention was immediately drawn to Molly Studebaker and Ginger Dickson. “Jennie Rose won’t be so high and mighty now! Why no man in all of Clifton County is going to want anything to do with her now that she’s ruined!”

  “That’s a terrible thing to say, Molly!” Ginger whispered in a scolding tone. “Don’t you have any compassion for Jennie Rose? How would you feel if three men forced themselves on you?”

  “I wouldn’t ride out of town alone, wearing pants! She was just asking for trouble!”

  “That’s enough!” Johnny spoke sharply and had the satisfaction of watching the two girls jump when he startled them. “I can’t believe you two could stand here and talk like that about Miss Clifton. She did nothing wrong today, and she certainly wasn’t assaulted. You both need to get your facts straight before you go around speculating about what happened. Those men were trying to kidnap her for ransom. That is all there was to it. Now go on home and tell your Pas you need your mouths washed out with soap for spreading lies.”

  The two young girls looked at each other and then took off running from the store.

  Mr. McCauley gave him a dirty look, but asked politely, “What can I do for you, Johnny?”

  “Ma needs spools of black and white thread, Mr. McCauley. She said to tell you to put it on her account; but if you’ll tell me how much she owes you, I’ll settle it up for her right now.”

  “Your Ma is a good customer, and she always pays me, Johnny. It’s not a problem to carry her account.”

  “Thanks for saying that, but she works hard, and I just want to make things easier for her.” Mr. McCauley nodded in understanding, and told Johnny the total. Johnny didn’t argue, but paid the amount in full, and waited while the man wrote out a receipt.

  Jennie Rose came walking into the Mercantile while Mr. McCauley was writing, and his face turned red when he saw her. “Miss Jennie Rose, what can I do for you?” He asked cautiously.

  “I just came in to browse, thank you.” She looked at Johnny and smiled.

  “You look pretty, Jennie Rose.” Johnny smiled right back. “I’m surprised to see you out.”

  “Why not? I’m fine, thanks to you. Have you been ignored by people since you returned? I just saw Ginger and Molly, and they both walked right by me as if they didn’t know me!” She was hurt and hoped it didn’t show. No one at all spoke to her, in fact, and that was unusual. Surely she wasn’t forgotten so quickly?

  “There’s no easy way to say this, honey, but folks are gossiping about you. They think those men assaulted you.”

  “What?” Jennie Rose asked in horror. “But that’s not true!”

  “I know it isn’t, and I told those two girls it was a lie, but people just love to believe the worst.”

  “I won’t have it!” She stomped her foot in pure temper, causing Johnny to smile. “Why are you smiling?” She demanded, putting her hands on her hips.

  “”Your temper is showing a bit, honey.” Johnny grinned at her.

  “I said I controlled it better these days; I did not claim to be perfect!” Jennie Rose informed him tartly.

  “I wouldn’t want you to be perfect, Jennie Rose.” He admitted, but before she could reply, another customer walked into the Mercantile. Johnny felt like cursing when he saw the heavy-set woman who seldom had a kind word for anyone, and once again he remembered how hard his Ma tried to please her years ago when she wanted a dress made for a wedding she was to attend. Nothing his Ma did suited the picky woman, and she’d done her best to ruin his Ma’s business. Fortunately, folks considered the source of the complaints and nasty comments, and paid her no mind. Johnny still couldn’t stand the woman, and he wasn’t going to let her say one cruel thing to Jennie Rose and let her get away with it. He was no longer a kid!

  “Well, I do declare! I cannot believe you would have the nerve to show your face in public, Jennie Rose Clifton!” Marybelle Peters looked down her nose at the petite redhead. “You should be home, feeling your shame and disgrace instead of subjecting the decent people of this town to your presence!”

  “Excuse me? What are you talking about?” Jennie Rose turned to face the big woman. “I’ve done nothing to be ashamed over!” She protested, hurt by the woman’s attack.

  “As if we don’t all know what happened to you this morning! Three men, Jennie Rose Clifton! Three men! Outlaws! Have you no sense of decency?”

  The woman was being malicious, and enjoying every second of it, and Johnny felt his temper flare. “Mrs. Peters, you are out of line, and if I wasn’t on vacation right now, I’d arrest you for disturbing the peace…and for slander. I suggest you shut up right now, unless you want to apologize to Jennie Rose.”

  “You try to arrest me, you common hoodlum, and I’ll have the Sheriff arrest you!”

  “That tears it.” Johnny felt his temper snap. “You are under arrest, Mrs. Peters.” Johnny took her arm, and then took her handbag when she swung it at his head. “Resisting arrest, too. I am going to set your bail really high, and count on Jacob not wanting to set you free until the Judge comes to town!”

  “You can’t do that. The Fourth of July picnic is almost here, and I am in charge of judging the pickle contest!”

  “That’s the problem; you’ve eaten too many pickles and they’ve soured your nature.” Johnny told her as he hauled her off to the jail. He grabbed the ring of keys, and it took him mere seconds to put the mouthy gossip behind bars. The Sheriff came in a few minutes later and demanded to know what was going on. Johnny told him succinctly, and insisted the bail be two hundred dollars!

  “Son, Jacob ain’t got that kind of money, and I’m not going to spend a whole week until the Circuit Judge comes with that mouthy woman in my jail!”

  “Sure you are, Sheriff. I pressed charges. They stand, and she faces the Judge next week, and I guarantee she’ll be found guilty. The only possible way she’ll get me to drop the charges is if she goes to Jennie Rose and apologizes profusely, and then she has to go to every person she’s lied to and gossiped with, and tell it straight out that she lied about Jennie Rose. I won’t have folks treating Jennie Rose like she’s done something wrong when she didn’t. Until Mrs. Peters makes amends, she sits in jail.” Johnny stomped out and went to find Jennie Rose.

  He went back to the Mercantile, but she was no longer there. He walked to her home, and the housekeeper said she was still out. Johnny realized that he forgot his Ma’s thread, and went back to the Mercantile. “Are you really going to keep Marybelle in jail until she apologizes to Jennie Rose?” Mr. McCauley asked curiously.

  “You’d better believe it. And, if you hear anyone whispering about Jennie Rose, I’d take it as a personal favor if you’d set them straight. I don’t know why folks are so quick to judge others, but Jennie Rose did nothing wrong, and if I have to go up to every man, woman, and child in this town and set them straight personally, I will!”

  Chapter Four

  “Oh my!” Abigail took one look at her eldest and knew something was wrong. “Sweetheart, what happened?”

  “I locked up Marybelle Peters, Ma.” Johnny admitted, knowing full well he might as we
ll tell her the truth before someone else did. To his amazement, his mother actually smiled and Jeremy covered his mouth with his hands and giggled.

  “What did she do, Johnny?” Jeremy wanted to know, his green eyes full of lively curiosity.

  “She was lying about Jennie Rose, and that is slander.” Johnny answered.

  “Oh, dear. I’m sure Marybelle is not happy at all! Why, can you imagine folks talking about her being in jail!” Abigail giggled. “I shouldn’t enjoy this. I truly shouldn’t!” She giggled again. She looked at Johnny, her lovely eyes full of amusement. “Did you remember my thread, dear? I know that locking up dangerous criminals takes priority over thread, but I really do need the thread to finish hemming two dresses.”

  “Here’s your thread, Ma.” Johnny took the spools from his shirt pocket and handed them to her with a grin. “Thanks for not getting mad at me. That woman needs a good lesson.”

  “You will let her out soon, won’t you, dear?”

  “Not until she apologizes, or Jacob comes up with her bail. My guess is that he’ll enjoy the peace and quiet while he has the chance.” His words set Jeremy’s giggles off again, and he winked at him. “What have you been doing all morning, kid?” He asked, and listened as Jeremy told him of his adventures.

  ********************

  “Thank you for coming to lunch with me, Daddy.” Jennie Rose said with a show of spirit. “I am not about to let people think the worst of me, and I’m so happy you agree!”

  “I have been answering questions at the bank all morning, dear. Mrs. Peters is responsible for most of the gossip, and I’m going to go and speak to Jacob after we finish eating. He needs to take that woman in hand.”

  “You want him to spank her?” Jennie Rose’s blue eyes were wide in disbelief, knowing full well what her father meant by ‘take that woman in hand.’

  “He needs to take a strap to her fat behind.” Robert said firmly. “This isn’t the first time she’s spread gossip that isn’t true and hurt someone’s reputation. I won’t hold with it when it affects my daughter.” He declared, his eyes snapping with temper of his own.