by Duane Boehm
By the end of the day, Last Stand buzzed with the news of the arrests and the shutdown of the Lucky Horse. Gideon had walked past the Last Chance as he returned from the D.A. with the ledger and saw that Mary was doing a brisk business from the extra customers that had drifted in from the shuttered saloon. The editor of the local paper had stopped by the jail to get some quotes, but Gideon had disappointed him with only the briefest of facts. As the editor took his leave, Gideon concluded that the arrests were going to be a bigger story than he had even imagined.
Walking into the cell room, Gideon said, “Henry, I’ve hid the ledger until the trial. I’ve sent a couple of letters to other sheriffs with its whereabouts if something happens to me. The D.A. doesn’t even know where it is. So I want to remind you one more time that if anything happens to my family or me, I promise you that you will die before there is a trial. I have enough friends to make sure of that.” Gideon walked out of the room before Starks had a chance to reply.
Gideon felt confident that nothing would happen the first night after the arrests and planned to spend the evening at home. He left the jail and rode to see Ethan. Finding him in the barn feeding horses, Gideon explained the events of the day and the need to hide the ledger. He asked if he could conceal the book in the barn loft and Ethan consented. The two climbed into the loft of the barn where Gideon found a spot to hide the ledger beneath some hay with his spare revolver under it. Ethan would be the only other person knowing its whereabouts. The long day was wearing on Gideon as he thanked Ethan and said his goodbye. Mounting Buck, he rode towards home, ready for a hot meal and the lively chatter of three females.
Chapter 23
Nearly two weeks had gone by since the arrests of Starks and Simpson. Mary was trying to make the best of the situation at the saloon. The two young women had nothing to do or any money to spend. They were bored and a nuisance. Finally, Mary reached her limit and put the women to work cleaning and serving drinks. With the extra business that she received from the demise of the Lucky Horse, she needed the extra help anyway. In return, she gave them some spending money and everybody appeared happier.
Gideon was sleeping in the jail every other night. Finnie stayed with Mary on those nights and at the jail on the nights that Gideon went home. There had been no signs of trouble so far and Gideon had little fear of a jailbreak. Starks had too big of a ranching empire to ever run from it. He also held little fear for the girls. Since arresting Starks, the whores had only been able to identify him as someone that occasionally came into the Lucky Horse for a drink. Cal was the only person that they could help convict and no one would bother to harm the girls for him.
Starks had received visits from his wife, son, and a prominent local lawyer named Billy Todd. The rancher proved to be a model prisoner and very little trouble.
The townsfolk had taken the news of the arrest of Henry Starks better than Gideon had imagined that they would have. He had expected a cool reception out on the street, but the residents seemed to give him the benefit of doubt on the arrest for the most part. Starks apparently had some enemies too. A few people had come up to Gideon to congratulate him on finally standing up to the rancher.
The annual summer town hall dance was coming up on Saturday. The dance was the town’s biggest event of the year and all the cowboys from the local ranches would attend in search of single females. Gideon doubted any of Starks’ ranch hands would cause any trouble before then and jeopardize a chance to socialize with some young women.
Sarah had visited Abby earlier in the week and the two had hatched a plan to try to encourage Joann and Zack to go to the dance. They had no misgivings that the two would go together, but held out hope that crossing paths there might rekindle some flames. Finding neither a willing participant, the two women had resorted to getting Winnie and Benjamin involved in the plot using both promises and threats. By Thursday, the two youngsters had begged and guilted both Joann and Zack into taking them. Gideon and Ethan were both aware of the scheme and found the lengths that their wives would go to in their matchmaking to be quite amusing.
Gideon had decided that he and Finnie would both stay in town on Saturday night. He would guard the jail and Finnie would patrol the dance. In the past, fights between cowboys had occasionally occurred when too much whiskey mixed with too few young women.
Zack and Benjamin rode towards town on their horses on Saturday. The boy had come to love Zack like a brother and he talked non–stop on the ride, jumping from subjects as varied as frogs to dancing with Winnie. Zack seldom had an opportunity to add to the conversation, but instead nodded his head as required. He so dreaded the dance that he was grateful to Benjamin for helping keep his mind off the awkwardness he already felt.
Joann and Winnie headed to town on the buckboard wagon. Once Winnie had succeeded in wearing Joann down about the dance, Joann had found herself getting excited about the event. She wore her best dress and spent so much time fixing her hair that Abby had told her that she might brush it all out. Abby and Joann had also made sure that Winnie looked her best. She wore a new dress that Joann had sewn and Abby styled her hair in big ringlet curls.
The town bustled with people by the time that Zack and Benjamin arrived. The Last Chance was so packed that patrons had spilled out onto the sidewalk. They tied the horses up in front of the jail to avoid riding through the crowd in the street and walked to the town hall. By the time they got there, Zack felt so self–conscious that he would have turned around and left if not for Benjamin. Once inside, he found an empty spot along the wall and pressed his back up against it.
A few minutes later, Joann and Winnie made their entrance. Zack watched as all the cowboys spun their heads as if on a swivel to catch a view of Joann. He longed for her too, but had come to accept that she would never be his. Winnie spotted Benjamin and the two girls headed their way.
“Are you holding the wall up there, Zack?” Joann asked as a means of greeting.
“No, I’m just resting my back and picking out girls that I intend to ask to dance,” Zack said.
“Well, save one for me before you wear yourself out on all of them,” Joann said.
“I’d like that,” he said.
“I’m holding you to it,” she said just before a cowboy came up and asked her to dance. She walked out onto the floor with the man, giving Zack a little wave as she went.
Benjamin and Winnie walked out onto the floor and started dancing to “Oh! Susanna” without the least bit of reservation. Zack watched them admiringly and wished that he possessed the self–assuredness to be so bold. Wishing that he could just go home, he knew full well that he would not ask a girl to dance.
Zack remained leaning on the wall as an hour passed. He kept a watchful eye on Benjamin and Winnie, making sure that no harm came their way. A couple of girls seemed to have an eye for him, but he could not make himself ask them to dance. Finnie saw him standing there and sidled up to him.
“Aren’t you going to ask any of these fine young lasses to dance?” Finnie asked.
“No, I can’t do it, Finnie. I’m just no good around women. I’m hopeless and I know it. I’ll probably die a lonely old bachelor,” Zack said.
“Aye, God, you can be as backward as a breech born lamb. Could a rejection from one of these girls be any worse than standing here all miserable?” Finnie said.
“It would be for me,” Zack answered.
“I don’t know how somebody that is fearless in battle can be such a coward towards women. A woman telling you no don’t hurt half as much as a bullet. You’re a fine looking fellow and well–mannered too. A lot of these girls would be more than happy to have you,” Finnie said.
“Finnie, I know that you mean well, but please just let it go,” Zack pleaded.
“Suit yourself, but you don’t know what you’re missing,” Finnie said before walking away.
The hall was sweltering from the packed crowd and Zack felt as if he were suffocating. He made his way to the back door and out
into the alley. A group of young bucks stood around passing a bottle while making catcalls and jokes as women came out to use the privy. Zack ignored the group and stood a few feet away, content to breathe some fresh air.
He had been standing there a few minutes when Joann came out with Benjamin and Winnie in tow. Joann led Winnie to the outhouse and waited by the door as the girl went inside of it. As she stood there, one of the young men reached over and pinched her on the butt.
Joann spun around. “Keep your hands to yourself,” she warned.
The men all laughed and the offender held out both his arms and made pinching motions as if he were going to pinch her breasts. Joann tried to kick him, but he easily blocked her attempt.
“Ooh, a feisty one. I like them feisty,” he said to a round of laughter.
Zack came charging towards the man. “Don’t touch her again,” he said.
“You’re that big lunk–head that deputies sometimes. I don’t see no badge on you tonight. You best run home to your momma before you get a licking. No man has whipped me yet,” the young man boasted as he made a move to pinch Joann again.
Zack stepped between Joann and the young man, putting his fists up as he did. The man threw a big right hook at Zack that he easily blocked. Dancing around the bully, Zack peppered his face with left jabs. Joann’s tormentor had never fought anyone in such a manner before and it threw him off his game. He would swing wildly at Zack and be repaid with a punch to his body. In frustration, he bent over and charged. Zack stepped to the side and the man lost his balance, landing on his face. Laughed at by his friends, he quickly jumped up and came running straight up at Zack. Zack caught him with a vicious right hook that sent the bully down in a heap. In vain, he tried to get on his feet.
Turning around, Zack saw Benjamin and Winnie huddled together beside Joann. Joann’s face scrunched up in anger, and for a moment, he assumed the look was for her tormentor until she raised her hand and started shaking her finger at him.
“Zack Barlow, you are a lunk–head. You stand around here all night too scared to ask me or any other girl to dance and then you come charging in like you’re some kind of hero. I don’t need your help or a washy man for that matter. I can take care of myself just fine. I should’ve known that first time that you asked to kiss me what kind of man you were. You’re brave as they come when there is danger, but you’re scared of life. Just leave me alone,” Joann screamed.
Zack looked at her in stunned silence. He could hear the crowd behind him chortling. The longer he looked at her, the madder he got. Joann Minder had pushed him too far. In a move so quick and sudden that Joann never had time to react, Zack threw her over his shoulder.
“Come on, kids. Follow me,” Zack said as he began walking down the alley and then between the town hall and the dry goods store towards the front of the buildings.
Joann pounded his back with her fist. “Zack Barlow, you’d better put me down this instant. Daddy will have your head,” she yelled.
Zack reached up and smacked her smartly on the butt. “Stop that, it hurts,” he said.
The pounding ceased, but the demands to be put down continued. As Zack emerged between the buildings, the crowd standing in front of the hall looked on in surprise as he marched towards them. Zack swung Joann around into his arms as if he were holding a baby. Joann let out a squeal just before he dropped her into the horse trough. The crowd burst into laughter as Joann’s head popped out of the water spitting and sputtering.
“You said your piece and now I will say mine. You are a spoiled brat. I don’t know why any man would want you or could put up with you for that matter,” Zack said.
Joann climbed out of the trough as the crowd continued to cackle. Humiliated, she began trudging towards the jail. Zack and the children followed in close pursuit. As they walked, Benjamin and Winnie kept exchanging glances, but neither of them dared say anything.
Bursting through the jail door, Joann surprised Gideon. He jumped to his feet at the sight of his drenched daughter.
“Daddy, arrest Zack or shoot him or hang him, but do something with him. He threw me in a water trough. I’m the laughingstock of Last Stand,” Joann cried.
Zack and the children entered the jail and Gideon started walking towards them.
“What is going on here?” Gideon asked.
Zack held out his hands towards Gideon to fend him off if need be. “Gideon, you need to hear the whole story before you start jumping to conclusions. Let Benjamin tell you. He saw the whole thing and you know that he wouldn’t color things one way or the other,” he said.
“Did you see everything?’ Gideon asked Benjamin.
“I did,” Benjamin replied.
“Daddy, he threw me in the trough and he also smacked me on the butt. What more do you need to hear?” Joann interjected.
Gaining a sense that there could be more to the story, Gideon ignored Joann and said, “Benjamin, you know that you are one of my best buddies and I know that I can count on you. Just tell it to me like you saw it.” He then returned to his chair and leaned back in it, ready for the narration to begin.
Benjamin began recounting the events. Zack listened in amazement at the particulars that Benjamin could recall. The boy had an incredible memory and he left no part out in his telling.
After Benjamin finished, Gideon asked, “Does anybody have anything that they disagree on with Benjamin?”
The room fell silent until Zack said, “I think he got it all as it happened.”
“Good job, Benjamin. I knew that I could count on you,” Gideon said to the beaming boy.
“It sounds a lot different in telling it than it felt when while happening,” Joann chimed in.
“I see,” Gideon said while gazing at his daughter. “So if I have this straight, Zack defended you and then you got mad at him for it, whereupon he got mad at you and threw you over his shoulder, smacking your ass when you started pounding on him, and then he threw you in the water trough. Is that about the long and short of it?”
“Yes, Daddy, but he had no right to do that. The sheriff’s daughter will be the joke of Last Stand. Aren’t you going to arrest him or something?” Joann pleaded.
Turning towards Zack, Gideon said, “Zack, if I were you, I would throw her in that horse trough outside of the jail and I wouldn’t let her out until she thanked you and apologized.”
“Daddy,” Joann protested.
Zack looked at Joann and she looked back warily at him.
“No, Gideon, she is your problem now. I’m done with her. At least tonight cured me of thinking that she was the one for me,” Zack said.
Joann began shivering and Gideon instructed her to get blankets out of the cabinet. She huddled up in a couple of them and sat down in a chair, looking miserable.
“Zack, I have a favor to ask. I planned to ride home alongside of the girls, but since they are going to have to go back early and I can’t leave yet, I was hoping that you and Benjamin could ride with them. I’m asking you to do it for me and my peace of mind,” Gideon said.
“I can get us home just fine,” Joann said.
“Hush. You’ve said enough for one night,” Gideon said sternly.
“Yes sir, I would be glad to do that for you,” Zack said.
Gideon waited until the four had left the jail and were down the street before he slapped his leg and let out a cackle. He thought the incident so hilarious that he decided to walk to the Last Chance to find Doc to tell him. There was no doubt in his mind that the doctor would love the story and would soon be spreading it to anyone that would listen.
The ride home proved a somber affair for the four. Winnie and Benjamin were at a loss for words and Joann and Zack had no intention of talking to one another. They arrived back at the cabin and Joann darted inside, leaving Winnie to say her goodbyes alone.
Winnie rushed into the cabin and straight to her mother’s room. She couldn’t wait to see how her mother would react and did not want to miss any of the conv
ersation.
Joann sat on the bed beside her mother. She sobbed as she recounted the events of the evening. Abby put her arm around her daughter as she listened in silence until Joann finished.
“Why did you get mad at Zack?” Abby asked.
“I don’t know. Well, yes I do. I know everybody thinks that I dumped Zack because I met a rich rancher’s son, but that wasn’t it at all. I want a relationship like you and Daddy or Ethan and Sarah. You know, one with some give and take and some fire. Zack, God bless him, he wanted my opinion on everything before he would make a decision. He even asked permission to kiss me the first time. I don’t want a man that bosses me around all the time, but I don’t want one that I have to lead around like a puppy either. While he beat the snot out of that man, it dawned on me that Zack was willing to stand up for me, but not to me. And it just made me mad. I guess it sounds crazy,” Joann said.
“No, not really. We all have our moments where we react with emotion instead of logic. I’ve been mad at your father for sillier things and him at me. There just wasn’t a crowd around to see it. So you do care about Zack, don’t you?” Abby said.
“Yes, I guess I do – or did. He caused the whole town to laugh at me. I’ll never be able to show my face in Last Stand again thanks to him,” Joann said.
Abby smiled as she imagined the scene play out and pulled Joann’s head next to her to comfort her daughter. Thinking back to when she had been Joann’s age, she remembered being a bit impetuous herself. The apple certainly hadn’t fallen far from the tree with either of her daughters and she wondered if the baby would be the same. “Yes, you will. You just have to be a good sport and go along with it if anybody teases you. I know you don’t believe it now, but I’m pretty sure that there will come a day when you will look back on tonight and think of it as one of the funniest nights of your life. As you get older, you learn to laugh at yourself and not take everything so seriously.”
“I better live to be a hundred then. I bet that you hope that the baby isn’t as difficult as me,” Joann said and managed a laugh.