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“What was I thinking?”
He woke slowly knowing at once that his surroundings were not normal. He wasn’t lying on his bed roll in the middle of nowhere. The sky was not above him. The normal night sounds had been replaced by the soft snores of the man lying in the bed beside him. He jolted upright. His heart hammered in his chest. ‘Where was he?’ Slowly his memory supplied the answers. He was lying on a bed in a bedroom and the man in the next bed was his new employer, Slim Sherman. Knowing that sleep was now out of the question, he slid his legs over the bed, grabbed his pants and his boots and tip toed out of the room as silent as a cat.
The smell of blood had long since dissipated but the memory of the evil murderous Carlin and gang still lingered. If he looked hard enough he could just make out the spot he'd been forced to stand in for that long hour while Carlin gleefully taunted the residents of the Sherman Ranch and Relay. He shook his head remembering Jonesy, the man in the bowler hat. When asked questions by the outlaw, all Jonesy gave were nonsensical answers while stalwart Andy had volunteered the answers Carlin needed to protect his family. A sudden clatter in the kitchen around the corner had the man reaching for his gun.
“You’re up early,” the man in the hat eyed him. “Couldn’t sleep or just getting up early to please your boss?”
The question hung in the air while he carefully holstered his gun. “ Bed is different, “ he answered.
“I imagine it does feel different from the ground,” the cook replied astutely. “Well, if you’d like to get me some well water, I’ll make you some coffee.”
The well was around the other side of the house, tucked up in a neat little corner near a clothesline and garden. He filled the bucket and brought it inside. “What’s the order of the day?” he asked.
Jonesy smiled. “Spent some time in the army?”
“Yeah,” it was a sore spot that couldn’t be rubbed away.
“Relax, Jess,” Jonesy murmured, “I’m just making conversation. I expect Slim will be up soon. He'll do his morning routine and shave then wake Andy. After breakfast, Andy has chores and you two will see to the horses. Then you’ll probably do some chores yourself. Lunch is usually around noon, more horse changes then supper. He'll probably go easy on you today, being its your first here.”
All the while, Jonesy deftly started a fire in the stove, cut up biscuits and made coffee. He watched Jess as he twirled his hat. “Ahh here he comes now.”
Jess glanced up from the table and watched his new boss finger comb his hair and nod to Jonesy.
“You’re up early, I thought I suggested that you sleep in.”
Jess shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.” He didn’t mention the bed. “Wanted to get a head start, you know, please the new boss.”
Slim saw the smirk, hidden under the hat and grinned. “ Well, come on then. I‘ll show where the washing up is done. Do you have a razor?”
Jess followed the tall rancher out the door. He was going to have to remember to call him Slim. Breakfast was a quiet affair, punctuated by the clinking of silverware and the pouring of coffee. Andy, half-asleep, had questions but refrained from pestering Jess. He'd been warned by his vigilant brother to stay clear for a few days. They didn’t know Jess and he didn’t know them.
Slim eyed his new employee. Jess had a haunted look about him. He was definitely hungry as he polished off two big breakfast sandwiches, two extra biscuits and three cups of coffee. For a moment he wondered how much more he'd be spending at the general store for coffee but tamped down his uncharitable thoughts rather quickly. He had to give the man a chance didn’t he?
Jonesy nodded his appreciation every time Jess murmured his thanks. It was nice to hear the word “thanks” every time Jess reached for food. ‘That boy needs fattening up' he thought to himself. Jess, for his part, dug into his food with gusto. He was so lost in the spread that he had no idea that he was the center of attention, until he reached for the butter dish at the same time as Slim.
“Sorry, Slim,” an embarrassed Jess gasped as the knife fluttered to the tablecloth.
“No problem, “ Slim’s voice was soft and reassuring. *You must be hungry, “ he spoke.
Jess looked up, trying to gauge Slim’s meaning. ‘Was he angry that he was eating too much? Did he wonder about his past?’ “Yeah, I guess I am. Haven’t had much but hard tack and beans on the trail.”
“Well, when you’re finished I'll be in the barn.” Slim rose and after nodding to them all, left the house.
“He’s going to get the horses ready for the first stage,” Andy explained.
“What’s that involve?” Jess had never driven a stage coach before.
“Oh, not much. Feed and water them of course. Then brush ‘em down, check the hooves for stones and such and legs for injuries. After I gather the eggs and feed the chickens, I milk Molly and help Slim clean the barn stalls. Guess you’ll be doing that now,” Andy's voice trailed off as he remembered his brother's admonition.
Jess finished off his fourth cup of coffee and joined Slim in the barn. After brushing the horse' coats til they shone, he led them out to the corral. Slim was standing, hands on his hips, checking the horses.
“All finished?” Slim inquired.
“Yup,” Jess felt like a school boy being suspected of mischief.
“Jess, those horses carry passengers to Laramie and beyond and they also bear my brand on them. Would you put Andy in the stage with those horses pulling it?”
‘What a great question!’ Jess nodded, trying to remain neutral.
“Good,” Slim clasped a hand down on his shoulder. “You’ll be great.”
The morning was taken up with a sudden repair of an axle and a horse shoe at the forge by the barn. Jess mostly watched in fascination at the easy rhythm that Andy and Slim worked within and felt strangely jealous. Andy was becoming a little brother much like his own. He had missed having an older brother too and he longed for a friendly easy banter between two brothers or friends for that matter. ‘What was he thinking!’ he chided himself. This was a job for maybe the summer. Then he’d move on, just like he always did. They'd find out about his past, or they couldn’t afford to pay him and he'd be on his own again. He rubbed his forehead and shielded his eyes against the early afternoon sun. He leaned against the fence looking over the lush grass to the hills beyond the ranch.
“Hey, after lunch, what would you say to a ride around the ranch, Jess?”
Startled, Jess blinked. He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard Slim walk up. ‘That was dangerous,’ he thought to himself. ‘I can’t let my guard down that way.’ He shrugged and followed Slim into the house for lunch.
“I could show you the map, I reckon,” Slim explained as he buttered a roll. “ But I'd rather show you.”
“Can I come too?” Andy asked hopefully.
“I expect this is a conversation that’s best be held between Jess and Slim, Andy,” Jonesy earned a grateful nod from Slim. “Sides you can show Jess your fishing hole after supper okay.”
The ride to the line cabin was shorter than he thought. Again, he wondered what Slim’s purpose was. He hadn’t unpacked his saddlebags yet so if this was goodbye then he could make the next town by dusk. But Slim kept up a steady stream of conversation about the ranch and his family history and Jess began to relax. The line cabin was hidden in the trees and was a sturdy structure despite a person’s first glance. The walls were thick and there was a lean to next to the house that covered a small wood pile and would cover horses in the event of a storm.
“Jess,” Slim waited until Jess met his eyes,” if you’re ever stuck out here on the prairie due to a sudden storm or you’re sick, don’t stay out in the open for your pride. These cabins will serve you well and we stock them year round with wood and canned food. Hey,” he stopped suddenly and lightly tapped Jess' forearm, “you hear me?”
Jess tore his gaze from the cupboards and fixed them on his new boss. “Yeah, use line cabins if I’m ever out here,” he repeated dutifully.
Slim grinned then. “Ok, you gather some wood, we're gonna have a small fire just to make sure no critters made a home in our fireplace.”
Jess gathered some firewood and twigs and shuffled to the front door. Slim must have been watching him because he was holding the door open when he arrived. Immediately he saw the spread before the fireplace.
“What’s this?”
“Call it a celebratory lunch, Jess. If you didn’t step in and kill those two outlaws I might not be standing here right now. Andy told me what you did in the barn. I’m grateful, Jess.”
The two men sat down to the mini feast of ham and cheese biscuit sandwiches and a cupful of amber liquid that looked like whiskey. “For medicinal purposes only,” Slim grinned at him, “and for saving my life. I’m glad you decided to stay, Jess. Here’s to your first day and many more to come!”
Later that night, as Jess sat on a chair outside on the porch, he marveled at everything that had happened on his first day at the Sherman Ranch. He had accepted the invitation as a fling, never expecting to stay but for a few hours. Now, he couldn’t wait for more hours to fill his days.