The Gunslinger (Barnett Ranch) (12 page)

             
He chased his troubles away with whiskey.  Everyone at the bar made themselves, scarce. They could see he was in an ill mood and most of them had on occasion experienced the bad side of his temper.  Neither of them wished to experience that side again.  They steered clear of him.  

             
They waited until
Reeves
had drunk his self into a stupor and then they loaded him in a wagon and carried him home dumping him on the front porch.  Martinez fetched a pale of water and dumped it
on his head.  He was the only one who did not fear
Reeves
’s temper, besides his own family. 
Reeves
jumped up with a start, mouth wide open in shock as the cold water hit him.  He slung the water from his head and growled obscenities at Martinez.  “Damn it Martinez, you good for nothing lily livered, chicken shit, I ought to kill you for that.”  “No Senor, if you kill me, your Pa will be very unhappy.  He needs me to run things when he’s not around.  I think you not mean to kill me.  Eso seria muy malo senor.” 
Reeves
grabbed his head.  “Stop talking in that damn Mexican, Martinez.  You know I
can’t understand a word of it,” Reeves complained.
  “I say, that would be very bad, Senor.”     

             
Reeves
got up and found his way inside the house.  He stumbled and had problems getting the door opened, but he finally figured it out.  Drunk as he was it was most definite he would suffer with a headache for it.  He stumbled into the kitchen, with Martinez on his heels.  He slumped into a chair and laid his head on the table.  Martinez made a pot of coffee, then, proceeded to try
to
sober him up.

             
“What has you drinking like this, senor?” 
“Haven’t you heard my sister was kidnapped?” 
“Si, Senor, I heard, but I know Mr. Jax, he bring her back.”  “He’s a damn gunslinger, Martinez. 
She is
in love with a damn gunslinger. 
What the hell, am I supposed to do now? 
How am I to protect her?  I promised my mother on her
deathbed
that I would always protect her. 
What’s going to happen when some tramp comes in here and tries to put a bullet in him, but puts a bullet in Virginia, instead?”  Martinez shook his head.  “
I don’t know, but the Senorita is all grown up. 
She has to make her own decisions.”  Reeves slammed his fist down on the table.  “
Well I’ll be damned if I let her make this one. 
She is
going to come home with me and stay the hell away from that gunslinger, even if I have to lock her up.  Sometimes you have to protect people from their own foolishness.  That’s just what this is, Martinez.  It’s foolishness.” 

             
Martinez shook his head, and poured them both a cup of coffee.  “I don’t think so, Senor. 
You can not lock your sister up and tell her who to love.”  Reeves grinned sadistically.  “
Watch me, Martinez.”

             
Reeves, was bound and determined that he would bring Virginia home. 
He rode into town, with Virginia’s horse in tow.  He hitched them both out front of his grandmother’s restaurant, went up stairs and practically had to drag her out with all the fuss she put up.

             
“Virginia, get on the damn horse. 
He’s fine; the doctor said so. 
He’ll be going home in a day or two. 
Now let’s go home.”  Virginia hesitated.  “
I just don’t feel right about leaving him,
Reeves
.  What if he wakes up and I’m not there?”  “Virginia, we’ve been over this.  He’s woken up several times already.  He is fine.  Don’t you want to work with the horses?”  “I guess, but I…” “But nothing, you’re coming and that’s final.” 

             
Reeves
had it all figured out.  He was going to keep Virginia away from that gunslinger if it was the last thing he did.  He done everything he could to talk her out of that room and onto that horse.  He’d never seen his sister more stubborn.  It was the first time he could recall that she didn’t follow him willingly.  That irritated him some.  He’d always been his sister’s hero. 

             
“
Reeves
, what’s wrong?”  “What do you mean?”  “You’re not acting like yourself. You’re bitter, and impatient.”  “No I ain’t, that’s your overactive imagination getting the best of you.”  “You are, I’ve
never seen you like this.” 
Reeves
didn’t say more.  He was bitter, and impatient, but he had a right to be after coming home to find his sister kidnapped and then finding out she was falling in love with a dangerous gunslinger. 

             
Jax was bitterly disappointed to find out Virginia had been
,
practically dragged away from his bedside by her brother.  He had hoped to find her there when he awoke.  The doctor told him he was well enough to return home, so he wasted no time in doing so. 

He rode through his herd, checking on the mares.  The last time he’d rode amongst them, Virginia had been with him.  He pushed the thought aside.  He’d been out to the ranch twice since he’d gotten well, and neither time was he able to see Virginia.  The first time, he was told she wasn’t there, and the second time, she was busy.  Both times, her brother answered the door. 

Try as he might, he could not wipe the thought of her from his mind.  He needed to see her, and he needed to know why she wouldn’t see him.  He spun his horse around and kicked his heels into the horse’s side.  He was going to see her, or else.

He rode up to the ranch and hitched his horse to the railing.  He hobbled up the steps, still limping from the wound in his leg.  He knocked on the door, and no one answered.  He knocked
a second time.   He heard foot
steps around the side of the house and he limped in that direction. 
Reeves
’s eyes narrowed.  “What do you want?”  “I want to see Virginia.”  “Well you can’t she’s not here.”  “Yeah, you keep saying that.  Why i
s it I just don’t believe you,” Jax ground out.
“I don’t know and I really don’t care.  Whether you believe me or not, she’s not here.” 

Jax set his jaw and nodded.  “Is that so?  Virginia!  Virginia, where are you honey?”  He stepped back from the porch and looked at the windows in the top story of the house.  He walked around the back and yelled again.  “Virginia, where are you?”  A curtain moved in an upstairs window, but it was not her.  “Virginia, if you’re up there honey, come down.”  “I told you she’s not here.  Now get on your horse and leave.  You’re making a fool of yourself.”  “Fine, I’ll leave, but I’ll be back again, and again, and again, until you finally give in and let me see her.”  “Are you a damn fool?  Why can’t you see you’re no good for her?  You’re a damn gunslinger, for crying out loud.  Every man in this country has probably heard of the Angel of Death. You will get her killed.”  “Who told you that name?” 
He asked. 
“You did, when you had the fever.  You were delirious.  Do the right thing man, and let her marry a man who can keep her safe.” 

             
Jax stepped back.  His brows twisted in anger.  “I can keep her safe.”  “Can you really, what happens when she steps in front of a bullet meant for you?”  Jax limped to his horse and climbed in the saddle.  He glared down at
Reeves
then, spun his horse around and popped her with the end of his reins. 

             
The house was nearly out of sight when Martinez rode up beside him.  “Senor, I think he is wrong, when he say you can not protect her. I tell him he should let her live her own life, but he will not hear it.  He says, he made a promise on his Madre’s deathbed, that he would always protect her.  I think this time he is wrong though, and I tell him so.  The Senorita, has been asking after you, but he say, you don’t want to see her.  He feels her head with lies.”  “Will you do something for me, Martinez?”  “Si, Senor, whatever you want, I do it.”  “Will you tell her to meet me, when the preacher comes back
around, out by the creek where I practice my shooting?  She will know where it’s at.  Tell her to meet me at midnight, and tell her to bring her best dress.”  Martinez smiled, “Ah, I see what you mean to do Senor.  Muy bien, I will tell her.”

             
Jax smiled and kicked his horse into a canter.  The rocking chair motion suited his mood, now that the old Mexican had lightened it.  The preacher was due in town in two weeks. He had no doubts Preacher Man, would help an old friend out.  He was also quite certain he could even wrangle Mrs. Ellen into helping. 

             
He was going to need a new vest and jeans.  Mrs. Ellen had already provided him with shirts and long
Reeves
s.  He had one more
,
particular detail
he needed to take care of
,
too.  He pointed his mare in the direction of town.  He had some shopping and planning to do. 

             
Mrs. Ellen was sitting on her front porch when he rode into town.  He tipped his hat to her before he got off his horse and hitched her to the post in front of the general store.  Mrs. Ellen smiled and waved.  He limped up the steps and inside the store.  His leg was getting better everyday, but he would be glad when he could walk like a normal man.  He was tired of people pitying him because of it. 

             
He picked out a new pair of black jeans, and looked through the vest, finally finding a black leather one he liked.  He tried on a few new hats, but he didn’t like them.  He figured the old one could just use a good dusting off. 

             
He laid the items on the counter and asked for one of their catalogs.  He combed through the pages until he found what he was looking for.  He could get the item a lot faster if he just rode to Cheyenne.  He was careful not to let the clerk see what he was looking at.  The whole town would know before night fall, if he did. 

             
Jax purchased the items and tied them onto the back of his saddle before crossing the street, to talk to Mrs. Ellen.  “Hello, Mrs. Ellen, it’s a mighty pretty day isn’t it?”  “Yes sir, I do believe it is.  What brings you to town?”  “I was just here picking up a few items.  I was kind of hoping we could talk privately somewhere.”  “Sure, sure, come on upstairs.  No one will bother us there.” 

             
Thirty minutes later Jax came down with a smile on his face.  Mrs. Ellen had agreed to go along with his plan.  In fact, she was almost eager.  Now all he needed to do was make a trip to Cheyenne.  He could be there and back before two weeks time. 

             
The wait had been long and Virginia was dying to leave the ranch. Martinez had assured her that he would see to it she made it to her destination.  She had no idea what Jax was up to.  She had not
,
been allowed to see him, when he came.  She couldn’t figure out what had come over her brother.  First he told her that Jax didn’t want to see her.  He lied to her and it hurt.  He’d never lied to her before. 

             
He’d put himself in charge of her, while their father was away and refused to let her go into town, and he kept her working out away from the house until nightfall.  She’d obeyed, although she hadn’t wanted to.  She’d believed what he said, because he’d always been truthful with her.  After Martinez told her about Jax showing up at the house, she asked him, if there had been other times.  “All the time, Senorita, he comes and Senor
Reeves
tells him you not here.  Then the last time, he came, they argue, and Mr.
Reeves
revealed the real reason.” 

             
If it hadn’t been for Martinez interference, she would not even know that Jax had come for her.  She felt butterflies in her stomach, at what she was about to do.  She was sneaking out for the first time, to meet a man.  He wasn’t just any man though, she loved him.  She wasn’t sure when she fell in love with him, but she had, and she was certain he loved her too. 

             
She waited for Martinez to give the signal that all was clear. She opened her window, threw down her pack with the dress in it and climbed out.  Martinez helped her down.  He had her horse ready and waiting for her in the barn.  She tiptoed to the barn and eased in careful not to let the door creak. She climbed atop her mares back and slipped out the back of the barn with her quiet as you please.

             
When she was out of earshot of the house, she kicked her mare into a gallop and headed toward the spot where he’d not long ago sent her away, for fear that someone might force them into marriage.  She wondered, had she been in love with him, even then?  She wasn’t sure, but she thought maybe she might have been.

             
The moonlight lit up the trail before her, and when she saw him standing by the water a smile crossed her lips.  She guided her horse toward him and pulled it to a stop.  Jax moved around to help her down.  He took her lips in his and kissed her softly.  “Come sit over here.”  He took her hand and guided her to a blanket that was
,
sprea
d out by
the creek bank.  She folded her legs under her and waited for him to do the same.  Jax knelt on one knee before her and pulled something from his pocket.  “Virginia
Barnett
, would you do m
e the honor of being my wife?”
A tear slipped from her eye.  “Yes, I will.”
She wiped the tear before it could fall.  “I will!”  She let him slip a ring on her finger then she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down with her.  He stopped her.  “There will be time for that later, right now we have to go.  There’s somewhere we have to be.”  She lowered her eyebrows questioningly.  “Ok, lead the way.”  He grabbed her waist and threw her on her horse before mounting up on his own horse.