Part 51 (1/2)
We stood side by side, gazing at the far-off town. There wasn't much to see. A pattern of streets, rows of buildings near the middle and a bunch of other buildings scattered about the area. It was too distant for us to make out any of the people there.
Jesse stopped gazing after a while. She handed the reins to me and wandered over to a rock, where she sat down with her back to the town. She unwrapped her turban. She used it to wipe her sweaty face.
”Well,” she said, ”looks as how we made it.” She gave me a rather grim, one-sided smile. ”What'll we do when we get there?”
I led General closer to her, and found myself a rock. It felt all-fired good to sit down after so much walking. ”We'll have ourselves a splendid meal in a restaurant,” I said.
Her smile brightened some. ”Tired of mule?”
I made a snorty ”Hee-haw,” and she laughed.
”What I'm hankering for's a bath,” she said. ”I could use some fresh duds, too, before I sit down to a meal.”
”I'll buy you a fine dress.”
”Buy a dress, and you can be the one that wears it. Ain't gonna catch me in any such getup.”
”I'd certainly like to see you in one.”
”Ain't about to, so you'd best forget it.”
”You are a woman, you know.”
”None of my doing. I'd a sight rather be a man.”
”I'm quite glad you're not one.”
”Oh, I sure do know that.”
I fl.u.s.tered some when she said that, but I was so hot and sweaty she likely couldn't notice. ”Well, I don't aim to force force you into wearing a dress.” you into wearing a dress.”
”Couldn't if you tried.”
”I suppose you'd take your knife to me.”
I expected a snappy retort, but instead she frowned down at her boots. ”I wouldn't cut you,” she muttered. ”You oughta know that.”
”I know.”
She hung her head and rested her elbows on her legs.
”Are you all right?” I asked.
”Nope.”
”What is it?”
She shook her head.
”Jesse?”
She looked up at me. Her green eyes were awful solemn.
Going all soft and squirmy inside, my throat tightening on me, I hurried over to her. She stood and I took her in my arms. She held onto me tight. ”What's wrong?” I asked. ”What is it?”
”Oh...everything.”
”Everything?”
”Can't we...stay here? I don't wanta...” She shook her head.
I held her and patted her. ”We'll stay here. Maybe not here. here. We'll find ourselves a good spot to camp. We won't go into Tombstone. Not tonight. All right?” We'll find ourselves a good spot to camp. We won't go into Tombstone. Not tonight. All right?”
She nodded.
”We don't need to go into Tombstone at all,” I said. ”We'll just ride on by, tomorrow, if that's what you want.”
She kept holding onto me for a spell, then eased herself out of my arms. She put her hands on both sides of my face. She gave my lips a gentle kiss, then gazed into my eyes.
”We'll go in,” she whispered. ”Tomorrow. But I just ain't ready for it yet. Not yet.”
PART FIVE.
The End of the Trail
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN.
Tombstone Shy.
We made our camp in a dry wash on the north side of the rise so we couldn't see Tombstone. Jesse was uncommon quiet, maybe embarra.s.sed by the way she'd backed out of going into town, or maybe it was just that she had too much on her mind in need of sorting out. Whatever, I didn't press her.
We sat by a small campfire, and ate our jerky in silence.
When we finished, we kept on sitting there. I opened my mouth time and time again, figuring to ask her what the trouble was. Each time, though, I thought better of it.
She was on the other side of the fire, and sometimes gave me strange looks through the smoke.
Finally, I said, ”I'm not actually eager, myself, to ride into Tombstone.”
”You're only just saying that.”
”It's the honest truth.”
”What about that-there fine meal in a restaurant?”